the Ridge Racer series famous for zippy drift racing a la Fast and the Furious. Or maybe

it's just because of Reiko Nagase, the leggy grid girl. Either way, Namco has done well

to bust out onto the race track with the series, first in the arcades with the Namco System

22, to CD-ROM format with the PlayStation, and finally making its way onto cartridge

with Ridge Racer 64. There's nothing as quick and easy to play as racing games, but each

of them has their own feel. Ridge Racer 64 can be played just with your analog stick

and the A button, but honing your drift skills is the ticket to success, since the tracks

have extremely sharp curves that you'll need to speed through without breaking stride.

In previous reviews of racing games you might be able to tell that my steering is never

exactly up to par. Yes I drive recklessly. If someone's in my way, I'm more likely to

crash into him than try to finesse around him. Once you've started making first place

in all the races, your skills will need to become less like mine and more like the typical

Ridge Racer style of complete 360 spins from powerslides that will razzle and dazzle your

opponents. I suppose this method of sliding all over the road is a start for me. If it

wasn't for Namco's illustrious arcade history, these racing teams would have different names.

Dig Racing Team, Racing Team Solvalou, and Pac Racing Club are all examples of how Namco

pays respect to itself. Ridge Racer is also famous for more than one type of track selection.

Ten music tracks will get your blood pumping and adds to the already frantic, almost rockstar

atmosphere that is a hallmark of the Ridge Racer series. Although I may prefer racers

like Gran Turismo over the purely arcade style of games like Cruisin' or Daytona, Ridge Racer

64 definitely is in a class of its own. It's stylish, sleek, and lightning fast, and perhaps

after an eyeful or two of Reiko Nagase, you'll be coming back for more than just the racing.

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