As one of the most visually stunning arcade games on the market when it first released in the fall of 1993, Namco's Ridge Racer more or less defined the mold for '90s arcade racers. While today's games may have surpassed it in graphical realism, Ridge Racer's texture mapped and Gouraud shaded polygons were a massive step up from Virtua Racing's flat shaded polygon world. Combine those visuals with a high-energy techno soundtrack (gamers of a certain age will immediately recognize "Rotterdam Nation" when it starts playing), and you have a game that not only rocked arcades but also launched the original PlayStation console.

It was fitting then, that HAMSTER decided to kick off its Arcade Archives 2 series this summer with an arcade-perfect port of Ridge Racer for the current generation of consoles. Much like the original Arcade Archives series, which continues on the PlayStation 4 and Switch, the Arcade Archives 2 games are focused on the gameplay experience. This means you won't find in-depth history or interviews like in the Digital Eclipse Gold Master collections, but you will find games that run and play just like their original arcade releases.

While hardcore fans have no doubt played the arcade original under MAME, most fans will be familiar with the PlayStation conversion. Although it was a technically impressive launch title, the PlayStation version of Rider Racer noticeably cut both the resolution and the frame rate from the arcade original. A few years later, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 included a limited 60 fps version of Ridge Racer, but it still didn't include all of the arcade features. For a game that was at the top of the arcade charts in the '90s, we never saw an official, arcade perfect home release before this year.

HAMSTER included four different versions of Ridge Racer in this release. You'll find the Japanese SD and DX versions as well as the English SD and DX versions. The SD versions of the game use a simple shift up/shift down button mechanic, while the DX versions use the right analog stick to simulate a six-speed shifter, along with clutch and neutral buttons. If you forget to use the clutch while shifting, you'll even be treated to a short grinding sound. From a gameplay perspective, this likely isn't a big deal unless you have a full driving setup, but from a preservation standpoint, it's very cool to see it as an option.

If you choose to play with an automatic transmission (as I did most of the time), the experience is identical across the SD and DX versions. Control options include the standard Xbox controller, an arcade stick, or a racing wheel.

Looking at Ridge Racer from a modern perspective may seem a bit limiting, as there is only one primary track (with two variations) to race on, and you only have one car to use. It may sound simple, but the goal isn't to beat the track and move on. The goal is to master the track. Mastering Ridge Racer means learning the track inside and out: knowing when to floor it, knowing when to brake, and most importantly knowing when to drift.

The drifting mechanic was new to arcades with Ridge Racer, and the game capitalizes on it. It's simple enough to learn — just let off the gas, start a turn, and then punch it — but mastering it takes time. You'll need to start and end your drift at just the right moments to save precious momentum and shave seconds off your lap time. That said, the arcade version of Ridge Racer in Arcade Archives 2 limits your ability to drift into a full 360 spin. I could do that consistently in the PlayStation version, but not in this version.

Ridge Racer's track has a short and a long variant. The novice and intermediate modes use the short course, with the only real difference being the top speed of the cars. Advanced uses the long variant, but it keeps the top speed of intermediate. The additional challenge comes from the tight turns at the end of the long track variant. Finally, the time trial increases the max speed a final time and removes all other cars but one, so you can focus on driving.

Because this is an arcade racer, the other cars won't cause you damage, but running into them will slow you down. The AI cars don't make any attempt to avoid you. They generally follow their racing lines unless something knocks them off course, and they are more than happy to collide into you if you get in their way.

Also of note from a historical standpoint are the in-game ads for other Namco video games and the Namco Cyberstation and Aladdin's Castle arcades. This may not seem that important if you're simply interested in playing the game, but it places Ridge Racer in its proper context. This wasn't just a game that players dropped quarters into. It was also a stealth advertisement for Namco's own arcades. Having spent many hours at my local Aladdin's Castle as a kid, I'll admit to a certain amount of nostalgia the first time I saw that billboard in-game. The last Aladdin's Castle location closed in 2021.

In addition to the primary arcade mode, HAMSTER included three custom gameplay modes for the Arcade Archives 2 release: Hi Score mode, Caravan mode, and Time Attack mode. All three modes are single-player, just like the arcade game, but they have online leaderboards so you can see how you stack up against the world. These additional gameplay modes are based on the SD ROM, so if you prefer using a manual transmission, you're going with simple button shifting.

In Hi Score mode, you can choose from any of the four track variants and play until you finish the course or hit game over. Your score is the time it takes to complete the course in the given mode, with lower being better. Think you're the fastest Ridge Racer out there? This is your chance to prove it.

Caravan mode gives you five minutes of race time. The game ends when you hit game over or the five minutes are up, whichever comes first. The score is measured in mileage, so the challenge is hitting the perfect racing line (and avoiding collisions) for a full five minutes. It's easier said than done.

Time Attack mode has you racing across all four track variants as part of a single race. The goal is to last as long as you can, with the fastest time on each variant. Because all the track variants cycle through this mode, you'll want to have completed (if not mastered) them all in the normal game before attempting Time Attack.

One feature I almost missed (because it's disabled by default) is rewind. It's nothing fancy. Map rewind to a button and tap it during play to quickly skip back a few seconds. Rewind isn't smooth (it happens quite fast, so it can be jarring), but it will give you a chance to retry a difficult turn until you get the timing right. Rewind is available when playing the original games, but it is automatically disabled in Hi Score, Caravan, and Time Attack modes.

A single-track arcade racing game may seem like a hard sell in 2025, but Ridge Racer is basically the essence of the '90s arcade racer. This is a game that has had its gameplay tuned to perfection, and it expertly balances the line between harsh and fair. The AI cars won't hesitate to smash into you if you block their racing line, and every bump costs precious time.

Losing game after game can be frustrating, but when you finally nail that perfect run, the endorphin rush is exhilarating. Ridge Racer is a game that inspired a legion of others, and it is also a game that holds up on its own. Sitting down to play today is just as thrilling as it was in 1993, and the new leaderboards ensure there is always a reason to take "one more lap."

Score: 9.0/10

Editor's Note: There are separate Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 versions of Ridge Racer. Purchasing the Arcade Archives version on PlayStation 4 or Switch allows you to purchase the Arcade Archives 2 version on the corresponding platform (PlayStation 5 or Switch 2) for $2.99. If you purchase the Arcade Archives 2 version first, there is no discount for the Arcade Archives version.