Back in 1993, Namco released their first Ridge Racer title, which was based on their numerous arcade machines. This same game later found refuge on Sony's debut home console, the PlayStation, in 1995. It made for a fantastic launch title and had many successors. That said, a PlayStation console launch is not the same without a Ridge Racer title leading the way. The PSOne launched with Ridge Racer, the PS2 launched with Ridge Racer V and now the PSP is following the trend by launching alongside Ridge Racer PSP. I liked Ridge Racer from the start, but I didn't love it until I played Ridge Racer Type 4 in 1998. Earlier this year, I picked up Ridge Racer DS, hoping for a nostalgia trip, but I was disappointed. The PSP version, however, is a mix of the best parts of the Ridge Racer series and is a startlingly strong launch title.

Everything about this title screams labour of love, or at least that's how the game makes me feel. The developers have done an amazing job bringing the true Ridge Racer experience to a portable. Booting up the game, you are greeted with a Namco logo, then a loading screen where you can play Namco's classic Rally-X title while you wait. Pressing select to continue, the screen turns dark before you witness an absolutely fantastic FMV introduction movie, complete with Reiko of course. This completely thrashes Need For Speed Underground: Rivals' FMV introduction and quite frankly made me drool throughout.

I have to document everything you encounter while booting up the game, because you would not want to miss a thing, not even the menu screen. All your menu selections are announced by a female voice, which made a few heads turn as I navigated through. One addition that I was happy to see is the AV Player, which can be found in the options menu. This allows you to watch any of your replays to your chosen tune, or you can just listen to any of the music from the game's massive soundtrack.

The available modes are World Tours, Single Race, Time Attack and Wireless Battle. Single Race prompts you to choose a course, the choice of available courses dependent upon your progress in World Tour mode. You can choose from a whole host of classic Ridge Racer circuits, from Rave Racer, Rage Racer, Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution, Ridge Racer Type 4 and Ridge Racer V. It's great to see the old tracks undergo a next generation makeover. One thing I have noticed is that some of the corners have been made slightly less prominent, although this isn't a major change.

Single race is puts you against twelve opponents for three laps, which is perfect if you need to kill time while waiting for a bus, although don't get too immersed, as you may just find yourself losing track of time and missing your bus while playing this beauty! Time attack mode lets you play a circuit, set the lap times and beat yourself, in the form of a ghost car, which is useful if you need to practice a certain track or just want a peaceful drive. And if you know someone else with a copy of Ridge Racer, then you can challenge them to a wireless race battle.

World Tour mode is where the main game lies. Initially, you can only access the basic world tour modes, but as you progress, higher levels are unlocked, such as the Pro tour and Ex tour. Each tour consists of a series of sections that contain three or more races. Once you clear a section, you unlock a car and some new tracks to race in other modes. Each race has three laps and you could be racing for up to six minutes at a time, meaning a single section of a tour could take up to thirty-six minutes! As you can see, the game hours rack up quickly. Clearing a tour gives you a progress report, which details what you have unlocked and the total distance you have travelled. From time to time, it also gives you driving tips.

The controls are as simple they could be; the directional pad steers left or right as standard, but I found this to be less responsive than the analogue disc. It's a toss up, as the analogue disc is not as functional as an analogue stick and Ridge Racer always fared well with just the d-pad anyway. So really, it's whatever suits the player. The X button is the throttle, the Square button functions as a brake key, while keys Triangle and O do nothing, unless you are using manual transmission. L1 changes the viewpoint from first person to third person and R1 activates your Nitrous Oxide boost bar.

If you want to get anywhere with Ridge Racer, and I mean anywhere, you will need to learn how to drift. This whole game is based around the famous drift handling, which is slightly over the top but really satisfying when mastered. The basics of drifting are as follows: race down a track, come to a corner, let go of the throttle (or hit the brake) for a second, whilst jamming on the steering, then press down throttle again and watch that baby slide. Some cars have better drift characteristics, meaning that you should choose a car best suited to your course. I always say it's never too late to turn a corner in Ridge Racer, as a drift can be pulled off at the last moment, sending your car 'seriously sideways', as the slogan says. Drifting also has other rewards, aside from cornering - it fills your car with nitrous.

The addition of nitrous boost into the Ridge Racer series was a daring move and certainly not just a gimmick; it adds to the gameplay immensely. You have three empty tanks at the beginning of each race, which are filled by drifting. The faster the drift, the more the gauge fills. When one of the tanks is ready for use, it flares blue and sometimes the announcer says "Ready for nitrous!" A swift tap of R1 sees you blazing down the strip, while the screen becomes a blur. Even the heads up display changes to double vision to enhance the feeling of speed. Nitrous lasts roughly three to four seconds but can be vital to clinching first place on the final lap, so use it wisely. Opponents sometimes use nitrous if you attempt to pass them and they also try to block your path, which adds a certain degree of challenge, rather than just plain overtaking. Overall, I feel that the addition of nitrous is a good idea, in a way bringing Ridge Racer's somewhat outdated racing style up to date.

Let's talk about graphics. If you want to show off your PSP, then there is no better way to do it than with Ridge Racer. Smooth, shiny cars zipping around gorgeously rendered environments dotted with palm trees, blue skies, sunsets, waterfalls and endless, glimmering asphalt. Some graphical features that stand out include how the sun gleams on the road along the Sunset Drive course, or how it shines through the gaps between buildings causing lens flare. Little details like that go a long way to enhancing this game and even made me smile, I was that impressed. There was no visible slowdown in any of the tracks I played, which is a major one-up for Namco, as some other PSP racers suffer from noticeable lag (I'm looking at you Midnight Club 3!) which is just not acceptable for a racing game. Thankfully, Ridge Racer is a bump-free ride.

There is a massive soundtrack squeezed onto this UMD, containing a range of tracks from previous RR games; the best of the bunch have been included, with a few nice remixes and some new tunes to boot. The soundtrack quality is amazing, especially with the headphones plugged in; turn it up and you will get lost in this game. The pumping bass and frenetic drums in some of the more upbeat tunes seriously help to up the pace of the race. Tracks like 'your vibe' and 'naked glow' are mellower and make a great accompaniment to watching your replays on the Sunset Drive course. Although the announcer's vocals sometimes sound a bit gritty, there are enough voice clips included to maintain variation throughout.

Ridge Racer is a wonderful feel good game, as the gameplay is simultaneously exhilarating and relaxing. It has slick presentation, from the menu layout to the graphics and sound, but don't let that fool you, as Ridge Racer can produce endless hours of top quality racing action. If you don't like the Ridge Racer style, you may not find yourself being blown away, although I'm not sure how anyone could dislike such well-balanced and addictive gameplay. If you're looking for a satisfying racer to show off the power and style of your new PSP, then this is definitely one to take out for a spin.

Reviewed by Dan Whelan for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).