2D screenshots of 3D-capable game: Due to technical limitations, the screenshot shown in this review is a 2D image of a game that can display its graphics in 3D. The game is fully playable in either form, but only the 2D method can be shown here.
Coming from a series of arcade-style racing games, Ridge Racer 3D isn’t particularly worried about realism. It wants players to quickly start racing with a variety of cars, making wide drifting turns before firing a nitro boost to zoom for the finish line while vibrant backgrounds and upbeat music keep you in an excited mood. This is the same sort of formula employed by Daytona USA or the Outrun series, and it works very well when done right. Thankfully, Ridge Racer 3D offers both good course design and enough variety of content that it won’t get old too quickly, and it manages to stand above its competition (which is mostly limited to Asphalt 3D at the time this article was written).
The default controls are very simple, though players wishing to use a manual transmission can add some depth to this if they wish. Otherwise, the player need only worry about the circle pad or d-pad serving as your steering wheel, while the face buttons control acceleration and braking and the shoulder buttons fire nitro boosts that you earn for skillful drifting. While the controls are very fast and loose, they’re very easy to learn; it only takes a few short races (most of them last about three to five minutes) to come to terms with drifting and everything else is very easy to do. The goal is generally simple: catch up to your competitors and pass them so that you win the race. And don’t worry too much if you crash, because the worst that usually happens is grinding against whatever you hit until you manage to get loose; you lose some speed, but you’re still in the race.
While not a sim by any means, Ridge Racer 3D offers at least a little customization. It mostly boils down to picking between one of several cars that each play a little bit differently, choosing different types of nitro systems, and color schemes, so you don’t need to be an expert on cars to get a road-worthy vehicle. Tuning your car only takes a minute to do, so the real ’customization’ lies in finding the right car for you and the course at hand. What really matters is learning the course layout and making turns correctly, as very little besides your fellow racers gets in your way. The focus is on keeping things fast and fun, with as little down-time or learning curve as possible; the only real disruption to Ridge Racer 3D’s quick pace is that courses do take several seconds to load, and saving your progress likewise takes a little while.
The graphics and sound deserve note, as they’re what really help convey the ’energy’ in this game. The courses are all very nice on the eyes, covering themes ranging from typical race tracks to underwater tunnels or zooming through an airport during the sunset, and the 3D display both brings out the best in these tracks and helps you with turns; the extra depth makes it easier to see where to go and how soon to turn. It is still perfectly playable in its 2D display, but it does make good use of the 3DS’ hardware. An excellent variety of fast and upbeat songs also help convey the ’arcade-style fun’ motif it was clearly aiming for, keeping players eager and tuned into the race.
Overall, Ridge Racer 3D is a good arcade-style racer. It’s easy to learn, has plenty of content, and enjoyable even in single-player mode. That last part is important, since while local wireless play is supported it is fair to say that not everyone will have access to plenty of people to play against. By simply focusing on being fast and fun with a lot of excitement to its presentation, Ridge Racer 3D does a good job of entertaining the player and well worth a look if you’d like a ’non-sim’ racing game for your 3DS.
