Software:Ridge Racer 2 (2006 video game)

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Short description: 2006 racing video game published by Namco and SCEE
Ridge Racer 2
European version cover art
Developer(s)Namco Bandai Games
Publisher(s)Namco Bandai Games[lower-alpha 1]
SeriesRidge Racer
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable
Release
  • JP: 14 September 2006
  • EU: 13 October 2006
  • AU: 19 October 2006
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Ridge Racer 2, released in Japan as Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value)., is an arcade-style racing game developed by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation Portable hand-held console, marking the 14th release in the Ridge Racer series and also the sequel to the PSP launch title Ridge Racer. It saw release in Japan on 14 September 2006, followed by its 13 October European launch and 19 October release in Australia. The original North American release was cancelled. On 20 December 2022, Ridge Racer 2 was made available worldwide to download on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as part of the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription service.

Gameplay

The core aspect of the entire Ridge Racer series is drift racing, that is traditional lap racing against opponents with the added twist of intentionally oversteering and sliding the car through sharp corners and turns, known as "drifting", which earns the player several bonuses during a race. In most respects Ridge Racer 2 can be considered more of an update than a true sequel to the original PSP title - it shares the same game play engine, user interface and game design as the previous title, and includes almost all of the elements, cars, and tracks of its predecessor.

Featuring three times as much game play time as its predecessor however, the differences lie in the addition of a total of 42 new racing tracks (of which 21 are unique tracks, with reversed direction counting as separate track), while 18 are taken from previous titles in the Ridge Racer franchise. Two tracks are from the original Ridge Racer, three tracks are from Ridge Racer Revolution, four tracks are from Rave Racer, eight tracks are from R4, and four tracks are from Rage Racer. Every track from every PlayStation Ridge Racer game released is included as part of this package. Numerous new game play modes are included to supplement the originals of the previous title such as: Duel and Survival modes. As with the previous title, Single Race and Wireless Battle mode is still included, although Single Race was renamed to Arcade.

In-game screenshot of a custom race, taking place on the track "Shuttleloop Highway". The featured car is Kamata Fiera Type-S.

The game also features a total of 62 fictional cars (referred to as "machines" throughout the game) from seven fictional manufacturers (Kamata, Age, Danver, Gnade, Assoluto, Himmel, and Soldat) that are staple throughout the Ridge Racer series. The full complement of cars is available to the player after completing four tours (consisting of 16 races each) of increasing difficulty levels (Basic, Pro, EX and Max) and several various mini-games. In addition to newer cars, Ridge Racer 2 features "prizes" that are unlocked after the completion of a tour, such as opening movies of previous Ridge Racer titles and E3 demo presentations.

The Special Class cars from Ridge Racer (PSP) have been modified for this release and categorised into two tiered categories with four cars each. Special Class 1 denotes cars embodying more traditional supercar designs and appearances, while Special Class 2 is made up of radical or novelty designs that boast the highest top speeds attainable in the game. Specifically, the 'Kamata Angelus' (Special Class 1) is now a more traditional supercar design, similar in appearance to the Angel car from Ridge Racer Revolution, and no longer powered by jet engines. The 'Soldat Crinale' (Special Class 1) appears similar to its previous incarnation, while the Pac-Man car (Special Class 2) now resembles a miniature aircraft in design (with Pac-Man himself depicted as piloting it), and is no longer powered by propellers. The New Rally-X car has been removed entirely and replaced by the 'Danver Hijack' (Special Class 1); a large, super-charged Pickup truck. The 'Yamasa Raggio' (Special Class 2), which appeared in the 2006 Tokyo Auto Salon as a heavily modified Honda NSX, is unique to Ridge Racer 2 and also appears in a "prize" movie that is unlocked after completion of the game's "EX tour". The car was later made into a Tomica die-cast toy car for limited release. The three other special class cars are the Age Angelus Kid (Special Class 2), Age Crinale Kid (Special Class 2), and Terrazi Wild Gang (Special Class 1).

The game also features a FMV opening, that shows series mascot Reiko Nagase.

Nitrous

Notable also is the "nitrous boost" system from the previous game, which works in the same manner as before. The player has a Nitrous Gauge made up of three nitrous tanks, which at the start of a race are either completely depleted or only partially full. As the player drifts through the corners (especially at very high slip angles) during the race, their nitrous gauge fills up. When the player fills up one of the three nitrous tanks, it can be activated to achieve a temporary speed boost. The nitrous tanks cannot be recharged while any tank is in use though, but the residual speed increase when the nitrous boost expires can be used just before entering corners to recharge the player's nitrous tanks at a faster rate than normal.

Music

All the music tracks from the previous game are also included in this game. In addition, there were some changes in the discs track lists, including new additions Remix Disc 2 and Classic Disc 3.

King Records released a music album of the game called Ridge Racers 2: Direct Audio (titled as RIDGE RACERS 2: DIRECT AUDIO). It was released in Japan in October 2006. The track list is below, and all these tracks are new to Ridge Racer 2.

Track List

  1. "Scream"
  2. "Departure Lounge 2"
  3. "Rage Racer Remix"
  4. "Rotten7 Remix"
  5. "Kamikaze Remix"
  6. "Heart of Hearts Remix
  7. "Heat Floor Remix"
  8. "Paris Remix"
  9. "Pearl Blue Soul"
  10. "Burning Rubber"
  11. "Quiet Curves"
  12. "The Objective"
  13. "EXH*NOTES"
  14. "Euphoria" [Ridge Racer V]
  15. "Mellow Curves"

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic70/100[1]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge7/10[2]
Eurogamer7/10[3]
Famitsu32/40[4]
GamesMaster89%[5]
GamesTM6/10[6]
OPM (UK)8/10[7]
PALGN7/10[8]
Play78%[9]
PSM350%[10]
VideoGamer.com7/10[11]
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarStarStarHalf star[12]

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[1]

Whilst Ridge Racer 2 was still praised for the same points as the previous title, reviewers were disappointed that the game is little different from it. The game runs on the same graphical engine and the visuals look almost exactly the same, with the most notable changes being additional courses. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one seven, two eights, and one nine for a total of 32 out of 40.[4] Edge magazine ranked the game 70th on their 100 Best Video Games in 2007.[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Ridge Racer 2 (psp: 2006): Reviews". http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/psp/ridgeracer2. 
  2. ↑ Edge staff (November 2006). "Ridge Racer 2 (PSP)". Edge (168): 91. 
  3. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (28 September 2006). "Ridge Racers 2". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ir_rr2_psp. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Collection of every PSP-game reviewed in Famitsu". NeoGAF. 27 August 2006. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116580. 
  5. ↑ "Ridge Racer 2 (PSP)". GamesMaster: 72. November 2006. 
  6. ↑ "Ridge Racer 2 (PSP)". GamesTM: 108. November 2006. 
  7. ↑ "Ridge Racer 2 (PSP)". Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine (78): 97. November 2006. 
  8. ↑ van Leuveren, Luke (24 October 2006). "Ridge Racer 2 Review - Sony PSP Video Game Review". http://palgn.com.au/sony-psp/5616/ridge-racer-2-review/. 
  9. ↑ "Review: Ridge Racer 2 (PSP)". Play UK (145): 74. November 2006. 
  10. ↑ "Review: Ridge Racer 2 (PSP)". PSM2: 74. November 2006. 
  11. ↑ Orry, Tom (4 October 2006). "Ridge Racer 2 Review". VideoGamer.com. https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/ridge-racer-2-review. 
  12. ↑ Hill, Jason (21 October 2006). "Ridge Racer 2". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/game-reviews/ridge-racer-2/2006/10/18/1160851001013.html. 
  13. ↑ EDGE presents: The 100 Best Videogames (2007). United Kingdom: Future Publishing. 16 August 2020. pp. 66. https://archive.org/details/EDGE.The.100.Best.Videogames.2007/page/66/mode/2up. 
  1. ↑ Released under the Namco label and published in Europe by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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