Ridge Racer V

"Ridge Racer 2000" redirects here. For the Nintendo 64 game, see Ridge Racer 64.
Ridge Racer V
North American version cover art featuring race queen Ai Fukami and the Rivelta Mercurio car
Developer(s)Namco
Publisher(s)Namco[a]
Director(s)Eiichi Saita
Producer(s)Noriko Wada, Paul Guirao
Designer(s)Eiichi Saita
Programmer(s)Jun Nakagawa
Composer(s)Kohta Takahashi
Yuu Miyake
Nobuyoshi Sano
Mijk van Dijk
SeriesRidge Racer
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Arcade
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • JP: March 4, 2000
  • NA: October 26, 2000
  • EU: November 24, 2000
Arcade
  • JP: November 28, 2000[1]
  • WW: December 2000
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNamco System 246

Ridge Racer V[b] is a 2000 racing game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 as a launch game for that platform, and later followed by a home-to-arcade port subtitled Arcade Battle.[2] Ridge Racer V is the fifth main title of the Ridge Racer series following R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 and the only one to be released on PlayStation 2 (excluding the spin-off R: Racing Evolution).

Moving away from Ridge Racer Type 4's approach, Ridge Racer V streamlined back to a simple racer without a story mode, set in fictional Ridge City based on circuits in and around the very first course introduced in Ridge Racer.[3] Its licensed soundtrack also returns to a heavier sound, including featuring Boom Boom Satellites and Mijk van Dijk alongside Namco's composer Kohta Takahashi. The game also introduced a new race queen mascot, Ai Fukami, replacing Reiko Nagase.

Ridge Racer V was the highlight of PlayStation 2's original March 2000 launch.[4] It received a positive reception for its visuals and speedy driving experience, but there was critique that it fell below expectations relative to the console's graphical assumptions, and divided critics for some elements such as its lack of content compared to its predecessor and noticeable jaggies.[5][6] However, in retrospect, it has been considered one of the greatest arcade-style racers of all time, with praise given to its handling, environs, and challenge.[3][7][8]

  1. ^ "アーケードTvゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005)". 2005.
  2. ^ I. G. N. Staff (2000-09-01). "Namco Announces System 246 Arcade Hardware". IGN. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  3. ^ a b "All 12 Mainline Ridge Racer Games, Ranked". Jalopnik. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  4. ^ Extension, Time (2024-01-02). "The Making Of: PS2, The World's Most Successful Video Game Console". Time Extension. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  5. ^ Extension, Time (2024-09-04). "Best Ridge Racer Games Of All Time". Time Extension. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  6. ^ Ismail, Adam (2017-09-07). "Ridge Racer V: Emotion Engine". GTPlanet. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  7. ^ Extension, Time (2022-08-20). "Soapbox: Ridge Racer V is The Greatest Game Ever Made". Time Extension. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  8. ^ Ismail, Adam (2023-12-25). "All I Want for Christmas Is a Ridge Racer V Sequel". The Drive. Retrieved 2024-09-08.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).