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Review
Played on: Xbox Series X
Released: 2026
Original release: 1995 (Arcade)
Some things are worth waiting for and the third arcade Ridge Racer is definitely in that category. It's taken 31 years, but here we are; Rave Racer is finally ported and available on current consoles!
For those unfamiliar; Ridge Racer launched in the arcades in 1993, review here, and was quickly followed by basically an upgrade; titled Ridge Racer 2, featuring multiplayer and a rear-view mirror. Simultaneously on PlayStation, Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution released in 1994 and 1995, respectively. With a huge following of fans of both the arcade and the home console releases, the franchise continued full steam ahead.
Rave Racer was the third arcade release in 1995, perhaps titled so after Tekken's pre-production title; Rave War. Rave Racer launched on the same System 22 arcade board as Ridge Racer 1 & 2, but this time with more experience on the hardware. A PS1 port was early in development and announced in 1996 but why this port was scrapped is unknown. The entire franchise shifted towards a console tailored experience through Rage Racer in 1997 anyhow.
A Microsoft Windows version of Rave Racer, running 30fps on the NEC PowerVR graphics processor, was in development with a demo shown to reporters, but sadly it too was scrapped.
Thus, we were left without a port Rave Racer, an arcade exclusive missing link in the franchise. Albeit a confusing one; technically it's Ridge Racer 3, but we also got a third game through Rage Racer. Confusion aside, the racing genre shifted a lot in the 90's, ultimately focusing in on realism after Gran Turismo made an impact in 1998. As such, it probably was never reconsidered to be ported as time passed by and Rave Racer began looking dated.
I've played almost everything when it comes to Ridge Racer, except for Rave Racer. I've never had the pleasure of running across the arcade version either during my youth on holidays in the UK. Sadly, it's remained on my wish list to play for years.
Until this year! Finally receiving a port through Hamster Corporation's Arcade Archives series. To put it mildly, I was excited!
Let's put it in gear and take a look!
Right off the bat; let's talk about the visual aesthetic of Rave Racer. The most obvious change is the matured look. Going from the colourful beach and city vibe to a less vibrant and realistic tone. While I do prefer the colourful vibe of the original, I guess Namco felt the need for the franchise to look more real in its new instalment.
With a darker and realistic aesthetic, Rave Race is the missing link between the colourful RR 1, 2 & Revolution vibe and the gritty, dark Rage Racer one. It bridges those art directions together and shows how the development team shifted the visual tone of the franchise.
There are other similarities that influenced Rage Racer too; large, rolling hills with steep banks, on the professional racetrack especially, and overall, more curved corners and elevation changes. Smaller detail like the HUD receiving a modernised look; all the way down to the black tachometer. Ideas that went straight into Rage Racer.
Textures also bear a similar aesthetic, sporting more detail and a gritty look to the tarmac. Emphasizing the speed of movement with its deliberate patches of dark and light patches on the surface.
Then we have the darker shading, noticeable as you pass through segments with overhanging arches, where the light emphasises the speed by alternating between shady and sunlit segments. In addition, cars have their polygon counts raised, with 3D hubcaps and, again, with a moodier shading on their bodies.
There's even an, albeit epileptic flashing, intro sequence featuring what must be the first female mascot of the franchise. It isn't Reiko Nagase, but this change would influence the art direction in Rager Racer.
Gameplay is strikingly similar to the previous arcade Ridge Racer at first glance, but as you play it feels refined, yet less forgiving, with the drifting. The cars seem to slide wider out to the edge of a corner towards the end of drift, so compensating with easing off the gas to keep you tail end from hitting the walls is key to avoid crashes.
The rock solid 60fps gives a responsive smoothness the home ports never could, although it feels twitchy with a game controller in this port. I'd recommend some adjustment in the options. This port supports steering wheels; I tried it with my Logitech G923, and it worked great with force feedback and all.
The difficulty on the other hand is on another level compared to RR1. The time limits and penalties for crashes are brutal. Competitors give you a far tougher challenge too. While they all race on a predetermined path, they hold a higher speed and passing them all within three laps is a challenge.
Unlike the PS1 versions, there isn't a car selection, although you can access the arcade cabinet switches and choose between a few car models in the options of this port. Typically, a large setup in the arcade would have individual cars set for each cabinet, as they were linked together. As such, most modes just default to the blue car, but you can change that for arcade mode in the settings! A neat touch in this port is that it supports four player splitscreen; basically, running four instances of the arcade cabinets!
Each car has the classic Ridge Racer design, complete with fictional advertising often referencing Namco lore, each with their own colour scheme. Unlike the home console versions, all the cars have the same driving characteristics though.
There are four racetracks to choose from. Novice is the familiar first racetrack from RR1, adding a little extra detail and bystanders alongside the trackside. Intermediate is a wonderfully crafted city course with some cool, banked turns and wide streets with jumps to speed down. It's probably the most iconic racetrack from Rave Racer.
Advanced is the extended racetrack from RR1, which incidentally was under construction in RR1, but here it's completed! It's a tricky racetrack to conquer, with many, nightmarish turns towards the end. The fourth is Professional and is a mountain racetrack. With farms, green fields, tunnels, tall climbs and hills. I feel this last course is what inspired the track design for Rage Racer.
As with Ridge Racer 2 and RR Revolution, Rave Racer supports an external camera angle in addition to the bumper cam. What's unique about this camera compared to the external ones on the PS1 titles, is that it tilts in turns. Not just the slight tilt from the bumper cam either; it really lays itself at an angle to give an extra sensation of turning! I much prefer it compared to the stiffness of the PS1 releases.
For someone discovering these classic Namco racers for the first time, with Ridge Racer 1 and Rave Racer being available for modern hardware, the differences between them might not seem like much outside the visual aesthetic.
Indeed, beginning with RR1 is a better choice as the difficulty is more lenient. But for those that want to dip their toes deeper into the arcade 90s scene, Rave Racer offers a subtle and challenging refinement of the great arcade sensation Ridge Racer offers. Plus, there's just more content here.
When it comes to the actual port it's faithful but like all the earlier System 22 titles I've reviewed, check them out here, I'd prefer better scanline options and the ability to boost the resolution. Although running faithfully at the exact arcade resolution of 640x480 pixels, it looks extremely rough on modern displays.
Personally, it's incredibly satisfying to finally see a popular but forgotten arcade title like Rave Race deservedly getting a port. It's been a long wait for such an important release for us who appreciate the arcade racing classics of the 90s, but it isn't for everyone, and the original Ridge Racer bears more nostalgic and has a vibrant vibe which Rave Racer perhaps lacks.
This is a one for the experienced Ridge Racer fans!
