If you fancy a slightly unusual retro racer, then Ridge Racer 64 is now available via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. And it’s good timing as the game celebrates its 25th anniversary in February.
Released in 2000, it stands out in the Ridge Racer series by being the first game that wasn’t actually developed by Namco. The name was licensed to Nintendo, with the game being one of the first to be developed by American first party developers Nintendo Software Technlogy, who also ported and remade the game as Ridge Racer DS in 2004. The team are still producing games today, with their only other racing title being F-Zero 99 in 2023.
Until now, you needed an original copy of the game and an N64, or you’d have to find a suitable emulated version. But this is an easier way to enjoy the first of the series to feature split-screen racing for up to four people, with 20 tracks, single player Quick Play, Car Attack and Time Attack modes, and multipler Battle, Stage and Team modes.
Ridge Racer launched in 1993 and was most popular as an arcade game and PlayStation launch title. The last game in the series was the contentious Ridge Racer Unbounded developed by BugBear Entertainment in 2012, or the Ridge Racer Draw & Drift mobile spin-off in 2016. The most recent title actually developed by Namco was Ridge Racer 7, a launch title for the PlayStation 3 in 2006.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is the platform’s answer to PS Plus or GamePass, and costs £34.99 per year, with titles from every era of Nintendo consoles, plus a library of Sega Mega Drive games as well. Other N64 titles include Excitebike 64, F-Zero X and Mario Kart 64.
Ridge Racer 64 is not available to buy separately through the Nintendo eShop, but you can find out more about the Online + Expansion Pack, here. Or read more of our coverage of retro racing games, here. And if you’d prefer to use the original hardware, you can find Ridge Racer 64 cartridges for between £15-£50 on eBay right now.
Leave a Reply