Ridge Racer 2


Ridge Racer 2 is an arcade racing game that was released by Namco in 1994 for their System 22 hardware. Despite its name, Ridge Racer 2 is more of an updated version of Ridge Racer, than an actual sequel.

Gameplay

The gameplay is very much like that of the original. However, unlike the vanilla version of Ridge Racer, in Ridge Racer 2 up to eight players can play simultaneously when four two-player cabinets are linked together. A player's number determines their car.
There also are six new songs, including remixed ones from the original, that can be selected with the gear shifter at the start. The enormous television screen above the entrance to the first tunnel shows footage from Namco's 1979 title Galaxian. There is also a change in daylight from day to night.

Legacy

In 1995 Ridge Racer/Ridge Racer 2 was followed by two true sequels. An arcade sequel, named Rave Racer, which was developed for Namco's System 22 hardware and a home console sequel, named Ridge Racer Revolution, for the PlayStation.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Ridge Racer 2 on their August 15, 1994 issue as being the fourth most-successful upright arcade game of the year. Next Generation reviewed the arcade version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "eight-user multi-player link-up has been added to enable Ridge Racer 2 to compete on equal footing with Sega's Daytona USA and Namco's new Ace Driver."