R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998)

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco, Namco Bandai Games, Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Android, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable
Genres: Racing
Rating: 4.4 of 5, 51 player ratings

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More games like this Watch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A sleek, stylish arcade racer that glides through neon-lit curves with effortless cool and a pulsing late-90s energy.

stylishsmoothfast-pacedarcadeslickvibrantaccessiblepolished

About

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is the fourth game in the Ridge Racer series. It includes eight tracks (with reverse variants, for a total of 16 layouts) and 321 vehicles, all of which are fictional. This iteration was one of the first PlayStation titles to feature Gouraud shading on polygons, giving the game a visual depth that was previously missing. It was also the first Ridge Racer game on the system to feature two-player split-screen mode and offered two different driving models.

What players say

A genuine PS1 classic with a uniquely cool, sun-baked atmosphere, sublime drift handling, and an acclaimed jazz-funk soundtrack, wrapped in a surprisingly emotional story-driven career mode that fans cherish as a masterpiece. JP fans likewise praise it as a timeless 名作 with its human-drama narrative and Namco's technical peak.

Screenshots

More games like this

More by Bandai Namco Holdings

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.