Metacritic Games

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (Playstation)

The fourth game in the series, with various new specifications and features such as stunning new backgrounds, lighting, shading and more sophisticated game modes. The driving sensation is similar to Ridge Racer while the advanced new game modes are superior to those in Rage Racer. [Namco]

Namco
Racing, Driving
Players: 4
E (Everyone)
Developer: Namco
Released April 3, 1999

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

88 / 100

Critic Reviews

100	Hot Games Graphics are very impressive; this is one area that R4 totally rules over Gran Turismo. The effects and graphics are nothing short of mind-boggling.
94	PSX Nation The control in R4 is something that you will either be a fan of and realize that it offers almost unprecedented control or feel that it is so arcadish and fake that it's unbearable. I reside on the fan level.
94	IGN Extremely tight controls, and the US version enables Dual Shock support! Take that, Japanese version!
93	Gaming Maxx Graphically, R4 outshines almost all the other racing games, with impressive lighting effects, a very high frame rate, and no visible slowdown at all.
91	TotalGames.net A package more desirable than Neve Campbell wrapped in a lottery cheque!
90	Games Domain Whilst Namco's latest offering may lack the pedantic attention to detail and realistic physics of Gran Turismo, it makes up for it with pure, high-octane thrills. And nothing else on the PlayStation can come close...
90	Cheat Code Central Platinum These are hands down the nicest looking tracks I've seen yet. They even beat GT.
90	GMR Magazine Plenty of cars, silky-smooth graphics, and of all things, a story mode. Best played with the Jogcon controller. [Feb 2003, p.97]
90	All Game Guide The biggest concern I have with R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is it's level of difficulty. It is not incredibly hard, and as stated earlier, can be picked up by just about anyone... a delight to play, however.
90	GameCritics It supplies everything the arcade racing fan wants: slick graphics, lots of speed, and a lot of style.
90	Absolute Playstation Pure, unadulterated, adrenaline pumping, arcade racing at it's best.
89	Gamezilla! The number of tracks mixed in with the brilliance in design should keep you playing for quite awhile. You may not have the patience to try and unlock all 300 cars, you should find more than enough replay value just trying to learn the different driving techniques for the different cars.
87	GameSpot Above all, R4 is incredibly fun to play. Unlocking the cars (more than 300 in all, though most are basic variations on a few common themes) quickly becomes an obsession, and the Jogcon adds a ton of depth to the game's control.
85	Armchair Empire The one major nuisance in the game is that very few of the cars in the pack provide much of a challenge. Only the cars in second and first place put up much of a fight, while the rest behave like placeholders.
80	GamePro Probably the single most annoying element, however, is the interface: a maze of endless menus. Let's just race already!
80	Electric Playground If I hadn’t been recently consumed by GT Interactive’s "Driver," I might say this here R4 is some of the finest racing available for the PSX.
80	Official U.S. Playstation Magazine A career mode so involving and compelling that it makes this almost like a "driving RPG." [Nov 2001, p.50]
75	Game Revolution Then again, in R4 you get to have each race started by a sexy Japanese polygonal model. Hmmm... sex, Pac-Man, and racing. I think I'll go play some R4.