I'm Kohta Takahashi, part of the sound staff for both productions and this video is super informative and full of great details. I'm glad you were impressed with the R4 opening production, because it was really hard work. Thanks for making this video! 🏁🏎😊👍

There's just something so cool about old arcade racing games. Relying on a strong stylised look rather than photo-realism make the games of yesteryear exude a magic that's kinda lost today.

Ridge Racer Type 4. The soundtrack is probably the best original racing game soundtrack to this day. It's just fantastic. I have a copy of it today 17 years later because it's that good. The visuals, sound and atmosphere of RRT4 sucked me in and didn't let me go for hours. Why don't you make games like this any more? WHY DON'T YOU MAKE GAMES LIKE THIS ANY MORE NAMCO??

R4 is still my favorite arcade racer! The unforgettable moment when you enter the final lap at the Grand-Prix finals as the "new" millennium is shot in and the sky lights up with fireworks, all while "Movin' in circles" is pumping through your speakers. So much stile and class, thank you Namco.

Oh man, I loved RRT4 so much! You've pretty much summed up eveything about the game that made me love it so much back in the day. I still listen to the soundtrack even now.

Ridge Racer Type 4 was the pinnacle of the RR franchise. The baked in lighting still looks so epic to this day. And the soundtrack, oh the soundtrack, just glorious.

I imported a copy of the RRT4 OST from Japan years back, and when I travelled there many years later I was amazed to see it still in stock at Tower Records. This game feels like a defining time of my childhood, combining my love of cars and racing with beautiful art design and a soundtrack that I will remember for the rest of my life. A remaster of RRT4 would be so incredible - imagining the visuals and style of this game with modern graphics + RT would be mind-blowing!

Ridge Racer peaked with R4, that game was polished to perfection!

You guys should do an episode on Ridge Racer 7 for the PS3. Mainly because that game was a rare example of a 3D game on PS3 (not counting PS2 remasters) that actually ran at 1080p 60fps (albeit with occasional slowdown whenever a lot of particle effects were on screen).

One of my lifelong dreams is to see a remake/remaster of R4; which is my favorite game of all time. The closest thing to it is playing on an emulator with all graphics enhancements. One can only dream...

That homage to the Ridge Racer V intro at the beginning made me grin. Yet another great episode! Really makes me want to revisit V, along with finally giving 4 a try.

I still vividly remember October 26, 2000. I was in 6th grade and couldn't wait for my last class of the day, health, to end. Finally school let out and I practically ran to my mom's car. I think she had the PS2 box in the car, but can't remember for sure. What I can remember is taking it upstairs with Ridge Racer V, Tekken Tag Tournament, and Timesplitters. When Ridge Racer V's real time intro started playing, I was convinced this was it, there was no way graphics could ever look better than this. Funny to look back on, but the leap from PS1/Saturn/N64 to PS2/Xbox/GameCube was the largest perceptual leap in graphic quality between one console generation and the next, in my opinion (leaving out Dreamcast because it was sort of in between, and I didn't one until after it went on fire sale in 2001 after it was discontinued). Only the Xbox 360 had a similar impact on me with PGR3. It might have been a bigger leap if you also switched to an HDTV at the same time, but most people were still using CRTs for several years after, so most people could only notice the improvement in shader effects, lighting, shadows, etc. Even still it was an obvious leap forward. Everything since has felt like an evolution rather than a revolution.

I'm still playing Ridge Racer Type 4 on my epsxe. What i really love about RRT4 is there's a car brand that had a drift handling like Assoluto & Lizard and the Grip handling car like Terazzi & Age Solo. I remember choosing PRC & Terrazi car

On Ridge Racer Type 4 - one thing no-one ever mentions is the small racing story line with Shinji Yazaki for Pac Racing Club (remember that time when Reiko writes you a note?), or when Robert Chrisman from Dig Racing Team casually says he wants to replace you... even at the time these card stories were basic, it was a pretty immersive touch adding a narrative into an arcade racer. That game is pure gold.

Probably the most beloved game series ever for me. I remember purchasing my Japanese Playstation on import just to play Ridge Racer. Cost me a small fortune but I never once regretted it.

You should do Gran Turismo 4 for a DF Retro episode. It is the most technologically impressive racing gaming on the PS2, imo.

"…Over time, arcade racers have faded away, but the memory remains strong. So join me as we journey back once more, to Ridge City…the city is yours…" listening to those words with U's HydroPrism playing in the background almost brought tears of sadness to my eyes. Ridge Racer: the once legendary ruler of racing games built on foundations of high performance and quirky gameplay has now become an obscure relic of the past, so much so that even the creators seem bent on burying the name with terrible game after terrible game with no goal other than to make a quick buck off of the nostalgia and the great heretage it holds

RRV seems to get quite a bit of flak, but I really like it. Sure, Type 4 might very well be the best the series have ever been and I will gladly gush all over it as it might just be my favourite too. That said, Type 4 and RRV5 are very much different games. Type 4 has this career-like mode which is very fun and interesting, but I like that RRV chooses to instead scale all that back and focus on simple arcade racing. And it does it very well. It's not perfect, cars feel a bit too wide and some have oddly floaty handling but all of this can be overcome with practice and once you get it, once you're in the zone of this game, it is great fun. In order to balance out the "hate", here's some RRV gushing from yours truly: Some cars are more difficult to control but once you get to grips with them, they will reward you with even faster and thrilling races. And then there's the Duel battles and 99 lap challenge (I still haven't managed that one T_T). Simply put, if you're willing to invest in understanding RRV there is a lot of hardcore, down to the roots arcade racing to be had. And let me just say that the visuals represents another personal high point of this game. It is jaggy, sure, but the aesthetics, architecture and color are just something else. I love how it, to me at least, actually reminds me of a real city - Ridge City has got some character and I like it. In one of the tracks, you start inside the city center, gradually make you way towards the green outskirts and down to the beach only to turn back and, before you enter the classic left turning tunnel, you can see the shimmer of the glass skyscrapers above the finish line in the distance. Sometimes there is just this sensation of "place" in RRV and I find the replays to be very enjoyable. Maybe especially at night, the lightning is to me very convincing. So sum up, RRV is not Type 4. It doesn't have it's depth and diversity, it doesn't have it's fantastic soundtrack and it doesn't have it's career mode. RRV is more of a modern version of the original Ridge Racer, and it just goes to prove you don't need lots of licensed (yawn) tracks to have fun.

DF Retro is the best thing currently on KZfaq. By far my favorite playlist. Please continue these as it reminds us of what actually transpired back when we were younger. And the technical milestones that were set. Thanks a bunch for making me love my old console collection even more. And form now on, everytime I boot one up I'll remember these videos. Good show!

You're a man after my own heart, Mr. Linneman! R4 is a technical marvel and one of my most adored arcade racers for all the reasons you state. Another wonderful retrospective under the belt.

Loving DF Retro, keep them coming!

DF Retro is the BEST thing on this channel!!!!

I rewatch this video every 5 months or so. I miss Ridge Racer so much. Love the DF Retro series, John!

I was quite the RR connoisseur back in the day. Rage Racer was another great PS1 Namco racer. Quite a few people were turned off by the different color scheme. I really enjoyed the custom decal maker though. And, the racing was on point. RRT4 was still the best though. I really liked the track intro's. Names like "Edge of The Earth" and "Helter Skelter" were really awesome.

Aww. No time for R4's menus?

GAME from year 2000 in PS2 can run at locked 60fps and then Driveclub is 30fps on PS4 and yet still no Anti-aliasing.

Great analysis. Ridge Racer Type 4 is undoubtedly my personal favourite game on the PS1 and to this day, still has the greatest intro cinematic of all time. It was great to learn a bit more about it.

This was an awesome nostalgia trip for 2 of my favorite games ever. Now you got me wishing I could re-experience that era all over again.

Please Remake Ridge racer V - my favourite racing game of all time.

R4 was a stunning game for its time. Dare I say it, as good as the racers Sega put out. I'd love to see Namco produce a compilation disc of RR remasters for the PS5. 1 all the way to 7 in 4k/60fps, would be incredible!

6 years late on this one, but I love everything about this episode. Nice work Mr. Linneman.

Kudos to you. Your analisys are always the best and cover not only the technical point of view but also from the design ( menu / gameplay / history of the desv. exc.). You are one of few reviewer with a deep and true knowledge of how to perform the work in a professional way.

The moment I saw this video in my subscription box I shouted: IT'S RIDGE RACER! RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER

Great episode!

Love these retro eps, each one is high quality and awesome. Great work.

Thank you for bringing back all those awesome R4 memories, I absolutely adored this game!

The Tekken comparison looked more like they muddied the image on the US release with something akin to FXAA. It did not look sharper, even the textures on the mountain were extremely muddy/blurry compared to the Japanese release.

Yesss, the R4 soundtrack was something fucking else! :O

Thank you for making this video. Ridge racer type 4 was the first game I played on ps1 back in 2000. I loved how the music synchronises with each and every turn of the map with addition of screeching drift of the tyres. The tracks varied from slow and soothing music on wonder hill to a funky tune on helter skelter to a very fast paced chase music on phantomile. It was truly a memorable experience.

RR Type 4 brings back so many nostalgic memories... the all-orange menus, the team logo editor, the weird little story line, the vibey late 90s music, and how you'd only get a modified version of your previous car for the final race if you sucked :D Such a blast.

This was way back when racing games were a lot more fun and better.

RR4 is the best racing game ever...Seriously.

I have to say this... I always waits for saturdays to watch DF retro. It's one of my favorites shows right now. Keep up the great work!

That Ridge Racer Type 4 intro :') Brings back so so soo many memories. Thanks John.

The Japanese really know their music back in the days.

I prefer Rage Racer over every other Ridge Racer game. The Soundtrack was nuts, the graphics great (though not as refined as in RRt4) and the challenge was awesome. My biggest complaint concerning Ridge Racer type 4 and RR5 is that both were waaaay too easy. Streets were so wide you could easily drive an 18 wheeler blindfold, especially in RR type 4.

This was an awesome trip down memory lane. loved every second of this.

Awesome! Seriously love me some ridge racer. So many great memories with these games! Thanks for uploading!

Love the intro. Used to love Type 4

I've only played the PSP game, but using the words "realism" and "Ridge Racer" is... strange. This series revels in its arcade roots.

These DF retro videos are some of the best youtube video game videos coming out recently and DF knows it. Keep it up you guys.

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 is one of my favorite games of all time. I fell in love with its overall aesthetic, the feel of the driving/drifting, and Grand Prix mode. Just bought a physical copy to go back through the other manufacturer routes. Thanks for putting up this excellent video!

Old Namco man. I miss them. They were KILLING the game industry with EVERY release from that time till the end of PS2. Then they had to merge with Bandai and fuck it up. Man, great video DF, brought me back man. Wanna buy a PS2 and some old Namco games now.

How I wish that Namco would bring a return to form with a new Ridge Racer. Prior to joining Bandai, they were a superb developer-publisher, but they seemed to have gone the way of westernisation and sloppiness ever since the merger. There's still signs of that excellence in the Tekken and Tales games, but their output really doesn't reflect their identity anymore, which I find is a shame. As John said, Namco was a mark of quality back in the PS1 and PS2 eras. The value of that brand was diminished from the middle of the PS3 era.

DF Retro is so good, and they're getting better and better. So glad you've started focusing on them :)

Each time you touch those gamers treasured memories like that, I end up drowning in nostalgia with only one word to say: Thank you for your passion.

Loved this episode... Just tought you should have talked more about Type 4... Like the ending of the championship, with the fireworks, at new years eve...

I'd love a remake of RR4. Not sure if it would be full price these days though, unless they had all the old tracks with newer ones. Namco did a poll on twitter for which RIdge Racer they'd want remade and 4 won by a pretty large margin. I really do miss Arcade Racers in general. Sucks that Ridge Racer died with a bad Vita game and a Burnout rip-off.

I love these retro vids. Keep 'em coming, John!

The Ridge Racer Type 4 intro is just magical! I dunno why but it was simple and yet undeniably attractive. Watched it all the time before playing the game. I think its what defined the Ridge Racer series.

Its Ridge racer! Riiiidge racer!

Ridge 7 is still pretty great. One of my reasons for keeping the PS3. It also has the greatest race girl model on THAT start screen.

These retro videos literally bring tears to my eyes ;')

Yet another great video from y'all. Thanks for making these.

Love DF Retro :) Please do a max payne 1 episode, such a great game and tons of ports to discuss. Would make for another great episode.

The PAL version of Rdige Racer 5 was pretty rough, so I've finally got around to importing an NTSC copy. The way it was meant to be played!

Awesome intro to your video John! Keep these Retro videos coming.

God, the nostalgia... R4 defined a big part of my childhood. I was 12 when it was originally released and bought it a few weeks after its launch. One of my best purchases of that era and the best racing game of the late nineties alongside MSR. I still like to play it today, either on my Vita or on the PC. It looks great on ePSXe with a custom shader for extra smoothness. Digital Foundry, I love you guys. I think I enjoy your retro videos even more than your comparisons of recent games nowadays. You understand what made classics of the time stand out, what made them special not only from a technical, but also from a gameplay perspective. Keep up the great work!

I've really enjoyed RR on PSP. Both of them.

Great video, however it is a shame that R4's strongest element (and most unique for the franchise) was glossed over...The story. I really wish that the career story game play in R4 would have been carried over to future titles. It is why I feel in some ways that, although future RR titles were prettier, the series in many ways hit it's peak with R4.

Loving these Retro videos, keep up the awesome work

Thx DF for doing a retro on some of my favourite games of all time, OF ALL TIME!

amazing looking game,

RRT4 has the best music!

Thank you for making this video. I love to see more like this in the future DF videos. :)

Thank you so much for doing this vid, DF!! Ridge Racer is one of my favorite series next to Sega Rally!

Console game from 2000-still beautiful to this day Console game from 2016-Blurry laggy mess What happened to console gaming?

Anybody want Ridge Racer 7 for ps4?

What a great vid. Kids today will never know the feeling of going to the arcade and then the arcade coming to the home with PS2 / PS3 titles

This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite arcade racers in the new age. It has everything, and one of the best series' of soundtracks ever made. R4 is also one of the inspirations behind my rebuilding of project Rise Again. The game is just fantastic.

Bring back arcade racers! enough of the simulation crap!

wow i love DF retro, please resident evil on next time :D

Wow, what a start! This is just what I wanted to see!

I fondly remember this game from 1999 - moreso Demo Disc 45 of Official UK Playstation Magazine. Ridge 4 emblazoned the page & the cover for the crystal cover alike. It was during a difficult time for the family - my sister was in hospital after an accident & to be closer, I was staying with my Grandparents. I cannot tell you how much that demo helped me pull through that time & how many hours I spent replaying the one timed race of the demo. Of course not to mention other gems like R-Type Delta, T'AI FU, Gex: Deep Cover Gecko & the wicked Tekken 3 Iron First Tournament video included.

ACE COMBAT TRILOGY ON PS2, MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! GRAN TURISMO QUADRILOGY!!!

What is 'automated drifting' in PSP version? I haven't played RR5 so i can't compare it but I liked PSP version handling, and the performance was great too, having this on a portable device felt like the future has come today.

I was a huge fan of R4 back in the PS1 days, and was super excited to play R5 when the PS2 was first revealed. Ironically enough, I've never played it and watching this has got me sort of antsy to try it! Great job on the retro videos guys!

What an excellent summary of these two games! Your comments summed up my feelings about R4 (although I wish you would have mentioned the superb music too ;). Me and a small group of players used to discuss the game and keep a leaderboard on GameFAQs circa 98/99. Keep up the good work - subscribed.

I would really like to see an episode on Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Riiiiidge Racerrr!!! xD

Thanks for this DF. I used to have a lot of demo discs for the PS1 and PS2 all those years ago but for one reason or another, I never got round to buying some of the amazing games they had. Seeing this footage, I did not realise that two of the games I played were Ridge Racer 4 and 5. These two games, along with SSX Tricky along with old games I have lost over the years such as Spyro, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and more are the reason I am glad my 60GB PS3 still works great. Time to pick these up and play them on my backwards compatible PS3. Thank you, this series is one of the best on youtube and I appreciate the effort gone into these videos.

Damn I love this series! Please never stop!!!

why you put music from tekken 7?

No mention of the lame PAL version with the massive borders and bottom of the cars missing.

What a great choice of games for a DF Retro! Thanks a lot John :)

I´m really old! Seing yhis made look back at my childhood and all the good moments me and my friends had playing Playstation

Back then: Good games that pushed the hardware to its limits, many of which were *console exclusive* games. Now: Mediocre games that only look pretty, many of which are *also on PC*. Really makes you think, huh?

it seems that everyone focused on how good is the game forgetting that he pointed how crapy PC games looked back in the day they still do the most graphical achievements made on consoles and it show that a good devlopers is the one who makes good graphics+good gameplay not laZy ass ones . and it shows that consoles used to be better than PC's even the 360 was better than all PC's back in the day

You made me nostalgia so hard with Ridge Racer 5.

Love that R4 soundtrack. I had the digitized copies of R4's soundtrack and saved it on my PS3 and that became my customised BGM for GT5 because they allowed you to select your own playlist when racing. Not bad drifting in Toscana and hearing "....step back it's Ridge Racer, it's Ridge Racer, I feel the need for for speed..." I know GT5 had a lot of flak for those PS2-ish standard cars, but R4's soundtrack made me enjoy that game a lot, that's for sure.