Ridge Racer Type 4

(UPDATED: May 16, 2011)



Ridge Racer Type 4 is all about Real Racing Roots '99. It's the championship that is all about Ridge Racer action across eight different events in two countries. It's where getting sideways and going real fast go hand-in-hand. It was the final Ridge Racer for the PlayStation 1.





--- Ridge Racer Type 4 Overview ---
Ridge Racer Type 4 (or RRT4) is a racing game all about fun racing action on city streets and highways. But if you think this is your average street racing game, think again. This is where you race cars from four different companies (all fictonal) for four different teams.

Grand Prix Mode.

Ridge Racing Roots '99 consists of a racing season of three stages and eight races. You must finish within a qualifying position to advance to the next race. You have four chances to advance in each race. If you fail after four tries, you must retire from the Grand Prix. You have to finish third or better to advance through Heat 1, 2nd or better through Heat 2, and you MUST WIN all four races in the Final Heat (in other words, anything worse than first means you will not advance). With each heat comes faster cars and tougher competition.

You have to choose between four different teams. All four teams have cars tuned to certain specifications.

* Micro Mouse Mappy - This is a French team recommended for beginners. Cars are tuned for ease of handling.
* Pac Racing Team - This Japanese team is a debutante team in Real Racing Roots. This is the normal-level difficulty.
* Racing Team Solvalou - This is the hard-level team with cars tuned for amazing performance from this Italian team.
* Dig Racing Team - This is a once-successful American team. But thanks to a limited budget, winning with this expert-level team will be difficult (but not impossible).

Once you select a team, you will learn more about the team and then go on to pick a manufacturer. Here are your choices:

* Assaulto - This Italian car maker makes DRIFT cars. Their cars are sexy and fast (as you'd expect). I recommend these cars because they are very easy to drive and drive hard.
* Lizard - The cars made by this American make are DRIFT cars. Driving these cars are dependent on throttle and brake input.
* Terrazi - The most unique cars come from this Japanese maker of GRIP cars. Varied body styles can be had with them.
* Age Solo - The GRIP cars from this French developer are mostly compacts.



Once you're done, you're ready to race!


--- Go Racing! ---
You have three heats and eight races. Here is a brief description of the races you'll take part in:

First Heat.

* Helter Skelter - This is a two-lap race in Yokohama, Japan. Nothing is too challenging about this course. Just be sure to attack the apexes and don't get too slide-happy.

* Wonderhill - This event in Fukuoka, Japan is one of only two events held outside of suburban or downtown area. Only thing to be careful of is the corner coming out of the first tunnel.

Second Heat.

You may get a new car or have your current car upgraded depending upon your performance in the 1st Heat.

* Edge of the Earth - This is one of three American events. Taking place in New York City, NY, USA; this three-lap race starts on an airport runway and winds its way into downtown.
(Fun Fact: This is the course in the demo of Ridge Racer Type 4.)

* Out of Blue - Return to Yokohama to contest this track. It's one of the most bizarre settings- the race is held at 6:30 AM on Thursday morning. Who races at THIS time of day on a weekday? And with a packed crowd, no less? It can be very easy to screw up, so make sure you're alert at all times at every corner.

Final Heat.

You may get a new car or have an upgraded car depending on your performance in the Second Heat. After completing the third race, you may get a new car or an upgraded car based on your performance from the other heat races.

* Phantomile - This course in Yokohama, Japan is the shortest of all tracks in RRT4. This is a three-lap race where you can't afford to make a single mistake where laps just fly by.

* Brightest Nite - This track in New York City is different from the previous event. Rather than a romp through downtown on the highways, you go instead to this fun and festive zone. It also features an awesome jump. Three-lap race.

* Heaven and Hell - This track in Fukuoka, Japan couldn't have had a better name for it. It's the longest course at over four miles long and features some of the toughest corners in all of RRT4. Keep mistakes to an absolute minimum if you expect to win.

* Shooting Hoops - If you made it this far, Shooting Hoops in Los Angeles, CA, USA is the finale of RRR '99. This is a six-lap race around a modified oval where the name of the game is high-speed racing. No need to drift here. If you can keep a consistent racing line for the full six laps, you'll power your way to the championship.



--- Recommended Songs ---
As a bonus, here are some songs I'd recommend playing for each course:

* Helter Skelter - "Pearl Blue Soul"
* Wonderhill - "Your Vibe" or "Thru"
* Edge of the Earth - "Naked Glow"
* Out of Blue - "Silhouette Dance" or "Revlimit Funk"
* Phantomile - "Silhouette Dance," "Quiet Curves," or "Motor Species"
* Brightest Nite - "Naked Glow," "Your Vibe," or "Motor Species"
* Heaven and Hell - "The Ride"
* Shooting Hoops - "Movin' in Circles"



--- Why Should You Get This Game? ---
This is the best Ridge Racer experience you can get for the PS1. You can still enjoy this racing game on a PS2 or a PS3. The graphics are as beautiful as... two games called "Gran Turismo" and "Gran Turismo 2." It's a must-play if you're a racing game fan. Great music, great action... why pass this up? Honestly... WHY?



--- Negatives of This Game ---
"Burnin' Rubber" and "The Objective." They are my two least favorite songs in the game. Those are really only negatives. That, and you have to remember to press the Circle button to confirm an item, rather than pressing the "X" button.





So what are you waiting for? Go get this game NOW! Also, this game has a wonderful soundtrack as well, as you may have noted in my description.

Thank you for reading!

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