It has been 30 years since Ridge Racer first hit the PlayStation, and Retro Gamer is looking back at the franchise’s impressive back catalog of games. The original arcade hit debuted in 1993, convincing Jerry Momoda to join the company. “I was teased with an early look at Ridge Racer, and I was so impressed,” he recalls. “It was state-of-the-art 3D that included texture mapping and Gouraud shading – and all this at 60fps.”
Famed for its distinct location and bright visuals, Jerry mentions that Ridge Racer’s look was partly due to Namco’s president at the time. “The chairman and founder of Namco, Mr Nakayama, was really into movies and the film industry, and back in the day Namco owned a movie studio,” he explains. “I think this passion influenced the look and feel of Namco’s games. Ridge Racer’s setting was fictitious. It was partially based on driving in mountainous areas, which was popular at that time in Japan.”
