Nintendo Switch Online subscribers with the N64 Expansion Pack are in for a real treat today with the launch of the classic arcade-style game Ridge Racer 64 racing game.
The racer released in the year 2000 has been living in the shadows for almost a quarter of a century, but it can now be downloaded to play on the current Switch consoles.
For many gamers this will be their first exposure to this game as it’s a) landing on Nintendo’s online platforms for the first time, 25 years after its original launch, and b) it only really arrived at the tail end of the Nintendo 64 era in the first place so wasn’t the most widely plated of the series in the first place.
The Switch Online version of the game seems pretty faithful (right up to that Riiiiiiiiidge Racer call from the in-game commentator who addresses you personally throughout the race), with access to nine courses and various driving modes like Grand Prix, Time Attack and Quick Play that gets you straight into the action.
There’s also the bonus of multiplayer modes You’ll be able to engage in Battle Mode, Stage Mode and Team Mode options. There’s four vehicles to pick from initially, but there are 32 overall. You just have to unlock them.
The arrival of Ridge Racer brings the total of N64 games on Switch Online up to 38. The line-up includes favourites like Starfox 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye 007, F-Zero X, Mario Kart 64 and Banjo Kazooie.
The Switch Online Expansion Pack, which costs £34.99/$49.99 a year, also includes a selection of Sega Mega Drive games and exclusive DLC from games like Mario Kart 8: Ultimate.
Ridge Race for Switch 2 anyone?
All this makes us hopeful for a reprise of Namco’s iconic racing series that was doing the business well before Gran Turismo and Need For Speed arrived on the scene. What happened to all of the white knuckle, fun focused, pedal to the metal arcade racers?
