Ridge Racer has come to the Xbox! The legendary Playstation racer known for arcade racing and the hot japanese babe in the opening video has arrived. So is the Xbox ready for such fast frills and high skirts. Yes, if this was an arcade circa 1997. Because that's where this game belongs. The arcades.

Don't get us wrong, it's still a great arcade title with great graphics and a great CGI opening scene. CGI? That's right. Namco still uses CGI movies intermix with gameplay. This presentation style really isn't needed today when so many titles use the in-game engine for cutscenes. Ridge Racer 6 does have some beautiful realistic tracks, even if there's only a few tracks. You'd get more out of Forza in that regard. So to lengthen the game, you'll be racing the same tracks forwards, backwards, timed, and with some intersections blocked. It kinda gets repetitious.

The AI is tough the further you progress in the game. It's basically about boosting at the right monents, and drifting to gain boost. It's still got the arcade AI where it's really just waiting for you to make a mistake. Namco helps you there by throwing in plenty of curves along the way so you'll have to slide at the right moment.

We always liked the Ridge Racer graphics, even the CGI babe. The tracks and cars are detailed. And yes, there's plenty of Pac-Man to go around in the car decals. The music is the arcade style soundtrack you'll instantly recognize as generic rock music. The textures are high quality. But there's still a 90's feel to the game. This is basically a static racer that hasn't grown much other than nitrous boosts out the rear.

There's career mode, time attack, and online mode featuring you against other players or you trying to beat their track times. There's plenty of unlockables. Ridge Racer is a kind of game that fits those who like setting records and mastering gameplay, a game that stays true to its arcade roots, featuring plenty of drift and boost.