Ridge Racer Type 4

Presentation, graphics and music are undoubtedly where Ridge Racer Type 4 stands out. The menus and character of the game are excellent, the colours and lighting give the game a superb atmosphere, and the soundtrack is the kind you'll want to listen to outside of the game. Sound effects are decent, though the cars usually sound like vacuum cleaners.

Gameplay wise, the game leans heavily towards the arcade side of things; in the so-called 'grip' cars, you might be tempted to use the gears realistically, but you'll lose. You're better off playing in automatic transmission and remaining in the highest gear. Even better, play the 'drift' cars, which seem to be the focus of the game and have the ability to slide around corners at top speed. Little technique or control is required despite the 'drift' cars supposedly made for expert players; this, combined with the game's collection of only eight admittedly well-designed tracks, makes things a little dull after a while. The grand prix is short and your only motivation for replaying it is to unlock additional cars, which isn't particularly compelling given they're not real, licensed vehicles.