Rage Racer

Rage Racer
Developer: Namco Publishers: Namco (JP/US), SCEE (EU) Platform: PlayStation Released in JP: December 6, 1996 Released in US: April 30, 1997 Released in EU: June 1997 This game has unused code. This game has regional differences.

Rage Racer introduces original car manufacturers, multiple Grand Prix system, cars that must be driven with manual transmission (this mechanic was later dropped), a money system (dropped until the seventh game), car customization, and the series' fan-favorite hottie Reiko Nagase to the Ridge Racer series. That's a list of innovations.

Oh, and it has ads for Advan/Yokohama tires plastered almost everywhere, the only real-life sponsor to appear in the series except for Namco themselves (until the Japan-exclusive DoCoMo livery for Kamata SYNCi in the widely-reviled Ridge Racer for PlayStation Vita).

Unused Behaviors

Rebuying Gnade Esperanza

Setting 1E4C69 to 0100 (US version, regular Grand Prix) will remove the Gnade Esperanza, the starting car, from the garage and add it to the car shop, revealing its low, low price of 0 eg and that it is described as having a good handling (same description as used in Age cars). Note that this code must be used when the Esperanza is at Class 1 specification.

Of note, the Esperanza is placed the same way in the shop as in the garage: between Age Erriso and Lizard Acceron, the two Class 2 cars.

Playing the Prologue Race

By starting a Class 1 race at The Extreme Oval (a track not unlocked until Class 3), you can race in the prologue sequence.

(Source: Xenn)

Regional Differences

Car Names

Some car names (in Class 2 and Class 6, the hidden class after winning all Extra GP races) are changed outside Japan:

Japan	US/Europe
Age Alouette	Age Erriso
Lizard Instinct	Lizard Acceron
Age Victorie	Age Vainqure
Lizard Tempest	Lizard Bulldog
Assoluto Dragone	Assoluto Squaldon

Prologue Sequence

The text "Rage Racer..." and a paragraph after it were cut from the prologue sequence in the international versions of the game. Additionally, the Japanese version also features a voice-over.

Japan	International