Ridge Racer (PlayStation)

Ridge Racer
Developer: Namco Publishers: Namco (JP/US), SCEE (EU) Platform: PlayStation Released in JP: December 3, 1994 Released in US: September 9, 1995 Released in EU: September 29, 1995 This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has regional differences.

To do: Document the differences found in the Hi-Spec/Turbo version that comes with Ridge Racer Type-4.

Ridge Racer for PlayStation brings home the arcade racing hit. Notable for being a launch title for the PlayStation in Japan, North America, and Europe.

Test Menu

Use the Action Replay / GameShark code 80131024 0001 (US version), 8012D020 0001 (JP version), then press Up+Start at the title screen to access the test menu.

The functions available here are:

ASCII: shows the game's complete 8x8 ASCII character set in two different colors. KEY: show the current controller input, as well as how they map to the in-game car controls (gas/brake/steering). BACK UP CARD: shows some info about the currently loaded high scores and time records. CD-DA: CD audio test. SE: sound effect test. BGM: no longer implemented; selecting this locks up the game. SAVE REPLAY: save post-race replays (?)

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Debug Flag Display

To do: Find out what some of these do, and what the letters are for.

The 32-bit value at memory address 00131024 contains several debug settings. If the most significant bit (80000000) is set, then information about these flags is displayed on the title screen:

For any flag that is currently enabled, a description of what that flag does will be displayed; for disabled flags, a series of letters between A and G is shown instead (the "display all secret" flag corresponds to "AAAAAAAA").

Most of these flags don't appear to be used by the game anymore. Some of them correspond to things which can be unlocked by the player in various ways, but setting the corresponding flags here no longer unlocks them. Out of the other flags displayed here, the following still have an effect in game:

• Go to test mode: press Up+Start at the title screen to access the test menu (see above).
• Semi-trans flag: makes the flag on the title screen translucent (the same effect as holding any two shoulder buttons and pressing Start, though doing that toggles a separate variable instead of this bit).
• Go to finel ending (sic): supposed to allow you to view the ending by pressing Down+Start at the title screen, but this just goes to the test menu again.
• All clear!!: contrary to the name (again), this just lets you press Left+Start at the title screen to skip to the attract mode loop.
• Deep DPQ: unknown.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Regional Differences

To do: Need screenshots. Also, are the units genuinely different, or is it a purely cosmetic difference?

In the Japanese and European releases, the speedometer is in km/h. In the North American version, it's in mph.