History YMMV / RidgeRacer

* GoodBadBugs: One of the most well-known "features" of the [=PS1=] port of the first game is that once the loading minigame has ended, you can actually ''remove the disc'', since the entirety of the game that doesn't consist of the audio tracks has been loaded into the console. From there, you can put in a CD of your choice for a custom soundtrack with proper cues.

* FandomRivalry: The ''Ridge Racer'' fandom used to not have good relations with the fandom of ''VideoGame/DaytonaUSA'' and ''[[TokyoXtremeRacer Shutokou Battle]]''. However, thanks to an appearance of Daytona's iconic car, the Hornet, as GuestFighter in ''Vita'', the rivalry has toned down, and some even argue they are even FriendlyFandoms.

** ''R: Racing Evolution'' is like facing against ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 3'', ''VideoGame/{{Forza}}'' or ''TokyoXtremeRacer Drift''.

** [[CoDragons Alternative dragons]] include the other three starter cars, depending on which car the player chooses.

* BreatherLevel: The last course you unlock in ''Rage Racer'' is a simple high-speed oval. Granted, the competition on this course by the time you get to it is no slouch, but it's a chance to, in comparison to the previous courses, simply relax and enjoy your vehicle's top speed. It's also around this time that you start to unlock the awesome high-performance Assoluto cars.

* BreatherLevel: The last course you unlock in ''Rage Racer'' is a simple high-speed oval. Granted, the competition on this course by the time you get to it is no slouch, but it's a chance to, in comparison to the previous courses, simply relax and enjoy your vehicle's top speed.

* FandomRivalry: The ''Ridge Racer'' fandom used to not have good relations with the fandom of ''DaytonaUSA'' and ''[[TokyoXtremeRacer Shutokou Battle]]''. However, thanks to an appearance of Daytona's iconic car, the Hornet, as GuestFighter in ''Vita'', the rivalry has toned down, and some even argue they are even FriendlyFandoms.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY:
** ''Unbounded'' is ''Ridge Racer'' meets ''VideoGame/{{Burnout}}'', which would make sense considering the developers (Bugbear Entertainment, who did the ''VideoGame/{{FlatOut}}'' series) with a dash of SplitSecond and {{VideoGame/Blur}}. ''Critical Velocity'' could be instead thought as ''Ridge Racer'' meets ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto''.
** ''R: Racing Evolution'' is pretty much like ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 3'' meets ''VideoGame/WanganMidnight'' meets ''BattleGear''.

** Unless it's using the [[SchizoTech older]] "three-bank" design, in which case such engines [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W18_engine do exist.]]

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: The song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfTHSHb9d_c "Pulse Phaze"]] sounds a lot like "[[KatamariDamacy Katamari On The Funk]]" with any reference to Katamari taken out. The lyrics become "Let's get together! Lalalalalalala".

* WritersCannotDoMath: According to 5, the Kamata Angelus has a W18 DOHC engine. W engines by design have to have a number of cylinders that is a multiple of 4. 18 clearly isn't. Whoops.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[AwesomeMusic/RidgeRacer Has its own page.]]

* SoCoolItsAwesome: Rare arcade cabinets had you sitting in a real Mazda playing the game on a large screen through the windshield.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: The song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfTHSHb9d_c&feature=related "Pulse Phaze"]] sounds a lot like "[[KatamariDamacy Katamari On The Funk]]" with any reference to Katamari taken out. The lyrics become "Let's get together! Lalalalalalala".

* WhyFandomCantHaveNiceThings: When Namco announced that a new ''Ridge Racer'' title was coming for mobile platforms, the fanbase was definitely not amused. They actually wanted -- and still want -- a ''Ridge Racer'' for next-gen consoles.

* TierInducedScrappy: Dig Racing Team is by far the most difficult team to play GP Mode with in ''R4'', due to the difficult opponents and tricky handling of their machines (in-universe, this is explained by DRT having budget shortages and overall being one of the worst teams), whereas the two "grip" teams have easier-for-beginners machines and Racing Team Solvalou's machines are at least DifficultButAwesome rather than "straight-up crap".

* TierInducedScrappy: Dig Racing Team is by far the most difficult team to play GP Mode with, due to the difficult opponents and tricky handling of their machines (in-universe, this is explained by DRT having budget shortages and overall being one of the worst teams), whereas the two "grip" teams have easier-for-beginners machines and Racing Team Solvalou's machines are at least DifficultButAwesome rather than "straight-up crap".

** However, fans will nod their heads in agreement with the PS Vita Ridge Racer. Does it keep the series' gameplay? Yeah, sure, but so what? It's basically an overpriced demo that makes you buy everything else as DLC, some of which is content back from ''7''. Not only that, the entire game is a grind fest consisting of doing races for [[StopHelpingMe hints you already know]] and ''maybe'' an upgrade, and don't even get started with the [[ScrappyMechanic level up system]] for online.

** ''Unbounded''. One half of the {{Fandom}} believes that Bugbear's interpretation of Ridge Racer has basically killed the series as a whole, with ''Unbounded'' being decried by most of its critics as a mash-up of several other arcade racers (the destruction of SplitSecond, the combativeness of {{Burnout}}, an art style similar to ''VideoGame/{{Blur}}'') without having any of the series' traditional aspects (save for the drifting, but even the weighty-ness of it is different from the older games) that made the series popular. On the other hand, the other half of the {{Fandom}} believe ''Unbounded'' as a breath of fresh air for the series (except for the recent portable releases, the last console game was ''Ridge Racer 7''; a ''launch title'' for the [=PS3=]), with some really solid racing mechanics (least they ripped off the best arcade racers) and a good track creator, among other good things people have to say for ''Unbounded''.

** ''Unbounded''. One half of the {{Fandom}} believes that Bugbear's interpretation of Ridge Racer has basically killed the series as a whole, with ''Unbounded'' being decried by most of its critics as a mash-up of several other arcade racers (the destruction of SplitSecond, the combativeness of {{Burnout}}, an art style similar to ''VideoGame/{{Blur}}'') without having any of the series' traditional aspects (save for the drifting, but even the weighty-ness of it is different from the older games) that made the series popular. On the other hand, the other half of the {{Fandom}} believe ''Unbounded'' as a breath of fresh air for the series (except for the recent portable releases, the last console game was ''Ridge Racer 7''; a ''launch title'' for the PS3), with some really solid racing mechanics (least they ripped off the best arcade racers) and a good track creator, among other good things people have to say for ''Unbounded''.

* ScrappyMechanic / ViolationOfCommonSense: To unlock all vehicles in ''Type 4'', you have to deliberately finish lower than [=1st=] in Grand Prix mode, multiple times.

* ThrowingTheFight: In Type 4; you periodically get car upgrades throughout the season, the quality of which depends on how well you're doing, so in order to complete the garage, particularly for MMM (basically, easy mode) you'll need to get the cars that necessitate driving well below the abilities of even a journeyman player, often resulting in having to stop yourself overtaking much slower cars just so you can finish in the position you need to unlock the car you want.

* NeverLiveItDown: The game will be remembered more for the "RIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACERRRR!!" {{meme|ticMutation}} from E3 2006, even though it has almost nothing to do with the games themselves other than the original being used to showcase PSN rereleases of [=PS1=] games.

** ''R: Racing Evolution'' is like facing against ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 3'', ''ForzaMotorsport'' or ''TokyoXtremeRacer Drift''.
** But, for now, the biggest feud the ''Ridge Racer'' fandom had is with ''ProjectGothamRacing''.

** The fandom still can't decide which is the MagnumOpus of the series: ''Rage Racer'', ''Type 4'' or ''7''? Most people tend to go with ''Type 4'', due to being LighterAndSofter than the other games in the series, having graphics and features which pushed the first Playstation to its absolute limit, and also for having an actual backstory for every team in the game. Others say ''Rage Racer'' due to introducing a money system for the first time in a racing game and also being the first game in the series to enable car customization. Even others cherish ''7'' due to taking everything that made the former titles of the series truly memorable (the music a la ''Revolution'', the customization from ''Rage Racer'', the atmosphere of ''Type 4'', etc.) into one big bad package.

* MagnumOpus: ''[=R4=]/Type 4'' seems to be the most popular bet on this.

WritersCannotDoMath: According to 5, the Kamata Angelus has a W18 DOHC engine. W engines by design have to have a number of cylinders that is a multiple of 4. 18 clearly isn't. Whoops.