While many recent racing games have taken the more realistic approach there are certain types that are all the better for sticking to their arcade roots. Ridge Racer is one of these and while the recently unveiled multiplatform title 'Unbounded' sadly looks to be going off in a more gritty direction it's refreshing to see the 3DS title sticking to a tried, tested and trusted formula. This may not be a very innovative approach but it's certainly one that's almost guaranteed to be successful, at least during the systems launch window.

Driving in Ridge Racer 3D is relatively straightforward as you will very rarely find yourself using the brake at all, instead relying on the joyfully unrealistic physics engine which allows you to negotiate even the tightest corners by simply drifting around them. In doing so you fill up your nitrous bar which is separated into three segments, each of which will give you a temporary speed boost; you can opt to use these either in either a single, double or triple boost at the mere touch of either or booth shoulder buttons, which can give you the edge in the race at crucial moments.

Indeed it's this reliance on speed and drifting that makes the game enjoyable as it has long been a staple of the series since it began, so sticking with it was wise of Bandai Namco as it shows that they know what the fans want. And that's what this game is - one for the fans as it contains many of the fun, familiar unlicensed vehicles that the series is famous for plus many recycled tracks from previous games. Obviously this may be a disappointment for anyone expecting an entirely new experience but everyone else will enjoy it for the decent racer that it is.

On the other hand while Ridge Racer 3D sticks to its roots there could have been a little more variety in the game modes. The main event is undoubtedly Grand Prix where you work your way through sets of tracks, which then allows you to unlock more cars and tracks as you steadily progress. This is fine but the game always feels like it could perhaps benefit from a career mode with a few varied challenges. But this is Ridge Racer so it has become expected of the series, but what perhaps is a little shocking is the complete omission of online multiplayer, which could have made the game more of a must have than simply the reasonable racer that it is, especially with such titles as Super Street Fighter IV 3D demonstrating such fantastic online capabilities from day one.

Visually however the game is rather impressive, making use of the consoles capabilities rather nicely indeed. Each track has been tailored for 3D, making corners seem far away when they are plus other nice touches such as low-flying planes jutting out of the screen and wayward leaves sticking to the screen momentarily. Sometimes it can take your eyes a little while to adjust, though I found that the best results seemed to be produced with the slider set halfway rather than on full. This may vary for each person though but overall it's certainly a feature well used.

Audio is reasonably well executed too with a solid set of background music from various Japanese artists that suit the game well and enhance the overall feel of driving, helping to fuel the adrenaline rush. However, it doesn't seem to matter which music track is played while driving so the ability to change it at any time is welcome. What isn't welcome however is the somewhat annoying commentary from the female co-driver who only seems to be there to 'boost' the players ego with inane comments, some of which are blurted out at the most inappropriate of times, there are only so many times that phrases such as 'you got owned' or 'I think I'm gonna be sick' should be uttered during games like this and it's one aspect of the series that I've always found to be an unwelcome addition.

Overall this is a perfectly playable racing game and it's undoubtedly the best available at launch. While there are sure to be better examples within the genre given time this is a decent enough title to give racing fans their fix, though everyone else might choose to just wait it out for something better. Lack of online multiplayer obviously kills much of the titles longevity but there is still plenty to keep you occupied in the way of being able to tweak your cars appearance and whatnot, just beware that it won't last you that long.