Those interested in a fast, enjoyable racer that they can challenge with friends are going to love Namco's Ridge Racer. It's not held back by any sort of racing shortcomings or technical details- it's quite simply racing at its simplest, yet its absolute best.

The game lets you choose from a number of cars, each with different performance levels but all generally capable of getting up to speed quickly, and then you can choose from a number of racing circuits and step on the gas. The game features very solid gameplay, as the handling of the cars is done very well. There's also a drift system that comes into play, allowing you to earn boosts that will help you speed ahead during crucial moments in each race. It's a great system and helps pick up the pace in the game, giving you a better opportunity to win.

The graphics look amazing, as each track has very colorful details and plenty of twists and turns to challenge all ages. The game keeps up at a very steady pace and hardly finds itself chugging at any time, and the audio backs it up with wild music and thrilling sound effects. The whole presentation, right down to the start-up menus and computer-generated movie, is rock solid.

Throw in some terrific Wi-Fi support, where up to eight players can challenge each other in a race, and plenty of new cars and tracks to discover, and you'll have something to play until you get the chance to drive the real thing.