Rave Racer BETA or HOME/PC VERSION?

Does anyone own this game in any other form other than just JAMMA?
I remember reading about a PowerVR version quite some time ago that I believe may have been canned. But in this forum, I'm convinced anything can happen.

 

That would be cool. I remember when the PC version was being developed (or when they were thinking about making one), that Cybernet (TV Show) showed some videos of it. I still remember how fantastic it looked.

Don't know how emulation is right now, but there was an emulator for RR1/RR2/RaveRacer.

PS: By the way, Cybernet still exists? I stopped watching it because the channel where it was avaiable was removed from the Satellite Line-up.

 

That would be nice to see as well the supposed PC-FX version of that game although having played around with the 3D chip on the PC-FXGA board, the port would have probably looked poor.

Is there any evidence that would suggest a beta exists for the PC version?

Sabre

 

I remember hearing about that. The hardware it was going to be on was supposed to be Namco's answer to the Model 3. I think it was going to be called the System 33 and used something like four PVR1's and a MIPS CPU. I read about it in another forum somewhere.

Let me see if I can find it...

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18671

There.

 

A beta of the PC version did exist at one point, though it was more of a tech demo than anything else.

I do not know if it ever made it into private hands.

-hl718

 

Was it going to be a straight port, or was it an enhanced version of the original (increased poly-count, added effects)? It's been a while since I've tried Viva Nonno (the System 22 emulator), but if I remember correctly the emulation was pretty much perfect.

 

Sorry for being a dick again but a tech demo can't be a beta now can it? :thumbsup: more like a proto

 

*grins*

Glad to see that at least one person on this board knows the "proper" meaning of beta.

Alas, yes, I was using the term in the colloquial fashion, rather than as an exact term.

-hl718

 

And to think that nobody ever thought of naming "released" games as Gamma:lol:

 

Who ever began the tradition of naming incomplete software/hardware with Greek letters, anyway? Did it start with the military?

 

alfanumerals actually, as proto means "first" and is by tradition even earlier than an Alpha version concerning game development.

I think universities and institutions used greek alfanumerics since the middle-ages in order to differentiate versions. The military usually uses latin numerals for complete projects (e.g Sam I, Sam IV etc) yet I m not aware of the use of words such "beta" or β in mid-sections of projects.

 

Rave Racer was supposed to come out for the PC, and, it was rumored for the Nintendo 64 in 1996 long before Ridge Racer 64 appeared.

a PC-FX version was more of a mere speculation, "hope it gets made" for a rumored upgrade, the game Rave Racer on PC-FX was not even a rumor.

the PC version of Rave Racer was much more imressive than PlayStation Ridge Racer or Ridge Racer Revolution, but not on par with the arcade. the PC version ran at 30fps and using fewer polygons than the arcade, but made up for it with PowerVR's more advanced lighting & shading features. although that would not have been able to make up for it being half the framerate of the arcade.

here's the article that appeared in Next Generation magazine
(and probably EDGE magazine also)

 

Man! That article is such candy to my dreamy dreamy eyes!

 

i thought Rage Racer was the sequel to Ridge Racer?

 

Arcade games

* Ridge Racer (7 October 1993), for Namco System 22
* Ridge Racer Full Scale (1994), for Namco System 22, controlled by a real automobile
* Ridge Racer 2 (16 June 1994), for Namco System 22, an update to the original arcade game with multiplayer support, remixed soundtrack, and a rear view mirror
* Rave Racer (16 July 1995), for Namco System 22
* Ridge Racer V: Arcade Battle (2000), for Namco System 246

Console games

* Ridge Racer (1994 - Japan, 1995 - USA/EU), for PlayStation, similar to the arcade with an optional 3rd person view (Launch Game). Debut of 13th Racing.
* Ridge Racer Revolution (1995 - Japan, 1996 - USA/EU), for PlayStation. 13th Racing Kid and White Angel made their grand debut in this game, challenging you in the game's Time Trial mode. Soundtrack was taken from the Ridge Racer 2 arcade game.
* Rage Racer (1996 - Japan, 1997 - USA/EU), for PlayStation. This game marked the debut of the retries rule and customization aspects.
* R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998 - Japan, 1999 - USA/EU), for PlayStation, following the Rage Racer formula, but instead of customization, there are four racing teams to choose from.
* Ridge Racer V (2000), for PlayStation 2 (Launch Game), follows Rage Racer, but you get to customize your own racing team.
* Ridge Racer 64 (2000), for Nintendo 64
* Ridge Racer DS (2004 - USA), for Nintendo DS, a port of Ridge Racer 64 with the additional feature of being able to steer by using the touch screen
* Ridge Racers (2004 - Japan, 2005 - USA/EU), for PlayStation Portable (Launch Game)
* Ridge Racer 6 (2005), for Xbox 360 (Launch Game)
* Ridge Racers 2 (2006), for PlayStation Portable
* Ridge Racer 7 (2006), for PlayStation 3 (Launch Game)

Courtesy of Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridge_Racer_(series)

PS: R: Racing Evolution (PS2/GC/Xbox) is not listed there, but it's considered one game of the series.

 

I wonder how much interest there would be in a RR fan site for lap times and stuff? I have been considering this for a long time, but I'm not sure how I could ensure the times people submit are genuine - photos can be editted, etc.

Any ideas would be welcomed.

 

There is also Pocket Racer on Namco System 11 which is basicly the first ridge racer for PSX ported to Namco System 11 (PSX based arcade H/W) with a graphics swap and the music from the System 22 version of ridge racer.

 

although it has already been explained already very nicely by Johnny, Rage Racer was the 3rd game in the series on Playstation - it came out in late 1996 in Japan, 1997 in the U.S.

Rave Racer was the 3rd arcade game in the series, came out in late 1995, around the time that Playstation was getting its second game in the series, Ridge Racer Revolution.


There was also Ridge Racer 'Version Hi-Spec' on Playstation in Japan
(called Ridge Racer Turbo in the U.S.) It came with Ridge Racer Type 4. It was a major leap beyond the first PS1 RR. Hi-Spec ran at 60fps, was higher-resolution (640x480 or close to it) with much better texture-mapping, lighting and shading. It brought Playstation much closer to System 22 arcade standards than previous Playstation Ridge games. Although Hi-Spec is close to the original 1993 arcade game (especially as far as framerate) it was still not an exact reproduction of the arcade. Although an exact reproduction would be impossible because the System22 board was several times (2-4) more powerful than the PS1/System11.

 

so which version of Riiiiiidge Raaaacer got ported over to the n64?