Ridge Racer 3D confirmed for North America

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES ANNOUNCES RIDGE RACER® 3D FOR NINTENDO 3DS™

RIDGE RACER® Returns with All-New Features and Eye-Popping 3D Graphics

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (Jan. 19, 2011) – Leading video game developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that RIDGE RACER® 3D will be available this spring for the Nintendo 3DS™ in North America. The high-octane RIDGE RACER® series returns to set the racing world on fire with features brand new to the iconic series. New features to RIDGE RACER 3D include breathtaking stereoscopic 3D visuals, a wider variety of dominating racing machines including American muscle cars, new environments, expanded customization options and updated drift mechanics that continue to define the RIDGE RACER experience.

Drift through hairpin turns at blistering speeds to edge out the rest of the pack with powerful drift-tuned machines in the newest installment of the hit RIDGE RACER series. Using the stereoscopic 3D technology of the Nintendo 3DS, players will be able to experience a level of intimacy with the on-screen races like never before. Players can now accurately judge the distance between them and the competition with 3D depth of field for some of the most intense arcade racing available. Kick up dirt across rough terrain, make sparks fly as cars crash into each other and shoot flames of nitrous out of your tail pipe, creating some of the most visceral racing action yet in the RIDGE RACER franchise.

RIDGE RACER 3D expands the series’ unique drifting mechanic with the new Drift Button. This drift mechanic lets newcomers to the RIDGE RACER series enjoy the thrill of drift racing with ease. Hold down the button to enter into a drift, and let go to exit. The original drift system is also available for those interested in a more hardcore challenge. Racers can slide into high-speed drifts to earn nitrous to blast into first place, or enter another racer’s slipstream to gain a crucial speed boost. RIDGE RACER 3D also includes Nintendo 3DS Local Play for up to four players to burn rubber through exciting tracks. With Nintendo 3DS StreetPass™, racers will be able see how they rank against the local competition as they exchange each other’s racing profiles between each others’ Nintendo 3DS systems.

RIDGE RACER 3D will be available this spring for Nintendo 3DS. For more information on the game, please visit http://www.namcobandaigames.com and http://www.facebook.com/namco.

Source: Namco Bandai PR