Riding Spirits
| Riding Spirits | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Spike |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Riding Spirits (also known as RS: Riding Spirits) is a 2002 motorcycle racing video game published by Spike in Japan and BAM! Entertainment in other countries for the PlayStation 2. A sequel, titled Riding Spirits II, was released on February 26, 2004 in Japan and was published by Capcom Eurosoft on May 21 in Europe.[3]
Gameplay
[edit]Inspired by Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Riding Spirits offers over 100 motorcycles and a number of different riding options. Building a perfect racing machine and unlocking the new ones is handled through racing and earning money to buy better equipment, which can make a difference in the performance.[4] The game's career mode is called the Riding Spirits, and is split up into three classes that are progressively more difficult, for a total of 40 racing events. There is also a test run option that lets the player measure acceleration and overall top speed.[5]
As a way to gain experience, there are Safety Riding tests that cover every aspect of motorcycle racing and 20 Circuit Riding situations that help scouting out specific, tricky maneuvers on certain tracks. The players are given a choice of a normal or widescreen display, as well as vertical or horizontal split screen for multiplayer.[6] The structure of Riding Spirits is similar to other racing games, offering an Arcade mode with a selection of different categories and taking them around some of the game's tracks. Controlling the rider and the bike is completely configurable (making the game lean more into a simulation[7]), where the player can assign buttons for manually leaning left and right, and sitting up or down on the bike to increase or decrease as needed.[8]
Development
[edit]The game was in development for more than 2 years.[9]
Sequel
[edit]Riding Spirits was followed by a sequel, titled Riding Spirits 2, released in 2004.
Reception
[edit]| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 59/100[10] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 5.9/10[11] |
| IGN | 6.1/10[12] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 7/10[13] |
Riding Spirits received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Riding Spirits Website and Video". IGN. September 3, 2002. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ Bramwell, Tom (October 18, 2002). "What's New?". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ "Riding Spirits II Release Information for PlayStation 2 - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.gamespot.com. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ Dunham, Jeremy (September 6, 2002). "RIDING SPIRITS". IGN. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ Ajami, Amer (October 4, 2002). "Riding Spirits Review". GameSpot. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ House, Michael (2002). "Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ "Test: Riding Spirits". Jeuxvideo.com. October 29, 2002. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ Redding, Kevin (September 16, 2002). "Riding Spirits". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on August 26, 2003. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ "Takashi Murakoshi and Mitsu Sakurai, Spike President and COO". 2004. Archived from the original on October 11, 2004. Retrieved January 10, 2004.
- ^ "Riding Spirits for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ Ajami, Amer (October 4, 2002). "Riding Spirits Review". GameSpot. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ Dunham, Jeremy (September 6, 2002). "Riding Spirits Review". IGN. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ "Riding Spirits Review". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK. No. 26. United Kingdom: PlayStation Official Magazine – UK. November 30, 2002. Retrieved July 22, 2002.
- ^ "Riding Spirits for PS2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 20, 2019.