You may wonder why the word sequel was sandwiched between inverted commas above. After all, there’s a “2” following the title so it must be a sequel in some form or other, right? The truth is Ridge Racers 2 is no more a sequel than Uwe Boll is a good director; yes, a handful of exclusive content is present, and yes that is New Rally X as opposed to Rally X commanding your attention during the loading screen. Aside from these slight additions (and the Namco-Bandai name present upon startup instead of simply Namco), this is merely 2004’s portable release repackaged for fans to waste their precious hard-earned on. This cynicism on Namco-Bandai’s part is not at all easy to digest, especially if you own the original Ridge Racers and have spent the better part of £30 on what was assumed to be a sequel.

As mentioned earlier, Ridge Racers 2 does include a few meagre additions that will probably seem like a complete waste to all but the biggest of fans. The most noticeable of these initially is the extra layer of sheen applied to the visuals with bloom effects proving noticeably more vibrant than before and generally a wider spectrum of colour emitting from most daybreak-set tracks such as Crimson Rock Pass. Of course, this is something you appreciate more in the long run with nighttime tracks proving easier on the eye while corners also become simpler to judge. And that’s really all there is new to mention on the visuals front. The car models are the same as those from the original with jagged edges once again adorning vehicle bumpers. The construction of the courses lies somewhere between Ridge Racer V and Ridge Racer 6 from an aesthetic standpoint. There’s still some noticeable tearing on both vehicles and environments which again adds to the unfinished feel of the package.

Sketchy production values aside, Ridge Racers 2 plays superbly. Once the initial infuriation concerning the lack of new content has subsided, you’ll be drifting in and out of corners, firing off tank after tank of nitrous like there’s no tomorrow and generally having a blast with what remains the PSP’s premier racer. It speaks volumes about the quality of the core game that a title as old as its host system is still as much fun to play today as it was during its initial release. And that’s probably Ridge Racers 2’s strongest asset: longevity. While the word has been abused in many circles and its meaning to readers rendered unintentionally ambiguous, the depth of appeal contained within Ridge Racers 2 (and of course its forebear) is so enduring that, no matter how many identikit remixes are shot out from the bowels of Namco-Bandai, the underlying game will forever remain entertaining. A classic in the making? Perhaps.

But let’s not inveigle you into thinking Ridge Racers 2 is a worthwhile sequel, because it’s not. While EA often comes under fire from certain quarters due to their treatment of certain franchises and their penchant for churning out almost identical sequels, even it has the decency to throw a fair amount of new content into the mix even if the core game remains unchanged. Ridge Racers 2 isn’t a bad game - it’s actually quite excellent - it’s really just a shameless cash-in on a successful title. Aside from nine new tracks to race around (which really aren’t new at all, being adaptations of past Ridge Racer courses), it’s really just a full-price re-release of a title that can be picked up for peanuts these days. For this, Namco-Bandai should be condemned for their unabashed exploitation of their core fanbase.

If you’ve yet to sample what is easily the PSP’s best racing title, then Ridge Racers 2 is surely the definitive edition of the series’ successful portable debut. Everyone else, however, should invest their cash elsewhere.