sunlight permeates the brisk morning air, illuminating the road and shiny mat finish on your car. your heart races faster than your machine’s top speed, the crowd cheers as their excitement overcomes them in the anticipation of the countdown. 3. 2. 1.

To the finish line, everywhere you look he’s right on time

there is almost nothing i could possibly say about R4 that hasn’t been said by people here who can write much better than i. a year or so ago i popped this game onto my psp with my expectations through the roof, majorly influenced by its unmatched soundtrack. so i played it and… yeah it didn’t really click. something about the controls bugged me (possibly something to do with the psp dpad, not a fan of that thing). i dont even know if i finished a single grand prix, but i digress. the time is now and i managed to get my hands on an original copy to play on real hardware and just, wow. playing this on an actual ps1 was exhilarating. it might not matter to some but playing games on original hardware always enhances the experience for me. truly electrifying.

With his silent stare… Blazing through the open air, he’s without a care

so, what about the game? yeah it’s cool lol. each race is as blood-pumping as the last. weaving in and out of the pack to assert your superior driving skills is as gratifyingly intoxicating as it sounds. in love with the sharp stylization of the menus with animations and sound design that truly impress. you all know how it is. despite my “completed” here i dont think ill ever be done with this game. so many different cars to unlock, customization options to try out, decals to create, the list goes on. the devs really understood the joy in racing. it’s about the journey, not the outcome; taking in the scenery, getting to know others, appreciating the thrill of driving. the context behind each team is more interpersonal than you’d expect.
i’d previously (many many years ago) written off the genre as “not for me,” but games like f-zero gx and R4 unearthed a sensation that i never thought i had. super glad i powered through and gave it another shot. gliding past fellow racers and sharply drifting around corners while an unhinged mood-influencing soundtrack plays overhead is in fact, fun. R4’s mechanics and raw vibes are unrivaled.

Movin' to the beat, can you feel the heat, when the tires kiss the street

its reputation precedes itself. thanks to everyone on this site who continues to sing their praises on this one, if not for that i (and many others) probably wouldn’t have given this a shot. also thanks reddish for mailing me this.