Released in 1998, Ridge Racer Type 4 is where the series slightly starts to go downhill. Too much emphasis was put on making the game "real" than leaving the original formula the way it was. For one thing, your "coach", or whatever you want to call him, is a real asshole. Powersliding is fun but it's not the same as the previous games. Also, there is a slight "drift" while turning without power sliding. The music is nice but not as powerful as before. Also, the music cannot be heard in an audio CD player. The only plus side to the game is the graphics which are very nice and also the car designs. Some cars look close to the Ford GT40. Namco also released a limited edition pack of the game which came with the NeGcon controller. Another downfall in the game is that in the last 4 races of the first series, the player HAS to make 1st place in order to qualify for the next race! VERY HARD TO DO! Once you do qualify for say, the 2nd Grand Prix out of 4, if you lose the race, you cannot save the game to start on the 2nd race of the GP meaning you have to start on 1 of 4 again making the game a real pisser and leaving the player to use an enhancement device to advance. This game would have been up there with Rage Racer if not for the newer options and realism in the game. 
