We know racing video game Ridge Racer 2 for PSP has been out for a while now but we figured some of you might be interested to know that online retail store PC World UK is currently offering the title for 0.97 GBP. Yep, that's not a typo and that roughly translates to US$ 1.91.

Items bought from PC World UK usually comes with a standard delivery price of 4.95 GBP (US$ 9.75). We check the site but the offer isn't available for delivery. If you are interested, you have to actually go to one of their stores and purchase the item from there.

The title was developed by Namco Bandai. In case you've forgotten already, we listed down some of Ridge Racer 2's features. The Read link below, lastly, takes you to PC World's product page.

• New Modes Arcade, Duel and Survival modes in addition to the original Time Attack mode and rearranged World Tours mode.
• The cars 62 high-speed vehicles available with eight brand new cars.
• Multiplayer Compete against up to eight players via Ad Hoc Mode.
• Put your foot down kick in the nitrous and roar through 42 intense, challenging courses. Master the drift handling and take corners at exhilarating speeds to leave opponents trailing in your wake.

Now although many of you were quite interested in the Ridge Racer 2 demo which was out yesterday, we guess that a good contention of you didn't use it for the sole reason that it required a firmware which was out of homebrew's reach. And reading the news (or are they rumors?) lately, it seems that a lot of the upcoming games will be coming out requiring new firmwares. Well, you probably won't have to worry this time, because Dark_AleX has a lot of stuff covered.

He just released a new decrypter which decrypts the DATA.PSP of the new Ridge Racer 2 demo. We'll list the instructions here:

• With some pbp utility, such as pbp unpacker, extract the files from the Ridge Racer 2 demo pbp. Put the extracted file DATA.PSP in the root of memory stick.
• Run the decrypter test with 1.50 kernel (GAME150 folder) if you are in 2.71 SE-A or in devhook emulating 1.50 if you are in HEN.

The decrypter test will output a file called "DATA_OUT.PSP" in the root of memory stick. Using this file as the DATA.PSP, rebuild the pbp. Change the text in the SFO "2.81" with some hexadecimal editor to something <= 2.71.

To those who know their stuff, this will probably be a piece of cake. Although the news is big, Dark_AleX was quick to point out the fact that this won't be a popular solution since it doesn't work on the rest of the demos including World Tour Soccer and Ape Escape Racer demo for 2.81 (Thanks to jas0nuk for testing out Ape Escape). Well, we believe that we still haven't seen all of what guys like Dark_AleX and Booster are working on, and we wouldn't be surprised if any of them release a bombshell in the coming weeks.  Don't worry though, we will have you covered. For now, here's the decrypter.

Download: [Decrypter test for Ridge Racer 2 demo]

Adding to the growing list of PSP demos is Ridge Racer 2. Although the game has been out for some time now, in case you haven't bought it for whatever reason, you can check out the demo now. Since we already have a lot of content about Ridge Racer 2 already, I'll keep the article short. Below, you can find the download. Be warned though, the demo requires you to have firmware 2.81.

While talking to Mathieulh a few minutes ago, he revealed that this game requires at least fw 2.80 to run, since it seems to be using encryption keys from 2.8x. While it might be possible to get this thing working on lower firmwares, it will be a tough nut to crack. Besides, it's entirely possible that new games could use newer protection schemes so that they can't be played on lower firmwares. Anyways, I'll leave the speculation for later. For now, if you're on firmware 2.81, enjoy the demo! Also, a big thank-you to Tijs for the heads-up!

Download: [Ridge Racer 2 Demo]

Some things just refuse to die, says the team behind PSP Galaxy magazine. Actually, good things are kinda hard to kill. If you're a PSP Galaxy fan, take heart. The magazine is alive, kicking and has just released their 15th issue. In this latest issue of PSP Galaxy magazine, you can read up on the following:

• Preview of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Reviews of Blowout, Gangs of London, Guilty Gear Judgment, Ridge Racers 2, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, WTF: Work Time Fun,Bounty Hounds, Bomberman and Open Season
• Movie Review of DOA: Dead or Alive
• An all-new free comic
• The latest news and the best columns, including Prime's Rant, MVPVJ: Mof vs. Prime vs. Jebus, Cooking with Mof and Movie Watch
• Plus a chance to show off your design skills and win big with Wrapstar!

PSP Galaxy Issue No.15 is also the first issue for the magazine's new graphic designer Evilution. We've seen his work and he's pretty good. Why would any one kill such a great magazine in the first place, anyway?

Download: [PSP Galaxy Magazine No.15]

With the release date of Ridge Racer 2 approaching, Bandai Namco can't just stop teasing us on what to expect in the game. Other than the dirty streets and a cute girl waving the flag, the game promises to be a complete treat for fans of the game. And boy, do we have a treat.

Other than the announced mini-game, there are also two game modes in the game. The first is the duel mode which lets you play a challenge against another racer. The other mode is the survival mode wherein you are given a task and you must follow that task in order to pass the level. Courses found in the game were also announced. Among these are Hurricane Skyway, Edgestone Expressway, Ocean Bay, Phantom Mile, Britenight Cruiseway, and Shuttlehoop Highway. These tracks look spectacular and wide enough to cause a commotion in the streets. What else would you want?

Well, you might want to also unlock two new cars that they are releasing for the game. The first one is HIJACK, which is a fusion of a car and a truck. A menace on the road, it's bound to cause a ruckus on the road. The other car is Pac-man. You get to drive Pac-man around the streets with his cute little car. There's no release on how slow or fast these cars are. Why don't you just get the game sometime September and see how it goes. While you're at it, why don't you buy the soundtrack of Ridge Racer 2 as well. It features some classic re-mixed tunes from previous Ridge Racer games as well as new tunes to enjoy. There will be 7 discs released for the soundtrack and will be sold around the same time as the game.

Ridge Racer 2 screenshots await after the jump!

Here's another mini racer game that will surely sweep you off your feet! The Ridge Racer 2 mini game, originally a racing videogame released by NAMCO in 1994, sports a makeover with its new racing modes for the PSP. In Survival Mode, the racers go around the track as the other racers trailing behind are forced out of the race. The goal in this mode is to remain the last one standing, or rather, driving. In the Dual Mode, the racer faces off with another on the tracks, mano-a-mano.

The Digdug Hijack from the Xbox 360 Ridge Racer 6, along with the Pac-Man vehicle, will grace the screens along with other new models of race cars.

As homage to old school arcade gaming, Ridge Racer 2 displays a classic arcade game for its load screen. This time, the honors have been granted to New Rally X.

The Ridge Racer 2 mini game is scheduled for release on the 14th of next month. So for all those who would like to re-experience old school race car driving with a bit of modern flair, this game is for you!

Below is a video of the Japan TV Spot for the upcoming Ridge Racers 2, the sequel to the initial smash on the PSP by Namco Bandai. While the video is not that long, it does give you a quick glimpse into the game, and I don't know if it's just me, but it doesn't seem to show anything really new, and truth be told, it still looks a lot like the original.

Ridge Racers 2 will feature 62 cars and 42 circuits (including the mirror circuits) that have been taken from RR Revolution, Rage Racer, R4, and from others in the series. The popular nitro system from the original, will also return in this version of the game.

Ridge Racers 2 has no US release date yet, but it's expected to hit the Japanese shelves mid-September this year.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) have released some more screenshots to add to the barrage of screens released last month for their upcoming title Ridge Racer 2 for the PSP. The game, being developed by Namco Bandai, follows on from the massive successes of the original Ridge Racer for the PSP, delivering all the thrills of pure arcade racing in one ultimate portable package.

As anybody who has played the original Ridge Racer will tell you, this game is perfectly suited for the PSP as it is very easy to pick up and play, keeping the high speed drifting fun in the palm of your hand wherever you go. Apparently there are going to be many new features for the second Ridge Racer outing to hit Sony's portable console, but all of these have yet to be announced. Still, the basics of a racing sequel will be there with new cars, new racing modes, and more courses than its predecessor. Watch this space.

   
 

Here's a bunch of fresh screens of the recently announced Ridge Racer 2 for PSP, taken from a Japanese website. The game is scheduled for a release on September 14, for a price of 5,040 Yen.

For the first time ever, a Ridge Racer game will include a whopping 18 courses, partially taken from older titles in the series. Visually, Ridge Racer 2 is pretty similar to it's predecessor, which might or might not be a bad thing, depending how you look at it. Fans of the first title will no doubt be fully satisfied again. Ridge Racer games have never been all too different from each other anyway - like it or not.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  

Although busy with Ridge Racer 7, Namco Bandai has given time today to confirm that Ridge Racer 2 for the PSP is in development.

Still hailed as one of the best games for the PSP, Ridge Racer is getting a sequel which will hopefully hit stores this holiday season - possibly in Japan first at this stage. Very few details at this time are known except that the title will, in effect, cover the series from 1995 to 1998 with tracks from Ridge Racer Revolution, Rage Racer and R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, as well as the word that an eight-player online mode will be available.

Be sure to check back in the near future for more news on Ridge Racers 2 as well as the game's official announcement.