4PGP is a modern take on 90s Japanese-made arcade racers. Indeed, the project includes design input from Kenji Sasaki, known for his work on Sega Rally and Ridge Racer.
4PGP on Switch has had a few months to settle, but it’s the recent PS5 and Steam launch that has truly rounded it out. When those versions arrived, the Nintendo release wasn’t left behind. Instead, it received a substantial update that brings it right into line with the newer builds. In some respects, it even feels like the most characterful version.
Renewed
The headline addition is proper analogue control. The original Switch build relied on digital inputs that suited the breezy arcade tone but left the handling feeling a little binary. The new R Stick profile changes the whole rhythm of the game.
You can ease the throttle now. You can feather the brake. Basically, you can guide the car into a drift with a level of nuance the launch version simply did not allow. It makes the faster classes more expressive and gives Time Attack a welcome layer of finesse.
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Support for Hori’s Mario Kart wheels adds a bit of living‑room theatre for anyone who likes a physical flourish with their racing. AI behaviour has been reworked to feel less erratic. Difficulty tiers are clearer.
The old rubber‑band tug is far less intrusive. but it’s still present. Collision physics have been tightened as well, cutting down on the pinball effect that sometimes spoiled a clean run. None of these changes are flashy, but together they make the game feel more deliberate and more assured.
Delicious Homage Frais
What really elevates 4PGP on Switch is the way it balances retro limitations with modern detail. It looks like a 90s arcade racer as you remember it, not as it actually was. The tracks are simple in their bones but rich in colour and texture. Each location has just enough dressing to give it personality without cluttering the screen.
The cars are unlicensed but instantly recognisable. Their silhouettes and paint jobs evoke real machines without ever needing a badge. This is a clever bit of design, and it gives the garage a nostalgic warmth that licensed racers often struggle to match.
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Bold colours and clean edges keep everything sharp and readable. Performance holds steady, and handheld mode suits the game’s quick‑blast nature beautifully.
The soundtrack is composed by Tomoyuki Kawamura, whose credits include Virtua Racing and Tokyo Xtreme Racer only feeding the air of authenticity around 4PGP.
Team Orders
Local multiplayer remains the heart of 4PGP, and the Switch is the natural home for it. Four‑player split‑screen holds up well. The improved controls make it easier for newcomers to find their rhythm while giving veterans the precision they crave.
Time Attack is still the purist’s playground, and the update makes chasing perfect laps far more satisfying. This is especially handy as the mechanics and AI aren’t quite as demanding or deep as the best games in the business, either in the 90s arcades or in modern titles that emulate the style.
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4PGP understands the appeal of the arcade racers that inspired it yet refuses to be trapped by nostalgia. It’s bright, breezy and surprisingly refined, striking a great balance between capturing the look and feel of the elder racers without looking and feeling too like them.
