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Hub AI
Reiko Nagase AI simulator
(@Reiko Nagase_simulator)
Hub AI
Reiko Nagase AI simulator
(@Reiko Nagase_simulator)
Reiko Nagase
Reiko Nagase (Japanese: 永瀬麗子, Hepburn: Nagase Reiko) is a character in Bandai Namco's Ridge Racer series. Originally created by artist Kei Yoshimizu for the 1995 video game Rave Racer, she was given a name and expanded role in later titles for the series due to how well she contrasted against the series' racing element, becoming a mascot for the company. While she has appeared in almost every game since, her exclusion from Ridge Racer V drew significant backlash, resulting in her return in the following titles.
Reiko was well received since her debut, praised for both her character and the physical attractiveness of her character design. She has also been seen as an important part of Sony Entertainment's PlayStation brand, featured in a tech demo as part of the PlayStation 2's reveal. However, some have also criticized her usage in games, seeing it as sexualization of women in games or relegating female characters to the background compared to their counterparts.
The character was designed for the Bandai Namco racing video game series Ridge Racer by artist Kei Yoshimizu. Introduced as an unnamed character in Rave Racer, she was initially intended to act solely as a "number girl", a person who displays the current lap number at the start of said lap. However, the development team noticed how pretty she was and felt she made a good contrast to the game's tough racing element, and as a result, made her a mascot for the series. Now named Reiko Nagase, later games in the series gave her an expanded role, particularly R4: Ridge Racer Type 4.
Reiko appears as a slender Asian woman with long legs and brunette hair in a pixie cut hairstyle. She stands 165 cm (5 ft 5 in), and has measurements of 85-58-86 cm (33-23-34 in). While she has several outfits, she is often depicted in a white tube dress with matching shoes and elbow-length gloves. The dress itself features a thin red arrow pattern towards the bottom of the skirt.
According to an article in Incite Video Gaming, Yoshimizu had stated he had been unable to find a face model for Reiko, and resorted to scanning his own face after shaving and plucking his eyebrows. The story was later echoed in other publications such as Edge magazine. Yoshimizu later clarified in an interview with Time Extension that when asked by Incite if her face was created without any real-life references, he responded "I used my own face as a reference". But in this context, he meant he had utilized his face strictly as an anatomical guide, and that her face was created from scratch.
Reiko was first introduced in the opening cutscene as an unnamed character for the 1995 racing game Rave Racer, the third title in Ridge Racer series. She returned in subsequent titles, where she was given a name and expanded role up as the series' race queen character until Ridge Racer V, where she was replaced with another character named Ai Fukami designed by artist Yukie Matsuo. The development team saw the game as a new beginning due to it appearing on the PlayStation 2, and wanted to also illustrate "a woman seen through a woman's eyes". Replacing Reiko proved to be a controversial decision however, and after fan outcry, including a petition, she returned for subsequent entries in the series.
In non-racing titles, she is prominently featured in a Ridge Racer-themed pachislot, along with a PlayStation 2 port of the machine. Outside of the Ridge Racer series, Reiko has appeared in several other games, including Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis, both the Super World Stadium series and Professional Baseball Famisuta 2011, Namco Wonder Classic, Pac-Man Fever, and Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version.
Reiko's image has been used to significantly promote the Ridge Racer series through media such as television commercials, computer wallpapers, and pinup calendars. Promotional models dressed as the character have also been featured at gaming industry events such as E3 and Nintendo World. Several figures of Reiko have also been produced, such as a gashapon figure as part of the "Namco Gals Collection" toyline. In other media, her image has been used to promote soundtracks for the Ridge Racer games, including Ridge Racers Direct Audio and Ridge Racer 20th Anniversary Remix.
Reiko Nagase
Reiko Nagase (Japanese: 永瀬麗子, Hepburn: Nagase Reiko) is a character in Bandai Namco's Ridge Racer series. Originally created by artist Kei Yoshimizu for the 1995 video game Rave Racer, she was given a name and expanded role in later titles for the series due to how well she contrasted against the series' racing element, becoming a mascot for the company. While she has appeared in almost every game since, her exclusion from Ridge Racer V drew significant backlash, resulting in her return in the following titles.
Reiko was well received since her debut, praised for both her character and the physical attractiveness of her character design. She has also been seen as an important part of Sony Entertainment's PlayStation brand, featured in a tech demo as part of the PlayStation 2's reveal. However, some have also criticized her usage in games, seeing it as sexualization of women in games or relegating female characters to the background compared to their counterparts.
The character was designed for the Bandai Namco racing video game series Ridge Racer by artist Kei Yoshimizu. Introduced as an unnamed character in Rave Racer, she was initially intended to act solely as a "number girl", a person who displays the current lap number at the start of said lap. However, the development team noticed how pretty she was and felt she made a good contrast to the game's tough racing element, and as a result, made her a mascot for the series. Now named Reiko Nagase, later games in the series gave her an expanded role, particularly R4: Ridge Racer Type 4.
Reiko appears as a slender Asian woman with long legs and brunette hair in a pixie cut hairstyle. She stands 165 cm (5 ft 5 in), and has measurements of 85-58-86 cm (33-23-34 in). While she has several outfits, she is often depicted in a white tube dress with matching shoes and elbow-length gloves. The dress itself features a thin red arrow pattern towards the bottom of the skirt.
According to an article in Incite Video Gaming, Yoshimizu had stated he had been unable to find a face model for Reiko, and resorted to scanning his own face after shaving and plucking his eyebrows. The story was later echoed in other publications such as Edge magazine. Yoshimizu later clarified in an interview with Time Extension that when asked by Incite if her face was created without any real-life references, he responded "I used my own face as a reference". But in this context, he meant he had utilized his face strictly as an anatomical guide, and that her face was created from scratch.
Reiko was first introduced in the opening cutscene as an unnamed character for the 1995 racing game Rave Racer, the third title in Ridge Racer series. She returned in subsequent titles, where she was given a name and expanded role up as the series' race queen character until Ridge Racer V, where she was replaced with another character named Ai Fukami designed by artist Yukie Matsuo. The development team saw the game as a new beginning due to it appearing on the PlayStation 2, and wanted to also illustrate "a woman seen through a woman's eyes". Replacing Reiko proved to be a controversial decision however, and after fan outcry, including a petition, she returned for subsequent entries in the series.
In non-racing titles, she is prominently featured in a Ridge Racer-themed pachislot, along with a PlayStation 2 port of the machine. Outside of the Ridge Racer series, Reiko has appeared in several other games, including Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis, both the Super World Stadium series and Professional Baseball Famisuta 2011, Namco Wonder Classic, Pac-Man Fever, and Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version.
Reiko's image has been used to significantly promote the Ridge Racer series through media such as television commercials, computer wallpapers, and pinup calendars. Promotional models dressed as the character have also been featured at gaming industry events such as E3 and Nintendo World. Several figures of Reiko have also been produced, such as a gashapon figure as part of the "Namco Gals Collection" toyline. In other media, her image has been used to promote soundtracks for the Ridge Racer games, including Ridge Racers Direct Audio and Ridge Racer 20th Anniversary Remix.