On Valentine's Day back in 1997, Reiko Nagase turned 22, which means that today she is currently 33...and still looking damn fine if you don't mind me saying so. So in keeping with the theme of today, we wanted to send some loving to what would be one of Namco's most famous cheerleaders, Reiko Nagase.

Bio:

Date of Birth: Thursday 14 February 1974

Place of Birth: Tokyo, JAPAN

Star Sign: Aquarius

Height: 5ft 5"

Weight: 8st

Bust-Waist-Hips: 33-23-34

Shoe size: 9/43

Blood Type A

Skills: Swimming and playing the guitar.

Hobbies: Driving cars, Making souffles and Water sports.

Favourite foods: Minestrone, pears, crisps.

Favourite games: Pac Man, Smash Court Tennis.

Favourite past-times: Shopping, taking her pet dog Ricky for a walk.

Ambition: To be an astronaut

History:

Reiko's very first apperance in a video game was Rave Racer, which was big at the time in all the local arcades. Many people might think that her first apperance was as the flag girl in the very original Ridge Racer, but nothing offical has ever been announced and quite frankly it really doesn't look like her. Her first console apperance was in Rage Racer, which was the conversion of Rave Racer and actually improved in many areas. Reiko changed her look from this point onwards and adopted a more friendly and demur personality.

I have to say, without Reiko, there is no doubt in my mind that Ridge Racer would've lacked the personality that most other racing games are missing. With her large bright eyes and playful smile, Reiko always managed to give the Ridge Racer games soul.

History (cont):

Her next apperance is her greatest one to date. It is of course in the excellent Ridge Racer Type-4. Probably part of the reason why this game is rated as one of my all time favourites is because of the intro. The music and excellent art direction make this such a totally enjoyable experience that it's the only intro I never skip before playing a game. Reiko breaks a heel and gets a lift. Who would've thought that something that sounds so simple be so effective in making you want to play this game. Reiko's finest moment.

Oddly enough, Ridge Racer 5 is the only one of the bunch that I have never played and one that didn't feature Reiko. Namco instead opted for a new character by the name of Ai Fukami (oh lord) and was terrible in every sense of the word. Fans of Reiko rebelled of course and Namco had no option but to hire on Reiko for more work.

History (cont):

Reiko made a stunning return in Ridge Racer on the PSP, restoring the series to it's former glory and providing another video that really put you in the mood to play this game. She has since appeared in Ridge Racer 6 on the Xbox 360 and Ridge Racer 7 on the PlayStation 3. It's quite obvious that fans of Ridge Racer (which includes myself) don't respect or trust anyone but Reiko to be the face of this franchise. She is the perfect mascot for the series and has outlasted many who have come and gone before her. Happy Birthday Reiko and may you have many more!

Fun Facts:

Reiko has also appeared in Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis on the PS1, Pac-Many Fever on the PS2. There is also a secret Reiko costume in Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon.

There was a rumour that Reiko was actually modelled after Kei Yoshimizu, the person who created her. Don't worry he has since revealed that he only used his face for expression posing.

Reiko has a sister! She is Kei "Edge" Nagase and appeared in the brilliant Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. It's like a dream come true!