Among the long list of genres I’m sad to admit are experiencing an almost unstoppable decline, I inevitably feel I must add racing games.
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Cross the finish line together.
Unlike generations like the Dreamcast or PlayStation 2, I don’t see that same affinity from players towards vehicles or speed; on the contrary, I think they’re actually avoiding them.
Gone are the days when the main attraction was tearing around at full speed on split-screen with friends or in campaigns where you started as a nobody and became the streets’ king, because now those are usually just accessory mechanics in a larger package.
Therefore, it’s never a bad time to pay tribute to those great creations that gave personality to a genre that is currently just simulators and minigames, so I invite you to read this list of the ten best racing games forgotten by time.
10
Aqua GT
We Don’t Race On Water Anymore
There was a time when there were so many racing games that developers had to innovate as much as possible, including drastic changes to the scenery, like those in Aqua GT.
Instead of your typical four-wheeled vehicles on asphalt, this curious title placed you on sea circuits with powerboats that not only looked distinctive but also felt wildly different in terms of controls.
My younger self thought the change of environment was enough to set it apart, but the feeling of driving a speedboat implied a different rhythm and unique calculations for each corner and acceleration, and I didn’t truly appreciate it until many years later.
Perhaps it’s a special experience for me for personal reasons rather than general ones, which explains why it seems forgotten, though it’s clear Aqua GT is the kind of game that perfectly exemplifies the pursuit of innovation the genre had in its time.
9
Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition
A Chaotic City
Returning to the more traditional approach of racing games, Super Runabout – San Francisco Edition presented an open-world premise I always found exciting due to how alive all its streets felt during each race.
With so much traffic, intersections, directions, and objectives, the feeling of connecting with the environment and mentally mapping out routes that helped you reach the goals as efficiently as possible was magical, making you feel at one with the setting in a very authentic way.
Unlike a strictly closed circuit, the entire city was your playground, so that now-essential notion of open worlds—encouraging you to familiarize yourself with the environment—was something Super Runabout – San Francisco Edition was already doing two decades ago, and from inside a car.
The quests certainly suffered from being generic and almost always being resolved in the same way, but it didn’t matter because the movement was natural and satisfying, almost like a comfort zone you returned to just for the enjoyment of being in a space you knew like the back of your hand.
8
Vanishing Point
Speed and Nothing More
However, not everything had to be atypical or have an unconventional game design; sometimes it was enough to simply do what was expected of you as best you could, in the style of Vanishing Point, a game as entertaining as it was down-to-earth.
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Without luxury vehicles, complex scenery, or overly outlandish mechanics, it was a racing game I’d almost dare to describe as humble, with a simple premise: whoever achieved the fastest lap was the winner.
The races were done with cars anyone would have in their garage, and that’s what caught my attention the most: how it distanced itself from the unattainable fantasy of Fast and Furious-style street races and made them more “family-friendly” by using simpler vehicles and locations.
The driving was fantastic, and the vibe was great too. Its music was mesmerizing, and even the sounds of their interface made you feel comfortable, because Vanishing Point championed subtlety over the usual grandiosity of the era. Perhaps that’s why people forgot about them, but that’s precisely why I remember them.
7
Re-Volt
Toy Story, But With Cars
In the years when Toy Story was an immeasurable phenomenon, I remember being fascinated by anything related to toys, so you can imagine my reaction when I discovered Re-Volt.
The concept of using remote-controlled cars, one of my favorite toys, on spectacular and creative tracks was simply too much stimulation for my young brain, which begged for school sessions to end so I could keep playing.
Given the context, Re-Volt boasted an unusual artistic and gameplay presentation, with colorful and extravagant car designs and innovative tracks that transformed the usual streets into toy store aisles and supermarkets, making it stand out with ease.
The game certainly received a new version on Steam a few years ago, so perhaps it’s not as forgotten as the rest, but I still want to include it on the list because it saddens me that such a well-structured and executed idea never managed to stand the test of time.
6
Project Gotham Racing 4
An Underrated Simulator
As the years went by, I realized racing games were gradually moving away from their arcade nature to embrace the simulation variant, though none made me see it as clearly as Project Gotham Racing 4.
With its precise controls, challenging handling at high levels, and tight tracks, it was the title that introduced me to the shift in focus the genre was undergoing, now prioritizing a more realistic and less accessible driving experience that, nevertheless, had its own unique charm.
[…] precise controls, challenging handling at high levels, and tight tracks […]
Even though I preferred franchises like Need for Speed, Project Gotham Racing 4 vividly made me feel like a race car driver, forcing me to understand that driving was more than just pressing the accelerator and opening my mind to the true complexity the genre could possess.
Of course, it was an early version of a simulation genre that wouldn’t reach its peak until many years later, but that doesn’t diminish its merit. Those who know about racing games not only understand the demands of this installment but also applaud it, although there may not be as many of us left as in past years.
5
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
Rockstar’s Overlooked Gem
Before realism took hold of the imagination of racing game developers, street racing, vinyl records, and neon lights were all the rage, but little is said about how important Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition was in that regard.
With its accessible, arcade-style gameplay, where you could drift for miles on end and feel like a true street racer, each race was more exciting than the last, especially thanks to its incredibly addictive progression system.
Starting with a random vehicle and ending up with high-end cars, tuned to resemble spaceships rather than conventional vehicles, was the kind of adventure that captivated an entire generation, myself included.
To be honest, there’s nothing quite like driving at completely surreal speeds while being unable to make out the shape of the map and listening to one of the decade’s best soundtracks, but that thrill is gone. Nobody thinks about Midnight Club or street racing anymore, and I think that’s an irreplaceable loss for open-world racing fans.
4
POD: Speedzone
Battles on Wheels on Saturn
If you imagine a racing game where the cars look more like organic beings, the setting is Saturn, and there’s as much going on in the background as in the race itself, you’re thinking of the magnificent POD: Speedzone.
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For when the checkered flag just isn’t enough.
I still vividly remember the sound of the cars crashing into each other, the exhilarating feeling of speed as they leaped through the air, and the alien atmosphere of this iconic video game, which is easily among the most distinctive titles I’ve ever played in the genre’s history.
I admit the driving mechanics themselves are only good at best, but the vibes emanating from its audiovisual presentation more than compensated for any gameplay shortcomings, which were perfectly adequate for being fun.
As impressive as realism is, I would always prefer games like POD: Speedzone, with its bizarre theme and execution. I know it’s been forgotten over time because a game like this wouldn’t even get the green light in its development today, but that doesn’t take away from how memorable it is.
3
Zusar Vasar
Truly Unique Racing
|
Developer(s) |
Real Vision |
|---|---|
|
Publisher(s) |
Real Vision |
|
Release Date |
July 27, 2000 |
|
Platform(s) |
Dreamcast |
|
Genre(s) |
Racing |
|
ESRB |
E |
Speaking of bizarre ideas that seem to have sprung from the fevered dreams of a video game director with more money and power than he should have, Zusar Vasar is a niche classic that, if you know it, I’ll consider you part of my family.
I don’t even know how I came across this gem, though I do remember perfectly how much I loved the idea of robotic animals used as futuristic chariots across water, land, and air to carry out simply inexplicable races.
Were the controls awful? Yes. Was it difficult to play? Extremely. Did I lose every race and fight? Of course. And yet, the sheer thrill of driving an automated zoo across various types of matter was too great for all those things to be relevant.
Zusar Vasar has to be one of the most niche games I’ve ever played, and I’m glad. It’s a strange and fascinating work whose inability to transcend makes sense, but it reminds us how special human works can be when utility does not interrupt inventiveness.
2
FlatOut 2
Joyful Destruction
Perhaps I’m biased towards FlatOut 2 given it was among the titles I spent countless hours playing with my friends during my childhood, especially the mode where you launched the driver through the air to score points in various mini-games, but it’s definitely one of the racing games I miss the most.
Within the countless subgenres that have faded into the past, demolition and car combat games are also forgotten, even though they reigned supreme for over a decade with dozens of titles and styles, including the over-the-top FlatOut.
By today’s standards, it’s a game that’s too rough, gritty, and even clunky, since it doesn’t take itself too seriously but rather focuses on what it believes it should do to deliver the purest gift that video games of yesteryear could offer: fun.
There are no more ragdoll physics dummies flying through the air after breaking windshields, nor cars destroyed down to the last pixel after colliding 17 times with other contestants, so there is no more FlatOut 2. It’s an unthinkable game for the current market, and that should hurt both you and me.
1
San Francisco Rush 2049
Versatility Made Video Game
If I already believe that excelling at a particular mechanic is difficult, the fact that San Francisco Rush 2049 masters multiple gameplay elements that characterize driving games is increasingly impressive.
If you see it as a racing game, it has stunning tracks with remarkable scenic variety, gravity-defying features, shortcuts of all kinds, secrets everywhere, and plenty of room for improvement for those who like to beat their records.
However, if you see it as a combat car game, with its multiple weapons and PvP game modes, or as a stunt car game, allowing you to perform all kinds of flips to compete for top scores, you realize it excels on numerous fronts, and that’s something extraordinarily rare.
Not only because most driving games focus on racing simulation and little else, but because the very idea of attempting to do so directly seems impractical. San Francisco Rush 2049 superbly accomplishes what was once unusual but is now impossible, but its legacy will remain etched in my memory until the end of time.
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