8 of the Best Racing Games Ever Created

[DrStrangelove]

8 of the Best Racing Games Ever Created

When you're in the mood to go fast look no further than these eight games. They'll have you speeding down the road at absurd speeds, all the while going through some seriously populated areas. So buckle up as you drive recklessly through other cars and maybe a bystander or two.

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[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I'm not so sure about Grand Theft Auto V being there. In it's place, we could've had Need For Speed Most Wanted(the original), no?

That game was very fun indeed. Whilst the story is generic as all hell, the police chases were intense and exhilirating, as were the boss showdowns

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

No Ridge Racer eh? I'm afraid the only solution to this is a deranged killing spree...

 

[JoeCool385]

Great, except for the part where you forgot Road & Track's The Need for Speed: SE (the very, very first Need for Speed game ever), and accidentally wrote "Mario Kart 64" instead of "Super Mario Kart". Please try to avoid typos like that next time.

 

[thespyisdead]

nothing representing Flatout, and has GTA on the list? might as well have put TF2 there for it's bumper car mini-game this halloween

 

[Kurt Cristal]

No Forza? The pinnacle of modern racing games? Shame.

 

[Nimcha]

None of these except GT are really racing games...

The Grand Prix series should surely be on here, as well as this ultimate classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elK8OCzaspg

 

[Extragorey]

Bah, you can't have a list of good racing games without even mentioning one of the many, many Need For Speed games. My favourites in the series were the original Hot Pursuit (Atlantica with a Mercedes CLK-GTR = win, and also it actually supported modding - I recall driving around on an unlockable night map with the batmobile) and Most Wanted (the original) for its open-world cop chases.

 

[RealRT]

I'm not so sure about Grand Theft Auto V being there. In it's place, we could've had Need For Speed Most Wanted(the original), no?

That game was very fun indeed. Whilst the story is generic as all hell, the police chases were intense and exhilirating, as were the boss showdowns

Or Need for Speed Hot Pursuit '10.

 

[RealRT]

None of these except GT are really racing games...

The Grand Prix series should surely be on here, as well as this ultimate classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elK8OCzaspg

Wow, it only took so long for a "It's not a real X" snob to appear. I'd gladly take Need for Speed and Burnout over GT any day of the week, thank you and if they are not real racing games, than who need the real ones anyway?

 

[Nimcha]

None of these except GT are really racing games...

The Grand Prix series should surely be on here, as well as this ultimate classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elK8OCzaspg

Wow, it only took so long for a "It's not a real X" snob to appear. I'd gladly take Need for Speed and Burnout over GT any day of the week, thank you and if they are not real racing games, than who need the real ones anyway?

I said 'really'. Most of those are not really about the racing but about either crashing or knocking each other out, or evading cops...

I don't care what you prefer, honestly. If you like them, fine. But don't you agree when you talk about a 'racing game' the game should be primarily about actually racing?

 

[V4Viewtiful]

I was going to call shinanigans if Burnout 3 wasn't on this list But how did F-Zero not make the cut? No Wheels?

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

No Forza? The pinnacle of modern racing games? Shame.

That's kinda what I was thinking.

That, and wondering how Driveclub made it considering the game is barely functional and nowhere near what was promised. I like pretty graphics as much as the next nerd, but before I put something on a "Best of" list I would at least expect it to work on a basic level.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

Yeah look, no need to get worked up, if he said racing "sims" then he would've had to mention iRacing, Richard Burns Rally, Assetto Corsa, GT, Forza, or any of those games that aim to be a "sim". Racing games includes everything that was mentioned in the list.

Personally, I think GTA5 is more of a "driving" game rather than a racing game, but eh, there's racing in it, and it's not bad. I feel bad for Codemasters too, with all their GRID and DIRT series got nothing on there, although as fun as they are I guess they didn't qualify as best.

My best 8 would be:
-NFS 2
-NFS 10 (Carbon)
-Ridge Racer 5
-Colin Mcrae Rally 5
-Gran Turismo 4
-Forza 3
-Midnight Club 3
-Mario Kart (any of them really)

 

[RealRT]

None of these except GT are really racing games...

The Grand Prix series should surely be on here, as well as this ultimate classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elK8OCzaspg

Wow, it only took so long for a "It's not a real X" snob to appear. I'd gladly take Need for Speed and Burnout over GT any day of the week, thank you and if they are not real racing games, than who need the real ones anyway?

I said 'really'. Most of those are not really about the racing but about either crashing or knocking each other out, or evading cops...

I don't care what you prefer, honestly. If you like them, fine. But don't you agree when you talk about a 'racing game' the game should be primarily about actually racing?

Can you win any of them without crashing or knocking each other out? Yes? Then it's a racing game first, murdering your opponents is just a nice bonus. The only one here about cop evading is GTA and it doesn't belong in the list anyway being a sandbox game.

 

[Alcom1]

Is it a coincidence that these are all 'car' racing games?

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

Yeah look, no need to get worked up, if he said racing "sims" then he would've had to mention iRacing, Richard Burns Rally, Assetto Corsa, GT, Forza, or any of those games that aim to be a "sim". Racing games includes everything that was mentioned in the list.

Personally, I think GTA5 is more of a "driving" game rather than a racing game, but eh, there's racing in it, and it's not bad. I feel bad for Codemasters too, with all their GRID and DIRT series got nothing on there, although as fun as they are I guess they didn't qualify as best.

My best 8 would be:
-NFS 2
-NFS 10 (Carbon)
-Ridge Racer 5
-Colin Mcrae Rally 5
-Gran Turismo 4
-Forza 3
-Midnight Club 3
-Mario Kart (any of them really)

Man, I loved the old Colin McRae games. Especially 4 and 5, but every one I played was great (I played all but the first). DiRT is fun as well, but I really preferred the old days when it was just straight rally races and hyper detailed cars.

When my daughter was much younger(6 or so), I'd let her drive in the game and crash up the cars while I pretended to be her co-driver begging her to watch the road and stop hitting trees. Such a fun memory for her and I.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

My best 8 would be:
-NFS 2
-NFS 10 (Carbon)
-Ridge Racer 5
-Colin Mcrae Rally 5
-Gran Turismo 4
-Forza 3
-Midnight Club 3
-Mario Kart (any of them really)

Man, I loved the old Colin McRae games. Especially 4 and 5, but every one I played was great (I played all but the first). DiRT is fun as well, but I really preferred the old days when it was just straight rally races and hyper detailed cars.

When my daughter was much younger(6 or so), I'd let her drive in the game and crash up the cars while I pretended to be her co-driver begging her to watch the road and stop hitting trees. Such a fun memory for her and I.

Yes, a fantastic series! Just enough tinkering and unlocking to not get in the way, but still have solid fun flying over crests and correcting mid-air and landing in a huge slide. One of the only rally series games that really captured the different surfaces, weather conditions and locales, I played pretty much every one of them. DiRT just made me feel really old with all it's flashy hectic cut scenes and neon skateboard sticker menus, and I didn't enjoy all the trucks and other stuff half as much. Trailblazing was cool though.

That's such a funny story about co-driving for your daughter, as a part-time primary school teacher I can imagine what a blast she'd get out of that!

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

Yes, a fantastic series! Just enough tinkering and unlocking to not get in the way, but still have solid fun flying over crests and correcting mid-air and landing in a huge slide. One of the only rally series games that really captured the different surfaces, weather conditions and locales, I played pretty much every one of them. DiRT just made me feel really old with all it's flashy hectic cut scenes and neon skateboard sticker menus, and I didn't enjoy all the trucks and other stuff half as much. Trailblazing was cool though.

That's such a funny story about co-driving for your daughter, as a part-time primary school teacher I can imagine what a blast she'd get out of that!

What I really loved about the old Colin McRae games (other than the things I already mentioned) was that it didn't let you play with kid gloves. If you didn't take decent care of your car and couldn't afford repairs at the checkpoints, you were just hosed.

There were lots of times where I'd be doing pretty well but get in a bad groove and lose some pretty important car pieces. More than once I started the third or fourth leg of a track with literally no front left (or right) tire on my car. I'd have to either scrape to the end on a wing and a prayer or get that dreaded DNF in the column, which meant no prize money and could end your game.

I like modern gaming, I think we've come a long way in terms of narrative and approachable systems to be more inclusive to new players. But a big part of me longs for the days when challenge wasn't a dirty word among gamemakers.

 

[Teoes]

Something something no Micro Machines 2 or F-Zero GX, something something rage deskflip, something something list, yeahwelly'knowthat'sjustlikeyouropinionman.

Those two games brought so much rage to my friends. There were minor wars fought over the outcome of some Turbo Turns matches.. and I really felt for my mate when his memory card kept going tits up and scrubbing his F-Zero save. That game was hard as nails.