8 of the Best Racing Games Ever Created

[TheArcaneThinker]

No NFS most wanted (original) ?

And drive club ? are you serious ?

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

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.

Hell yes...that was the first game that showed me how stressful being a rally driver really is. Real nature, environment and unpredictable conditions, anything that happens to you is just tough luck, no matter how great you're going. Probably found my great respect for rally drivers through that alone!

I did miss that challenge, but these days, as the responsibilities pile up there are times when I'm grateful for the nerfing of easy-rewinds and second chances, low-stakes racing. Still wouldn't mind firing up my old copy for old time's sake, now on newer hardware I'm sure it'll be quite the revhead flashback (G27 and 46" HDTV)

captcha: just drive (you said it mate)

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

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.

Hell yes...that was the first game that showed me how stressful being a rally driver really is. Real nature, environment and unpredictable conditions, anything that happens to you is just tough luck, no matter how great you're going. Probably found my great respect for rally drivers through that alone!

I did miss that challenge, but these days, as the responsibilities pile up there are times when I'm grateful for the nerfing of easy-rewinds and second chances, low-stakes racing. Still wouldn't mind firing up my old copy for old time's sake, now on newer hardware I'm sure it'll be quite the revhead flashback (G27 and 46" HDTV)

captcha: just drive (you said it mate)

I'd fire up the old games in a heartbeat if I still had the hardware. I bought Colin McRae 3-5 on the old Xbox and that big ol' behemoth quit working years ago. I still have my PS2, but no copies of the games for it.

Might be time to go digging around eBay and see if I can't secure either an old Xbox or a PS2 (or Gamecube?) copy of 4 or 5.

Good talking with you. It's always nice to find someone with similar interests.

 

[Xan Krieger]

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.

I also came to complain about the lack of Forza. In GTA racing is just a minigame, Forza is an actual racing game. Update the list to include racing games, not 3rd person shooters with an occasional race.

 

[Elijah Newton]

Hm. I love GTA but wouldn't've put it on this list as the ability to race in it is sort of ancillary.

The only omission I'm honestly startled by is Forza but its 'type' is more-or-less represented by GT.

I would've liked to have seen Wipeout and (as Pole Position is in) callbacks to Excitebike and Super Offroad ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_'Ironman'_Stewart's_Super_Off_Road ).

Oh, and Jet Moto 2! Because awesome.

 

[delroland]

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

I second this. Ridge Racer was *THE* driving game before Gran Turismo came out. I remember playing the hell out of Ridge Racer V on the PS2.

 

[UNHchabo]

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?

Most of the time people break the Racing Game genre into the subgenres of Arcade Racer and Racing Sim, but even then I feel it's more of a scale, with most people preferring games slightly to one side or the other rather than the extremes.

 

[crazyweasel]

Don't forget Split/second, it's a joy to play in lan with your friends, so much swearing going on while racing (a tad less than mario kart tho).

I also keep a soft spot for Quarantine, the very first game to ever land on my pc, it's just like crazy taxi but with saw, blood, missiles, and a post-apocalyptic setting.