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A 'racing game' is any game that involves competing in races through a surrogate playing piece or vehicle, either getting it from one point to another or completing a number of circuits in the shortest time.
★ Many board games can be said to be racing games, such as Snakes and Ladders, Cribbage, or Formula Dé.
★ There are also toys made for racing, like slot cars and radio controlled cars.
One of the more common uses of the term 'racing game' is to describe a genre of computer and video games. Racing games are either in the first or third person perspective. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings, and feature any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. In general, they can be distributed along a spectrum anywhere between hardcore simulations, and simpler arcade racing games.
The arcade title Gran Trak 10, released by Atari in 1974 is generally considered as the progenitor of the genre. In Gran Track 10, the player races against the clock to accumulate points. While challenging, it is not competition racing. True "racing" as we know it was started by the Namco game Pole Position in 1982. This time the player has AI cars to race against, and time limit to keep pushing the players to go faster. Pole Position is also the first game to be based on a real racing circuit.
Racing games in general tend to drift toward the arcade side of reality, mainly due to hardware limitations, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. It is however untrue to say that there were no games considered simulations in their time.
In 1984 Geoff Crammond, later to develop the ''Grandprix'' series (Known collectively as GPX to its fanbase) produced what is considered the first attempt at a racing simulator, REVS, for the BBC Microcomputer. The game offered an unofficial, (and hence with no official team or driver names associated with the series} recreation of British Formula 3. The hardware capabilities limited the depth of the simulation and restricted it, (Initially) to one track but it was far above any other games at the time in terms of detail.
In 1986, Sega produced Out Run, one of the most graphically impressive game of its time. It used two Motorola 68000 CPUs for its 2D sprite-based driving engine, and it became an instant classic that spawned many sequels.
In 1987, Namco produced Final Lap, the first arcade game that allowed multiple machines to be linked so you can have multiplayer races. In the same year, Atari produced Road Blasters, a driving game that also involved a bit of shooting.
In 1988, Atari introduced Hard Drivin', the first arcade driving game that included force feedback as well as 3D polygonal graphics. This is the first game where the wheel actually fights you as you take harder/faster turns. It also featured a crash replay camera view that plays back your biggest crashes.
In 1990 the now defunct Papyrus Design Group produced their first attempt at a racing Simulator, the critically acclaimed . Accurately replicating the 1989 Indianapolis 500 grid it offered advanced (For its time) 3D graphics, setup options, car failures and handling. It was later almost forgotten with the success of Crammond's F1GP but to this day many argue that it boasted superior graphics to the 1992 title.
In 1992 Sim Racing gained a new champion in the shape of World Circuit, developed by Geoff Crammond's group Simergy. It boasted unparalleled detail and a full recreation of the cars and circuits of the 1991 Formula One World Championship, though as with REVS it was not granted an official license by the series, thus teams and drivers were renamed (Though could all be changed back to their real names using the Driver/Team selection menu) with Ayrton Senna becoming Carlos Sanchez and so forth.
On the other end of the spectrum Sega produced Virtua Racing. While not the first game with 3D graphics (see REVS), it was able to combine the best features of games at the time, along with multiplayer machine linking and clean 3D graphics to produce a game that was above and beyond the arcade market standard of its time. Also Nintendo broke new ground by introducing the Mario Kart series on the SNES. Using the familiar characters from the Mario franchise, the game not only departed from the realism paradigm by using small karts for the players to drive, but also featured fantastic environments and allowed the players to pick up power-ups to improve performance or hamper other racers. This franchise also spawned multiple sequels.
In 1993, Namco struck back with Ridge Racer, and thus began the polygonal war of driving games. Sega struck back in 1994 with Daytona USA, while Midway introduced Crusin' USA. Atari didn't join the 3D craze until 1997, when it introduced San Francisco Rush.
From 1997 on, the PC world has caught up to the arcade world in terms of graphical quality, mainly due to the introduction of first generation 3D accelerators such as 3DFX Voodoo. Indeed, PC games are even ''more'' inventive than their arcade cousins as they are not required to force the players to feed more and more quarters. The CPU now are capable to simulating decent physics, car control, and graphics. Colin McRae Rally was introduced in 1998 to the PC world, and was a successful semi-simulation of the world of rally driving (previously only available in Sega's less serious Sega Rally Championship). Motorhead, a PC game, was later adapted back to arcade.
The year 1999 marked a change of games into more "free form" worlds. Midtown Madness and for the PC allow the player to explore a simplified version of the city of Chicago using a variety of vehicles and any path that they desire. In the arcade world, Sega introduced Crazy Taxi, where you are a taxi driver that needed to get the client to the destination in the shortest amount of time. A similar game also from Sega is Emergency Ambulance Driver, with almost the same game play (pick up patient, drop off at hospital, as fast as possible). Games are becoming more and more realistic visually. Some arcade games are now featuring 3 screens to provide a surround view.
There is a wide gamut of driving games ranging from simple action-arcade racers like Mario Kart Double Dash (for the Nintendo Gamecube) and Nick Toon Racers to ultra-realistic simulators like rFactor, Live for Speed and Grand Prix Legends to sci-fi racers and everything in between.
Main articles: Sim racing
Simulation style racing games strive to convincingly replicate the handling of an automobile. They often license real cars or racing leagues, but will use fantasy cars built to resemble real ones if unable to acquire them.
Although these racing simulators are specifically built for people with a high grade of driving skill, it is not uncommon to find aids that can be enabled from the game menu. The most common aids are traction control (TC), anti-lock brakes, steering assistance, damage resistance, clutch assistance, automatic gearbox, etc. This softens the learning curve for the difficult handling characteristics of most racing cars.
The Formula One World Championship has a fan base all over the world and is one of the racing series with the most simulation adaptations.
Some of these racing simulators are customizable, as game fans have decoded the tracks, cars and executable files. Large internet communities have grown around the simulators regarded as the most realistic and many websites host internet championships.
Arcade style racing games put fun and a fast-paced experience above all else, as cars usually compete through odd ways. They often license real cars and leagues, but are equally open to more exotic settings and vehicles. Races take place on highways, windy roads or in cities; they can be multiple-lap circuits or point-to-point, with one or multiple paths (sometimes with checkpoints), or other types of competition, like demolition derby, jumping or testing driving skills. Popular arcade racers are the Daytona USA series, the ''Rush'' series, the Cruis'n Series and the classic ''Out Run''.
Over the last three years there has been a trend of new street racing; imitating the import scene, one can tune sport compacts and sports cars and race them on the streets. The most widely known ones are the series, , Street Racing Syndicate and Juiced.
= List of Racing Game Sub-Genres =
Racing games that are more focused on realism.
These games are neither simulators nor arcade racers; they stand in the middle of the spectrum.
Racing games that are focused on fun than on realism.
Kart racers, popularized by (and often credited to) the ''Mario Kart'' series, are a style of racing game that introduces the ability to pick up items during the race, and use them to boost one's performance in a race, or to attack other players and hamper their progress. Like arcade racers, kart racers feature simple racing physics and imaginative environments to race in.
Kart racers include:
Racers that take place on the ocean.
Main articles: List of offroad racing computer and video games
Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles (including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buggies) compete in races through off-road environments.
Set in the future, these games take an abstract view to racing, they may feature abstract vehicles such as hoverbikes and race in alien environments. Without having to follow physical laws, the races and vehicles can move with tremendous speeds.
This subgenre has probably been the least tapped in the genre of racing. However, companies like Namco ventured into this type of subgenre with Final Lap Twin for the Turbo-Grafx 16.
= Arcade racing games timeline =
= Driving Games =
Unlike most traditional lap racing games, driving games do not entirely have a lap racing focus. These games focus on arcade style driving with goals, tasks, and minigames. Other arcade style racing/driving games replaces 'laps' with 'checkpoints'.
= Vehicular Combat Games =
Main articles: Vehicular combat game
In these games, gameplay is mostly focused exclusively on the combat aspect of driving games. Vehicles are equipped with weapons used to attack opponents and defeat them. Vehicular games take place on a battlefield of destruction.
★ Impact Racing
★ Lance Carter's ''History of Racing games''
★ Racing / Driving on MobyGames
1. allgame.com list of games in the Motorcycle Racing category
2. allgame.com list of games in the Go-Kart Racing category.
★ Many board games can be said to be racing games, such as Snakes and Ladders, Cribbage, or Formula Dé.
★ There are also toys made for racing, like slot cars and radio controlled cars.
One of the more common uses of the term 'racing game' is to describe a genre of computer and video games. Racing games are either in the first or third person perspective. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings, and feature any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. In general, they can be distributed along a spectrum anywhere between hardcore simulations, and simpler arcade racing games.
History
Gran Trak 10 (1974)
The arcade title Gran Trak 10, released by Atari in 1974 is generally considered as the progenitor of the genre. In Gran Track 10, the player races against the clock to accumulate points. While challenging, it is not competition racing. True "racing" as we know it was started by the Namco game Pole Position in 1982. This time the player has AI cars to race against, and time limit to keep pushing the players to go faster. Pole Position is also the first game to be based on a real racing circuit.
Racing games in general tend to drift toward the arcade side of reality, mainly due to hardware limitations, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. It is however untrue to say that there were no games considered simulations in their time.
In 1984 Geoff Crammond, later to develop the ''Grandprix'' series (Known collectively as GPX to its fanbase) produced what is considered the first attempt at a racing simulator, REVS, for the BBC Microcomputer. The game offered an unofficial, (and hence with no official team or driver names associated with the series} recreation of British Formula 3. The hardware capabilities limited the depth of the simulation and restricted it, (Initially) to one track but it was far above any other games at the time in terms of detail.
In 1986, Sega produced Out Run, one of the most graphically impressive game of its time. It used two Motorola 68000 CPUs for its 2D sprite-based driving engine, and it became an instant classic that spawned many sequels.
In 1987, Namco produced Final Lap, the first arcade game that allowed multiple machines to be linked so you can have multiplayer races. In the same year, Atari produced Road Blasters, a driving game that also involved a bit of shooting.
In 1988, Atari introduced Hard Drivin', the first arcade driving game that included force feedback as well as 3D polygonal graphics. This is the first game where the wheel actually fights you as you take harder/faster turns. It also featured a crash replay camera view that plays back your biggest crashes.
In 1990 the now defunct Papyrus Design Group produced their first attempt at a racing Simulator, the critically acclaimed . Accurately replicating the 1989 Indianapolis 500 grid it offered advanced (For its time) 3D graphics, setup options, car failures and handling. It was later almost forgotten with the success of Crammond's F1GP but to this day many argue that it boasted superior graphics to the 1992 title.
In 1992 Sim Racing gained a new champion in the shape of World Circuit, developed by Geoff Crammond's group Simergy. It boasted unparalleled detail and a full recreation of the cars and circuits of the 1991 Formula One World Championship, though as with REVS it was not granted an official license by the series, thus teams and drivers were renamed (Though could all be changed back to their real names using the Driver/Team selection menu) with Ayrton Senna becoming Carlos Sanchez and so forth.
On the other end of the spectrum Sega produced Virtua Racing. While not the first game with 3D graphics (see REVS), it was able to combine the best features of games at the time, along with multiplayer machine linking and clean 3D graphics to produce a game that was above and beyond the arcade market standard of its time. Also Nintendo broke new ground by introducing the Mario Kart series on the SNES. Using the familiar characters from the Mario franchise, the game not only departed from the realism paradigm by using small karts for the players to drive, but also featured fantastic environments and allowed the players to pick up power-ups to improve performance or hamper other racers. This franchise also spawned multiple sequels.
In 1993, Namco struck back with Ridge Racer, and thus began the polygonal war of driving games. Sega struck back in 1994 with Daytona USA, while Midway introduced Crusin' USA. Atari didn't join the 3D craze until 1997, when it introduced San Francisco Rush.
From 1997 on, the PC world has caught up to the arcade world in terms of graphical quality, mainly due to the introduction of first generation 3D accelerators such as 3DFX Voodoo. Indeed, PC games are even ''more'' inventive than their arcade cousins as they are not required to force the players to feed more and more quarters. The CPU now are capable to simulating decent physics, car control, and graphics. Colin McRae Rally was introduced in 1998 to the PC world, and was a successful semi-simulation of the world of rally driving (previously only available in Sega's less serious Sega Rally Championship). Motorhead, a PC game, was later adapted back to arcade.
The year 1999 marked a change of games into more "free form" worlds. Midtown Madness and for the PC allow the player to explore a simplified version of the city of Chicago using a variety of vehicles and any path that they desire. In the arcade world, Sega introduced Crazy Taxi, where you are a taxi driver that needed to get the client to the destination in the shortest amount of time. A similar game also from Sega is Emergency Ambulance Driver, with almost the same game play (pick up patient, drop off at hospital, as fast as possible). Games are becoming more and more realistic visually. Some arcade games are now featuring 3 screens to provide a surround view.
There is a wide gamut of driving games ranging from simple action-arcade racers like Mario Kart Double Dash (for the Nintendo Gamecube) and Nick Toon Racers to ultra-realistic simulators like rFactor, Live for Speed and Grand Prix Legends to sci-fi racers and everything in between.
General Genres
Racing simulators
Main articles: Sim racing
Simulation style racing games strive to convincingly replicate the handling of an automobile. They often license real cars or racing leagues, but will use fantasy cars built to resemble real ones if unable to acquire them.
Although these racing simulators are specifically built for people with a high grade of driving skill, it is not uncommon to find aids that can be enabled from the game menu. The most common aids are traction control (TC), anti-lock brakes, steering assistance, damage resistance, clutch assistance, automatic gearbox, etc. This softens the learning curve for the difficult handling characteristics of most racing cars.
The Formula One World Championship has a fan base all over the world and is one of the racing series with the most simulation adaptations.
Some of these racing simulators are customizable, as game fans have decoded the tracks, cars and executable files. Large internet communities have grown around the simulators regarded as the most realistic and many websites host internet championships.
Arcade racers
Arcade style racing games put fun and a fast-paced experience above all else, as cars usually compete through odd ways. They often license real cars and leagues, but are equally open to more exotic settings and vehicles. Races take place on highways, windy roads or in cities; they can be multiple-lap circuits or point-to-point, with one or multiple paths (sometimes with checkpoints), or other types of competition, like demolition derby, jumping or testing driving skills. Popular arcade racers are the Daytona USA series, the ''Rush'' series, the Cruis'n Series and the classic ''Out Run''.
Over the last three years there has been a trend of new street racing; imitating the import scene, one can tune sport compacts and sports cars and race them on the streets. The most widely known ones are the series, , Street Racing Syndicate and Juiced.
= List of Racing Game Sub-Genres =
On the road
Simulation-Style Racing Games
Racing games that are more focused on realism.
★ F1 Challenge (Formula One) ★ Grand Prix Legends (1967 Formula One) ★ F1GP, Grand Prix 2, Grand Prix 3, Grand Prix 4 (Formula One) ★ GT Legends (60s and 70s GT series) ★ GTR and GTR 2 (GT series) ★ Live for Speed (Mixed car type racing) ★ NASCAR Heat (NASCAR series) | ★ NASCAR Racing (NASCAR series) ★ netKar Pro (Open wheel car racing) ★ Racer (Mixed car type racing) ★ Rally Trophy (Old rallying) ★ rFactor (Mixed car type racing) ★ Richard Burns Rally (rallying) ★ X Motor Racing (Mixed car type racing) |
Semi-Simulation-Style Racing Games
These games are neither simulators nor arcade racers; they stand in the middle of the spectrum.
★ Colin McRae Rally series (rallying) ★ Driving Emotion Type S ★ Enthusia Professional Racing ★ PS2 Formula One (Studio Liverpool) series ★ Forza Motorsport (Mixed car type racing) ★ Forza Motorsport 2 (Mixed car type racing) ★ Gran Turismo series ★ ★ Project Gotham Racing (Mixed car type racing) | ★ Racer (Mixed car type racing) ★ ★ Racing Evoluzione ★ Sega GT series ★ Speed Racer series ★ Stunt Race FX ★ TOCA Touring Car series ★ Viper Racing (Dodge Viper road racing). ★ Flatout 1 with simulation mode on during profile creation. |
Arcade-Style Racing Games
Racing games that are focused on fun than on realism.
★ Auto Modellista ★ Beetle Adventure Racing ★ Burnout series ★ Daytona USA series ★ Carmageddon series ★ Cruis'n series ★ Flatout and Flatout 2 | ★ Initial D and Arcade Stage series ★ Lotus Turbo Challenge series ★ Need for Speed ★ Out Run series ★ Pimp My Ride (game) ★ Pole Position series ★ Project Gotham Racing series ★ Rad Racer ★ Ridge Racer series | ★ Rollcage (game) ★ Rush series ★ Sega Rally series ★ Side by Side and Battle Gear series ★ Super Cars series ★ Test Drive Unlimited ★ TrackMania series ★ Virtua Racing ★ Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune series |
Street Racing Games★ Juiced ★ Midnight Club series ★ ★ Project Gotham Racing series ★ Speed Devils ★ Street Racing Syndicate ★ Tokyo Xtreme Racer | Truck Racing Games★ 18 Wheels of Steel ★ Big Mutha Truckers ★ Excite Truck - Off-road truck racing game. ★ Mercedes-Benz Truck Racing ★ Hard Truck ★ Hard Truck II | Motorcycle★ 750cc Grand Prix ★ Enduro Racer ★ GP 500 ★ Hang-On ★ Manx TT ★ Moto GP ★ Speed Kings ★ Suzuki TT Superbikes ★ Superbike 2001 ★ Super Hang-On ★ Road Rash ★ Suzuki Ailstare Extreme Racing ★ Super Hang On ★ Suzuka 8 Hours ★ Tourist Trophy (more...[1]) |
Kart Racing Games
Kart racers, popularized by (and often credited to) the ''Mario Kart'' series, are a style of racing game that introduces the ability to pick up items during the race, and use them to boost one's performance in a race, or to attack other players and hamper their progress. Like arcade racers, kart racers feature simple racing physics and imaginative environments to race in.
Kart racers include:
★ ''Atari Karts'' ★ ''3D Ultra RC Racers'' ★ ''Banjo Pilot'' ★ ''Bomberman Kart'' ★ ''Chocobo Racing'' ★ ''Club Kart'' ★ ''Crash Nitro Kart'', ''Crash Tag Team Racing'', ''Crash Team Racing'' ★ ''Crazyracing Kartrider'' ★ ''Diddy Kong Racing'' - Kart, hovercraft, and plane racing. ★ ''Digimon Racing'' ★ ''DK Jet'' ★ ''Drome Racers'' ★ ''Freaky Flyers'' - Plane Kart racing. ★ ''Konami Krazy Racers'' ★ ''Lego Racers'', ''Lego Racers 2'' | ★ ''Looney Tunes Racing'' ★ '' - Futuristic Kart racer. ★ ''Mario Kart'' series ★ ''Mickey's Speedway USA'' ★ '' - Midway's answer to Mario Kart. ★ ''Pac-Man World Rally ★ ''PocketBike Racer'' ★ ''Sonic Drift'' ★ ''Speed Freaks'' - AKA "Speed Punks" ★ '' ★ '' (more...[2]) |
Water racers
Racers that take place on the ocean.
Jetski
★ Kawasaki Jet Ski Watercraft ★ Monkey Turn V ★ Splashdown (video game) ★ | ★ Wave Race ★ Wave Race 64 ★ ★ Wave Rally |
Powerboat
★ Hydro Thunder |
Off-road racers
Main articles: List of offroad racing computer and video games
Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles (including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buggies) compete in races through off-road environments.
Futuristic racers
Set in the future, these games take an abstract view to racing, they may feature abstract vehicles such as hoverbikes and race in alien environments. Without having to follow physical laws, the races and vehicles can move with tremendous speeds.
★ ''Ballistics'' ★ ''Extreme-G'' ★ ''Fatal Inertia'' ★ ''F-Zero'' series | ★ ''Jet Moto'' series ★ ''Kinetica'' ★ ''Quantum Redshift'' ★ ''Rollcage'' | ★ '' ★ '' ★ ''Wipeout'' series |
Racing RPG's
This subgenre has probably been the least tapped in the genre of racing. However, companies like Namco ventured into this type of subgenre with Final Lap Twin for the Turbo-Grafx 16.
★ Final Lap Twin ★ Granada Racer ★ Tokyo Street Racer |
= Arcade racing games timeline =
★ 1976 ''Night Driver'' - Atari ★ 1977 ''Speed Freaks'' - Vectorbeam ★ 1982 ''Pole Position'' - Namco ★ 1984 ''TX-1'' - Atari ★ 1986 ''Out Run'' - Sega ★ 1987 ''Continental Circus'' -Taito ★ 1988 ''Chase HQ'' - Taito ★ 1988 ''Hard Drivin''' - Atari ★ 1988 ''Power Drift'' - Sega ★ 1989 ''SCI'' - Taito (Chase HQ 2) ★ 1991 ''Rad Mobile'' - Sega ★ 1992 '' - Taito ★ 1992 ''Virtua Racing'' - Sega ★ 1993 ''Ridge Racer'' - Namco | ★ 1994 ''Cruis'n USA'' - Midway ★ 1994 ''Daytona USA'' - Sega ★ 1994 ''Sega Rally Championship'' - Sega ★ 1995 ''Rave Racer'' - Namco ★ 1996 ''Cruis'n World'' - Midway ★ 1996 ''Sega Super GT'' - Sega ★ 1996 ''San Francisco Rush'' - Atari ★ 1998 ''Sega Rally 2'' - Sega ★ 1998 ''Daytona USA 2'' - Sega ★ 1999 ''Battle Gear'' - Taito ★ 1999 ''Cruis'n Exotica'' - Midway ★ 1999 ''San Francisco Rush 2049'' - Atari ★ 2002 ''Initial D Arcade Stage'' - Sega ★ 2003 ''OutRun 2 - Sega |
= Driving Games =
Unlike most traditional lap racing games, driving games do not entirely have a lap racing focus. These games focus on arcade style driving with goals, tasks, and minigames. Other arcade style racing/driving games replaces 'laps' with 'checkpoints'.
Driving games focused on goals, tasks and minigames
★ ★ Crazy Taxi (series) ★ Driver (series) ★ Emergency Mayhem | ★ Spy Hunter ★ ★ The King of Route 66 ★ |
Arcade style driving/racing games focused on checkpoints
★ California Speed (video game) ★ Crusin' USA | ★ San Francisco Rush ★ Smashing Drive |
= Vehicular Combat Games =
Main articles: Vehicular combat game
In these games, gameplay is mostly focused exclusively on the combat aspect of driving games. Vehicles are equipped with weapons used to attack opponents and defeat them. Vehicular games take place on a battlefield of destruction.
★ Impact Racing
External links
★ Lance Carter's ''History of Racing games''
★ Racing / Driving on MobyGames
Notes
1. allgame.com list of games in the Motorcycle Racing category
2. allgame.com list of games in the Go-Kart Racing category.
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