WHAT TO PLAY
Racing games
383 games in the catalog
A racing game rests on one simple idea: you drive a machine faster than you could ever run, and you try to keep it on the track. The groundwork was laid by electromechanical arcade cabinets of the 1960s, which projected a road onto rotating drums and had a real steering wheel. Video games took over the idea in 1974, when Atari released Gran Trak 10 and Taito released Speed Race. From there the genre branches in two directions. One wants driving boiled down to reflexes, shortcuts and power-ups; the other wants the feel of a real car, with its weight, grip and wear.
It has lasted because anyone understands the rules within a minute: whoever crosses the line first wins. At the same time almost anything the hardware allows can be bolted on, from perspective to physics to online seasons. That is why racing returns with every hardware generation, and why it is so often one of the first genres used to show off a new machine.
Today (2015 onwards)
64 games in the catalogAfter 2015 racing spread into several streams. Forza Horizon 4 (2018) combined an open world with seasons shared by all players, and Gran Turismo Sport (2017) built its career around online races and official FIA championships. Simulation returned to strictness: DiRT Rally (2015) and iRacing offer driving where one mistake costs the race. At the other end stand Rocket League, where cars play football, and Wreckfest with its deforming bodywork. Virtual reality, direct-drive wheels and the adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller in Gran Turismo 7 were added. Many games now also appear on phones and the Switch.
Switch 2 Fast Fusion
Anti-gravity racing from Shin'en that squeezes more out of the small studio than you'd expect.
Switch 2 Kirby Air Riders
Sakurai's sequel to Kirby Air Ride, with deliberately simplified, accessible controls.
Switch 2 Mario Kart World
The Switch 2 launch title that for the first time connected all the tracks into one continuous map.
PS5 F1 24
The official F1 game with a driving model built on "car feel".
PS5 MotoGP 24
The official MotoGP game with the full starting grid and tire wear.
PS5 Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
A return after ten years: an open Hong Kong Island and the fight between two rival factions.
PS5 EA Sports WRC
The WRC license returns to Codemasters: track surface changes with the weather and rivals' tire marks.
PS5 F1 23
The return of a story campaign to the F1 series; a human dimension for an otherwise cold simulator.
Series Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
Arcade racing on Hot Wheels tracks; the courses wind through entire households.
Series MotoGP 23
The official MotoGP simulation; the Rivals mode revives legendary duels from the nineties.
PS5 Ride 5
A motorcycle simulation from Milestone with an extensive lineup spanning history to circuits.
PS5 The Crew Motorfest
An open world narrowed down to a single Hawaiian island; content divided into themed playlists.
The HD generation (2005–2014)
111 games in the catalogThe Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 brought HD and, above all, a permanent connection. Online leaderboards and multiplayer became part of the game rather than an extra. Racing opened up into whole cities: Midnight Club: Los Angeles and Burnout Paradise (2008) let players roam a city with no tracks and no menus between events. The police chases of Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) set the direction of that series for years. Simulation carried on in Forza Motorsport and Project Gotham Racing. Meanwhile the iPhone brought tilt-steered mobile racing such as Asphalt, and Trials HD (2009) turned a motorbike into a physics puzzle.
Mobil Asphalt Overdrive
Nekonečné pouliční závody na útěku před policií, stavěné čistě pro dotykový displej.
PC Assetto Corsa
A racing simulator built on the most faithful possible driving model and scanned real-world tracks.
PS4 Driveclub
A racing game on the border between arcade and simulation from the creators of MotorStorm; the cars have a noticeable weight.
X360 Forza Horizon 2
Stejný název, jiný tým i hardware: verze pro Xbox 360 je jiná hra pro starší konzoli.
PC GRID Autosport
Původní PC verze z roku 2014 nabízí volant a plnou grafiku bez ústupků mobilu.
Wii U Mario Kart 8
The peak of the series thanks to anti-gravity; tracks twist into loops and you even drive on the ceiling.
PS3 MotoGP 14
Italské studio Milestone a sezóna 2014 na stárnoucí PS3
X360 Trials Fusion
Poslední velký Trials na Xboxu 360, těsně před koncem jeho éry.
Mobil Asphalt 8: Airborne
Arcade racing with flashy mid-air stunts; a Gameloft icon.
XONE Forza Motorsport 5
A launch title for the Xbox One; laser-scanned tracks and photorealistic car lighting.
PS3 Gran Turismo 6
Over twelve hundred cars and the GT Academy project linking the game to real-world racing.
Vita MotoGP 13
A licensed motorcycle championship from the junior class all the way to the premier class.
The arrival of 3D (1995–2004)
111 games in the catalogWith 3D accelerators and the PlayStation, polygons became standard and the track stopped being a strip you drive along and became a space. Analogue controls, from the Nintendo 64 stick to the DualShock, allowed fine steering, and force-feedback wheels brought a sense of the road to the PC. Gran Turismo (1997) built a console simulation on licensed cars, licence tests and tuning, while Colin McRae Rally (1998) brought timed rally stages with a co-driver. Mario Kart 64 kept the lighter branch going, Burnout (2001) rewarded risky driving past traffic, and Need for Speed: Underground (2003) added tuning.
DS Asphalt: Urban GT
Arcade racing adapted to the DS's weak hardware; short time-trial and head-to-head races.
PS2 Burnout 3: Takedown
Perhaps the best arcade racer ever made; you recharge boost by driving dangerously and taking down rivals.
Xbox Colin McRae Rally 04
Realistic rally driving on asphalt, gravel, and snow; the co-driver's calls are essential.
PS2 Gran Turismo 4
Over seven hundred licensed cars, the Nuerburgring, and a photo mode - a monstrously extensive entry.
PS2 MotoGP 3
Namco přivedlo mistrovství MotoGP na PS2 s oficiální licencí a důrazem na jízdu.
GBA Need for Speed: Underground 2
Noční tuning a pouliční závody stlačené do kapesního formátu.
Xbox RalliSport Challenge 2
A sequel to the popular rally title from DICE, with new disciplines and better tracks.
PSP Ridge Racers
A PSP launch title made up of tracks from Ridge Racer Type 4 and V, fine-tuned for the new hardware.
PSP Wipeout Pure
A PSP launch title that showed what anti-gravity Wipeout could do even in your pocket.
GCN 1080° Avalanche
Snowboard racing following up on the cult classic 1080° Snowboarding from the Nintendo 64.
GBA Crash Nitro Kart
The Game Boy Advance version of the Crash Bandicoot kart racing spin-off; a tournament hosted by aliens.
GCN F-Zero GX
The fastest and most unforgiving entry in the series; tracks without guardrails above sheer drops.
8- and 16-bit (1986–1994)
74 games in the catalogBetween 1986 and 1994 racing split in several directions. Sega's arcade games Hang-On and Out Run relied on fast sprite scaling and branching routes, and home computers and consoles tried to imitate them. Meanwhile the first true 3D geometry appeared: Hard Drivin' and Stunt Car Racer drew cars and track from polygons, and Stunts added a track editor. On the Super Nintendo, Mode 7 let the track plane rotate, which F-Zero and later Super Mario Kart (1992) were built on; the latter started the kart racing subgenre. Split screen for two players became standard.
Al Unser Jr. Turbo Racing
IndyCar racing under the name of real-life driver Al Unser Jr. from the nineties.
MAME Daytona USA
Roaring engines and linked cabinets for driver-versus-driver duels; it defined the look of racing arcades.
MD Mario Andretti Racing
A licensed game based on the famous racing driver Mario Andretti; each vehicle class handles differently.
MD Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament
Races of miniature cars across kitchen tables; fall behind the screen and you explode.
DOS NASCAR Racing
American stock cars with tremendous power; the key is a consistent pace, not a heroic lap.
3DO Off-World Interceptor
Action behind the wheel of an off-road vehicle; a bounty hunter crushes fugitives on alien planets.
MAME Sega Rally Championship
Mud, gravel, and asphalt behave differently; a rally about reading the terrain, not just speed.
SNES Stunt Race FX
Races powered by the Super FX chip with polygonal 3D graphics; vehicles differ in weight and handling.
3DO The Need for Speed
This is where the famous racing series began; the first game was more of a meticulous simulation of exotic cars.
SNES Uniracers
Unicycle races where mid-air tricks recharge energy and boost speed.
32X Virtua Racing Deluxe
An expanded arcade classic with full polygons, new tracks, and new car types.
3DO Crash 'n Burn
The pack-in game bundled directly with the console; armored racing where you destroy rivals outright with weapons.
The beginnings (until 1985)
18 games in the catalogThe first racing games were less about the track than about what fit into a few kilobytes. Night Driver (arcade 1976, Atari 2600 in 1978) showed the road as nothing but a row of white posts on a dark screen, seen from the driver's seat. The turning point came in 1981 and 1982: Sega with Turbo and above all Namco with Pole Position taught arcade boards to scale sprites by distance, so the road ran into the screen. Pole Position added a qualifying lap and the real Fuji circuit. Home machines copied this with limits; Enduro on the Atari 2600 added a cycle of day and night and changing weather.
MAME Enduro Racer
Sega's motocross race with a bumpy track and a cabinet that leans into turns.
MAME Hang-On
It put the player right onto a motorcycle that leans into turns; an experience you don't forget.
NES Mach Rider
A post-apocalyptic motorcycle survival battle in the year 2112 with on-track shooting elements.
A800 Racing Destruction Set
A track editor combined with arcade racing and a destruction mode, from Electronic Arts.
NES Excitebike
A cult motocross game by Nintendo; judging your landing angle and watching for an overheated engine.
2600 Pitstop II
A sequel with a split screen for two players at once; an unusual feat on the Atari 2600.
2600 Enduro
An endless race against time as day turns to night. One of the most addictive racers on the 2600.
ZX Chequered Flag
One of the very first F1 simulators; a wireframe track gave a sense of speed as early as 1983.
SG Monaco GP
A home version of an early Sega racing arcade game; no laps, just an endless dash forward.
2600 Pitstop
Racing with pit stops; worn tires must be swapped in time.
MAME Pole Position II
An expansion of Pole Position with more tracks; more content, the same proven formula.
NES Bump 'n' Jump
Racing built on two verbs: bumping into opponents and jumping over gaps.