10 Memorable Classic Racing Games You'll Get Nostalgic Over

1. TOCA 2: Touring Cars

First released in 1998, the second game from the TOCA Touring Car series was available for Windows PC and PlayStation. It was sophisticated for its time and took big steps forward with the graphics, physics and game mode areas. Many young motorsport fans worldwide spent hours at the wheel of touring cars.

2. Sega Rally Championship

Debuting in 1994, the arcade game was considered to be one of the milestones in the evolution of the racing game genre. It was later made available for Sega Saturn and PC. The car’s handling changed according to the different road surfaces and, of course, everyone wanted to reach the fourth secret “Lakeside” circuit.

3. Gran Turismo

Following extensive development, Gran Turismo hit the shelves in 1997 and 1998 for PlayStation. It featured 140 cars and 11 race tracks (which was a lot at the time), was one of the first to introduce gamers to simulation racing and kicked off one of the biggest game franchises in the world.

4. Super Mario Kart

This is one of the best and most well-loved game series of all time, let alone in the racing sector. The original title was introduced in 1992 for SNES and Virtual Console. It was addictive, with colourful tracks and iconic characters. Many say it created the kart-racing sub-genre of video games.

5. Pole Position

Released in 1982 by Namco, Pole Position quickly became one of the most popular and successful arcade games in the world. Gamers had to qualify for a race and then compete against seven other players for the victory. It was eventually moved over to consoles and PC.

6. Formula 1 97

It was the second game in the Formula 1 franchise and depicted the 1997 season. It was a considerable step forward compared to its predecessor and proved to be a bestseller in the UK. The game featured all of the teams and drivers from that season, as well as four bonus tracks that gamers would desperately try to unlock.

7. Ridge Racer

This game kick-started the long-running Ridge Racer series and was first released as an arcade game in 1993, before being ported over to PlayStation. It proved to be hugely popular and was a launch title for the original Playstation.

8. Need For Speed Underground

The seventh game in the Need For Speed series was released at the end of 2003 for PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. Focusing on the import scene, players would be glued to their TV screens as they attempted to complete the story mode and customised their cars. It sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

9. Grand Prix 2

MicroProse released GP2 – as it was often known – in 1996. It was made under an FIA license and featured all of the teams, drivers and tracks from the 1994 season. It is recognised by some as one of the definitive racing simulations of its era, despite only being released for PC.

10. Grand Prix Legends

This was another F1 game only for PC. It was made available from 1998 and simulated the 1967 Formula 1 season. GP Legends was renowned for its realistic graphics, physics and tough-to-drive cars that made it a challenging title to tackle.

Those are just a few of our favourites. What other racing games did you used to love playing? Let us know in the comments!