10 Retro Racing Games You Must Replay

Take a break from Project Cars and The Crew for a minute while we take a trip down memory lane. There was a time when computing power was so rubbish that games had to actually rely on being fun; here are eight racing games you must try right away,and if you’ve played them before then get ready to feel nostalgic. Time to fire up that old console and challenge yourself to an old-school racing game.

1. TrackMania (2003, PC)

This game had a track editor, and it changed everything. Players had to complete challenges and beat times, earning “coppers” to purchase new track blocks. The only three environments were Rally, Desert and Snow, but they could be played in several track set-ups in Survival, Puzzle or Race mode. Since players could create and share their own tracks, car models and skins, the game became a big success. The TrackMania series is still popular today for the same reasons, with a huge community creating new content daily.

While other rally games were already on the market, Codemasters set out to provide a legitimate WRC experience by signing a deal with Colin McRae. The game demanded the kind of extensive research that is now common practice when developing a racing title. The team used laser scanning technology on the vehicles, tested rally cars for proper movement and recorded audio in multiple scenarios from the engine and exhaust to enhance the realistic feel. Try this old school rally racer out, and you’ll be surprised just how rough we racing gamers used to have it, though at the time we thought this was the pinnacle of gaming!

3. Burnout (2001, PS2, Xbox, GameCube)

The Burnout series games are a blast to play. You can’t take any of them too seriously, since they’re all about driving recklessly. The ‘boost’ meter fills by drifting through corners and getting dangerously close to oncoming traffic. Does anyone remember the sleazy way to get more boost? Drive against oncoming traffic, but stay on the side walks and grass without crossing too far off the road, and you’ll still earn boost. Gamers loved the high speed racing, dangerous driving and crashes in Burnout so much that it became a long running series.

4. The Need For Speed (1994, PC, PS, Sat.)

Feel old yet? Try the 21 year old classic The Need for Speed. At the time of release, the graphics were mind blowing and we felt the handling was realistic. The game delivered the feeling of speed with camera motion against a detailed background. There were also plenty of licensed cars to boast including the Honda NSX, Toyota Supra, Dodge Viper, Porsche 911, Mazda RX-7 and more, long before other titles began using real car models.

5. GTA (1997, PC, PS)

The three main GTA maps we know today all started in the original game: Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas. In that game, you were guided by the mobsters who pressed for missions to be completed in exchange for rewards. The similarities between the original GTA and the latest titles in the series end there, though.

The first game was less of a racer and more of an open world game with various tasks, but the driving aspect really captured gamers’ attention. Those tasks rewarded destruction, theft and violence, so the public quickly rallied against the game’s release. Despite early criticism, the experience was enough to drive game sales, and the series has grown ever since.

6. Forza Motorsport (2005, Xbox)

It’s hard to believe 10 years have passed since Forza Motorsport first hit Xbox. With 30 tracks and 230+ cars, there was something for everyone. Xbox Live users could connect to build clubs and compare best times. The inclusion of hundreds of customisation options gave us room to tinker with car set-ups for hours. The Forza series has continued to evolve parallel to the console technology, so aside from a minor hiccup with Forza 5, the series has gone from strength to strength.

No, it’s not pretty to look at by any means, but Rigs of Rods kicked off a thirst for crash simulation like no other. The soft body physics model meant physical damage was recreated in the most accurate fashion yet seen in a game. The software was open source, and anyone could download, create, and destroy various machines. A large community is responsible for the maintenance of the game and the creation of new downloadable content, which is still available online.

8. Super Mario Kart (1992, SNES)

You’re on the starting grid in Super Mario Kart, what do you do between the first and second beeps? Damn right, you mash that accelerator button to get a jump start! All good nineties kids should know that one.

The most important thing Mario Kart did for racing gamers was give us a way to play with our mates who don’t like car games. Its colourful environments, upbeat sounds and 3D characters made it appeal to the masses, and they didn’t need to be driving experts. The races were fun, but the Battle Mode was where friendly rivalries between players were really tested, as they threw turtle shells at each other. Bust out the old SNES with Super Mario Kart at your next party, and it will surely be a hit.

9. Gran Turismo (1998, PS)

When GT showed up in 1998, we all thought it was the game we’d been waiting our whole lives for. Sure, it had slow moving zombie-like AI cars that didn’t fight for position, but we still loved it. Over 170 cars were included, and each handled differently. Playing it now feels impossible, but Gran Turismo was once the racing game that everyone in the industry was trying to beat.

10. Live for Speed (2003, PC)

This online multiplayer sim has been running for the last twelve years. Known for being developed by a mere three man team, Live for Speed was intended to be a hardcore simulator, eliminating any element of arcade style racing. The sim racing craze spread like wildfire, and the game was full of racers forming their own teams and leagues. Live for Speed would set the stage for other online simulators like iRacing. It is still being enjoyed and developed, with updates released regularly.