THE GREATEST RACING GAMES OF ALL TIME

Daytona USA

The racing game that defined the arcade era, the 1993 cult classic Daytona USA was a masterpiece at the time, featuring incredible graphics and arguably the catchiest theme song ever by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi. Honestly, go to YouTube now and have a listen, it’s incredible. Perhaps the most recognizable arcade racing game of all time and the highest-grossing sit-down cabinet ever, Daytona USA remains a shining example of arcade racing at its absolute purest. Featuring some of the craziest driving at the time, it also featured 8 player support and was an arcade hit till the end of the dominance of arcades. Sadly the home releases failed to live up to the arcade hype and Sega’s struggling Saturn system did not do the greatest arcade racer of all time any justice.

Ridge Racer

While Daytona USA dominated the arcade scene, Namco’s Ridge Racer blew gamers away when it was released on the original PlayStation console. It was one of the best-looking games on console at the time, proving that 3D racing was the future. With silky-smooth frame rates, eye-popping graphics, and fast-paced action, Ridge Racer on console brought the arcade experience right into