When it comes to the arcade racing game, there are a lot of old-school games that still have that nostalgic feel to them. Along with that, there are also modern takes on the genre that perfectly capture the spirit of these classic titles and make them feel fresher and more engaging. Both these types of arcade racing games deserve their time in the spotlight.

While the past games set the foundations for the future of this genre, modern games have also done their part in making this genre even more accessible and fun to play. So, keeping this in mind, here are some of the best arcade racing games ever made.

Updated May 3, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Arcade racing games are one of the most fun and enjoyable titles to play with friends. They make for a great party game as players try to outmatch their competition and come out victorious in races that can range from goofy to downright bizarre. There are some arcade racers that take themselves more seriously too, so it’s a genre that caters to most members of the racing fanbase. More have come out since this list was originally made, and some classics were left off — we’ve fixed that.

15 Out Run

Out Run is a 3D driving video game where the player controls the red Ferrari Testarossa Spider. It indeed is one of the first arcade racing video games ever released. This game was developed by Sega with the help of the designer Yu Suzuki.

This game was released in September 1986 and has multiple stages with several checkpoints at the end of each. Out Run was a commercial success for Sega and was the best-selling video game of its time.

14 Daytona USA

Daytona USA is not the oldest racing game out there, but it did play its part in many players’ childhood memories. It was developed by Sega AM2 (the oldest video game development team) and later published by Sega.

The initial release of the game was in 1993 leading up to the full release in April 1994. Daytona USA was praised across the board for its graphics, soundtrack, and realism.

13 Virtua Racing

If you’re an old-school video gamer, chances are that you’ve heard of Virtua Racing. It was also developed by Sega AM2 and was released in August 1992.

At this point, this game is available on several Sega platforms like Arcade, Sega Genesis, Sega 32X, and Sega Saturn. Virtua Racing is hailed as one of the most influential games of all time, especially since it introduced audiences to polygonal graphics.

12 Sega Rally Championship

Sega Rally Championship was the first game in the series released on October 11, 1994. Developed by Sega AM3, Rally Championship was one of Kenji Sasaki’s best works at that time. The game was released for Arcade, Sega Saturn, Windows, N-Gage, and Game Boy Advance.

The soundtrack for this game was also phenomenal which was composed by Naofumi Hataya and game designer Takayuki Hijikata who released the album Sega Rally Championship Ignition. Later on, Sega released the next installment in this series called Sega Rally Revo in 2007.

11 Hang-On

If you’re a Moto-GP fan, you’ve probably played this title. Hang-On is an arcade game designed by Yu Suzuki. It was initially released in 1985. Just like many other old-school titles, Hang-On was available on many different platforms at that time, which include Arcade, Sega SG-1000, Master System, Sega Saturn, MSX, and PC-88.

The soundtrack for this game was composed by a group of people including Hiroshi Kawaguchi Master System Katsuhiro Hayashi. Most people have definitely tried this game out at some point in their childhood.

10 F-Zero X

The F-Zero series has remained dormant for the longest time, with its representation on Smash being the only mainstream appearance of this series for quite some time. It’s a shame since there are several good games in the series that are worth playing.

F-Zero X was easily one of the best games in the series that remains a beloved treasure in the hearts of many nostalgic fans. The game has aged pretty well and is still a ton of fun to play through to this day.

9 Hot Wheels Unleashed

Hot Wheels Unleashed is a game that took everyone by surprise when it was launched. The game was a blast to play through, with its lack of game modes and diversity being the only negative in an otherwise brilliant experience.

Playing through the many imaginative tracks of the game as either realistic cars or wacky original concepts never fails to be entertaining. Cars feel fast yet light, with these little plastic models falling off the face of the map if a boost is used during a rather inopportune moment.

8 Crazy Taxi

Let’s be honest, this list would’ve never been completed if this legendary game was not on it. Crazy Taxi is one of the most iconic releases in the arcade genre. The graphics, soundtrack, and the actual feel of the game were perfect. If you haven’t tried this game yet, we would highly recommend you do so. This game was developed by Hitmaker and published by our very own Sega.

The game was initially released in 1999 and was then ported to Dreamcast in 2000. To this date, Crazy Taxi is available on Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, and Android.

7 Ridge Racer

One of the early ’90s titles, Ridge Racer is also known for its amazing graphics at that time, the audio drifting mechanics, and arcade-like gameplay. It was developed by Namco and later on released in 1993 on Namco System 22.

Moving on, Ridge Racer was also ported to many other platforms, including PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, mobile phones, and Zeebo. Shortly after, the arcade version was followed up with a sequel called Ridge Racer 2 and Ridge Racer Revolution.

6 Cruis’n USA

Cruis’n USA was developed by Midway Games and published by Midway Games as well as Nintendo. It was originally released in November 1994 on Arcade then, later on, in December 1996, it got a port on Nintendo 64 which was a top-notch console at that time.

According to the reports, Cruis’n USA and Killer Instinct were supposed to be the launch titles for Nintendo 64, but unfortunately, neither of these titles made it to Nintendo 64 on its launch. Fast-forwarding, Cruis’n USA was also released on Wii’s Virtual Console in Europe on March 28, 2008, which made it the first third-party developed Nintendo game to be released on the service.

5 OutRun 2

OutRun 2 is the second installment to the OutRun franchise. Just like this first one, OutRun 2 has improved some of the core features of the game. It was developed by Sega and published by Sega along with Microsoft Game Studios.

In arcades, the game was released on December 1, 2003, and for the Xbox, it was released on October 1, 2004. As for the gameplay, the player drives a Ferrari sports car with a friend in the passenger seat.

4 Star Wars Episode 1: Racer

It’s just not possible that you’re not a fan of Star Wars if you’re into arcade racing games. Star Wars Episode 1: Racer was developed by LucasArts and was first released on Microsoft Windows on May 18, 1999. Later on, the title was released on many other popular platforms as well including Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Macintosh, and Dreamcast.

Moving on, there were tons of other Star Wars games released after the major hit this racing title turned out to be. While most of these games featured mixed reception, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is still held in high regard to this day.

3 Forza Horizon 5

The latest game in the Forza Horizon series took the world over by storm with its amazing graphics and brilliant gameplay. It’s easy to see why so many people consider it to be the best game in the series.

The fun single-player experience and loads of other game modes truly place this game in a class of its own. The fact that this game is available on Game Pass means that players don’t even need to invest too much to try this game out either!

2 Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart is one of the most well-known arcade racing games around. Pretty much every game in the series has been absolutely brilliant, and Mario Kart 8 is no exception to this golden rule.

The Ultimate version of this game was released on the Switch to great fanfare. Players loved the amazing tracks, great gameplay, and brilliant soundtrack, all of which combined for an amazing arcade racing experience that is hard to top.

1 Burnout Paradise

Burnout is easily one of the greatest racing game series of all time. Each title in this franchise has been brilliant in its own way, with Burnout Paradise being a fan-favorite of many for its enthralling gameplay.

Reaching high speeds and taking down other cars never ceased to be entertaining. The sheer variety of its gameplay still blows the minds of most fans to this day… and the Remastered version is a great way to experience this series once again!

NEXT: Things Team Sonic Racing Does Better Than Mario Kart 8 (And Other Things It Doesn’t)