#Handheld drag racing game driver#
#Handheld drag racing game series#

Gran Turismo (1997)Gran Turismo was more than just a driving game- it was a driving simulator.

With graphics fast approaching 'arcade quality' thanks to the original PlayStation and its focus on 3D graphics. Ridge Racer (1994, PS1)Namco's arcade racer was one of the original PlayStation launch titles, coming to Japan in 1994 and North America and Europe the following year. Several different vehicles could be selected and mini-games opened up between races to shake things up. The fact it runs on Super NES is a testament to just how clever the Super FX chip was at squeezing out polygonal graphics from a relatively primitive machine.

It was also one of the highest grossing arcade games of all time and is a fantastic example of an 'arcade racer.' Stunt Race FX (1994)Stunt Race FX (1994) The second game to take advantage of the Super FX chip, Stunt Race FX is a cartoonish, colorful 3D racer that looks positively primitive by today's standards. Daytona was more detailed than its Virtua Racer predecessor, and deluxe versions of the cabinet featured 8 players racing head-to-head. Daytona USA (1993)Daytona USA was another SEGA polygonal racing game, and went head to head against Namco's Ridge Racer introduced into arcades that same year. Using the Super Nintendo's 'Mode 7 scaling' to simulate movement along a three-dimensional plane (a technique used expertly in F-Zero for SNES, as well), Super Mario Kart brought Nintendo's Mario characters out of the side-scrolling world of the Mushroom Kingdom and into the high-paced world of kart racing.

#Handheld drag racing game series#

Super Mario Kart (1992)Super Mario Kart for the Super NES spawned a hugely successful series of games, as well as clones and knock-offs. The driving was true to its name, and the home version could have easily been called 'Impossible Drivin'.' The relatively simple polygons of the time still required an awful lot of the SEGA Genesis console, and most players spent their time either trying to run over the low-res cow or crashing as spectacularly as possible. Hard Drivin' (1989)Hard Drivin' was one of the first racers to feature polygonal graphics. The tracks weren't contained to one static screen, but rather scrolled along with the cars. developed the 3/4 view radio-controlled racer for the Nintendo Entertainment System known as RC Pro-Am was one of many racing games that would come to the NES. It featured SEGA's 'Super Scaler' sprite technology, along with gorgeous, colorful 16-bit sprites. Even cooler, the arcade cabinet was controlled by a motorcycle controller players would sit on and use to lean into turns. Hang On (1985)SEGA's Hang On took the third person view of arcade racers and substituted a motorcycle for a race car. The 2600 version of the game looked typical of 2600 arcade ports, but still managed to do a sort-of decent approximation. The bright, third-person view graphics and smoothness of motion set the standard for racing games. It was so popular that it even spawned a Saturday morning cartoon. Pole Position (1982)This Namco arcade racer was one of the most influential racing games of all time. It also featured a 'radar' and a finite fuel supply. The object was to race through the streets collecting flags and avoiding contact with other cars. Rally X (1980)Rally X from Namco was a top down, multi-directional racing game with multiple paths and opposing racers. If you squint a little you can almost see how the 2600 graphics approximate the thrills of driving after the sun goes down.

#Handheld drag racing game driver#

Night Driver (1976 Arcade, 1978 Atari 2600)Night Driver was notable because it was the first driving game to feature a behind-the-car view, something that would become common in racing games and would eventually lead to first-person and dashboard views. The white dots trace the borders of the track, and players must avoid hitting the dots with their steering-wheel controlled car sprite. The beastly cabinet weighed over 400 pounds and the graphics were extremely limited, as can be seen. Gran Trak 10 (1974)This black-and-white top-down racer was Atari's 1974 entry into the world of racing games.