The racing genre has come a long way, but the golden age of arcade and futuristic racers left behind a trail offorgotten legends. These games weren’t just fast – they were inventive, chaotic and filled with personality.
Some featured weapons and explosions, while others focused on pure speed or the thrill of illegal street brawls on two wheels. Yet today, many of these names remain buried under nostalgia, waiting for the right developer to take a chance on bringing them back.
8 Best Racing Games on Steam
From arcade chaos to sim precision, these racing games on Steam offer speed, style and serious competition across the track.
These aren’t just old games that were “fun for the time” – they’re timeless blueprints that could thrive again with modern visuals, physics systems, and online play.
The Only Thing Faster Than Its Racers Was Sony’s Abandonment of the Wipeout Franchise
Even with its anti-gravity ships, blistering techno soundtrack and psychedelic track design, Wipeout never managed to find a foothold in the modern PlayStation lineup. What started as a launch-window title for the original PlayStation in 1995 carved out a futuristic racing identity that stood apart from grounded alternatives like Gran Turismo. With floaty controls and chaotic weapon pickups, it wasn’t just about speed – it was about style and survival.
Wipeout 3, released in 1999, pushed the PlayStation’s hardware to its limits, and Wipeout HD on PS3 remains one ofthe most visually-stunningracers of that generation. But the series flatlined after the 2017 Omega Collection, and Sony Liverpool – the actual studio behind the franchise – was shut down years earlier in 2012.
A modern remake could do wonders for the dormant series. With the success of games like Redout and Fast RMX, there’s still an audience hungry for high-speed, low-gravity racing with a sharp electronic edge.
6Burnout 3: Takedown
Burnout 3: Takedown
No game blurred the line between destruction and racing quite like Burnout 3: Takedown. Released in 2004 during the PS2 and Xbox era, it marked the point where the franchise went from being a fast-paced arcade racer to a full-on demolition derby on the freeway.
The game’s Takedown mechanic encouraged players to slam rival cars into walls, traffic and each other – turning every race into a spectacle of crumpled metal and fireballs. Crash Mode was a whole different beast, gamifying multi-vehicle collisions by turning them into high-score puzzle challenges.
Despite its popularity, the Burnout franchise quietly died after Burnout Paradise in 2008. Criterion Games was folded into theNeed for Speedteam, and any chance of a follow-up vanished.
A remake of Burnout 3, with proper physics-based crashes, 60 fps gameplay and online Road Rage lobbies, wouldn’t just appeal to nostalgic fans – it would fill a void modern racers barely acknowledge anymore.
The One Series Nintendo Won’t Let Overtake Mario Kart
While F-Zero GX on GameCube often gets the spotlight, F-Zero X on the N64 was the game that truly defined the identity of this high-speed sci-fi franchise. Released in 1998, it ran at a consistent 60 frames per second with 30 racers on-screen – a technical marvel on the N64, especially for a racing game this fast.
It stripped away weapons in favor of pure speed and pinpoint cornering, with brutal track layouts that punished the slightest mistake. But the real fear came from the AI racers themselves, who aggressively fought for position and wouldn’t hesitate to slam players into oblivion on narrow bends.
Nintendo hasn’t touched F-Zero since Climax on the Game Boy Advance in 2004, and when asked why, they’ve often said they don’t know how to “evolve” it.
A remake of F-Zero X doesn’t need evolution. It needs polish, track variety and an online leaderboard. Sometimes, doing 2000 km/h on a hovercar over a death pit is enough.
Punching a Cop Off a Motorcycle Shouldn’t Be a Lost Art
In an era where racing games played it safe, Road Rash was the reckless cousin no one wanted to admit they loved. Players weren’t just trying to win – they were swinging chains, clubs and fists to knock other riders off their bikes in illegal street races across gritty highways.
The Sega Genesis version in 1991 was the start, but it was Road Rash 3D on PlayStation and Road Rash 64 on the N64 that took the idea further with 3D graphics and a pulsing grunge rock soundtrack.
8 Best Racing Games on Nintendo Switch
These eight racing games include a bunch of different titles that will satisfy every racing fan.
EA still owns the IP but hasn’t done anything with it in decades. Attempts like Road Redemption have tried to rekindle the formula, but the chaotic charm and grimy aesthetic of the originals haven’t been replicated since.
A remake could bring in physics-based crashes, new weapons and a campaign loaded with biker gangs, cops and high-speed chases through dense traffic – something sorely missing in today’s sterile racing landscape.
3Wave Race 64
The Water Physics Alone Could Sell This Again
Wave Race 64
There was a time when jet ski racing was more thanjust a mini-gamein other titles. Wave Race 64, released in 1996, didn’t just introduce players to racing on water – it made the water the real star of the show. Its dynamic waves, buoy navigation and weather effects were unheard of at the time.
Each course felt different depending on wind, tide and wave height. Mastering the game wasn’t just about speed – it was about riding the water itself, learning how to lean into a swell and time a landing.
Despite critical acclaim, Nintendo never expanded on the concept beyond Wave Race: Blue Storm on GameCube in 2001. Since then, nothing.
With today’s advanced physics systems, a remake could turn Wave Race into something truly spectacular again – bringing back its responsive controls, clean presentation and unmistakable sound design with a fresh coat of realism.
2Ridge Racer
Drift Like It’s 1994
Ridge Racer
No discussion about arcade racers is complete without Ridge Racer. First released in arcades in 1993 and later on the PlayStation, it was one of the first racers to put drifting front and center – long before games like Need for Speed: Underground made it trendy.
Its exaggerated cornering, booming music and colorful tracks became the signature of the series for over a decade. But somewhere along the line, Namco started to fumble. The last serious entry was Ridge Racer Unbounded in 2012 – which tried to copy Burnout’s destruction and lost its own identity in the process.
The original games didn’t need gimmicks. They were about tight controls, satisfying drifts and upbeat techno beats as players slid sideways around hairpin turns at 150 mph.
A remake wouldn’t need to reinvent the wheel. It just needs to remember what Ridge Racer was – loud, stylish and unapologetically fast.
Blue Skies, Red Car and a Broken Speedometer
There’s a reason Out Run is still referenced in modern games decades after its 1986 arcade debut. Designed by Yu Suzuki at Sega, it wasn’t just a racer – it was a vibe. With branching paths, upbeat synthwave music and a sense of freedom baked into every frame, Out Run made players feel like they were on a summer road trip through neon-tinted dreams.
Driving a Ferrari Testarossa with a blonde passenger in the seat, players had to race against the clock while choosing forks in the road that led to different endings. The experience felt more like cruising through a music video than a race to the finish line.
Sega last touched the series with Out Run 2006: Coast 2 Coast, which added drift mechanics and online play. Since then, nothing – mostly due to licensing issues with Ferrari.
But even without the name brand car, the identity of Out Run is still alive in spirit. A remake could channel the same energy with a new car, a new soundtrack and that same bright-eyed optimism – something the genre could use more of today.
6 Best Arcade Racing Games Like the Need For Speed Series
Need for Speed games are one of a kind, but these six manage to come close to it in the best possible way.
