History of Racing Games on Western Home Computer Game Machines
Posted for quick reference purposes, this is a chronological list of racing games that appeared on Western home computer game machines.
Racing games include serious motorsport autoracing simulators (F1GP, MotoGP) and arcade-action racers. I have included both car and motorcycle racing games from motorsport, rally, sandbox, dirt bike and stuntcar subgenre. If they are technically notable I have also included a few games that feature good racing segments, but which are not dedicated racing games.
Racing games can be 100% 3D, 100% sprite-scaled or employ a combo of sprite-scaled objects/actors and 3D tracks. Racing games can present in first-person, third-person, top-down, side-on or isometric perspectives.
One of the objects of racing games is to convey a sense of speed. A good framerate and an on-screen speedometer do not mean much if the road is straight and the scenery is bare (no reference points). In 2D sprite-scalers and 3D racers speed-conveyance can be enhanced via:
- Bends in the road that are visible on approach
- Road undulation (crests and troughs)
- Dotted lane-lines and patterned white-red curbs (kerbs)
- Horizontal stripes across the road and landscape (gradient)
- Roadside objects whizzing past (trees, houses, road-signs)
- On-road hazards (water, oil-slicks)
- Other vehicles moving at variable speed (overtaking)
- Newtonian physics employment
- Audio (the revving of the engine, tyre traction sounds)
A good racer will employ many of the above while maintaining a decent framerate.
Naturally, controls are also paramount. Turning tightly while braking and/or shifting down gears should increase the chances of keeping the vehicle on the track, if it is about to drift off-track. Doing so should increase control of the vehicle. I mean, if such actions have no effect after being attempted in a timely manner and under good conditions, what's the point?
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This list thus far contains 98 image-assemblies that can be mouse-wheeled through in order to get an idea of racing games that appeared on Western home computer game machines.
This document was last updated on November 7, 2025.
Full List of Racing Computer Games
Pole Position Atari 8 Bits 1983
John Allred, Douglas B. Macrae and Betty Tylko of Atari Inc. ported Namco's Pole Position coinop of 1982 to the Atari 8 bits in 1983. Pole Position is notable for its super-smooth sprite-scaling; it features four tracks, great controls, good sound and Hi and Lo gears. Pole Position is one of the best super-scalers in computer-game history.
Sprite-scaler 3rd-person. God-tier port.
Pitstop Atari 8 Bits 1983
Epyx released the original Pitstop game on the Atari 8 bits in 1983. Pitstop was pretty big from 1983 to 1985; it influenced the likes of Lotus on the Amiga. Pitstop is so-named because players can turn the car into the pit-lane and pull into the pits to repair and refuel the car. However, it is also technically notable for its curving tracks and fast sprite-scaling.
The original Pitstop offers three racing circuits and six different tracks.
Sprite-scaler 3rd-person.
Pitstop 2 Atari 800 1984
Jim McBride and Lloyd Ollman of Epyx ported Pitstop 2 to Atari 800 in 1984 from the Commodore 64 version of the same year. Sequel to the original Pitstop, Pitstop 2 is notable its split-screen 2-player mode, which also influenced Lotus on the Amiga. You can imagine how much more fun it was in 1984 to race against a friend, rather than just computer-controlled cars.
Pitstop 2 offers six different tracks and a Grand Circuit.
The superior C64 original of Pitstop 2 was programmed by Stephen H. Landrum and Dennis Caswell.
Sprite-scaler 3rd-person.
Pitstop 2 IBM PC 1984
Epyx release Pitstop 2 for IBM PC Booter / Self-booter in 1984. Pitstop 2 was programmed by Lauren Guimont of Synergistic Software. Pitstop 2 displays in CGA 320x200, but note the 640x400 race standings screen.
On-Track Commodore 64 1985
Gamestar released On Track: Computer Model Car Racing for the Atari 8-bits and Commodore 64 in 1985. On-Track features 10 tracks with a choice of paved or dirt courses. The controls and sprite-shifting are practically perfect. Supports 2-player simultaneous.
Top-down.
Scalextric Commodore 64 1985
Leisure Genius released Scalextric for the Commodore 64 in 1985. Conceived and designed by Andrew Bradley, Scalextric features 17 Formula One circuits as well as a custom circuit designer, which is icon-driven. Supports 2-player simultaneous. Scalextric is based on Hornby Hobbies' slot car racing sets of the same name.
3rd-person.
Revs BBC Micro 1985
Fully-3D first-person.
Buggy Boy Commodore 64 1987
Elite Systems ported Tatsumi's Buggy Boy aka Speed Buggy coinop to the Commodore 64 in 1987. Buggy Boy features five tracks and six sprite-scaled, on-track collectables. C64 Buggy Boy was programmed by Dave Thomas and drawn by Bob Thomas. Along with Pole Position and Pit Stop, Buggy Boy is one of the best sprite-scalers to appear on 8-bit computers.
King-tier port.
Crazy Cars 1987 Amiga
Test Drive IBM PC 1987-1990
Distinctive Software of Canada released Test Drive for ST/Amiga and IBM PC in 1987. Test Drive 2 was released in 1989, and Test Drive 3 in 1990. Test Drive and Test Drive 2 were developed by Distinctive Software and published by Accolade whereas Test Drive 3 was developed and published by Accolade.
In the original Test Drive of 1987 players can drive the Lotus Esprit, Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Testarossa, Porsche 911 Turbo and Chevrolet Corvette.
Test Drive is notable for displaying the unique dashboard of each car, complete with tachometer (RPMs), speedometer, radar detector and animated steering wheel and gearshift. Rear view mirrors are also employed. Obstructions and hazards include potholes, head-on collisions, red-lining, cliffs, speeding tickets, water, insect guts on the windshield and Sunday Drivers.
Test Drive roads are winding and undulating; the sense of acceleration and deceleration coupled with gear-shifting and steering was highly impressive in 1987.
PC DOS Test Drive and its sequel display in 16-color EGA 320x200 whereas Test Drive 3 displays in 256-color VGA 320x200.
The ST/Amiga versions of Test Drive are also top-tier. Indeed, Amiga Test Drive is the best version of Test Drive.
Test Drive 2: The Duel of 1989 only allows players to drive the Ferrari F40 or Porsche 959. However, players can race against the clock or a computer-controlled car. In addition, four Test Drive 2 expansions were released that added more tracks and cars. The expansions were bundled into Test Drive 2: The Collection of 1990. The expansions are European Challenge, California Challenge, Muscle Cars and Supercars.
The Muscle Cars expansion added the '63 Corvette Stingray coupe, the '68 Shelby GT 500 Cobra, the '67 Pontiac GTO, the '69 COPO 9560 ZL-1 Camaro and the '69 Dodge Charger Daytona. The Supercars expansion added the '88 Lotus Turbo Esprit, the Ferrari Testarossa, the Porsche 911 ROF, the '88 Lamborghini Countach 5000S, and the '89 Corvette ZR1.
Test Drive 2 also added end-section stat-tracking screens, three-lane roads, automatic transmission and tailorable difficulty settings.
Note how Test Drive 3 stupidly adds more digitized photos instead of displaying all car stats on a single screen. Instead, the stats scroll. And this just makes it harder to read them and compare them.
Test Drive and TD2 are sprite-scalers; Test Drive 3 is flat-shaded.
Test Drive Commodore 64 1987
Accolade released Test Drive for the Commodore 64 in 1987. Developed by Distinctive Software of Canada, C64 Test Drive was composed by Patrick Payne and drawn by John Boechler and Tony Lee.
C64 Test Drive is a low-fidelity version of 16-bit Test Drive, yet it includes almost all of the features of 16-bit Test Drive -- including a decent framerate.
Test Drive 2 Commodore 64 1989
Accolade released Test Drive 2: The Duel for the Commodore 64 in 1989. Developed by Distinctive Software, C64 Test Drive was designed by Don Mattrick and Amory Wong, programmed by Kris Hatlelid, Kevin Pickell and Hanno Lemke, composed by Kris Hatlelid and drawn by Theresa Henry.
In C64 Test Drive 2 drawspace graphical complexity was noticeably increased over C64 Test Drive of 1987, yet the framerate remained decent. In addition, the number of on-screen cars was increased from two to three.
Super Sprint Commodore 64 1987
Catalyst Coders ported Atari Games' Super Sprint coinop of 1986 to Commodore 64 in 1987.
1988 Racing Games
A list of racing computer games released in 1988:
Ferrari Formula One Amiga 1988
Electronic Arts released Imagitec Design's Ferrari Formula One for Amiga in March of 1988. Ferrari Formula One was programmed by Rick Koenig, drawn by Mike Kosaka and Connie Goldman, and composed by Dave Warhol.
Ferrari Formula One is notable for its realistic controls, fast track-rendering and immaculate presentation. Relative to its release date Ferrari Formula One is one of the most ambitious racing games in history.
Ferrari Formula One is mouse-controlled. The right mouse button accelerates and the left mouse button brakes. Holding down both mouse buttons activates the clutch and revs the engine. The two Alt-keys are for upshift and downshift whereas the number keys control turboboost.
Ferrari Formula One features garage, wind tunnel, dyno room and pits. In the garage the tyres, gearbox, wings, suspension and 11,000 rpm V6 Turbo engine can be calibrated or repaired.
The 16 tracks of the 1986 F1 season are rendered in 3D, but the cars and horizons are 2D. Ferrari Formula One employs depth cueing to increase its framerate.
Super Hang-On Amiga 1988
Sega AM2's Super Hang-On coinop of 1987 was ported to Atari ST and Amiga in 1988 by Zareh Johannes of Software Studios. Published by Electric Dreams Software, ST/Amiga versions of Super Hang-On were drawn by Saul Marchese and composed by Source.
ST/Amiga ports of Super Hang-On were incredible in 1988; better than anything out there in terms of speed-conveyance via sprite count and smooth super-scaling. There were very few 1988 computer games that could match the controls, graphics and playability of Super Hang-On.
ST/Amiga Super Hang-On even supports mouse control (both joystick and mouse control were excellent). Even the music was great -- even on the ST.
Consider that ST/Amiga Super Hang-On came out in 1988, two years before Lotus -- Super Hang-On is one of the best sprite-scaling racers in computer game history. God-tier ports for ST/Amiga.
Atari ST Super Hang-On:
The 1988 IBM PC conversion by Quicksilver Software is inferior:
Sprite-scaler.
Out Run Atari ST 1988
Probe Software ported Sega's Out Run aka Outrun coinop of 1986 to Atari ST in 1988. Published by U.S. Gold in Europe and Sega Computer Software in the U.S., ST Out Run was programmed by Ian Morrison, drawn by Alan Grier & Sue and composed by David Whittaker. The above infographic shows U.S. Gold's European version of Out Run.
In Out Run players control a convertible Ferrari Testarossa. Out Run features hi and lo gears, obstacles and multiple routes. Upon hitting obstacles the Ferrari can spin-out and flip high into the air.
Out Run was a super-popular game on ST yet it pales in comparison to ST Super Hang-On of the same year.
Sprite-scaler. Passable port (for the ST).
Out Run Amiga 1988
Probe Software ported Sega's Out Run coinop of 1986 to Amiga in 1988. Published by U.S. Gold in Europe and Sega Computer Software in the U.S.A, Amiga Out Run was programmed by Martin Kane, drawn by Alan Grier and Alan Tomkins, and composed by Jas C. Brooke. The above infographic shows Sega's U.S. version of Amiga Out Run.
Amiga Out Run has much better music and sound effects that ST Out Run. For example, Amiga Out Run has tyre-screeching sounds and meatier engine sounds than ST Out Run. However, Amiga Out Run still pales in comparison to Amiga Super Hang-On -- across the board (audiovisuals, controls, replayability and speed-conveyance).
Sprite-scaler. Passable port.
Out Run Commodore 64 1988
Amazing Products ported Sega's Out Run coinop of 1986 to Commodore 64 in 1988. C64 Out Run runs in low-res and is limited in color, but it runs much smoother than and is a better racing game than ST/Amiga Out Run.
Published by U.S Gold, C64 Out Run was programmed by Martin Webb, drawn by Dennis Webb and composed by Jas C. Brooke.
Lombard RAC Rally IBM PC 1988
Red Rat Software released Lombard RAC Rally for ST/Amiga and IBM PC MS-DOS in 1988. The car driven is the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.
Lombard RAC Rally features three track-types and 15 course stages. The most impressive track-type is the mountain race. In addition, one can drive at night and or in fog. Lombard RAC Rally also features a workshop in which the car can be repaired and upgraded.
The PC version of Lombard RAC Rally displays in 16-color EGA 320x200. PC DOS Lombard RAC Rally was programmed by David Worrall.
Lombard RAC Rally Amiga:
Published by Mandarin Software, ST/Amiga Lombard RAC Rally was programmed by David Worrall and drawn by Christopher Barlow and Bryan King.
Sprite-scaler.
Nigel Mansell's Grand Prix Amiga 1988
DJL Software released Nigel Mansell's Grand Prix for ST/Amiga in 1988. Published by Martech Games, Nigel Mansell's Grand Prix features solid engine sounds and good framerate, but poor controls and small active drawspace.
Pole Position IBM PC 1988
Thunder Mountain released Pole Position for IBM PC MS-DOS in 1988, a full five years after the Atari 8 bits version.
Sprite-scaler.
WEC Le Mans Commodore 64 1988
Imagine ported Konami's WEC Le Mans coinop of 1986 to Commodore 64 in 1988. WEC Le Mans was programmed by Richard Palmer.
Sprite-scaler.
1989 Racing Games
Chase HQ ZX Spectrum 1989
The best coinop conversion of an arcade racer to home computer is Ocean Software's 1989 Chase H.Q for the ZX Spectrum. How the porters managed to cram almost every feature of the Taito coinop of 1988 into the Speccy version is a mystery. The graphics of Speccy Chase H.Q. have better form that the 16-bit versions (e.g, the cop car looks better). In fact, the overall presentation is better across the board.
ZX Spectrum Chase H.Q. was programmed by John O'Brien, drawn by Bill Harbison and composed by Jonathan Dunn.
Sprite-scaler. God-tier port.
Chase HQ Amiga 1989
Teque Software of the U.K. ported Taito's Chase H.Q. coinop of 1988 to ST/Amiga in 1989. Published by Ocean Software, ST/Amiga Chase H.Q. was programmed by Pete Hickinson, drawn by Mark Edwards and composed by Matt Furniss.
Chase H.Q. is notable for its changing road-widths and police-car ramming of cars driven by criminals.
The Amiga version of Chase H.Q. features many of the coinop's subtle graphics and sound effects (sparks, smoke and sounds of cars and overhead objects whizzing by), but it still could have been much better than it was -- if the Atari ST never existed, that is.
Passable port. Sprite-scaler.
Stunt Car Racer IBM PC 1989
Fully-3D.
Power Drift Commodore 64 1989
Activision Software Studios ported Sega AM2's Power Drift coinop of 1988 to Commodore 64 in 1989. Published by Sega Computer Software, C64 Power Drift is the best coinop port of Power Drift. The 16-bit versions look more like the coinop, but they don't play as well. Featuring 27 circuits, C64 Power Drift was programmed by Chris Butler, drawn by Chris Butler and composed by David Lowe.
King-tier port.
Turbo Out Run Commodore 64 1989
U.S. Gold released Turbo Out Run aka Turbo Outrun for the Commodore 64 in November of 1989. Developed by Probe Software and ported from Sega AM2's Turbo Out Run coinop of February of 1989, C64 Turbo Out Run was programmed by Mark Kelly, drawn by Steve Crow and Mark Hill and composed by Jeroen Tel of Maniacs of Noise.
C64 Turbo Out Run features manual and automatic transmissions, 16 routes across the USA and a Ferrari F40 with hipower engine, higrip tyres or special turbo charger that can overheat.
King-tier port.
Crazy Cars 2 Amiga 1989
Titus France released Crazy Cars 2 aka F40 Pursuit Simulator for ST/Amiga in 1989.
Crazy Cars 2 Amiga features branching roads, pop-up map, police, radar detector, lo/hi gears, saveable hiscore, 360° spins, on-screen steering wheel, on-road obstacles and sky gradients. Crazy Cars 2 Amiga supports mouse and joystick control.
The Cycles: International Grand Prix Racing IBM PC 1989
Distinctive Software released The Cycles for IBM PC MS-DOS in 1989. The Cycles features 15 circuits, 5 skill levels, 3 performance classes and 9 riders.
Sprite-scaler.
Out Run IBM PC 1989
Unlimited Software Inc. released Out Run for IBM PC MS-DOS in 1989. This is a terrible arcade conversion.
Sprite-scaler.
Vette IBM PC 1989
Vette was released by Sphere Inc. for IBM PC in 1989. Vette suggests GTA long before GTA. Vette was coded by Piotr Lukaszuk.
Vette features an automap, switchable viewpoints and car damage and repair as well as 3D flat-shaded roads, buildings, boats, vehicles and pedestrians.
Fully-3D.
Suzuki's RM250 Motocross IBM PC 1989
Suzuki's RM250 Motocross was released by Dynamix for IBM PC MS-DOS in 1989.
Sprite-scaler.
RVF Honda Amiga 1989
RVF Honda was released by MicroStyle in 1989 for Atari ST and Amiga. It was designed and coded by Ed Hickman.
Sprite-scaler.
Batman: The Movie Amiga 1989
Ocean Software released Batman: The Movie for ST, Amiga and IBM PC in 1989. Batman: The Movie features impressive sprite-scaling on the Batmobile and Batwing levels. The ST/Amiga versions were coded by Mike Lamb, John O'Brien and Allan Shortt.
One of the coolest things about this game is how the Batmobile can fire a grappling hook at a lamp post in order to swing around into the next street.
If I were to take a guess I would say that John O'Brien coded the Batmobile and Batwing levels because he converted Chase HQ to the ZX Spectrum (see above). And Mike Lamb coded the platformer levels because he coded RoboCop on the Speccy.
Batman sold like hotcakes and was bundled in David Pleasance's Batman Pack for the Amiga 500.
Sprite-scaler.
Rally Cross Challenge Amiga 1989
Ultra Graphix released Rally Cross Challenge for the IBM PC and ST/Amiga in 1989. Rally Cross Challenge was programmed by Scott Butler. Rally Cross Challenge features a 320x184 playfield.
Top-down.
1990 Racing Games
Ivan Ironman Stewart's Super Off Road IBM PC 1990
Graftgold converted Leland's Ivan Ironman Stewart's Super Off Road coinop to Atari ST, Amiga and IBM PC MS-DOS in 1990. Super Off Road features 1-3 player simultaneous gameplay and vehicle upgrades (tires, shocks, acceleration, top speed and nitro fuel). David O'Connor programmed the PC version whereas the ST/Amiga versions were programmed by Gary J. Foreman.
2D top-down, fixed-screen.
Hard Drivin' Amiga 1990
Jürgen Friedrich of Domark converted Atari Games' Hard Drivin' coinop of 1989 to ST/Amiga and IBM PC MS-DOS in 1990.
Fully-3D.
Chase HQ 2 Amiga 1990
ICE Software of the U.K. (Scotland) ported Taito's Chase HQ II: Special Criminal Investigation coinop of 1989 to ST/Amiga in 1990. Published by Ocean Software, ST/Amiga Chase HQ 2 was programmed by Ian Morrison and Douglas Little, drawn by Alan Grier and composed by Chris Scudds.
Chase HQ 2 features gunfire and rockets, not just car-ramming. The police car driven is the Nissan 300ZX targa-top with turbo charger.
Passable port. Sprite-scaler.
Chase HQ 2 Commodore 64
Probe Software of the U.K. ported Taito's Chase HQ II: Special Criminal Investigation coinop of 1989 to Commodore 64 in 1990. Published by Ocean Software, Commodore 64 Chase HQ 2 was produced by D.C. Ward, programmed by Grant Harrison, drawn by Stephen Crow and composed by The Maniacs of Noise.
C64 Chase HQ 2 plays in-game music and sound effects simultaneously.
Turbo Out Run IBM PC 1990
Sega Enterprises released Turbo Out Run for IBM PC MS-DOS in 1990. PC Turbo Out Run was programmed by Dan Duncalf, drawn by Darrin Stubbington and composed by Jas C. Brooke and Brian A. Rice.
Amiga Turbo Out Run was programmed by Martin Kane, drawn by Alan Grier and composed by David Lowe.
Sprite-scaler. Poor port.
Badlands Amiga 1990
Barry Costas of Teque London ported Atari Games' Badlands coinop of 1989 to ST/Amiga in 1990. Badlands features a 320x180 playfield.
Top-down. King-tier port.
Nitro Amiga 1990
Psygnosis released Nitro for the Amiga in 1990. Nitro was designed and programmed by James Woodhouse. Nitro features a 320x200 playfield. Nitro is one of the best top-down racers ever made.
Top-down.
Super Cars Amiga 1990
Magnetic Fields released Super Cars in 1990 for ST/Amiga. Super Cars was programmed by Shaun Southern; its graphics drawn by Andrew Morris. Super Cars features a 256x200 playfield.
Top-down.
1991 Racing Games
A list of racing computer games released in 1991:
Super Cars 2 Amiga 1991
Magnetic Fields released Super Cars 2 in 1991 for ST/Amiga. Super Cars 2 was programmed by Shaun Southern and drawn by Andrew Morris, both of Lotus fame. Super Cars 2 features a 320x240 playfield.
Top-down.
Formula One Grand Prix Amiga 1991
Fully-3D.
Vroom Atari ST 1991
Lankhor of France released Vroom for the Atari ST in 1991. Atari ST Vroom features four game modes, six circuits, manual and automatic transmission and mouse or joystick control. Moreover, Atari ST Vroom features serial link and modem link for head-to-head racing.
Vroom is technically impressive not just for its framerate, but also for its tight controls, its track draw-distance and the linework of its tracks and the number of trackside objects that generate a great sense of speed. In 1991 no racing game on Western home computers matched Vroom's sense of speed, not even Lotus 2. And no racing game matched Vroom's track draw distance. In addition, rear-view mirrors are rendered and there can be up to six cars on-screen simultaneously. Vroom tracks are undulating and their width varies from single-lane to triple-lane; there are also pitstops for tyre changes and fuel fill-ups. Atari ST Vroom features sampled sound and a 320x132 render-field.
Being that it is, in essence, an arcade-style F1 racer, Vroom lacks the simulation mechanics of Formula One Grand Prix of 1991.
Atari ST Vroom was designed and programmed by Daniel Macré, drawn by Dominique Sablons and Stéphane Polard and composed by André Bescond.
Sprite-scaler.
Super Monaco GP Amiga 1991
Probe Software ported Sega's Super Monaco GP coinop of 1989 to ST/Amiga in 1991. Published by U.S. Gold, ST/Amiga Super Monaco GP was programmed by Zareh Johannes, drawn by Saul Marchese and composed by Tony Williams.
ST/Amiga Super Monaco GP features a good framerate and good controls, but at the end of the day it does not match Super Hang-On or Vroom.
ST/Amiga Super Monaco GP supports joystick or mouse control with tailorable sensitivity. In addition, Super Monaco GP features 3-speed automatic and 5-speed and 7-speed manual gearboxes.
Sprite-scaler.
Team Suzuki Amiga 1991
Gremlin Graphics released Team Suzuki for Atari ST, Amiga and IBM PC MS-DOS in 1991. Team Suzuki is notable for its fast and smooth rendering engine. The ST/Amiga version was coded by Karl West. Team Suzuki was the MotoGP sim of the early 90s; it is a king-tier game.
Imagitec Design ported the original Team Suzuki to IBM PC MS-DOS. PC Team Suzuki displays in 320x200 EGA or VGA. PC Team Suzuki audio supports AdLib or Roland. PC Team Suzuki was programmed by Mark Robinson. Incredibly, the installation size is only 260K and consists of 12 files.
Math, son. Math.
Fully-3D.
Moonshine Racers IBM PC 1991
Millennium / Peakstar released Moonshine Racers for IBM PC MS-DOS in 1991. This game has awful controls.
Sprite-scaler. Poor port.
1992 Racing Games
Jaguar XJ220 Amiga 1992
Core Design released Jaguar XJ220 for the Amiga in 1992. Programmed by Mark Avory, Jaguar XJ220 is a Lotus-like game that lets players create their own tracks.
Sprite-scaler.
Lotus 3: The Ultimate Challenge Amiga 1992
Crazy Cars 3 Amiga 1992
Titus France released Crazy Cars 3 for the Amiga in 1992.
Crazy Cars 3 features training mode, four-division Champion mode, 15 racers per division, turbo boost, night vision, five classes of car, betting, police, shop and repair garage.
Car upgrades include Nitrous Oxide (352 km/h), Radar Jammer, Radar Detector, Roadster, 5/6-speed auto gearbox, 5/6-speed manual gearbox, Speed-up 1 & 2, Super Brakes, Super Tyres and Snow Tyres.
Acceleration control is selectable between fire to accelerate and up to accelerate. Weather conditions include rain and snow.
Crazy Cars 3 is technically notable for its smooth framerate and long draw distance.
Nigel Mansell's World Championship 1992
Gremlin Graphics of the U.K. released Nigel Mansell's World Championship for Amiga in 1992. Nigel Mansell's World Championship was programmed by Dr. H, drawn by Damon Godley and composed by Patrick Phelan.
Nigel Mansell's World Championship of 1992 is much better than Nigel Mansell's Grand Prix of 1988.
Nigel Mansell's World Championship features a full-screen active drawspace, colorful sky gradients and easy (but unrealistic) controls.
Sprite-scaler.
Toyota Celica GT Rally IBM PC 1992
Astros Productions ported Gremlin Graphics' ST/Amiga Toyota Celica GT Rally of 1990 to IBM PC MS-DOS in 1992. Toyota Celica GT Rally features 30 courses, co-driver notes, manual or automatic gearboxes and tailorable steering sensitivity. In addition, Toyota Celica GT Rally simulates diriving in different weather conditions, such as rain, snow and sandstorm.
PC DOS Toyota Celica GT Rally displays in 16-color EGA or 256-color VGA 320x200. PC DOS Toyota Celica GT Rally audio supports AdLib, Sound Blaster, Roland or IBM PC Internal Speaker. Audio can be switched between music and sound effects. PC DOS Toyota Celica GT Rally supports mouse, joystick or keyboard control.
Sprite-scaler.
No Second Prize Amiga 1992
Thalion Software released No Second Prize for ST/Amiga in 1992. No Second Prize was coded by Christian Jungen. No Second Prize features 20 racetracks, six racers and accurate mouse-controlled steering. Note how NSP renders the riders.
Fully-3D.
Lamborghini American Challenge IBM PC 1992
Titus France released Lamborghini American Challenge for IBM PC MS-DOS in 1992. On the Amiga this is known as Crazy Cars 3.
Sprite-scaler.
Indy Heat Amiga 1992
The Sales Curve ported Leland Corporation's Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat coinop of 1991 to Amiga in 1992. Amiga Indy Heat was programmed by John Croudy, drawn by Ned Langman and composed by Allister Brimble.
2D Top-down. King-tier port.
1993 Racing Games
A list of racing computer games released in 1993:
Lotus: The Ultimate Challenge IBM PC 1993
Prime Mover Amiga 1993
Interactivision of Denmark released Prime Mover for the Amiga in 1993. Running at 50 FPS Prime Mover is the smoothest sprite-scaling racing game on the Amiga. Prime Mover feature five bikes, 12 tracks and nine riders. Published by Psygnosis, Prime Mover was programmed by Hans Jürgen Hansen, composed by Anders Øland, and drawn by Henrik Thomas and Sigurd Kristiansen.
Sprite-scaler.
Overdrive Amiga 1993
Psionic Systems released Overdrive in 1993 for the Amiga. Overdrive was programmed by David J. Broadhurst; graphics by Haydn Dalton; audio by Allister Brimble. Overdrive features a 288x224 playfield.
Top-down.
Skidmarks Amiga 1993
Acid Software released Skidmarks for the Amiga in 1993. Skidmarks was programmed in Blitz Basic by Andrew Blackbourn. Skidmarks features a 308x267 playfield.
Top-down.
IndyCar Racing IBM PC 1993
Fully-3D.
1994 Racing Games
Vroom IBM PC 1994
Lankhor of France ported their ST/Amiga Vroom of 1991 to IBM PC MS-DOS in 1994. PC Vroom was programmed by Guillaume Genty and drawn by Stéphane Polard.
NASCAR Racing IBM PC 1994
Micro Machines IBM PC 1994
Big Red Software ported the original NES Micro Machines of 1991 to IBM PC MS-DOS in 1994. Micro Machines requires a 386-25 MHz CPU, 2 megs of RAM and 1 meg of HDD space.
Micro Machines displays in VGA 320x200 with a viewport size of 256x200. The IBM PC version of Micro Machines was programmed by Lyndon Homewood, Gary Ranson and Jon Cartwright.
2D top-down.
Power Drive Amiga 1994
Rage Software released Power Drive for the Amiga and IBM PC in 1994. Power Drive was programmed by Richard Beaven, Paul Tweddell and John Heap. Power Drive features a 304x214 playfield.
2D top-down.
1995 Racing Games
A list of racing computer games released in 1995:
Micro Machines 2 Turbo Tournament IBM PC 1995
Supersonic Software ported the original Genesis version of Micro Machines 2 of 1994 to IBM PC MS-DOS 6.22/4GW Protected mode run-time in July of 1995.
Micro Machines 2 requires a 486DX2-25 MHz CPU, 4 megs of RAM and 15 megs of HDD space, but a DX4 or Pentium processor and local bus video card is recommended. Micro Machines 2 employs a non-standard square-pixel VGA 320x240 display with a maximum viewport size of 320x224, running at 60 FPS. The IBM PC version of Micro Machines 2 was programmed by Andrew Fussey, Jonathan Menzies and Peter Williamson.
2D top-down.
ATR: All Terrain Racing Amiga 1995
Team 17 released ATR: All Terrain Racing for the Amiga in 1995. All Terrain Racing was designed and programmed by James Woodhouse. All Terrain Racing features a 320x256 playfield.
2D top-down.
Turbo Trax Amiga 1995
Arcane Entertainment released Turbo Trax for the Amiga in 1995. Turbo Trax was programmed by Peter Ivey and Miles Visman. Turbo Trax features a 320x244 playfield.
2D top-down.
PC Rally IBM PC 1995
Digital Dreams Multimedia released PC Rally for IBM PC MS-DOS/4GW Protected mode run-time 1.8 in 1995. PC Rally is notable for the size of its prerendered Toyota Celica and Mitsubishi Lancer vehicle sprites; the scrolling is also super-smooth. PC Rally displays in non-standard square-pixel 256-color VGA 320x240. However, its playfield is only 288x216.
2D top-down.
Unless otherwise noted the racing games below are fully-3D.
IndyCar Racing 2 IBM PC 1995
Need for Speed IBM PC 1995
Destruction Derby IBM PC 1995
Screamer PC DOS 1995
Screamer was released by Graffiti for IBM PC MS-DOS and Windows 95 in 1995. Screamer was lead-programmed by Antonio Miscellaneo. The Screamer 3D rendering engine was coded by Antonio Martini. Software-rendered. Screamer employs DOS/4GW v1.95.
Screamer displays in VGA 320x200 or SVGA 640x480. Screamer requires 8 megs of RAM in VGA mode and 12 megs in SVGA mode.
Screamer was distributed on 1x CD-ROM and extracts and installs to hard disk drive via Screamer Installation. The install size is 30 megs and consists of 48 files.
1996 Racing Games
NASCAR Racing 2 IBM PC 1996
Grand Prix 2 IBM PC 1996
Screamer 2 IBM PC 1996
Screamer 2 was released by Milestone for IBM PC MS-DOS and Windows 95 in 1996. Screamer 2 was coded by Stefano Lecchi. The Screamer 2 3D rendering engine was coded by Antonio Martini. DOS/4GW.
Death Rally IBM PC 1996
Remedy Entertainment released Death Rally for IBM PC MS-DOS in September of 1996. Death Rally was programmed by Kim Salvo and Olli Tervo. Death Rally requires an i80486DX2-66 MHz CPU, 8 megs of RAM and SVGA graphics card, but a Pentium CPU, 16 megs of RAM and PCI Local Bus Video is recommended. Death Rally audio supports Gravis Ultrasound and Sound Blaster Mono, Pro, 16 and AWE 32.
Top-down sprite-scaler with 3D scenery objects (tree-tops, cliff-faces).
1997 Racing Games
Screamer Rally IBM PC 1997
Screamer Rally was released by Milestone for IBM PC MS-DOS 6.0 in 1997. 3dfx Voodoo or software-rendered. DOS/4GW.
Carmageddon IBM PC 1997
Stainless Games released Carmageddon in June of 1997 for IBM PC MS-DOS 6.2 and Windows 95 DirectX 3.0a. Carmageddon is a Rational Systems' DOS/4GW Protected run-time.
Carmageddon allows users to customize the following graphics settings: Car Complexity, Car Textures, Shadows, Wall Textures, Road Textures, Scenery Cut-off, Scenery Pop-up, Sky Texture, Darkness / Fog, Track Accessories and Special Effects.
Recommended specs are Pentium 70 MHz, 32 megs of RAM, 2 megs of vRAM and 264 megs of HDD space for full install. Carmageddon displays in 256-color VGA 320x200 or SVGA 640x480 via hires.bat.
Supports 3dfx Voodoo.
Grand Theft Auto IBM PC 1997
In November of 1997 DMA Design of Lemmings fame released Grand Theft Auto for IBM PC MS-DOS 6.0 and Windows 95 DirectX 5.0. Grand Theft Auto is a Rational Systems' DOS/4GW Protected run-time (v2.00).
Grand Theft Auto displays in 256-color VGA 320x200 or 15-, 24- or 32-bit color square-pixel SVGA 640x480 or 800x600 via UNIVBE.DRV.
GTA requires an Intel DX4 100 MHz CPU, 16 megs of RAM, 1 meg of vRAM and 20 megs of HDD space. GTA also supports 3dfx Voodoo (3dfx Glide 2.42).
GTA was designed by Stephen Banks, Paul Farley and Billy Thomson; it was programmed by Keith R. Hamilton.
1998 Racing Games
Grand Prix Legends IBM PC 1998
1999 Racing Games
Grand Theft Auto 2 Windows PC 1999
DMA Design released Grand Theft Auto 2 for Windows 95 DirectX 6.1 in 1999. GTA2 was programmed by Keith R. Hamilton. GTA2 introduced car upgrades, a syndicate-job system and increased environmental interactivity and reactivity to its open-ended, non-linear urban worlds.
GTA2 requires a Pentium CPU, 32 megs of RAM and 80 megs of HDD space. GTA2 displays in 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768 resolution (Direct3D / Glide) in 16-bit color (65,536 colors). Typical GTA video cards include the NVidia Riva 128 and the ATI Rage Pro.
DMA Design became Rockstar North in 2007.
Hall of Fame
The best racing computer games are ranked relative to their release dates and based on their gameplay and technical merits. Only pure racers are ranked. Under relative ranking criteria, I don't care if a game of 1993 squeezes 20% more out of an Amiga than a game of 1988 -- half a decade for +20%? That said, one can certainly appreciate the great effort that goes into squeezing 20% more out, but I'm not ranking on an absolute level because I'm more interested in trail-blazing than I am in optimization.
Best super-scaling 8-bit arcade-style racing computer games:
- Pole Position of 1983 on Atari 8 Bit
- Pitstop 2 of 1984 on Commodore 64
- Chase HQ of 1989 on ZX Spectrum
- Turbo Out Run of 1989 on Commodore 64
- Buggy Boy of 1987 on Commodore 64
- Power Drift of 1989 on Commodore 64
C64 wins..
Best super-scaling 16-bit arcade-style racing computer games:
Amiga wins (the Amiga versions are objectively superior to the ST versions).
Best super-scaling 16-bit sim-style racing computer games:
- Lombard RAC Rally of 1988 on PC & ST/Amiga
- Ferrari Formula One of 1988 on ST/Amiga
- Test Drive of 1987 on PC & ST/Amiga
- Toyota Celica GT Rally of 1990 on ST/Amiga
ST/Amiga win.
Best 3D 8/16-bit sim-style racing computer games:
- Revs of 1985 on BBC Micro
- Powerdrome of 1988 on ST/Amiga
- Formula One Grand Prix of 1991 on ST/Amiga
- Indianapolis 500 of 1989 on PC DOS
- Stunt Car Racer of 1989 on ST/Amiga
- Team Suzuki of 1991 on ST/Amiga
ST/Amiga win.
Best fully-3D 32-bit sim-style racing computer games (up to 1999):
- IndyCar Racing of 1993 on PC DOS
- NASCAR Racing of 1994 on PC DOS
- Grand Prix 2 of 1996 on PC DOS
- IndyCar Racing 2 of 1995 on PC DOS
PC wins by a landslide.
Other launchpads:
- History of Computer Games 1976-2024
- History of Computer Role-playing Games (cRPG)
- History of Turn-based Strategy Games PC (TBS)
- History of Real-time Strategy Games PC (RTS)
- History of Combat Flight Simulators
- History of Shoot 'em ups
- The First Flat-shaded Computer Games
- The First Texture-mapped Computer Games
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