Racing games are one of the oldest video game genres around, thrilling gamers since Magnavox Odyssey owners gaveWipeout(not that one) a go. Nearly every developer around the world has given racing games a try, with some getting more success than others.Mario Karthas sold a lot of units for Nintendo, andGran Turismobecame the biggest-selling game on Sony’s PS1.
However, it’s hard to think of a company that likes racing games more than Sega. They ruled the arcades directly with a wide range of titles that would go on to become classics in the genre. But which ones areSega’s best racing games?
These entries are not solely ranked by their Metascore, as this isn’t always the best metric. Instead, the games listed here are ranked by their gameplay, features, thrills, and their impact on the genre, with Metascore just one aspect of their rating.
10Sega GT 2002
Metascore: 82
The originalSega GTwas meant to be the Dreamcast’s answer toGran Turismo, and it was a good game. But it wasn’t quite the big hit Sega was looking for, selling modestly onan already modest console. Luckily, the series continued after the Dreamcast’s demise withSega GT 2002. It was bigger, flashier, and gave players 160+ cars to work with.
The game came with an interesting range of modes, from aGran Turismo-like Career Mode to a Chronicle Mode where players could race and tweak vintage cars from the 1960s onward. They could even earn extra cash by completing extra objectives during the race. The biggest cash prize came from getting through a race unscathed, so it favored smooth racing over stock car-like body contact.
9Super Hang-On
Metascore: 76
Picking out the best of Sega’s 1980s racing output is tricky.Power Driftbrought the action up close with its zoomed-in, swaying camera.Enduro Racerhad wheelies and logs to jump over. Then there was the almightyOutRun, a tricky game where players had to master the driving mechanics to reach one of its five goals within its tight time limits.
Still, as popular as they were, the biker racerSuper Hang-Ondeserves kudos. It brought on more tracks and a turbo function to out-race the competition. Players could even choose their own music track like inOutRun. But it could get just as challenging depending on which course the player chose too. The Africa course is simple enough at 6 stages, but Europe offers a whopping 18 stages to race through.
8Virtua Racing
Sega was arguably the first company to make a pseudo-3D racing game with 1976’sRoad Race. But when it came to actual polygonal 3D, they were beaten out by Namco’s underratedWinning Runand Atari’s stunt-filledHard Drivin’. Yet they’re not as fondly remembered as Sega’sVirtua Racing.
It ran much faster thanHard Drivin’, looked more vibrant thanWinning Run, and offered the player more bang for their buck. Players could pick multiple views over its forebears' first-person-only angle and featured 3D human NPCs during its pit sequences.VRmay not have been the first 3D racer, but it was the best for its time and was certainly the most influential for the genre.
7Scud Race
GameFAQs Score: 3.93/5 Stars
After the success of Sega’sDaytona USA, people at the company expected developers AM-2 to makeDaytona USA 2next. They would eventually make a sequel in 1998, but they wanted to mix things up for 1996. So, they made the similar but differentScud Race(akaSega Super GT). It replacedDaytona’s stock cars with GT supercars and used the snazzy new Model 3 Step 1.5 hardware overDaytona’sModel 2 tech.
While many of its elements still resembledDaytona, like the HUD and select screen, the gameplay was new. It introduced the ability to accelerate while drifting, giving players the edge over other racers if they could master it (and fishtails if they couldn’t). It made for thrilling races, but it would ultimately be limited to the arcades as its Dreamcast port would get canceled.
Only a relatively small group of lucky arcade players really knew aboutScud Raceback in the day, but everyone practically heard aboutSega Rally Championship. It may have only had 3 cars and 4 tracks, yet it gave players a new experience by replicating rally-style racing. For example, winning a race relied more on overtaking cars and staying within the time limit than constantly aiming for first place.
It certainly helps, but even if the player didn’t come in first on a track, their consistency could earn them enough points to win. The game was also more in-depth on how different surfaces affected the car’s handling. They could keep their grip on asphalt, then slip more on grass, then even more in mud. As simple as it sounds, it was enough to inspire other developers to make their own rally games and inspire players to get the game on the Saturn and PC.
Sega making an entry in a Nintendo game is mind-blowing to look back on. It’s just as surprising to learn it was specifically made by Amusement Vision, who’d later make theYakuza/Like A Dragonseries and become better known as RGG Studio.Y/LADcreator Toshihiro Nagoshi also produced many of Sega’s classic racers, likeDaytona USAandScud Race,alongside design work forVirtua Racing.
In short, odd as it seems, Nintendo knew they’d do great work withF-Zero GX. It lived up to the wild speed previousF-Zerogames reached but with improved visuals, more tracks, and an infamous story mode that really ramped up the challenge. Canny players could even use Gameshark/Action Replay to access hidden tracks from its arcade equivalent,F-Zero AX, and get even more hours of ultra-speed racing.
4Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge
GameFAQs Score: 4.27/5 Stars
As groundbreaking asVirtua Racingwas,Daytona USAwas a vast improvement in graphics and gameplay. It had more cars, more impressive tracks, and adaptive AI that tailored itself towards the player’s skill level. So, it’s no wonder Sega would port and remake it multiple times, with the Saturn alone having 2 versions of the game. However, its sequel,Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge,would never leave the arcades.
The only way to play it at home is to getLike a Dragon Gaidenand find it under the new, non-license-infringing title,Sega Racing Classic 2,at the arcades. It has new drifting techniques like the ‘slingshot’, and extra modes like Grand Prix and Endurance. With much more on offer, it’s surprising that Sega never gave it a chance outside the arcades.
Technically,Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformedwasn’t made directly by Sega. Both it and its predecessor,Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, weremade by Sumo Digital, who previously madeOutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coastfor the company, and recently madeThe Texas Chainsaw Massacregame. Sega just published the game for its various platforms.
Still, it’s chock-full of references to classic Sega games, right down to its soundtrack, which is full of remixes of old-school tunes. The Transform mechanic also spiced things up beyond its ‘Sega Kart’ roots. At certain points on the track, the player’s car will transform into a boat or aircraft to travel on water or in the air, complete with new physics and mechanics to work with. It’s an inventive game that could do with a modern re-release.
2F355 Challenge
Metascore: 85
Sega has had a thing for Ferraris sinceOutRunused a Ferrari Testarossa Spider. It certainly was the start of their willingness to use actual motor licenses, from the different cars in games to the Daytona 500 NASCAR race itself. It culminated inF355 Challenge, a game that showcased producer/director Yu Suzuki’s love for the brand so much he (allegedly) raced his own Ferrari on tracks for data collection.
It also shows how closely he and AM2 replicated the F355. For 1999, it was the most realistic depiction of the car and what it’s like to race it on circuits. Combined with its use of real racing tracks, and the same real-time ‘Magic Weather’ system asShenmue, it gave players an authentic racing experience come rain or shine, both in the arcades and at home.
1OutRun 2
Metascore: 79
The originalOutRuninspired a host of follow-ups. Some of which are just as fondly remembered, likeOutRunners. Yet there was only one game that got the distinction of beingOutRun’s official sequel, and it came out 17 years later, in 2003.OutRun 2is arguably the best entry in the series too, with some preferring its souped-up re-releaseOutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast.
O2006had more cars and more modes, including its exclusive ‘Coast 2 Coast’ Mode. ButO2had Heart Attack mode, where performing select stunts during courses earns the player heart points.O2’s journey home via the Xbox also had better controls thanO2006’s home releases. It also came with tracks fromScud RaceandDaytona USA 2. Players who missed out on those underrated gems could finally give them a swing viaO2.
