Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic racing simulations and more fantastical arcade-style racing games. Kart racing games emerged in the 1990s as a popular sub-genre of the latter. Racing games may also fall under the category of sports video games.
Ridge Racer is a racing video game series developed and published for arcade systems and home game consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. The first game, Ridge Racer (1993), was originally released in arcades for the Namco System 22 hardware, later ported to the PlayStation two years later as a launch title. It was met with several sequels and spin-off games for multiple platforms, the latest being the mobile game Ridge Racer Draw & Drift (2016) with the latest mainline game being Ridge Racer 7 (2006). Gameplay involves the player racing against computer-controlled opponents to be the first to finish in a race. Drifting is a core aspect of the series, and is used to keep speed while turning corners.
F-Zero GX is a 2003 racing video game developed by Amusement Vision and published by Nintendo for the GameCube console. It runs on an enhanced version of the engine used in Super Monkey Ball. F-Zero AX, the arcade counterpart of GX, uses the Triforce arcade system board conceived from a business alliance between Nintendo, Namco and Sega. Published by Sega, it was released alongside GX in 2003.
Simulated racing or racing simulation, commonly known as simply sim racing, are the collective terms for racing game software that attempts to accurately simulate auto racing, complete with real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tire wear and grip, and suspension settings. To be competitive in sim racing, a driver must understand all aspects of car handling that make real-world racing so difficult, such as threshold braking, how to maintain control of a car as the tires lose traction, and how properly to enter and exit a turn without sacrificing speed. It is this level of difficulty that distinguishes sim racing from arcade racing-style driving games where real-world variables are taken out of the equation and the principal objective is to create a sense of speed as opposed to a sense of realism.
Grand Prix 2, released in North America as "Grand Prix II", is a racing simulator released by MicroProse in 1996. It is a sequel to Formula One Grand Prix. It was made under an official FIA license that featured the Formula One 1994 season, with all of the circuits, teams, drivers and cars. The cars were painted with liveries reflecting the races that did not allow tobacco and alcohol sponsors.
Monaco Grand Prix: Racing Simulation 2, also known as just Monaco Grand Prix, is a Formula one racing game developed and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Dreamcast. It was released in 1998–1999. A sequel, Racing Simulation 3, was released in 2002.
Ever since Pole Position in 1982, Formula One (F1) has always played a part of the racing genre in video games. Early Formula One games were typically arcade racing games, before Formula One Grand Prix (1991) popularized Formula One racing simulations on home computers.
3D Pixel Racing is an arcade-style racing game developed by Vidia and released in 2011. The game was released as a downloadable game on WiiWare and in the App Store for iOS devices. 3D Pixel Racing heavily capitalizes on its graphical uniqueness. Unlike most 3D games, every object in 3D Pixel Racing is made of multi-colored voxels that are reminiscent of old 8-bit games from the 1970s and 80's.
Game Dev Story is a simulation video game developed and published by Kairosoft for Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. It was released for Windows in April 1997, on iOS and Android on October 9, 2010, for Windows Phone on July 6, 2015, for Nintendo Switch on October 11, 2018, on PlayStation 4 on February 11, 2021, on Steam on March 27, 2022, and on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on September 15, 2023. The game follows a player-controlled video game company and its attempts to expand into a sales powerhouse over time. As a simulation, the game and the direction of the company is controlled by the player, following a parallel timeline of the video game industry and its history. The game was released to positive reviews, with many reviewers focusing on Game Dev Story's addictive aspects and its witty references to video game pop culture.
Kairosoft is a Japanese video game developer located in Tokyo, Japan that has created a number of simulation games for cell phones, PCs and Nintendo Switch. Founded in 1996, the company has developed a number of mobile games for the Japanese market and has found great success in porting them to the modern iOS and Android operating systems. The company was ranked 30th in Pocket Gamer's "top 50 developers of 2012" list.
Cafeteria Nipponica is a simulation video game developed and published by Kairosoft for the Android and iOS operating systems. It was released in April, 2012 and in 2017 it was released on Nintendo switch. The game places the player in control of a restaurant, which they must build up to a high quality restaurant chain. The game met with mixed reviews, with many reviewers noting that there were better Kairosoft simulation games.
Dungeon Village is a simulation video game developed and published by Kairosoft for the Android and iOS operating systems. It was released on March 2, 2012 for Android and iOS. The player is placed in control of a role-playing video game's town, and tasks the player with expanding the town and attracting heroes to live in it. It received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Epic Astro Story is a simulation video game developed and published by Kairosoft for the Android and iOS operating systems. It was released in December, 2011 for Android and in April, 2012 for iOS. The player is tasked with managing and expanding a colony in a science fiction setting, while also exploring both their colony and other planets. The game has received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Hot Springs Story is a hot spring business simulation video game developed and published by Kairosoft for the Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch. It was released for iOS on February 28, 2011, for Android in 2011, and for Nintendo Switch on October 11, 2018. The game focuses on a hot spring resort which the player is tasked with managing and making a profit from. It received mostly positive reviews from critics. A sequel, Hot Springs Story 2, was released in 2020.
Table Top Racing is racing video game developed and published by British studio Playrise Digital. The game was originally developed for iOS on January 31, 2013, and later released for Android devices on January 23, 2014. A PlayStation Vita version was released on August 5, 2014.
Mega Mall Story is a simulation game developed by Kairosoft Co. Ltd and released on August 9, 2011 for iOS. It released on the Nintendo Switch on January 17, 2019.
Need for Speed: No Limits is a free-to-play racing game for iOS and Android, and a mobile installment in the Need for Speed video game series, developed by Firemonkeys Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It is the twenty-first installment in the franchise, the franchise's second free-to-play title, as well as the franchise's first original title made for mobile devices, unlike past mobile games in the series that were adaptations or companions of various Need for Speed games. It was released on September 30, 2015.
Motorsport Manager is a racing management-simulation strategy video game developed by British video game developer, Playsport Games. The game was released on iOS in August 2014 and Android in 2015. A desktop version of the game was published by Sega on macOS, Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems in November 2016.
Horizon Chase is a racing video game developed and published by Brazilian-based Aquiris Game Studio. It was released on August 20, 2015, for iOS and Android platforms. It is a 3D game inspired by 2D, 16-bit titles. Its soundtrack has Nintendocore influences.
Asphalt 9: Legends is a 2018 racing game developed by Gameloft Barcelona and published by Gameloft. Released on July 25, 2018, it's the fifteenth major game of Asphalt series. In comparison to previous entries, there are several new and improved features, such as a prestigious car lineup, new control schemes, including the autopilot mode called "TouchDrive", and race modes, and the reimplemented "shockwave nitro" from Asphalt 6: Adrenaline. The graphics are considered significantly improved compared to its 2013 predecessor, Asphalt 8: Airborne.
