[VCS2600]

What racing games, arcade & console, would you say were the great games prior to Gran Turismo? Pole Position and Bump N' Jump are pretty legendary.



Bump N' Jump Firebird

[kuze]

There was one racing game I remember paying on a 286 (yeah, I know, not console or arcade) that blew my mind back in the day. It had some kind of an open world, I could leave the road and drive on train tracks etc. I can't remember its name though...

[Roper Klacks]

I'm a big fan of motorsport and racing sims.
The best IMO were definitely the ones made by Papyrus and Geoff Crammond (published by Microprose).

From papyrus we had Indyanapolis 500, Nascar Racing and culminated with the absolute masterpiece (and still one of the most realistic sims out there nowadays 11 years later) Grand Prix Legends.

Indyanapolis 500 (1989)


Nascar Racing (1994)


Grand Prix Legends (1998)


From Geoff Cramond, we had the Grand Prix series, which the second installment was a brilliant game ahead of its time.

Grand Prix (1992)


Grand Prix 2 (1995)


Unfortunatly nowadays its difficult to find racing games that push the envelope like these ones.

[Little Writer]

I remember the Indy 500. I got so bored with racing, usually I just played it to drive the wrong way and watch the crashes.

Wasn't there a Nigel Mansell game once? And Mario Andretti?

A pc racing game I loved because it was more than just driving laps, was Stunts (of 4D Sports Driving as it was also called).

You could build your own parcours with bridges to jump, tunnels where you could drive on the roof for miles.

Now that I think about it, the whole thing kinda looked like a miniature golf course, with windmills and everything

You had different opponents, each with their pros and cons, and a ton of cars to choose from.

[CrimsonBlue]

I love Lotus Turbo Challenge 2, Super Cars 1 and 2 and Skidmarks among others on the Amiga. I still play them occasionally.

TURPENTINE!

[Little Writer]

I remember a Lotus game as well, now that you mention it; it was fun because there was this one race where you'd encounter lumber trucks crossing the street and you could aim to drive underneath them. Also you could change the weather. I think it was the original Turbo Challenge.

[VCS2600]

I still have the Indy 500 game (1989) in my desk (3.5 inch diskette + instruction booklet). Sound effects were a bit harsh on the ears.

It's sad that Sega ended hardware with Dreamcast. A company with a long history going back to this 1972 electro mechanical dune buggy "timed" racing game. The cabinet is like a pinball machine.

Classic Sega

[VCS2600]

The infamous 1976 arcade game Death Race, based on the 1975 Roger Corman directed 1975 movie Death Race 2000 starring David Carradine & Sylvester Stallone. You race around, knock over/kill pedestrians and pick up points. Parents had the game banned! But we can enjoy it now.



Death Race by Exidy