Your favorite PS1 racing games

[DigitalSpace]

Gran Turismo 2 - I spent WAY too much time with this one, and have quite the garage and money to show for it.
RC de GO! - Dangerboy said it best in his review here (http://www.game-rave.com/psx/playstation_perfect_guide/releasedgames/rc_de_go/index.html).
Crash Team Racing - my favorite non-Nintendo kart racer.
Porsche Challenge - A few years before EA released Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed, Sony tried their hand at a Porsche exclusive racing title.
Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit - My favorite Need For Speed game on the PSX.
Test Drive 6 - The Test Drive license played second fiddle to Need For Speed, and while Test Drive 6 didn't change that, it was the shining moment for the series on the PSX.
Sled Storm - There are three snowmobile racing games on the PSX, and EA's arcade-styled is the best one.
NASCAR '98 Collector's Edition - To commemorate NASCAR's 50th Anniversary, EA released a special edition of NASCAR '98 with bonuses including Richard Petty and his trademark #43 car, and Darlington Raceway. The game was a Wal-Mart exclusive (pretty fitting if you ask me) and included a medallion.

[bangtango]

Destruction Derby II
Speed Punks

Those two are the only ones that come to mind which you didn't already mention.

[roushimsx]

RC de Go was so dang great. I never picked up the US release (I should have :( ), but I did wind up getting the Simple 1500 rerelease. Good lord was it a blast.

I'd like to nominate Wipeout 3, which I feel is the highpoint for the series. Great track designs, great soundtrack, and a flawless cockpit mode for nutjobs that actually prefer that crap (like me).

Two other games I really loved are:

Motor Toon Grand Prix - It's actually the second game but the only one released in the US. I've never played the first (I'd like to, even though I've heard mixed things about it), but this one is pretty damn fun. It starts off pretty darn easy but the difficulty really ramps up as you go along... I wish I still had my save from where I had everything unlocked :(

Burning Road - It's not an original game and there's only three tracks, but it's a damn fun arcade racer. It's pretty much an offroad Daytona USA clone, and a damn fun one at that. A friend and I used to sit in my basement for hours playing this damn game and it never got old. At one point we found a way to involve every car on the course in a big ass crash.

I heard the developers did a motorcycle racing game in the UK, but I don't remember the name :( I'd love to track down a copy at some point.

[klausien]

Ridge Racer Sold me on the system, play it to this day. It was also the genesis of the excellent NeGcon controller that everyone needs to try if they love racing games. They have aged very well if you can still handle glitchy 32-bit polygon graphics. I certainly can. Actually, I have probably logged more time on the four PSX RR games than any other game on the system, except for maybe SOTN. One of the truly system-defining series on the PSX.

WipeOut Still some of the greatest soundtracks out there. Just makes me so nostalgic for a more exciting time. Floaty control done right in an inviting futuristic Euro world. F1 in space. All three are outstanding and the PSP version is a nice trip down memory lane.

Colin McRae Rally It still surprises that we were blessed with these. Codemasters know Rally better than any other developer. Manages to mix enough Sega Rally with the simulation to be incredibly fun. Dryer than the Sega Rally, but less sterile than GT. The graphics in 2.0 were pretty impressive for the PSX as well, though the frame rate suffers a tiny bit. This series has just continued to get better and better.

RayTracers This is my sleeper for the list. Chase H.Q. for the Playstation age. Yes, it is by Taito, but it retains that old-school Taito arcade feel better than most of their 3D stuff. The graphics are a solid Ridge Racer rip-off, but the chase gameplay is great. Worth checking out if you never have.

Biggest Disappointment: Rally Cross I really wanted to like them, but they have aged incredibly poorly. I also don't like games that make you manually right your car when you flip it, and that seems to be all you do in both games. Control is not something these games can pride themselves on.

Not a GT fan. NFS 3 & 4 were fantastic, but the others are meh. The first is still interesting as a comparison with the PC, 3DO and Saturn versions, but that's about all its good for now. NFS 2 is horrendous and Porsche Unleashed is a step in the wrong direction.

Nice call on the Motor Toon (a Polyphony Digital racing game that is (gasp)... FUN!?!?) and I definitely agree that Burning Road is another good obscurity that is worth checking out, if only for the truly ridiculous soundtrack. It does for hair metal what Daytona USA did for J-Pop/Rock.

[AMG]

Gran Turismo: I was in awe when I got this game home and put into the PSX. The car selection, graphics, details on upgrading and tweaking were just amazing for their time. I spent countless hours playing this one.

Ridge Racer Type 4: Love it, still my favorite game in the series.

Gran Turismo 2: Another GT with many late nights playing it to death.

[AMG]

Gran Turismo: I was in awe when I got this game home and put into the PSX. The car selection, graphics, details on upgrading and tweaking were just amazing for their time. I spent countless hours playing this one.

Ridge Racer Type 4: Love it, still my favorite game in the series.

Gran Turismo 2: Another GT with many late nights playing it to death.

I don't know how I forgot Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit. It's definitely one of my top favorite racers for the PSX.

[Blitzwing256]

its all about motor toon ,probably the best racing game on every system I've ever played (hate mario kart) light hearted fun and pretty challenging with a very catchy soundtrack

just avoid the first one its pretty bland with only 3 tracks to race on (the 2 player tracks don't count) but yeah best racing game ever.

[dreamcaster]

Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo 2
Ridge Racer Type 4
Rally Cross
Wipeout 2097
Micro Machines V3

[DigitalSpace]

I'd really like to check out Motor Toon Grand Prix after all the excellent things I've heard about it, but I'm unsure if I'll ever be able to track down a copy.

I want to check out Ridge Racer Type 4, Destruction Derby 2, and Micro Machines V3 as well (on a somewhat unreleated note, I own the GBC version of V3, and it's pretty good despite the annoying password system). I've never heard of Burning Road, but it sounds like something I have to check out now.

Other PSX racers I'd like to get (regardless of whether they're worthy of being mentioned here or not):
Test Drive Off-Road 2 and 3
The first two Need For Speed games (just to have them)
One of the Wipeout games (most likely 3)
TNN Hardcore 4x4

[Ascending Wordsmith]

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit It's one of the few racers that I actually played and enjoyed. The tracks and scenery are just gorgeous (Hometown and Aquatica being my favorites). The gameplay is also addictive. I'm not even a gaming racer, but Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit is definitely my pick!

[Captain Wrong]

TOCA 2. Yeah, the graphics were a little past date and the physics were a little quirky, but the AI in this game is still some of the best I've ever raced against. The other drivers actually put up a fight! Imagine that.

V-Rally 3. I dig rally games. I dug this one. Still break it out from time to time.

Y'know, as hard as I looked, I never could find a copy of RC de Go. I'd still be interested in checking that one out.

[Cauterize]

Motor Mash, Circuit Breakers, Micro Machines V3

:embarrassed: :embarrassed: :embarrassed: I do like my top down cutesy racers though :embarrassed: :embarrassed: :embarrassed:

Probably not everyones cup of tea really...
If i had to chose a 'proper' racer, it would definately be RRT4
That Ridge Racer was unbelievable and way ahead of its time. The controls were neat and it just presented itself so well...
Never got round to unlocking the PacMan car though, maybe a Gameshark can treat me to it!

[c0ldb33r]

My favorites from most-played to least-played:

1) Wipeout
2) Crash Team Racing
3) Wipeout XL
4) Ridge Racer Type 4

[Cauterize]

oh and how could i forget:

MegaMan Battle and Chase

A nice attempt to recreate Mario Kart, but not doing it too well :/ Never the less, its MegaMan so i love it :)

[50TBRD]

The entire Moto Racer series. I got the first one from a friend and loved it. Found the second one at Gamestop for next to nothing. I thought that it was great that they included the track maker in the second one. Actually, haven't played the third one but I don't imagine it being terrible. The contols are really good, the tracks are challenging, and you can unlock so much.

Also, while more of a stunt racing game, I really like The Italian Job. A lot of fun and noticable differences in the controls/acceleration in the cars. Very challenging in a number of levels, and so many modes in the game. I love playing as the Muira and just ripping up the streets. Its a shame that it came out so late in the life of the PS1 and so many poeple disregard it after moving on to their PS2. I also really like the movie, the original one.

[cyberfluxor]

Ridge Racer series
Gran Turismo series
Need for Speed series

I also liked Hydrothunder to some extent.

[Haoie]

R4 had absolutely amazing music and GFX.

Biggest problem? Too few tracks!!

[Emuaust]

Well I liked all the usual ones GT/GT2/RR4 but i can say i gave
a huge amount of time to Crash team racing and Spead freaks as well

[jdc]

I'll second every choice thus far. RayTracers was cool and quite difficult if I remember correctly.

Toca 1 and 2 and Jarrett And Labonte were awesome but lost something on the PS2 and Xbox.

I love Turismo 1 for it's compactness when compared to 2, but 2 was great for it's monster size.

R4 was the last Ridge that they got "right" IMO, but I've enjoyed 5 and 6 too.

Colin Mcrae 1 and 2. It's too bad that Codemasters can't teach Polyphony a thing or two on how to do rally properly. Turismo 4's rally physics is a mess.

[briskbc]

One of the first games i played for the Playstation was Destruction Derby 2. It was a hoot. Unfortunately I don't own it. I was just renting it.

[The Great Dane]

Destruction Derby 1 and 2 are my favorites. They really are the only two that I ever really liked. The first one is one of the games that got me really wanting to buy a ps1 years ago. I still play it to this day.

[Overbite]

I cant decide!

Wipeout series of Need for Speed...

[jferio]

Hydrothunder and Wipeout3 for the PS1 for me.

[crazyjackcsa]

Cosmic Race. 'nuff said.

[Push Upstairs]

Need for Speed: High Stakes

It may have been replaced with "Burnout 3" later on, but it's still a thrill to outrun the cops.

"Pull over,this is not a game!" - game cops. LOL

[itobandito]

My favorite has to be the original Need for Speed, that's right, #1, I love the FMV, the music, the tracks and the cars. Yeah theres not a lot but there all awesome. Was a big fan of part 2 as well.

[Hypnotuba]

The entire Moto Racer series. I got the first one from a friend and loved it. Found the second one at Gamestop for next to nothing. I thought that it was great that they included the track maker in the second one. Actually, haven't played the third one but I don't imagine it being terrible. The contols are really good, the tracks are challenging, and you can unlock so much.


Yes! This was my first thought when I saw this thread. The first one is still probably my favorite. I bought it when I got my PS in 1998. It blew me away! :)

The second is great because of the track editor, as you mentioned. Too bad it's choppier than the first one. You can tell the difference when you, say, test a track you just designed (nice and smooth) and then race on that track against CPU opponents (not so smooth anymore).

While the first 2 have a similar look and control, the 3rd (World Tour) is quite different. New graphical look, perhaps a more realistic control feel (or at least a different feel.) Still very good though, worth picking up, IMO. Just be ready for it being different than the others. It's got good tracks, including some Isle of Man tracks -- compare them to Manx TT on the Saturn! :) -- and Suzuka.

Wow, sorry I went on so long. Just to get back to the point of the thread: Moto Racer (all 3), Wipeout XL and 3, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Ridge Racer Type 4, and, uh, I used to like CART World Series way back when. . .don't know how well that one would hold up today.

[Hypnotuba]

Oh, since I can't edit my post, and this extra bit is just SO IMPORTANT for everyone to know. . . :)

The original Need For Speed is great, too, especially the point-to-point races. And NFS: High Stakes. . .cool graphical look, could've been as good as NFS III if the framerate didn't get so choppy when the action is intense (mainly when being chased by many cops.)

[Kamisama]

I like RC de GO! a lot :)
dont know for "normal" racers hehe