The racing game genre began in the 1970s, but by the ‘80s, it had expanded significantly, adding various sub-genres. These were the games that helped establish the genre’s potential, expanding what was possible while introducing new mechanics. The decade was filled with many options, including several sit-down cockpit-style cabinets, uprights, and more, many of which were excellent games. We looked at all the major ones released in the 1980s and ranked the top five based on contemporary critics’ reviews at the time of release, their overall popularity with gamers, and how much fun they were to play.
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5) Pole Position
Of all the racing games released in the decade, 1982’s Pole Position is probably the most important. It introduced several mechanics to the genre and helped prove the viability of racing games as both entertaining options and money-earning cabinets. Pole Position was a huge commercial success and is not only one of the most influential games of all time, but also one of the most important from the Golden Age of Arcade Video Games. Gameplay involves driving a Formula One race car at Fuji Speedway, beginning with a timed one-lap qualifying session to determine pole position.
4) Spy Hunter
Spy Hunter isn’t a traditional racing game, as it’s more of a vehicle combat title, but it’s also an incredibly popular one featuring a car, so it qualifies. The game’s inspiration came from James Bond movies, and in it, you control a car called the “Interceptor” and destroy target enemy vehicles via an onboard arsenal of weapons. There was an upright and sit-down cockpit-style cabinet, each with a steering wheel, gas pedal, and several specialty buttons. Spy Hunter was a commercial hit and one of the best-selling arcade cabinets in the year of its release, leading to its port to a variety of systems.
3) Out Run
Sega released Out Run in 1986 as a racing game featuring nonlinear gameplay. It also featured a selectable soundtrack. There was an upright cab and a deluxe sit-down cockpit-style cabinet with a hydraulic motion simulator, offering more immersive gameplay. Out Run was an instant success, earning widespread critical acclaim and establishing a popular franchise. The year after its release, Out Run became the highest-grossing arcade game of the year. Many consider Out Run one of the best racing games ever made, and its influence can be seen in nearly every racing game released in the 1990s.
2) R.C. Pro-AM
R.C. Pro-AM is a 1988 racing game and an early accomplishment by Rare. It was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System before making the jump over to arcades via Nintendo’s PlayChoice-10 cabinet, where it did incredibly well. The game features vehicular combat via radio-controlled cars presented in an overhead isometric perspective. It’s a different style of racing game that was very successful and highly influential on subsequent games like Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo. Over the years, R.C. Pro-AM has been re-released and ported to just about everything that could play it, including the Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Classics.
1) Chase H.Q.
While Pole Position and Out Run were decidedly more influential, contemporary critics agreed that 1988’s Chase H.Q. was the best racing game of the 1980s. The vehicular combat game puts the player in the role of a police officer who must stop fleeing bad guys in high-speed pursuits. It was a commercial success, first in Japan and then worldwide after it arrived in Europe and North America. It was ported to pretty much anything capable of running it, including a ton of home gaming consoles, and it spawned a small franchise consisting of three sequels and two spin-offs.
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Courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan
