So what do you guys see in racing games?

[Mr Buckshot]

I've never liked most racers, as in those that simply have you driving a car and trying to beat other cars to a finish line. There are exceptions like Mario Kart DS (omg I love that game) and Twisted Metal (the weapons are ownage), but otherwise, I just didn't like racers.

That changed when I borrowed Need for Speed Most Wanted for PC from a friend. I plugged in my X360 gamepad for better control and being lazy, downloaded a save file to unlock all the content instantly (no, I don't want to race Grandma's old car and start from there - I want to start by driving those sports cars on the box art!). Then I started the game, gamepad ready, and surprisingly, I had fun!

Naturally, I ignored the simple challenges that have you trying to beat other cars to the finish line. I played the "run from cops" and "be the cops" modes and the sensation of ramming cars out of control and evading the law never got old.

The physics and graphics of NFS Most Wanted were pretty good for their time, and these technical features just get better and better as hardware improves.

Before, this was the ONLY racer I owned (and also enjoyed a lot):
http://nintendods.gaming-universe.de/screens/boxart_us_mario-kart-ds.jpg

Now, this is the new racing game I like:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c1/Need_for_Speed_Most_Wanted.jpg/250px-Need_for_Speed_Most_Wanted.jpg

It took an EA game 0_O for me to change my perspective of racing games.

Discuss! What do you people think about racing games in general?

[TeeKup]

I LOVED the Gran Turismo series. :)

[Warsaw]

My friend, you must play F-Zero...any of the console versions. Hovering race cars on hovering race-tracks with loops and barrel rolls is a godly combination.

[Mr Buckshot]

I've tried Burnout as well. F-Zero sounds cool, thanks for the info.

I played Burnout 3 on my friend's PS2. Smashing cars to smithereens never got old.

[Pooky]

Not much, F zero and Mario Kart are cool, but I can't stand over realistic racers

[Limited]

I dont like simulators, where you HAVE to change gear at right time, you HAVE to break at right time. etc. that shits boring.

I like games like the burnout series and need for speed, you can basically piss around having fun whilst crashing into things like a mad man :D

[Con]

Need for Speed fails now. Most Wanted is alright, but it could be way better. Racing games these days are less about the driving and more about tailoring to popularity. EA seems to be putting out a new NFS game every year, and the results aren't surprising. They just want to get the games out so it's the next new thing, then move on. Just take a look at their next game in the series, Need For Speed: Pro Street

http://prostreet.nfsgame.net/screenshoty (don't you love their typo? It's even on the page too.)

Just look at that website theme, the car on the header, the myriad of body kits in the screenshot. I'm glad they've got some classics and other cars in there, but you can see that the tuners are still the driving force. Tuner's are okay the first time, but they get old fast,

The game looks amazing though, so I might go pick it up when it comes out. Something I really hope for is amazing damage in the game. Racing games now are either dumbed-up with epic car damage, or great racing physics but no damage. I wish someone would make a game that combines the two in a way that's super-realistic. I hate crashing into lamp-poles and having them fly over a building. Like real life street racing, the car needs to wrap around the pole, shear in half, and go flying off into the street in a hundred peices. Now that's fun. Fucking lazy EA and their
http://forumimages.somethingawful.com/images/smilies/emot-rice.gif (javascript:cb(':rice:');)

[Xetsuei]

Dirt.

[Nugga117]

Xetsuei™;97180']Dirt.
:iia:
Could use stronger AI though.

[legionaire45]

I'm not too much of a race car gamer myself, I mainly play more futuristic/arcade type racers.

[Archon23]

Personally the only racers I've ever liked were the ones that let you tear the SHIT out of the other cars. Flatout and the Burnout series were some of my favorites. I mean what other game let you fling your driver at a giant dart board?

[Random]

Burnout
Forza Motorsport 2
Gran Turismo 3 and 4
Dirt
Mario Cart :)

[Hotrod]

I've always liked the Need For Speed games, but I also like Mario kart and Twisted Metal.

[Nugga117]

My list of all the racing games I've owned (in no particular order):

Monster Truck Madness 1 & 2
Need for Speed 2, 3, 4, Porsche Unleashed, V-Rally & Underground 2
Midtown Madness 1, 2, & 3
PGR 2 & 3
Forza 1 & 2
X Car
Burnout Drag Racing (old PC title, no relation to the current Burnout titles)
Screamer 2
DIRT
Sports Car GT
Mobil 1 Rally Championship
Nascar 1, 2, 3, Legends, and all the expansion packs in-between
Gran Turismo 2 & 4 (worst rally physics ever)
Radio Control Racers 1 & Taxxas Edition
Motocross Madness 2
Grand Prix Legends
Speed Busters
4x4 Evo 1 & 2
Midnight Club 2
Viper Racing
SODA Off-road Racing
Test Drive Off-road & Unlimited
V-Rally 3
Burnout Revenge

Ok I'll stop there. I probably have a few more, but I have to find them.

[ShadowCloud]

On mario kart it says gaming universe.de witch was never shown and on need for speed most wanted, it shows PC dvd and +3 age witch was never shown also.

[Mr Buckshot]

Well, let's take a look at the basis of a racing game - race opposing cars and try to beat them to the finish line.

For a long time I found this concept boring.

But add in the destruction of Burnout, the weapons of Twisted Metal, or the "damage affects performance" of other games (including some NFS titles) and racing games can be a lot more fun.

anyone raced at the arcade before? when I was little I used to enjoy those kinds of racing games because I could actually be at the wheel shifting gears and stepping on pedals.

[Warsaw]

Things don't have to get shredded or explode to make a game fun...

[Mr Buckshot]

That's true, but in games as boring as racers, those two aspects are the easiest way to completely spice up gameplay.

Personally, simply driving past other cars to the finish line is rather repetitive. Even with advanced physics and graphics, the formula wears off soon. But if we can wreck our rides (or enemy rides) and/or the environment, racers just became loads of fun.

Therefore, racing games like Gran Turismo or Dirt wouldn't really appeal to me (I wonder how such racers would look to you guys?). However, Full Auto and Burnout make driving so fun.

[TeeKup]

Those who haven't play any Gran Turismo game don't really need to post. Gran Turismo was one of the premier racing games back in the day, I think it still is to this date.

GT4 did have bad rally physics though. :x

[DrunkenSamus]

Flatout ftw.:) 2004 was an awesome year for games.(HL2, Halo 2, Metroid)

[Btd69]

http://www.liveforspeed.net

:)

[Arteen]

My favorite racing games are:
Burnout 3 <- One of my favorite games of all time. It's just pure fun.
Mario Kart series
F-Zero series
Rush 2049 <- Totally underrated. It features racing, stunts, battle, and gauntlet mode, and it's one of my favorite multiplayer games.
Wave Race 64
Cruis'n series