5 Best Arcade Racing Games Of All Time, Ranked

There is something exhilarating about an arcade racing game, with the genre thriving in the industry since its earliest commercial days. Some of the hit 1970s arcade games were formative racing titles, setting the foundation for more high-octane experiences to follow. Whether you’re racing against the computer or against friends on interfaced cabinets, we keep putting our quarters into these games to stay in the race. We’re taking a look back at our favorite arcade racing games which all still hold up well today decades after their initial launch.

To clarify, we’re not looking at arcade-style racing games like the “Gran Turismo” or “Burnout” series. These are titles that received an official arcade release, though many of them were eventually ported to home consoles. After all, many of the best retro racing games started in arcades and certainly influenced console-based racing titles. 

These are the five best arcade racing games of all time ranked, each offering their own high-speed thrills.

5. Star Wars Episode I: Racer

The “Star Wars” franchise has actually had a strong track record when it comes to its video games, including “Star Wars Episode I: Racer.” A tie-in for the 1999 prequel movie “The Phantom Menace,” the game expands upon the centerpiece racing sequence by taking its cast of podracing to numerous worlds across the galaxy. From racers like Ody Mandrell and the fearsome Sebulba to Anakin Skywalker himself, the eclectic roster and their respective podracers each come with their own unique properties. The arcade cabinet itself resembles Anakin’s podracer, complete with the throttles to push forward to accelerate into a boost as he does in the movie.

The big thing about “Star Wars Episode I: Racer” is that it’s arguably the fastest racing game on this list, moving at blinding speeds. The different tracks really evoke the diversity in planets from the “Star Wars” galaxy, elevating it to be recognized among the best “Star Wars” games. The game was ported to home platforms, becoming one of the best Nintendo 64 games, and it was remastered for modern platforms in 2020. That means if you happened to miss “Star Wars Episode I: Racer” the first time around, it’s still readily available for you to check out, arcade cabinet not included.

4. Hydro Thunder

Another arcade racing game that relied heavily on its distinct hardware is “Hydro Thunder,” which was developed and published by Midway Games in 1999. As the title suggests, the races unfold on various tracks on the water with futuristic speedboats, complete with jumps, boosts, and all sorts of track hazards. There are three difficulty settings and watercraft types that players can choose from, with more available to unlock based on their racing performance. To mimic the speedboats in the game, “Hydro Thunder” arcade cabinets feature the throttle lever as part of its controls.

While it was ported to a number of home platforms, starting with the Dreamcast, there’s just something special about playing “Hydro Thunder” in arcades. That tactile feeling of throttling up every time you hit a boost along with the vibrant display just isn’t done justice with its home ports. There is a cinematic quality to the track designs, knowing when to punctuate a race with a timely obstacle or rousing jump. While maybe not the most technically proficient racing game, the fun-filled arcade experience around “Hydro Thunder” is impossible to deny.

3. Sega Rally Championship

Sega was one of the biggest publishers behind hit arcade racing titles like “Hang-On” and “Virtua Racing.” Among Sega’s racing hits in the ’90s, as it embraced the possibilities of 3D gaming, was 1995’s “Sega Rally Championship.” The game features several distinct environments for players to traverse, with the differences in the terrain visibly affecting the cars’ handling. The arcade version of the game supported up to four cabinets being together for even more frenetic racing action.

The shift to rally racing instead of more conventional closed circuit tracks makes “Sega Rally Championship” really stand out from its contemporaries. The use of terrain effects on handling were relatively revolutionary for their time, at least with regards to how integral they were to the overall experience. And the more grounded approach to the races themselves really helps the game stand the test of time as competing titles like “Need for Speed” began to take off. Ported to home platforms like the Sega Saturn, “Sega Rally Championship” showcases a more realistic approach to the genre.

2. Rave Racer

As part of its popular “Ridge Racer” line of arcade games, Namco temporarily rebranded the series for its third installment “Rave Racer.” The 1995 game adds two tracks while bringing in the previous tracks from prior titles, in addition to visibly improving the technical presentation. The handling and driving mechanics have also been noticeably refined while the arcade version of the game offers haptic feedback through the steering wheel. Helping set the mood, the game features a robust original soundtrack, with plenty of electronica tracks elevating the experience.

Compared to “Ridge Racer,” it seems that “Rave Racer” is a hit arcade game nobody remembers today. The game stands as the apex of the “Ridge Racer” series in arcades, incorporating everything from prior titles and significantly improving upon them. After “Rave Racer,” Namco repositioned the series as primarily one for home platforms while restoring the “Ridge Racer” branding. That makes this 1995 game something of a swan song for the franchise’s classic arcade era and one that we wish we could readily go back to.

1. Daytona USA

When it comes to arcade racing games, the king of the genre is still “Daytona USA.” Developed and published by Sega in 1994, the game feels like the company’s response to Namco’s “Ridge Racer” series while providing its own distinct experience. The initial version of the game places the player against 39 computer-controlled opponents on three different race tracks to choose from. The arcade game also offers up to eight-person multiplayer support through interfaced cabinets, upping the high-octane ante.

“Daytona USA” is the point where arcade racing games really overcome the initial clunkiness of the genre’s early 3D releases. The texture mapping on the vehicles and tracks looks great and the handling is much more intuitive than Sega’s earlier racing titles. This is all bolstered by an excellent soundtrack, with the Japanese soundtrack as the superior, if meme-worthy, choice. “Daytona USA” was ported to Sega’s home consoles and received a line of updates and sequels, but there’s something pure about the original 1994 game.