Best games
Best Racing games on Arcade
The 13 best Racing games on Arcade, ranked from 1,679 critic and player ratings.
The best Racing game on Arcade right now is Crazy Taxi (1999), with a critic score of 82/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1970 to 2026.
- 13 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,679 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 13
01
Crazy Taxi (1999)
Hey hey, come on over and have some fun with Crrrrrazy Taxi! Barrel through traffic packed streets, hurdle off parking garages, and Crazy Combo your way to Crazy Money in a wild frantic race to scare up the most fares. In Crazy Taxi, time is money, and only the Craziest Cabbies come out victorious.
82
/100
02
Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer was initially released on the Namco System 22 arcade system board and was later ported to the PlayStation console. It is the first title in the long-running Ridge Racer series of games released for arcades and home consoles. The game's objective is to finish in first place in a series of races. Ridge Racer was among the first racing games to utilise polygon graphics to its full potential.
82
/100
03
F-Zero
F-Zero is set in the year 2560, when humanity's multiple encounters with alien life forms had resulted in the expansion of Earth's social framework. This led to commercial, technological and cultural interchanges between planets. The multi-billionaires who earned their wealth through intergalactic trade were mainly satisfied with their lifestyles, although most coveted more entertainment in their lives. This resulted in a new entertainment based on the Formula One races to be founded with vehicles that could hover one foot above the track. These Grand Prix races were soon named "F-Zero" after a rise in popularity of the races. The game introduced the first set of F-Zero racers: Captain Falcon, Dr. Stewart, Pico, and Samurai Goroh.
80
/100
Crazy Taxi (1999)
Hey hey, come on over and have some fun with Crrrrrazy Taxi! Barrel through traffic packed streets, hurdle off parking garages, and Crazy Combo your way to Crazy Money in a wild frantic race to scare up the most fares. In Crazy Taxi, time is money, and only the Craziest Cabbies come out victorious.
82
/100
02
Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer was initially released on the Namco System 22 arcade system board and was later ported to the PlayStation console. It is the first title in the long-running Ridge Racer series of games released for arcades and home consoles. The game's objective is to finish in first place in a series of races. Ridge Racer was among the first racing games to utilise polygon graphics to its full potential.
82
/100
03
F-Zero
F-Zero is set in the year 2560, when humanity's multiple encounters with alien life forms had resulted in the expansion of Earth's social framework. This led to commercial, technological and cultural interchanges between planets. The multi-billionaires who earned their wealth through intergalactic trade were mainly satisfied with their lifestyles, although most coveted more entertainment in their lives. This resulted in a new entertainment based on the Formula One races to be founded with vehicles that could hover one foot above the track. These Grand Prix races were soon named "F-Zero" after a rise in popularity of the races. The game introduced the first set of F-Zero racers: Captain Falcon, Dr. Stewart, Pico, and Samurai Goroh.
80
/100
04
Daytona USA
The player is put behind the wheel of a stock car (known as the Hornet), with the choice of three tracks as well as an automatic or manual transmission. The player's objectives are to outrun the competing cars, and complete the race before time runs out.
80
/100
05
Race Driver: Grid
Discover a stunning world of motor sport brought to life, from racing muscle cars through the iconic streets of San Francisco and competing in the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans to drifting around the docks of Yokohama. Jump behind the wheel of exhilarating racing cars in the most aggressive, spectacular wheel-to-wheel races you've ever experienced.
78
/100
06
Re-Volt
Re-Volt is an R/C car racing game from Acclaim, originally released in 1999. Re-Volt features great gameplay, realistic physics that still hold up to this day and bright and colorful visuals. It's a game aimed at people who just want to play a funky arcade racing game as well as for people who seek a more competitive challenge. It's meant for all ages and occasions: Play for yourself or in the local network with friends, or even online!
78
/100
07
DiRT Showdown
Race, crash and hoon your way through a world tour of motorised mayhem in DiRT Showdown! Crowd atmosphere, social gameplay and accessibility are all ramped up in this turbo- injected shot of driving delirium. Smash down the accelerator and earn the adulation of frenzied crowds at hyper-energised events at iconic locations. Trick, speed and smash your way to victory, then do it again.
74
/100
08
Road Fighter
Road Fighter is a car-based arcade game developed by Konami and released in 1984. It also was the first car racing game from Konami. The goal is to reach the finish line within the stages without running out of time, hitting other cars or running out of fuel (fuel is refilled by hitting a special type of car). The game also spawned two sequels in its time, Midnight Run: Road Fighter 2 in 1995 and Winding Heat in 1996, respectively. A Japan-only rebooted sequel was also released in 2010, 14 years after Winding Heat.
72
/100
09
Out Run
OutRun is a racing game originating in the arcades. The player can race across varied terrain in a readily available Ferrari, complete with a female passenger, over a series of short tracks. Gameplay is viewed form just above and behind the car. The roads are full of sharp bends and hazards, contact with which can cause the car to roll and lose the player's time. On each section of track there is a fork in the road, allowing the player to choose which direction he or she wishes to go in. The player has to to complete five track sections in total, out of the fifteen in the game.
71
/100
10
Excitebike
Excitebike is a motocross racing video game franchise made by Nintendo. It first debuted as a game for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 and as a launch title for the NES in 1985. It is the first game of the Excite series.
71
/100
11
Paperboy
71
/100
12
Cruis'n USA
66
/100
13
Sega Rally Championship
50
/100
Daytona USA
The player is put behind the wheel of a stock car (known as the Hornet), with the choice of three tracks as well as an automatic or manual transmission. The player's objectives are to outrun the competing cars, and complete the race before time runs out.
80
/100
05
Race Driver: Grid
Discover a stunning world of motor sport brought to life, from racing muscle cars through the iconic streets of San Francisco and competing in the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans to drifting around the docks of Yokohama. Jump behind the wheel of exhilarating racing cars in the most aggressive, spectacular wheel-to-wheel races you've ever experienced.
78
/100
06
Re-Volt
Re-Volt is an R/C car racing game from Acclaim, originally released in 1999. Re-Volt features great gameplay, realistic physics that still hold up to this day and bright and colorful visuals. It's a game aimed at people who just want to play a funky arcade racing game as well as for people who seek a more competitive challenge. It's meant for all ages and occasions: Play for yourself or in the local network with friends, or even online!
78
/100
07
DiRT Showdown
Race, crash and hoon your way through a world tour of motorised mayhem in DiRT Showdown! Crowd atmosphere, social gameplay and accessibility are all ramped up in this turbo- injected shot of driving delirium. Smash down the accelerator and earn the adulation of frenzied crowds at hyper-energised events at iconic locations. Trick, speed and smash your way to victory, then do it again.
74
/100
08
Road Fighter
Road Fighter is a car-based arcade game developed by Konami and released in 1984. It also was the first car racing game from Konami. The goal is to reach the finish line within the stages without running out of time, hitting other cars or running out of fuel (fuel is refilled by hitting a special type of car). The game also spawned two sequels in its time, Midnight Run: Road Fighter 2 in 1995 and Winding Heat in 1996, respectively. A Japan-only rebooted sequel was also released in 2010, 14 years after Winding Heat.
72
/100
09
Out Run
OutRun is a racing game originating in the arcades. The player can race across varied terrain in a readily available Ferrari, complete with a female passenger, over a series of short tracks. Gameplay is viewed form just above and behind the car. The roads are full of sharp bends and hazards, contact with which can cause the car to roll and lose the player's time. On each section of track there is a fork in the road, allowing the player to choose which direction he or she wishes to go in. The player has to to complete five track sections in total, out of the fifteen in the game.
71
/100
10
Excitebike
Excitebike is a motocross racing video game franchise made by Nintendo. It first debuted as a game for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 and as a launch title for the NES in 1985. It is the first game of the Excite series.
71
/100
11
Paperboy
71
/100
12
Cruis'n USA
66
/100
13
Sega Rally Championship
50
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Racing game on Arcade?
Crazy Taxi (1999) currently tops the ranking with a score of 82/100 across 431 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.