Auto Racing Games

[Cynicaster]

I'm an 8- and 16-bit retro guy through-and-through but I must admit, if there is one area that has been profoundly enhanced by 3D-capable hardware it's racing games.  

 

I've got a Logitech DFGT steering wheel so, aside from Daytona and GT6 on PS3, I've been playing a lot of racing games on PS2 lately.  My favorite recent discovery is Burnout 3: Takedown.  Takes a while to get used to the steering but it's a blast.  

 

On 5/3/2022 at 12:35 PM, roadrunner said:

F1 2002 on the PS2 
good game


Good old Hockenheim circuit 



 

 

 

In the course of trying a bunch of PS2 racers, I've been wanting to find a good F1 game to play with the wheel.  So far the only one I've tried is F1 Career Challenge (I think that's the name, anyway) and, although it detected and supported the steering wheel, it was utterly unplayable with it.  There was absolutely no dead zone on the wheel so no matter how hard you try it's near impossible to drive in a straight line.  I couldn't see any adjustments for this in the settings so I guess they never bothered to polish this functionality.  The game in this video looks cool but since it's from EA - i.e., the same company as the aforementioned Career Challenge - I assume it probably uses the same basic game engine and would also suck with the wheel.  If anyone knows different please let me know.  

 

 

[roadrunner]

56 minutes ago, Cynicaster said:

I'm an 8- and 16-bit retro guy through-and-through but I must admit, if there is one area that has been profoundly enhanced by 3D-capable hardware it's racing games.  

 

I've got a Logitech DFGT steering wheel so, aside from Daytona and GT6 on PS3, I've been playing a lot of racing games on PS2 lately.  My favorite recent discovery is Burnout 3: Takedown.  Takes a while to get used to the steering but it's a blast.  

 

 

In the course of trying a bunch of PS2 racers, I've been wanting to find a good F1 game to play with the wheel.  So far the only one I've tried is F1 Career Challenge (I think that's the name, anyway) and, although it detected and supported the steering wheel, it was utterly unplayable with it.  There was absolutely no dead zone on the wheel so no matter how hard you try it's near impossible to drive in a straight line.  I couldn't see any adjustments for this in the settings so I guess they never bothered to polish this functionality.  The game in this video looks cool but since it's from EA - i.e., the same company as the aforementioned Career Challenge - I assume it probably uses the same basic game engine and would also suck with the wheel.  If anyone knows different please let me know.  

 

 

I don't have a wheel controller but the controls for Career Challenge are different than 2000, 2001, and 2002
you can't make any changes to your car. 
 

[Atariboy]

I've never subscribed to the thought that the racing game genre didn't really get good until the modern 3D era. So many good games going back all the way to the 1970's with stuff like Super Bug, Sega's Super Scalers of the 1980's and early 90's, console classics like Top Gear on the Super Nintendo, etc.

 

I've never gotten around to actually trying it with a wheel, but I suspect Grand Prix Challenge on the PS2 probably handles well with Logitech's PS2 compatible wheel/pedal sets. Essentially was a console port of Grand Prix 4.

Edited May 14, 2022 by Atariboy

[Cynicaster]

57 minutes ago, Atariboy said:

I've never subscribed to the thought that the racing game genre didn't really get good until the modern 3D era. So many good games going back all the way to the 1970's with stuff like Super Bug, Sega's Super Scalers of the 1980's and early 90's, console classics like Top Gear on the Super Nintendo, etc.

 

I've never gotten around to actually trying it with a wheel, but I suspect Grand Prix Challenge on the PS2 probably handles well with Logitech's PS2 compatible wheel/pedal sets. Essentially was a console port of Grand Prix 4.

Not sure if you were addressing me but I didn’t mean to suggest that there are no very good early racing games.  I just think the 3D racing games are a rare (for me) example of a game type where “realism” is a benefit in and of itself.  
 

As for GP Challenge, coincidentally I already have that one written down as one to check out.