The 5 greatest racing games on Sega Mega Drive and Saturn – Reader’s Feature

A reader looks back at the best racing games for the Dreamcast, Saturn, and Mega Drive, including Sega Rally and the classic Micro Machines.

Sega has a proud history of some of the best racing games to come to consoles in the 1990s, which has given us great classics on the Mega Drive, Saturn, and Dreamcast. Racing games have been a part of gaming for many decades and Sega marked their name down in history as one of the best developers in the genre.

The main consoles Sega are remembered for are the Mega Drive and Dreamcast. There are many racing games that we have seen, and many of us got to play and enjoy, however, there are a few that remain my all-time favourite, both by Sega and other companies.

Here are five of what I feel are the best racing games to ever come to a Sega system.

Road Rash 2 (EA/Mega Drive)

A motorbike racing game combined with weapons and multiple opponents, along with a great soundtrack. This sequel showed the world exactly how a ‘bike racing game should be and how it should be developed. With obstacles such as cars to avoid and road hazards, as well as the police bike to avoid, the game offers players a thrilling gameplay challenge.

As you progressed you could earn cash and upgrade your bike, ensuring the game got more fun the further you got. You could also get into fights with enemy bikers and knock them off their bikes, so much fun could be had with this outrageous game. It’s for these reasons Road Rash 2 has made my list.

Street Racer (Ubisoft/Mega Drive)

With Sonic not having a racing game equivalent to Mario Kart during the Mega Drive era, Street Racer offered a great alternative for Sega fans. While not made by Sega it had a decent soundtrack and was always fun to play, with enjoyable racing and weapons to use. It is for these reasons Street Racer has made my list.

Micro Machines (Codemasters/Mega Drive)

Micro Machines fans got a massive treat with this game that allowed players to race on tracks with obstacles, while also being able to play as the featured characters going for the top prize. The feel and unique gameplay of racing miniature cars, and different vehicles, including boats, gave the game good variety and was also a very popular brand for collectors at the time. The game’s levels offered something that was rarely seen in a racing game and gave it a unique style never seen before. As a fan of that brand, who used to enjoy collecting those cars, this game makes my list and fans of Micro Machines should remember it well.

Daytona USA (Sega/Saturn)

Daytona on the Sega Saturn is a prime example of exactly how you make a racing game a hit on consoles and in arcades. Featuring NASCAR style stock car racing, it had a great soundtrack and was always enjoyable to race around on the tracks. Each time you played the game you could not stop wanting to replay it and always enjoyed racing around in a high-powered racing machine. The Sega Saturn, on its release, was the newest, hottest console from Sega and Daytona was one of its best classic racing games that did it justice. Its 3D style and unforgettable soundtrack is what will ensure it remains in players hearts. It is for these reasons Daytona has made my list.

Sega Rally (Sega/Saturn)

Sega Rally demonstrated exactly how a rally game should be done and exactly why players should own and play it. With a rally car you raced along tracks, trying to keep the timer up and you could also jump off the tracks, adding to the excitement and making the game fun. Sega Rally offered players a unique rally game and a different type of racing game. When on dirt tracks you got the feel of the game and got to experience rallying, which was from Sega and had great 3D graphics. You could also have fun with friends, and it was often entertaining to see how each of you handled a rally car. It is for these reasons Sega Rally makes my list.

Notable Mentions

I must give mentions to VIrtua Racing, Test Drive 2: The Duel, Super Hang-On, and OutRun on the Mega Drive as further examples of great classic racing games. Also, Crazy Taxi on the Dreamcast deserves a mention, as these games are examples of how racing games are done right on a Sega system and what the future of racing games should and has become.

Sega has always given us great racing games, even from other publishers or developers, and the above mentioned games should be tried and played by anyone who has never played them at least once. I highly recommend you give them a shot, you might like a few of them even today.

By reader gaz be rotten (gamertag)

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