Favorite futuristic racers?

[Dan Locke]

It's a pretty small genre, even if you count the ones with wheels (boo!), but there are still quite a few of them. Due to the fact that pretty much everybody here is a fan of the Wipeout series, posters can only mention one Wipeout game each, and they each have to include at least one non-Wipeout game with it. Otherwise, this thread's going to get a bit repetitive. ;)

I'll start with my top five:

1. Wipeout HD (PS3)

The pinnacle of hovercraft racing excellence! It's technically deep, it beautifully balances racing and combat, it has original and varied game modes, and its graphics, music, and general polish are almost unparalleled - it'll be a long time before something comes along that's better than this.

2. F-Zero GX (GameCube)

The other pinnacle of hovercraft racing excellence! It may not have the depth or subtlety of the Wipeout games, but it makes up for that with its intensity, speed, and truckloads of content, not to mention its crazy track designs. There's also a custom ship editor, a story mode, Captain Falcon - it's easily on par with Wipeout HD, and even better in some areas.

3. Hi-Octane (PC, PlayStation, Saturn)

It's one of the ugliest games ever created, and it was developed in less than two months. So how does it manage to be so fun? By combining ultra-floaty futuristic handling with wide, forgiving tracks, putting an obscene emphasis on combat and destruction, and carefully balancing the gameplay to ensure that everything works perfectly as a whole. Also, deathmatch mode.

4. Quantum Redshift (XBOX)

Designed by our own Nick Burcombe, of all people, Quantum Redshift brought futuristic combat racing to the XBOX for the first time. With incredible graphics (especially the raindrop effect), imaginative, arcade-style course designs, and an interesting - albeit sadly underdeveloped - rivalry system, it's a masterful example of the genre.

5. Galaxy 5000 (NES)

Surprised to see an NES game on this list? Don't be. This little isometric gem is really quite good, with fast-paced racing action married to a basic money and upgrade system. Exuding the same sort of accessible playability that characterizes series like Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart, Galaxy 5000 is among the best that the NES has to offer.

/games

Well, I'm done rambling; now it's your turn.

[AG-wolf]

can't really list any by specific "rank" because I love all this stuff

other than Wipeout in general, these are some of the other games/series I enjoy:
F-Zero (all... also, Samurai Goroh > Captain Falcon)
Extreme-G (still like the first game more than the later ones)
Rush 2049 (and Rush 2)
Quantum Redshift (of course ;) )
Sonic Riders (only the first game, the second is terrible)
Tube Slider (obscure GameCube game done by the same team who made "F-Zero: Maximum Velocity")
Rollcage (both)
Jet-Moto series

Now that I'm thinking about it, I realize there aren't quite as many "futuristic racers" in my repertoire as I thought... I could just be forgetting some. In lieu of a more complete list, here are some other arbitrary racing games I like too lol
Rad Racer 1 - NES
Outrun - Arcade
Outrun 2 - Xbox
Top Gear 2 - Genesis
Top Gear Rally - N64
Road Rash 3 - Genesis
Road Rash - Saturn/PSX/3D0 cross-platform version
Mario Kart (all except the Wii version)
Crash Team Racing - PSX (surprisingly a VERY good Mario Kart "rival")
Burnout 3
Burnout Paradise
Sega Rally Championship - Saturn
Daytona USA CCE - Saturn
Sega TouringCar Championship - Saturn
Sonic R - Saturn
Virtua Racing Deluxe - 32X
Gran Turismo 1 - PSX
Kirby Air Ride - GameCube
Bomberman Fantasy Race - PSX

I still feel like i'm forgetting stuff.

[GreenPhazon]

Mach Rider all the way.

[Dan Locke]

Eh, that's not really a racing game. It's more like Fire and Forget or MegaRace.

[XpanDrome2097]

Mmmmhh...

WipEout 2097 (PSX) - Is still my favourite game of all the times yeah!

Wip3out (PSX) - Awesome game, don't you know this :hyper?

WipEout (PSX) - Oh, another strange and unknown game...I Love it :rock!

Galaxy 5000 (NES) - I really love it: great tracks, ships with power-ups, very great! I love NES! I see that am not the only one that have loved this beatiful game! I LOVE NES ;):rock!!!!

F-ZERO (SNES) - This game was the first purchase with a 3-D illusion effect, and the music was awesome for its times.

[ACE-FLO]

WipEout Pulse - I loved it too damn much, even though the title had all sorts of issues and bugs related to it, some of which had divided this community until HD Fury arrived... But for me, I got used to the quitters, the odd cheater here and there and the jaytech junkies - and did well against them all. Without jaytech or cfw. I really should post some of my TT/SL and SR times on wipeoutzone but find it hella complicated so haven't done as yet (me = lazy)... the shame is, I went on CFW and couldnt go online ever since - so, to compensate, I got me a PS3 slim and wipEout HD/Fury on Blu Ray :rock, and the one thing I just love about HD/Fury is the number of online competitors available for races at any time - though I often face quitters here too, but hey - I guess that happens on most online games so (burp) :D ANyway, yeah - I guess it was the feeling of accomplishment on Pulse that makes me say it's my fave, but um - HD/Fury is coming a close second (I love online racing :g)

Rollcage - cant remember how long ago I played this, but its the only other futuristic racer I've played so can't comment on any others :? but yeah, driving on walls and ceilings is car-azy (see what I did there - ok it was lame)

[XpanDrome2097]

WOW! Rollcage!
I don't have mentioned it: what a cool game it was!

[ACE-FLO]

Yeah, Rollcage was a good game, but I don't remember much of it... did it have a primary and secondary fire option also? Or is it my imagination taking over again? :D hada good DnB soundtrack too, or was that me blasting DnB from the stereo with the game on SOund FX only??? I'm so confused :lol

[eLhabib]

Rock'n'Roll Racing.
'nuff said.

[WolfKill01]

Favorite futuristic racers hmm...well let's see

1. I'm gonna have to go with WipEout Pure :redface:. It was either this or 3 and both games did so many things right: AMAZING track design, great ships, and a very "wipeout" style. But in the end, this was the deciding factor: (improved)Goteki + Ubermall = heaven. Simple as that :D

2. F-Zero GX. The best of the entire series. The speed was incredible, the characters were quirky and fun, and the track design was on par (maybe even superior to :eek) wipeout. And the endless customizable options kept me up for weeks on end alone.

3. XGRA. Considered by many to be a low point for the series. I found it absolutely brilliant however. The speed was intenese, the action was "in your face", and the track design was fun and inventive(the open track sections were especially fun ;)). Can't believe there hasn't been a sequel yet.

4. Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. Some think it's inferior to the original because of "cheating A.I." or impossible tracks. The A.I., in fact, do not cheat but simply use short cuts most don't know about. This really challenged me to learn the tracks and all their secrets and short cuts. I also found the ability bend gravity to turn, boost, ride walls, and throw objects was ingenious. The speed was also superior to the original too. And the wealth of characters and various gear was great. My only complaints were no online racing and gear was very expensive to buy.

Hmm, only 4? Well that is only one wipeout, and it's not like the genre is huge. :lol

[Harvai]

Rock'n'Roll Racing.
'nuff said.

Agreed! That game was so damn awesome. Spent so much time as a lad playing that. Great soundtrack, too.

[Rapier Racer]

Yeah, Rollcage was a good game, but I don't remember much of it... did it have a primary and secondary fire option also? Or is it my imagination taking over again? :D hada good DnB soundtrack too, or was that me blasting DnB from the stereo with the game on SOund FX only??? I'm so confused :lol

No primary and secondary fire system. However you could fire weapons backwards with the lookback button and in Rollcage Stage II you could pick up 2 of the same weapon into the same weapon slot which made the weapon more powerful than it already was, or in some cases added functionality to the weapon.

Soundstracks were all awesome DnB provided by record label Moving Shadow.

So yeah I played both them a lot :)

[SaturnReturn]

I never played Stage II, but in the original Rollcage you were able to keep two pickups rather than just one, so you could get rockets and save them until you were able to also get a boost so you could catch up and use them to full effect...or something like that. Maybe that's what you were thinking of ACE.

[stin]

Actually, Rollcage II are far superior than original version!

I did actually go to Master Level but I have not played them for ages!

Oh yes, Music Genre are bloody awesome!!!

stevie:)

[DawnFireDragoon]

i play as many futuristic racers as i can find, but only really stuck with and replay these series':

i can't pick a single game as a fav from any of these though!!!

1. wipeout series (2097 / 3:SE top this category)
2. f-zero series (SNES original / GX top this one)
3. extreme-g series (N64 original / XGRA top this one)

i'm quite fond of the rollcage games, though i have never sat down and played through either of them that much....maybe i'm missing something amazing.

there's heaps of others that are ok, but never get the whole package right.

aero gauge on e n64 was a nice idea, not really pulled off properly and i really want to like fatal inertia, but it's a bit all over the place (though i hear it was fixed a bit for the ps3 release)

there's was a crazy plane racing game as well on the ps1, kinda like the red bull air race meets wipeout. n-gen racing. strange game, but i kinda liked it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTu76__SWzA

also, i love burnout, not really futuristic, but it feels similar to these types of games and Blur looks like it could be a good mix of the two as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_IgY8d6YUc&feature=related

[Dan Locke]

i really want to like fatal inertia, but it's a bit all over the place (though i hear it was fixed a bit for the ps3 release)
I've never played the 360 version, but I have the "enhanced" PS3 port, so I'll sum it up here:

The natural scenery is a bit low-poly for a PS3 game, but kinda makes up for it with awesome textures and shader effects; the ships look great and have damage modeling.

Some courses are too short, and some have too many obstacles, but they work well overall. They're all just alternate routes through the same six environments, with signs pointing out the way, which is a pretty cool way of doing it.

The weapons are all physics-based, which is a pretty neat idea, but they're really heavily weighted depending on your position in the race.

The ship controls are... interesting. I love the control scheme, but my brothers can't stand it. You have to pay a lot of attention to your ship's attitude if you don't want to plow into the ground or lose all of your speed in the air.

/brief summary

Is that an improvement over the 360 version?

[DawnFireDragoon]

it's hard to tell really as the controls are all over the place in the 360 version, and that's what put me off, i'd think i was doing really well then smash into a rock and get stuck in a weird position, ruining my race....for the most part due to poor controls, as oposed to me flying badly.....though i will admit it's a bit of both some times.

it's a tough game. can't remember who made it, but if they did another i would be interested in playing it to see if they've made any improvements.

[franman]

Wipeout HD Fury and F-zero GX.

[Dan Locke]

it's hard to tell really as the controls are all over the place in the 360 version, and that's what put me off, i'd think i was doing really well then smash into a rock and get stuck in a weird position, ruining my race....for the most part due to poor controls, as oposed to me flying badly.....though i will admit it's a bit of both some times.
I'll admit that the PS3 version is tough to get into at first, but, once you get over that initial learning curve, it works really well. Maybe that's the big difference.


it's a tough game. can't remember who made it, but if they did another i would be interested in playing it to see if they've made any improvements.
KOEI made it, actually. Yes, the Dynasty Warriors people.

[ACE-FLO]

...Maybe that's what you were thinking of ACE.

Yes :) nailed nicely, the onslaught of nostalgia is pending :D was a good racer, that rollcage was. Why no PS3 version? :?

@RapierRacer, Moving Shadow Records - my my, I still have the 12" dub plate of Deep Blue's 'HELICOPTER' and the official remixes on two 10"records too, gotta hunt those out, especially the 2nd remix. the sampled "we have 2 very bad boys up here, looking for something to do... locate the crowd, RADAR" :g [flashback] :g...

[DawnFireDragoon]

maybe Rollcage ps3 is coming.

Studio Liverpool are working on something at the moment, several comments have been dropped in the forum that people have moved from Wipeout onto another project....

Rollcage would be pretty nice if done right, but personally i would rather it be a new colony wars. :rock

time shall tell.

[MrSmadSmartAlex]

Ha! So I'm not the only Colony Wars fan in the world! :D
If they made a new one, I'd buy a PS3.

[Rapier Racer]

Whatever the guys are working on unfortunately its probably not a Rollcage as sad as that is, questions about who owns the rights provided no solid answers but we did find out that Sony doesn't have them.

As for my favorite futuristic racers aside from Wipeout there's the Rollcage games and Killer Loop, which was cool :) Trying to win on the Killer Loop itself was a bit of a sod if I recall right.

[ACE-FLO]

I remember Killer Loop, with the tripod type racers lol - very crazy game!!!

[Lance]

I found KillerLoop difficult, but still like the game a lot.

@DawnFireDragoon: N-Gen racing is my fave futureracer other than WipEouts. It was made by CurlyMonsters, a company co-created by Nick Burcombe and other members of the team that created the first two WipEouts and Quantum Redshift [at CurlyMonsters].

[DawnFireDragoon]

that explains quite a lot then!!! :)

[AG-wolf]

Crazy, so curly monsters existed before QR.. Ill have to check this game out.

[Lance]

Yep, a PS-1 game that they presumably tackled before working with the X-box. Love those antique surplus fighter planes like the SU-27 and Berkut, MiG-25, F-16, etc.

[brainbeat]

Theres a game on dreamcast that i just tried called "magracing", its a sequel to that killerloops. the controls are very sensitive. but yeah tripod racing too.

[yeldar2097]

Rock'n'Roll Racing.
'nuff said.

Rock & Roll Racing 2: Red Asphalt was fahooking awesome as well :D
Rollcage
Rollcage Stage II

Rollcage HD? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaasssseeeeeeee make this :g

[Lance]

Theres a game on dreamcast that i just tried called "magracing", its a sequel to that killerloops. the controls are very sensitive. but yeah tripod racing too.

I've never seen a copy of this game, so I'm not sure if it's a sequel or a port. I think they called it "MagForce Racing" IIRC, but I dunno. I'd like to try it on my Dreamcast someday.

[brainbeat]

yeah i stand corrected its called mag force racing. its not bad but not great,

However i just tried a ps1 game called bravo air race, its bloody fast, very hard contols and has the feel of wipeout, i tried the easy track and it wasn't easy, its like red bull racing (ps home game) but better
a video on youtube i found bravo air race (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngDsRIzYMOU&feature=PlayList&p=0556E949FC1A2EFB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=26)

I may make a video sometime my best time was 42 seconds :}

[Dan Locke]

To clear things up, MagForce Racing is a port of Killer Loop with slightly enhanced graphics.

[G'Kyl]

And a different soundtrack. :)

[Dan Locke]

Oh, yeah, that too.

[DawnFireDragoon]

just to give the xbox 360 users a heads up, the Anti-Gravity Racing Championship - Viking edition, expansion is up on Indie games now. There's a demo, so it's worth a try....very wipeout influenced.

[JABBERJAW]

the xbox version of fatal inertia was ridiculous, ship careening out of control ALL the time. The ps3 version is good, but IMO completely wrecked by the catch up Assistance in multiplayer. It's as bad as mario kart in that department. gives no reason to practice.

[Xavier]

Fatal Inertia looks like it would be fun to try, but the fact that it's digital download-only, at full price, kills it. If it were on a disc in the discount bin, or available used at any game store, people would be buying it. As it is -- expensive, unreturnable, and unsellable -- it's too big a risk.