30 Racing Games IGN Calls Masterpieces for Its 30th Anniversary

Key Takeaways

• IGN's list prioritizes games that defined entire studios, not just sales or influence
• Racing games trace back to the earliest days of video games, with Speed Race in 1974
• The curated list includes arcade classics, simulations, and kart racers across 50 years of gaming

IGN is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a retrospective on racing games. The publication assembled a list of 30 titles it considers masterpieces, spanning from 1986 arcade cabinets to modern console releases.

The list includes expected names. Burnout 3, Forza Horizon, Gran Turismo 4, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Need for Speed Most Wanted all made the cut. But the curation criteria go beyond popularity or sales figures.

How IGN Defined 'Masterpiece'

Luke Reilly, the author behind the list, acknowledged the tribal nature of racing game fandom. "Racing games (and automotive cultures worldwide) are just too tribal for any one batch of racing games to be universally accepted as objectively the best of the best," he wrote.

Previous IGN racing retrospectives focused on influence or restricted selections to one game per franchise. This list took a different approach. Reilly focused on games that define their developers to this day. He called them "the greatest works of the world's most respected racing studios, from Papyrus Design Group to Polyphony Digital."

That framework explains some choices. Gran Turismo 4, not the original or GT Sport, made the list. The selection reflects which entry best represents Polyphony Digital's body of work, not which sold the most copies or arrived first.

Racing Games and Video Game History

The retrospective opens with a claim that sounds bold until you check the dates. "The history of racing games is the history of video games," Reilly wrote.

He backs it up. Taito's Speed Race in 1974 is widely considered the first vertically scrolling video game ever made. Atari's Indy 800 in 1975 was the first eight-player arcade game. Exidy's Death Race in 1976 triggered media panics about video game violence. All of this happened before Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong.

The list begins in the arcades with OutRun from 1986. Developed by SEGA-AM2, OutRun set standards for the genre that persisted for decades. Those arcade cabinets, described by Reilly as having "wheels slick with palm sweat and seats sanded smooth," represent the foundation of modern racing games.

The Games That Made the Cut

The full list spans multiple eras and styles. The confirmed titles include:

• OutRun (1986) from SEGA-AM2
• Burnout 3 from Criterion Games
• Forza Horizon from Playground Games
• Gran Turismo 4 from Polyphony Digital
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe from Nintendo
• Need for Speed Most Wanted from EA Black Box

The list covers more than 50 years of racing games, though IGN presents them in no particular numerical order. The selection balances arcade racers, simulation titles, and kart racers. Each represents what IGN considers a high-water mark for the genre.

What the List Tells Us About Racing Game Design

The variety in the list reflects how fractured the racing genre remains. Burnout 3 rewards crashing into opponents. Gran Turismo 4 penalizes contact with other cars. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe throws items that invert race positions in seconds. Need for Speed Most Wanted built its identity around police chases.

These games share almost nothing except cars and competition. Yet all earned "masterpiece" status. That fragmentation is the point Reilly made about tribal fandom. There is no single racing game that satisfies every player, because racing game fans want fundamentally different experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What racing games are on IGN's masterpiece list?

Confirmed titles include OutRun, Burnout 3, Forza Horizon, Gran Turismo 4, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Need for Speed Most Wanted. The full list contains 30 games spanning 50 years of racing game history.

How did IGN choose which racing games to include?

IGN focused on games that define their developers, not just popularity or influence. The list prioritizes what the publication calls "the greatest works of the world's most respected racing studios."

What is the oldest racing game on the list?

OutRun from 1986, developed by SEGA-AM2, is the first game discussed. The article notes that racing games date back even further, to 1974's Speed Race.

Why is Gran Turismo 4 on the list instead of the original Gran Turismo?

IGN's criteria focused on which game best represents a studio's work. Gran Turismo 4 apparently represents Polyphony Digital's achievements better than other entries in the franchise.

Source: IGN All