Top 10 PS2 Racing Games Of All Time.

Grand Prix Challenge

$69.97

First thing that I have to mention about this title is that it was extremely overlooked and that is too bad.  Of course, Grand Prix racing is not as popular in the US as it is in other parts of the world but, this is just a fun game to play.  Infogrames has released some good racing titles under the radar and this was their best piece of work.  The game takes the PS2 to its limits in the graphic department, has good sound, a nice career mode, and is quite realistic when it comes to gameplay.  All of this is a great recipe for a solid racing simulator and that is what this game is.  If you’re a Formula 1 fan, or even just enjoy racing games, don’t let this one slip through your fingers.  

Midnight Club 3 DUB Edition Remix for PlayStation

With all of the racing series’ on the PS2 this one also got over looked some.  However, the 3rd time was a charm for the series.  The first thing that stood out to me was the impressive and much improved graphics, simply gorgeous and gives Grand Turismo a run for its money.  But, that is not the only reason to play a racing game and the game has added a lot of features as well.  The game has a good amount of rally cars to purchase, a good upgrading system, and long career mode, and a ton of different tracks to go off-roading in that span all over the world.  Another great aspect of the game is the realism of driving these heavy off road vehicles.  It does a great job at making you feel you really fighting your car in all sorts of terrain.  Don’t over look this game and if you like the challenge of driving Rally cars then this is the game for you. 

Colin Mcrae Rally 3 Playstation 2 Ps2 Sealed Rare

When you here the developer Rockstar the Grand Theft Auto series is probably the first thing that comes to your mind.  However, they have released other very good games in a number of different genres.  Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition is one such game.  The game offers a great free style gameplay (like Need for Speed) where you can drive the city looking for what you want to do next.  It offers a pretty good amount of cars and upgrades you can purchase to enhance them but, the gameplay itself is what it’s all about.  If you put this game up against Burnout 3: Takedown it really doesn’t quite stack up to be honest but, this game does offer more as a whole than previous games in the series.  With wider racing areas, a pretty nice damage scheme, the addition to intense traffic, and a more aggressive AI.  If you were already a fan of the series, then you be even more with this addition.  Rockstar finally got it right this time around.

NASCAR 2005 Chase For the Cup

$24.95

EA Sports has pretty much had the monopoly when it comes to Nascar licensed games but, didn’t always hit the mark.  If you’re a fan of the sport, and whether you like the newer Chase for the Cup playoff aspect, in 2005 they took the series in a complete new direction.  This time, you are not already a rookie in the Nascar circuit trying to prove themselves.  You start off at the bottom having to earn your way though different series’ to earn your way to a Nascar contract.  However, it’s not just about racing anymore.  You have much more control over other aspects and even some control how other drivers react to you on the track itself.  With a new “hero” “villain” aspect in play, how you treat other drivers is how they will treat you.  It has a little “Do onto others as you would want done onto yourself” kind of aspect.  There is also a much deeper garage aspect for you to tweak with for the “gear heads” out there as well.  Nascar games themselves are far and few between going against all of the other popular series’ out there but, this one really put the sport on the console with style.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2

$47.45

The incredibly long running Need For Speed series is still going strong as ever even since the days on the PC only.  If you ever wanted to play cops and robber this is the series, and game, for you.  It is a great game to just put in with a friend and run from each other but, it also supports a pretty good campaign mode as well.  It supports a lot of different cars (and makers), plenty of different large areas to race in, and excellent graphics and sounds.  But, what puts this game over-the-top is the computer AI.  Running from the cops has never been more fun and the game does a great job at putting you in the moment.  You get to hear all of the police chatter through your scanner and there is a lot of it.  Roadblocks, spike strips, different kinds of cop cars, and even helicopters are all after you and at times, all at once.  The game is more of an arcade racer but, the gameplay is pretty realistic as well.  If you want long pursuits with total mayhem then this is your game.

Gran Turismo 4

The Grand Turismo series has always been the ultimate racing simulator series and the fourth installment is no different.  If you’re looking for a racing game with truly realistic driving, an unbelievably long career mode, stunning graphics, and in-depth car physics then this is the game for you.  Not only is there more cars than you can count (over 700) from the many different manufacturers in the game but, you can tweak then in many different ways.  Besides just purchasing upgrades for each car you won, you can adjust many different aspects of each one so they will handle as you want.  There is not a racing game out there on the PS2 that has more depth, better overall graphics, and more cars than Grand Turismo 4.  If you would rather play a racing simulator rather than an arcade style racing game, then this is the game for you.

Gran Turismo 3: A-spec (PS2) - Pre-Owned

Grand Turismo (1) probably scared a lot of fans of this genre on the first Playstation.  Despite having excellent graphics, the most cars in any game of the time, and lots of tracks and races you could do, it was much harder to play.  This is because it was much more realistic.  Anyone that played racing style games before this series of games were release got used to the arcade gameplay or just smash them up style games.  That all ended here with the first game in this series.  The third installment upped the ante quite a bit more with more of everything the series already had to offer.  Excellent graphics, lots of tracks, tons of things to do, and extremely realistic gameplay.  The one thing that amazed me about the series the most was, the amount of manufacturers they have in the games.  Cars from around the world are found and this one, at this time, had the most.  You get a garage, which is huge because you can keep any car you buy or earn.  It’s up to you which cars you want to use, upgrade, or sell.  This racing simulator will keep you interested for months with the amount of gameplay inside.  If you like cars, racing, and realistic play, then this is a must!