Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2005
Why it still holds upPursuits that keep escalating, and a Blacklist to climb, are the reason to play it now.
2000s racing games that still hold up
From the stopwatch to the blue shell
Games
Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2005
Why it still holds upPursuits that keep escalating, and a Blacklist to climb, are the reason to play it now.
Need for Speed: Underground 2 2004
Why it still holds upAn open city to drive between races, and tuning deep enough to include a dyno, still give it a shape of its own today.
Need for Speed: Underground 2003
Why it still holds upWith tuning unlocked through story races and Style Points earned by drifting and shortcuts, the garage and the road still feed each other today.
SSX 3 2003
Why it still holds upOne connected mountain with no loading screens still turns each run into a single long descent today.
Gran Turismo 4 2004
Why it still holds upOver 700 cars, dozens of driving missions and a crew chief mode that speeds the race up still give you many ways to spend a race today.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 2003
Why it still holds upPosition weighted items keep races close, and the pairing system gives many combinations today.
Burnout 3: Takedown 2004
Why it still holds upAggression that pays for speed still makes every race a risk worth taking today.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 2001
Why it still holds upA progression of races, license tests and championships tied to unlocking cars still gives a career a clear path today.
iRacing 2008
Why it still holds upRacing on scanned real circuits against drivers matched to your level is still what it offers today.
Mario Kart DS 2005
Why it still holds upOn a handheld today you have plenty to do, with courses from earlier games and a Mission mode beside the Grand Prix.
Elasto Mania 2000
Why it still holds upA bike that springs over the terrain still makes every level a puzzle of route and balance today.
FlatOut 2 2006
Why it still holds upWrecking the car is still part of the fun, with minigames in which the driver is the projectile.
Burnout Paradise 2008
Why it still holds upPlayers today can still treat the whole city as an open invitation to drive anywhere in it.
Colin McRae Rally 2.0 2000
Why it still holds upRacing real rally cars through special stages still makes each stage a fight against the clock.
Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2000
Why it still holds upEvery car still has a place in a timeline, from racing a single marque through the decades.
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift 2008
Why it still holds upEach route is still a choice, between terrain you can plow through and water that cools your engine.
Forza Motorsport 2005
Why it still holds upTuning that reaches down to gear ratios and damage that changes handling still make every race a question of setup today.
TrackMania 2003
Why it still holds upBuilding a course and then trying to beat it makes every track a small challenge you set yourself, and that loop is still within easy reach.
Project Gotham Racing 3 2005
Why it still holds upThere is still a second goal on every lap, since style counts as well as speed.
Metropolis Street Racer 2000
Why it still holds upKudos come from Skill and from Style, so how you take a corner counts as much as how fast, which still gives each lap a point beyond the clock.
Project Gotham Racing 2 2003
Why it still holds upReal cities and cars you earn make every race feel like a tour.
TrackMania United Forever 2008
Why it still holds upEvery official track has world, national and state scoreboards, and players pass through one another in races.
Twisted Metal: Black 2001
Why it still holds upAnother run is still worth it for the different special weapon each driver gives, which gives each character its own way to fight.
F-Zero GX 2003
Why it still holds upRacing thirty machines on tracks you learn by heart is still a test of nerve today.
SSX Tricky 2001
Why it still holds upThemed tracks and an uber trick system that turns trick chains into boost still give each run something to chase today.
Karnaaj Rally 2002
Why it still holds upUpgrades between seasons still give a handheld racer a sense of growth.
Konami Krazy Racers 2001
Why it still holds upLicense tests that open tracks, and a shop to spend in, still give single player racing a goal today.
Moto Racer Advance 2002
Why it still holds upThree styles of racing still give a handheld game variety.
Sega GT 2000
Why it still holds upBuying parts with prize money still gives each race a clear reason.
Hard Truck 2 2000
Why it still holds upThe monopoly still makes the road a market you are trying to corner.
Wipeout Pure 2005
Why it still holds upFast ships on tracks with a lot of style still give each lap a rush.
Colin McRae Rally 3 2002
Why it still holds upRacing alone to a co driver's voice still makes every stage a focused run.
Forza Motorsport 3 2009
Why it still holds upOne hundred track variations make up 220 events over six racing seasons, and a rewind system still lets you take back a mistake.
Project Gotham Racing 2001
Why it still holds upPoints for style as well as speed still turn each lap into a performance.
Mario Kart Wii 2008
Why it still holds upRaces that anyone in the room can join still make it a living room favorite.
Looney Tunes: Space Race 2000
Why it still holds upWeapons made of cartoon gags still keep each race funny.
Project Gotham Racing 4 2007
Forza Motorsport 2 2007
Why it still holds upA car you build and paint yourself still gives each career an identity today.
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 2009
Why it still holds upRacing against a pacenote voice is still a good way to learn the road.
Colin McRae: Dirt 2007
Why it still holds upClimbing a pyramid of events still makes a rally career a steady thing to unlock today.
Burnout Revenge 2005
Why it still holds upA race where traffic is a weapon is still the heart of the game today.
Burnout Legends 2005
Why it still holds upA race that drops the last car each lap is a good pocket-sized challenge, and it still is.
Tron 2.0 2003
Why it still holds upThe subroutines still make the upgrades programs, and your memory runs out.
Burnout 2: Point of Impact 2002
Why it still holds upBoost that only comes from risk still makes each lap a gamble between speed and safety today.
Race Driver: Grid 2008
Why it still holds upA mistake that can be rewound is a feature that is still worth using.
MotorStorm 2006
Why it still holds upBikes and big rigs on the same track still make every race a different fight today.
Pure 2008
Why it still holds upFresh tricks still make every jump a decision.
Midnight Club II 2003
Why it still holds upA city to cut through however you like still gives each race many routes.
Street racing with the police on your tail, crashes treated as a sport, snowboards, rally stages and careful laps on real circuits. Pick by how you like to go fast: the range here is wide.