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25 Best GameCube Arcade Racing Games of All Time

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Best GameCube Arcade Racing Games of All Time

We already published the list of best GameCube games of all time, now it’s time to discover the best GameCube arcade racing games of all time.

With amazing titles available, the GameCube definitely has a great library of arcade racing games.

So, if you’re a fan of both the GameCube and arcade racing games, there’s a chance you’ll like this list.

And some of you may already know some of the games mentioned in this list.

#25. The Italian Job

The Italian Job
  • Release Data: Climax Studios/Eidos Interactive, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Half of it is right, half of it is wrong and that is a real shame as this game had the possibility of becoming a much-loved racer on the GameCube.

Instead, due to its flaws, it is nothing more than a short lived, pick up and play title best played on the weekend.

#24. Rayman Arena

Rayman Arena
  • Release Data: Ubisoft, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Other

Fans of the few other foot-racing games that have been released over the years, such as Mad Dash Racing, Running Wild, or Sonic R, will find that Rayman Arena fits in nicely with these games.

But the game doesn’t really do anything to differentiate itself from these older foot-racing games and doesn’t bring anything new to the table.

#23. Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions

Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions
  • Release Data: Stealth Studios/Activision, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions can be a relatively fun game for a little while, if solely based on the fact that a good time is always had by breaking tons of stuff.

And it might provide a short bit of mindless crashing fun for a bit, but it gets boring and repetitive pretty quick.

#22. Crash Nitro Kart

Crash Nitro Kart
  • Release Data: Vicarious Visions/Universal Interactive, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Crash Nitro Kart may not be biggest kart-racing game for the GameCube, but if you’re a kart-racing fan without an Xbox or PlayStation 2, Crash Nitro Kart is the best option to come along in a long while.

It’s a totally respectable kart-racing game on its own, regardless of how derivative it may be.

#21. Sonic Riders

Sonic Riders
  • Release Data: Sonic Team/Sega, 2006
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Other

The use of the extreme gear instead of the usual cartoon vehicles is a nice twist, and there is a nice bounty of content for players to get through, but the racing itself just isn’t strong enough to keep the game afloat for long.

Ultimately, Sonic Riders is a racer that provides some decent fan service to the Sega fans.

#20. Kirby Air Ride

Kirby Air Ride
  • Release Data: HAL Labs/Nintendo, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Other

Simple doesn’t always equate to a boring experience, and that mostly rings true for Kirby Air Ride as there’s a fair amount of multiplayer fun to be had in each of its three game modes.

In fact, parents of small children just may find it to be the perfect way to introduce their kids or non-gaming spouses to video games.

#19. Auto Modellista

Auto Modellista
  • Release Data: Capcom, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

All told, Auto Modellista has a great look, but its gameplay unsuccessfully tries to straddle the line between simulation-style tuning options and arcade-style handling and collision physics.

Car enthusiast looking for something different will find something to like here, but don’t expect it to stand up to the strongest driving games on the market.

#18. Tube Slider

Tube Slider
  • Release Data: Nd Cube/NEC Interchannel, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Futuristic

Tube Slider is an above average futuristic racer.

But it’s not in the same league as the more ambitious entries like XGRA and F-Zero.

In the end, Tube Slider had a lot of potential and new ideas, but the game is somewhat lacking in execution.

#17. Crash Tag Team Racing

Crash Tag Team Racing
  • Release Data: Radical Entertainment/VU Games, 2005
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Crash Tag Team Racing doesn’t raise the bar of the kart racing genre with innovation and brilliant gameplay, but it has enough going for it to appeal to those with an interest in cute characters racing and blowing up one another.

It’ll be especially good for younger audiences, since the difficulty level is set pretty low.

#16. The Simpsons: Road Rage

The Simpsons: Road Rage
  • Release Data: Radical Entertainment/Electronic Arts, 2001
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

If you can see past the problems, then The Simpsons Road Rage might present you with a little bit of replay value.

You can compete head-to-head against one other player in a split-screen mode, and you can drive as any character in any location that you’ve unlocked in a mode without a clock.

#15. Spy Hunter

Spy Hunter
  • Release Data: Point of View/Midway, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

The PlayStation 2 remake of Spy Hunter was a pleasant surprise, as it capably delivered in all the categories that a Spy Hunter fan would expect it to.

While it’s almost identical to the PlayStation 2 version, the GameCube version is made slightly less desirable by the choppy, somewhat pixelated graphics.

#14. Cars

Cars
  • Release Data: Rainbow Studios/THQ, 2006
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Though Cars will almost certainly take you well under 10 hours to complete, there’s two-player multiplayer to mess with, as well as some bonus materials to check out.

Not to mention that the quality of Cars‘ content is enough to make up for its relatively short stature.

#13. Freaky Flyers

Freaky Flyers
  • Release Data: Midway, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Other

Freaky Flyers takes the casual air racing concept to its logical conclusion, combining planes with a cast of classically modeled cartoon characters and a collection of power-ups to keep the racing varied.

All in all, Freaky Flyers has some enjoyable moments, but the course design and weapon selection are pretty standard. It’s definitely worth a quick session.

#12. Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi
  • Release Data: Acclaim Studios Cheltenham/Acclaim, 2001
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Crazy Taxi is undeniably fun to play in short bursts but ultimately falls foul of its arcade roots, which is a shame because some new cities and Crazy Box minigames would have worked wonders.

As it stands though, Crazy Taxi saw no attention lavished upon it and reeks of a lazy port.

#11. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
  • Release Data: EA Seattle/Electronic Arts, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

With 66 different missions, a multiplayer mode that features the infamous Need for Speed pack, and a good selection of licensed cars, Hot Pursuit II is a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in an arcade-style racing game.

It’s not nearly as impressive as the PS2 game, but it’s good enough for a Need for Speed game on the GameCube.

#10. XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association

XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association
  • Release Data: Acclaim Studios Cheltenham/Acclaim, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Futuristic

XGRA will appeal to fans of the genre that have been hoping for a worthwhile futuristic racing game and are willing to overlook some of its flaws.

However, a lot of the potential of XGRA has been realized, so unless you’re expecting it to raise the bar for this genre, you ought to get a kick out of it.

#9. MX Superfly

MX Superfly
  • Release Data: Pacific Coast Power & Light/THQ, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Other

MX Superfly may get bogged down from time to time by the overabundance of minigames, but behind that small obstacle is a motocross game with great gameplay and solid audiovisual presentation.

GameCube owners looking for some dirt-bike racing and freestyle action would do well to pick this one up.

#8. Burnout

Burnout
  • Release Data: Criterion Games/Acclaim, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Burnout is a run-of-the-mill arcade driving game that features spectacular crashes.

But after a few hours of playtime, the crashes will begin to grate on the nerves and you’re left with a game that can easily be completed in a day.

#7. Freekstyle

Freekstyle
  • Release Data: Page 44 Studios/Electronic Arts, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Other

Freekstyle‘s combination of impressive track design, a deep trick system, and a good range of multiplayer options makes for a game that should satisfy most any racing fan.

You’ll easily forget about the game’s occasional shortcomings whenever it sends you hurtling what seems like hundreds of feet into the air.

#6. Smuggler’s Run: Warzones

Smuggler's Run: Warzones
  • Release Data: Angel Studios/Rockstar Games, 2002
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Warzones is the perfect introduction to the Smuggler’s Run series for uninitiated players, as it includes everything found in Smuggler’s Run 2: Hostile Territory, plus some of the better bits from the original Smuggler’s Run.

However, if you’re already a veteran of the series, there’s not much here that you haven’t seen before.

#5. XGIII: Extreme G Racing

XGIII: Extreme G Racing
  • Release Data: Acclaim Studios Cheltenham/Acclaim, 2001
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Futuristic

The sum of Extreme-G 3‘s parts is a smart and solid racing game that provides an amazing feeling of true speed.

It’s only salient drawbacks are that there are some holes in its AI that you can exploit to race through the leagues, that there aren’t enough tracks, and that more eye candy isn’t possible with frame rates this high.

#4. Wave Race: Blue Storm

Wave Race: Blue Storm
  • Release Data: Nintendo Software Technology/Nintendo, 2001
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Other

Wave Race: Blue Storm is the most accurate video game representation of water-based racing.

With six new tracks, more racers per race, a four-player mode, and a better physics, Wave Race: Blue Storm is an improvement upon the original in every respect.

Fans of the original or those who are open to new ideas in racing games should buy with confidence.

#3. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
  • Release Data: Nintendo, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Despite the fact that it’s still essentially the same game as Super Mario Kart, there is no denying the innate quality of the production of Double Dash.

The game looks and moves great, the controls are responsive, and there’s a nice variety of gameplay modes available.

#2. F-Zero GX

F-Zero GX
  • Release Data: Amusement Vision/Nintendo, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Futuristic

The extreme increase in difficulty will surely turn some people away before they’ve seen the 20 tracks and unlocked all the story mode chapters.

But if you want a light-speed racer that looks and plays sharply while simultaneously offering some dramatic challenges, F-Zero GX is exactly what you’re looking for.

#1. Burnout 2: Point of Impact

Burnout 2: Point of Impact
  • Release Data: Criterion Games/Acclaim, 2003
  • Genre: Racing » Arcade » Automobile

Burnout 2 isn’t different from the original Burnout—it just makes better use of all the elements that the game does well, from its blistering sense of speed to its hilariously destructive crashes.

The crash mode alone makes this game worth seeing, and the inclusion of the well-done championship and multiplayer modes makes it a must-own for fans of arcade racing.


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See also: Best GBA Games & Best DS Games

Are your favorite games on the list?

Deciding which GameCube arcade racing game is the best is no doubt a never ending topic, but it’s fun to do!

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Hi, I'm R, and I've been playing video games since I was a kid. My first console was the original PlayStation (the gray one) and I spent countless hours playing Crash Bandicoot series and Spyro series. My second console was the PS2 Fat, and I completed all of the GTA series 100%.


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