If you were fortunate enough to own a PlayStation back in the 90’s, you will certainly have nostalgic spin right looking at this list of the classic games created for this legendary gaming platform! It will be especially curious for the fans of racing simulators. Buckle up for one hell of a nostalgic ride! Note, you still have chances to play the majority of the games listed in this article, so prepare for a great adventure.
Test Drive: Off-road 3 (4×4 World Trophy)
Test Drive: Off-road is a popular spin off from the Test Drive franchise which was released in 1999. The game was published by Infogrames. It was developed by several studios under Midway such as NewCastle, Accolade and Atari SA.
If you have had a chance of playing Test Drive: Off-road when it was popular, you are certainly aware of the fact it was a way ahead of its time. The idea of the games of the series was riding for trophies. The progress made on the game allowed players to unlock new locations and tracks. Of course, it was particularly exciting to unlock new vehicles which were used for the future races of Test Drive: Off-road. Certainly, as the name of the game suggests, races were off-road which was itself a great feature of the Test Drive: Off-road games.
When it comes to the vehicles used in the game, a player had a wide range of the top notch vehicles to choose from. Some of them were really big shots, for instance Nissan, Chenoweth, Isuzu, Jeep, Ford or Dodge.
You can easily imagine the Test Drive: Off-road games were particularly loved by the kids crazy about vehicles.
Colin McRae Rally
If you have ever played Colin McRae Rally, you might now this game was released in 1998. The game was developed and published by the Codemasters studio.
The name of Colin McRae Rally earned its place when it first popped up during the release of the game on the market. The reason for that was a brand-new approach to racing simulators.
Prior to Colin McRae Rally, racing simulators were using the game mechanics based on racing against other drivers. Colin McRae Rally was featured by another approach to racing simulation which made players race against time. In practice, it made the game full of tension and excitement. The mixture of emotions was even more intense due to the special features added to this game. Apart from keeping a track of the time which was required by the game, players also had to be careful about the direction they were heading to as well as gas. In addition to it, the game was filled with unpleasant weather conditions which were making the gaming experience absolutely unique. Indeed, driving through dirt, mud, rain and snow was not so easy.
In addition to fantastic weather changes and landscapes, Colin McRae Rally also offered its players a beautiful collection of vehicles to choose from including Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla Hatchback, the Ford Escort All WRC version, Ibiza and Mitsubishi Lancer.
Driver
This game was relased in 1999 by Reflections Interactive. Driver made a significant remark not only in the in the history of racing simulators but also on the market of video games in general.
Actually, the plot of Driver went beyond driving simulations as this was the game which could be called a direct competitor of Grand Theft Auto 2 popularly known as GTA 2. As you can imagine, the reason for it was an extended game mechanics which yet incorporated driving experience.
Driver sets out in such amazing locations of the USA as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and New York. You play the game as an undercover detective John Tanner. A crucial fact about John Tanner is that he is not just a detective, but he is also a former racing driver. Such a combination of elements of the game gave the players an ultimate experience of an action-induced gaming experience.
Certainly, you should try playing this game especially if you have a nostalgia for the second part of GTA and somehow missed its major rival being released on the market.
Rage Racer
In case you are looking for classic race simulators, you should also check Rage Racer. This was another spin off from Ridge Racer series relased in 1996 by Namco.
The unique feature of this game was the set of the Grand Prix tracks as well as the variety of landscape the tracks were set in. As you can imagine, the game was particularly loved by the fans of rallies. The game is absolutely worth giving it a go and you certainly should try playing it if you find one in hard copy or in the ISO format.