Best Racing Games on the SNES

Racing Games are one of the things the Super Nintendo is genuinely for. The ones worth playing start with Super Mario Kart, F-Zero, Top Gear.

The SNES and Racing Games

The best-balanced 16-bit library there is. The SNES is where the NES generation's ideas got room to breathe, and where the Japanese RPG became a genre people outside Japan cared about.

This is one of its strengths. RPGs, platformers and a Mode 7 racing line nobody else had. Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI and Earthbound are the reason this library is still studied.

Filtering to racing means you want the vehicle to be the subject. It is the right filter when what you liked was speed, or handling, or a road worth driving.

The Racing Games Worth Playing

  1. 1. Super Mario Kart

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  2. 2. F-Zero

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  3. 3. Top Gear

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

  4. 4. Rock n Roll Racing

    Follow the link for hand-written recommendations if you want more like it.

What Makes a Good Racing Game

A short session that is complete in itself. A race is over in five minutes and you can always take the corner better.

Everything outside the vehicle. Racing games rarely have a story, and the ones that try usually should not have.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best racing game on the SNES?

Super Mario Kart is the usual first answer, and there are 4 in the library we cover.

Was the SNES good at racing games?

Yes — it is one of the things the machine is known for, and there are 4 in the library we cover.

Arcade or simulation?

Simulation models tyre temperature, fuel and weight transfer and punishes you for ignoring them. Arcade gives you grip, boost and a rewind, and is about flow. Buying the wrong one is where most disappointment comes from.

Do I need a wheel?

For the simulation picks it changes the game completely. For anything arcade it makes almost no difference.

How is this list put together?

From the games this site covers on the Super Nintendo, matched against hand-mapped gameplay categories rather than a storefront's genre tag. A page only exists where there are at least four, which is why some console and genre combinations have no page at all.

Racing Games on Other Consoles

More From the SNES

Or browse the whole Super Nintendo library.