| Best Driving
Game
RC
Pro-Am
RC Pro-Am is
one of the most addictive and fun racing games of all time. Perhaps its
only flaw is the lack of a two-player option-an oversight that was remedied
in the sequel. The sequel, though, clouded itself with attempts to add
in other features, undermining the original's zen-like simplicity. Pro-Am
won accolades from us for not only for being a fast 'n furious race to
the finish, but adding those two oddly compelling touches: car upgrades
and weapons. Whether you prefer the bomb or the missile, there's no doubt
that each time you collect one of the letters in "NINTENDO" and inch closer
to a new car, a Pavlovian reaction occurs in your brain, urging you to
keep playing "just one more race."
Runners up:
Excitebike
 Though
Excitebike could in some ways be considered more sophisticated than RC
Pro-Am (it did, after all, include a feature that let you design and race
in your own tracks), it eventually fell victim to the ever-vague "fun factor."
Perhaps it was the near one-dimensionality of Excitebike, or perhaps the
malicious weapons of RC Pro-Am, but for whatever reason, everyone's favorite
motocross game came in just a nose behind. Still, it remains dear to our
hearts for the huge jumps, the mid-air acrobatics, and of course, the sprint
back to the bike after you've fallen off. "RUN, RUN YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"
Ah, memories.
Rad
Racer
 Rad
Racer. The title is, of course, a throwback from the days when one could
exclaim "RAD!" and not expect to get beat up. This one seems to wither
quite a bit more against the test of time, but when one had the pre-license
mindset, hopping in an F1 and breaking 200mph was quite a thrill, even
if the trees did pop up out of the road. The game also added a few fun
features as window dressing-an in-car "jukebox" that let you choose one
of three tunes to race to, and a seizure-inducing 3D mode.
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