Top Racer Collection
- March 6, 2024
- QUByte Interactive
The Top Racer Collection is a fun racing collection if you enjoy racing games from the ‘90s. The game is vibrant and crisp, and with a banging soundtrack, you will love it!
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Top Racer Collection" is a Steam game that compiles the complete Top Racer series, including Top Racer, Top Racer 2, Top Racer 3000, and Top Racer Crossroads. With over 140 tracks and exclusive new cars, players can experience arcade-style racing and manage time, nitro, and fuel. The game supports up to 4 players in split-screen mode and online play for challenging racers worldwide.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The collection brings back nostalgic memories for fans of the original Top Gear/Top Racer games, offering a chance to relive classic gameplay with modern conveniences.
- The inclusion of new modes and features, along with the ability to play online, adds value to the experience for both new and returning players.
- The original gameplay mechanics and soundtrack are preserved, providing an authentic retro experience that many players appreciate.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and graphical glitches, making it feel inferior to the original SNES versions and emulators.
- Key features from the original games, such as passwords and certain upgrades, are missing, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The user interface is clunky and unappealing, with unnecessary changes to the original menu music and a lack of engaging achievements.
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the replacement of the original menu themes with generic guitar tracks and noting audio issues such as skipping notes. While some appreciate the inclusion of a sound test for the original soundtrack, the overall consensus is that the UI music detracts from the experience. However, the gameplay is praised, and the soundtrack is considered enjoyable during races.
“At least there's a sound test with the actual original soundtrack.”
“Great gameplay, soundtrack, and with online mode, a must play with your friends!”
“It's very simple and backed up by their soundtrack to enjoy throughout each race.”
“The music in the UI is terrible; they should have just used the main game themes.”
“Decent enough port, but I experienced some audio issues (music tracks sometimes would skip notes).”
“Replacing the original menu music with this generic guitar music is also criminal.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its addictive nature and engaging mechanics, particularly in racing games where upgrade systems enhance competition. While some titles feature simplistic controls and dated graphics, they still deliver fluid gameplay that appeals to both nostalgic players and newcomers, especially when played with friends. Overall, the combination of solid mechanics and memorable soundtracks contributes to a compelling gaming experience.
“So I thought that I would just touch them once... little did I know that after 18 hours of pure gameplay later I would be writing a review praising these games and a lot more...”
“Great gameplay, soundtrack, and with online mode, a must play with your friends!”
“Tr 2 and 3000 got upgrade mechanics; the better you finish, the better you're paid to upgrade your car and keep up with the competition.”
“Cheats also don’t provide unlimited gadgets, which is the core mechanic of the game.”
“Yes, the graphics are dated and the gameplay can be tedious to newcomers, but the game is very addictive and takes more than just trying to avoid bumping into your opponents.”
“Even to this day, I especially can't say that there's a better racing theme than the Top Gear / Top Racer 3000 theme, and that's along with the mechanics and gameplay of the game; definitely way ahead of its time, in my opinion.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics in this collection evoke nostalgia, faithfully replicating the original visuals and nuances of classic games, though they exhibit some graphical glitches and frame rate drops. While the overall aesthetic remains true to its roots, players note that the visuals lack the clarity of the original releases, making them feel somewhat dated. Despite these issues, the graphics still contribute to the addictive gameplay experience.
“The graphics are all there, the nuances, the little glitches, even the old pit strategies were all there... it hadn't changed one iota from what I remembered.”
“Original 'Top Gear/Top Racer' is one of my favorite racing games ever and while this PC collection overall runs fine, I have noticed some graphical glitches and drops in frame rate from time to time, and the visuals overall aren't as clear as they were compared to the original releases.”
“Yes, the graphics are dated and the gameplay can be tedious to newcomers, but the game is very addictive and takes more than just trying to avoid bumping into your opponents.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game collection generally runs well, but users have reported occasional graphical glitches and frame rate drops, leading to visuals that are not as clear as the original releases.
“The graphics are all there, the nuances, the little glitches, even the old pit strategies were all there... it hadn't changed one iota from what I remembered.”
“The original 'Top Gear/Top Racer' is one of my favorite racing games ever, and while this PC collection overall runs fine, I have noticed some graphical glitches and drops in frame rate from time to time, and the visuals overall aren't as clear as they were compared to the original releases.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game faces significant performance issues, and several key features, particularly in Top Gear 2 and Top Gear 3000, are notably absent, impacting overall optimization.
“The game suffers in terms of performance, and key features, especially for Top Gear 2 and Top Gear 3000, are missing.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially for newcomers, yet many describe it as addictive, requiring more than just basic skills to progress.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and often becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
“I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the game feel more like a job than a fun pastime.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
Critic Reviews
Top Racer Collection Review
Top Racer Collection is a solid compilation for fans of the Top Gear trilogy on SNES, but the originals' lower frame rate can really affect the action at high speeds. Nostalgics will find that everything is as it should be, and there's still plenty of fun to be had, but those without emotional ties to the series will want to go for the newer, better model instead and buy Horizon Chase Turbo.
70%Top Racer Collection Review
The Top Racer Collection is a fun racing collection if you enjoy racing games from the ‘90s. The game is vibrant and crisp, and with a banging soundtrack, you will love it!
80%Top Racer Collection Review – Just as you remember it?
Top Racer Collection does what it says on the box, it contains the three SNES games from the series, pretty much unchanged. The collection provides the bare-bones quality-of-life options that are usually expected including changing screen size and playing with filters. Some new gameplay options such as online play are present as well. Unfortunately, given the number of better alternatives in this genre, both past and modern, this collection is a bit of a hard sell. However, I acknowledge that the series does have a huge following in some parts of the world, and for those that simply want to play Top Racer again, in their original form and on modern consoles, then this collection will sort them out.
50%
