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!
"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.
The Top Racer Collection is a nostalgic and faithful compilation of the classic Top Gear trilogy, providing a solid arcade racing experience with vibrant graphics and a fantastic soundtrack.
Modern enhancements such as online multiplayer, leaderboards, and quality-of-life features like autosave and customizable controls make it accessible for both veterans and newcomers.
The collection successfully captures the essence of the original games, allowing fans to relive their childhood memories while introducing new players to a beloved series.
The performance issues, including low frame rates and graphical glitches, detract from the overall experience, making it feel inferior to playing the originals on emulators.
The new installment, Top Gear Crossroads, is criticized as a disappointing ROM hack that fails to offer meaningful new content, leaving players wanting more.
Many players feel that the collection lacks significant improvements and features compared to modern racing games, making it a hard sell for those unfamiliar with the series.
gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The gameplay is characterized by its accessible arcade racing experience, requiring players to grasp in-depth mechanics for success. While the graphics may feel dated and the gameplay can be challenging for newcomers, the addictive nature and smooth emulation enhance the overall experience, especially with the addition of online multiplayer. Despite some limitations in choices, the core mechanics and upgrade systems keep the gameplay engaging and enjoyable.
“Sure you can pick up and play for a great arcade racing experience; however, to succeed, you'll need to understand the in-depth mechanics that encompass each title.”
“Great gameplay, soundtrack, and with online mode, a must-play with your friends!”
“What sets it apart is the great gameplay; the emulation runs perfectly on every game without frame drops, bugs, crashes, or any issues.”
“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.”
“Sure, you can pick up and play for a great arcade racing experience; however, to succeed, you'll need to understand the in-depth mechanics that encompass each title.”
“Cheats also don’t provide unlimited gadgets, which is the core mechanic of the game.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
45%
17%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with praise for the overall soundtrack and its integration into the racing experience, particularly during gameplay. However, the user interface music is heavily criticized for being generic and detracting from the original themes, leading to frustration over audio issues and the inability to enjoy the original soundtrack fully. While some players appreciate the vibrant and engaging music during races, the menu music and audio glitches significantly impact the overall experience.
“Great gameplay, soundtrack and with online mode a must play with your friends!”
“The game is vibrant and crisp, and with a banging soundtrack, you will love it!”
“With great music and almost 150 racing tracks throughout, what makes the top racer titles stand out is the amount of depth found in each title.”
“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.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
67%
25%
The graphics in this collection evoke nostalgia, capturing the original nuances and glitches of classic titles like "Top Gear/Top Racer." However, players have noted issues such as graphical glitches, frame rate drops, and a lack of clarity compared to the original releases, indicating that while the visuals are reminiscent, they may not meet modern standards. Overall, the graphics are considered dated but still contribute to the addictive gameplay experience.
“This includes high-quality scans of the original Japanese box art and manuals for each game, a wide variety of arcade and online modes, improved in-game visuals with various filters, screen types, and background images.”
“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.”
“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.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game generally runs well, but players have reported occasional graphical glitches and frame rate drops, leading to a less clear visual experience compared to the original releases. Overall, while stability is acceptable, these issues may detract from the enjoyment for some users.
“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.”
“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.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game faces significant performance issues, and several key features from Top Gear 2 and Top Gear 3000 are notably absent, impacting the overall experience.
“The game suffers in terms of performance, and key features, especially for Top Gear 2 and Top Gear 3000, are missing.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story in the third title is described as simple, serving as a backdrop to the gameplay, which is enhanced by numerous upgrades, fuel refill lines, damage repair options, and weaponry.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially for newcomers, yet many describe it as addictive, suggesting that it requires more strategy than simply avoiding opponents.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with nostalgic players who appreciate its familiarity and charm, while those lacking a personal connection may prefer more modern alternatives like Horizon Chase Turbo for a more engaging experience.
“Nostalgics will find that everything is as it should be, and there's still plenty of fun to be had.”