Virtua Racing

Virtua Racing
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)Sega AM2
M2 (Switch)
Publisher(s)Sega
Time Warner (Saturn)
Director(s)Yu Suzuki
Designer(s)Toshihiro Nagoshi
Programmer(s)Yu Suzuki
Composer(s)Arcade
Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
Sega 32X
Naofumi Hataya
Platform(s)Arcade, Mega Drive/Genesis, 32X, Saturn, PlayStation 2, Switch
Release
August 1992
  • Arcade
    • JP: August 1992[1]
    • NA: October 1992
    • EU: August 10, 1992
    • AU: October 10, 1992
    • WW: February 1993
    Sega Genesis
    • NA: March 14, 1994
    • EU: March 16, 1994
    • JP: March 18, 1994
    Sega 32X
    • NA: November 21, 1994
    • EU: December 1994
    • JP: December 16, 1994
    Sega Saturn
    • NA: November 6, 1995
    • EU: November 1995
    • JP: December 22, 1995
    PlayStation 2
    • JP: February 26, 2004
    Nintendo Switch
    • JP: April 24, 2019
    • WW: June 27, 2019
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemSega Model 1

Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a Formula One racing video game developed by Sega AM2 and released for arcades in 1992. Virtua Racing was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new 3D graphics platform under development, the "Model 1". The results were so encouraging that Virtua Racing was fully developed into a standalone arcade title.

The original arcade game has three circuits, designated into difficulties. Beginner is Big Forest, intermediate is Bay Bridge and expert is Acropolis. Each level has its own special feature, for example the amusement park in "Big Forest", or the "Bay Bridge" itself, or the tight hairpin of "Acropolis". When selecting a car, the player can choose different transmission types.[2] VR introduced the "V.R. View System" by allowing the player to choose one of four views to play the game. This feature was then used in most other Sega arcade racing games (and is mentioned as a feature in the attract mode of games such as Daytona USA).

Virtua Racing was among the highest-grossing arcade games of 1992 in Japan and North America, 1993 in Europe, Australia and worldwide, and it successfully received the award for Most Innovative New Technology from the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA). Virtua Racing is regarded as one of the most influential video games of all time, for laying the foundations for subsequent 3D racing games and for popularizing 3D polygon graphics among a wider audience. It was later ported to home consoles, starting with the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994.

  1. ^ Famitsu DC (February 2002). Sega Arcade History (PDF). Enterbrain. p. 125.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference EGM40 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).