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Legendary Video Game Racetracks: Our Top 10
From detailed replicas of real racetracks to fictional courses, we bring you the top 10 most iconic video game racetracks of all time.
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Since the 1970s we have been given the virtual full-throttle experience of racing games, and the racing genre is as diverse as motorsport itself. It doesn't matter whether we're taking on double Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, destroying friendships in Mario Kart or in F -Zero through an underwater tunnel at over 1,000 km/h: we love racers. But without good slopes, a racing game isn't worth much. We bring you our top 10 iconic video game racing tracks.
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01
Nürburgring Nordschleife
The legendary Caracciola carousel - a key part of the Nordschleife.
© Sony Interactive Entertainment
One of the longest and most dangerous racetracks in the world: the venerable Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, of course, cannot be missing in a list of the best video game racetracks.
The sheer length is over 20 kilometers and, in the current version, a total of 73 curves to make a lap on the Nordschleife which is an adrenaline rush that is second to none. If that's not enough for you, you can alternatively try the long-distance version, which connects the Nordschleife with the Grand Prix circuit of the Nürburgring.
It doesn't matter whether it's chasing the best time in racing simulations or as a playground for the community multiplayer mode "Cat and Mouse": Nowadays, no racing game should actually be released without the iconic Nordschleife.
More about the Nürburgring
Red Bull Formula Nürburgring brings F1 cars back to the ring
Red Bull Formula Nurburgring
© Red Bull
Buckle up for the motorsport event of the year:
On September 9th, 2023, the Formula 1 cars will return to the legendary Nordschleife. As part of the Red Bull Formula Nürburgring, you can look forward to impressive show runs with many legendary drivers from two- and four-wheel motorsport.
Get your tickets now for this unique motorsport event!
02
Trial Mountain
Trial Mountain is THE iconic track in the Gran Turismo series
© Sony Interactive Entertainment
The fictional Trial Mountain racetrack has been an integral part and fan favorite since the start of the Gran Turismo series, before the layout received a complete update with the current offshoot Gran Turismo 7.
With its iconic rock formations and three tunnels, Trial Mountain is forever etched in the minds of the GT fan base. Who doesn't enjoy reminiscing about the PS2 debut, when the sun shone through the treetops and made the virtual racers' jaws drop?
More on Gran Turismo
03
Maple Valley Raceway
Maple Valley is also back in the upcoming Forza Motorsport.
© Xbox Game Studios
Ever wondered what the counterpart to the Gran Turismo series on Microsoft consoles is called? You got it, Forza Motorsport. And the series has its own legendary track. Or rather some. The 3.1-mile fictional Maple Valley Raceway is our favorite.
Apart from the picturesque autumnal maple trees that surround the track, the course has everything that characterizes a beautiful track. Last but not least, the long right-hand bend after the start and the tricky full-throttle kink at the end of the lap also make the track one of the most demanding courses in the Forza series.
04
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The "Race to the Clouds" on the eponymous 4,301 meter high mountain in the US Rocky Mountains is one of, if not the, most legendary off-road track in the world and was of course also part of various racing games.
We look back fondly on the hussar ride on board the almost 1,000 hp Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Special or think of countless hours behind the wheel of the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak in DiRt Rally, in which off-road legend Sébastien Loeb broke the course record in 2013.
2 min
Sebastien Loeb on Pikes Peak
Relive Sebastien Loeb's run up Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 2013 when the Frenchman smashed the record.
05
Rainbow Road
Everyone has definitely fallen off the Rainbow Road at some point
© Nintendo
The Mario Kart games have tons of legendary racetracks to offer. But if we had to choose just one, our choice would definitely fall on Rainbow Road.
As the ultimate piste at the end of the Special Cup, there is a variant of the course in each branch. But she looks different every time. However, they all have one thing in common: they are among the most difficult routes for fun racers - not least because, with the exception of the N64 offshoot, they do not offer any barriers and driving errors are mercilessly punished.
If Mario Kart is associated with just one course, it's Rainbow Road. Of course, opinions differ on the most popular variant.
06
Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans)
The legendary Le Mans circuit should not be missing in racing games
© Slightly Mad Studios
The legendary Circuit de la Sarthe is home to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, probably the most famous endurance race in the world. Of course, in the past we were allowed to do our laps in a number of racers on the approximately 13.6 kilometer long course and even for the full, real 24 hours.
One could only hope that the PC or console didn't hang up during the breaks. Also unforgettable is the official video game Le Mans 24 Hours, which was marketed in North America as Test Drive: Le Mans and is one of the best racing games on SEGA's cult console Dreamcast.
With the bike in Le Mans: Our show 'Fast Track - Jack Miller' accompanied the MotoGP riders during the 2022 season. Of course we're also going to Le Mans.
10 min
Viva Miller, baby! Jack and Gypsy Tales at Le Mans
Can Jack Miller get his season back on track in Le Mans where he's joined by his old mate Gypsy Tales?
07
Big Blue
Big Blue - For us the best track from F-Zero.
© Nintendo
What the Rainbow Road is to Mario Kart, Big Blue is to the F-Zero series. Mute City, with its legendary soundtrack, is a serious competitor here. But hey: Big Blue's theme is just as iconic!
Anyway. The second route in the future racer on the SNES keeps what the name promises. She is tall. And blue. In the sequels, Captain Falcon, Samurai Goroh and Co in Big Blue even defy gravity.
The importance of the course for Nintendo and fans is reflected in its implementation in Mario Kart 8 and the deluxe reboot, where the peloton competes for victory on the giant water slide.
08
Laguna Seca Raceway
It's all happening at the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway
© Milestone
With a length of 3.61 kilometers and eleven corners, the Laguna Seca Raceway in California, USA, doesn't look particularly impressive. And yet the course is one of the most demanding racetracks in the world, not least thanks to the legendary Corkscrew curve.
Exactly this secluded curve behind a knoll should have already destroyed countless best time attempts in the history of racing games. Due to the centrifugal forces, the corkscrew is a special challenge, especially on a motorcycle.
Between 2005 and 2013 even the MotoGP made a guest appearance on the legendary cult race track. For example, the duel between Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner in 2008 - two of the best MotoGP riders of all time - is unforgettable. Incidentally, the last MotoGP winner at Laguna Seca Raceway, in 2013, was a certain Marc Márquez.
Back in the saddle: After major surgery and rehabilitation, Marc Márquez returned ready for the 2019 MotoGP season. Our documentary shows how the champion fought back.
1 h 20 min
Márquez Unlimited
After surgery and rehabilitation, Marc Márquez returns for the 2019 MotoGP™ season.
09
Papu's pyramid
The pyramid can't be missing in the remake of Crash Team Racing either.
© Activision
Sony's answer to Mario Kart was called Crash Team Racing, and it brought similarly fun and addictive gameplay to PlayStation gamers back in 1999. Of course, the fun racer around the bandicoot has a whole range of its own legendary racetracks to offer.
Papu's pyramid has burned itself into our memories, after all we're racing up a pyramid in our karts through several nasty 90-degree bends.
10
Circuit de Monaco
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The home of Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix is the calendar highlight of every season in the premier class. From the tunnel to the Fairmont hairpin to the Rascasse corner, absolutely everything about this temporary circuit is legendary.
After all, Monaco punishes every driving mistake much more severely than all other racetracks and is undoubtedly a must for every racing simulation that thinks highly of itself.
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