POLE POSITION Racing Player

I’ve played a lot of retro arcade ports, but this one nails the 1982 feel better than I expected. The original track layouts and the way the timer pressures you into every turn took me straight back to the arcade floor. It’s the most fun I’ve had with a racing game in years.

The steering wheel feels just as twitchy and unforgiving as I remember from the arcade, which is exactly what I wanted for that 1982 rush. Spent a whole evening chasing my old high score and it still gets the heart pumping.

The steering on this port feels tighter than the original cabinet I remember from 1983, which makes the sharp turns near the finish line actually manageable. Loses half a star for the lack of a proper attract mode, but the authentic arcade speed is all there.