What need does such a comprehensive classification satisfy? "Oh, I want to play a Truck Racer! Which one to get?" "Gee, boy, I really like this jetski game! I now want another one!"
Or is it to help game reviewers to compare different games to judge a new entry? ;-)

No, of course it's our sense of order to have fun in classifying games and other stuff. Why not make it even more complicated - even if the classification "Racing role playing games" has no real practical use?

But in all seriousness - if one absolutely wants to genreficate games one could try to distinguish them by the gameplay mechanics and not by the vehicle alone.

Some examples:

a) All racers are simulations. Period.
But of course they differ in what they simulate and how they simulate: Either they try to simulate reality (or what we know as reality) as best as they can (or want) or they simulate - for example - racing a hover glider on a futuristic course, blowing up opponents and scenery while driving by.
Maybe they simulate power sliding on a mud track similar to reality (Colin Mc Rae series) or they make it easy for the player to let the car slide on its own when the player initiated the slide at the right moment (Ridge Racer series).
=> So we basically have "reality simulations" and "fantasy simulations".
Then we can either judge how good the simulation of reality is or what concepts of fantasy are employed.

b) Is it the gamers' job to actually race or does he have to do funny jumps or stunts like in some snowboard or jetski games? Are the latter racing games at all when the score is more important than the lap time? It even gets more complicated when a snowboard or jetski game offers both modes. The same applies to games like Destruction Derby and the Burnout series which feature incredible destruction modes to amass score points or a last man standing mode.

c) Where is the focus? Is it necessary to get the best time or does the player has to get a higher score by doing stunts or tricks while racing?

d) Does the player has to accelerate by pressing a button to fire an engine to does he has to use the gravity as best as possible?

Personally, the answers to those questions are more interesting to me than the choice of the vehicle, exclusively.

take care,
Calibrator

I have a borderline call on a "racing game" classification for a certain game. I'll see what you guys think in a bit. But first....Pole Position.

With nostalgia mode on, Pole Position was one of my first arcade racing experiences and was quite enjoyable. I remember it happened inside a Show-Biz-Pizza. You know what helped? The fact you sat down inside the cabinet! If the success of a video game is often measured by how much it makes you unaware of your surroundings, sitting inside the Pole Position cab put me on Cloud 9. The immersion was incredible. I didn't have better graphics to compare it to back then, so the cabinet actually added to the "visual experience" of the game and made it more realistic. You actually had to work on those turns. Slamming the gas didn't magically do the job for you. At least you got a really sweet explosion when you crashed. I saw that explosion many times....maybe I will have to make up for it if there is a cab at the upcoming Houston Area Arcade Expo.

Another arcade game I have found memories of is Hard Drivin'. A racing game? I suppose. You didn't have a finishing position, but it was a clock/checkpoint-based game. The physics were great for the time (and would improve with Race Drivin'). There weren't really any textures in this 3D game, but I didn't care. It was fun and had *force feedback* in the steering. That really added to the realism. I don't recall playing a game with force feedback prior to Hard Drivin circa 1988. I may have simply missed a game or two, but this was great. I would later have the opportunity to purchase the full, 750 lbs, sit-down cabinet version of Hard Drivin' while in college. It was mostly broken when I bought it, and my arcade hobby began. I split the cost with a friend. $150 to own Hard Drivin'. What a steal. He still has it and is now several states away. I'll get it back someday.

The last game I want to mention is Road Blasters. A racing game? I suppose you could say "debatable." I would say it is. You don't get a finishing position in a traditional race, and it does have a shooting element to it. However I don't consider the shooting element to be the primary focus of the game. The primary focus is to FINISH the current race! The drama of this game comes from constantly losing fuel. You are certainly aware of time and what your mistakes have cost you - just like a racing game. Classify it what you will, I thought it deserves mentioning. It certainly had its share of drama. When the main fuel tank runs out, the reserve tank kicks in and the alarm starts going off. Suddenly your skills "better improve." When you run out of fuel, the alarm sound hangs, the music kicks up, and you are prompted for another quarter if you want to continue - oh - and that is timed, too. Nine seconds to get your quarter in the machine. That's hard to do when you are sitting down, your quarters are in your pocket, and you are in shock that you just lost.

....never managed to complete Mulholland Drive in Street Rod 2.