The thrill of competition. The satisfaction of victory. The sense of speed and the intense action. All reasons why racing games appeal to so many people. Whether it be in the air, land or sea racing comes in many forms and has been a staple of gaming since the 1970's. This new feature I call "List 'em" will be for me to list my top 5 games of a particular genre and all members are encouraged to respond in kind with their own top 5 list. Rebuttals, commentary and criticism are all welcome and I'd like to read your thoughts on them as well as add commentary of my own so list away ladies and gentlemen.

Here's mine in no particular order:

• Outrun 2019 (Sega Genesis) - A game I've only recently come to appreciate, it's got all the bells and whistles that the outrun series is known for, yet tackles that futuristic racing genre few games seem to pull off well. Check out my review HERE.

• Need for Speed: High Stakes (PlayStation, PC) - One of my favorite all-time games, this one takes high speed chases and offers you the keys to fast exotic cars or fast police interceptors and puts your into large tracks from around the world with car damage, lighting effects and Dolby Surround sound. It also has a mode called "High Stakes" in which you can race a second player for the pink slip to a car on your memory cards. The winner gets the data from the loser's memory card an they lose that car from their profile.

• Diddy Kong Racing (N64) - You can Mario Kart me this or Mario Kart me that, but to me this is the pinnacle of Kart racing. Even to this day I still enjoy this game and I have many fond memories of all-nighters spent in multiplayer matches or beating the single player mode. It's also a very easy game for new players or non-racing game fans to get into because it doesn't have the level of complexity that the other kart racing game has. The DS remake isn't bad either but it's still not as good as it's N64 counterpart.

• Hang-On (Sega Master) - A low budget arcade port, this motorcycle game makes up for simple graphics and gameplay with an addictive need to rack up points and embark on an endurance marathon every time you play it. A game every SMS owner should have.

• Gran Turismo 2 (PlayStation) - No racing game has ever given me so much replay value nor offered many car owners the opportunity to modify and race cars they can actually afford and may even own. The limit of customization this game offers and the default list of cars is unmatched by any other game including it's own successors.

Runner-up: Hard Drivin' (sit down arcade cab). An awesome driving simulator, this game raised the bar for both arcade driving games and simulation racing games in general. One of the first racing games that had a clutch and a manual transmission that actually uses a proper shift pattern. It also has a "force feedback" steering wheel that has plenty of resistance when your driving and also rips out of your hands when you crash. Crashing also "cracks" your windshield and when the dust settles you get to watch a instant replay of your crash. I loved the stunt track and well...the whole game in general. I've even broken a couple machines with my brutal handling of the controls. Believe it or not this game is a great way to introduce someone to the practices of driving a manual transmission without risking a real car. If you get a chance check out the www.klov.com listing for Hard Drivin' HERE.

Those are my top 5 my fellow members, now it's your turn.

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