Driving/Racing Games

The human mind seems engineered to yearn for high-speed race action, but the activity is far too dangerous to take part in for everyone but professionals or daredevils. Luckily there's a never-ending stream of racing games to sate our urges. Step behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle, burn some rubber and save on the cost of gas.

Consoles
Project Gotham Racing 4 : Boasting possibly the finest graphics of any racing game to date, PGR 4 rolls out a stable of immaculately detailed vehicles and authentic courses.	Need for Speed: Underground : Taking a look at the dirty underbelly of the racing world, this title centers around illegal street racing. The goal is not only to win, but to look good and avoid the cops.	Mario Kart: Double Dash : Video game racing doesn't get as silly, cartoonish or downright addictive as it does in the Mario Kart series. One of the top games available for Nintendo's GameCube.	Burnout Revenge : A thrilling, road-rage fueled dynamo, this one is all about crashes, explosions and general mayhem. You're rewarded for your ability to drive like a maniac and cause traffic accidents.

Handhelds
Mario Kart DS : The latest entry in the legendary Mario Kart series was the first to take the Nintendo DS online through Nintendo's wireless network. Race against others from around the globe or play offline and try to master the racing circuits and mission mode.	Wipeout Pure : Jet ski action roars in Wipeout games. Try to become the world's best wave racer and avoid taking spills into the ocean. Remember not to drink the salt water. A good buy for the family beach bum.	ATV Offroad Fury : To the glee of the virtual crowd, you romp your all-terrain vehicle through grand prix-style dirt tracks. The graphical detail is thorough. Sometimes splotches of mud end up on your screen.	Lego Racers 2 : In a franchise aimed squarely at kids, simplistic cars built from Lego bricks take the the tracks. The later levels get surprisingly challenging, although any experienced gamer shouldn't have much of a problem with this outing.

Computer
Need for Speed Underground 2 : The street-racing Need for Speed franchise excels on the consoles, but the graphics and processing power of computers ratchets up the intensity a few levels.	NASCAR Sim Racing : One of the nation's fastest-rising sports gets a computer video game treatment that emphasises the speed, personality and appeal of stock car racing. This licensed title does NASCAR dads proud.	GTR: FIA GT : Claiming to be the most authentic racing simulation in existence, the game lets you choose from among 70 racecars. The graphics are sublime, and the opposition's artificial intelligence is daunting.	CRC 2005 : Cross Racing Championship packs several varieties of racing into one. Off-road, dirty track, rally and road races are included in more than 65 courses.

Classic
Super Mario Kart : This is the Mario racing title that started it all. Taking full advantage of the Super Nintendo's "Mode 7" background rotation technology, the original Super Mario Kart provided perhaps the first 3-D racing experience.	Rad Racer : Featuring some of the catchiest music ever made for a video game, this NES street-racer plows through a circuit takes you from coast to coast.	Night Driver : The Atari 2600 hit breakneck speeds with this influential racer. Take the wheel on a dark track and steer to victory.	Bump N Jump : You have to go way back to the ColecoVision console to taste this kinetic racer  True to its title, the races are full of bumper-grinding traffic and air-catching ramps.

External Links

• GameSpot -- One of the top gaming resources on the net.
• IGN -- Covers video games as well as the rest of the entertainment world.
• Game Informer -- An excellent video game magazine's home page.