Top-down racing

A subgenre of racing games where the racetrack is viewed from a top-down perspective. In these games either the player can see the entire track on one screen or a scrolling mechanic is used to follow the racer on the screen. A key feature of the genre is greater player awareness of surroundings and/or opponents compared to other racing games. With this awareness upcoming turns, curves, and obstacles become more anticipated.

Gran Trak 10 was a pioneering game in this genre which inspired many games to come. Some prime examples of these type of games include: Super Sprint, R.C. Pro-Am, Micro Machines, and Rock n' Roll Racing.