Namco’s 1996 Formula One racer Ace Driver Victory Lap is making its first ever trip to home consoles. Hamster has confirmed the System 22 sequel joins its Arcade Archives range tomorrow, Thursday 22 October, on Switch, PS4, Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
It follows the original Ace Driver from 1994, which Hamster brought home back in May. Neither game ever had an official console port in the 90s, so for most of us, the only way to play was finding a linked set of cabinets in an arcade or a seaside pier.
What is Ace Driver Victory Lap?
Like Ridge Racer and the first Ace Driver, Victory Lap runs on Namco’s System 22 board, the hardware that gave mid-90s arcades those smooth, texture-mapped 3D racers. In the arcade, it was built for up to eight linked cabinets. Hamster’s official page says the sequel adds new tracks, fully redesigned cars and a championship mode on top of the original’s high-speed F1 racing.
Versions and prices
| Version | Platforms | Players | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade Archives | Switch, PS4 | 1 | $14.99 |
| Arcade Archives 2 | Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | 1 to 4 | $16.99 |
Hamster says owners of the Switch or PS4 version can upgrade to the Arcade Archives 2 release on Switch 2 or PS5 for $2.99. As usual, you get the extras the series is known for: difficulty and display options, button remapping, save files, a rewind function, CRT-style filters and online leaderboards in Hi Score and Caravan modes. The Arcade Archives 2 version also adds a Time Attack mode and VRR support, which should suit a racer down to the ground.
Our take
Eight-player link-up is not coming home, sadly, but four players on the newer consoles is a decent nod to how this was meant to be played. With Ace Driver and now Victory Lap both out, Hamster is slowly filling in the gaps in Namco’s 90s racing history, and the next obvious ask is Ace Driver 3: Final Turn, the 2008 arcade-only third game. Time Extension readers are already calling for Namco’s even older Victory Run too. Want more coin-op news like this? Our arcade news section has the lot.
Are you a Ridge Racer person or an Ace Driver person? Let us know in the comments.
Sources: Arcade Archives (Hamster), Time Extension
Main picture: Hamster Corporation / Bandai Namco Entertainment
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