One of the classic arcade genres I’ve always enjoyed the most has been racing titles, and going back into the golden era of the arcades there were plenty of them to choose from. While certainly the likes of Pole Position really got things started with a bang some years earlier, one of the classics I remember playing the most was OutRun… though I did prefer its sequel Turbo OutRun overall.

It should come as no surprise that I’m not the only one with a love for those iconic titles, and there have already been some great indie games created in a similar mold, most notably the Horizon Chase titles. Now, coming in at a more budget-friendly price we have Steel Racer, and to a degree it does successfully capture that style of play while also including tracks with hills and big turns that help test whether its rendering engine has any critical limits, and overall it does a pretty solid job.

That said, while the action feels pretty authentic overall and there aren’t any specific complaints about the controls or common issues like not getting a sensation of speed, Steel Racer also struggles to be exciting. It gets off to quite a dull start, but thankfully only a few races in, the tracks and level of competition do at least improve a bit, pushing you to at least be sure to grab the on-track speed and nitro boosts to ensure you can be victorious. The problem is just that whether you’re fighting for first or not it feels quite generic, even while acknowledging that on a technical level it appears to have accomplished its goals. If you simply dig the OutRun vibes and love the modest price it may be satisfying, but there’s absolutely better retro racing to be found out there on the Switch.