Play Monster Racers (J)(High Road) Online

Pick a fire lizard or some other weirdo, then race through crazy tracks where timing their special moves means the difference between first place and eating dirt. Surprisingly deep for a monster racer—you'll agonize over stat tweaks between races.

Developer: Koei Tecmo

Genre: Racing

Released: 2009

File size: 9.45 MB

Game Overview

Monster Racers is one of those weird little DS gems that somehow mixes Pokémon-style monster collecting with high-speed racing—and it actually works. You start by picking your first creature (I went with the fire-breathing lizard because, well, fire), then immediately get thrown into these chaotic, obstacle-filled races where your monster’s abilities actually matter. The little guy can dash through shortcuts or knock rivals off-course if you time it right.

What surprised me was how much strategy sneaks in. Some monsters handle better on dirt tracks, others absolutely shred water sections, and you’ll spend way too long tweaking their stats between races. The pixel-art animations during attacks are oddly charming too—nothing like watching your turtle monster suddenly yeet a boulder at the competition. It’s janky in that early DS way, but that just adds to the fun.

If you ever wanted a racing game where your team’s composition matters as much as your reflexes, this is it.