Ace Driver

Ace Driver is a 3D racing video game. Gameplay involves the player controlling a Formula One racer, the objective being to complete three laps of a race while in first place. The player can choose one of eight playable vehicles, which is determined by which seat the player has chosen on the cabinet itself. Cars also carry advertisements featuring names of older Namco video games and products, in a manner similar to the Ridge Racer series.

The player can also choose from three difficulty levels — Beginner, Expert, and Expert Pro Race Class. Namco produced two versions of the game, an SD model and a DX model. The SD version features a basic sit-down structure, while the DX version features seats that rotate based on the player's actions in the game. Both cabinets are linkable, and allow for an additional machine to be connected to it, which enables eight-person multiplayer.

Ace Driver was released in Japan with a limited release on 6 August 1994, and then a nationwide release in November 1994. It was followed by a North American release later that year, and it then released in Europe in March 1995. The game was designed by Tatsuro Okamoto, known for his work on Metro-Cross and the Final Lap series, with assistance from Pole Position designer Shinichiro Okamoto. The arcade cabinet, designed by mechanical engineer Junichiro Koyama, is much heavier than Namco's other arcade cabinets, which made it difficult for the game to be easily shipped.

The game ran on the Namco System 22 hardware, which was also used for the original Ridge Racer, with speaker systems provided by American company BOSE. Care was taken during production of the game's controls so as to make them tight and easy to use, which Okamoto recalls being as responsive as moving a shopping cart. The DX version, which featured rotating seats, was stated to have been dangerous in the event cabinet was placed up against the wall, leading to small fences being placed towards the base of the cabinet.

Ace Driver was a widespread success, with reviewers praising its impressive technological capabilities and realistic graphics. At the 76th Annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) tradeshow in November 1994, it was awarded the "Best Coin-Operated Game" award, for its texture-mapped 3D graphics, force feedback and motion-based cabinet. It also received a product innovation award from the IAAPA.

The game was also a commercial success, with Namco reporting an "overwhelming" number of orders placed for the eight-player version. In Japan, Game Machine listed it on their January 1, 1995 issue as being the second most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month. It went on to be the third highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1995 in Japan.