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Final Lap cover art
LiveDecember 1987 · 39 years ago

Final Lap

Final Lap is a racing video game produced by Namco,[2] and released by Atari Games for the United States in 1987. It was the first game to run on Namco's then new System 2 hardware, and is a direct successor to Namco's two earlier Pole Position games (1982-1983). Final Lap was the first racing game to allow up to eight players to simultaneously race on the Suzuka Circuit, in a Formula One race. This was, at the time, considered a revolutionary feature and was implemented by linking together up to four two-player sitdown-style arcade cabinets.[2][3] It was also arguably the first racing game to implement "rubber banding" to ensure that less talented players were never too far behind the leader, a concept that would be taken much further by the Mario Kart series.[3] There was also a single player mode, in which the player's score was based on how far the car travelled until time ran out or if the player completed four laps (on default settings; the arcade operator can set the lap number to be as low as three or as high as six).

Player stats

Average monthly estimated players
MonthEstimated playersChange
August 2026
July 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Is Final Lap dead or still active?

No, Final Lap is not dead — it is live and playable.

When was Final Lap released?

Final Lap was released in December 1987 by Namco Limited and Namcot.

Screenshots