# Rad Racer

**Rad Racer**, released in Japan as *Highway Star* (ハイウェイスター), is a pseudo-3D arcade racing game developed and published by Square for the Family Computer in 1987 and released for the [Nintendo Entertainment System](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-entertainment-system) in North America in October 1987, with Nintendo as the North American publisher.<sup>[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXEJTDhto6M)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587550-rad-racer/data)</sup> It is remembered as one of Square's pre-*Final Fantasy* titles, as an early stereoscopic 3D video game, and as Square's console answer to Sega's arcade hit *Out Run*.<sup>[3](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Rad_Racer)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | Highway Star (ハイウェイスター), Family Computer, 1987, developed and published by Square<sup>[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXEJTDhto6M)</sup> |
| NES release | October 1987 in North America, published by Nintendo, product code NES-RC; Europe followed on 15 January 1988<sup>[2](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587550-rad-racer/data)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587550-rad-racer/reviews/166671)</sup> |
| Vehicles | A Ferrari 328 sports car or an F1 racing machine, chosen at the start<sup>[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXEJTDhto6M)</sup> |
| Structure | Eight courses of increasing difficulty, raced against a clock with checkpoints that extend time<sup>[5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3me85pqMwAQ)</sup> |
| 3D mode | Shipped with a pair of red-blue anaglyph 3D glasses; activating 3D mode produces a stereoscopic effect<sup>[6](https://www.pcworld.com/article/495252/the_history_of_steroscopic_3d_gaming.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3me85pqMwAQ)</sup> |
| Programmer | Nasir Gebelli, the Iranian-born programmer later associated with Square's early *Final Fantasy* games<sup>[7](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/retro-game-of-the-day-rad-racer)</sup> |
| Music | A three-song soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu, selectable in game<sup>[8](https://infinityretro.com/rad-racer-review/)</sup> |

## Gameplay

Rad Racer is a time attack racer: the goal is to reach the end of each course before the timer expires, not to beat other cars to the finish line.<sup>[9](https://www.honestgamers.com/11952/nes/rad-racer/review.html)</sup> The player chooses between the [Ferrari 328](https://www.edgepedia.org/ferrari-328) and the F1 machine, then drives through eight courses of increasing difficulty, with changing weather and roads that grow harder as the game progresses.<sup>[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXEJTDhto6M)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3me85pqMwAQ)</sup> Checkpoints between the start and finish lines grant time extensions, and running out of time forces a restart of the stage.<sup>[5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3me85pqMwAQ)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.honestgamers.com/11952/nes/rad-racer/review.html)</sup>

The other vehicles on the road act as moving obstacles rather than competitors, a design borrowed from *Out Run*.<sup>[9](https://www.honestgamers.com/11952/nes/rad-racer/review.html)</sup> Pressing up on the directional pad engages a turbo boost, and the player must brake for tight turns to avoid sliding off the road, where trees and signs can flip the car and cost seconds.<sup>[10](https://videogamecritic.com/mobile/nesqr.htm?e=87126)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://infinityretro.com/rad-racer-review/)</sup> A full playthrough of all eight courses takes around 25 minutes.<sup>[4](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587550-rad-racer/reviews/166671)</sup>

## Stereoscopic 3D

Rad Racer was one of the first stereoscopic games on a home console. According to a history of stereoscopic gaming by technology writer Benj Edwards, Square created the first stereoscopic games for the Famicom in 1987: *Todibase Daisakusen* (released in the United States as *3-D WorldRunner*) came first, followed by *Highway Star* (Rad Racer in the U.S.). Each game shipped with a pair of red-blue anaglyph glasses that generated the stereoscopic effect when the player activated 3D mode.<sup>[6](https://www.pcworld.com/article/495252/the_history_of_steroscopic_3d_gaming.html)</sup> The North American packaging advertised the game's "revolutionary 3-D technology" and included the glasses free inside the box.<sup>[2](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587550-rad-racer/data)</sup>

In October 1987 Nintendo also released the Famicom 3D System, a pair of LCD shutter glasses with an interface box for the Family Computer; this peripheral never reached the United States.<sup>[6](https://www.pcworld.com/article/495252/the_history_of_steroscopic_3d_gaming.html)</sup>

## Development and relation to Out Run

By 1987 few racing games existed for the NES, and Rad Racer was widely seen as Square's response to Sega's *Out Run*, which had appeared in arcades a year earlier.<sup>[3](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Rad_Racer)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.honestgamers.com/11952/nes/rad-racer/review.html)</sup> Reviewers have described the game as the NES' answer to Sega's arcade hit, noting the similar behind-the-car perspective, the obstacle traffic, and the selectable music, while pointing out that Rad Racer lacks *Out Run*'s branching roads and offers only a single fixed path per course.<sup>[11](https://retrogamingpower.co.uk/radracer/radracer.htm)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.honestgamers.com/11952/nes/rad-racer/review.html)</sup>

The game was programmed by Nasir Gebelli, an Iranian-born programmer whose work for [Square](https://www.edgepedia.org/square-video-game-company) continued into the original *Final Fantasy*.<sup>[7](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/retro-game-of-the-day-rad-racer)</sup> The soundtrack, limited to three songs, was composed by [Nobuo Uematsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/nobuo-uematsu), who later became *Final Fantasy*'s longtime composer; the player can cycle through the tracks during a race.<sup>[8](https://infinityretro.com/rad-racer-review/)</sup>

## Legacy

Rad Racer was followed by a single sequel, Rad Racer II, released in the United States only. Nintendo's restrictive business practices of the era kept the game NES-exclusive, and neither entry has received subsequent rereleases.<sup>[11](https://retrogamingpower.co.uk/radracer/radracer.htm)</sup> The original returned to prominence in 1990, when it was used as a competition title in the [Nintendo World Championships](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-world-championships); the event's manual instructs players to "PLAY RAD RACER, COMPLETE THE COURSE!"<sup>[12](https://www.gamingalexandria.com/highquality/NES/Nintendo%20World%20Championship%201990%20-%2025th%20Anniversary/Nintendo%20World%20Championship%201990%20-%2025th%20Anniversary%20-%20Manual%20%28Clearscan%29.pdf)</sup>

Retrospective assessments have been mixed but generally favorable toward the game's speed and smooth graphics engine, which one reviewer found more capable than the home console versions of *Out Run*, while criticizing its clunky handling, frequent turns, and repetitive course layouts.<sup>[8](https://infinityretro.com/rad-racer-review/)</sup> The Video Game Critic gave the NES version a B+ grade, calling it a game that "pushes you to the limit".<sup>[10](https://videogamecritic.com/mobile/nesqr.htm?e=87126)</sup>

## References

1. [Rad Racer (NES, 1987) - Video Game Years History, YouTube (Pat the NES Punk)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXEJTDhto6M)
2. [Rad Racer Release Information for NES - GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587550-rad-racer/data)
3. [Rad Racer - StrategyWiki](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Rad_Racer)
4. [Rad Racer Review - GameFAQs user review](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587550-rad-racer/reviews/166671)
5. [Rad Racer (NES) Gameplay - nesguide, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3me85pqMwAQ)
6. [The History of Stereoscopic 3D Gaming, PCWorld (Benj Edwards)](https://www.pcworld.com/article/495252/the_history_of_steroscopic_3d_gaming.html)
7. [Retro Game of the Day! Rad Racer, Game Developer](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/retro-game-of-the-day-rad-racer)
8. [Rad Racer Review (Nintendo, 1987), Infinity Retro](https://infinityretro.com/rad-racer-review/)
9. [Rad Racer (NES) Review, HonestGamers](https://www.honestgamers.com/11952/nes/rad-racer/review.html)
10. [The Video Game Critic's NES Reviews Q-R](https://videogamecritic.com/mobile/nesqr.htm?e=87126)
11. [Retro Gaming Power - Rad Racer review](https://retrogamingpower.co.uk/radracer/radracer.htm)
12. [Nintendo World Championships 1990 manual, Gaming Alexandria](https://www.gamingalexandria.com/highquality/NES/Nintendo%20World%20Championship%201990%20-%2025th%20Anniversary/Nintendo%20World%20Championship%201990%20-%2025th%20Anniversary%20-%20Manual%20%28Clearscan%29.pdf)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual Nintendo-platform game titles › NES and SNES titles*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license