Ace Driver Victory Lap Gets Its First Home Release After 30 Years

Namco's 1996 arcade racing game Ace Driver Victory Lap has received its first home release nearly 30 years after its debut. Hamster Corporation released the game on October 22, 2026, for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S through its Arcade Archives collection.

The release follows the original Ace Driver, which arrived on modern consoles in May 2026. Both games were part of Namco's early polygonal arcade racing lineup, which Hamster has been gradually bringing to home platforms.

Originally released in 1996, Ace Driver Victory Lap built on Namco's 1994 racing game with additional tracks, redesigned vehicles, and improved racing mechanics. The sequel features three courses, each offering different driving conditions and challenges.

Players can choose between Beginner, Expert, and Expert (Pro) racing classes, along with automatic or manual transmission. The game retains the original arcade experience, including its polygonal visuals and competitive racing.

The Arcade Archives 2 edition introduces local split-screen multiplayer for up to four players on a single console. Players can choose between two-player and four-player layouts, while the standard Arcade Archives version on Switch and PS4 remains single-player only.

Both editions include Original Mode, Hi Score Mode, and Caravan Mode, alongside modern conveniences such as rewind, save states, and adjustable difficulty settings. Online leaderboards allow players to compete for high scores, although online multiplayer racing is not supported.

Arcade Archives 2 also adds Time Attack Mode, where players compete to complete the game as quickly as possible. Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support is included to help reproduce the original arcade experience more accurately.

The standard Arcade Archives Ace Driver Victory Lap costs $14.99 on Nintendo Switch and PS4. The Arcade Archives 2 version is available for $16.99 on Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Players who own the standard edition can purchase the corresponding newer-console version for $2.99 using the same account. However, save data cannot be transferred between the two editions.