World Driver Championship
World Driver Championship — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is World Driver Championship on?
- World Driver Championship was released on Nintendo 64.
- When did World Driver Championship release?
- World Driver Championship was first released on May 31, 1999.
About World Driver Championship
One of the last racing simulations to be released for Nintendo 64, this graphically intensive title used custom microcode optimization and high polygon count modelling. The development team was able to optimize the usage of the various processors within the N64 to allow far draw distance (reducing the need for fog or pop-up), high detail texturing and models, Doppler effect audio, and advanced lighting and fog effects for realistic weather conditions. Impressively the game has a high resolution 640x480 mode that does not require the add-on N64 RAM Expansion Pak. Additionally, unlike many other games of its type on the platform, the game runs high resolution at a sufficiently playable pace, undoubtedly due to the use of a reduced screen area letterbox mode that lessens the number of pixels needing to be displayed.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64
- Developer
- Boss Game Studios
- Publisher
- Midway
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer, Split screen
Details via IGDB.
Collector value & authenticity
Nintendo 64 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-22
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAL release | $11 | $50 | $172 |
What it needs to play
- RequiredController Pak — to save your progress: the game saves to a Controller Pak, not to the cartridge (game manual).
- OptionalRumble Pak — supported (game manual).
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a week
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- Sealed: about 4 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-22.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $0.75 in Jan 2007, $12.49 five years ago, and $12.99 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2007 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2008 | $2.25 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $1.85 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.40 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.77 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $1.77 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.12 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $3.47 | $19.97 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.52 | $23 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.21 | $13.50 |
| Jan 2017 | $5.24 | $10.01 |
| Jan 2018 | $5.99 | $19.56 |
| Jan 2019 | $7.34 | $16.48 |
| Jan 2020 | $6.90 | $17.83 |
| Jan 2021 | $6.51 | $17.49 |
| Jan 2022 | $9.42 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2023 | $9.69 | $42 |
| Jan 2024 | $10.67 | $50 |
| Jan 2025 | $10.68 | $31 |
| Jan 2026 | $12.05 | $32 |
| Oct 2026 | $12.99 | $49 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Cartridge serial | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 15 June 1999 | NUS-NWOE-USA | NUS-01A-02 |
| Europe / PAL | 5 November 1999 | NUS-NWOP-EUR | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1999
- Authenticity
- Low
A realistic-looking racer that pushed the N64's hardware, with a long draw distance.
World Driver Championship is a racing game developed by Boss Game Studios and published by Midway, released in North America in June 1999 and Europe in November 1999. GameFan's June 1999 preview made the graphics its main selling point, praising the large colorful courses and the vehicle design.
Boss tuned the game with custom microcode to get a long draw distance with less fog and pop-up, detailed textures and models, and weather and lighting effects.
How it was made
Developed by Boss Game Studios and published by Midway. Brian McNeely is credited as designer, Brian Fehdrau and Rob Povey as programmers, and Zack Ohren as composer.
What the press said at the time
| Game Informer Issue 75 | July 1999 | Bottom Line: 6.25 |
| Metacritic (aggregate) | 75/100 | |
| AllGame | 4/5 | |
| Edge | 6/10 | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.25/10 | |
| GameSpot | 5.7/10 | |
| IGN | 8.8/10 | |
| N64 Magazine | 91% | |
| Next Generation | 4/5 | |
| Nintendo Power | 8.7/10 |
“can't get too excited about yet another racing game for the N64, but World Driver is pretty solid. It has great track designs and excellent playcontrol.”
“Even though it has a few serious flaws, WDC is still worth revving up.”
“Bear in mind that it's a game that takes time to love but, when you've tamed the beast, you'll have the greatest time. … yes, the N64 finally has its Gran Turismo. It's that good.”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Nintendo 64 version.
Before you buy
The price on this page is for the North American release, which sits below the middle of the 1999 releases. The PAL release costs a little less loose and about the same complete. Budget for a Controller Pak, which the game requires for saving; the Rumble Pak is supported but optional. A complete copy costs several times a loose cartridge. Fake risk is low.
World Driver Championship screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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