Most people would probably never expect to see the words "high speed driving RPG" all together, but that's exactly what Square labeled its seldom-talked-about Racing Lagoon. Released in summer of 1999 and of course, confined to Japan, the game was certainly not one of the company's more prominent releases.

With a look described by some as what would result if someone tried to make an RPG out of the anime Initial D!, Racing Lagoon was certainly unique, if nothing else. Players would move from area to area "battling" opponents, though in this case, battles took the form of races. You could then take your winnings to buy new parts and upgrades for your car, or even get a new vehicle altogether, much in the vein of a traditional racing title. While it all sounds potentially interesting, finding a gamer who actually enjoyed the game would be quite an accomplishment.

Since most people likely just clicked to see the game in action, head on over to the newly-created gallery and have a look at 26 screen shots as well as the front and back packaging.

As a side note, while many gamers may not be familiar with Racing Lagoon itself, they may recognize music composers Noriko Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi, who most recently created the soundtrack to Final Fantasy X-2. For more information and reviews on both soundtracks, see the links below.

• Racing Lagoon OST Review
• Final Fantasy X-2 OST Review