Quick game inspired by the old Super Cars 2 - What made the old top-down racers special to you?

I loved the old **Super Cars 2** on Amiga. The cars, the sfx, the music and art style. All of it. :-)

I'm thinking of creating a game similar to it, but need some twist making it more accessible and modern. Thinking this subreddit could be the place to gather some inspiration before starting to develop.

I would like to develop it for web and native iOS/Android as my other games. Real-time multiplayer is a must. Quick ladders/rankings.

For those who remember it, SC2 was a top-down racer with a great sense of speed, weapon pickups, and that fun between-race shop with the sarcastic mechanic. That personality was a big part of the charm.

Some things I'm still chewing on:

- Keep it top-down, or try a slight isometric angle?
- How much combat vs. pure racing?
- Short 90-second races with instant rematch for mobile?

So I'm curious:

- What made the old top-down racers special to you?
- Any modern games that capture that feeling?
- Features from SC2 you'd love to see come back?

Would love to hear your thoughts and memories. :-)