Nissan launches 90s-inspired video game ahead of Formula E race in Tokyo

Nissan Formula E Team has launched a retro gaming experience ahead of its home race, paying homage to the streets of Tokyo and the city’s gaming culture. 

The video game, which is available online, launched today on May 12, with the 2025 Tokyo E-Prix taking place on May 17 and 18. 

“NISMO Electric Racer Tokyo”, was created by Dark Horses in collaboration with Japanese illustrator Kentaro Yoshida and creative studio Electric Studios.

The launch was accompanied by a 1990s-inspired, 29-second ad. It starts off with a progress bar loading the game, while the voiceover says: “This is Nismo calling all racers. We need you to win the Tokyo E-Prix and take the title.”  

The spot then features images from the gameplay, taking the players through the Tokyo cityscape, past Mount Fuji and through roads surrounded by cherry blossom trees.

The game, which was developed in a retro 8-bit visual style, can be played on PC or mobile. 

Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal of Nissan Formula E Team, said: “We’re very excited to return to our home E-Prix in Tokyo. This race is not only a major moment for us as a team, but also a chance to celebrate our Japanese heritage.

"With ‘NISMO Electric Racer Tokyo’ we’ve created something that captures the energy we bring to the track while celebrating Japan’s legendary gaming culture. We’ve had a good season so far and we’re ready to give it our all in Tokyo to deliver excitement both on and off the track.”

The Nissan Formula E Team’s two drivers, Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato, will also register their scores ahead of the E-Prix, with fans able to test themselves against the professionals and post their own scores to the leaderboard. 

Yoshida’s illustration style will also debut on track at the Tokyo E-Prix, with a special-edition livery that reimagines the team’s existing Sakura-themed design.

Sean Johnson and Josh Pearce, creative directors at Dark Horses, said: “The home race is such a huge deal that we knew we needed to do something really special that not only captured the speed and excitement of the race, but also of the city itself. This is our strategy of noisy thinking, generating creatively distinct and individual social-based ideas that drive constant awareness and engagement, working at its very best.”

Last July, Nissan Formula E and Dark Horses created ‘The Department of Futures’, featuring the brand under scrutiny from a group of children, showing its commitment to a sustainable and electrified future. 

In May, Nissan and Dark Horses launched a spoof perfume ad ‘Smell my dust’ promoting its Formula E team.