Formula E has always felt like a sport from the future, with electric cars zipping through city circuits and drivers navigating attack modes and energy boosts with joystick-like precision. So when Nissan's Formula E team wanted to create a campaign for their home race in Tokyo, leaning into the world of retro gaming didn't just make sense—it felt inevitable. The result is 'NISMO Electric Racer Tokyo', a '90s-style arcade game developed by creative agency Dark Horses in collaboration with Japanese-Australian illustrator Kentaro Yoshida. Free to play on desktop and mobile, the game puts players in the hot seat of a stylised Nissan Formula E car, tearing through an 8-bit Tokyo cityscape at top speeds of 322kph, which is the same velocity as the real Nissan E-4ORCE 04. With nods to pixelated classics like Outrun and Street Fighter, the game channels the energy of a bygone gaming era while cleverly linking back to real motorsport. "We've always talked about how Formula E itself feels like a video game," says Dark Horses creative Hannah Rendell. "With its unpredictability, pit boosts, and attack modes, it felt natural to bring those mechanics into a playable world." It's essentially a nostalgic thrill ride packed with thoughtful details. From cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji in the background to lightning bolt speed boosts symbolising attack mode, everything has been designed to reflect both the culture of Japan and the mechanics of the race. Get too slow, and you'll see a 'Game Over' screen – a cheeky nod to Formula E's emphasis on energy management. For creative duo Hannah and Lara Hallam, Tokyo provided the perfect setting for such a concept. "Nineties gaming is making a huge return to pop culture," explains Lara. "So playing into that nostalgic and retro world for the Tokyo E-Prix, a city so iconic for its gaming culture, felt like a no-brainer." The game is part of a wider campaign activation that includes a special edition race livery, which was recently revealed ahead of the Tokyo E-Prix on 14 May. The livery, also designed by Kentaro, reimagines the team's Sakura theme through the same vibrant, pastel-toned aesthetic seen in the game. His illustrations were then translated into crisp pixel art, creating visual cohesion across both digital and physical formats. "Using Kentaro's illustrations as a base, and then transforming them into 8-bit pixel art, meant we ended up with designs that felt truly unique to our game and Japanese culture as a whole," says Hannah. It marks Kentaro's first foray into the world of gaming and one that's already generating buzz across design and motorsport circles alike. Creative consistency was key across the entire campaign, from the game itself to the accompanying video spot, which riffs on classic 90s toy commercials. Live-action footage is spliced with gameplay and VHS-style overlays, mimicking the look and feel of old-school arcade advertising. It's tongue-in-cheek and era-authentic but with a modern twist, much like the game itself. "This is our strategy of noisy thinking," said Dark Horses creative directors Sean Johnson and Josh Pearce. "Generating creatively distinct and individual social-based ideas that drive constant awareness and engagement, working at its very best." The studio has built a reputation for unconventional sports marketing, and this campaign is no exception. While most motorsport content focuses on realism, tension, and competition, NISMO Electric Racer Tokyo invites a sense of play, not just for superfans but also for casual players and culturally curious audiences. "You don't have to be a Formula E fan to want to battle it out on the track in our game," says Lara. "But you can guarantee that after playing it, you'll see Nissan as an exciting team to watch out for." Nissan's Formula E journey is a story of resilience and ambition. Having entered the championship in 2018, the team started at the back of the pack, but this year, they're leading the standings. That trajectory mirrors the underdog thrill of a good racing game: start slow, learn the mechanics, and eventually take the win. "We're very excited to return to our home E-Prix in Tokyo," said Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal of the Nissan Formula E Team. "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." For Nissan, this campaign is part of a broader push to electrify its brand identity through how it connects with fans and its vehicles. As the first Japanese manufacturer in Formula E and a pioneer in electric powertrains, Nissan has long positioned itself as a future-forward player. But this activation also shows they're equally comfortable mining the past for creative inspiration. It's quite a unique blend of heritage and innovation through a campaign that brings together game design, illustration, advertising, and automotive branding in one cohesive world. Whether you're a gamer, a designer, or a motorsport die-hard, there's something irresistibly satisfying about seeing a 90s-style arcade racer reimagined for the electric age. If you're thinking of trying it out, just be aware that Nissan's own drivers, Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato, have already set the bar high on the leaderboard (and that it's just a little bit addictive once you start playing).