Final Lap 2

 is a sequel to "Final Lap" (released by Namco in 1990); it runs on Namco System 2 hardware, and much like the original title (and "Four Trax"), it allows up to eight players to play simultaneously when four two-player sit-down cabinets are connected together, but this one features four different tracks which are set in the game's home country of Japan (the Suzuka Circuit from the original), Italy, Monaco, and the United States (which resembles the Test track that was featured in "Pole Position II"). For a second time, the players must take control of either the Williams, McLaren, March or Lotus cars, which have been redesigned, in a Formula One race on one of the four tracks - and in the single-player mode, the player's score shall again be based upon how far his car travels until the timer runs out or he completes four laps of the chosen circuit, and hitting another car or a billboard will again not cause a player car to explode like it did in the two "Pole Position" games, but it can still send it (or the other car) spinning off the track, costing valuable time. In the multiplayer mode, up to eight players can again race simultaneously; this shall again allow for better lap times, as the plain green CPU-controlled cars (which have also been redesigned) shall appear less frequently. The United States track is the easiest of the four, and is recommended for the novice players - and once a player has mastered it, he is ready to move on to the Monaco track, then the Italy one (which are of medium and medium-hard difficulties). However, the Japan track is the most difficult one, given that it is the Suzuka Circuit from the original game and it is therefore only recommended for the expert players or the players who had managed to master it in the original.
Reception.
The Japanese arcade magazine "Game Machine" reported that "Final Lap 2" was among the most-popular arcade games of September 1990. In North America, it was awarded the Silver Award at the 1992 American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) tradeshow.