Top 5 arcade racing games on mobile

Little in gaming can beat the rush of an arcade racer. The feeling of being sat in a moulded chair, chunky steering wheel in hand, as you hurtle around a track at 200 miles per hour is pretty tough to beat.

Of course, such a visceral experience is all but impossible to replicate on a three-inch screen with a thumb-pad as your primary control method. So what do we mean when talk about arcade racers on mobile?

Well, it’s all about the spirit of the game. If said racer is focused more on breathtaking powerslides and daredevil overtaking manoeuvres than taking the correct racing line and picking your braking points, it can safely be labelled an arcade racer.

There are plenty of excellent examples of mobile games that nail the spirit of the arcade racer. Here’s our pick of the best.

Namco’s Ridge Racer series is one of the quintessential examples of arcade racing, which almost guarantees the presence of the latest mobile iteration on this list. Of course, the game would have to be decent first.

Fortunately, it is. Where Ridge Racer Drift excels – possibly ahead of any of the other games on this list – is in the titular drifting mechanic.

The way you need to nurse your speedmobile around each sweeping turn, applying opposite lock to keep on track, evokes fond memories of a misspent youth spent pouring 50 pence pieces into a cabinet.

While Ridge Racer Drift is one of the slighter packages on this list, the satisfying racing at its core will keep you coming back for the odd race for some time to come.

It’s a racer only in the loosest sense – I suppose you have to ‘race’ to pick up multiple taxi fares – but no game on this list is more arcadey than Crazy Taxi.

The whole premise of dashing around a city against the clock is wholly suited to short bursts of coin-operated fun. Fortunately, that also means it’s perfect for mobile play.

Gameloft has produced a brilliant conversion of SEGA’s arcade classic here, retaining the original’s 3D graphics while somehow managing to keep that all-important sense of speed.

If you’re seeking a light-hearted alternative to the competitive racing games on this list, Crazy Taxi is the perfect solution.

EA’s Need For Speed series finds its home on consoles rather than in the arcades, but it’s clear where it draws its influences from.

This mobile version places the emphasis on tight, aggressive driving with an assortment of garish automobiles. There’s a relatively involved career to pursue, but the on-track action is pure coin-op gold.

There’s an interesting approach to drifting here, whereby you have to keep a swinging gauge centred throughout each power-slide. While it doesn’t quite match Ridge Racer Drift in this respect, it still works very well indeed.

Besides, Need For Speed: Shift has other charms. It’s a comprehensive arcade racer which not only looks and plays the part, but also provides plenty of mileage for those seeking an extended challenge.

The makers of the Fast & Furious films have clearly played a few arcade racers in their time. The emphasis on flashy driving and outlandish stunts over plot and character mirror the genre nicely.

Things come almost full circle with Fast & Furious the mobile game, which offers up a slick arcade racer based loosely on the events of the film.

It's probably the most varied game on this list, presenting as it does a range of tasks for you to fulfil outside of straight up racing. These include such activities as running a giant rig off the road or pulling off the longest drifts possible.

Everything from the handling to the production values is spot on in a game that’s as fitting a tribute to the arcade as it is to the film it’s spun off from.

If we were to take the key elements from our favourite coin operated racers and attempt to make a mobile game out them, we’d hope the result would look a little like Ferrari GT 2: Revolution.

Taking its cues from several legendary examples of the genre (particularly OutRun), Gameloft has crafted a beautifully slick example of uncomplicated automotive competition.

As with every other game on this list, the handling model is based more on fun than realism, with long exaggerated drifts and improbable jumps the order of the day.

From the SEGA-blue skies to the glamorous locales, Ferrari GT 2: Revolution is as pure an arcade racer as can be found on mobile.