Racing games are progressively becoming more realistic. With fully licensed vehicle lineups and a great deal of vehicle customization, the genre has gone a long way since early racers like Pole Position. Typically, these games tend to be divided into sims and arcade racers.
Racing simulators have the potential to immerse players into an experience closest to the real drive. On the other hand, there are arcade-like games that sacrifice realism for fun. Each racing game has a place in the gaming world, even if some are considered better. This article will focus on the best arcade racers available to play today.
Kart racers will be left out of this list since they are basically their own subgenre. This list will also stick to just one entry per franchise.
Updated May 31, 2023, by Via Erhard: Arcade racers have been a fan-favorite genre for decades now. While there aren't as many newcomers as there used to be, these games still have a strong fan base. Thanks to unforgettably intense and adrenalin-boosting games, players can not only explore new arcade racers, but go back to some of the most iconic ones too, and still have a thoroughly entertaining experience.
Players can also explore immersive sci-fi and realistic virtual worlds in which they can test their driving skills and reflexes while playing with some of the best arcade racing games ever created. These games also let their players drive classic cars, stunning space vehicles, and even brutal trucks while enjoying jaw-dropping graphics and often explosive races filled with challenges and fun.
16 F-Zero: GP Legend
- Release Date: November 28, 2003
- Available Platforms: Game Boy Advance, Wii U
F-Zero is one of the most iconic video game franchises with many beloved titles, and it is rumored that a new game will be finally coming out in 2023. Until then, racing game fans can go back to F-Zero's most beloved game, GP Legend.
Even though this classic arcade racing game is decades old, it's still popular among fans because it provides an intense racing experience to its fans and has a smooth gameplay. The game also has charming and colorful graphics and transports its players to 2201. Players can choose from dozens of cars and race against other players in GP Legend's futuristic world.
15 Ridge Racer 3D
- Release Date: February 26, 2011
- Available Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Ridge Racer 3D is an excellent choice for players of all levels who are looking for fun arcade racers with great graphics and drifting mechanics. This arcade-style racing game is easy to pick up and play thanks to its straightforward gameplay and 3D effects that can further help beginners avoid obstacles.
Players can try beautifully designed high-speed tracks and choose from over ten cars. Even though Ridge Racer 3D is a single-player, it's still highly enjoyable thanks to the various types of drifts, courses, and tracks players can explore.
14 MotorStorm: Apocalypse
- Release Date: March 17, 2011
- Available Platforms: PlayStation 3
Those who are looking for immersive and truly thrilling forgotten PlayStation franchises should check out MotorStorm games, especially their brutal but highly entertaining title Apocalypse. Players will be transported into a violent but fun world in which they'll not only get to race against other players, but even drive through crowds at a high speed.
While Apocalypse is one of the most violent arcade racing games, it's still a beloved one since it has unique track designs, cars, and environments. It's a chaotic and unpredictable arcade racer with stunning graphics that provides its players with hours of stirring fun time.
13 Distance
- Release Date: December 9, 2014
- Available Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac operating systems
Distance is one of the most inventive racing games of all time. It mixes arcade racing with parkour to provide its players with a truly one-of-a-kind experience. This futuristic and beautifully designed arcade racer is a great choice for beginners and advanced players alike.
Gamers can go on their adventures alone or with their friends when playing in multiplayer mode, and explore Distance's mysterious and neon-lit city. What's special about Distance is that players will not only be able to drive on the roads during the races, but drive upside down on buildings and even fly while discovering exciting new paths and shortcuts.
12 Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
- Release Date: May 18, 1999
- Available Platforms: PC, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer was released one day before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace had even hit theaters. Clearly, there was a belief at LucasArts that people would be desperate for a Podracing game after seeing the race take place in the film, so they wasted no time in getting a tie-in game ready for release. The game's release date made many people think that the game would just be a rushed cash-grab, though, thankfully, this wasn't the case.
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is a thoroughly entertaining racer that features a great sense of speed, offers a wide range of creative tracks, and has engrossing customization mechanics.
11 Crazy Taxi
- Release Date: February 12, 1999
- Available Platforms: Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android
Crazy Taxi lives up to its name by, still to this day, being one of the most bizarre racing games ever released. As the name suggests, players control a taxi driver, who must complete as many journeys as possible.
However, this is far from being a taxi driving simulator, as road and criminal laws don't seem to be enforced. Players can drive through fields, up ramps, and on sidewalks to make it to their destination, only for the passenger to criticize them for being too slow if they took a few seconds too long.
10 TrackMania Turbo
- Release Date: March 22, 2016
- Available Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
Although a case can certainly be made for 2020's TrackMania, its immediate predecessor, 2015's TrackMania Turbo, is slightly more accessible. This series is all about speed, tricks, and wild (and brief) tracks. Typically, a run doesn't take longer than a minute to complete, and the driver should constantly be looking to outdo their own times.
With 200 courses, four vehicle types, and a surprising amount of depth, TrackMania Turbo is an arcade racer that can keep someone entertained for years.
9 Dirt 5
- Release Date: November 6, 2020
- Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
When it comes to arcade racers, the Dirt franchise is one of the hottest on the block. The latest entry in the series, Dirt 5, is perhaps the most accessible entry in the series so far. Along with solid visuals and a pick-up-and-play quality, Dirt 5 offers an abundance of career mode content to keep players immersed.
This game was released on next-gen consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass, making it one of the more readily available arcade racers on the market.
8 Wreckfest
- Release Date: June 14, 2018
- Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS
A magnificent destruction derby-style arcade racer released during a time when such games had become rare, Wreckfest is a must for anyone who has been yearning for something a bit more outlandish. As its name suggests, Wreckfest crafts a symphony of destruction on its race tracks, a factor enhanced by the game's incredible damage system.
Boasting a unique roster of vehicles and a good mix of realistic and cartoonish courses, Wreckfest is an absolute blast to play. So, jump into an RV and start barrelling towards the finish line.
7 Need For Speed: Most Wanted
- Release Date: October 30, 2012
- Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and Wii U
When Need for Speed: Most Wanted was released, it was the hottest racing game around. The level of customization was similar to the Need For Speed: Underground series, but the gameplay was a significant step up.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is an arcade racer, and the game's developers used this freedom to make it exactly how they wanted. The result is one of the most aggressive racers in the Need for Speed franchise, and Most Wanted even has a pretty good open-world setting.
6 Split/Second
- Release Date: May 18, 2010
- Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, and iOS
Arcade racers are often designed to be bombastic, at least when compared to sims, and no other game exemplifies this better than Split/Second. This 2010 release is the closest thing to a blockbuster racer, as it comes with a reality TV setting and enough explosions to make a Michael Bay Transformers movie seem like a quaint indie drama.
Once enough power points are attained, drivers can trigger destructive events to happen on the course that typically spells trouble for the other competitors. It is deranged and incredible.
5 Project Gotham Racing 4
- Release Date: October 2, 2007
- Available Platforms: Xbox 360
Before the franchise ended, Project Gotham Racing was the go-to Xbox racing game. It was viewed as the leading arcade racing game until the Forza Horizon franchise kicked into gear.
Project Gotham Racing 4 was the last Xbox 360 that came from the franchise. Even by today's standards, Project Gotham Racing 4 is a spectacular burnout game. It's not backward compatible, so players will need an Xbox 360 to join the fun.
4 FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
- Release Date: July 22, 2007
- Available Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, and PSP
While the franchise went off the rails in a big way starting from its third entry, the first two FlatOut games are among the most amusing arcade racers of the mid-2000s. Ultimate Carnage takes the already awesome FlatOut 2 and gives it an HD makeover, along with throwing in a few extras.
Similar to Wreckfest, destruction is the name of the game here, as FlatOut encourages players to ram into their opponents whenever possible. Along with races, Ultimate Carnage comes with a few stunts and a destruction derby mode, both of which are pretty fun.
3 Burnout Paradise Remastered
- Release Date: March 16, 2018
- Available Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch
As a series recognized for its over-the-top car crashes, Burnout shifted its genre's dynamics in a way never seen before. A convincing argument can certainly be made that Burnout 3: Takedown is the best game in the series; however, Burnout Paradise is right up there.
Burnout Paradise Remastered is more accessible and has superior graphics to any other entry in the series; though, regardless of which Burnout title takes someone down memory lane, they can't go wrong with any of these classic games.
2 Race Driver: Grid
- Release Date: May 30, 2008
- Available Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Arcade
This entry is slightly cheating as Race Driver: Grid is typically regarded as a SimCade – these titles try to walk the line between sims and arcade racers. Although it shows more restraint than something like Burnout or FlatOut, 2007's Grid undoubtedly leans towards the arcade side of things. It also happens to be excellent.
Codemasters' racer offers unbeatable speeds, pitch-perfect controls, and a neat rewind mechanic that greatly reduces the game's tendency to elicit outbursts of frustration. There have been quite a few Grid games over the years, but none of the sequels or spin-offs come close to matching the first entry's brilliance.
1 Forza Horizon 5
- Release Date: November 9, 2021
- Available Platforms: PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Forza Horizon 5 is the latest entry in the critically-acclaimed Forza Horizon series, an open-world arcade-style alternative to the far more realistic Forza Motorsport series. Although it's a shame that not many other great arcade-style racing franchises are still ongoing today, Forza Horizon 5 has more than enough content to keep players occupied.
Forza Horizon 5 is particularly enjoyable for its incredible open world. The fictional map set in Mexico features a wide range of biomes - giving players plenty of opportunities to try out different vehicle types - and is simply stunning to look at while causally driving around.