The Nintendo Switch has been out for some time now, and it’s still probably the greatest gaming consoles, especially for taking part in while out and about. A staple genre within the video game realm is racing, and the Switch complements this genre perfectly with its ability to take games with you wherever you go.
Whether you might be in the course of a race or you should drive around for some time on the bus, racing games and the Nintendo Switch go together like cars and gasoline. At the identical time, it might not have Forza or Beam.NG, however the Switch has a trove of classic and modern racing games to fuel your desires.
Updated on November 5, 2024, by Branden Lizardi: Wanting something to play in the course of the holidays? Or did you get a Nintendo eShop gift card and wish to know where to spend it? We will not actually help with that, because we have updated this text to incorporate a free-to-play title by Nintendo themselves! Nevertheless, every game on the list is definitely worth the market price, gift card or not.
1
F-Zero 99
The Most Appropriate Take On The 99 Style
A part of Nintendo’s ongoing ‘retro 99’ trend (classic Nintendo games given a 99-player battle royal format), F-Zero 99 pits 100 racers together on one map. Given F-Zero’s damage system, where collisions chip away at the identical health bar you employ to spice up with, this many racers means chaotic and exciting gameplay in a way only this series can provide.
While not precisely the game long-time F-Zero fans were hoping for, it’s still a fun modernization of the unique SNES game that feels just as fun and way more convenient. It is also free to play, so there is no reason not to provide it a try.
2
Hotshot Racing
True To Its Roots
While racing games have been around way back to the early arcade days, the genre really saw its golden age within the 90s with games like Daytona, Outrun, and Cruisin’. They found this beautiful mix of outrageous circumstances and classy art, all while bringing the tight controls to a more immersive level.
That is the magic that Hotshot Racing unapologetically emulates. It captures that very same feeling of those classic racers, all in the fashionable quality and convenience of the Nintendo Switch. When you’re feeling nostalgic, that is the right racing game to select up.
3
Snowrunner
A Survival Racing Game
There are many racing games where the course is more of your enemy than other racers are, sure. But none of them are like this. The goal of Snowrunner is straightforward: drive from one place to a different, often delivering cargo. The issue is that the landscape between point A and B is inconvenient at best, treacherous at worst. Thick pools of mud, iced-over lakes, snow, water, fallen trees. All of the forces of nature come together to muck up your tires and clog your engine.
There’s an intelligence to racing. Normally, that is knowing the right speeds for turns or easy methods to manage a drift. Here, it’s knowing all the several roadblocks you’ll be able to encounter and easy methods to use the most effective tools for the job. It is a tremendously immersive and unique tackle the racing genre that anyone searching for a slower paced challenge will enjoy.
4
Road Redemption
The Most Murderous Motorcycle Racing Game
This game is not afraid to get violent; it offers so way more than simply racing. Developed by Pixel Dash Studios and EQ-Games, Road Redemption gives you a complete motorcycle gang that follows your lead as you chase and assassinate other motorcyclists, all for some sweet money.
After all, you will be somewhat of a goal yourself, but Road Redemption’s roguelite mechanic sees you becoming stronger each time you die, since you will have the opportunity to upgrade your character and equipment. It is a fast-paced, gritty game that’ll channel a bit of of your sadistic side as you execute other motorcyclists (and the cops) in a wide range of ways.
5
Horizon Chase Turbo
A Nostalgia Trip Without The Archaicness
Remember those crude 8-bit racers that attempted to persuade you that you just were driving straight ahead in a 3D space? Most probably not, but either way — this indie arcade racer by AQUIRIS will likely blow your hair back with fun 80s nostalgia anyway. The sport is a faithful homage to 2D racers of yesteryear while giving the aesthetic a contemporary polish of crisper, more vibrant visuals.
The flat, blocky visual style is something of a canopy, as Horizon is loaded with content. Dozens of unique, rapid-fire stages, distinct cars, and even the underappreciated split-screen multiplayer round out this gripping racer. Oh, and in typical retro fashion, the AI racers might be shockingly brutal.
6
Lonely Mountains: Downhill
Man VS Nature
Not every race has to inherently be against a gang of other people, and even against CPU racers. In Lonely Mountain: Downhill, your only rival is the course itself. You are a cyclist at the highest of a mountain. Your goal is to race down the haphazard track, through trees, past rocks, and over ravines until you reach the finish line. You will have to fastidiously manage your speed to avoid either crashing against something or speeding off of a cliff face.
At its core, Lonely Mountains: Downhill strikes all the identical notes as a top quality racing game. It takes practice and familiarity with the track to succeed in the goal at a record pace. You wish quick reflexes and excellent observational skills to excel on this game. Performance relies on time as a substitute of placement. So it is a race against the clock. This enables for many of replayability as you recover and higher at each mountain.
7
Grip: Combat Racing
Racing And Fighting In One Game
Grip: Combat Racing makes a fantastic fit for Switch with its frantic, pick-up-and-play style and undiluted arcade gameplay. While a spiritual successor to the even lesser-known Rollcase, studio Caged Element makes this chaotic combat formula its own.
The sport brings a satisfying array of weapons, power-ups, and double-sided vehicles that may ride 360 degrees and flip about. Grip offers solid multiplayer (online and four-player split-screen), which hosts intense, F-Zero-style Elimination races and a combat-centric Arena. What’s more — Grip can often be found heavily discounted, making this romp all of the more definitely worth the ride.
8
Nascar Rivals
A Taste Of Real Nascar Racing
While there are many racing and driving games on Switch in some form, the deeper, more refined sims are still rare. Enter Nascar Rivals from Motorsport Games, a title that nicely fills a Switch area of interest. The sport sets out to not only mirror pro auto racing but specifically emulate the 2022 Nascar Cup Series.
A slew of diverse content has been released out of the gate, with more promised down the pipeline. These include a deep profession mode, a challenge mode, and a feature that connects you with random drivers in any track. On a technical level, the sport does what it could possibly with the Switch’s (relatively) limited hardware, though it plays fairly easily and appears great besides.
9
Fast RMX
Your Lights Matter Here
Those searching for an F-Zero alternative on Switch: look no further, as this launch game by Shin’en Multimedia continues to be about as close as you will get. Though Fast RMX is not going to blow past Captain Falcon and company, this futuristic racer tosses in just a few neat features that make it stand out on its merit.
The sport features subtle-yet-effective color-switching mechanics used on the fly. You will need to flip the colour of your automotive’s lights to utilize the corresponding strip on the track for reinforcing. Added to this are some impressive particle and lighting effects, together with split-screen and online multiplayer.
10
The Next Penelope
A Vividly Colourful Racing Experience
When most individuals consider racing games as of late, something like The Next Penelope probably isn’t more likely to be the very first thing that involves mind. The sport is a top-down racer and is very stylized with vibrant colours and a retro feel.
Don’t go considering this game is all style over substance, though, because it has loads of surprises in store. The racer also mixes in some shooter mechanics to make for a surprisingly fun and varied arcade-style racer. Anyone who longs for old-school racers will probably want to examine this title out.
11
Inertial Drift
A Mix Of Past And Future Aesthetics
When you love your games to ooze old-school vibes, then you definitely’ll probably end up drawn toward Inertial Drift, a incredible arcade racer with some fun mechanics surrounding (you guessed it) drifting. Even higher, it could possibly be great for beginners, too.
With loads of cars and tracks to pick from, you’ll have the opportunity to race through the sport by yourself or up against your pals in multiplayer. When you desire a racing game that’s challengingly distinct yet also somewhat familiar, give Inertial Drift a shot. The very best part is, the sport is commonly discounted on the Switch shop, and it’s already not as expensive as many other games in the identical genre.
12
Cruis’n Blast
Intense In Each Visuals And Gameplay
One of the vital missed racers on Switch, Raw Thrill’s port of the 2017 arcade game matches the hybrid console like a glove. The sport exudes charming arcade chaos with its eccentric themes, 90s flair, and frantic speeds throughout. Cruisn’ Blast manages to be quite accessible while still hitting you with intense, edge-of-your-seat moments.
You will zip through various vibrant tracks in several colourful cars, scrambling to increase your cut-off date while racing head-to-head. You too can get an edge by upgrading your vehicle, bringing a bit more depth to the Cruis’n experience.
13
Team Sonic Racing
Go As Fast As Sonic
Kart racing games are a classic way for games which can be traditionally from other genres to effectively mix things up. The classic example is Mario Kart, but Sonic has had several racing games through the years each in karts, on foot, and on hoverboards.
After all, Sonic is the right subject for a racing game, given his speed, and Team Sonic Racing is a fantastic example of this. While it shares various things in common with Mario Kart, Team Sonic Racing has enough unique content to be enjoyable to each kids and adults.
14
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
Re-enact Star Wars Pod Racing
The surprising thing about Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is that it stands up against lots of Switch’s other arcade-style racers despite being over 20 years old. It doesn’t even have cars in it; as a substitute, you race with pods like within the film. Despite all of it, this game lives as much as its legacy after which some.
This is just not a remaster, though there are some quality-of-life improvements like motion controls. That signifies that despite the fact that the gameplay is solid, some things clearly show its age, just like the somewhat loose controls, the compressed music, and particularly the N64-era graphics.
15
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Deceptively Difficult
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is an ideal example of a remastered game done right, even when it continues to be a little bit of a weird game. It has all the pieces you may want out of a remake, like modern graphics, tighter controls, and even online multiplayer, while respecting the vision of the unique game.
While it also shares several things from the Mario Kart formula, CTR Nitro-Fueled has just a few key differences that make the experience recent. The very best option to describe it could be that it’s more of a competitive game requiring more skill, whereas Mario Kart is more of a celebration game about probability.
16
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Mix Fiction And Reality
Admittedly, this game does require some additional work in your part to get it going, however it’s hard to disclaim just how much of a blast it could possibly be. Somewhat than the standard Mario Kart experience, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is part-virtual-reality during which you construct a racetrack of your personal across the house, and race karts around it.
The actual game app is usually free to download, but the remaining of the gear required to play the sport have to be purchased individually. Still, it’s no surprise that anyone who picked the sport up and let their imagination run wild had a ton of fun with this game.
17
Asphalt 9: Legends
A Worthwhile Free-To-Play Game
There may be a phenomenon on the Nintendo Switch during which mobile games are ported over. Most of those games are higher played in your phone, but Asphalt 9: Legends is a fully-fledged game and is price downloading on the console.
Not only does it have realistic graphics, but there may be online multiplayer, an enormous collection of cars and tracks, and, better of all, a comprehensive profession mode to play through. Scratch that; the most effective part is that it’s one hundred pc free to play.
18
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Ever Wondered What It’s Like To Be In A Hot Wheels Automotive?
Hot Wheels is the perfect toy to make right into a video game, and Hot Wheels Unleashed proves this. Somewhat than attempting to make Hot Wheels into a practical racing game, Hot Wheels Unleashed stresses accessible, arcade-style driving and provides you a glance into the toy’s perspective.
The very best part about Hot Wheels Unleashed is that it takes place on actual Hot Wheels tracks in houses that feel massive relative to the small size of the cars. You may even make your tracks and relive every child’s dream of getting of their favorite automotive and racing across the track they made within the backyard.
19
Art Of Rally
Beautiful Environments To Zoom Through
When you’d prefer a less stressful and more classically visually appealing racer, you’ll likely be a fan of Art Of Rally. The sport looks easy on the surface, however it’s a blast of an experience whether playing through the campaign or simply roaming around.
This is way from the best version of this game, but for many who only have a Switch, Art Of Rally is a fantastic game to provide a try. Go do some stylish races, unlock some cars, and make your way through the fun profession experience, all for a price that’s lower than many other titles.
20
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered
Chase Or Flee To Win
There may be one Need for Speed game that’s unilaterally agreed upon as excellent. That game is Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, and you’ll be able to play the remaster of this classic cops and robbers arcade racing game on the go along with the Nintendo Switch port.
You may switch between being a cop or an illegal street racer each time you wish, meaning things never get stale. Add to this a competitive leaderboard where you are encouraged to beat all your pals’ times, and this game has a ton of replay value.
