Racing games bring an adrenaline rush like no other, whether you started your racing gaming career in the early NES days with the likes of Rad Racer, or your racing games opened with Snoop Dogg covering The Doors, racing games deliver high-octane thrills, spills, and burnt rubber. The Switch has plenty of offerings when it comes to racing, so I thought I would compile a list of the best racers on the system. Is your favourite racer on this list? Let’s find out who makes the podium finish as we check out the best racers on the Nintendo Switch.
For this list, I’m going to stick to more grounded racers. So we won’t be including some great futuristic games like Fast RMX or F-Zero 99, and also to make it interesting, Mario Kart isn’t going to be on this list otherwise let’s face it, it would be in the pole position. Sorry, Mario!
10: Classic Racers Elite
An ode to the racing days of the old, Classic Racers Elite focuses on the 60s era of cars and tasks you with setting the best times for hill climbs in some classic cars. Sure, they may not be licensed, but the attention to detail and thinly veiled names means you’ll know which car the “Fred Escort” is. The game features some tight controls and you’ll need to master each car and its handling to beat the times on the cross-platform leaderboards to be the best. It may not have mind-blowing graphics, but the great handling system and lovingly crafted tribute to the classic era of racing make it worth the price of admission.
9: V-Rally 4
Taking the list offroad for a split second here, we have V-Rally 4, which is a fantastic handheld version of the cult rally series. The title has a much higher level of polish to that of the WRC series on the Switch and has incredible handling physics, decent graphics, and smooth performance. You’ll be using all the tricks of the rally trade to handbrake, drift, and Scandinavian flick your way to victory in a series of races that span the globe. V-rally also adds more depth by giving you team management and sponsorship deals to really simulate the rally experience. It’s frequently on sale for under $15 AUD, so if you want to spend some time in the dirt, it’s an easy recommendation!
Let’s head back onto the road for the next title.
8: Hot Lap Racing
Hot Lap Racing is a simu-cade racing experience made by an indie studio that also happens to be mega racing fans. The love for motorsports shines through as the game is a celebration of motorsports of all eras and disciplines and feels like a mix of Forza and Gear Club mixed into one. The developers also have a strong road map for development and listened to fan feedback which means if you tried it on launch, it’s time to jump back into the driver’s seat as a lot of the AI-induced frustrations have been curbed, and more content and cars have been added. If you are looking for a game with a huge career mode, plenty of variety, and speed, look no further.
Grab your ladder for the next title, you’re going to need it.
7: Monster Jam Showdown
A game that I would normally overlook, Monster Jam Showdown was a game I stumbled upon and I’m so glad I did. Monster Jam Showdown reminds me of the resurgence of classic 80’s movies like Top Gun making a comeback and in my review, I called it “big dumb fun” and that’s a good thing. You will spend your time battling licensed monster trucks in arenas, offroad tracks, and head-to-head battles that are handled in a bombastic fashion, almost like a fighting game. There are plenty of tracks, and now DLC to check out if you’re looking for a bit more destruction in your racing games.
Now, from the highest of cockpits to the lowest, this next game will put you inches above the road.
6: New Star GP
New Star GP is a game I only recently picked up and I’m so glad I did. It has that retro Sega Saturn Style of graphics but delivers a fantastic Formula One experience. You can take part in standard races, or checkpoint attacks as you weave and dodge your opponents in a variety of courses. Once you head to the pits, it’s up to you to manage your tyres and fuel to save vital seconds and get you back on the road. New Star GP’s art style may not appeal to all, but there’s some top-tier racing to be enjoyed here in this fantastic arcade racer!
Like the art style of New Star GP? You’ll love this next title!
5: Hotshot Racing
Hotshot Racing feels like a spiritual successor to Daytona USA in the arcades. There’s something so satisfying about slamming the gear down and sliding around corners in a perfect symphony of roaring engines and burning rubber. Hotshot Racing is a gorgeous tribute to that era of game, and features plenty of game modes outside of the career mode to keep you engaged. You can battle bosses, play cops and robbers, and time attack across a variety of courses with a wild cast of characters, and a dash of humour for good measure. Hotshot Racing is usually on sale for around $6 AUD, and for the price of a coffee, it’s a no-brainer to buy!
Speaking of great value, this next racer will provide hours of entertainment for a few dollarydoos…
4: Gear Club Unlimited 2
Gear Club Unlimited 2 is an amazing arcade racer with plenty of licensed vehicles, game modes, and a really unique base-building twist. Players can set up their racing HQ with special buildings to enhance performance, and open up race types, and storage to build their car collection. Gear Club Unlimited 2 also has endurance races that can take almost an hour of white-knuckle racing to complete for huge payouts, as well as your standard byte-sized levels for a more normal racing experience. There’s a lot to do in Gear Club Unlimited 2, and coupled with building your HQ, provides ample entertainment for racers and managers alike!
If you need to have a pitstop, now is the time because we are getting to the top 3 racers for a podium finish!
3: Wreckfest
Bugbear Entertainment has a pedigree when it comes to mutually assured racing destruction, originally fender-bending in the Flatout series before moving on to Wreckfest, a gloriously unapologetic tribute to destruction. The game features an incredible physics engine, destruction arenas, and frantic course racing where aggressive driving isn’t only encouraged, it’s rewarded. The damage model is fine-tuned to perfection but your engine? not so much, as you drive around in all manner of wrecks to smash your way to victory. You can drive classic cars, school buses, ride on lawnmowers, and even… a couch? Wreckfest is an absolute blast to play and features a content-heavy career mode meaning you will have plenty of destruction on your hands should you pick it up!
If you like destruction, we have a second-place racer just for you.
2: Burnout Paradise Remastered
Take me down to the paradise city… These are the opening lyrics that Axl Rose screeches out when you first load into Burnout Paradise Remastered, the last title in the Burnout series that perfected the destructive racing genre. Burnout Paradise Remastered is an open-world race fest that will see you climb the ladder of Paradise City, upgrading your license by completing challenges from standard racing, road rage objectives where you destroy as many opponents as you can, or marked man where you have to avoid getting wrecked as you’re hunted done in this open world playground. Cars not your thing? Jump on a motorbike for even faster thrills as you explore the city looking for shortcuts, stunt jumps, and even rival racers to wreck so you can claim your car. Burnout Paradise is a slick racer with an amazing driving model, and never takes itself too seriously. For those looking to cruise, listen to the classic EA Games Soundtrack while DJ Atomica lets you know what’s happening in the game world.
Now, another title only just managed to slipstream Burnout Paradise to take pole position, let’s check it out.
1: GRID Autosport
This leads us to the victor of the race, Grid Autosport. Originally developed by Codemasters, and ported by Feral Interactive, who brought the incredible port of Company of Heroes Collection to the Nintendo Switch. I have had so many comments on my “Best Switch Ports” videos telling me that Grid is simply the best port there is, and I finally hopped in the driver’s seat to find out that this is a superb racing game. The graphics? Phenomenal. sound design? Immersive. Racing Model? Perfection. You can issue team orders with L and R to get your teammate to be aggressive, or hold position, talk to your pit crew with the D-pad who can inform you of vehicle damage or race positioning, and race in one of the most immersive cockpit views I’ve seen in a game.
Feral Interactive once more prove they are the masters of porting games, offering the visual feast of Grid in graphics mode with optional HD Textures for download on the E-shop, or 60 FPS performance mode for those looking for something a bit more slick. Either way, you are in for some silky smooth racing in what would have to be one of the most visually appealing titles on the Nintendo Switch. Grid Autosport is a masterclass in how to create an immersive racing game and is an essential purchase for anyone who enjoys racing games.
But what do you think? Did I get this list right? Let me know what I missed, or even if I got the order wrong. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I better shift into gear for my next video. Thanks for watching!
