Arcade racers are quietly having a moment

For years mobile racing chased realism, cramming physics engines into games that ran on toasters. Lately the pendulum has swung back toward pure arcade fun, and I'm delighted.

Neon Drift Circuit is my current obsession. It cares about one thing: the feeling of holding a drift and firing out of a corner on a wall of boost. That single mechanic, done well, beats a dozen simulated suspension settings.

Arcade racers also suit the way we actually play on phones, in short bursts. A three-minute race with instant restarts fits a break far better than a twenty-minute endurance event.

What separates a good arcade racer from a forgettable one is feedback. The rumble, the sound, the way the camera dips when you nail a drift. Get those right and even a simple loop feels electric.

If you gave up on mobile racing during the sim craze, give the new arcade crowd a look. The genre's most fun era might be right now.