11 Best Nintendo 3DS Racing Games

The Nintendo 3DS was home to some of the greatest titles taking full advantage of the amazing 3D feature and the well thought dual screen. While Racing games were not a big hit on the system, many racing games have gone under the radar of most gamers.

Today we are here to blow the dust off the 3DS library offering you the best racing games on the system, including some mainstream titles and more chosen hidden gems for our beloved Nintendo 3DS collectors.

Mario Kart™ 7 2011

About
	Release Date December 01, 2011
	Developer Nintendo
	Publisher Nintendo
	Franchise Mario
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Players Multiplayer, Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

3DS Releases
2011-12-01
2011-12-02
2011-12-03
2011-12-04
2012-09-28

Mario Kart 7 is the pinnacle of Kart racing games on the 3ds system offering one of the most fun and enjoyable gameplay experiences and of course an amazing cast of characters. Just like in the previous games in the series, the player competes in different racing events where the goal is to reach the finish line first.

You can collect a dozen of powerups over the course of the game that varies in effect, new to the franchise is the ability to air glide when jumping from a high ledge. The player can use an air glider to glide his way down and take the lead, also new to the series is the first-person mode. Content-wise the game is huge offering over sixteen playable characters from the Mario universe, and fully customizable vehicles for the first time. Overall, Mario Kart 7 is a must-own as it represents one of the most solid racing titles on the system.

Ridge Racer 3D 2011 リッジレーサー3D (Rijji Rēsā 3D)

About
	Release Date February 26, 2011
	Developer Bandai Namco
	Publisher Bandai Namco
	Franchise Ridge Racer
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Concept Modern
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Japan

3DS Releases
2011-02-26
2011-03-22
2011-03-25

Ridge Racer 3D jumped on the Nintendo 3d universe as one of the launch titles, while sticking to the series formula, the game took full advantage of the 3DS hardware offering a new breath of fresh air for the Ridge Racer fans.

Just like the previous games in the series, the player competes in a series of high-speed street races, as always the game is all about drifting, mastering the drifting techniques is the way to reach the finish line first. On the whole, I hugely recommend this game especially if you enjoyed the classic games on the mighty PlayStation 1, all the fun is here and more with the 3D add-on.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 2012

About
	Release Date November 16, 2012
	Developer Sumo Digital
	Publisher SEGA
	Franchise Sonic™, Sega All-Stars
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Players Multiplayer, Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United Kingdom

3DS Releases
2013-02-07
2013-02-12

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a brilliant Kart racing game, the 3ds port might be a little bit inferior to its console counterpart but still, developers had done great work porting this amazing game to the 3ds. The game put you in the shoes of one of several characters from the sega universe competing in different kart racing events.

Just like your typical kart racing games, you compete in different sega-inspired circuit races where the goal varies from reaching the finish line first to drifting and time attack events. Unique to the game is the ability to transform your vehicle depending on the circumstances, for example when you jump from land to water your vehicle transforms into a boat allowing you to drive on water, you can also transform into an airplane when accessing higher lands offering a fresh feel compared to your typical kart racing games. Overall, this game is one of my favorite kart racing games ever, either you are a Sega fanboy or you love Kart racing just like I do, you will absolutely love this title.

Need for Speed™ The Run 2011

About
	Release Date November 15, 2011
	Developer Avalanche Software
	Publisher Electronic Arts
	Franchise Need for Speed™
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

3DS Releases
2011-11-15
2011-11-17
2011-11-18

Need for Speed: The Run port on the 3ds might not be up to the console’s hype but still, Firebrand Games made sure to translate the game glory into this tiny device. Just like its console counterpart, you are on the run across the country, you start from the coast of California up to the streets of New York.

Racing across the country offers a multitude of terrains including snowy mountains, beautiful plains, and rainy streets. The control is pretty good delivering a good speedy feel while maintaining tight and responsive controls. The game puts at your service a handful of licensed cars including Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, and many more.  Overall, this port is a solid title despite the graphical downgrade, offering the classic need for speed experience at the palm of your hand.

Asphalt 3D 2011

About
	Release Date March 10, 2011
	Developer Gameloft
	Publisher Ubisoft
	Franchise Asphalt
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

3DS Releases
2011-03-10
2011-03-27

Asphalt 3D is your typical arcade racing game, the game follows the same roots as its predecessor offering a weird mix of Burnout and Need for Speed. As always your goal is to compete against Ai opponents where the goal is to reach the finish line first.

The player can use a combination of powerups and aggressive play to take the lead, for example, you can collect nitrous powerups placed all over the track field and use them it to boost your speed, also you can take down your enemies by ramming them at full speed. Content-wise the game is fairly big, with over 17 tracks, and 40 licensed cars including Ferrari, BMW, Lamborghini, Nissan, and many more.

Driver™: Renegade 2011

About
	Release Date September 01, 2011
	Developer VD-dev
	Publisher Ubisoft
	Franchise Driver™
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Perspective Third-Person
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin France

3DS Releases
2011-09-01
2011-09-02
2011-09-06

Driver: Renegade takes us down to the roots of the Driver series serving as a prequel to the well-received Driver 2 game. The player takes control of John Tanner an ex-police officer who is on a mission to take down five crime lords by any means. The game includes over 20 story missions to complete presented in comic book-like cutscenes for each one.

The missions usually involve racing up to checkpoints, tailing enemies’ cars, being on the run, or taking down enemies using your car. The driving is fine offering responsive control and decent physics, also you have the 3D function at your hand which adds a unique depth to the visuals.

F1™ 2011 2011

About
	Release Date September 20, 2011
	Developer Sumo Digital
	Publisher Codemasters
	Franchise F1™
	Genre Simulation Racing
	Graphics 3D
	Perspectives First-Person, Third-Person
	Interaction Real-Time
	Players Online PvP, Single Player, Split-Screen PvP
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United Kingdom

3DS Releases
2011-11-24
2011-12-01
2011-12-06

F1 2011 was a nice little surprise on the 3DS while the mighty Codemasters didn’t handle this port, Sumo Digital another legendary studio known for its amazing work on racing games did the job. While the 3DS wasn’t powerful enough to deliver the full console experience, it was more than enough to deliver a solid F1 title on the go.

Just like the previous games in the series the game offers a realistic racing sim where the player competes in a series of F1 racing competitions. While the series is known for its notoriously difficult AI opponent and hardcore options, the 3DS version eases things a little bit with simplistic control and the ability to turn on driving assist. While the console version is the go to enjoy the full experience, the 3DS version isn’t that bad if you’re looking to treat it as a standalone title.

Disney • Pixar Cars 2 2011

About
	Release Date June 21, 2011
	Developer Avalanche Software
	Publisher Disney Interactive Studios
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Graphics 3D
	Perspective Third-Person
	Interaction Real-Time
	Players Single Player, Split-Screen PvP
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

3DS Releases
2011-09-14
2011-09-17
2011-10-12
2011-10-27

While Cars 2 might sound like your typical licensed video game, and it is, the game offers some brilliant idea underneath the normie experience. The game offers a mission-based career mode, split into two categories. Racing missions where the goal is obviously to drive as fast as possible and reach the finish line first, and stealth missions.

In stealth missions, the goal is to drive around while trying to avoid spotlights. While the stealth mission is not something I would talk about or enjoy, the racing missions are the go-to. The game offers some decent graphics, simple controls, and a fairly challenging AI opponent to race against. While the game maintains its arcady feel and look it still delivers a solid challenge for veteran players and a good learning curve for newcomers.

80's Overdrive 2017

About
	Release Date December 03, 2017
	Developer Insane Code
	Publisher Insane Code
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Perspective Third-Person
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

3DS Releases
2017-12-03

80’s Overdrive is a love letter to mid 80’s racing game fans offering the same feel as many classic games like Outrun and Road Blasters. You can choose between 22 characters to compete in different racing events.

Competing in various game events will make you some currency that can be used to upgrade your current vehicle or purchase new ones. As I said the game takes huge inspiration from classic racing games offering 2D pixel art visuals and a neon-like color palette. On the whole, this is a solid title with a fair challenge and a beautiful art style for retro lovers.

ATV Wild Ride 3D 2013

About
	Release Date March 07, 2013
	Developer Renegade Kid
	Publisher Renegade Kid
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin United States

3DS Releases
2013-03-07

ATV Wild Ride 3D is an ATV arcade racing sim, the game offers a smooth ride across different racing tracks with great visuals and decent graphics. The main mode is the World Tour mode, you compete in different racing events across the globe, where the goal is to gain points depending on your position at the finish of each race.

While the selection of tracks is somewhat small the developers made sure to give each one of these tracks a detailed environment and unique terrains. Also, the game contains a generous number of unlockable including vehicles and unique racers. While the game is so much fun unfortunately it’s still imprisoned in the eshop store which put it under Nintendo’s mercy…

AiRace Speed 2014

About
	Release Date September 25, 2014
	Developer QubicGames
	Publisher QubicGames
	Genre Arcade Racing
	Perspective Third-Person
	Players Single Player
	Monetization Buy to Play
	Country of Origin Poland

3DS Releases
2013-09-19

AiRace Speed is another unique Nintendo eshop exclusive, the player control an airship driving at high speed where the goal varies from just surviving and avoiding obstacle to trying to improve your lap time.

The visuals are pretty much basic, but the gameplay makes up for it with responsive controls and fun challenges. After finishing any single event in the game you’ll be rewarded with stars, for example simply reaching the finish line will reward you with a bronze star. Completing specific challenges inside the level will reward you with up to three stars. Unlocking a specific amount of stars is a must-do since the stars are the requirement to unlock further challenges. Overall, AiRace Speed is a solid title offering a challenging yet very fun experience.