Nitro Canyon Drift

Nitro Canyon Drift is exactly what a mobile arcade racer should be. It ignores realism in favor of long, screaming drifts through red-rock canyons, and the tilt-or-touch steering options are both tuned properly. We ran most of our laps on touch controls and never fought the car.

The sense of speed is excellent, helped by a camera that pulls back as you boost. Tracks have real personality, with shortcuts you have to drift to reach. Progression unlocks new cars with distinct handling feels rather than just bigger numbers.

Our only gripe is the rubber-banding in later cups, which can make a perfect run feel too close. Still, the moment-to-moment driving is some of the best we've felt on a phone.

What we liked

• Perfectly tuned drift handling
• Strong sense of speed
• Tracks with real shortcuts to master