Fastlane Street Racing [ iPhone ]

When I showed this to my brother he remarked that it looked almost as good as any PSP game. Featuring a ton of cars, tracks and simple gameplay, Fastlane Street Racing (App Store link) is the best racer I've played on the iPhone. Each track is incredibly detailed and appears very large to boot. If there's only one weak point it's the audio. While passable, the engine noises could possibly be better. That said, they are dynamic (and change if you go into a tunnel or change speed, etc.) and it's likely this was the only way to make them so.

The key to the game is drifting -- either turning so your tires squeal and engine noise changes, or tapping the brakes as you turn. Each car handles a bit differently, and you will find some are better suited to how you steer. But once you get the hang of drifting, there's just enough challenge on each level to keep you coming back for more. As always, the gameplay balance is what makes a game replayable and fun over time. In other words: if it is just enough of a challenge to keep you playing and unlocking new stuff, it's probably balanced well. This is tricky, but Fastlane has done a great job here. It's currently available on the store for $5.99, and that's a good price for this much game. Check out the gallery for all the locked items plus a bunch of in-game shots. Or skip to the video and watch the fun.