1 Asphalt 8: Airborne

Our first pick and still my favorite racing game to date comes from Gameloft, who has now released eight versions of their flagship racing game for Android. Asphalt 8: Airborne does away with all the simulator realism and goes for high speeds and octane boosters. All while flying down realistic streets with natural lighting, shadows, and reflection. And you can't forget the jumps and tricks. All of this is done while having some of the best graphics on a mobile device.

Asphalt 8 delivers realistic crashes and extensive vehicle damage. You'll enjoy both arcade and multiplayer modes, and the career mode is even better. Build a reputation and become the best racer. This has been my favorite game since its release, and Asphalt 7 is still a close second. It's my go-to mobile game to show off how far mobile gaming has come.

Driver Speedboat Paradise

A newcomer to our list but arguably one of the best aquatic racing games of last year is Driver: Speedboat Paradise. Made by the popular PC developers Ubisoft. It's similar to Riptide GP2, which is next on our list, only is much better and actually has a storyline to go with the great gameplay and stunning graphics.

You are a young and reckless driver that speeds through deep waters in multiple exotic locations against other drivers, fighting the Mafia, meeting cops and unlocking different customization tools to create your very own speedboat. It has 6 different modes, including drag racing and multiplayer options, and you can even race against your friends. I've been enjoying this game on my Nexus 9 tablet.

Racing Rivals

For a long time this slide was reserved for Riptide GP2, as it's one of the best racing games around. Flying through the water on a high-powered jetski. However, that game is starting to show its age, and it's time to highlight something else.

Enter Racing Rivals. This is from the popular developers at GLU Mobile, and with well over 10 million downloads and thousands of reviews, it's worth a quick look. While it does have in-app ads, it's still extremely fun to race against live opponents. This is true high-speed real time racing right at your fingertips. With high stakes betting, weekly events and tons of officially licensed cars, everyone can enjoy this title. Although, you may get frustrated by losing too much. Work on those thumb skills and precision turns, and you'll get the hang of it, start winning and betting more.

Slingshot Racing

The first few games listed are very normal yet popular arcade-style games. So, try something different like Slingshot Racing. This unique game will keep you busy, excited, but can also be frustrating until you master the craft of the slingshot move. Slingshot racing takes a little skill, practice, and a light touch to get right. Once you do, you'll be the fastest racer around.

It's hard to explain, but you'll need to tap to "slingshot" your car around corners and it's all about timing and finding a groove as you speed past the competition. It's a racing game designed for touchscreen devices, so you can't use a controller like the three mentioned above, but it's extremely fun and addicting. You can paint and customize your car, and then start slinging.

Beach Buggy Blitz

From the same developers as the award-winning Riptide GP2 game mentioned earlier comes another impressive game called Beach Buggy Blitz. It has a similar feel, but you'll be flying around beaches, through tunnels and over or under bridges in some sweet dune-buggy cruisers.

"Drive your hot-rod beach buggy as far as you can into the uncharted depths of a mysterious tropical island!"

Extreme Car Driving Simulator

Released in late 2014 Extreme Car Driving Simulator is still one of the better racing games for Android as we didn't see too many titles arrive in late 2015. It features multiple viewing angles of your supercars, a realistic heads-up-display for MPH and more. They've recently updated the game with mini games and competitions, racing through traffic, and more.

You'll be racing some of the world's most expensive cars in an open real-world enviornment, cars will show damage as you wreck (and you will) not to mention some neat physics and life-like racing experience. This one has over 230,000 5-star reviews, and is completely free.

Traffic Racer

Traffic Racer is a game we've seen before, but it's extremely fun, frustrating, and pretty difficult. At the same time, you'll spend hours playing it. Drive your car through highway traffic, compete with others, avoid obstacles and reach the destination safely. It contains 5 game modes and 27 different cars to choose from. You can drive through deserts, suburbs, snowy streets and city lights, and be the fastest driver in the world. If you're good enough.

Real Racing 3

We've covered arcade and casual games, so now lets get into something more technical and realistic. Real Racing 3 is one of the best actual simulators available, but it's starting to show its age. This is the third release in this iconic mobile racing game, and one you'll want to try if you enjoy simulator racing games.

Fast & Furious: Legacy

Fast & Furious: Legacy is a realistic drag-racing game that draws inspiration from and was released alongside the new Fast 7 movie. This is another extremely fun game that's filled with in-app purchases.

Need for Speed: No Limits

While games like Angry Birds Go,  Shine Runner or CSR Racing made our lists in previous years, lots of other games are now available to take their place.

Last but not least is the latest title in the long-standing Need for Speed franchise. It's called Need for Speed: No Limits, and it's bar-none one of the most beautiful racing games for Android. It looks even better with a NVIDIA powered tablet, like my Pixel C. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is good too, just old.