Anyone born after 1998 have most likely never been or even seen a video arcade in person before. They have all, unfortunately, died out as console games increased in popularity, but for a time they were ubiquitous and everyone would wait in line, quarters in tow, for their turn on the latest games. They survived for a while because it took some time before consoles caught up to the arcade level of graphics and eventually surpassed it. By the time consumer high-definition displays came out, major arcade game tournaments outside of Japan, such as the annual Evolution tournament in Las Vegas, have opted to use console games instead of a full-sized arcade cabinet. The social aspect of arcade gaming was something consoles could never replicate until online gaming came along. It wasn’t the same experience seeing your opponent eye-to-eye before you challenge him to a game, but online gaming instead allowed players to challenge a wider set of players beyond their local arcade. With online gaming, not only can players prove they are the best in their city, but can also test their skills against the best players around the world. Competitive gaming has evolved even further with the availability of gaming-capable tablets and portable consoles, such as the NVIDIA Shield. This allows racing games, such as Vector Unit’s Riptide GP2, to extend replayability beyond what is expected from a mobile game.

Riptide GP2 is the sequel to the fast-paced Riptide GP that came out two years ago. Riptide GP2 brings with it an all-new Vector Engine 4, which has also been optimized for Tegra 4 devices, delivering higher-resolution texture support, complex shaders, dynamic lighting and real-time shadows. Gameplay has been improved significantly over the original Riptide GP with the use of a career mode and integration with Google Play services for in-game achievements and statistics tracking. For gamers who want to test their racing skills, online gaming is now also available where you can invite up to three friends to join you in the water tracks. Riptide GP2 is available for $2.99 via TegraZone.com or via Google’s Play Store.