Just out of curiosity, which type of racing game do you like better: simulator or arcade? Why? And what is/are your favorite racing game(s)?

I myself prefer arcade over sim. I don't have the patience to be able to play a simulator... plus I was never really good at braking in time, and when I fall behind I tend to not anticipate turns and end up in the wall. So, I stick to games where this kind of thing isn't a big deal.

I also like how it's an escape from reality. Where on Earth would you be able to take a hairpin turn 200+ miles per hour? What compact car goes from 0-60 in less than three seconds? How many times can your car be thrown into a door-jarring crash and still be drivable? That might sound dumb to some people, but that's the kind of thing I love: being able to do something that I'd never be able to do in real life.

On that note, my favorite racing games would have to be Burnout and, as a guilty pleasure, Mario Kart.

lucky7s76
Burnout and Mario Kart

YES.

As for the whole "arcade/sim" thing... I have to say Sim. Though, I'v very rarley played arcade racing, as the only arcades where I live are at Pizza resturaunts :(.

I would say in the bottom line I would have to go with Arcade over Sim. But don't get me wrong -- I enjoy a good Sim once in a while... (Oh God, I can't wait for GT: Prologue!) But as for Arcade, I am keen to the Ridge Racer series. The things you can do there are just amusing and entertaining, plus there's nothing more amazing than successfully pulling off a continuous drift while passing someone on the inside : )

I think both are equal in my eyes.

both of them has their pluses and cons. If you don't feel like dealing with one of the certain cons with both arcade and sims, then you go with the one that doesn't have that con.

of course, every game is different...

Mario Kart.

I also like how it's an escape from reality.

Actually, that's the same reason why I prefer sims. I'm not bogged down by the economic, legal, and practical limitations of the real world. I can buy whatever car I want, soup it up, and drive it like I'd never drive my real life car.

I just plain don't like sims. I haven't played one yet that I haven't found either boring or too hard. Granted the "too hard" ones are usually just my fault for not having the patience to drive a car like a real car, but basically if I can't throw a turtle at the back of the head of the guy in front of me, I don't want to bother.

A racing game with Arcade-like handling and Sim-like customization is the best.

I don't like racing games. In fact, I don't even like racing games on my beloved GTA/GTA clones.

Even Mario Kart.

Well, I will only say this, Forza Motorsport's 1&2 rock.