Retro Highway vs Squid Drifter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro Highway
Experience classic arcade racing with simple controls and challenging gameplay. Dodge traffic, perform stunts, and explore diverse environments. Collect and upgrade bikes, battle rivals, and compete for high scores.
- Simple one-touch controls
- High-speed traffic dodging
- Perform breakneck stunts
- Explore six unique environments
- Collect and upgrade 10+ bikes
- Battle rival bikers and participate in events
- Stylish pixel art graphics and chiptune soundtrack
Read full descriptionHide full description
Retro Highway is a throwback game that mixes simple controls with the tough challenges of classic arcade games. Dodge traffic at high speed, and jump off ramps to perform breakneck stunts. • Explore six unique environments ranging from a hot desert freeway to a futuristic moon base • Take on daring challenges and compete with your friends or players worldwide for the highest scores • Choose from 10+ bikes and upgrade powerups to match your playstyle • Battle other rival bikers and participate in special events • Enjoy stylish pixel art graphics and an energetic chiptune soundtrack in a total nostalgia rush Hit the Highway and return to the days of pure arcade fun!
Squid Drifter
Experience retro arcade thrills with this simple racing game. Control a slippery squid, master drifts around corners, and aim for fast times in this engaging challenge. Easy to learn, but requires precise timing.
- Simple 45-degree directional controls
- Slippery squid physics
- Corner drifting mechanics
- Time attack challenges
- Retro arcade feel
Read full descriptionHide full description
Drift a fast-moving squid! You can enjoy the thrill of sliding through the corners and hot time attacks with a super simple and retro game feeling. == How to play == Rotating squid's direction by 45 degrees: The buttons at the bottom of the screen. The squid is very slippery, so control it with good timing!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Retro Highway at 80% against Squid Drifter's 25%. Retro Highway also leads on ratings volume (5.5K vs 9) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). Squid Drifter's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Retro Highway sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Squid Drifter asks for nothing beyond the download.
Retro Highway holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retro Highway has 5.5K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Retro Highway's written reviews are positive against 25% of Squid Drifter's.
Retro Highway ships an update every 2 months, Squid Drifter every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retro Highway | Squid Drifter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (5.5K ratings) — better | 4.2 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5.5K — better | 9 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gearhead Games ApS | Shuhei Toyoda |
Customer experience
Retro Highway
Squid Drifter
Bugs and requests
Retro Highway
Reported bugs
4 issues- Game crashes after watching ads
- Sound issues (muting, no sound effects)
- Steering buttons not registering inputs
- Inconsistent ramp behavior
Requested features
5 requests- Add more levels and environments
- Implement controller support
- Improve level progression and difficulty curve
- Introduce new gameplay modes (e.g. racing, challenges)
- Add more bike customization options
Squid Drifter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Retro Highway
- 30,000 Coins$1.99
- 15 Boost Tanks$1.99
- Starter Pack$2.99
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Small Coin Pack$2.99
- Big Boost Pack$2.99
- Small Wrench Pack$2.99
- Remove Ads$2.99
- 75,000 Coins$3.99
- 40 Boost Tanks$3.99
- Event Pass$3.99
- 2x Coins$3.99
- Unlimited Boost$3.99
- Unlock Levels$5.99
- 2x Wrenches$5.99
- Medium Coin Pack$5.99
- Medium Wrench Pack$5.99
- Premium Pack$9.99
- Big Coin Pack$9.99
- Big Wrench Pack$9.99
- Premium Pass$12.99
Squid Drifter
No in-app purchases
