Hot Wheels World Race

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Oct 29, 2003
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
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  1. GameZone
    74
    It is a fair attempt at a racing game, but doesn't really have enough oomph to make it over the hill with many discriminating gamers.
  2. GameSpot
    63
    Perhaps with some additional gameplay modes, or less-archaic graphics and sound, World Race might stand out a bit more, but as it is, the game is only worth playing if you have a specific affinity for the Hot Wheels series.
  3. Game Informer
    60
    Here to demonstrate for us what happens when you take away good physics and the feeling of speed from a racing game. [Jan 2004, p.135]
  5. Gamezilla!
    50
    Features a system that dynamically adjusts the speed of other racers so that you’re never more than six seconds behind or so. This, more than anything else, kneecaps this game’s sense of fun, as it blows competitiveness out of the water.
  6. IGN
    40
    The racing has some interesting courses and a simplified trick system, but the tricks become old way too quick and the control is too quirky and difficult to be a lot of fun. Courses require memorization and little to no strategy or creativity.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. ThePedroRock
    May 25, 2023
    10
    This Game Deserves Better, Holy Cow This Game Is a Piece a Master piece, i Like The Movie And The Game, The GBA One Too
  2. DeonT.
    Dec 1, 2003
    7
    Stunt Track Driver 1 and 2 I disliked. Velocity X I thought was awesome for what it was. All of my Hot Wheels playset come to life with the Stunt Track Driver 1 and 2 I disliked. Velocity X I thought was awesome for what it was. All of my Hot Wheels playset come to life with the hottest cars. I see the 3 console versions of this game but not one for the PC version, which is what I'm reviewing. Line-up: The first thing that you notice is that several of the teams have had line-up changes. Some of them, like switching out '55 Nomad for Nomadder What, make sense and fits the looks of 'The Fastest Cars In The World' unlike some of the original offerings. The rest are good substitutes which, when you look at the subs, realize that its the TM'ed cars that are gone. Chrysler, Pontiac, Nomad, Toyota... Considering how slack HW has been with getting the cars and movies out its doubtful we'll ever see this line-up get a physical representation. Oddly enough, Taro's Road Runner is replaced with 454 Overbored instead of Muscle Tone which seems to have been the alternate car for him. Muscle Tone is still in the line-up however. Tracks: The tracks are all great and extend from the amazingly easy to the mildly difficult. There all kinds of inversions and loops. A nice assortment and they are all beautiful. Some of them, Tezla's cube for instance, are very dark. Either the cars have amazingly sticky tires or there is some special property of the tracks because while gravity affects mobile terrain when inverted the cars never loose traction. (Remember Banjee in Ep:1). Unlike in Velocity X, there is no slow down or stuttering because of board size. This game is all about racing on finite tracks. The background also looks good with each track belonging to one particular team with that teams theme music for level music. All of the tracks are 3-lap circuit. There are no linear tracks and no portal to signify the end of a leg of the World Race. Graphics: The cars all look very good decked out in their Highway 35 livery. They are a step up from Velocity X but not able to compete with TD2002, MC II or NFS6. The special effects are also awesome too. A aura bleeding energy trails appears at the front of your car when you begin stunting and jumping also leaves flaming tire marks like turbos do at any time in V_X. Nitrox2 boosting has no visual effect other than a quick jaunt to 200 mph which only lasts a few seconds depending on a vehicles boost rating. Controls: The one thing that I wrote into THQ about V_X is that there was no wheel support. In W_R there is...kind of. Steering/barrel rolling can only be mapped to the X or Y axis. Flipping forward/back can only be mapped to the X or Y axis. Accelerate and Brake must be mapped to 2 separate buttons. This makes this more of a joystick/gamepad game than wheel. I used my wheel just in spite of my disappointment but now I am using a stick to much better results. A way of feathering the throttle would be nice though. Stunt system: While the dial-a-stunt is different, visually and mechanically the stunt system is a step back from that in V_X. In V_X once airborne you could rotate around both axes simultaneously if you chose. In W_R once you pick an axis on a jump you are stuck with it. V_X has W_R beat hands down in this respect. Versus toon: Nope, no special abilities car team whatsoever. Each car is rated in 4 cats: Top Speed, Grip, Accel, and Boost with 16 points to distribute. Each cat has a max of 7. Each car seems to do at least 160 before Speed rating takes over with a 7 taking you to about 190. Even with Nitrox2 or the boost pad scattered around NO car will break 200 mph short of Nitrox2 boosting on a jump ramp. Likewise there are no hazards. In the end this a good fun racing game that I enjoy a lot. Especially with the fiction behind it. There is a thrill to the racing and after beating the Elite League I may not be ready to take on Vert and Taro but I feel a whole lot closer! You even get a different version of Smash Mouth's "Hot" after Tezla talks at the beginning of the game. Considering what we see on the screen there could have been so much more but what we have is fairly Hot as it is. Hopefully the next HW game that THQ produces will be V_X with a better control scheme. … Full Review »
  3. DUSTONE.
    Nov 26, 2003
    10
    I LOVED THE GAME.
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