Remember when life was simple, and Hot Wheels just meant setting up a plastic loop-de-loop around Grandma’s legs while she was sleeping? Though I’m sure the physical toys still make for plenty of goofy track-building scenarios, it seems as if the videogame series has grown up, gotten out, and gone off-road with Hot Wheels World’s Best Driver.
The new game looks great and all, though I can’t help but to hesitate – Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver was a staple of my childhood, and that game was all about driving Hot Wheels on rubber tracks set up throughout a young kid’s house. Just like the tracks I used to build! *Sniff.* Before this gets too sappy, I should note that the new game has monster trucks. So it’s got that going for it.
In terms of raw features and gameplay, World’s Best Driver pretty much annihilates previous Hot Wheels games, with an impressive array of 24 Hot Wheels cars at the player’s disposal. The races occur at “four under-the-radar test facilities around the world,” and will offer up some serious competitive vibes if the game’s press materials are to be believed.
Part of what made Stunt Track Driver so great all those years ago was actually how low-budget it was – fun gameplay and hilarious glitches came together, and hijinks of a uniquely jocular bent were born. This new game also sells at under typical retail price, so perhaps some unintentional merriment can be wrought from its shortcomings, despite its no-doubt impressive feature list.
Hot Wheels World’s Best Driver is available now on Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U for $39.99, and PC and 3DS for $29.99. It may find its way into my hands eventually, but in the meantime I need to go replay Stunt Track Driver. Mom is going to be soooo mad about the toy car I smashed through the TV screen.
