Hot Wheels Turbo Racing
| Hot Wheels Turbo Racing | |
|---|---|
European Nintendo 64 cover art
|
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| Developer(s) | Stormfront Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Series | Hot Wheels |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 PlayStation |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) |
Single-player Multiplayer |
| Review scores | ||
|---|---|---|
| Publication | Score | |
| N64 | PS | |
| AllGame |   |
|
| EGM | 7.37/10 | 7.5/10 |
| GameFan | 70% | N/A |
| Game Informer | 7/10 | 6.25/10 |
| GamePro | |
 |
| Game Revolution | N/A | B |
| GameSpot | 7.9/10 | 8/10 |
| IGN | 7.7/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Nintendo Power | 7.3/10 | N/A |
| OPM (US) | N/A | |
| Aggregate score | ||
| GameRankings | 71% | 73% |
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing is a racing video game released for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation in 1999. It features 40 cars based on the Hot Wheels series of toys. It also features Kyle Petty's 1999 NASCAR stock car, as it was sponsored by Hot Wheels. The game features music from artists like Primus, Metallica, The Reverend Horton Heat and Mix Master Mike.
The focus of the game is racing one of a selection of vehicles through various themed race tracks. Secret tracks can be unlocked by winning races and new cars can be used by finding 'Mystery Car' bonuses hidden in each track. Six vehicles participate in each race. The game features a total of 40 playable vehicles. Stunts can be executed by holding the directional pad or analog stick in certain directions while in mid-air to add to the turbo meter for increased speed.
As seen in the hint screens, using the controller to perform various stunts from jumping-off points gains 'Turbos' which allow short bursts of speed. The car in use will take damage based on running into obstacles or other cars. Power-up icons found around the track give various performance enhancements.
The PlayStation version features a video for its introduction sequence, and thirteen songs, including "Fuel" by Metallica. There are eleven race tracks in the PlayStation version. The Nintendo 64 version includes eight race tracks, and seven songs, excluding Metallica's song. The PlayStation version of the game requires a memory card to save progress, while the Nintendo 64 version requires a Controller Pak to save progress.
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing received above-average reviews on both platforms according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.
Scott McCall of AllGame called the Nintendo 64 version "somewhat fun and original to play," but criticized its "average" sound effects and "very limited and repetitive" songs, which he felt were of poor quality. McCall called the game "a little disappointing in the graphics department," writing that it "seems like a CD-ROM game that was ported to the cartridge format quickly and cheaply. It's noticeable because of the limited, muffled sound, the lackluster graphics, and the lack of a four-player mode." Joe Ottoson of AllGame wrote a positive review of the PlayStation version and praised its soundtrack, although he noted that the sound effects "aren't quite as high budget, but the screeching tires and colliding cars provide a convincing supplement to the action." Ottoson wrote that the game's vehicles "resemble their real-life counterparts and the game speeds along without any slowdown," while also stating that its race tracks "seem to stick with the toy stunt track origins of the subject matter by using an array of vibrant colors on the backgrounds. They often reminded me of something that had escaped from a Tim Burton movie with the prodigious usage of stripes and cheerful colors."
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