TheHot Wheelsbrand was created in 1968, with its line of die-cast toy cars being designed to compete with Matchbox.Hot Wheelsis still best known for its toys, though the Mattel-owned brand has also ventured into the gaming industry on numerous occasions.
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For anyone looking to try aHot Wheelsvideo game, or perhaps want to see what critics thought of their favorite racing title, here is every game in theHot Wheelsfranchise that has been rated on review aggregator Metacritic ranked by their Metascores.
Updated on July 16, 2025, by Jack Pursey:On June 13, 2025, Milestone released the latest entry in the Hot Wheels franchise’s long-running gaming catalog.Hot Wheels Unleashedhas been well-received, offering one of the best arcade racing experiences of the year thus far.
The warm reception has brought the Hot Wheels franchise to the attention of the gaming industry once more. Consequently, we’ve updated this list to include the latest title to ensure that players have the full picture when picking thebest Hot Wheels gameto play.
10Hot Wheels: World’s Best Driver (39)
The first entry on this list receiving a Metascore of just 39 certainly isn’t a great start, and unfortunately, the scores won’t have a sharp increase anytime soon.Hot Wheels: World’s Best Driverwas released on iOS, 3DS, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U, withthe iOS versionbeing the only iteration to receive a Metascore.
The mobile gaming scene has managed to prove people wrong over the years when it comes to believing that racing games wouldn’t be suitable for mobile devices, thoughHot Wheels: World’s Best Driverisn’t a shining example of this.
9Hot Wheels: Beat That! (43)
Hot Wheels: Beat That!is another game that was released on multiple consoles, but has just one iteration with an official Metascore.The Xbox 360 iterationis the only version that has been scored, which is a shame as the DS version received a fairly positive65 review from IGN. This implies that it could have received a more respectable score if more companies reviewed the handheld game.
The 2007 game lets players gain an advantage with many common tropes from arcade-style racers, such as stunts, power-ups, and boosts.
8Hot Wheels: Extreme Racing (53)
Hot Wheels: Extreme Racing’s almost precisely average score is a suitable descriptor for the game.Extreme Racingis an okay racer that will appeal to fans ofHot Wheels,though it struggles to stand out from thecrowded genre of arcade and kart racers.
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THQ’s game does have one unique feature that makes it stand out though, its vehicles can adapt to different elements. Players can traverse land, water and even fly through the air when necessary, as the cars can transform in an instance to match the environment.
7Hot Wheels: Velocity X (55)
Hot Wheels: Velocity Xstruggles to stand out on this list with its fairly mediocre score. However, the game is one of the most recognizable and commercially successful entries on this list, with many gamers having nostalgic memories ofVelocity Xon PS2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, or PC, so much so that the game’sMetascore seems a bit too low.
Hot Wheels: Velocity Xfeatures common racing modes such as Challenge, Battle, and Multiplayer, as well as featuring a narrative-driven Adventure mode, something that is uncommon in arcade-style racers.
6Hot Wheels: World Race (59)
Hot Wheels: World Racewas released in October 2003 and is based on a film of the same name, which itself was based on a TV series titledHot Wheels: Highway 35 – World Racethat ran from July to August 2003 and featured five episodes.
The game was developed by Climax Brighton (also known as Climax Racing and Black Rock Studio), who have a solid track record in gaming’s racing genre with titles likePure,MotoGP ‘06,andthe critically acclaimed street racerSplit/Second.
5Hot Wheels: Ultimate Racing (60)
PlayStation Portable exclusiveHot Wheels: Ultimate Racingwas initially released in June 2007 by DSI Games with the development being handled by Raylight Studios in Italy.
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The game is fondly remembered for giving players a great sense of speed, similar to theWipeoutseries and the recently remasteredStar Wars Episode I: Racer.Although the sense of speed was welcome, it did cause some issues as the game’s tracks have many sharp and unforgiving corners that will punish players for even the slightest mistakes.
4Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge (63)
As the name suggests,Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challengefocuses on the extreme stunt side of theHot Wheelsbrand. However, pulling off stunts isn’t the only appealing factor that the game has on offer, as players can also customize over twenty different vehicles, the majority of which must be unlocked through in-game progression.
Along with the emphasis on stunts and customization,Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challengestood out from the competition in 2004 by offering an online mode on PlayStation 2.
3Hot Wheels: Burnin’ Rubber (66)
Surprisingly, the highest-ratedHot Wheelsgame prior to 2017 is exclusive to the Game Boy Advance, a system that certainly isn’t known for providing high-quality racing titles.
Hot Wheels: Burnin' Rubber’s development team, Altron, did a fantastic job of getting the most out of the GBA’s limited hardware, creating a solid racing experience on the handheld device.
2Hot Wheels Unleashed (78)
Hot Wheels Unleashedis the latest gaming entry in theHot Wheelsfranchise, having released on September 30th, 2021. The game doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel, staying loyal to the series' roots while standing out from the previousHot Wheelsgames with its fantastic visuals and high-quality driving mechanics.
The game’swide range of drivable toy carsis where it excels. A huge selection of cars are on offer, and the non-microtransaction system of unlocking cars through progress is a great, old-school way of motivating players to win more races.
Unfortunately,Hot Wheels Unleashedisn’t without its shortcomings, as the repetitive music, lack of variety to visuals, and very limited range of modes hold the game back. However, it’s still the best standaloneHot Wheelsgame currently on the market.
Hot Wheels Unleashedwas developed by Milestone, a company well-known for racing titles. Milestone’s CV includes theMotoGPseries, theSBK: Superbike World Championshipseries, and theWRC: FIA World Rally Championship.
1Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels (87)
Technically,Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheelsshouldn’t qualify for this list as it’s a DLC. However, the expansion forForza Horizon 3is worth including, as it offers by far the bestHot Wheelsgaming experience, according to critics.
BuyingForza Horizon 3as well as theHot Wheelsexpansion may be costly, though it’s worth the price for fans of the franchise asForza Horizon 3’s excellent driving mechanics work wonders with the quintessential looping and twistingHot Wheelstracks.
