Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver

Last updated
Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver
Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver Coverart.png
Cover art
Developer(s) Semi Logic Entertainments
Lucky Chicken Games (GBC)
Publisher(s) Mattel Media
Series Hot Wheels
Platform(s) Windows
Game Boy Color
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
  • NA: October 15, 1998
Game Boy Color
  • NA: January 2000
  • EU: June 2000
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player

Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver is a racing video game developed by Semi Logic Entertainments and published by Mattel Media for Microsoft Windows. It is based on the Hot Wheels toy franchise, and was released on October 15, 1998. A Game Boy Color version, developed by Lucky Chicken Games, was released in 2000. [1]

Contents

Gameplay

Windows version

Gameplay consists of racing different Hot Wheels cars over six different tracks located inside and outside of the same house. [2] The occupant of the house initially has tracks laid out in a living room, bedroom, attic, and sandbox. Completing certain challenges unlocks a further two: a greenhouse, and a game room. Twelve unique cars are available, [2] with a number of them available only after completing challenges. The different cars have varying abilities with regard to speed, traction, and maneuverability, the last affecting the car's ability to perform stunts.

The player's car will jump through the air between sections of each race track, during which stunts can be performed. Stunts are an integral part of the game, as much as racing against the clock. As a car jumps between sections of track, the player can make the car spin around any axis: barrel rolls, end-over-end, or 360s, in either direction and in combination as well. Successful stunts give the car a speed and traction boost as it lands, which helps improve the player's time, signaled with a vivid graphic of lightning bolt-like effects on the wheels. Failure to land correctly after a stunt results in a crash, which does not end the race, but it costs time.

Crashes may be caused by loss of control, particularly on curves and inaccurate landings after a jump (even when no stunts are attempted, cars tend to twist out of control while aloft). Crashes may also result due to contact with different objects found on the tracks, including other cars; in two sequences, hazards are encountered off the track as the car passes through the walls between two mouse-holes, and across a billiard table. All crashes cost time while the car is replaced on the track.

There are three distinct modes of play: Practice, where the player can race through any available track to achieve best time; Championship, where the player must complete each track in sequence within a certain time limit; and Custom where the player's own track layouts can be constructed. [2] Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded for best times on the supplied tracks. After all the main tracks are unlocked, a hidden track can be accessed.

Game Boy Color version

The Game Boy Color version features five playable cars and six household-themed race tracks. The game's vehicles are capable of performing stunts such as spins, rolls, and mid-air flips, all of which add bonus points and speed bursts. The game's vehicles are based on Hot Wheels toys; each one is rated differently for durability, speed, stunts, and turning. The game is played from a side-view perspective, and includes three gameplay modes: Tournament, Single Race, and Two Player. Tournament is the main game mode, in which the player races against two computer-controlled vehicles across several tracks. In Tournament, the player must finish in first place to advance to the next track. A password is provided to the player after each track is completed. The game's fifth vehicle is unlocked upon completion of Tournament mode. In Single Race, the player races against a time limit. Two Player mode allows two players to race against each other using the system's Game Link Cable. [3]

Plot

The plot consists of the anonymous protagonist receiving a large sum of Hot Wheels track, with no explanation given. He then uses the track pieces to build six different layouts around his house, and races his Hot Wheels vehicles on them.

Development

The game was developed by Semi Logic Entertainments, a company based in California. [4] [5]

Reception

The Game Boy Color version was met with average reception, as GameRankings gave it 70% based on only 2 reviews. [6]

Marc Nix of IGN , who wrote a positive review of the Game Boy Color version, said that "it's no portable Crazy Taxi , but the game is wild fun that doubles the excitement in two-player link-up mode". Nix praised the game for its "clean graphics" and "fair representations" of its Hot Wheels vehicles, although he noted the game's simplicity: "Unfortunately, there's little interaction with the game besides the stunt system -- enemy cars pass right through and you can't bash them off the road, there are no road obstacles or power-ups to make the game more difficult, and the different tracks are essentially the same other than some differences in number of jumps and difficulty. There's a useless brake button, which would have been much better suited for a more complex trick system or a weapon. [...] But like the Hot Wheels toy cars that this game patterns itself after, the plain joy of watching cars twirl and crash is a blast". Nix also praised the game for including link-up compatibility, a feature that was becoming scarce in Game Boy Color games. [1]

Clayton Crooks of AllGame praised the PC version for its "excellent graphics and sound effects", as well as its "meticulously designed" Hot Wheels vehicles closely resembling their real-life counterparts. Crooks noted that the game would appeal to young children because of its simple gameplay, and wrote: "The music corresponds well with the style of gameplay but an option to turn it off after the repetition sets in would have been welcome". [7]

Aaron Curtiss from the Los Angeles Times said "Simple as it may be, Stunt Track Driver never gets boring. Because players race against the clock, it can take several attempts to finish a track and move on to the next one. And then there are the stunts. Like the Dukes of Hazzard, most of these cars spend very little time with their wheels on the ground. Jumps offer the opportunity to spin the car around and collect extra points". [8]

Sequel

The game was followed by a sequel, Stunt Track Driver 2: Get'n Dirty, which is placed outside and reflects 4x4 off-road racing. It was released in 2000 and was made exclusively for Windows.

Related Research Articles

<i>Stunts</i> (video game) 1990 video game

Stunts is a 3D racing video game developed by Distinctive Software and published by Broderbund in 1990. The game places emphasis on racing on stunt tracks and features a track editor. It is clearly influenced by the earlier arcade game Hard Drivin' and has many similar elements to the game Stunt Driver which was released the same year. The game is part of the 4D Sports series along with 4D Sports Tennis and 4D Sports Boxing.

<i>Cruisn Exotica</i> 1999 video game

Cruis'n Exotica is a 1999 racing game developed and published by Midway Games for arcades. The game is a sequel to Cruis'n World and is the third entry in Nintendo's Cruis'n series. A port to the Nintendo 64 developed by Gratuitous Games was released in 2000, along with a Game Boy Color version developed by Crawfish Interactive.

<i>San Francisco Rush 2049</i> 1999 video game

San Francisco Rush 2049 is a 1999 futuristic-themed racing video game developed and manufactured by Atari Games for arcades, later ported to home systems. It is the third game in the Rush series as the sequel to San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing and Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA as well as the last to be set in the city of San Francisco. An updated version with fixes and more tracks was later released subtitled Tournament Edition. The game was notably also the last coin-op title rooted to the original Atari arcade business and Atari brand, 27 years after Pong.

<i>F1 Race</i> 1984 video game

F1 Race is a racing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Famicom in 1984. A version was released in 1990 for the Game Boy in Japan and in 1991 in Europe and North America, including the Four Player Adapter for four-player gameplay.

<i>Mickeys Speedway USA</i> 2000 racing video game

Mickey's Speedway USA is a kart racing game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. It features characters from the Mickey Mouse universe racing across the United States. It is Rare and Nintendo's second collaboration with Disney Interactive following Mickey's Racing Adventure (1999) and Rare's second kart racing game after Diddy Kong Racing (1997).

<i>Excite Truck</i> Racing video game first published by Nintendo in 2006

Excite Truck is a racing video game developed by Monster Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It features malleable environments and tilt-based controls. The game was one of the Wii launch titles in North America. It is the third main game in the Excite series and the first to feature vehicles other than motorbikes.

<i>Hot Wheels Turbo Racing</i> 1999 video game

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.

<i>Hot Wheels: Velocity X</i> 2002 vehicular combat video game

Hot Wheels: Velocity X is a 2002 vehicular combat racing game developed by Beyond Games and published by THQ based on Mattel's Hot Wheels line of scale model cars. The story follows Maxwell "Max" Justice, a teenage street racer, and his efforts to thwart the Monument City Underworld crime ring intent on stealing the Velocity X formula. Players assume the role of Max, competing in street races and demolition derbies across five locations in the greater metropolitan area.

<i>Hot Wheels Extreme Racing</i> 2001 video game

Hot Wheels: Extreme Racing is a racing game for the PlayStation, released in 2001. It features vehicles based on the Hot Wheels series of toys.

<i>Nicktoons Racing</i> 2000 video game

Nicktoons Racing is a Nickelodeon crossover racing video game. The game was first developed by Pipe Dream and released for the Game Boy Color, while versions for different platforms were released in subsequent years. Most versions were developed by Software Creations with the exception of the Game Boy Advance version, which was developed by Crawfish Interactive, and the arcade version, which was developed by Chicago Gaming.

<i>Cruisn</i> Video game series

Cruis'n is a series of racing video games originally developed by Eugene Jarvis for Midway Games and published by Midway and Nintendo. The series distinguishes itself from other racing games with its over-the-top presentation and fast-paced gameplay, featuring a wide variety of vehicles and tracks based on a number of real world locations. The series debuted in North American and European arcades in 1994 with the release of Cruis'n USA, which, along with Killer Instinct, was advertised as running on Nintendo's Ultra 64 hardware. Two sequels followed, Cruis'n World and Cruis'n Exotica, which featured new vehicles and tracks. All three games were released for the Nintendo 64 as well, with Exotica also being released for the handheld Game Boy Color. The next game in the series, Cruis'n Velocity deviated from the traditional arcade gameplay of the series and was released for the Game Boy Advance.

<i>Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver</i> 2002 video game

Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver is a 2002 racing game for the Xbox, developed by I-Imagine Interactive and published by BAM! Entertainment. The game is an arcade racing game in which players complete races and perform stunts and tricks as a stunt performer for scenes in various movies. Originally developed without a publisher as an intended multiplatform title, the game was the first recipient of the Microsoft Incubator Program, an initiative supporting independent developers to publish titles on the Xbox. Upon release, the game met a mixed to average reception, with critics praising the variety of vehicles, but critiquing the game's repetition.

<i>Toy Story Racer</i> 2001 video game

Toy Story Racer is a 2001 kart racing game developed by Traveller's Tales and Tiertex Design Studios and published by Activision. It was based on the Toy Story franchise, primarily the first film. The game was released in March 2001 for the Game Boy Color and PlayStation systems. The PlayStation version received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic. In 2010, the PlayStation version was re-released on the PlayStation Store as a PS one Classic.

<i>San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing</i> 1996 video game

San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is a 1996 arcade video game developed and published by Atari Games. After appearing on arcades, it was ported to home consoles under the Midway label beginning with Nintendo 64 in 1997 and then PlayStation in 1998. An updated version named San Francisco Rush The Rock: Alcatraz Edition was later released with more tracks and cars. It was a critical and commercial hit, and became the first in the Rush series, followed up by San Francisco Rush 2049 (1999), bounded by the non-arcade Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA (1998).

<i>Wacky Races</i> (2000 video game) 2000 video game

Wacky Races is a racing video game developed by Appaloosa Interactive for PC and PlayStation and by Velez & Dubail for the Game Boy Color. It was published by Infogrames in 2000.

<i>Race Drivin</i> 1990 video game

Race Drivin' is a driving arcade game originally released by Atari Games in 1990. Players must test drive several high-powered sports cars on stunt and speed courses. The game is the sequel to 1989's Hard Drivin' and was part of a new generation of games that featured 3D polygon environments. Unlike most racing games of its time, it attempted to model real world car physics in the simulation of the movement of the player's car. Like Hard Drivin', the game is unique among video games in that it includes a true force feedback steering wheel, an ignition key, a four-speed shifter, and three foot pedals: an accelerator, a brake, and a clutch. Released in August 1990, approximately 1200 units were produced at the time of its release for roughly US$9,000 each.

<i>Hot Wheels Micro Racers</i> 2000 video game

Hot Wheels Micro Racers is a racing video game developed by Unique Development Studios (UDS) and published by Mattel Interactive for Microsoft Windows. The game is based on the Hot Wheels toyline, and was unveiled at the American International Toy Fair in February 2000, as a competitor to Micro Machines. Hot Wheels Micro Racers was released on April 28, 2000, and came packaged with a free Hot Wheels car and poster.

<i>Hot Wheels: Burnin Rubber</i> 2001 video game

Hot Wheels: Burnin' Rubber is a 2001 racing video game developed by Altron and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance. The game is based on the Hot Wheels toy series.

<i>Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing</i> 2007 video game

Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing is a 2007 racing video game developed by Italian company Raylight Studios and published by DSI Games for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) exclusively. The game is based on the Hot Wheels toy line which manufactured by Mattel.

<i>Xtreme Wheels</i> 2001 video game

Xtreme Wheels is a 2001 racing game developed by Spike and published by BAM! Entertainment for the Game Boy Color. Compared to Excitebike, the game is a BMX racing game in which the player competes with other riders to finish a motocross course.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nix, Marc (January 28, 2000). "Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver (GBC)". IGN . Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Marriott, Scott Alan. "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Driver (PC) - Overview". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  3. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Driver (GBC) - Overview". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  4. ↑ "About Semi Logic". semilogic.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2000. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver". semilogic.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2001. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Driver for Game Boy Color". GameRankings. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Crooks, Clayton. "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Driver CD-ROM (PC) - Review". AllGame . Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ Curtiss, Aaron (November 4, 1999). "Speed Thrills With Childhood Icons". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.