This product is in good condition. At NexWave Games, good means:
Additionally, all discs at NexWave Games are carefully inspected and assessed for quality. When discs arrive, we do not accept any that are so badly damaged that they are unlikely to work. We only accept discs with light scratches at most. Discs with scratches are then treated in our professional disc repair machine. By warming the disc and polishing it with soft brushes, these machines can remove a very thin layer from the disc. This removes the layer containing surface scratches and improves the disc’s readability. This ensures the disc works properly, even on consoles with ageing lasers that have difficulty reading games! Great news for the player.
Hot Wheels: World Race for PlayStation 2
Hot Wheels: World Race for PlayStation 2 puts toy cars on tracks full of loops, high jumps and sharp bends. You choose from 35 Hot Wheels cars divided among five teams, including the Wave Rippers and Scorchers. Races take place in the world of Highway 35, with volcanoes, jungles and icy landscapes among its settings. On these circuits, you do not just look for the shortest line, but also places where a jump can take you to a higher route.
Stunts and speed are closely connected. Spinning in the air and landing cleanly fills the Nitrox² meter; glowing rings also help replenish that supply. You can spend a full meter on an acceleration boost or an extra-long jump. You must stop spinning in time to straighten the car for landing, though. Certain items also open shortcuts initially blocked by a red force field. A familiar track can therefore offer new possibilities once you master the right jump.
In League, you work through races and earn points according to your finishing position. You can also choose a single race, a time trial or the five practice challenges. The exercises introduce important techniques individually. Two players can race simultaneously on a local split screen, each with a controller; no Multitap is needed. The best lap calls for a combination of reading bends, mastering stunts and saving your full Nitrox² supply for a moment when it really makes a difference.
Region and language
Our PlayStation 2 games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
Hot Wheels: World Race for PlayStation 2 includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of Hot Wheels: World Race
Climax developed Hot Wheels: World Race, and THQ released it for PlayStation 2 in 2003. The game tied in with the 35th anniversary of Hot Wheels. Mattel linked the World Race line to toy cars, computer animation, videos and a television special. The racing world of Highway 35 provided a shared setting. The game therefore uses a recognisable collection of cars and teams from that campaign, rather than simply attaching a toy logo to an ordinary car racer.
The original manual describes Highway 35 as a hidden network of roads in another dimension. Scientist Peter Tezla gathers racers and powerful cars to conquer those routes. That premise explains the loops and improbable transitions between landscapes. In the game, these were linked to concrete actions: spinning a car in the air, preparing the landing and collecting enough Nitrox² for the next jump. The toy track therefore provides more than scenery; it determines how you learn to drive a route.
THQ announced the availability of the original console versions in November 2003; the European PS2 release followed that same year. Editions also appeared for other systems, but their features are not necessarily identical. This PS2 version offers two simultaneous local players, as its own original booklet states. It is also World Race, not Hot Wheels: Velocity X or Stunt Track Challenge. Those separate games use the same toy brand, but have different challenges and a different structure to their competitions.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
Hot Wheels: Velocity X on PlayStation 2 shares the recognisable toy cars, loops and big jumps. There, you defend Monument City against a criminal gang, with progression built around missions, weapons and a destructible world. World Race structures its races around Highway 35, League points and stunts that earn Nitrox². The same brand therefore does not mean the same approach: in Velocity X, a mission determines what you must do, while World Race mainly makes your route and finishing position count.
Crash Nitro Kart on the same console also offers imaginative circuits and familiar characters competing for first place. The adventure takes Crash through extraterrestrial races, with weapons that affect the contest between drivers. World Race places more emphasis on guiding cars through loops, spinning during jumps and building up Nitrox². Both call for track experience and timing, but in Hot Wheels a fast route is more closely connected to the execution of your stunts and the landing afterwards.
Sonic Riders on PS2 combines speed, jumps and a supply used for special actions. Sonic and his opponents stand on Extreme Gear and can exploit turbulence to gain speed. World Race uses Hot Wheels cars and lets you earn Nitrox² through rings and successful stunts. Preparing an acceleration boost therefore feels different: in Sonic, you watch air and air currents, while here you try to coordinate a jump, a spin and a straight landing.
Burnout 3: Takedown and World Race both reward risky actions with extra speed. Burnout focuses on traffic, close passes and pushing opponents off the road. World Race gives its bonus for stunts and rings on exaggerated toy circuits. A full Nitrox² meter also helps you jump further and higher. If the relationship between risk and acceleration interests you most, this offers a different exercise: a controlled landing matters more than a convincing collision with a rival.
NYR: New York Race also takes vehicles through improbable changes in height on PlayStation 2. Its flying cars are not tied to a toy track, however: you climb and descend between buildings and traffic in the New York of The Fifth Element. World Race keeps the emphasis on loops, take-offs and stunts on Highway 35. Both require you to look ahead to the next passage, but they gain speed differently: diving in NYR versus earning and spending Nitrox² in Hot Wheels.
