Game Boy Advance

Hot Wheels: Velocity X

Hot Wheels Velocity X is a significant improvement over the Hot Wheels games that were previously available for the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. Developer Saffire made the wise decision to drop the first-person viewpoint and instead go with a tilted two-dimensional presentation that leaves enough of the GBA's resources free to include a pleasant and varied game design as well. Velocity X does a good job of re-creating the toy car experience, and the inclusion of power-up items and weapons doesn't take away too much from your ability to perform tricks or speed through loops.

In the end, Hot Wheels Velocity X is just an average racer that could have been so much more. I went in with low expectations and perhaps even a bit cynical with my Hot Wheels-deprived childhood, but there is nothing here that can be played and exhausted within a normal rental period. And with no multiplayer support there is certainly no reason to make this a permanent additional to your GBA library.

The graphics and sound come out like the rest of the game as just being mediocre, but plenty of the technical issues already mentioned hugely detract from the final game. It’s sad to have to say that, but I’m sure the next version of the game will come out quite good so long as Saffire is at the helm.

Velocity X also lacks a save feature in favor of a password system. This, coupled with the general mediocrity of the game and the GameCube linking option, would seem to indicate that Velocity X was meant as nothing more than a hasty addendum to its console counterpart.

Velocity X is a racing game where the cars are plenty and abundant, with various attributes of speed and handling. But the tracks themselves are small. Short straightaways are punctuated with loop-d-loops, corkscrews and other gravity-defying stunts. The 37 missions included will seem very short because of this design decision.

Overall, I would say stay away from this game. It’s not very fun, looks awful, and plays even worse. I really can’t find a single reason to get this game. You’d be better off going to Toys R Us and buying a few Hot Wheels and playing on the floor!