Hot Wheels: Beat That!

Hot Wheels: Beat That! is a 2007 racing game developed by Eutechnyx and published by Activision. It is based on the Hot Wheels toy line by Mattel.

Gameplay
The game is a racing game that uses elements from kart racing games, such as pick ups and power ups, The game has 4 game modes: race, eliminator, rampage and tournament.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The game feels unoriginal and uninspired, the gameplay feels generic as it is similar to most other racing games with kart racer elements to it, yet it doesn’t try to do anything to feel original or inspiring, as the game also doesn’t try to be unique from its contemporaries. As it mostly uses elements commonly seen in other racing games at the time, without trying to do anything new about it.
 * 2) While the graphics are decent, the lighting looks way too basic, and it the models don't have that much attention put to them. The PS2 and DS versions on the other hand look pretty bland when it comes to graphics even by 2007 standards. The damage models also look pretty poor.
 * 3) Horrible and floaty physics, while in the air the car feels so heavy while landing, and the physics while crashing on other cars feels really non existent, as all you do is just bounce slightly off them. The physics can also make the game very unnatural when it comes to the way how they are implemented. Not to mention sometimes you'll be flipping around for no reason.
 * 4) The music just repeats itself over and over again, which can get very annoying, also to make matters worse in the PC version every track uses the Floorboard Frenzy music which can get very annoying, the only other music track in the game is the menu theme. Thankfully in the console version every track has different music.
 * 5) The items are virtually useless in some situations, most of the items like the parachutes barely effect anything at all, also some of the items like the EMP are also completely useless as it does nothing but destroy all of you're opponents weapons, also when it comes to the items, some of them like the smoke, don't even affect the skill and performance of you or the a.i. as all it does is make the screen look dirty, but unlike the blooper in Mario Kart, it's still pretty easy to see where you're going, also when it comes to the items, there's also a feature called super charge, which make your weapons stronger, but they still barely affect anything.
 * 6) The tracks all have terrible designs, limited to only 4 locations (Bedroom, Mini Golf, Attic and Bowling Alley) The tracks all have unnatural feel to them and designs, sometimes the turning in the tracks can be unfair in certain aspects, for example the obstacles are way too easy to avoid that they don’t even come off as a treat, not to mention it gets even worse with it’s handling. They’re blander in the DS version due to the fact the designs of them feel basic.
 * 7) Terrible handling, the turning feels unnatural and unrealistic and the drifting is pretty unnatural as well,  The handling in the DS version is even worse due to the fact, it’s even more slippery than in the PC and console versions.
 * 8) There are some shameless product placements, like a product placement for Pitball! in the attic (Also by Activision), the Hot Wheels Acceleracers movie (Which comes off as self promotion) as well as it’s official website in the bedroom location and product placements for Max Steel and Uno (also owned by Mattel).
 * 9) The game is also pretty glitchy, for example you can clip through certain items and even a game breaking glitch where you fall out of the map without kill planes, the only way to fix it is by restarting the race.
 * 10) The announcer is really annoying, as he says pretty much everything, that happens, not to mention he most of the times sounds uninterested, thankfully you can turn him off.
 * 11) The rampage mode is way too easy, as all you do is hit the 3 oncoming cars with rockets, that’s it nothing else, not to mention you can finish them extremely quickly.
 * 12) * In the DS version however is a pain, due to the fact, it comes off as unfair and impossible.
 * 13) The DS version only has six vehicles.
 * 14) The A.I. Is pretty weak, as you can easily beat them, even when playing on the harder difficulties, you can just pick the fastest car in the game and then quickly beat them, The A.I. is also pretty dumb in some aspects, not to mention they can even glitch out of the map.
 * 15) In the DS version some of the vehicle names are misspelled.
 * 16) The arena mode is also pretty bad (which is multiplayer only) as the items all spawn randomly, and sometimes isn’t very good to beat the other player, not to mention the items can often trick you.
 * 17) The DS version is impossible to 100% because there is no 2nd path in Desktop Dash, but the goal says you need to go in it, but due to the layout being based on Flooboard Frenzy, it's impossible.

Good Qualities

 * 1) The console versions do at least feature different music tracks in each track, though it gets repetitive.
 * 2) A good number of vehicles to drive in the console versions, that are all based off of real life Hot Wheels toys, also there’s a cheat code where you can unlock the Shadow MKII.
 * 3) The graphics in the console versions (except for the PS2 version) are pretty decent for 2007 standards especially the Xbox 360 version.
 * 4) Your car has real damage models.

Reception
IGN gave the PS2, Wii, Xbox 360 and PC versions a 3/10 while the DS version a 6/10. While the PS2, Wii and DS versions received mixed reviews, the PC and Xbox 360 versions received unfavorable reviews. Though it received mixed reviews from gamers.