Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing features 26 vehicles based on Hot Wheels toy cars. The game features 11 courses, each one resembling real Hot Wheels toy racetracks. The courses are divided across four areas: Death Valley, Jungle, Metropolis, and Volcano. Each level features a major trap or enemy that must be avoided, such as giant boulders, a giant scorpion, and a giant octopus. The player can use turbo boosts to speed up in races, and slow-motion to safely drift around corners; both abilities are depleted as they are used, and can be refilled by landing specific giant jumps or by avoiding the traps and enemies in each level. Performance upgrades, including better acceleration, improved handling, and new tires, can be won from races.[2]
Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing features four gameplay modes. In Quick Race, the player may choose any track on which to race. In Survival mode, the player must win races that become increasingly difficult. In Time Trial mode, the player must race against a time limit. In Collector mode, the player is the sole vehicle and must collect golden medals scattered around a racetrack. The game also includes a local multiplayer mode for up to four people.[2][3]