The Hot Wheels brand was created in 1968, with its line of die-cast toy cars being designed to compete with Matchbox. Hot Wheels is still best known for its toys, though the Mattel-owned brand has also ventured into the gaming industry on numerous occasions. Hot Wheels' gaming franchise is set to make another appearance later this year, with the highly anticipated Hot Wheels Unleashed set to hit stores in September 2021.

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For anyone looking to try a Hot Wheels video game before Unleashed is released, here is every game in the franchise that has been rated on review aggregator Metacritic, ranked by their Metascores.

9 Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver (39)

The first entry on this list receiving a Metascore of just 39 certainly isn't a great start, and unfortunately, the scores won't have a sharp increase anytime soon. Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver was released on iOS, 3DS, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U, with the iOS version being the only iteration to receive a Metascore.

The mobile gaming scene has managed to prove people wrong over the years when it comes to believing that racing games wouldn't be suitable for mobile devices, though Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver isn't a shining example of this.

8 Hot Wheels: Beat That! (43)

Hot Wheels: Beat That! is another game that was released on multiple consoles, but has just one iteration with an official Metascore. The Xbox 360 iteration is the only version that has been scored, which is a shame as the DS version received a fairly positive 65 review from IGN. This implies that it could have received a more respectable score if more companies reviewed the handheld game.

The 2007 game lets players gain an advantage with many common tropes from arcade-style racers, such as stunts, power-ups, and boosts.

7 Hot Wheels: Extreme Racing (53)

Hot Wheels: Extreme Racing's almost precisely average score is a suitable descriptor for the game. Extreme Racing is an okay racer that will appeal to fans of Hot Wheels, though it struggles to stand out from the crowded genre of arcade and kart racers.

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THQ's game does have one unique feature that makes it stand out though, its vehicles can adapt to different elements. Players can traverse land, water and even fly through the air when necessary, as the cars can transform in an instance to match the environment.

6 Hot Wheels: Velocity X (55)

Hot Wheels: Velocity X struggles to stand out on this list with its fairly mediocre score. However, the game is one of the most recognizable and commercially successful entries on this list, with many gamers having nostalgic memories of Velocity X on PS2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, or PC, so much so that the game's Metascore seems a bit too low.

Hot Wheels: Velocity X features common racing modes such as Challenge, Battle and Multiplayer, as well as featuring a narrative-driven Adventure mode, something that is uncommon in arcade-style racers.

5 Hot Wheels: World Race (59)

Hot Wheels: World Race was released in October 2003 and is based on a film of the same name, which itself was based on a TV series titled Hot Wheels: Highway 35 – World Race that ran from July to August 2003 and featured five episodes.

The game was developed by Climax Brighton (also known as Climax Racing and Black Rock Studio), who have a solid track record in gaming's racing genre with titles like Pure, MotoGP '06, and the critically acclaimed street racer Split/Second.

4 Hot Wheels: Ultimate Racing (60)

PlayStation Portable exclusive Hot Wheels: Ultimate Racing was initially released in June 2007 by DSI Games with the development being handled by Raylight Studios in Italy.

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The game is fondly remembered for giving players a great sense of speed, similar to the Wipeout series and the recently remastered Star Wars Episode I: Racer. Although the sense of speed was welcome, it did cause some issues as the game's tracks have many sharp and unforgiving corners that will punish players for even the slightest mistakes.

3 Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge (63)

As the name suggests, Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge focuses on the extreme stunt side of the Hot Wheels brand. However, pulling off stunts isn't the only appealing factor that the game has on offer, as players can also customize over twenty different vehicles, the majority of which must be unlocked through in-game progression.

Along with the emphasis on stunts and customization, Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge stood out from the competition in 2004 by offering an online mode on PlayStation 2.

2 Hot Wheels: Burnin' Rubber (66)

The fact that the highest-rated standalone Hot Wheels game on Metacritic has a score of just 66 can be seen as both good and bad for the upcoming Hot Wheels Unleashed. On the one hand, it's negative as many players won't be anticipating a good-quality game thanks to the series' lackluster track record, but on the plus side, it gives the game low expectations, offering Unleashed the chance to be a surprise hit.

Surprisingly, the highest-rated Hot Wheels game is exclusive to the Game Boy Advance, a system that certainly isn't known for providing high-quality racing titles.

1 Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels (87)

Technically, Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels doesn't qualify for this list as it's a DLC. However, the expansion for Forza Horizon 3 is by far the best Hot Wheels game to play while waiting for Hot Wheels Unleashed, so it's worth including on this list.

Buying Forza Horizon 3 as well as the Hot Wheels expansion may be costly, though it's worth the price for fans of the franchise as Forza Horizon 3's excellent driving mechanics work wonders with the quintessential looping and twisting Hot Wheels tracks.

NEXT: The 5 Best Racing Simulators (& The 5 Best Arcade Racers)