In recent years, Mattel’s Hot Wheels car toy-line has made a welcome return to the realm of video games. Not content with occasionally headlining one of Forza Horizon's excellent DLC expansions though, last year the iconic toy maker teamed up with Milestone to release the first game dedicated solely to the property since 2013. Following its arrival on PC and all the major consoles, Hot Wheels Unleashed has been positively received by fans and critics alike. Off the back of this success, news broke this week that the game’s second crossover season will revolve around Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants.
From now until March 29, players can subsequently unlock premium and free content based upon their favorite SpongeBob characters. While the crossover has all the hallmarks of being an inspired choice, there are plenty of other IPs from Hot Wheels’ legendary 53 years of history that could make their way to Unleashed, after the game’s finished exploring the ocean. With Batman and SpongeBob having now featured as seasonal content, the door is seemingly wide open for any license to do the same. There’s a long list of other beloved cartoon characters that could get in on the action in future seasons.
The Simpsons
Out of all the cartoons that have been immortalized as miniature Hot Wheels cars, The Simpsons is arguably the most instantly recognizable on a global scale. What’s unique about the various crossovers that have happened between the two iconic IPs over the years though, is the way in which the love has often been shared both ways. On several occasions, Hot Wheels cars and tracks have appeared during episodes of the animated sitcom, in scenes where they’ve had a memorable impact on the characters. Mattel has frequently released toys based on the show in turn, like the family’s famous sedan and Homer’s infamous prototype, that would all be welcome additions to Hot Wheels Unleashed.
Beyond the fact that there’s plenty of historical support for the crossover, there’s arguably a bigger video game-based reason why a Hot Wheels Unleashed and The Simpsons crossover should follow after SpongeBob. In recent years, the industry has been devoid of any high-profile console and PC-based adaptations of the iconic series. Considering the frequency that players still clamor for remakes of classic PS2-era hits like The Simpsons: Hit and Run and Road Rage, a crossover in this style would no doubt go down well amongst fans. Both of those games conveniently demonstrate how a car-based title like Hot Wheels Unleashed could adapt the show relatively easily as well.
Rick and Morty
Since December 2013, it’s become virtually impossible for anyone who spends time on the internet to avoid Rick and Morty. Thanks to its blend of adult-oriented-meta humor and sci-fi tropes, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s animated comedy has become one of the biggest western cartoons of the last decade. Unsurprisingly, this popularity has seen the series feature in a number of Hot Wheels toy-line crossovers. Everything from iconic characters like Pickle Rick to the show’s own sentient Space Cruiser has been turned into miniaturized toy cars. It’s not hard to imagine the show’s source material fitting into Hot Wheels Unleashed well because of this. The fact that the series has featured in a number of games recently like Fortnite suggests that its creators are keen for more virtual crossovers too.
Scooby-Doo
Just like the Hot Wheels brand itself, Hanna-Barbera’s Scooby-Doo has endured and remained popular in various forms for over 50 years. The fact that the two IPs were created just over one year apart from each other, ensures that it's really no surprise that several toy-themed crossovers have happened in that time. Thanks to Hot Wheels Unleashed though, there’s an opportunity for another modern-day collaboration.
Back during the summer, a tentative DLC roadmap was released by Milestone, which indicated that such an event would take place after the game’s launch. However, since then things have not only gone quiet on that front but content like the previously unannounced SpongeBob crossover have been revealed, which suggests that plans might have been shuffled about. Scooby-Doo and the shows instantly recognizable 1960s inspired Mystery Machine still deserve to make their way to the game though. The show's family-friendly supernatural cast and aesthetic would also work particularly well as one of Hot Wheels Unleashed’s gravity-defying tracks.
Hot Wheels Unleashed is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.