Rather than racing the die-cast miniature cars around a series of tracks, Hot Wheels for the Commodore 64 involves purchasing a vehicle, customizing it, and making sure its in top-notch condition. When the game starts, you'll be standing in the middle of a car dealership filled with muscle-machines, a truck, and an all-terrain vehicle. You can either choose one of these cars or create your own customized beast.
Creating a car involves selecting various front, middle, and rear frames and then deciding on a color. Once the car has been customized to your liking, you can wheel it out of the store and hit the road. Players can drive their car around a side-scrolling town. The town contains a number of locations such as a car wash, a parking lot, the expressway, speedway, Bob's Gas, and Super Tuner.
When the vehicle enters one of these locations, the fire button must be pressed to activate a sequence. At Bob's Gas, for example, you'll control a mechanic that will refuel the car and check the tires. When the car has been on the road for a while, it will gradually lose its luster, so you can take it to the car wash to have it cleaned.
Those in need of a little action can enter and compete at the speedway. Here, the action takes place from an overhead view and involves avoiding three computer-controlled opponents. Because this can put some strain on the engine, you may need to head on over to the Super Tuner and have the engine checked out. If you're unhappy with your car, you'll have the option of trading the vehicle for a new one at the dealership.