Hot Wheels Corkscrew Crash Review (Mattel)

If there's high speed and dramatic crashes, then it must be a Hot Wheels set. The Hot Wheels Corkscrew Crash from Mattel is a follow up to the now-classic Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash. But this is bigger, better and screwier. You have to put it together, and that takes an adult about 30 minutes. 

Once the set is assembled, it's pretty stable, and it's got three power boosters to keep the cars running around the three big loops. Fire off a car and watch it go into the corkscrew, and it will keep going for a pretty long time. That is, until you fire off another car and make cars collide. See how many you get going, and the more you do, the bigger and more dramatic the crashes. 

The set comes with one Hot Wheels car, and while your kids probably have buckets of them, not every car works on the track. Some are too wide and others too heavy. You're going to have to experiment to see which perform best. Of course, if you're competing with friends, knowing the different way your cars work on the track can be an advantage. Nothing like using a heavy car to blast another off the track. Clearly, this is all about the mayhem, for Hot Wheels fans, this is an impressive set. 

The fun is all in the action and the mayhem of crashing. Cars whip around the corkscrews, and get faster with each round. Ultimately, they'll fly off, but kids who like bashing and crashing play (aka ALL of them) will really get a kick out of the dramatic way this set works.

The set is designed for kids ages 5 and up. Hot Wheels fans looking for a new adventure and exciting way to play will really love this. Though the top age is probably around 9, don't be surprised if older kids (and adults) in the house want a turn with this mesmerizing, action-packed set.

This set will not work with all Hot Wheels cars. You'll want to try out different cars to see how well they work in the set. Smaller, lighter cars that are lower tend to go the fastest and stay on the track the longest. Many of the heavier cars will work as well, and those can be really great at creating more dramatic crashes. Of course, a big part of the play with this set is experimenting to see which of your cars work and how well. The car that comes with the set, not surprisingly, is ideal for best performance, but since you only get one car with this set, you'll want to try out all your others. 

The directions aren't as clear as they might be, though they're a lot better than they used to be for sets of this nature. Our best advice is to take your time and pay attention to where all the pieces go and follow the letters molded into the plastic carefully. 

The play can get a bit repetitive after a while. It's pretty exciting, but it is limited to racing through the corkscrew. You can add additional track on, so for kids who get into building out whole sets, that adds some repeat play value.