Launched yesterday, MindRacers essentially lets real Hot Wheels cars race on screen. The race starts as it would with any traditional Hot Wheels track, by releasing two die-cast cars down the launch pad ramp. The big difference here, however, is that at the bottom of the short track both cars disappear into a tunnel under a docked iPad. When they pass under the tablet’s camera (which is covered with a clip-on mirror), the augmented reality kicks in and the cars seemingly jump onto the screen. The race is on. The car avatars then battle through eight different worlds Mario Kart-style as players boost their speed or thwart their opponent by tossing blue and red tokens onto the track ⏤ the camera reads them, as well, and uses the data to control the cars’ actions. Certain tokens offer special powers and boosting them down the track. There’s not a ton more to do than that, but players do have the option to race head-to-head or work together to win challenges in a co-op mode. Admittedly, MindRacer is a slight deviation for Osmo, a company that traditionally focuses on learning games and whose most recent offering is a music-based programming game, Coding Jam. That said, they are quick to point out that kids ages 7-and-up will still learn “real-world dexterity, quick decision-making (hence the name), and sportsmanship.” The game costs $59 and comes with a two-track plastic launchpad, 32-speed discs, and six exclusive cars with names like Dragon Master, Purrfect Speed (it’s a cat!), and Rocket Box. Players can race other Hot Wheels cars but a matching avatar won’t show up on screen ⏤ it’ll be something generic. There’s also a $79 version which includes a stand-alone iPad dock that’s compatible with other Osmo games. One final, very cool note: MindRacers is the first Hot Wheels toy peddled to both genders. The box reads, “For boys and girls.” Buy Now $80
