Itkowitz reveals that he saw Cars six times during the film’s development, which dates back to 2003, and he admits to feeling “kinda misty” while watching it. That was to be expected, of course, given Pixar’s track record in the movie business. The real challenge lay in the design team’s ability to translate those emotions into not one but two compelling video games.

Two Routes to the Same Destination

“Pixar and Disney were very accessible and involved during development,” Itkowitz recalls. “They understand that games are a great way to expand their properties. They allow you to immerse yourself in a world beyond the two hours you get in the theater.”

Cars: The Game: Give Lightning a set of monster wheels and take on Count Spatula.

Both games do that, but each is geared toward a different age group. Radiator Springs Adventure offers 10 activities that young children can easily handle. They range from chasing down troublemakers with Sheriff to towing cars with Mater to helping Lightning McQueen learn a few dance moves from Ramone.

“[The Cars games] allow you to immerse yourself in a world beyond the two hours you get in the theater.”

- Jordan Itkowitz, lead game designer

Each activity reveals a secret that Lightning uses in a race against another car; he’ll have serious trouble winning without it. Complete all 10 activities and win all 10 races and you’ll unlock cool new paint jobs for Lightning, as well as four fun clips from the movie.

On the flip side, Disney/Pixar Cars challenges older children, as well as adults, with more than 20 road races, a plethora of mini-games, and five high-stakes Piston Cup races that let Lightning prove once again that he can beat Chick Hicks. It also offers unlockable film clips and paint jobs, as well as deleted scenes and concept art from the game.

The points you need to unlock bonus content come from not only successfully completing races and mini-games but also from collecting the lightning bolts found scattered around the three main environments: Radiator Springs, Ornament Valley, and Tailfin Pass. In addition, pulling off certain moves during races, such as driving safely or executing power slides, will earn even more points toward your total.