Ben 10: Galactic Racing

Lore & Background

Ben 10: Galactic Racing was announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 on June 7, 2011. It was released in North America on October 18, 2011, and in Europe on November 25, 2011, for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo 3DS version released in Europe on March 16, 2012. The PlayStation Vita port was released on February 15, 2012, in North America and March 16, 2012, in Europe.

Gameplay is similar to Nintendo's Mario Kart franchise, with characters racing through circuits based on places from the Ben 10 franchise and collecting power-ups called Omni-Nodes. Modes include Galactic Grand Prix, Short Circuit, Single Race, Time Trials, Showdown, and Multiplayer. Players can enable Ben's alien forms mid-race, and other characters like Kevin Levin can use unique special abilities. A new alien, Fasttrack, made his video game debut on every platform, and a different alien was made exclusively available on the Nintendo DS version.

Reader's Guide

Ben 10: Galactic Racing is significant as a licensed racing game that attempted to replicate the success of the Mario Kart formula within the Ben 10 franchise. Its release across six platforms—PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo 3DS—demonstrates a broad multiplatform strategy typical of children's media tie-ins of the era. The game introduced the alien Fasttrack across all versions, marking his first video game appearance, while Diamondhead appeared exclusively on the Nintendo DS. The inclusion of Omni-Node power-ups and character-specific special abilities added variety to the racing. Reception was mixed, indicating that while the game appealed to fans of the series, it did not achieve critical acclaim. Its legacy lies in being one of several Ben 10 video games released during the franchise's peak popularity, serving as a functional kart racer for younger audiences.

Did You Know?

• The game was announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 on June 7, 2011.
• A new alien, Fasttrack, made his video game debut on every platform.
• A different alien was made exclusively available on the Nintendo DS version.
• The PlayStation Vita port was released on February 15, 2012, in North America.