Disney•Pixar Cars 2: The Video Game

Cars 2: The Video Game is an action racing game based on the 2011 Disney-Pixar film. Lightning McQueen, Mater, Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell train at the international agent headquarters CHROME for races, competitions and dangerous spy missions. Various tracks and battle arenas recreate the film's world without simply retelling its story.

The main version was developed by Avalanche Software in collaboration with Disney and Pixar. Alongside classic races, the game includes armed vehicle duels and local competitions.

The PC version was released on June 21, 2011. The date is confirmed on Steam. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS also received standalone versions in 2011. Special handheld versions for 3DS and PSP followed later that same year.

On PSP, shipments did not start worldwide at the same time. Sony gives Nov 3 for Spain and Nov 8, 2011 for the USA. The native versions and their regional release dates should therefore be kept apart.

The game was released natively for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PSP and iOS. Mac versions belong to the PC version. The handheld versions were partly made by other studios and differ in scope from the main version.

An Xbox 360 version playable on Xbox Series remains an Xbox 360 game thanks to backward compatibility. A later iPhone with an older iOS purchase does not make it a new native product family either. The availability of old mobile games and historical digital console stores must be considered separately from their original release.

At the CHROME agent school, more than twenty film characters compete in races and vehicle battles. Lightning McQueen, Hook, Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell are part of the cast. Vehicles can reverse, jump, dodge sideways and briefly balance on two wheels.

Spy gadgets are used to slow down opponents or get past obstacles. Additional tracks and characters are unlocked by completing challenges. This sets the game apart from a pure racing simulation.

For the Windows version, Steam lists as minimum requirements a Pentium 4 at 3.0 GHz or comparable CPU, 2 GB RAM, 256 MB DirectX 9 graphics memory with Shader Model 3, and 3 GB of free storage. The historical details name Windows XP SP3 or Windows 7. Since the Steam client has required Windows 10 or newer since January 2024, these old OS details are no longer a reliable guide for a Steam installation.

The PC and PS3 versions support up to four people on split screen. The PS3 version can also display stereoscopic 3D. On PSP, a wireless ad-hoc mode for up to four devices is documented instead. The different modes should not be mistaken for a shared cross-platform feature.

The game was specially adapted for various small devices. The PSP version was made by Virtual Toys and, according to Sony, offers 25 tasks, different race variants and ad-hoc multiplayer for up to four people. The Nintendo DS and 3DS adaptations come from Firebrand Games.

The historical iOS version is easy to confuse with the PC version: Disney Interactive Studios released its own side-scrolling platform racer with tap controls for jumps on June 23, 2011. The selection includes Lightning McQueen, Mater and Finn McMissile, among others. This app is no longer regularly available on the App Store and cannot be replaced by buying the PC or console game.