| Cars Mater-National Championship | |
| Publisher: | THQ |
| Series: | Cars |
| Released: | Xbox 360PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3Game Boy AdvanceWii |
| Genre: | Racing |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
Cars Mater-National Championship is a 2007 racing game published by THQ for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Wii.
The game received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, Cars Race-O-Rama, was released in 2009.
Taking place sometime after the events of the previous game, Cars Mater-National Championship is about the first ever Mater-National tournament, held in Radiator Springs by Piston Cup champion Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater. The player controls McQueen as he races against opponents from around the world, all while overseeing the building of his racing headquarters and the ambitious Radiator Springs racing stadium. In addition to returning characters, there are multiple new characters that appear in the game, many of which come from different countries such as Germany and Japan.
Just like the previous game, Mater-National features three hub-worlds; Radiator Springs, Ornament Valley, and Tailfin Pass - all of which have been redesigned, although certain areas are blocked off and can only be accessed in races.
Cars Mater-National received average reviews from critics upon the release. PSXExtreme gave this game a 7.0, praising the better audio, but criticized the graphics.[1] IGN rated the Nintendo DS version of the game 6.8/10, calling it "cute" and "kid-friendly" but never made into 5th gear. Metacritic aggregate scores for the Nintendo DS version 69/100, the Xbox 360 version 58/100, the PlayStation 3 version 63/100, and the PlayStation 2 version 67/100.