Speed Racer is a decent racing game, but it never gets your adrenaline pumping. Even the movie connection doesn't juice up the show. Also, unlike most racing for Nintendo systems, only two players can race in split screen mode, and there's no online mode at all. Moreover, it's running up against Mario Kart Wii, which is an excellent game in the racing category.
Both games retail for around $49.99 and with Mario Kart offering the Wii wheel as a bundle, Speed just doesn't match up well. If you're a die-hard Speed Racer fan, you might like this game as part of your collection, but if you're hunting for a fresh racing challenge you might want to check out the movie before you play the game for a more satisfying experience.
Pros: Let's you feel the sensation of speed; Car-Fu combat moves are actually kind of cool; easy to drive.
Cons: HUD is hard to comprehend as you're blazing through the track; it's hard to tell who's coming up behind you, tracks feel repetitious, "Car-Fu" is a goofy name for a martial art.
Sidhe's Griffiths discusses in depth how the GripShift developer playtested, and then took that feedback to improve, their Wii version of the recent Speed Racer game, from Wiimote tweaks to difficulty changes.
With a slick 3D engine and a fluidity that stays locked to 60 frames per second, Speed proves an excellent substitute for F-Zero -- at least, that is, until Nintendo finally gets around to releasing the real thing.
Presentation - 5.0
Graphics - 7.5
Sound - 5.0
Gameplay - 8.0
Lasting Appeal - 6.0
Overall -
Replies(1)
Many of you will remember playing racing games like Gran Turisimo, coming back time and time again to gain increasingly difficult licences. Speed Racer had potential to be a thrilling racing title but shoots itself in the foot with sloppy design and a cringe inducing game engine. The dated multiplayer options do little to rectify the situation, leaving this title gathering dust on my shelf.
Unless you're a massive Speed Racer fan, avoid.
