PALGN writes: "We usually approach movie tie-ins with caution. In most cases they simply don't stack up against other games on the market, largely due to the lack of resources put into their development by publishers looking to make a quick buck. The DS version of Speed Racer: The Videogame had great potential. The game has quite a few interesting gameplay mechanics, feels fast and, more importantly, is fun to play. Unfortunately, there are a few flaws that prevent it from reaching first place.
Despite being based on the film there's no particular story in Speed Racer: The Videogame - Speed, Racer X and a few others from the series simply compete in championship races. The game offers two main single-player modes: Arcade and World Racing League, which acts as a championship mode. Once you select the desired mode you'll then get to choose from a range of racers, all of whom have their own unique speed, drifting, boost and handling attributes."
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.
