Topic: Go Speed Racer!

[Kairon]

Hey! We don't have a thread about this? Garrrnnn!!

Well, I guess I was born too late to get much of Speed Racer in its animated form, but the few shows I did catch had a certain undeniable quality that's stuck with me... And now with the Wachowski brothers doing the movie, and the talented Emile Hirsch tackling the role, I'm more excited than ever for a franchise I have little relationship with!

And that includes the game! The Wii's getting a next-gen exclusive on this one, it's looking good, a lot of the videos being released around the net look good... and of course it looks like it'll tide me over till F-Zero! Also, Mr. Jack has been talking good things about his review copy... that put me over the edge, so not only am I going to watch the movie somehow this next month, but I'm looking forward to getting my own copy of the Wii version!

Anyone else have this coming up in their rearview mirror?

[Nick DiMola]

Yes, yes I have. I really am loving this game so far. As I described it to the staff, "the driving system included is like this perfect melding of F-Zero and Burnout. Hell the game is probably equally as challenging as Burnout in the "100cc" mode and who knows in the "150cc" mode as I haven't unlocked it yet."

More impressions and a review coming soon!

[Nick DiMola]

Alright update, just unlocked the "150cc" mode and this is where it's at. Much faster than 100cc, 20 racers per race, more complicated track design and tougher AI. Still not F-Zero challenging but hey it's no walk in the park. Experiencing this 150cc mode makes me love this game even more.

The only downside of this damn game is that there isn't enough of it! Where is online play? Where is 4 player local multi? Where are the other modes? I honestly hope they continue this series under another name, because the core of this game is excellent and would be well suited for a more fully featured sequel.

[NWR_pap64]

So, if all impressions are to be believed, this is how a Nintendo exclusive third party should be made, right?

[IceCold]

Total ripoff of F-Zero.

Having said that, MrJack's impressions are tempting me. Maybe a rental.

[Mario]

I'm very tempted as well.

The only downside of this damn game is that there isn't enough of it! Where is online play? Where is 4 player local multi? Where are the other modes?

Sounds like the same problem Excite Truck has. Though a game as fast as this looks would be difficult to do online. There's already problems figuring out who won in close Mario Kart online matches, this or F-Zero would be impossible.

[KnowsNothing]

All the slow motion stuff in this game looks very annoying.

[Shift Key]

There's already problems figuring out who won in close Mario Kart online matches, this or F-Zero would be impossible.

Still can't believe I jumped from second-last to second on Rainbow Road after a race, particularly when I didn't even cross the finish line within the time limit.

Moral of the story: Hack the Gibson, or hope the online experience improves.

[Darkheart]

I have yet to even hear the Speed Racer Theme song in any of the movie or game trailers... I am sorry the game nor the movie really reminds me of speed racer, only the car and Speed.

[Nick DiMola]

All the slow motion stuff in this game looks very annoying.

If you are used to Burnout's takedown stuff, this is much less annoying. In the context of the game it works because after you perform an attack on a player you sort of lose control, so it helps by giving you a moment to readjust your path and continue down the track with grace.

[Crimm]

I've the the DS review copy.  It's also very good.  It looks amazing (for a DS game) and it's very fast.


It did need online play, but alas it isn't here.

[D_Average]

Hate to break the news guys, but this game is going to be a GIANT turd.  Check out the way this thing actually plays.  Once you subtract the hype, its just another botched movie game.

--> http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/see-speed-racer-wii-in-action/

[Kairon]

I don't get it. It looks like F-Zero GX, but with a little bit of it's own style, and a commentary track from the other racers as you jostle position. Hot.

[DAaaMan64]

not big on how often they were talking, but it didn't look terrible from the vid.

[NWR_pap64]

Hate to break the news guys, but this game is going to be a GIANT turd.  Check out the way this thing actually plays.  Once you subtract the hype, its just another botched movie game.

--> http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/see-speed-racer-wii-in-action/

Um, you do realize that there is one staff member who has played the game and offered impressions which mentions the good and the bad, right?

Most of the hype comes from the surprisingly good impressions Mr.Jack has posted and while in the end he and Kairon might be the only one liking the game in the end I doubt Jack would hype up a game as being good when it really isn't.

[D_Average]

Hate to break the news guys, but this game is going to be a GIANT turd.  Check out the way this thing actually plays.  Once you subtract the hype, its just another botched movie game.

--> http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/see-speed-racer-wii-in-action/

Um, you do realize that there is one staff member who has played the game and offered impressions which mentions the good and the bad, right?

Most of the hype comes from the surprisingly good impressions Mr.Jack has posted and while in the end he and Kairon might be the only one liking the game in the end I doubt Jack would hype up a game as being good when it really isn't.

Hmm, I didn't see his impressions, but perhaps he was just being optimistic.  Looking at the footage, its obvious the developers weren't able to put together a racer with slick and responsive controls, which for a racer, is absolutely crucial.  Its been awhile since I've seen a vehicle move that clunky (and that includes real life). 

Addtionaly, whats with the canned commentary every 2.5 secs?

[Nick DiMola]

Umm... this game is pretty excellent as is the DS version according to James Jones. Like I said before the game controls like a charm and is the exact opposite of clunky. Anyone familiar with Burnout will feel pretty at home with the pacing of the game.

The "canned commentary" was from last night as I was playing the game. As I unlocked crap, I just thought it would be fun to jot down some of the things I noticed and make them available for others to see. The game is fun but unfortunately, like I said before, it suffers from the Excite Truck syndrome. Great game, but there isn't enough track variety, and there aren't enough modes. Once you beat the entire game in championship mode, there isn't much to come back to.

IceCold mentioned rental, and that would be perfect for this game. I suggest anyone who likes racing games to grab this as a rental and play the hell out of it for a weekend. You'll complete the whole game and enjoy every moment of it, I know I have.

[Nick DiMola]

not big on how often they were talking, but it didn't look terrible from the vid.

It winds up not being as annoying as it seems and actually gives some personality to the game. It also serves a functional purpose, alerting you where other racers are and what happens to them. Fortunately, the devs realized that some people might get annoyed by it and offered the option to disable it in the menu.

[D_Average]

I hope you're right, as I'm a huge racing fan myself.  Perhaps the guy controlling the vehicle in the ship was just wasted, who knows.

[Nick DiMola]

I hope you're right, as I'm a huge racing fan myself.  Perhaps the guy controlling the vehicle in the ship was just wasted, who knows.

He must've been because he is awful.

[Crimm]

From what I've seen of the Wii Verson, the DS Version has better setting.  All the tracks are through vistas like cities and volcanos.  They're quite nice to look at.

[Dirk Temporo]

I haven't played it, but it can't possibly be worse than the movie, so I'll probably try it at some point.

[Nick DiMola]

I just posted the review, check it out here