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Cool Beans!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: May 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I've been waiting a long time for the Speed Racer live action movie...but even longer still, is the amount of time I've wanted to drive the Mach V or better still Racer X's Shooting Star. Now that is virtually a reality. The World Racing League and over 15 major characters from the movie are available to unlock and use on original race courses and film course reproductions. The standard stunt racers (according to the film & game) are T-180, each equipped with jump jacks (you know "unk-unk-unk-unk"), each can "Slide" thanks to their independent wheel rotation, allowing forward movement regardless of the direction the car faces. Each can reach speeds in excess of 400 MPH by riding your opponents slipstream, hitting "speed-up" squares and gaining Boost power by avoiding the sides of the track (like in the Pod-racer game of old) or by performing CAR-FU moves. Yes, CAR-FU, is car combat, maneuvers to take out opponents or simply to gain pole position. CAR-FU moves like the TAIL TOSS, the BOOST BASH ram, landing on an opponent for the SMACK DOWN, the 180 ROUNDHOUSE, spins and hyper-spins, the BARREL ROLL TORPEDO are fun and vital to win WRL races. Cars can perform front, side and back flips, which are handy and visually satisfying. The game comes with typical race game displays: ranking, progress /lap/speed meter, health and available boost power.

Available modes are single races, an essential tutorial, the time trials, championship mode, which allows for a variety of different competitions of two or more races and multiplayer for a second player to join in split-screen mode. In Championship Mode you rack up points for each race, which are tallied for an overall ranking. There are three initial race classes of increasing difficulty to choose from: slowest to fastest. You can gain extra points by your finishing place, your CAR-FU moves and by having the fastest-lap. In multiplayer mode you need only rank in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in order to beat the Championship. In a Championship race you can team-up with other drivers, agreeing not to CAR-FU them. Then there are the opposites of allies, Rival drivers who are focused on taking you out...know your rivals! The available Drivers include: Speed, Trixi, Racer X, Sonic "Boom Boom" Renaldi, Delila & Mariana Zanja, Rosey Blaze (no relation), Taejo Togokahn, Esther "Rev" Reddy, Gothorm Danneskjold, the Gray Ghost, Prince Kabala and Pitter Pat, Snake Oiler, Kellie "Gearbox" Kalinkov, Booster Mbube, Nitro Venderhoss, Denise Moble, Jack "Cannonball" Taylor and Colonel Colon. Each driver and car has their own set of stats that make them unique. These stats include: the Speed (of vehicle), Handling, Acceleration, and Strength.

The game graphics are typical of the Wii and neatly mirror the film's style. The game sound and song lists are okay. The voice talent is mostly a real cast one: Emile Hirsch as Speed, Christina Ricci as Trixie (the voice of the Tutorial), Matt Fox as Racer X and notably filling in for Snake Oiler, the great Phil Lamarr (Samurai Jack). The CAR-FU is fun, ...smashing good fun! The sometime surreal race courses although only loosely inspired by the film "locations" are still really fun and obviously created by someone who grew up watching Speed Racer or maybe just had some cool HOT WHEELS sets.

Its not Mario Cart.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: May 12, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Speed Racer is a cross between Mario Cart and Burnout. Mario cart because the cars are characterized to the driver. They talk smack while you drive, and you give the car "powers" with the various boosts. Its like Burnout from the point that not only are you trying to win, but your trying to crash the other cars before they crash you! Now.....You DO NOT get any projectiles, but you get many different ways to smash a car. They call it "Car-Fu" I know it sounds corny, but once you start crashing cars its fun. Whatever you do, play the tutoral before you play, trust me they go over things the manual does not. The tracks are cool too, just like the movie, colorful, loops, elevated,and jumps. I say the only thing I dont like is not being able to see whats comming behind you. So if you like racing games with a arcade feel like Mario and Burnout......or you just like Speed racer products, I say its a good buy.

Great racing game!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: May 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'm not a fan of the Speed Racer movie, or the old cartoon series, so this review is based on a Wii racing game. I have been looking forward to this game for quite a while based on the idea of a stunt racing game and screen shots of the various tracks, and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

I have gotten several racing games for the Wii system. The latest was Classic British Motor Racing, also based on the screen shots and idea. Unfortunately, the steering controls made the game impossible to play. My first concern then with this game was the controls. I give this game an A++ in that department. The controls aren't too difficult, but sensitive enough to react when needed and precise. Graphics are nice. Typical of a Wii game, but better than GT Pro Series for example. Fun tracks with loops, and awesome colors. All tracks are unique, some more fun, and easier than others.

You can choose to race in championship races, divided into 3 classes. Once you finish class one, you can move on to two, and so on. In the classes, if you finish in the top three, you unlock new characters and tracks. There is an option to form an alliance within the championship races, that help reduce the number of people that attack you. Fun stunts or "car-fu" help you gain position, and score points. You can also pick up some other aid like boosts and speed up places on the track.

You play as characters from the movie. There is dialog from the characters while playing, which adds a new dimension to the game. Easy to understand, and play right out of the box. It does take some time to learn the "car-fu" moves, and gain more skill, plus you have fun while doing it. Not too easy that you get bored. It takes some thinking, and planning to make sure you stay in the lead. Opponents can cause you to lose advanced place very quickly. And it takes some time to regain a top position.

Great stunt racing game!! Not too difficult, but challenging enough to keep me playing. Very addictive and different from most racing games on the market.

My 7-year old son likes Speed Racer

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This review is by my 7-year old son who says Speed Racer is a winner:

"It is fun because there are different cars to choose from. You get 4 cars to start with and you can get somewhere around 14 more. The tracks are cool because you do a lot of loop-de-loops and jumps. I also like the smashdown move when you jump up and land on another car."

Surprisingly good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: May 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Proving that not all licensed games are bad, Speed Racer: The Videogame is a surprisingly well done video game tie-in of the mega budget Wachowski Brothers adaptation of the classic cartoon. First and foremost, the game pretty much nails the look of the eye candy-laced film, and it looks very well indeed. The frame rate moves at a pretty good pace too, as the sense of speed while racing is delivered fairly well to boot. The car controls handle well too, and there is a nice selection of control options, which in itself is a nice plus. Besides racing there is a Car-Fu battle option which is pretty fun, but there are some noticable flaws in Speed Racer as well. First off, the track variety is lacking, and the game experience as a whole is fairly short as well. However, Speed Racer remains a surprisingly good racer that looks, sounds, and plays good; and the fact that a licensed game can accomplish that these days more than makes it worth checking out for some speed hungry Wii owners.

Great Racing Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

We really liked this game, from my wife who doesn't normally like racing games, to myself and my 7-year-old son who loves them. It's not too hard, but never too easy. My son's favorite track is Thunderhead, from the movie, because of the vibrant colors in the game. Our only complaint is we'd like a sequel to play more of the tracks from the film (Casa Cristo and the ice tunnels in particular are noticeably missing). Very recommended family game!

Great game for little kids 5 and up

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

My son and I really enjoy this game he is 5 and has legitimately beaten me several times. Good clean fun!!

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