Speed Racer (Wii) Review

Another major motion picture release, another video game tie-in. However, this time the game is a breath of fresh air. Speed Racer hits the Wii and shows developers that video games based on licensed movie properties can be good. Read on to find out what makes Speed Racer such a rarity these days.

I’ve discussed the problems with licensed games many times before, so I won’t do it again. Suffice to say, Speed Racer is actually a quality game that brings a glimmer of hope that other developers will start to put some more effort into future licensed games. Based on the recently released movie of the same name, Speed Racer is best described as an F-Zero clone. However, I do not intend to take away the games own merit, and though it is similar to F-Zero, there are plenty of unique differences. Further, few games today are released that aren’t influenced by other games released before it. There are, after all, only a limited number of genres.

The concept behind Speed Racer is rather simple. You race extremely fast cars over a variety of tracks from the Speed Racer world. The game doesn’t follow any intricate plot that may exist in the movie. You simply get straight into racing with little to no attention to any story or background that exists for any of the characters. This is fine by me, though some may question why there is a notable lack of narrative.

The game offers a number of characters to choose from, all from the movie. Each has their own unique vehicle with individual strengths and weaknesses. Controlling the vehicle is simple; you hold the Wii-mote in the NES position and tilting it left and right moves the car in that respective direction. Jumping is as simple as flicking the control upwards, while shunts/stunts/car-fu (more on that later) can be initiated with various flicks of the Wii-mote in conjunction with buttons presses. The controls are really responsive making the racing even better as you have such fine control over you vehicle as it weaves through opponents at blistering speeds.

There are several layers of depth added to the racing to make it more exciting. Firstly, there are speed strips on the track which give you a quick boost. Secondly, you have a boost meter which fills up as you race without hitting the edges as well as performing stunts or car-fu. You can even save up four boosts which allow you to enter ‘the zone’ which seems to be similar to taking a drug. I say this because your speed will increase and the game will go into a sort of trance like mode with wonderful colours that seem to move. Silly analogies aside, the game also includes stunts and shunts. Stunts include barrel rolls and flips and will add to your boost meter. Shunting, which is initiated by flicking the Wii-mote to the left or right, can also be used to perform stunts, such as 360 spin. However, both jumping and shunting can also be used to perform Car-Fu, which are certain moves designed to inflict damage to opponents. Doing so will also add to your boost meter (which, consequently, can be used to refill health too) as well as giving you points in championship mode.

Another layer of depth is the ability to make and break alliances with other racers. It becomes a matter of balance as you need alliances to help you take out enemies, though too many alliances and you’ll leave yourself with no opponents to take out. Further, attacking allies results in them becoming an enemy and if you have too many allies, it is sometimes difficult to navigate the track without running into them. A helpful strategy is to request an alliance with other racers who are performing well. This way, if you lead and they aren’t too far behind, they will hopefully attack any rivals that are hot on your heels. The allies and rivals element adds another little layer of depth to the game and is welcomed. By itself, it isn’t anything amazing, but along with the boosting (and ‘the zone’), stunts, and car-fu, there is quite a bit of depth to the racing.

In terms of actual modes, Speed Racer offers a championship mode, single race mode, time trial mode, and multiplayer. The championship mode is divided into three classes, with the third class having more racers and being more difficult. In each class are a number of champions, each of which has a number of races (at least two). There are several main tracks in the game that are quite large and therefore are divided into smaller tracks. More specifically, you can race a track clock-wise or anti-clockwise as well as doing so in either a short, medium, long variation. Ultimately, this means that there isn’t a great deal of variety as you will be traversing the same terrain just at different lengths and in different directions. However, the track design is solid with plenty of loops, tunnels, obstacles, and jumps to make for an exciting, fast-paced race. The multiplayer mode only caters for two players, which is understandable as four-player split screen would be a little restricting considering the pace at which cars race. However, it would have been great to include online racing. Sadly, this wasn’t the case, which is one of the major disappointments.

Graphically, Speed Racer boasts solid graphics. Nothing amazing here, but it makes good use out of the Wii’s hardware. The car models looks quite nice and the tracks are full of vibrant colours. The use of cel-shading in parts, such as smoke, is also a nice touch. Textures are smooth and a little bland in parts. The game also boasts a decent soundtrack boasting rock and techno-like tracks that usually suit the frantic pace of the game. Nothing really memorable, but it does the job nicely.

Value for money is a mixed bag. Whilst the game is fun to play and offers a solid challenge in the championship mode as well as a limited but still enjoyable two-player mode, a lack of online really hurts the overall package. The championship mode doesn’t take a great deal of time to complete and it’s only a matter of time before you tire of two-player mode. An online mode with leaderboards for time-trials and so forth would have made the world of difference, but sadly, it isn’t the case. Still, Speed Racer looks and plays like a licensed game should. For fans of F-Zero, Speed Racer offers similar thrills as you race at insane speeds across a variety of exhilarating tracks. It’s definitely worth a look for racing fans and fans of the movie will surely delight the opportunity to step into the shoes of their favourite characters. Recommended.

Graphics 7.0

Gameplay 7.0

Sound 6.0

Tilt 6.0

Value 9.0