Wii Speed Racer Review

Speed Racer Wii aims at pretty much the same demographic the movie did; namely- families. While this game is not going to win any Editor’s Choice Awards from IGH, it still is good, and the main reason is because it doesn’t try to fight the Wiimote control but embraces it. The game only requires a Wiimote to play (yay, no extra nunchucks to buy!) and also is compatible with the recently released Wii Wheel (Whiil?). Although the game is a little light on content for a full-priced title, I still recommend you pick it up (and play it while wearing your Speed Racer t shirt!)

First of all, the game is really pretty, especially when you use a set of component cables to get 480p out of your Wii, using an HDTV. The game uses the same color scheme- described by one reviewer as “comparable to having molten Starburst poured into your cornea”- as the movie, and it looks just as vibrant here as it did on the silver screen. There’s no real “story” arc to speak of past “drive fast, win races, and advance through the series:, but the stars of the movie are included in short one-liners that play at the start of the races and also during them- Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox and Christina Ricci (whose Trixie features heavily in the tutorial) all reprise their roles here for short but punchy one-liners.

This is not a hardcore game for hardcore gamers, evidenced by the fact that you can’t even really drive your car off the track, an interesting choice considering that in the movie none of the drivers can really manage to keep their cars ON the track. Remember all that so-called “car-fu” from the movie, with cars jumping, flipping, sliding, and spinning? Well that’s what the focus is on here, too, with the majority of the acrobatic driving moves being executed by tilting, shaking, or rotating the Wiimote along with pressing in different directions on the directional pad. The more you manage to keep from slamming into the invisible walls on the side of the track, the more tricks you do, and the more “boosters” you run over, the faster your car will go. If you manage to build up enough momentum, you will be able to activate a special power that renders you virtually invincible and blindingly fast called “In the Zone”. This special power is often the deciding factor in your placement in the race, and may be necessary to overcome the rubber banding (cheating) AI.

Speed Racer for Wii is not going to win any game-of-the-year awards- any racing game would have a tough time trying to earn that distinction. Where this title sets itself apart is in its adaptation to the Wii’s unique control scheme (which, by the way, is compatible with the Wii Wheel (Whiil?) recently released for use with Mario Kart Wii). Budget gamers won’t have to worry about buying extra nunchucks so their buddies can get in on the action either- the game really requires only the Wiimote to play.

It’s something of a novelty to see a licensed title that isn’t horrible, and while the game isn’t terribly deep it still is a cohesive package (and one of the better Wii racers) that families will be able to play and enjoy together.

The History of the Mach 5

The Mach V has undergone several variations from when the Speed Racer manga was first printed in Japan in the 1960’s. The original design was a white car with tail fins and a red “M” on the hood. This version of the Mach 5 looks a lot like a Chaparral 2C (a real race car), originally designed by Jim Hall. “Mach 5” is a bit of a misnomer, as Speed Racer’s car is not actually able to reach supersonic speeds- it’s a pun in the original Japanese, as “go” is Japanese for “five”. In Japan, the car is simply known as the ‘Mach’. In the cartoons, the car is part of a class of racing automobiles designed with minimum weight and for maximum speed.

The car (in all of its iterations) features several buttons, marked A-G, on the steering wheel, and an additional button marked “H” on the center console. These buttons deploy weapons and defensive measures, as the races Speed usually competes in aren’t contested under normal conditions, and cheating/illegal modification of cars runs rampant as well. They are as follows:

1. Auto Jack- A series of 4 jacks that can be rapidly deployed. Ostensibly, these jacks are so that the car can be repaired quickly but in practical use, Speed usually ends up using them to jump over obstacles in his way.

2. Belt Tires- A special tire grip is activated, allowing Speed to keep control on icy or uneven terrain. When this power is activated, 5,000 extra horsepower are also evenly distributed amongst the 4 tires; the power is drawn from secret auxiliary engines.

3. Cutter- Two huge rotary saw blades pop out of the front of the Mach 5, enabling obstacles such as trees to be cleared out of the way with ease.

4. Defensor- Seals the driver in a waterproof, bulletproof cockpit. The driver inside is basically invulnerable once the Defensor is deployed.

5. Evening Eye (or Illuminating Eye) a special illumination system allowing the Mach 5’s driver to see much further down the road than normal. This system can also interface with the goggles on Speed Racer’s helmet to give infrared vision assistance.

6. Frogger Mode- essentially submarine mode, this allows the Mach 5 to serve as a submarine, complete with periscope, for 30 minutes- that’s when the air runs out.

7. Gizmo Rocket- activates a small homing rocket, controlled by a joystick on the center console. This rocket can be used to carry messages, take aerial video, or for self defense.

8. Button H is located on the center console and activates the Gizmo Rocket’s homing device, sending it to a pre-programmed location automatically.

In Speed Racer X, the short-lived 2002 Nickelodeon remake, several of the names of the special functions were altered- the auto jacks were replaced with compressed air and rockets, the special tires were replaced with tires that allowed the Mach 5 to float, the cutter blades were replaced with lasers and the Evening Eye was replaced with a grappling hook. There were also minor cosmetic changes to Frogger Mode (the car transformed into a more submarine-like shape) and the Gizmo Rocket was also given a cosmetic redesign.

For the 2008 live-action movie, several other changes were made to the Mach 5. Frogger mode was abandoned altogether, as was the Illuminating Eye feature. Jump Jacks and the bulletproof cockpit were kept intact, and tire shields were added, controlled from a joystick on the center console. Also added were spare tires that can be instantaneously activated when a tire becomes too shredded or damaged to use. Finally, steel crampons that provide a better grip on slick or icy surfaces were added to Speed’s arsenal. It’s interesting to note also, that the Mach 5 you see in the movie IS a real car; however, it was suspended from a crane and shot against a green screen, then inserted into the digital footage at a later time.

In the year 2000, a special prototype Mach 5 with functioning cutter blades was built- however, it wasn’t street legal. In 2002, 100 street-legal production models of the car were built on a heavily modified Corvette chassis. The car featured 345 horsepower, and cost between $75,000 and $125,000 to purchase, based on the options chosen.

The Mach 5 met its end in the animated 2008 series and was replaced with the Mach 6, which has most of the functionality of the original car, and some added surprises such as an ejector seat and a hologram overlay that allows Speed to converse with his teammates during races. More powers will probably be discovered as the series progresses.

Speed Racer’s New Merchandise

We all know that Speed Racer is one of the most successful anime franchises in the USA- the ancillary marketing of Speed Racer merchandise has been very successful, as well. From DVD’s to comics to toys, video games and now, a feature film, people want to own a piece of the Speed Racer legacy. So what Speed Racer merchandise is out there?

Artisan/Lion’s Gate Entertainment have released the first 5 seasons of the series on DVD, comprising a total of 52 episodes. DC Comics have released issues of the Japanese comic book series that started it all as Speed Racer: The Original Manga. In 1985, NOW Comics released The New Adventures of Speed Racer, which lasted for about 40 issues and included the phenomenal airbrush work of artist Ken Steacy. In 1991, Wildstorm productions also released a new Speed Racer series, and IDW is re-releasing this series as well for the new movie.

So, what non-comic-book Speed Racer Merchandise is available? Well, Lego has released toys, and Mattel holds the master license for the new film. JADA toys has the rights to reproduce die-cast models of the Mach 5 and have also released plastic model sets of Speed’s ride. Barbie Collector is also releasing Trixie and Speed dolls to coincide with the live action movie. Toynami is releasing large-scale reproductions of the cars (also timed with the release of the movie) and Art Asylum is also releasing a set of Mini Mates!

Speed has also made numerous appearances in video games, from 1992’s Speed Racer in the Challenge of Racer X in DOS format (by Accolade), and the same company released Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures for the Super Nintendo. Namco also created an arcade game in 1995, and Jaleco produced a Playstation Speed Racer game in 1998. There will also be a game based on the live action 2008 movie that will appear on Wii, Nintendo DS and Playstation platforms, with the stars of the movie reprising their roles for the film.

As for apparel, there is lots of classic Speed Racer merchandise available to purchase. T-shirts, hats, ties, boxers, and all forms of Speed Racer merchandise are now available, both in classic form and “re-imagined” for the new live action movie.