GENRE
	Racing
	DEVELOPER
	Virtuos
	PUBLISHER
	Warner Bros. Interactive
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	Yes
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	No
	MICROPHONE
	No
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Summer blockbuster season has arrived, and with it the deluge of movie-to-game tie-ins. While most of those often turn out to be throwaways, Virtuos has bucked the trend by putting together a solid game. With nice visuals and great gameplay, Speed Racer delivers some of the best racing available on DS.

visuals

Within a race, the 3D graphics are some of the best-looking on the DS, aided quite a bit by the almost insanely colorful design of the Wachowski brothers' re-imagining of the classic 1960's cartoon. The tracks are just as intensely bright and tangled as those seen on the big screen. An impressive amount of attention was paid to the backgrounds in each track; the jungles, cliffs, and nighttime urban landscapes seem nearly as alive as the pastel-shaded vehicles themselves. The interface outside of the races isn't quite as impressive, featuring some cartoon-styled versions of the main characters and additional racers. Most of the major characters sport the same visages as their real-life counterparts, though some racers of lesser importance like Cannonball and Snake Oiler don't look anything like the actors that play them.

audio

The soundtrack is slightly less spectacular than are the graphics on the DS version of Speed Racer. We could have used more of the "Speed Racer" theme song from back in the day -- the movie was full of references to it, after all. The sound effects during a race, full of revving, squealing brakes, and whooshes, generally tend to get in the way of the background music. This isn't a problem in and of itself, but it often keeps the player from even noticing the music unless specifically listening for it.

gameplay

There's very little about the gameplay in Speed Racer that disappoints. Nintendo may have missed the ball, because it looks developer Virtuos might have released the dual-screened handheld's version of F-Zero. The Speed Racer movie features both a futuristic setting and far-out race tracks, so it's not shocking that a game based on such source material evokes familiar feelings, even though the wheels are firmly on the ground here. Aside from the obvious goal of getting to the end of the race faster than the other five racers in any given challenge, the World Racing League mode also features several different goals. There are a lot of racers to choose from, some of which even the most die-hard Speed Racer fans might not have heard of. As usual, each has different abilities and specialties, and while each one is grouped into one of four basic categories, the specific stats for each racer within a particular class might not be anything alike -- Speed Racer and Rosey Blaze, both within the same All-Around racer category, play quite differently from one another. With more than a dozen characters to choose from, there's plenty of variety.

Driving physical is a big part of the game, as utilizing spin-outs and auto jacks to displace other racers -- appropriately titled "Car-Fu" -- is one way of keeping opponents down. The standard spin knocks out other racers, but using the auto jacks as a weapon is the meat of racing combat. Pressing B while close behind another vehicle launches a short mini-game in which both the attacker and defending racer try to time a press of the X or Y button. The racer with the better timing wins the match, resulting in a change of position... or not, as the case may be. But the winner must beware, for cars are never completely eliminated from a race until the checkered flag, so the loser could come back for revenge. Stunts are also a big part of play, with each drift, spin, or flip earning fans for a particular racer. These add up cumulatively and unlock hidden content, cups, racers, or tracks as gameplay continues.

In addition to vying for the World Racing League cup, players can also participate in a demolition derby-style race where the object is to eliminate as many cars as possible within a specific time, as well as a Stunt Race, where performing tricks is more important than being first to the finish line. On-the-go players with a limited amount of play time can also choose Arcade mode, which features shortened versions of the regular play modes.

multiplayer

There are six racers in each race in Speed Racer. Likewise, up to six players can compete locally against one another at one time. The really unfortunate thing here is that each player needs a copy of the game. Giving just one mode or a couple of tracks as a single-card download would really have added something to the mix, even if players without Game Cards were limited to one character as in Mario Kart DS. Online would have been a great bonus, too, but the lack of single card play seems like a bigger oversight, especially since it might have lured some players back for seconds.

overall

All in all, the DS version of Speed Racer is a winner. The high-speed racing, combined with a dedicated combat interface, makes for a exciting mix without placing too much emphasis on the vehicle-versus-vehicle matches. While the menus and between-race graphics could be more interesting, there's nothing bad to be said about the racing itself, which matches the blistering action of the movie (and, vicariously, the original 60's TV series). Even people who don't much care for Speed Racer or haven't heard of him will want to think about picking this one up for a great time on the go.

9.1/10