However, this control scheme does seem a little awkward at first and gives the impression that you're driving a bus rather than driving a high powered vehicle. The best way to control is with the controller facing up, performing tilting motions to steer. And while having the controller face you makes the control feel a little more natural, the car does not respond very quickly when you use this control scheme. There are two main ways to control: with the controller face up or the controller facing you. The game makes exclusive use of the Wii-mote for steering, and is also compatible with the Wii Wheel peripheral. The absence of a two-player mode, along with the light selection of cars and tracks, steer this speedster straight to rental city.Control in this game is pretty awkward. Overall, Speed Racer doesn't cross the finish line ahead of the pack.
#SPEED RACER 2008 SCREENSHOTS TV#
Actually, the best use of the sound and graphics is at the start of the game, which includes the opening sequence from the TV show. The sound just adds to the game's misery, with dull, synthesized techno music and a voice that constantly shouts out annoying advice. Visually, the illusion of high-speed driving is done well, but the stale, inanimate objects in the bright backgrounds reduce the graphics to sheer boredom. It'll take a little time, but it's especially helpful when burning around tight turns at 200 mph.
![speed racer 2008 screenshots speed racer 2008 screenshots](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/te2zf816s6Q/maxresdefault.jpg)
And as with most arcade-style racers, powersliding is a technique you'll need to master. The control makeup is simple, featuring only acceleration and brake buttons. Depending on how well you do, you can gain access to new cars and new levels. Unfortunately, these gadgets usually don't improve your race position, and sometimes they're even a hindrance. Engage the rotary saws to run cars off the road or hit the auto-jacks to vault over enemy cars. Playing as Speed, you race in variants of the Mach 5, all of which, like its cartoon counterpart, contain a variety of fun and wacky gadgets to use against your opponents. For me, SR is appealing in that it offers a solid (albeit straightforward) driving experience, combined with campy, cartoon-like personality.īased on the popular retro cartoon, Speed Racer is an average fast-paced racing game that doesn't break any new barriers. Some of the voice samples are annoyingly repetitive ("Hey, catch him!"), but it's no big deal.
![speed racer 2008 screenshots speed racer 2008 screenshots](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PW0bRURetsQ/TZ4xOvbTJxI/AAAAAAAABEk/04RyTkkSUkA/s1600/speedracer2008cover.png)
Another cool little detail is how the techno version of the Speed Racer theme (done by the group Alpha Team) is played during replays.
![speed racer 2008 screenshots speed racer 2008 screenshots](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91Qjc8yudhL._SL1500_.jpg)
There is no slowdown or pop-up to speak of and the control is very responsive. The graphics are about par for the PlayStation. Although some of the techniques required to win the later races are a bit too demanding for my tastes, at least it's not impossible. While this is nothing new to racing games, the way it's implemented in SR is both challenging and fun. Although there are only three tracks to choose from, there are lots of shortcuts and hidden areas in the game which can only be accessed by certain cars. My initial suspicions were only half correct the journey turned out to be much more enjoyable and less derivative than I first expected. At first, I thought the game was nothing more than Ridge Racer with gadgets and a cool license.
#SPEED RACER 2008 SCREENSHOTS SERIES#
When I first booted up Speed Racer and witnessed a perfect re-creation of the TV series intro, I knew I was in for a good time.