Speed Racer game announced for 2008

When I was a little girl I could recite the words to my favorite cartoon “Speed Racer” without missing a beat, sound effect or tune.

“Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer. He’s a demon on wheels …” And who didn’t fall in love with Speed’s sleek white race car, the Mach Five, and the sound it made as it leapt over the other racers to avoid the many dangers along the race course? “Boooing oing oing oing oing.” I still own the pilot episode on a ratty looking VHS tape in my attic space somewhere. Seriously … don’t laugh.

With the new modernized and live-action adaptation of the cartoon scheduled for May 8, 2008, it was only natural that a videogame would be in the works. In fact, it wouldn’t be the first time Speed Racer graced the game industry. In 1992, Accolade created Speed Racer: The Challenge of Racer X for the PC platform and again in 1994 with a Super NES version simply titled Speed Racer. In 1995 Namco created an arcade version of the game and later in 1998, Jaleco made a version of Speed Racer for the PlayStation console.

Now, Sidhe Interactive is teaming up with Warner Brothers Interactive to create Speed Racer, based on the 2008 film release. The title will be coming to the PlayStation 2 and Wii consoles along with the Nintendo DS handheld in 2008. No specific date has been announced as of yet, but according to Sidhe Interactive, the PS2 version is planned to release at the same time as the DVD launch.

According to a press release from Sidhe Interactive, the game will allow players to take on the roles of different characters from the film, get behind the wheel of their character’s signature vehicle and engage in the adrenaline-pumping combative racing that will practically mimic the action on the movie screen.

From the press release:

Developing across console, handheld, and PC, Sidhe has created a range of innovative products including a variety of racing titles. Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment has been dedicated to making AAA games for more than a decade through partnerships with the best publishers and developers in the Interactive Industry.

“Speed Racer is an exceptionally creative property and teamed with the Wachowski brothers’ vision it makes for action-packed racing gameplay,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The game will capture the intensity of the racing in the film to give gamers and movie fans a chance to take the wheel after the experience the film.”

Read [Game Daily] Read [USA Today] Site [Official Speed Racer the Movie] Site [Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]