I always worry when the release of a video game is tied to the release of the movie the game is based on- usually, the result of a licensed title is a quickly-cobbled-together piece of junk designed solely to capitalize on the movie's release and turn a quick buck. Part of what makes Speed Racer for Wii such a nice surprise is that it breaks out of this mold and manages to actually be a decent game.

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.

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 definitely not a "hardcore" game, as evidenced by the fact that it's appearing on the Wii, which is decidedly not a hardcore gamers' console. I mean, you can't even really drive your car off the track, as the game makes heavy use of "assisted steering" to keep your wheels on the road and your nose pointed towards the finish line. It's an interesting choice, considering that so much of the movie involved cars getting knocked off of the tracks. The "car-fu" from the movie- cars jumping, spinning, shooting, flipping, sliding and spinning is represented here in spades- it's as important as driving skill to be able to pull off these maneuvers. The good news is that most of these moves are performed by simple shaking the Whiil, though some do require a simple press of the directional pad to activate.

The more "car-fu" you manage to pull off, the more you avoid the invisible "Walls" on the sides of the tracks, and the more "turbo stickers" you manage to run over, the faster your car will go. If you manage to save up enough boost, you can enter a super "In The Zone" mode where you become essentially invincible and race at a blinding pace. The ability to build up and efficiently use this power tend to be a major deciding factor in most races, as the AI cheats (by rubber banding) viciously.

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.

I love Speed Racer merchandise, and while looking for places to buy Speed Racer tees I found a lot of great info about the Mach V, too!
If you're watching the new Speed Racer cartoon on Nickelodeon you have probably realized that the Mach 5 (the original Speed Racer ride) is no more, having been destroyed in the second episode and replaced with the Mach 6. The Mach 5 of the new generation featured several "special powers" not seen on Speed Racer's rides before, such as the holographic dashboard display and the ejector seat. So, what is the history of the Mach 5 anyway?
The Mach 5 first appeared in the Japanese manga in the 1960's and looked a lot like the Mach 5 in the new live-action movie looks. It's a white car that looks a lot like a Chaparral 2C- which is an actual racecar designed by Jim Hall- with tail fins and a large red "M" on the hood. The car is named the Mach 5 (in the American versions of the show), but that's not really accurate, as the Mach 5 isn't really capable of supersonic speeds. In Japan, the word "go" means "5"- so it's a pun, and in Japan, the car is simply known as the Mach. On the show, Speed Racer races in a class of cars designed for maximum speed and minimum weight.
In all of its different reworked designs, the Mach 5 features a lettered set of buttons on the steering wheel (and one on the center console). Each button corresponds to a different secret feature of the car. Speed deploys these features as needed, as the races he's in aren't exactly contested under normal rules, nor are the other racers above blatant cheating through the use of such devices. Translated from the original Japanese comic book, they include:
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.
There was a short-lived remake of Speed Racer on Nickelodeon in 2002 called Speed Racer X. In that series, the names and functionality of several of the secret powers were changed- for example, the jacks were replaced with compressed air and rockets, the tires were replaced with special tires that allowed the Mach 5 to float, the cutter blades were replaced with lasers, and the night vision feature was replaced with a grappling hook that allowed Speed to get out of tough situations. The car also made a full transformation into a submarine during Frogger mode, and the Gizmo Rocket was redesigned to look more like a peacock than its original dove configuration.
In the live action movie, several other changes were also made. Frogger mode was abandoned altogether along with Evening Eye mode. Jump Jacks and the bulletproof cockpit were retained as features and also figure prominently in the plot. The car also has had tire shields added, and Speed has the ability to control them via a remote in the center console. Other added features included instant-inflate spare tires, in case an original tire gets shredded, and crampons that emerge from the tire treads when things get too icy or slick.
While the Mach 5 in the movie IS an actual physical car, sadly, no one drove it. It was suspended from a crane and moved using hydraulics to get the necessary shots for the movie, then inserted into the digital footage using green screen technology. In the year 2000, a special prototype Mach 5 was build- it featured functional concealed cutter blades! As you can imagine, this car was not street legal, so in 2002, 100 street-legal versions of the Mach 5 were produced, built on a heavily modified Corvette chassis. If you want to drive one of these 345 horsepower beasts, first you've got to find one. Then, you've got to shell out from $75,000 to $125,000 to afford it!
That's all for now. If you're looking for Speed Racer hats, stop by the store and pick some up!

Speed Racer has enjoyed wild popularity since it was first introduced into the United States, and sales of Speed Racer merchandise have felt the love as well. There are DVD's to buy, comics to read, video games to play, and now, a feature film from the creators of The Matrix trilogy! So what can you do to show you're a fan?

All 5 seasons of the original cartoon are available from Artisan/Lion's Gate entertainment- for a total of 52 episodes. DC Comics have released collections of the original material as Speed Racer: The Original Manga. Waaaaaay back in 1985, NOW Comics released a popular revival of the series highlighting the airbrush prowess of artist Ken Steacy- that one was called The New Adventures of Speed Racer, and ran for about 40 issues. Up-and-coming comic book masthead IDW is re-releasing the 1991 Wildstorm Productions title Speed Racer to coincide with the new live-action movie. Nickelodeon is also releasing Speed Racer: The Next Generation to coincide with the movie.

Never fear, for those of you out there that prefer a physical to, you know, play with, there are Speed Racer Legos, and Mattel has the license to make toys for the new film. Die-cast replicas of the Mach 5 will be produced by JADA toys, and they are also putting out a plastic model kit (do kids still play with those?). For the girls out there, there will be Speed Racer and Trixie Barbies put out by Barbie Collector, and Art Asylum will also be producing a Speed Racer line of their very popular MiniMates. Toynami is also putting out large-scale reproductions of the cars from the live-action movie.

For those of you that would like to drive like Speed, there are plenty of video games available. The new movie will come out side-by-side with a game to release on Wii, Nintendo DS and Playstation, and the game will feature the actors from the movie reprising their roles for the game. If you can track it down, it might be fun to play the DOS version of The Challenge of Racer X or Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures- both published by Accolade. There's even an arcade console that Namco put out in 1995, and there is a Playstation offering, too, from Jaleco, originally produced in 1998.

You can wear your Speed Racer colors with pride, too with lots of classic Speed Racer merchandise available. New and classic versions of the most popular characters will be making appearances on everything from hats and ties to boxer shorts and tshirts.