Speed Racer returns to gaming
Warner Bros. and Sidhe Interactive prepping Wii, DS, and PS2 adaptations of Wachowski brothers' upcoming film; game to be part of company's plans to drastically increase development.
Ever since 1998's Speed Racer for the original PlayStation crashed and burned, the classic anime series has been absent from the North American gaming scene. That's going to change next year, as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that it is developing Speed Racer games for the Wii, DS, and PlayStation 2, all based on Larry and Andy Wachowski's upcoming feature film based on the franchise.
As one might expect, the game will put players in the driver's seat of the film's garage of combat-ready rides and see how they fare in "car-fu style" action. The console editions of the game will be developed by New Zealand-based studio Sidhe Interactive. No stranger to the notion of cars with unusual abilities, Sidhe was the studio behind the racing/platforming/puzzle game GripShift for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3.
The Wachowskis are providing assets and direction to the development team, and one of the film's visual effects supervisors is also working with the studio to ensure a faithful adaptation of the film. There's no word yet on whether the film's cast will be lending their likenesses and voices to the project. The star-studded ensemble includes Emile Hirsch (Alpha Dog) as Speed, as well as Matthew Fox (Lost), Christina Ricci (Black Snake Moan, The Addams Family), Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking, Rocky Horror Picture Show), John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Blues Brothers 2000), and Richard Roundtree (Shaft, Corky Romano).
The Wii and DS games will be available next year alongside the theatrical release of Speed Racer. The PlayStation 2 edition will follow and be timed to coincide with the DVD release of the film.
Gamers can expect to hear more from Warner Bros. on a regular basis. According to a report in Develop, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is in the midst of ramping up its development efforts. The publisher told the magazine that it is looking to produce up to six times more games than normal in the next five years. Helping it achieve that mark will be WB Games, a new studio being established near Seattle, Washington.
Content you might like…
-
E3 2008: Speed Racer Impressions
The futuristic racer is headed to the PS2. Go, Speed Racer, Go!
- Jul 16, 2008
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Hot Stories
Newsmakers
-
Iwata: Wii Music, Animal Crossing disappointing
Nintendo president hopeful for games' long-term chances despite slowing Wii sales in Japan, says higher price will let DSi sell alongside DS Lite for some time. Full Story
- Posted Feb 6, 2009 11:43 am PT
- 237 Comments
-
New York Comic-Con 09: Dragon Age: Origins Demo
Check out this demo for Dragon Age: Origins from the show floor of NY Comic-Con! Full Story
- Posted Feb 8, 2009 6:59 am PT
Featured Stories
-
Shippin' Out Feb. 8-14: F.E.A.R. 2, Deadly Creatures
Release lineup begins to pick up as headliners join D3's beat-'em-up Onechanbara, trippy PSN release Flower, and 3 on 3 NHL Arcade for XBLA. Full Story
- Posted Feb 8, 2009 5:35 pm PT
- 26 Comments
-
Blizzard freezing out E3
Reps say World of Warcraft publisher skipping June event entirely, dashing hopes of playable Diablo III and Starcraft II on show floor. Full Story
- Posted Feb 5, 2009 3:20 pm PT
- 171 Comments
-
Square Enix shares circle six-year low
Just months after it made a $200 million bid for Tecmo, RPG giant's share price slides 11 percent after earnings report delay. Full Story
- Posted Feb 6, 2009 5:39 pm PT
- 321 Comments
-
Activision uncloaks Transformers sequel
Tie-in to this summer's Michael Bay blockbuster Revenge of the Fallen is coming to PC, PS3, PS2, PSP, 360, and twice to the DS. Full Story
- Posted Feb 6, 2009 11:09 am PT
- 104 Comments
-
Bionic Commando stalls, Capcom profits sink
Capcom's revitalization of 8-bit classic will arrive on PS3, 360 in May, PC later in '09; holiday earnings see net profit plummet 95 percent. Full Story
- Posted Feb 5, 2009 5:30 pm PT
- 106 Comments
Related Game
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Sidhe Interactive
- Drag Racing
- Release: May 6, 2008 »
- ESRB: Everyone
Recent News
Site Blogs
-
Lost and Damned buyers find six days of free XBL
Anyone pondering whether or not to skip work to play Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned just got an extra incentive. Today,...
64 Comments