Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today released its console game based on the Wachowski brothers’ big-screen adaptation of the classic Speed Racer anime series. Hitting stores just days ahead of the movie’s May 9 debut, the game features the voices of Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) as Speed Racer, Matthew Fox (Lost) as Racer X and Christina Ricci (Black Snake Moan) as Trixie. The game is now vailable for Nintendo’s Wii and DS systems, and will be released for PlayStation 2 in conjunction with the DVD launch.
Developed by New Zealand-based Sidhe Interactive for Wii and PlayStation 2, and by Virtuos for Nintedo DS, the game put players behind the wheel of each character’s signature vehicle for some crazy, fast-paced ‘car-fu’ action. Gamers can select from 19 different drivers and their extreme cars in a bid to win the illustrious World Racing League cup. One of the first games compatible with the Wii Wheel, the title allows players to experience all the twists, turns and flips of the film’s intense racing sequences.
The Wachowski brothers, best known for writing and directing the Matrix trilogy of action films, contributed direction and assets to the game’s development team directly from their Berlin set. John Gaeta, a long-time Wachowski collaborator and co-vfx supervisor on the Speed Racer film, also worked with Sidhe and Warner Bros Interactive to assist in maintaining a close film-to-game aesthetic connection.
Based on the beloved series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the Speed Racer movie follows a young race car driver named Speed in his quest for glory on and off the track in his thundering Mach 5. The pic’s cast also includes Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) and John Goodman (Evan Almighty) as Mom and Pops Racer. Visual effects were created by ILM, Sony Pictures Imageworks, CIS Hollywood, Digital Domain, Rising Sun Pictures, BUF, Evil Eye Pictures, CafeFX and Lola Visual Effects.
