Software:Speed Racer: The Videogame

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Short description: 2008 racing video game
This page is about the 2008 video game. For other video games, see Speed Racer (disambiguation) § Video games.

Speed Racer: The Videogame
North American Wii cover art
Developer(s)Sidhe Interactive
Virtuos (Nintendo DS)
Glu Mobile (Mobile)[1]
Publisher(s)Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment[2]
Glu Mobile (Mobile)[1]
Producer(s)Andy Satterhwaite
Dean Hall
Jeff Nachbaur
Composer(s)Winifred Phillips
EngineGamebryo
Platform(s)Mobile phone, Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2
ReleaseMobile
April 29, 2008[3]
Wii, Nintendo DS
  • NA: May 6, 2008
  • EU: May 9, 2008
  • AU: June 4, 2008
  • JP: July 10, 2008 (Wii)
  • JP: July 24, 2008 (DS)
PlayStation 2
  • NA: September 16, 2008
  • EU: October 16, 2008
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Speed Racer: The Videogame is a racing video game developed by Sidhe Interactive for the PlayStation 2 and Wii consoles, by Virtuos for the Nintendo DS and by Glu Mobile for mobile phones; and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Glu Mobile. It is a tie-in to the 2008 movie Speed Racer, set one year after its the events.[4][5] The actors from the movie reprise their roles in the console versions of the video game counterpart. The mobile version was released in April 2008,[1] and the Nintendo versions were released on May 6, 2008, with the PlayStation 2 version being released on September 16, 2008,[6] alongside the DVD and Blu-ray release. Due to the short development time allotted, Warner Bros. chose not to release the game on other contemporary non-Nintendo platforms.[7]

Gameplay

The game is a racing game similar to the F-Zero series, including tracks full of odd twists, turns and loops, set in five exotic locations (six in the PS2 version). The goal of the game is not only to win first place in each race, but also to have the most points by the end of the cup to win the competition. Points can be earned by placing high during races, but also by performing stunts and, most commonly, bashing into and destroying other racers with the use of car acrobatics, referred to as "car-fu" in the game. Driving well (i.e. avoiding accidents) and performing "car-fu" fills the player's boost meter; once the meter is filled up, a boost is rewarded. Up to four boosts can be stored at once, and may be used at any time. If all four boosts are used at once by quadruple-tapping the boost button, the player enters a state called "The Zone", during which their car travels more than twice as fast as its regular top speed and becomes invincible, on top of the player's "car-fu" doing more significant damage. Boosts may alternatively be expended on quick repairs, refilling the car's health meter, up to half the meter. The vehicle's health is shown as a gauge on the HUD, in addition to visual cues, such as the camera suddenly zooming out to indicate the car is on the verge of destruction. If the player's car explodes, the player will respawn near where they left off after a brief period of time, during which the player will also lose their race positions.

Each version of the game has its own unique control method. The PS2 version uses a standard control setup, with an analog stick used for steering and buttons used for pedals and car-fu moves. The Nintendo DS version is played entirely with d-pad and buttons, although the player can tap the touch screen to zoom in and out on a position meter that it displays. The Wii version can only be played with the Wii Remote turned sideways, with or without the Wii Wheel, leveraging its motion controls to steer and perform stunt and car-fu moves; analog control is not supported.

There are a total of 20 playable racers from the film in the game (25 in the PS2 version and 16 on the Nintendo DS version), each with their own unique vehicle with its own stats. Each racer also has a default set of ally and rival racers, e.g. Speed Racer's ally is Trixie, while his rival is Jack "Cannonball" Taylor. The player is awarded bonus points for performing "car-fu" on the rival or destroying their car. In certain gameplay modes, the player can also form or break alliances with other racers. Allies will attempt to interfere with the player's rival, but the player will receive penalty should they perform "car-fu" on allies.

Soundtrack

The original musical soundtrack of the Speed Racer video game was composed by Winifred Phillips and produced by Winnie Waldron.[8] It has received positive reviews. Reviewer Sam Bishop of IGN wrote, "The music in the game happily bounces back and forth from vaguely tribal, ambient tracks to more driving, aggressive sounding electronica loops."[9]

Script error: No such module "Track listing".

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSmobilePS2Wii
EurogamerN/AN/AN/A6/10[10]
Famitsu24/40[11]N/AN/AN/A
GamePro3.5/5[12]N/AN/A3.75/5[13]
GameZoneN/AN/AN/A7.2/10[14]
IGN8/10[15]7/10[1]8/10[9]7/10[16]
NGamerN/AN/AN/A49%[17]
Nintendo World Report8.5/10[18]N/AN/A7.5/10[19]
PALGN6/10[20]N/AN/A7/10[21]
VideoGamer.comN/AN/AN/A7/10[22]
Aggregate score
Metacritic75/100[23]N/A72/100[6]69/100[24]

The DS version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[6][23][24] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one five, one seven, and two sixes for the DS version.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Buchanan, Levi (May 1, 2008). "Speed Racer [The Videogame Review (Cell)"]. http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/01/speed-racer-review-2. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  2. ↑ "Speed Racer : Wii". GamePro. Archived from the original on April 4, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080404091853/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/wii/54235/info.shtml. Retrieved May 19, 2008. 
  3. ↑ "Speed Racer" (in en). 2008-04-30. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/speed-racer-mobile-version-available-now. 
  4. ↑ "Speed Racer: The Videogame Trailer". IGN. 23 May 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTWwhVIb4gc. 
  5. ↑ Sidhe Interactive, Virtuos (May 6, 2008). Speed Racer: The Videogame. Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS. Level/area: Intro. "Racer X: Last year, Speed Racer changed the racing world forever. We all watched as he put it all on the line and reminded us that stunt racing is the greatest sport in the world. Now here we are once more, seeking the WRL Cup." 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Speed Racer for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/speed-racer/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  7. ↑ Ben Fritz (November 9, 2013). "WB gears up 'Speed Racer' game". Variety (Penske Business Media). https://variety.com/2007/digital/news/wb-gears-up-speed-racer-game-1117969879/. 
  8. ↑ "Winifred Phillips". Soundtrack.net. http://www.soundtrack.net/person/winifred-phillips/. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bishop, Sam (October 17, 2008). "Speed Racer: The Videogame Review (PS2)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/17/speed-racer-the-videogame-review-2. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  10. ↑ Gibson, Ellie (September 3, 2008). "Wii Roundup (Page 3; Speed Racer)". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/wii-roundup_0?page=3. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Brian (July 16, 2008). "Famitsu review scores". Nintendo Everything. http://nintendoeverything.com/famitsu-review-scores-11/. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  12. ↑ Balistrieri, Emily (May 6, 2008). "Review: Speed Racer (DS)". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/ds/games/reviews/182608.shtml. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  13. ↑ Balistrieri, Emily (May 6, 2008). "Review: Speed Racer (Wii)". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/wii/games/reviews/182629.shtml. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  14. ↑ David, Mike (May 22, 2008). "Speed Racer - The Videogame - WII - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/speed_racer_the_videogame_wii_review. 
  15. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (December 12, 2008). "Speed Racer: The Videogame Review (NDS)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/12/speed-racer-the-videogame-review. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  16. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (May 9, 2008). "Speed Racer: The Videogame Review (Wii)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/09/speed-racer-the-videogame-review-3. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  17. ↑ Castle, Matthew (August 2008). "Wii Review: Speed Racer". Nintendo Gamer: 63. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=193631. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  18. ↑ Jones, James (May 6, 2008). "Speed Racer (DS)". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/15912/speed-racer-nintendo-ds. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  19. ↑ DiMola, Nick (May 5, 2008). "Speed Racer (Wii)". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/15907/speed-racer-wii. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  20. ↑ Rositano, Joseph (July 15, 2008). "Speed Racer: The Videogame Review - Nintendo DS Review". http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=12085. 
  21. ↑ Van Leuveren, Luke (June 20, 2008). "Speed Racer Review". http://palgn.com.au/nintendo-wii/11861/speed-racer-review/. 
  22. ↑ Orry, Tom (May 20, 2008). "Speed Racer Review (Wii)". VideoGamer.com. https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/speed-racer-review. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Speed Racer for DS Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/speed-racer/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Speed Racer for Wii Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/speed-racer/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. Retrieved October 19, 2016. 
  • Speed Racer: The Videogame on IMDb
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari



  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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