OVERALL RATING		3.5
Presentation		4.0
Control		4.0
Gameplay		3.0
Fun factor		3.5
User Rating		3.5

Inspired by the live-action film, which in itself was inspired by the classic anime series, Speed Racer puts players behind the wheel of the fantastical Mach 6 in a series of races to become grand prix champion. 

The main mode of the game is Story in which seven races must be placed in or won (depending on stage), but unfortunately it’s a bit of a misnomer.  That’s because there really is no storyline to follow, not even an appearance from Chim Chim or Trixie.  This is a bit of a disappointment, being that I’ve been a huge fan of the series forever, but if you’re all about racing, than it doesn’t really matter because it happens to be quite engaging.

The big reason for this are the superbly designed tracks that ooze fun and creativity, putting forth all manner of drifting, jumping and boosting.  They are some of the best I’ve seen on mobile and contain loops, corkscrews, ramps and more that all capture the ingenuity of those appearing in the movie.  They are as beautiful to see as they are to drive in.

Clearing the Story mode tracks unlocks them, as well as other vehicles, in the two other modes, Free Race and Challenge.  Free Race allows users to play a single race choosing track and vehicle, while Challenge offers two additional sub-modes.  In Survival, the player in last position after each lap gets eliminated, with the last remaining driver the winner.  In Chasing , a one-on-one battle ensues with both opponents trying to outrun each other by distance.  The farther ahead the opponent is, the more likely the other is to lose.

Actual racing gives you freedom to maneuver about, though there’s still a semblance of being guided on rails and it is most evident when a speed boost is utilized.  Crashing into a wall doesn’t stop or send you into a rolling fireball, instead continues to move the car forward, even surpassing other vehicles.  This really isn’t so bad however, because I would much rather have this than fall off the tracks and end up losing valuable time.

Despite how great the game tracks look and how manageable the racing is, I kind of wish there was a bit more to the game.  I get the feeling it would have been cooler had the developers implemented more unbelievable tricks for the Mach 6 and other cars, instead of just jumps and boosts.  The game, tracks and movie just scream “kart-style” trickery, but maybe that’s just the fanboy in me.  It does look very pretty in 3D though on the Nokia N81, which happens to be one of the handsets carrying the new N-Gage platform.