Ludography
Speed Racer cover

1996 · Action · Racing

Speed Racer

Speed Racer is an arcade type game that resembles the Sega Saturn's Daytona USA. The first track is identical, except for the lack of a pit lane, the Sonic sculpture in a wall and the different sponsor banners. The major difference between the two games is the performance of the car and the fact that the player can use all the gadgets of the anime Mach 5. The gadgets can be used to "shunt" other cars (even with the Cutter, the cars only bounce and there is no damage in the game), take shortcuts (by cutting trees and passing under lakes), etc.

Released
31 December 1996
Platforms
Game BoyPlayStation
Genres
ActionRacing
Developers
—
Publishers
Shueisha
Perspective
Third person
Themes
Science fiction
Country
Japan

About

Speed Racer, also known as Mach GoGoGo (Japanese: マッハGoGoGo(ゴーゴーゴー), Hepburn: Mahha GōGōGō), is a Japanese anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production, that aired on Fuji Television from April 1967 to March 1968. In the United States, the show aired in syndication at approximately the same time. A manga adaptation written and illustrated by Tatsuo Yoshida was originally serialized in print in Shueisha's 1966 Shōnen Book magazine. It was released in tankōbon form by Sun Wide Comics and later re-released in Japan by Fusosha.

Selected chapters of the manga were released by NOW Comics in the 1990s under the title Speed Racer Classics. These were later released by Wildstorm Productions, a division of DC Comics, as Speed Racer: The Original Manga. In 2008, under its Americanized title, Speed Racer, Mach GoGoGo was republished in its entirety in the United States by Digital Manga Publishing and was released as a boxed set to commemorate the series' 40th anniversary, as well as serving as a tie-in with the 2008 film. The television series was very successful in the United States and defined anime in that country until the 1990s, being watched by a total estimated audience of 40 million viewers during the 1960s–1970s.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Development

The large red M on the hood of the Mach 5, as well as on Gō's helmet, is the emblem of Mifune Motors, the family business, and an homage to Japanese film star Toshiro Mifune. In North America, it was assumed to stand for Mach 5, and in the Latin American version for Meteoro. His given name, Gō, is a Japanese homophone for the number 5 (the number on his race car), which is also represented by the yellow letter G embroidered on his short-sleeve blue shirt. The tradition of symbolism on characters' shirts was also used on Michi (Trixie) and Sabu (Sparky), who had the letter "M" and "S" on their shirts, respectively.

The overall purpose of the anime was to please a growing fan base worldwide with exciting stories that involved facing adversity on the race track and beyond. Review of the episodes in the Speed Racer: Collector's Edition of Japanese and English-language episodes reveals frequent changes to the soundtrack (dialogue and the addition of an off-screen narrator) but very little editing of the image-track. Most significantly, the names of villains are often changed to be more cartoony, e.g. Professor Anarchy in episode 31 ("Lightning-Quick Ninja Cars" in Japanese, "Gang of Assassins" in English).

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
PlayStation31 December 1996Japan · North America 31 December 1998

Editions and related releases

Derivative works
Speed RacerThe New Adventures of Speed RacerMach GoGoGoSpeed Racer: The Next GenerationSpeed Racer: Race to the Future
Basis for
Speed Racer X

Games like this

Collections1 collection

Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.