Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Racing

Number of Players: 1 - 2

I really have to applaud the folks over at Namco Bandai. While a lot of companies are overlooking the relatively untapped market of anime video games, this isn’t the case here. Although they may not be grabbing the rights to some of the bigger names from other companies in Japan, at least we are starting to see that anime video games are something that fans are clamoring for, and it isn’t always straight from Japan either, at least not how you may normally know it.

IGPX is another in a lengthy list of titles that I haven’t the faintest idea about, at least not until doing a bit of research, but the joint production of Production I.G. and Cartoon Network began simply enough as a collection of “micro” episodes before becoming a full blown series. IGPX, or the Immortal Grand Prix, combines one thing that many anime fans love, mecha (or giant robots) with racing to come up with a very unique premise, and don’t confuse it with Zoids either.

IGPX is set in the distant future in the year 2049, and the race circuit has become all the rage. This isn’t simply a one-on-one race however, and instead you have two competing teams with three pilots on either side. This is a race that definitely isn’t about if you win or lose so much as taking out other pilots, and you are in control of Team Satomi, and to be more specific, the team forward Jin Takeshi. Do you have what it takes to make your way through the league, or are you simply going to become nothing more than scrap on the side of the raceway?

While it’s an interesting idea, IGPX is plagued with repetitive gameplay, though at first, it’s a blast to play through. Before each race you’ll get to determine the style of your team with three different selections; neutral, battle, and race. Once that’s selected, the battle begins, or perhaps the racing, that’s really dependent on you. Taking on opponents isn’t necessarily a bad idea since points are awarded for crossing the finish line and will ultimately determine if you progress to the next stage.

While “racing” you can chose to engage your opponents in combat. You can shove them, toss them up into the air, beat the down (always fun) and even unleash some rather destructive combos and team attacks should you have someone nearby to assist. When you’re not dishing out punishment though, you’ll need to be wary of your opponents at all time. Fortunately you have the option to look behind you and even race in this mode and it’s surprisingly easy. Knowing where the enemy is also helps out for unleashing some more fancy attacks like the spin. There’s nothing worse than wasting it with no one around. You can also deflect and block attacks, and this is also something incredibly essential to the race.

After the first lap, things speed up a bit, and generally there is more combat or even the opposing team trying to take the lead. They aren’t always about grinding your metallic hide into the ground, and some are out to cross the finish line first. You can boost your machine and try and gain some ground and as the checkered flag gets closer, you enter the final phase where speed (and even combat) is everything. During each race, you’ll need to keep an eye on your health as well as that of your team members. Losing one of them means a deduction in points and can possibly cost you the race. Also, remember to give your team directions, don’t just expect them to “do the right thing.” The directional buttons will help assist them in what they should be doing, and it’s a good way to get some help when you find yourself in a tight spot.

At the end of each stage you will be awarded credits which can be spent in the garage. You can change the colors of each IG machine here as well as buy and sell parts. This will help you improve the performance of each machine in four categories (offense, defense, agility and stability) and remember; you have THREE machines to work with, not just your own.

The idea of racing a team of mecha is certainly different, and while it could be good, I didn’t find it to be exactly all that I had hoped for. Now, I’m a huge anime fan, and I love just about every series that has mecha in it, and when you’re including speed into the equation, it sounds like the perfect mix, IGPX however I found to be just too much of the same thing over and over again without any real difference. Sure, the tracks are different, the teams perform a bit differently, but unlike other racing games, the excitement and the challenge soon falls into something that is too familiar too early on. The tracks themselves don’t feel as though they are designed in such a way to present any real challenge and instead, the real focus is on fighting, not the challenge of navigating through dangerous curves. Even other futuristic racing titles, especially the WipeOut series, present a higher degree of challenge that what is found in IGPX.

IGPX isn’t necessarily what I would consider to be aesthetically pleasing either. The designs of the mecha I really didn’t find to be that impressive, especially when compared to other “heavies” in the genre like just about any of the Gundam mecha or RahXephon, among many others. The backgrounds are barely noticeable due to the high speed and trying to keep an eye on the action, but there are a few things that I do like. Seeing sparks fly as you zoom around at high speeds is nice and some of the slow down when you get into a fight (intentional, not a glitch, so don’t be concerned) is a nice change of pace, but really, IGPX isn’t anything out of the ordinary.

Good idea, bad presentation; that’s what IGPX really turns out to be. Having not actually seen the anime, this isn’t the game that has managed to get me excited about watching it. While fans of the series might find a great deal about this title they love, other racing fans, and even some anime fans, probably are going to find that IGPX quickly loses steam and becomes a game that won’t be remembered for long.
 

-mike-