First look: Space Race PS2

Looney Tunes Space Race was a fun and cartoony racer with a few flaws and plenty of Acme gadgets on the Sega Dreamcast. The team at Infogrames Melbourne is now taking the game to the Sony PlayStation 2 and is eager to better the previous Dreamcast effort. In the game, players can choose one of nine characters, including Wile E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, and Sylvester. Each character has its own specialized hoverbike, which players use to race through several tournaments to win the overall championship and get a lifetime supply of Acme products.

In total, the tournaments will span eight different worlds, including two new tracks for the PS2 game. If players manage to place first in a tournament consisting of one to four cups each, they'll unlock further tournaments. The PS2 version will also sport a so-called rear warning system in the form of an Acme look out display, which will inform players of approaching vehicles from behind without obscuring the primary view. There's also a gag alert, which warns players of certain evil gadgets that other players or computer characters are using. One of the problems with the Dreamcast version was the gameplay balance. In that game, players could race like crazy, only to be wiped out a few inches ahead of the finish line and end up last. According to the developer, that problem will be addressed in the PS2 version. Additionally, the game can now be played in three difficulty settings. In total, there are 13 tracks and even five new Acme gags. They are instant boost, Acme genuine fake, Acme pickup (looks like a real gadget box, but it explodes when it's being picked up), Acme earthquake pellets (makes others lose control over their vehicles and lose their gadgets), and Acme hare oil (sends others skidding off the track).

So far, the game is scheduled for a release in March 2002 on the PlayStation 2.