VU tags new Crash Bandicoot racer

Fans of marsupial-related rallies will be happy to know that VU Games today announced Crash Tag Team Racing. The game is currently in development by Radical Entertainment and will be released this fall on the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and DS. Radical, which was purchased by VU just a few weeks ago, developed The Simpsons: Hit & Run and is working on the upcoming criminal kingpin saga, Scarface.

Crash Tag Team Racing puts one of gaming's well-known icons--Aussie marsupial Crash Bandicoot--behind the wheel of some vehicles equipped with heavy artillery. Gamers can also "fuse" their rides with other vehicles midrace, forming a massive car with one person driving and the other in charge of blasting rivals with the newly formed turret. Characters can also move about on foot, scouring the tracks for upgrades and bonuses.

The story was inked by Jordan Reicheck, who wrote the storyline of last year's Crash Twinsanity and penned for cult cartoon Ren & Stimpy. This time, series villain Dr. Neo Cortex lures Crash into a "friendly" bout of racing, but he secretly plans to flatten the bandicoot under the rubble of a decrepit racetrack.

Each console version will support system link multiplayer for up to eight players, and the DS version will have wireless support for up to four players.

Crash Tag Team Racing will sell for $29.99 on the DS and $39.99 on all other systems. GameSpot will have more on the game soon.