Juiced revs up again

THQ first uttered confirmation of a sequel to its street racer Juiced in a conference call with investors last November, but it didn't divulge any details for its fast and no doubt furious follow-up. Today the publisher gave gamers a peek under the hood at its plans for the game, announcing that it would release Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and PC this fall.

Taking its name from the touring custom-car show of the same name, Hot Import Nights adds a new drifting component to the series and expands on the original's number of tracks and customization options. The game also introduces a Driver DNA feature, which tracks players' habits and driving traits in profiles that can then be shared online.

In 2004, THQ won the publishing rights for the original Juiced in a bidding war over rivals like Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, and Namco and went on to buy Juice Games, the game's developer, last March. For more on the original game, check out GameSpot's review.