Shrek, Madagascar star in crossover kart racer

The Madagascar and Shrek series of animated films have already spawned their own spin-offs with the upcoming Puss in Boots film and the Penguins of Madagascar TV series. Now the DreamWorks franchises are about to explore another time-honored avenue of brand extension: the crossover.

Activision today announced DreamWorks Super Star Kartz, a family-friendly racing game starring 14 of the animation studio's best-known characters from franchises like Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, and Monsters vs. Aliens. The crossover racer is set to speed into stores this holiday season for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS, and DS. Beyond familiar stars, the game will feature familiar kart racing wrinkles such as jumps, power-ups, and turbo boosts. The game will include Battle, Circuit, and Time Trial modes, as well as four-player split-screen action for consoles.

This is not the first time around the track for many of the game's stars. Activision published Madagascar Kartz in 2009, while Shrek is a veteran of the genre since TDK's 2002 Game Boy Advance title Shrek Swamp Kart Speedway. The ogre also starred in the combat-tinted racer Shrek Smash n' Crash Racing in 2006, although it featured a variety of mounts in lieu of karts.