There are loads of different tracks - some in excess of 41 miles long

Stop the presses. In shocking contrast to all the inadequate trash that many a Hollywood blockbuster has spawned, Nintendo have kindly brought us a potential Wipeout-beater.
Jes Bickham

Despite the fact that GoldenEye may have exceeded the expectations of every human being that ever existed, film spin-offs tend to be a waste of silicon, plastic and the effort of all involved.

Just think Mission Impossible and, heaven forbid, the PS flop that was Independence Day. Even the as-yet unreleased Tomorrow Never Dies looks like it's heading straight for the bargain basements, despite developers Black Ops having wrested the Bond licence from the God-like Rare.

So it comes as the most pleasant of surprises to see that Nintendo have more than delivered the goods with the first ever game based on the new Star Wars film. Star Wars: Episode I Racer beats Wipeout (any version) hands down, even if it can't hope to scale the heights of the masterful F-Zero X. Put plainly, Racer goes like the proverbial from a shovel.

Based on the pod-racing centrepiece from The Phantom Menace, Racer offers a sizeable challenge of cheek-flapping proportions. Taking a few liberties with the Star Wars universe, the game features 21 vehicles, all of which possess wildly differing characteristics (naturally, there's only a few to choose from when you begin the game, with others available as you progress through the game).

There are eight separate worlds to race across, each of which contains several recognisably individual routes, making for over 25 courses. Throw in an accomplished two-player mode, and Racer certainly offers a fair amount for your money.