Press release: 2000-06-27: Infogrames Sends Wacky Races, the Zaniest Prank-Pulling Cartoon Racing Game Skidding Into Stores This Week

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English third-party Original source: The Free Library

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 2000

Wacky Races Cartoon Characters Reunite for a Crazy Cartoon Racing

Extravaganza On Sega(R) Dreamcast(TM)

"...and now here they are!!! The most daredevil group of daffy drivers to ever whirl their wheels in the Wacky Races!" Infogrames (NASDAQ:GTIS) announced today that the wild characters from the popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Wacky Races(TM) are racing to most major retail stores this week on Sega Dreamcast. Hop on board and get ready to zigzag across the nation with Penelope Pitstop, Dick Dastardly, his sidekick Muttley, Peter Perfect, and others in Wacky Races, featuring bizarre souped-up racing contraptions, outrageous characters, and plenty of dastardly pranks for hours of pure racing pleasure.

Players will choose from eleven different kooky vehicles, such as The Slag Brothers' Boulder-Mobile, capable of going off-roading and crashing into small obstacles without even slowing down! As in the cartoon, players are encouraged to win the race by any means necessary. To assist them in this task, the various bumpy tracks are filled with challenging jumps, bonuses, and traps.

"Wacky Races puts players in the driver's seat of an entirely new kind of cart racing game," said Heather Hall, product manager for Infogrames' San Jose Label. "The advanced technology of the Dreamcast gives Wacky Races the look and feel of an actual cartoon. And, following the outrageous style and storyline of the original cartoon, gamers of all ages will especially enjoy the wild antics, goofy gags and dastardly deeds taking place throughout the game. It's fantastic!"

"Infogrames has brought the Wacky Races characters to life in a fun-filled way," said Michael Harvaky, Vice President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Publishing, Kids' WB! Music, Interactive Entertainment. "So many great games like this have grown out of the extraordinary relationship between Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Infogrames."

Players can choose from such game modes as Arcade, Championship, Time Trial, Endurance, and Versus. In each mode, players will try to trip each other up with a variety of absurd gadgets and weapons that are picked up along the way, producing silly cartoon conflicts between cars. Race as fast as you can around the tracks in Arcade mode because you'll need to finish in one of the top three places to move on to the next race. Earn points throughout all nine tracks and see who wins overall in Championship mode. Time Trial mode challenges players to try to finish in the fastest time possible. Endurance mode is possibly the greatest challenge for a Wacky Racer. The vehicle in last place at the end of each lap is eliminated from the race and the most ruthless daredevil wins! In Versus mode up to four players get to battle each other. The last wacky vehicle remaining wins!

Developed by Infogrames' Sheffield House, Wacky Races for Sega Dreamcast will reach most major retail stores this week at an estimated retail price of $39.99.

Infogrames Entertainment, S.A. (Paris Bourse: SICOVAM 5257) is a worldwide leader in the interactive entertainment software industry. Headquartered in France, the company develops and publishes award-winning computer and video games for the PlayStation(R) game console, PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo(R) 64, Nintendo(R) Game Boy(R) Color, Sega(R) Dreamcast(TM), Macintosh(R), and personal computer platforms. Founded in 1983 by chairman and CEO Bruno Bonnell, Infogrames has published many award-winning franchises in its 17-year history, such as Alone In The Dark(TM), Test Drive(R), Driver(TM), Deer Hunter(TM), Oddworld(TM), Unreal, Independence War(TM), and V-Rally(TM). The company is also known for its best-selling and award-winning line of children's entertainment software from Humongous Entertainment starring Putt-Putt(R), Freddi Fish(TM), Pajama Sam(R) and SPY Fox(TM), as well as its successful Macintosh publishing label, Macsoft, the number one publisher of Macintosh entertainment software. In addition, Infogrames has a number of key strategic licenses including Warner Bros. Looney Tunes(TM), Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues(TM), Le Mans 24 Hours(R), AM General Hummer(R), Harley-Davidson(R), and Dodge(R) Viper. For more information, visit Infogrames' US Web site at www.us.infogrames.com.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a division of Warner Bros., a Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P., is one of the leading and most diversified licensing and retail merchandising organizations which includes a vast library of intellectual properties and the Warner Bros. Studio Stores, including wbstore.com, an e-commerce website. With over 3,700 licensees, Warner Bros. Consumer Products licenses the rights to names, likenesses and logos for a variety of entertainment properties, categories, and Warner Bros. name icons that include Looney Tunes, Batman, Superman, Scooby-Doo, The Wizard of Oz, Friends, ER, and its newest member, Harry Potter.

DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY AND THE WACKY RACES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of Hanna-Barbera. (c) 2000 Hanna-Barbera and Heatter-Quigley.
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