Sure, you have the option to watch the 2009 Tour de France on TV, but what’s the fun in that? Luckily, it was recently made known that Tour de France 2009: The Official Game has found its way onto Xbox Live for a modest 800 Microsoft Points.

The Cyanide Studios Tour de France 2009 will feature, you guessed it, bicycle racing. Joystiq reports that you’ll be able to play with 2 players on the same console or 4 players over Xbox Live. Players will get the chance to use any of the official teams currently featured in the Tour de France to compete with.

Because I mean honestly, who doesn’t love riding a virtual bicycle countless miles?

Check out a trailer for Tour de France 2009: The Official Game, here.

Kart racing never gets old; they’re always a fun pick-me-up that you can play with with your friends or with yourself. At this year’s E3, Sony showed off their entry into the genre with ModNation Racers, with their own little mix.

Developed by United Front Games, ModNation is mostly a user-generated content game, allowing players to create and share their own tracks and characters. The trailer shows off some of the ways you can customize your character and use the level designer to create unique maps for you to share with the world.

ModNation Racers will be out sometime next year on the PlayStation 3.

That’s the thrust of the review today, folks–this IS in fact the ultimate racing simulation experience if you’ve either never actually had a racing simulation experience before or you’ve never actually driven anything before.

Basically, the plot of the game, such as it is, is exactly that. You’re going to drive cars.  No, this doesn’t exactly have the same literary quality of Ridge Racer’s young up-and-comer looking to burn his way through the ranks of the professional driving circuit, or the various underground racers where you’re out to gather pinks and impress hot chicks who like to wave flags half-naked for little or no conceivable reason.  You’re just here to go fast and turn left, except for when, on occasion, you will be called upon to turn RIGHT.

You may be asking yourself at this point, hey, if that’s all I’m supposed to do, then why even bother?  I mean, if I wanted to be stuck in traffic for twenty minutes while I tried to drive a car down a twisty, windy track, then why don’t I just jump in my car and actually, you know, go somewhere?  At least then everybody on the Internet’ll stop calling me a basement dweller because I haven’t left the house in months.

Sadly, I don’t have much of an answer for that.  Oh, sure, with Race Pro you’ll get to try out various different kinds of cars, on various different types of tracks, with various different types of options.  I give Race Pro due credit for having an almost OBSCENE number of options–not only can you tweak the difficulty, you can also tweak subclasses of the difficulty as well.  For instance, if you’re racing on hard mode and find the AI’s just a little TOO aggressive with the competing drivers, you can actually dial down the racers’ AI difficulty level.  It’s an absolutely customizable racing experience.

Absolutely customizable, yes…but worthwhile?  That’s where I’m going to have to say no.  I had SERIOUS problems with the controls on this one–even something that should be video-game simple, the drift maneuver, I couldn’t manage to pull off.  In fact, driving the Mini Cooper in the first level felt exactly like the headline described, like driving a brick through wet cement.  I remember trying to pull off a turn, so naturally, I decelerate so I can jam on the gas after I’ve started to pitch my nose a bit.  The car promptly decides that it prefers going straight, and thusly goes COMPLETELY OFF THE TRACK and into the dirt.  The game then warns me that I’m “cutting track”, to which I respond with a torrent of obscenities detailing the fact that, one, I already KNOW I’m off the track and, two, that I wouldn’t have been if the game had done what it was told to do in the first place.

This is, of course, profoundly irritating, but there’s probably a workaround if you’re desperate enough for a new racing game to try.  I personally say that there are better racing games out there–vastly better, in fact–but if you want a driving sim that’ll give you a huge fight, then Race Pro is the game you want.

Fuel assumes a future in which Al Gore is allowed by Federal law to laugh and point at everybody who can’t produce a receipt for a copy of An Inconvenient Truth.  Seriously, though–it’s an “alternate present” in which the weather has only very recently gone completely insane, turning large areas of the United States into “no-go” zones, or areas where no human being can safely live.  Thus, humans pack themselves into huge megacities, a la Judge Dredd, except these human hives are apparently warm and comforting places powered by wind and solar and biodiesel, and thus everyone lives in Al Gore’s fantasyland.

There are, however, a few mavericks who realize that, the sudden cessation of gasoline usage has left a whole LOT of spare capacity just sort of lying around, and thus, this gives them the opportunity to take it for their own use.  Hey, why not?  Not like anyone ELSE is using the stuff anyway!  So they appropriate large quantities of fuel and use it to stage quasi-legal offroad joyride races.

To that end, you’re dropped into a scale area of roughly five thousand square miles and set to race.  You’ll be able to select various races against other competitors, as well as having an opportunity to engage in “free riding” but more on that in a minute.  First, we have to deal with the races themselves.  In this way, Fuel is a lot like literally every other racing game on the market.  You drive around trying desperately to pass other people and reach the finish line.  In this way, Fuel is just as good as any other.  The graphics are solid enough, the controls are a little twitchy and take a little getting used to but still do fairly well, and the background music is appropriately rock.

Fuel would be a game much like any other if it weren’t for one critical difference–the free ride mode.  Free ride does just what it sounds like it does; free ride allows you to tear around the map in literally any direction you please, pulling tire-squealing turns on roads, donuts on the beach, whatever you like,  There’s even some structure here as your free ride mode allows you to drive to places where challenges are being held.  Completing these challenges nets you extra fuel, which in turn allows you to buy other vehicles.  Plus, you’ll be able to obtain new parts for your livery, find fantastic views at so-called vista points, and just generally run riot all over the map.

Fuel is, therefore, a game of surprising depth and substance, as well as plenty of fun.  For those of you who already like racing games, you may well have found the ultimate in racers right there.  But for those of you who haven’t been very fond of the racing game subgenre, then you may well want to give Fuel a try.  This is the game that just might change your mind about racers.

There really isn’t much of a plot here to speak of, but basically, you play as one of the various characters from the Nintendo universe, from King Boo to Wario to Diddy Kong and all the way back around to the standards.  You’ll then mount a go kart, or a motorcycle, at three varying levels of engine power and proceed to run amok on a series of wild tracks.

That may be it for the plot–and yes, by any standard this game has virtually no functioning narrative to speak of–but that’s not it for the game itself.  The game itself, you see, is a riot of fun things to do as you drive your go kart or motorcycle on a panoply of tracks with all sorts of different designs.

There’s a whole lot of fun involved in driving through a shopping mall (the Coconut Center) at breakneck speeds, whether you’re doing it on a go kart, or the admittedly much more fun motorcycle.  Seriously–who here hasn’t pictured the sheer amount of mindless fun involved in riding a dirt bike through a mall?  Bouncing up stairs and escalators, jumping fountains, tearing around columns in a beautiful slalom?  It’s fun on a bun, that’s what it is, plain and simple.  Though I have to admit, my time spent driving on the Rainbow Road left a lot to be desired.  Just try driving on a track several hundred miles above the Earth’s surface with no rails or anything else to keep you on the track and a whole bunch of lunatic drivers looking to get ahead of you?  I still get chills.

The controls are what make this really special.  If you don’t want to shell out for the Wii wheel, which is pretty ridiculous when you look at it, then you can simply hold your Wiimote like a steering wheel at nine and three and steer that way.  The controls are almost shockingly smooth and responsive, if a little twitchy at the higher engine levels, and do a pretty solid job of approximating actual steering.

Even better, there are tons of characters and karts and bikes and tracks and everything else that you can think of available to unlock, so there’s lots of value in charging around all the various tracks in single player mode.  For the completionists in the audience this will be an absolute nirvana.  There are those who’ll be turned off by the fact that the unlockables are only available in single player mode as opposed to any of them being found in the multiplayer modes, but this is a fairly small issue when compared to the sheer amount of stuff to do here.

It’s great to find a Wii game that has plenty to it and doesn’t result in a sore arm or a general feeling of disappointment, and Mario Kart Wii is just that game.  Single player or multiplayer, you’re sure to have a good time with this one if you even vaguely enjoy a good racing game.

Electronic Arts has unveiled both the extensive car roster and the racetrack list for their upcoming racing game Need for Speed SHIFT. The 65 cars listed are quite diverse, and there are a total of 18 tracks for you to race on.

SHIFT will be hitting North American shores on September 22nd, and in Europe on September 17th for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and PSP.

• 2006 Aston Martin DBR9
• 2009 Audi R8 LMS
• 2008 Audi R8
• 2008 Audi RS 4

Hit the jump for the rest of the list.

• 2007 Audi S3
• 2007 Audi TT 3.2 quattro
• 2006 Audi S4
• BMW M3 E36
• BMW M3 E46
• BMW M3 E92
• 2008 BMW 135i Coupé
• 2009 BMW M3 GT2
• 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupé
• 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
• 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept
• 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10
• Falken Tire 2010 Ford Mustang GT
• 2010 Ford Shelby GT500
• 2007 Ford Focus ST
• 2006 Ford GT
• 2006 Need For Speed Shelby Terlingua
• 1996 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
• 2009 Chevrolet Camaro SS
• 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
• 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
• 2006 Honda Civic Si
• 2000 Honda S2000
• 2006 Koenigsegg CCX
• 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
• 2007 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
• 2007 Lamborghini Reventón
• 2006 Lotus Elise 111R
• 2007 Lotus Exige S
• 2005 Maserati MC12 GT1
• 2008 Mazda MX-5
• 2006 Mazda RX-8
• 1995 Mazda RX-7
• 1994 McLaren F1
• 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition
• 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG
• 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION
• 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION IX MR-edition
• 2003 Infiniti G35 (V35)
• 1997 Nissan 200SX (S14)
• 2009 Nissan 370Z (Z34)
• 2006 Nissan 350Z (Z33)
• 2009 Nissan GT-R SpecV (R35)
• 2008 Nissan GT-R (R35)
• 2000 Nissan Silvia (S15) spec.R AERO
• 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
• 1972 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R
• 1992 Nissan 240SX (S13)
• 2006 Pagani Zonda F
• 2010 Pagani Zonda R
• 2008 Porsche 911 GT2
• 2009 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
• 2006 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
• 2004 Porsche Carrera GT
• 2007 Porsche Cayman S
• 2008 Renault Mégane RS
• 2007 SEAT Leon CUPRA
• 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
• 2007 Lexus LF-A Concept
• 2008 SCION tC
• 1986 Toyota Corolla GTS (A86)
• 2008 Volkswagen Scirocco
• 2006 Volkswagen Golf GTI

Track list:

1. Alpental
2. Autopolis International Racing Course
3. Ambush Canyon
4. Brands Hatch
5. Dakota
6. Ebisu Circuit
7. Glendale
8. Hazyview
9. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
10. London
11. Miytomi
12. Nordschleife
13. Road America
14. Rustle Creek
15. Silverstone
16. Circuit de Spa Francorchamps
17. Tokyo
18. Willow Springs

If you’re looking for a super realistic racing game, this isn’t the one. The game you’re looking for is Need for Speed: Shift. If, however you are looking for a casual racer for the Wii and/or Nintendo DS, Need for Speed: NITRO may be just for you.

All we have to go by at this point are some screenshots for both consoles and from the looks of it, they look like exactly what you’d expect from a Wii or DS title; lackluster visual. OK so the gameplay might be there but a racing game without bangin’ graphics just isn’t for me.

You can check out some more screenshots, including ones from the Nintendo DS version, thanks to Kotaku, here.

Zoom is a racing game that puts you, alone, on a track in a high-powered hover racer to see just how fast you can go.  And as the world speeds by around you, you’re out to break your own high score on a nearly continual basis.

This sounds awesome, of course–why would anyone play a racing game if they weren’t out for the vicarious thrill of the simulation of high speed without having to risk their lives doing it in an actual car?  But the problem with Zoom is that it can’t hold its speed, and with sloppy controls leaving you bucking around the track even when you’re not actually accelerating, that’s never a good sign.

So as much as I want to enjoy this particular high-speed thrill ride, it never really gets off the starting line for me.  Even at two hundred Microsoft points, it’s not worth the ride.

But will it succeed?

Midnight Club: Los Angeles really doesn’t have much in the way of plot—you’re a new street racing soul who’s just hit Los Angeles—a surprisingly realistic Los Angeles– looking to make the big scores.  And to that end, you’ll…well…jam your foot down on the accelerator and occasionally turn the wheel.  Repeatedly. Over and over and over again.

I know, it’s a graphic oversimplification, but at the root that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.  Of course, since what you’re doing is kinda sorta technically criminal…you’ll be doing this in the most underground, often criminal of fashions.  You’ll be introduced to the world of illegal Los Angeles street racing by a guy named Booke, who sets up your races via officially licensed T-Mobile Sidekick cell phone.  And you’ll eventually get hooked up with a few others, including Karol, who’ll offer you use of a garage as a safehouse; Annie, one of the best drivers in Los Angeles; and Andrew, a young man with a lot more enthusiasm than good sense.

Now, that’s not where this game ends, though—Midnight Club: Los Angeles will make up for its incredibly simplistic game play (like I said, foot, accelerator, wheel turns slightly) by offering you an INCREDIBLY vast array of options.  It’s downright unsettling just how many options there are.

First, you’ll be able to, eventually, choose from a whole lineup of cars.  Muscle cars, exotic cars (including a Ford, which surprised me…the Ford GT, specifically), something called a “tuner”, which strangely included a PONTIAC, and a motorcycle.  Now, once you’ve got your base ride finally settled on, you’ll then be able to launch into a series of options.  Everything from paint and body work down to the very floor mats will be available for your selection.  No, seriously—you can CUSTOMIZE THE FLOOR MATS.

But there’s a not inconsiderable down side to the whole affair.  While you’re given a whole wide field of options—probably too many options for the kind of game you’re playing—you’re going to have to grapple with an intense initial level of difficulty.  The car you’ll start with isn’t exactly the best car.  The car I wound up with handled like a brick with wings, and trying to win those early races was pretty tough, even at the easiest levels of racing.  Traffic got uncomfortably dense in a lot of places, and all I can think is, how am I supposed to win a race when I’ve got all these Sunday drivers and commuters out at Ridiculous O’Clock at night?  It doesn’t even make SENSE, seriously.

But still—if you can’t get enough of modifying your car or motorcycle, and are desperate to take it through the streets of a shockingly realistic simulation of Los Angeles, then Midnight Club: Los Angeles is going to be EXACTLY what you’re after.  Otherwise, try a rental or take a pass.

MySims Party on the other hand isn’t that obvious is it. It’s going to be a collection of 50 mini games ready for you MySim. And we hear that each MySim in the game has different stats so you’re going to pay extra attention to picking the perfect character to do the right job.

The games are going to arrive later this year so keep checking out EA’s announcements for the exact date and pricing details.

The free South Central Upgrade Map will be roughly 1/3 the size of the original map and will add a number of landmarks, including the Exposition Park, the USC Campus, Shrine Auditorium, Crenshaw Plaza and the LA Memorial Coliseum. The premium South Central pack will add some cars, a motorcycle and SUVs along with new character competitions, races and music.

No price was specified for the premium pack. No specific release date was given either.

The game will honor and take inspiration from legendary driver Colin McRae, focusing on his late career. It will make use of an evolved version of the EGO engine that powered the first game as well as GRID; in fact, the studio has now tweaked the engine to get more out of the console hardware.

DiRT 2 will see extended replay features and a single-player career mode featuring real racing personalities, including Travis Pastrana and Ken Block.

GRID, a TOCA Touring Car series video game developed by Codemasters, will be seeing in-game advertising by eBay Motors. In order to receive part upgrades for your car, you’ll have to revisit the eBay Motors storefront.

It does get kinda annoying seeing constant brand names pop up in your face when you’re playing a title that you already purchased. Isn’t enough that you shelled out the money to buy the game in the first place? But then again, it’s always nice to see that investors are lined up for ad opportunities in video games, which will only make the production value of the game greater and further fuels the industry.

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