Mach GoGoGo music and games
It goes without saying that the Speed Racer theme song is a recognizable classic the world over, but it’s definitely worth saying that if you haven’t heard the original Japanese version, you can appreciate the song on a whole new level. It’s longer, more energetic and graceful at the same time, and so impossibly catchy that even the animated characters sing it to each other in the show.
See the original Japanese opening title here. Listen to the single version of the theme here.
Hear a cover of the Japanese theme here and find many covers of the English version here.
It should come as no surprise that the theme was released on several different occasions in Japan while the TV series was in its original run.
Phonosheet by Niitaka Drop, single by Keibunsha
Drama singles by Columbia (music and story)
Deluxe drama single by Sonorama: The Demon Acrobats. See the interior here and listen to it here.
Mach GoGoGo Music Files
Round 1: VPCD-81433
Round 2: VPCD-81437
It took an unbelievably long time, but we finally got the entire music library in 2002 when these two exquisite CDs were released by VAP Inc. Tracks are grouped by the episodes they were first heard in, along with two mixes of the opening theme and the Speed Racer version.
Listen to Round 1 here and Round 2 here.
Mach GoGoGo Complete Song Collection
マッハ GOGOGO 全曲集
Columbia Music Entertainment, COCX-33066
Jan 2005
Songs from both the original and the 1997 version.
Speed Race Japan
A tribute to Mach GoGoGo
SPEED RACE JAPAN ~ マッハ GoGoGo トリビュート
Dreamusic, MUCD 8007
Aug 2008
Remixes and electronica, covering and inspired by the 1967 classic.
Video games
I have only a passing interest in video games, so I just bought two of them. But you can find a playthrough of a 2005 PC game here and see a video history of Speed Racer games (1992-2008) here.
Playstation game
Tomy, 1996
Despite a limited race course and the inevitably-dated polygon graphics, I spent many hours enjoying this game for its authentic feel and gritty action. The one downside was the UI for the steering wheel buttons, which became so unwieldy it was just easier to activate every gimmick and keep them on for an entire race. Afterward, you could watch a replay of yourself from angles that perfectly capture the filmmaking style of the anime. It was also possible to unlock other cars, but I never figured out how to do that.
See a playthrough of the Japanese version here and the English version here.
Super Nintendo game
Accolade, 1993
I regret to say that I never actually played this one, but I thought I might since it offered side-scrolling character action in addition to racing. It just never became a priority for whatever reason. However, the instruction booklet contained a very extensive overview of the Mach 5, lifted from NOW Comics and illustrated by Ken Steacy. All pages follow.
Find a more readable PDF version here.
