Set in the year 2050, the Iridium Championship is a series of athletic on-foot races sponsored by futuristic mega corporations, where pure speed isn’t necessarily the only route to winning on the game’s wildly inventive tracks. Combinations of collectable power-ups and weapons add to the frenetic pace, opening up a wide range of options for securing victory over the other contestants.

Iridium Runners will feature several game modes, from full championship to single race, with the highlight being split-screen multiplayer. Split into traditional free-for-all racing and a tactically rich team mode, Iridium Runners’ multiplayer allows for CPU players to fill space where human adversaries aren’t available. The team mode features two teams with two players each, with each team having to balance racing for the finish line with hampering the efforts of their opponents by making good use of all the available collectables. Rendered in a delightful cartoony style, Iridium Runners’ unique visuals underline the freshness of the overall concept, which promises to re-invigorate the PS2’s racing catalogue.

Melanie Mroz, Executive Vice President, SouthPeak Games said: “Iridium Runners is our first release for 2008, which promises to be an amazing year for us. We’ve got titles across eight formats lined up for the rest of the year and it’s great to be starting with a distinctive, instantly-accessible racing title like Iridium Runners. At its mid-range price point, we’re sure its charm and inventive design will appeal to any PS2 gamer looking for a bit of futuristic racing action.”

Features:

• 20 characters and 8 pod sidekicks to choose from. Picking the right one is crucial to winning the race.
• 30 tracks to race on, each with their own unique obstacles and challenges.
• Single Race, Cup and Championship modes are available in both single player and multiplayer.
• Collect power ups during the race that give you special powers that allow you to increase your performance or attack your opponent.
• Unlock new characters, suits, tracks, soundtracks, and production artwork as you proceed throughout the game.

Iridium Runners, rated E for Everyone, is developed by Italian game studio Playstos Entertainment and will be released on Feb. 22, 2008.