14 DAY TRIAL // Codemasters has announced the official release dates for its upcoming F1 2009 videogame, the only title on the market out this year aiming to fully simulate the races on the calendar of the 2009 edition of the Formula 1 Championship.
The title has a date of November 19 in all PAL territories, with the United Kingdom getting F1 2009 on both the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation Portable on November 20. The United States will receive the videogame on November 17, while Japan, which hosted the Fuji Grand Prix this weekend, is a bit shortchanged and will only be getting F1 2009 on December 18 on both platforms.
The latest piece of information about F1 2009 is related to the Japanese circuit, which presents unique challenges to all drivers because of the figure eight shape of the tracks and the way the various corners need to be negotiated at high speeds. The Suzuka circuit is fully recreated in the Codemasters simulation as are all other tracks that have been raced on during the 2009 Formula 1 Championship.
Codemasters is offering its latest simulation on the PlayStation Portable and on the Nintendo Wii in a bid to get more gamers interested in the title. The Wii version is set to offer both modes allowing casual players to get around the track without much trouble and modes challenging even the most experienced racers.
In parallel with putting the finishing touches on F1 2009, Codemasters is also working on another game based on the premiere racing league, F1 2010, which is being created for the PlayStation 3 from Sony and for the Xbox 360 from Microsoft. It should be released in 2010, probably during spring, and will use the full power of the two home consoles to allow players to simulate the 2010 Formula 1 season.