Games That Weren't^®

2004 Milestone S.r.l.

Platforms: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox

Also known as: FX Racing

Lamborghini FX was once an ambitious arcade style racing game developed by Milestone S.r.l. and was set to be published by Titus Interactive, marking a return to the publisher’s earlier successes with Lamborghini-licensed titles Automobili Lamborghini and Lamborghini American Challenge. The game was scheduled for release in July 2004, but was ultimately cancelled following Titus Interactive’s bankruptcy in June of that year.

The title was very much as a throwback to classic arcade racers, prioritising speed and arcade fun over simulation/realism. According to the official press release from May 2004, the game would feature “high-speed arcade-style” racing across a variety of detailed environments, with players able to perform “jumps, spins, drifts or even driving on two wheels” in order to earn weapons to use against opponents. Races were described as full contact, requiring players to be fast, clever and aggressive in order to succeed.

Players would also take control of a wide selection of Lamborghini vehicles, including iconic models such as: Diablo, Countach, Miura, Murciélago and Gallardo – racing across global locations ranging from cities and deserts. Among the tracks revealed were Transylvania, with its winding mountain roads and gothic atmosphere, a devastated, almost post-apocalyptic Tokyo and Egypt, featuring pyramid lined routes and large stunt opportunities across ancient ruins.

A key gameplay mechanic was centred around stunts and collectible tokens. By performing tricks such as jumps, power slides, spins and two-wheeling, players could earn weapons to disrupt rivals during races. These included missiles, fireballs and even unusual concepts like earthquake style attacks that could destabilise opponents. “FX Tokens” acted as an in-game currency used to unlock vehicles, tracks and other content, whereas “Nitro Tokens” allowed players to boost their speed at key moments. The game also encouraged players to chain together stunts and aggressive driving in order to gain an advantage.

Computer controlled drivers would additionally react dynamically to player behaviour, adding to unpredictability of races. Alongside single player modes such as quick races, time attacks and a central Lamborghini World Championship mode, the game also planned to include multiplayer options, with up to four players competing via split-screen, LAN or online play depending on the platform.

An official interview with Titus co-founder Eric Caen, described the game as a fast paced arcade game with funny and cool challenges. Eric emphasised that the aim was to create something competitive but not overly aggressive in tone:

“There are too many games where violence is prevailing and our goal is different… we want to create a game where challenge between the competitors is essential but with no silly violence. Maybe a bit like Mario Kart which remains an emblem.”

He also spoke highly of Milestone’s involvement in development:

“Milestone is the best Italian developer, and one of the best European studios concerning racing games. Who is better than an Italian team to create a game about the legendary cars of Lamborghini?”

One interesting feature also for a licensed title at the time was the inclusion of visible vehicle damage, something not commonly permitted with high-end car brands:

“We needed to be realistic showing that if we were badly driving… the car should be damaged like in reality.”

Beyond the core game, Titus even had plans for a large scale promotional competition, where top players could win a trip to Italy, including a visit to the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata and a ride in a real Lamborghini driven by an official driver.

Before becoming Lamborghini FX, the project had also originally been announced as FX Racing in October 2003. This earlier version already featured many of the same elements, including stunt-based gameplay, token collection and weapon-based combat across locations such as Tokyo, Egypt and Transylvania.

FX Racing was planned for release in early 2004 but was quietly cancelled, with its concepts and technology carried over into Lamborghini FX following acquisition of the Lamborghini licence. As a result, the two titles are widely believed to be closely related, if not essentially the same project in different forms.

Despite a strong marketing push and a clear design direction, the game’s fate was sealed when Titus Interactive filed for bankruptcy in June 2004, just weeks before its intended release window. Without a publisher, Lamborghini FX was left in limbo and ultimately cancelled. There is also evidence that additional versions, including Game Boy Advance and GameCube editions, may have been in development as well, though these remain unconfirmed.

It is sad that the game never saw release due to the collapse of Titus, though thankfully Milestone would later going on to major success with series such as MotoGP and Hot Wheels Unleashed (no doubt inspired by this lost project).

Amazingly, the official website that promoted the game is still accessible via Flash emulation tools such as Ruffle at the time of writing. It features a trailer showcasing gameplay, additional screenshots, a small Flash-based mini-game and further details about the project.

Hopefully some day we’ll be able to get hold of some builds of the game in action in its various forms – perhaps close to final considering when Titus closed and when the game was due. It would be great to experience the promise of the title for ourselves.

One last thing to mention (thanks Netanel for reminding me!), but what is staggering is that the original promotional website for the game is still going today: http://www.29-30productions.com/lambo/index.htm

With a huge thank you to Netanel Frija for flagging up the title and all their research collating various news posts and press releases talking about the game and to Rozhovor, Time.graphics and elotrolado.net for screenshots.

Downloads

• 06052004_lamborghini_fx_vf  (Original press release)

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