Sunrise Unveils Future GPX Cyber Formula 35th Anniversary Details

Sunrise has unveiled details on the extent and depth of the 35th anniversary celebrations for the 1990s Future GPX Cyber Formula animated series. The franchise, which made its debut in the early 1990s was born of the Japanese fascination with Formula 1 racing and detailed a far future racing series that spanned a 37 episode TV series in 1991 before being continued in an OVA series starting in 1992 until ending in 1998.

The extent of the celebrations also spans a new wave of availability for all of the animated episodes on Japanese streaming services after being unavailable outside of an out of print DVD and Blu-Ray boxset, as well as a new wave of merchandise, including new releases of the futuristic cars featured in the series, which were designed by Shoji Kawamori.

With a new wave of merchandise also comes the confirmation that a brand-new video game will also be released, 26 years after the release of the most recent game on the Playstation 2, all of which were exclusive to Japan.

There have also been a series of unofficially produced PC fangames sold at doujin events during the past decade with tacit permission from Sunrise, but this game will be the first to be produced with direct involvement from the studio and staff involved in the series production and will also serve as a canonical extension to the animated series.

Finally, a new tribute video has been posted on the franchise’s official YouTube channel that includes a teaser for a brand new 6 minute short that will be released sometime later this year. The short will directly follow the events of the Japan exclusive Future GPX Cyberformula SIN OVA series released in 1998 that has been confirmed to be entirely cel animated and will not feature any sort of CG animation, according to series director Mitsuo Fukuda, who will also direct the short. A new vehicle design has also been confirmed to be featured in the short, designed by Shoji Kawamori.