Speed Racer, the Warner Bros film by the creators of the Matrix trilogy, launched in May with all the retail fanfare that has become customary for any Hollywood blockbuster – including toy cars, Lego sets and clothing in retail aisles from Woolworths to Wal-Mart.

One feature of the promotional campaign stood out, however. In posters trailing the film’s arrival, the message that it would hit cinemas on May 9 was accompanied by news that the Nintendo video game would be out on the same day.