The first Formula 1 game from Codemasters is out this week, in the form of F1 2009 for Wii and PSP. I’ve spent a few hours with the Wii version now, which I’ll review fully on Games Asylum in the fullness of time, but thought it might be worth sharing my thoughts at this stage.

First and foremost: it’s really good. So don’t worry. If you fancy it, get it. It’s worth it.

It is tempting to criticise though. There are disappointments for the completest, in that only the drivers who started the season are available. And the format holds it back in some small ways: no analogue accelerator button; the graphics aren’t stunning, and the frame rate drops a bit too often.

But it’s a lot of fun, mainly because it’s properly fast. Working through a whole Grand Prix weekend is completely absorbing – particularly with the in-car camera – using practice sessions to learn the track, taking part in the three qualifying sessions, then going up against everyone in the race. And there are championship and career modes I’ve yet to get stuck in to.

The Wii remote makes for a far better steering wheel than I expected, and nicely conveys the feeling of wrestling the car around the track. It’s certainly not a simulation, though neither is it easy, even with lots of driving aids on.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s good though: Codemasters know what they’re doing, and developers Sumo Digital are no strangers to decent racing games. Next year’s Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game might be expected to trump this effort, but I think F1 2009 is going to keep me plenty busy for now.