AFAIK the reason why Import Tuner Challenge was named the way it was because the game was published by UbiSoft instead of Crave Entertainment, the latter of which still owned the TXR IP at the time. Since that Crave is no more, Genki and whoever the new publisher's going to be can finally reclaim the TXR name.
One thing you need to note is that the map is a laser scanned, 1:1 section of almost the entire tokyo/yokohama highway system. rumors say they spent millions to make it happen. Maybe that's why the rest of the game feels half-baked ( lol) afaik the maps actually good enough that they sold them to automotive companies for simulation and RnD purposed Import Tuner Challenge do have a pretty great simcade physics going on, though.
A bit of a correction. The Tokyo Xtreme Racer series are Western ports of the Shutoko battle series and the TXR Drift games are ports of the Kaido Battle series 1&3 respectively. The first Western release was Tokyo Highway battle which is the 3rd game in the series. The first 2 were released on the Super Famicom aka Super Nintendo in the West. The last Western release that wasn't a phone game was not Import Tuner Challenge. It was Street Supremacy published by Konami for the PSP. The publishers came up with the names. Bonus fact about TXR3. The game doesn't really show it but your tires wear down overtime and make handling worse to the point making you return back to the garage. Visiting parking areas does nothing. You get about 10 races before the wear starts to show. My record is 50 wins in one night.
About the tire wear, TXR3 actually displays the trip mileage as an indicator of the tire. They work well for around 100 miles and then start losing noticeable grip. The tires can last longer if you don't turn too much or cause wheelspin either.
@catrieloconnor1616 Yeah it does depend on how you drive. They also last longer in the rain at least when you use normal tires, which you should for all inclement weather.
I played Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2 A LOT back in the ps2 era, one of my favorite racing games ever, loved the rpg-esque elements of having to check "emails" and parking lots looking for npcs to race against and they have their own requirements in order to accept the challenge.
Nagoya and Osaka have unlockable sections, Nagoyas map is okay but kind of a bigger rectangle - HOWEVER Osaka, Osaka has a massive section of Hanshin Wangan 4. It's a narrow incredibly high speed section that's great fun to drive. If you'd unlocked that section, you'd probably sing its praises over the regular Tokyo map. It's the best map in the game imo.
Emily you are fast becoming my favorite youtuber. Your content continues to deliver in spades. As an arcade racing fan I appreciate you(who primarily focuses on sim racing) not being afraid to go against the grain and cover this side of the racing genre. The new Tokyo Xtreme Racer will no doubt be a banger of a game. I just hope we get a new Wangan Midnight game from Namco for the PC some day(give us a new Ridge Racer while you're at it).
You forgot Racing battle C1 Grand Prix, The Genki's answer to compete Gran Turismo but in a weird way... They using Tokyo Xtreme Racer system battle (It's like TXR but in a Circuit)
I'm very well familiar with the franchise and played on the Dreamcast. It should be also note that Square Enix (then Square Soft) actually made a similar type game though in the form of an RPG, Racing Lagoon.
@@gloriathomas3245 Racing Lagoon is very different. Most races are short sprints lasting under a minute. The only real highway course is C1. You can also change your car setup after any race in Racing Lagoon.
The Osaka and Nagoya maps expand after you beat a certain amount of opponents!! Also you’re suppose to adjust your car to make it drive better. Zero has better driving physics honestly and way more cars!
Fun fact, long ago midnight maximum tune was developed in part by Genki, which is the company behind Tokyo extreme racer in Tokyo extreme racer drift when it comes to Wangan racing games Genki is the go to company in Japan
The legendary Shutokou Battle (official title in Japanese market) series is BACK! They also released the teaser of Nissan Skyline GT-R BNR34 V-Spec II, which indicated that the game will (obviously) featuring the real-life licensed cars. This week, the teaser will feature a Toyota JZA80 Supra. Also their spin-off series (has the mountain/touge racing theme) is called Kaido Battle in Japanese market. There's also the grassroot motorsport theme version combined the elements of Gran Turismo + Genki's Shutokou Battle/Kaido Battle called Racing Battle C1 Grand Prix released exclusively for Japanese PS2 market.
As a kid i love playing Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero my first introduction to the series and when i raced the final racer he drives an old classic first generation S30z 240z Dark Midnight Blue and at this time i was watching wangan midnight and lost my mind when i saw him makes me want to build a car like that one day something so dangerous as if i sold my soul to this car
Played the second one till death, i'm actually half my "keep" savegame, and while i agree the physics are weird, the game is pure fun, it requires skills, cause most of the times you will brake earlier not to hit the walls, due to the physics and the opponent will pass you, but then if you have a car with a good top speed, here what the long straight is for Absolutely loving it, can't wait till the next one... As for the boss battle, you are racing rival gangs and a "gang boss" battle appear when you have beat all the members of a gang. After you beat all the gangs and their bosses for that area a sub-boss appear (the boss for that entire area, and if you win him you get to unlock another zone. When you done all the areas you get to rival the ultimate boss which is a Datsun 240z (in probably all episode). Don0t know for the others but on the second, after you finish the game you get to play a new game but with everything you had in first game oh by the way, tokyo extreme racer zero is just a re-release and somewhat enhanced version of the second...
Played TKR0 back in the day and one of the best games ever for me, even though I wanted better physics. It was just so intense and well made. I hope the new game comes with better physics and proper wheel support.
Definitely need this! my first Ps2 game was Tokyo extreme racer zero and it was perfect, the whole concept was amazing, customization, engine tuning, it was great
You should really give import tuner challenge a try! Better driving, graphics and better story- you get to go to parking garages and talk to other racers to learn about bosses and world. Customization is great. First person driving is the best in those games imo.
@@Drift4Drifters it’s missing some of the highways, it also has a small car list and no weather changes. Personally for me it’s the best of the Shutoko games solely because the physics are easily the best and ‘most realistic’ for the highway series. Worth checking out
I bought Wangan Midnight for PS3 and spent money playing the Maximum Tune arcade verdion, but I’ve used and enjoyed their track so much in Assetto Corsa that I feel obliged to donate and try this 2025 version. Hopefully, the music will be as good as it was in the arcade, though I doubt this version will be as fun or as visually impressive as Assetto Corsa. Why don’t they just sell the laser-scanned data to Kunos? That way, we could have a proper, brand-new, next-gen version of the track with great physics, great cars, police...
I got into TXR games thanks to Kaido Racer 2, as a touge game, but also for holding the vibe, the physics, the car / track selection, the rpg elements, the small details... Its a very special game. But never found much fun about high speeds on straight tracks, even knowing that its more about endless loops and challenging other cars on the go. So the new TXR is not for me, but im still super happy because Genki is very true about love cars, same as their games holds a unique pure japanese spirit.
Also, TXR Zero and 2 are the same game. 2 is what it was called on Dreamcast, and Zero was just the PS2 version. Don't remember why but I know there was a reason for the name change. Which is why 3 is called 3, is not the 4th installment.
I have played all of the TXR games since the first came out. I really love them and I actively play the MOD in Assetto Corsa, so I'm pretty pumped to see the series come back from Genki ❤ I advise to watch or read MF Ghost, I think the whole "sealed future" thing it's going to be similar, where the roads are still there, but only used for sanctioned racing.
Finally someone I agree with about the driving physics! I love this game, but the driving has always felt weirdly floaty and slidey, like the car wants to move sideways at any touch of the control stick. On the other side, the handling on Kaido Racer (Kaido Battle 2 on the EU release) is absolutely great and I like it even more than Gran Turismo 4, which I've been playing a lot of recently with the Spec II mod.
The physics of TXRD2 is really decent esp. for a PS2 game, the drifting is actually really nice with the right setup and it feels on par with GT4. TXR3 on the other hand is really slidey but I actually enjoy it quite a bit lmao
Kaido Racer 2 is not perfect (too heavy on menus, drift trials are kinda dumb as they was made, the IA is random but none of them knows to drift, and also could have more depth on the RPG mechanics...), but what it does right, man, IT DELIVERS! Specially the physics, if you know what you're doing.
It's funny that nobody gave two shits about this game because either it wasn't praised by the press or it was made by EA. Now all of a sudden it has become a sensation.
I'm not one to gatekeep, cause this underrated game is a fucking gem. Let the new ones know just how complex this game is new and old. I can't wait for some new fans to get into JDM
It could be like what they did with Racing C1 Grand Prix, where racers act as a traffic when you and AI are racing to each other. PD could've do what Genki did in the pits btw. Parking Lot and service roads aren't... Well...
Physics is not weird at all, in fact, I was able to have my IRL car's settings reflected in-game with pretty similar driving dynamics. I played most of the entries on a HAWK HKS ps3 controller so I had the luxury of incremental inputs thou, experience may vary.
I started playing this in the 90's on Dreamcast great racer game, its unfair to call it "arcade racer" there was initial D version that was an actual real life Arcade machine. what made this game difficult for people is that they would not know how to tune the suspension in the game which was inspired by real life parts and every one would just hit the walls at every corner because of not understanding the importance of the tuning parts. so i would not call it an "Arcade Racer " the game takes it self serious gives back ground to every racer and team you meet even the wonders the game did its best to make you feel like a Wangan racer and this was before the movie Fast and furious ever came out it was not tell TXR Zero came out that it came with trailer for the movie Fast and Furious
It was great for the time, one of the few games that allowed you to do visual mods. If you're comparing it to GT your going to be upset, but if you take it for what it was it was a blast. I hope they do some (at least semi) sim style driving in this new one and make it great for the modern day, but there definitely is potential here to make a great game.
Name is based of win and Lose n driving habits my name should be i ride the wall 😂 As a real car guy it reflects a amazing time in japan highway racing history. For old game its good cars specs on point its also related to the other game you reviewed
Wow on the PS2 Tokyo Extreme Racer 3 looks awful! I only know TER2 on Dreamcast and it looks incredible with bright reflected motorway lights on the car, just beautiful. Please check that out if you have time.
Too many open-world racing games with rallying stuff these days, thank to Forza Horizon. What we need is going back to the old school tarmac-only open-world racing games with no off-roading, no rallying stuff. That's what we wanted so long. I've played lots of TXR games and while Shutokou ones are what we want, Kaido ones are also real fun.
What do you mean? PS2 was the best console for racing games enthusiast, same as they have games with really solid physics. Richard Burns Rally, GT4, Enthusia, Kaido Racer 2...
S tires are wears so easier than normal tires. Also, when it's rain/snow, its performance is so horrible Normal tires : perfect for bad weather conditions or long night run against slow/weak rivals. S tires : perfect for short night run against powerful rivals (team leaders, bosses, or powerful wanderers)
@@metaliczic96 IIRC there was 3 types of tires in the game: Normal tires were okay just for slow cars (basically stock cars or light tune starter cars) since it wears really fast. HG tires were basically sport tires, has better grip, last longer, and grips better in the wet. Lastly, S tires were semi-slicks, best grip on dry, worst grip on wet, and last the longest
@@GilangGegono77thing is, HG tires were sort of put in an awkward spot, since normals were the best for wet, and S tires last long enough to basically render them moot since they're not that hard to obtain at least in TXR2 lv 3-4 tires were balanced by wearing out faster than 1-2s
AFAIK the reason why Import Tuner Challenge was named the way it was because the game was published by UbiSoft instead of Crave Entertainment, the latter of which still owned the TXR IP at the time. Since that Crave is no more, Genki and whoever the new publisher's going to be can finally reclaim the TXR name.
new TXR's self-published, IIRC
Ubisoft ruins everything
One thing you need to note is that the map is a laser scanned, 1:1 section of almost the entire tokyo/yokohama highway system. rumors say they spent millions to make it happen. Maybe that's why the rest of the game feels half-baked ( lol)
afaik the maps actually good enough that they sold them to automotive companies for simulation and RnD purposed
Import Tuner Challenge do have a pretty great simcade physics going on, though.
A bit of a correction. The Tokyo Xtreme Racer series are Western ports of the Shutoko battle series and the TXR Drift games are ports of the Kaido Battle series 1&3 respectively.
The first Western release was Tokyo Highway battle which is the 3rd game in the series.
The first 2 were released on the Super Famicom aka Super Nintendo in the West.
The last Western release that wasn't a phone game was not Import Tuner Challenge. It was Street Supremacy published by Konami for the PSP. The publishers came up with the names.
Bonus fact about TXR3. The game doesn't really show it but your tires wear down overtime and make handling worse to the point making you return back to the garage. Visiting parking areas does nothing. You get about 10 races before the wear starts to show. My record is 50 wins in one night.
About the tire wear, TXR3 actually displays the trip mileage as an indicator of the tire. They work well for around 100 miles and then start losing noticeable grip. The tires can last longer if you don't turn too much or cause wheelspin either.
@catrieloconnor1616 Yeah it does depend on how you drive. They also last longer in the rain at least when you use normal tires, which you should for all inclement weather.
I played Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2 A LOT back in the ps2 era, one of my favorite racing games ever, loved the rpg-esque elements of having to check "emails" and parking lots looking for npcs to race against and they have their own requirements in order to accept the challenge.
Nagoya and Osaka have unlockable sections, Nagoyas map is okay but kind of a bigger rectangle - HOWEVER Osaka, Osaka has a massive section of Hanshin Wangan 4. It's a narrow incredibly high speed section that's great fun to drive.
If you'd unlocked that section, you'd probably sing its praises over the regular Tokyo map. It's the best map in the game imo.
Oh I fucking HATE Nagoya, solely because of D3. Unless you wanna burn your tires leading them to the Kanjou area, you can’t defeat them
Emily you are fast becoming my favorite youtuber. Your content continues to deliver in spades. As an arcade racing fan I appreciate you(who primarily focuses on sim racing) not being afraid to go against the grain and cover this side of the racing genre. The new Tokyo Xtreme Racer will no doubt be a banger of a game. I just hope we get a new Wangan Midnight game from Namco for the PC some day(give us a new Ridge Racer while you're at it).
You forgot Racing battle C1 Grand Prix, The Genki's answer to compete Gran Turismo but in a weird way...
They using Tokyo Xtreme Racer system battle (It's like TXR but in a Circuit)
I'm very well familiar with the franchise and played on the Dreamcast. It should be also note that Square Enix (then Square Soft) actually made a similar type game though in the form of an RPG, Racing Lagoon.
@@gloriathomas3245 Racing Lagoon is very different. Most races are short sprints lasting under a minute. The only real highway course is C1. You can also change your car setup after any race in Racing Lagoon.
The Osaka and Nagoya maps expand after you beat a certain amount of opponents!!
Also you’re suppose to adjust your car to make it drive better.
Zero has better driving physics honestly and way more cars!
Fun fact, long ago midnight maximum tune was developed in part by Genki, which is the company behind Tokyo extreme racer in Tokyo extreme racer drift when it comes to Wangan racing games Genki is the go to company in Japan
@@Zer0_C001 Long gone*🤣. I’m dying.
@ yea speech to text is great. 🤣
The legendary Shutokou Battle (official title in Japanese market) series is BACK! They also released the teaser of Nissan Skyline GT-R BNR34 V-Spec II, which indicated that the game will (obviously) featuring the real-life licensed cars. This week, the teaser will feature a Toyota JZA80 Supra. Also their spin-off series (has the mountain/touge racing theme) is called Kaido Battle in Japanese market. There's also the grassroot motorsport theme version combined the elements of Gran Turismo + Genki's Shutokou Battle/Kaido Battle called Racing Battle C1 Grand Prix released exclusively for Japanese PS2 market.
Pls revive the arcade racing games Im so tired of Sim racing everywhere
As a kid i love playing Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero my first introduction to the series and when i raced the final racer he drives an old classic first generation S30z 240z Dark Midnight Blue and at this time i was watching wangan midnight and lost my mind when i saw him makes me want to build a car like that one day something so dangerous as if i sold my soul to this car
Played the second one till death, i'm actually half my "keep" savegame, and while i agree the physics are weird, the game is pure fun, it requires skills, cause most of the times you will brake earlier not to hit the walls, due to the physics and the opponent will pass you, but then if you have a car with a good top speed, here what the long straight is for
Absolutely loving it, can't wait till the next one...
As for the boss battle, you are racing rival gangs and a "gang boss" battle appear when you have beat all the members of a gang. After you beat all the gangs and their bosses for that area a sub-boss appear (the boss for that entire area, and if you win him you get to unlock another zone. When you done all the areas you get to rival the ultimate boss which is a Datsun 240z (in probably all episode). Don0t know for the others but on the second, after you finish the game you get to play a new game but with everything you had in first game
oh by the way, tokyo extreme racer zero is just a re-release and somewhat enhanced version of the second...
The new TXR needs to be a mixture of the old TXR and Maximum Tune. With online and wheel support. Would be a big seller for sure.
Played TKR0 back in the day and one of the best games ever for me, even though I wanted better physics. It was just so intense and well made. I hope the new game comes with better physics and proper wheel support.
Definitely need this! my first Ps2 game was Tokyo extreme racer zero and it was perfect, the whole concept was amazing, customization, engine tuning, it was great
She said 3 was the best, but man I had the most fun with Zero.
Zero is the only one I played. Great PS2 game
You should really give import tuner challenge a try! Better driving, graphics and better story- you get to go to parking garages and talk to other racers to learn about bosses and world. Customization is great. First person driving is the best in those games imo.
I heard that ITC only lacks some maps to be considered better than TXR 3, as a Shutokou game.
@@Drift4Drifters it’s missing some of the highways, it also has a small car list and no weather changes. Personally for me it’s the best of the Shutoko games solely because the physics are easily the best and ‘most realistic’ for the highway series. Worth checking out
I bought Wangan Midnight for PS3 and spent money playing the Maximum Tune arcade verdion, but I’ve used and enjoyed their track so much in Assetto Corsa that I feel obliged to donate and try this 2025 version. Hopefully, the music will be as good as it was in the arcade, though I doubt this version will be as fun or as visually impressive as Assetto Corsa. Why don’t they just sell the laser-scanned data to Kunos? That way, we could have a proper, brand-new, next-gen version of the track with great physics, great cars, police...
I got into TXR games thanks to Kaido Racer 2, as a touge game, but also for holding the vibe, the physics, the car / track selection, the rpg elements, the small details... Its a very special game.
But never found much fun about high speeds on straight tracks, even knowing that its more about endless loops and challenging other cars on the go. So the new TXR is not for me, but im still super happy because Genki is very true about love cars, same as their games holds a unique pure japanese spirit.
Also, TXR Zero and 2 are the same game. 2 is what it was called on Dreamcast, and Zero was just the PS2 version. Don't remember why but I know there was a reason for the name change. Which is why 3 is called 3, is not the 4th installment.
I have played all of the TXR games since the first came out. I really love them and I actively play the MOD in Assetto Corsa, so I'm pretty pumped to see the series come back from Genki ❤
I advise to watch or read MF Ghost, I think the whole "sealed future" thing it's going to be similar, where the roads are still there, but only used for sanctioned racing.
Empty box did a whole series on this game. Loved it
Literally all the have to do is clean up the graphics and put it online. I'm so excited I love this franchise. Still playing ITC.
Finally someone I agree with about the driving physics! I love this game, but the driving has always felt weirdly floaty and slidey, like the car wants to move sideways at any touch of the control stick. On the other side, the handling on Kaido Racer (Kaido Battle 2 on the EU release) is absolutely great and I like it even more than Gran Turismo 4, which I've been playing a lot of recently with the Spec II mod.
The physics of TXRD2 is really decent esp. for a PS2 game, the drifting is actually really nice with the right setup and it feels on par with GT4. TXR3 on the other hand is really slidey but I actually enjoy it quite a bit lmao
Racing Battle C1 may be the best imo, the car is easier to control & drift
Kaido Racer 2 is not perfect (too heavy on menus, drift trials are kinda dumb as they was made, the IA is random but none of them knows to drift, and also could have more depth on the RPG mechanics...), but what it does right, man, IT DELIVERS! Specially the physics, if you know what you're doing.
It's funny that nobody gave two shits about this game because either it wasn't praised by the press or it was made by EA. Now all of a sudden it has become a sensation.
I'm not one to gatekeep, cause this underrated game is a fucking gem. Let the new ones know just how complex this game is new and old. I can't wait for some new fans to get into JDM
I'm just really glad they're back! TXR are a vibe but they're masterpices if you get into it.
It could be like what they did with Racing C1 Grand Prix, where racers act as a traffic when you and AI are racing to each other.
PD could've do what Genki did in the pits btw. Parking Lot and service roads aren't... Well...
tokyo xtreme racer series are my favorite all time games along with Gran Turismo I never get bored of it
Physics is not weird at all, in fact, I was able to have my IRL car's settings reflected in-game with pretty similar driving dynamics. I played most of the entries on a HAWK HKS ps3 controller so I had the luxury of incremental inputs thou, experience may vary.
Played every single Tokyo Xtreme. Die hard fan. This game is for the ppl that know.
I wish they can implement drifting as well. I heard night runners will try to…
TXR my goat of racing games!
I miss this series. I had the all at one point 😢
zero and 3 have somewhat different physics if i remember
Will this be coming to consoles? I'm a big fan on PlatStation Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero, 3, and both Drift games.
I started playing this in the 90's on Dreamcast great racer game,
its unfair to call it "arcade racer" there was initial D version that was an actual real life Arcade machine.
what made this game difficult for people is that they would not know how to tune the suspension in the game which was inspired by real life parts and every one would just hit the walls at every corner because of not understanding the importance of the tuning parts.
so i would not call it an "Arcade Racer " the game takes it self serious gives back ground to every racer and team you meet even the wonders the game did its best to make you feel like a Wangan racer and this was before the movie Fast and furious ever came out it was not tell TXR Zero came out that it came with trailer for the movie Fast and Furious
It was great for the time, one of the few games that allowed you to do visual mods. If you're comparing it to GT your going to be upset, but if you take it for what it was it was a blast. I hope they do some (at least semi) sim style driving in this new one and make it great for the modern day, but there definitely is potential here to make a great game.
If there’s no traffic it’s gonna be bad there’s no way
Night Runners Prologue has been the closest thing to Tokyo Extreme... Have you tried it on Steam yet?
Name is based of win and Lose n driving habits my name should be i ride the wall 😂
As a real car guy it reflects a amazing time in japan highway racing history. For old game its good cars specs on point its also related to the other game you reviewed
Any idea if I can play wangan maxi tune on anbernic emulator?
Try playing zero next
I love Genki so much!
Wow on the PS2 Tokyo Extreme Racer 3 looks awful! I only know TER2 on Dreamcast and it looks incredible with bright reflected motorway lights on the car, just beautiful. Please check that out if you have time.
Wreckfest already revived it
Lady Tokyo extreme racer ain't arcadeXD
Unless we talking about street supremecy
God I hope I hope I hope I hope I hope please
TXR3 is a bad example honestly. TXR Zero was peak.
only players can revive a game or genre.
Wait a minute, A girl who likes txr..How did i get here.
first
When I see Emily I watch.🙂
Too many open-world racing games with rallying stuff these days, thank to Forza Horizon. What we need is going back to the old school tarmac-only open-world racing games with no off-roading, no rallying stuff.
That's what we wanted so long. I've played lots of TXR games and while Shutokou ones are what we want, Kaido ones are also real fun.
It's a PS2 game, what kind of driving did you expect?
What do you mean? PS2 was the best console for racing games enthusiast, same as they have games with really solid physics. Richard Burns Rally, GT4, Enthusia, Kaido Racer 2...
3:48 *Sees the TRIP meter*
It's tire wear. at 400 the tires are basically bald lmao
S tires are wears so easier than normal tires. Also, when it's rain/snow, its performance is so horrible
Normal tires : perfect for bad weather conditions or long night run against slow/weak rivals.
S tires : perfect for short night run against powerful rivals (team leaders, bosses, or powerful wanderers)
@@metaliczic96 IIRC there was 3 types of tires in the game:
Normal tires were okay just for slow cars (basically stock cars or light tune starter cars) since it wears really fast.
HG tires were basically sport tires, has better grip, last longer, and grips better in the wet.
Lastly, S tires were semi-slicks, best grip on dry, worst grip on wet, and last the longest
@@GilangGegono77thing is, HG tires were sort of put in an awkward spot, since normals were the best for wet, and S tires last long enough to basically render them moot since they're not that hard to obtain
at least in TXR2 lv 3-4 tires were balanced by wearing out faster than 1-2s