Gaming Target - Dreamcast: Tokyo Xtreme Racer

Written by Kris Genthe on June 22, 2000

Review: Is it me or did they misspell the word 'Extreme' with 'Xtreme'

Ever want to race on the twisting roads of Tokyo? No, me either. Ever want to go street racing against more than 20 different gangs, and beat 8 bosses, choose between over 30 cars, and upgrade the things to your hearts desire, then tweak them to the max? Yeah, I thought so. Enter: Tokyo Xtreme Racer.

The visuals in Tokyo Xtreme Racer are mind blowing. Simply put: there is no other racer that looks this good, PERIOD! The game is blazing fast with high resolutions running at a super fast 60 fps. The lighting effects are spectacular, from you shining your brights on your rivals, to the street lamp posts going by reflecting on your car. The environment is also very detailed featuring buildings, fences, trees, billboards, and everything else that is found on the Tokyo highway system. And the replays-- my God the replays! Life like, I'm serious, it looks real. Nuff said.

When you take the controls, you will notice that they are top-notch. Every car handles a little different, some better, some worse. On top of that, you can fully adjust most aspects of your car. If you are the type that likes to drift (powerslide), you can make the adjustments to do so. Quite simply I might add. Its just a matter of adjusting a lever, making this game appeal to the casual as well as the hardcore. Add of course, a racer wouldn't be complete without upgrades. This is where the game truly shines. You can adjust absolutely anything you want on the car. Even the tinniest details can be upgraded. Headlights, side mirrors, type of spoiler, paint job, the list goes on and on. And yet again, this is done in a simple manner. The game may feel a little slippery at first to some, but after about 45 minutes, you get used to it and it becomes second nature.

The audio in TXR is almost as great as the visuals. The engine sounds in TXR are realistic, and not an annoying whine found in other games. The sound is so good, you can tell the exact point when to switch gears (if you put in on manual transmission)! Not only are the sound effects impressive, it has a decent soundtrack to back it up. The music is kind of Japanese, and might not appeal to everyone, but the Japanese Techno style music fits in quite nicely, further adding to the TXR experience.

Was I satisfied? Oh hell yeah! Easily one of the greatest racing experiences of my life. The game is so impressive; it is hard not to be completely blown away. There is one problem though. There are only 2 tracks. But on the bright side, they are massive! Also worth mentioning, are the two 2-player modes in TXR. The first one (the better of the 2) is where you get to race around the entire track. This can take a while, but with multiple paths to choose from, it is always interesting, and since the track is so big, you can always make a big comeback. The other mode is just like the main game. You race until one of your life meters runs out. There really isn't enough time to make a comeback, so if you make an error, you are screwed.

The replay in TXR all depends on how much you like racing games. If you aren't a serious fan of racers, then TXR might loose your interest in a week, but if you love them, than the 2 tracks will hold you off for months. There are tons of cars though, and I mean TONS! Over 30 once you unlock everything. And every aspect of the car can be upgraded, or customized in some manner. Headlights, side panels, spoiler, EVERYTHING. This makes winning races rewarding, and adds allot to the replay value. TXR is a solid racer for fans of racing games.