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Gameplay: 'Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift'
'Tokyo Xtreme Racer' falls short of predecessors' innovations
By Joe Nguyen
nguyejos@mscd.edu

Courtesy of Genki Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift Platforms: PS2 Price: $9.99 Genki

“Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift” adds a new dimension to the world of auto-racing games, but falls flat compared to its predecessors with its limited gaming options.

The previous installments of the “Tokyo” series are the best street racing games on the market, allowing players to spend hours modifying everything from the shape of the rear bumper to the color of the headlights. This is the bread and butter of the series. There’s nothing quite like driving a fixed up, wide-body midnight blue Skyline R34.

Unfortunately many of these modifications aren’t available in the latest edition of “Drift.” Players are limited to either changing everything on the exterior of the car or keeping it stock.

Another shortfall is the initial budget with only a few cars the player can afford. This is one of the similarities “Drift” has to the animé “Initial D.” In both games, the best chance to make money early on is to start with a used Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86, the same car used by the game’s main character. There are several other references to the popular Japanese cartoon in the game.

Despite “Drift’s” obvious flaws, it’s hard to argue with a fairly entertaining game that’s only $10. “Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift” provides hours of entertainment and is still better than many of the higher-priced racing games on the market.