Future Tactics Uprising

Located in a not too distant future, when Earth as we know it has succumbed to a race of extra-dimensional creatures. All hopes of restoring order on the shoulders of a boy, his sister and his band of mad rebel militants. More particularly, Future Tactics: The revolt is a tactical RPG turn-which is built around a highly complex battle engine, and features Story Mode and Battle Mode for two players. Future Tactics: The Uprising comprises 18 3D environments, 19 levels, deformable terrain, fully animated cutscenes, and gave a battle mode for two players custom customizable develop the skills of your team members with updates, Boot Camp and a tutorial mode.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #10967 in Video Games

Brand: Crave Entertainment

Model: 650008399219

Published on: 2004-05

Released on: 2005-07-19

ESRB Rating: Teen

Platform: PlayStation2

Number of items: 1

Dimensions: .34 pounds

Features

18 stylized and high-polygon characters interacting in rich, full 3D environments

19 action-packed, highly intense levels waiting to be conquered

Massively deformable terrain. Landscape can be permanently destroyed, leaving behind craters and canyons

Rich, full 3D environments and unique, stylized characters draw you into the action

Deformable terrain - Landscape can be permanently destroyed, leaving behind craters and canyons

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Editorial Reviews

Game Informer Review

Future Tactics started out on a good note with me at first because it reminded of two games that I enjoy: Worms and Final Fantasy Tactics. It was also refreshing to see a game trying new things, mixing turn-based strategy with platforming elements and massively destructible environments. Unfortunately, things went sour quickly when it became clear that none of these innovative features came together well, resulting in a smoking wreck of ideas that should have been fun.

The game's premise is pretty basic: a small group of good guys fight off an overwhelming alien force. Despite the simple setup, Future Tactics is surprisingly difficult, but not in that good "this game is challenging my strategic combat skills" kind of way. The monsters are overpowered, can communicate telepathically (which means if one sees you, they all do), and often respawn once they are destroyed. On the other hand, your characters are few, weak, and the death of a single one can mean game over. The result is numerous frustrating losses rooted in poor game balance rather than tactics.

Don't expect these problems to be lessened at all depending on which version you play; there are essentially no differences among the three. Even though the Xbox version is Xbox Live aware, there are no features that allow you to play against friends online. This means that Future Tactics is an identically mundane experience across the board. However, it does have a tempting $20 price tag, so if you really enjoy turn-based strategy and want to see an interesting new take on the genre, this could be worth a look.

Concept:
Turn-based strategy meets generic 3D action

Graphics:
They are either overly stylized, or just plain bad. The character models are pretty cool, though

Sound:
The thick British accents add some character to an otherwise unremarkable soundtrack

Playability:
There is no way to tell when you're entering an enemy's line of sight, leading to a lot of trial and error

Entertainment:
Despite its cartoony presentation, it is really too frustrating to enjoy

Replay:
Low

Rated: 5.25 out of 10
Editor: Joe Juba
Issue: June 2004

2nd Opinion:
As much as I enjoy turn-based strategy games, I really couldn't find anything to like about Future Tactics. The aiming system was conceptually interesting, but adjusting the floating reticle quickly grew so tiring that I stopped going for perfect shots, and was left with a wholly unappealing gaming mess. The graphics can only be described as awful, missions are boring, and combat ranges from dull to frustrating. The enemy AI is terrible, as is the fact that losing one unit can end the game. Other than the price, Future Tactics has nothing to offer.

Rated: 4.75 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss


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Customer Reviews

Original and FUN!
After reading numberous reviews that trashed this game, I tried it out anyways (though expecting little)!
True, the AI is kinda stupid, the graphics are certainly lackluster, and the story is truly arbitrary and forgettable.
Despite these flaws, Future Tactics is fun!
I am a fan of tactical games, and this is certainly an original spin on the genre. You control multiple characters on each map and your turn consists of moving and performing an action within the map. Often times you have the entire map to trod around in during each turn. You have a large circle of movement place around your character. Depending on how far you move, you can even move again after shooting 'er whatever. With most characters, your firing range is as far as you can see through the scope.
The enemy AI is very stupid, but they make up for it with their ability to communicate your position if just one of them sees you.
And the environment is COMPLETELY DESTROYABLE!! What fun! Nothing like blowing a truck off the road and down a cliff with a bazooka! If it's on the screen, chances are you can decimate it (or destroy it completely)!
The levels are often very drawn out and this game has received criticism for being tedious. I'm sure I am in the top %10 of people most likely to quit ANY game the moment it starts to become irritating, but this game never got under my skin. Sure you have to play levels multiple times before beating them, but you get to destroy the terrain every time! :)

Another little problem with this game is that during the story, a few characters will leave your party without any warning and take with them the power-ups you padded their arsenal with. Yes, it sucks (especially if you maxed out that specific "deserter" like I had) but even if you end up stuck with a bunch of under-powered wussies on the last few levels, you can still beat the game with a little enginuity and very little frustration.
Also, the 2-player mode has a bit of extra stuff you can unlock (and unlocking things is always fun) and is well fluffed up (even though I'll never take advantage of it).
The camera is fairly cooperative, too! Once you start using the first-person view to reset the camera behind your character, there really isn't a problem. What a blessing!!
The originality of this game is its true strength. Once you've tasted it and liked it, you're going to have to come back to it simply because there aren't any other games like it and you will crave it!

What a long review.
All in all, if this game sounds appealing to you, the price is right! It's obviously not a big budget project, but it's got the heart to make up for its shortcomings!
Fully Recommended!

It's not just random slaughter
O.K. I can say, with reasonable assurance, that not many people will read this review. I'm going to give it one because, personally, I think it's a pretty good game. The graphics, though not polished to a ridiculously high sheen with blood and various body parts flying around, serve the game very well. After playing, and enjoying it immensely, I realized that the makers of this game did an exceptional job on the game environment. The sparseness actually added to my enjoyment. I knew exactly where I was at all times. It's a tactical game, but doesn't require a ridiculous amount of planning, foresight, and knowledge of actual military strategy to enjoy. Almost everything is destructible, and you can use the debris you create for cover. This aspect of the game really comes in handy. In short, it's a tactical game that everyone can enjoy if they give it a chance. If you're the type of gamer who likes blood for blood's sake, and just enjoys running around with your lazer guided, supercharged, big as a house, nuclear warhead tipped assault weapon, or enjoys those craptastic thug games that revolve around being as big an a--hole as possible, by all means keep right on playing your little shoot-em-ups until your weapon is as big as the Hoover Dam. If you would like to play an immensely enjoyable game that, I think, is different from the rest, and stands on it's own very well, buy it. I know I really love playing it.

Only good in the beginning
I was fun at first then it became stupid hard and time consuming at the middle/end.

Price: $9.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

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Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

classic pinball tables of William '70, '80 and '90, with art and physics better for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3. The tables include Gorga, Pinbot, Funhouse, Black Knight, Space Shuttle, Whirlwind, firepower, Taxi, Jive Time and Sorcerer. There are also three new pictures, no Gophers Well, madness and tales of medieval Arabian Nights, which are formats developed for other versions.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #587 in Video Games

Brand: Crave Entertainment

Model: PTH50047

Published on: 2009-08-31

Released on: 2009-09-22

ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

Original language: English

Subtitled in: English

Number of items: 1

Dimensions: .57" h x 6.72" w x 5.76" l,

Features

3 New Tables - No Good Gophers, Medieval Madness & Tales of the Arabian Nights

Pinball Level Ranking

Enhanced Art and Physics

Online Reader Boards

More/Expanded Table Goals

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Customer Reviews

By Far the Best Pinball Experience on A Console
Disclosure - I am such a video pinball addict that I own Zen Pinball from the PSN as well as two other versions of this game, on PS2 and PSP. There is just something about pinball that feeds the hardcore "skill" gamer in me. It's punishing at times, loaded with lights and sounds, numerous biofeedback rushes of adrenaline from making shots and beating high scores - it's an "old school gamer's" delight.

So perhaps I was predisposed to liking this game. Still, I tried to evaluate it honestly and rigorously.

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Graphics: WOW. WOW!!!! I own this game on PS2 and PSP, and the PS3 visuals blow those games away handily. Running in 1080p at a silky smooth 60fps, The visuals are just spectacular. Jaggies are almost completely non-existent. No longer do we have to suffer through subpar textures - the playing fields are just exquisite, all text is clear and readable, reflections and lighting are realistic - it's just stunningly beautiful.

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Control: I have noticed absolutely no lag with my setup. The wireless controllers work fine with this game. L1 and R1 control the flippers, while the left and right stick control the plungers and tilt functions. The fact that there is no sixaxis tilt is odd, but I'd rather use the more accurate stick, anyway.

The camera controls offer a lot of choices - five views each for "smart cam" and "full view" which are dynamic and fixed views, respectively.

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Gameplay: If you've played another version of Williams Pinball HOF, you'll have a good idea of what to expect. Some tables are unlocked for free play, others require credits. Achieving table goals earns credits to unlock the pay tables. Tutorial videos outline the ways to achieve table goals.

The only wrinkle here is the Williams Challenge. In this mode, you are tasked with playing each table consecutively, beating a target score on each table, in three tries. The only way to unlock the Jive Time table is to beat the challenge - which is rather hard for even an expert, given the random chance involved in Pinball. Some tables are easy to meet the score goal on, but some tables, especially the older ones, drain much more easily and have fewer score multipliers, making them quite hard. Luckily, Jive Time is by far the least interesting table in the game - so if the Williams Challenge is giving you fits, don't sweat it too much. (NOTE! When you complete the table goals for a particular table, you will be presented with the option to instantly unlock a table for free play. Jive Time will be on the list - don't pick it! This seems to be a mistake by the programmers. It can only be unlocked through the Williams Challenge mode, but the game will still seem to "waste" an unsuccessful unlock on Jive Time. At a minimum, it will delay the unlock until you actually complete Williams Challenge. So it will probably be better spent on making a different table free to play.)

As far as bugs go, they seem to be further and fewer between than the PS2 and PSP versions of the game. Multi-ball play is much more stable than the previous versions of the game - there are no frame rate hitches and gameplay hiccups as in the other versions. In about 10 hours of playtime, I have had a ball pass through a bumper once, and balls "leave the table" twice. Every once in a while, a flipper will "wiggle" on its own without input from the player. So three or fours bugs in that time frame is not so bad, and is probably on par with how many real-life bugs you'd encounter on a physical table with all of its mechanical parts and potential for malfunctions. Should it be perfect? Probably. Is it game breaking? Not at all.

New to the game are online leaderboards and PS3 trophies. Leaderboards finally replicate the real thrill of pinball - trying to top some other real person's score. I will say, the high score implementation is still not perfect - the lists are quite sluggish to scroll through and sorting options are non-existent in the leader boards (e.g. by friends, top scores, etc.), and no higher-level data is available as in Zen Pinball (e.g. best score minute, best this week, best single ball, etc.) The trophies, sadly, are rather lame - there are only 15, nearly all of which are tied to high scores, with only one gold and one silver, no platinum - which leads me to believe this title was intended for download on PSN but somehow it was decided it would earn more money as a disc game. Why the trophies are not tied to the in-game table goals (as they are in the 360 version) is truly beyond my understanding.

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Tables: The following are the 13 included tables, in chronological order:

Jive Time (1970) - A very simple table with few extraneous features. Probably the most "old-timey" of the group. This table is a serious "drain monster" though, with huge center and outlanes and tiny bumpers, and it has been set to 5-ball mode by default to compensate. Pretty frustrating, but good for a nostalgia trip.

Gorgar (1979) - A relatively simple table with a few extras, such as a magnetic "snake pit." Well balanced and fun, but not overly complex. This table can seem crushingly hard to a beginner, but once you master some judicious table bumping, it can become a joy to play. You'll really build your skills on this one, it's hard-core.

Firepower (1980) - a simple but compelling table with two ball locks, some pop bumpers, targets to light them, and an orbit lane to get back up top. Apparently, this was the first table to include "lane change," and boy is it a nice step up from Gorgar to have it. Well balanced, cool sound effects, nice art.

Black Knight (1980) - A fun, 4-flipper multilevel playfield with several ramps and two ball locks for multi-ball. This game is very multi-ball heavy and is thus lots of fun. The flow on this table is amazing - a good hard toss with the flipper can send the ball through both levels and back again in one smooth flight through the ramps.

Space Shuttle (1984)- A fun table with a lane changing word array, two ball catches, two ramps, a space shuttle model, and a bonus readout on the table. Midway between the very complex tables and the more simple ones. This one is pretty easy to earn the extra ball on, so you could be looking at a marathon session. I will say it can get a tad repetitive at higher levels of play.

Sorcerer (1985) - some cool ramps and an fun adjustable word-slot target make this a pretty fun table. The arrangement of targets is quite a bit of fun to hit. Multiball is not too difficult to engage, but is not as easy as Black Knight. The art on this one is quite fetching - the reds, blacks, oranges and purples really pop on a nice HDTV screen.

Pin*Bot (1987) - This table is a lot of fun. A robotic "visor" lifts up during the game, allowing you to lock balls into the eye sockets for later multiball use. Several ramps and a skillshot mechanic off the plunger make this one a keeper. It can be a bit of a "drain monster," though, as the left outlane is shaped in such a way that it frequently diverts the ball in that direction.

Taxi (1988)- This talking table strikes a nice balance between simplicity and gimmicks. While there is no multilevel flipper, a skillshot spiral is off the plunger, a two-way ramp goes around the top, and a ball lock for multiball play on the right side. Adding somewhat to the complexity are five "passengers" you have to pick up and take to their destination (for a big bonus). The passengers include Gorbachev, Pin*Bot, Dracula, Santa Claus, and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike. This one is very balanced fun for both beginners and veterans.

Funhouse (1990)- a VERY fun table with loads of features. You work to advance a clock on the game field by hitting bumpers. A talking ventriloquist dummy gets whacked by the pinball and complains - if you advance the clock far enough, you can put him to sleep and launch the ball into his snoring mouth. Lots of ramps and special features, and a third flipper for multi-level play. Probably the best table in the game.

Whirlwind (1990) - Incredibly fun, up there with Funhouse. This talking table gives you warnings of hurricanes/tornadoes. A third flipper makes this a multi-level game. A lot of cool ramps litter this one, and the middle of the playfield features "storm" pinwheels that alter the path of the ball. The special shots on this table are a lot of fun. The extra ball is devilishly placed, and the million plus is right there for the taking if you light it. The graphical quality helps make the objectives clear on the table even without deep study - just like seeing a target light on a real table!

Tales of the Arabian Nights (1996) - Probably the most "beautiful" table in terms of artwork, but the art is so busy that you may get lost in it, especially at certain camera angles. This one is more of a skill table, with more difficult shots to make. The transparent ramps are very cool and create a "magical" effect on the ball returns. A long set of "missions" make this a good table for a long game session.

Medieval Madness (1997) - a good beginner table. Easy to score in the tens of millions, with several easy targets and very difficult drains to fall into. Also a good table to master - it's deceptively simple. When you figure out the rule set, you'll learn that you can destroy the castle seven times for ever-increasing millions. This seems to be the most popular table online, the leaderboard keep getting longer and longer! I will say, this table is more of a "marathon" than a "skills" table. To break 100 million, it involves a LOT of repeating shots over and over, lather, rinse, repeat.

No Good Gofers (1997) - a table which seems to be based on "Caddyshack," this has a lot of ramps and tons of sound effects. Extremely frenetic, not altogether difficult to engage multiball or score relatively highly.

If you want to research these tables some more and see real photos, check out the Internet Pinball Database.

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Summary:

Keep in mind, any flaws such as those mentioned above are secondary to the main appeal of the game. What you're getting here are 13 classic REAL tables, with great physics, and incredible, nearly photo-realistic graphics. Playing these tables in an arcade, let alone finding them, would take a lot of time and money. Owning them would be even more expensive and effort-intensive. Instead, for the price, you get unlimited access to some prime arcade heritage at a very high quality of simulation. Of course nothing beats the real thing, but the price comparison is huge. You just can't go wrong with this game if you are even a marginal pinball fan. If you have a PS3/360 and a HDTV, it is a must-purchase, pure and simple.

From A Pinball Master.
Well, my first review, but had to share my pinball story and love for the Williams Pinball Collection on PS3, Ive been playing pinball over 30 years and Mastered one game in this collection over a period of 3 months in 2002 at Arizona's biggest arcade (Gameworks) when I was unemployed, nothing to be proud of, but I was addicted and found a new goal for 3 month's of my life and enjoyed every moment mastering Medieval Madness, I could spend a whole day playing on 50 cents, wining game after game, I never knew the history of this pinball machine, just thought it was amusing, the best and funniest one liners in any pinball machine ever made !, It was the only pinball machine that had waiting lines, and draws a crowd when your running up a High Score, really !,(the final battle for the kingdom is exciting) the local pinball geeks took this machine and the High Scores very serious,(I was the NEO of Medieval Madness) once I mastered and broke all the records (over 600,000,000 score) I moved on, found a good job and layed that chapter of my life to rest, or did I ?, now I have Williams Pinball Hall of Fame, 1080P HD T.V, PS3 and my 2 favorite pinball machines Medieval Madness and Tales Of The Arabian Nights, a new journey begins, look out for JWA !.

You don't have to be unemployed or a pinball geek to love this one, 10 good pinball machines, 2 great pinball machines and one for the old stinkers (Jive Time), I love to share another good pinball story from the my arcade experiences, but I got new High Scores to get, oh yeah, if you don't the think Medieval Madness is the best pinball machine ever made, most people who love pinball will agree that not only is it the most expensive pinball machine to buy, its the best, check out the top 100 all time best pinball games ever ([...]) need I say more, just buy it !.

"Its like totally Medieval !".

Must Buy for Pinball Addicts
I own this game on Wii and PSP. Now with the recent Hi-Def releases I own it on both Xbox 360 & PS3 also. Both purchased at Amazon for $29.49 (more than $10 off retail.) That comes out to $2.27 per pin - that's insane value given the excellent implementation.

Is it worth adding this title if I own it on Wii, PS2 or PSP? Absolutely! You get 3 new tables - No Good Gophers, Arabian Nights & Medieval Madness. All of these are newer Solid State pins with complex and fun rule sets. You also get the Hi-Def graphics which blow the previous Wii version's graphics away. Finally there are online high score boards, but unfortunately no online tournaments or Friends High Scores....yet. Can the develepors implement this...I truly have no idea but my guess is that if there is support it is possible!

Even if you have only a casual interest in Pinball I highly recommend this game. If you love pinball this is a MUST buy. I'd go so far as to say it's worth buying an Xbox 360 or PS3 just to play this game if you are a pinball freak. The ball physics and table modeling is spot on. Sound is authentic. Nothing beats the feel of this game except owning the real pins which is a bit more expensive and takes up a great deal more room.

If you've never played pinball but are interested you should give this a try...probably the cheapest, easiest way to get a good sampling of some of the best tables ever.

A request for all new and old fans, if you buy this game and like it, please post a positive review and spread the word to your friends and acquaintances. We want to see more tables issued on disc or through downloadable content. Support the developers and let license holders on these table know that there is an overwhelming demand to see more great pins brought to a new generation of gamers.

Oh yeah...final question - Is this better on Xbox 360 or PS3? If you're a pinball purist and own both systems you may want to buy it for both. Otherwise choose the system with the controller that feels best in your hand. If everything is equal and you just want one, go with the Xbox 360 for the following reasons 1) More achievements ( the PS3 trophies are a little sparse) 2) More competition for high scores online - at least so far...if you don't like competition go PS3.

Enjoy!

Price: $17.96 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

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TH3 Plan

Plan TH3 PS2

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #21573 in Video Games

Brand: Crave Entertainment

Published on: 2007-04

Released on: 2007-04-03

ESRB Rating: Teen

Platform: PlayStation2

Number of items: 1

Dimensions: .36 pounds

Features

For Play on Your PlayStation 2

Th3 Plan. A heist gone wrong. A thief sent to prison. Breakout, a new gig, and revenge...

Published by SVG

Game Genre: Action/Adventure, Game Sub-Genre: Action

Price: $11.64 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

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Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3

In 2001, Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero gave players the opportunity to tear the streets of Tokyo. Now, two yearslater, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 adds the streets of Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya, taking the total road length to a monster 200 miles. All this perfectly recreated to look and feel modern Japan. For the first time in the history of the series, TXR3 uses real cars licensed from Japanese, American and European manufacturers.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #15463 in Video Games

Brand: Crave Entertainment

Released on: 2003-11-18

ESRB Rating: Everyone

Platform: PlayStation2

Number of items: 1

Features

Over 15 different licensed car manufacturers such as Nissan, Toyota, GM, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

200 miles of faithfully re-created roads, made to look and feel just like the real roads of Japan.

Massive upgrade to the physics engine, special effects, graphical editors, weather conditions, courses, textures, lighting, menus, options, car tuning features, and rival characters.

Over 600 rivals to challenge on the highways.

An awesome level of car tuning options allows you to adjust just about every car body part and car performance aspect. Modify your car with custom parts from such manufacturers as Hart, Riverside and Yokohama.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Manufacturer
In 2001, Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero gave players the opportunity to tear up the highways of Tokyo. Now two years later, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 adds the highways of Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya, taking total road length to a monster 200 miles.

All of it accurately modeled to look and feel just like modern Japan. For the first time in the series' history, TXR3 uses real cars licensed from Japanese, North American and European car manufacturers.

Over 15 different licensed car manufacturers such as Nissan, Toyota, GM, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

200 miles of faithfully re-created roads, made to look and feel just like the real roads of Japan.

Massive upgrade to the physics engine, special effects, graphical editors, weather conditions, courses, textures, lighting, menus, options, car tuning features, and rival characters.

Over 600 rivals to challenge on the highways.

An awesome level of car tuning options allows you to adjust just about every car body part and car performance aspect. Modify your car with custom parts from such manufacturers as Hart, Riverside and Yokohama.

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Customer Reviews

The Best TXR Series Yet!
Before I start my review, I want to make one thing very clear. Anytime a racing game like TXR3 is compared to benchmarks like the Gran Turismo or Project Gotham series, it will almost always finish behind. Is that always fair? I think not! Any street-racing game should stand on its own merits and not the merits of others. A red apple should be based on its qualities as a red apple and not a green one, so TXR3 should also be based on what it is instead of what it isn't. With that, let's get started!

TXR3 is the latest in the TXR series that started with the original TXR game followed by TXR2 and TXR Zero. All are fun and addicting games to play with more than their share of annoying little quibbles but the charm lies in its unique game play and the ability to race a seemingly endless number of rivals. Those particular qualities remain intact with some new twist that surely makes TXR3 the best in the series so far.

One of the first things you'll notice is that all the vehicles no longer use thinly disguised manufacturer names. Genki, the producers of the game, managed to obtain licensing from the car companies to use actual model names. A very obvious omission from the ranks is Honda/Acura. From what I understand, either Honda did not allow Genki to use their designs and names or they couldn't get proper licensing in time so if you are a Honda/Acura fan, you're out of luck but TXR3 does have some new kids on the block like Gemballa, DeTomaso, Volkswagen, and Lotus to name a few as well as the usual cast of Asian regulars. And don't forget to check out the all-new Ford GT! Another major change is now you have 3 areas to race instead of one. Along with the highways of Tokyo, there is Osaka and Nagoya to race. Combine those area's 200+ miles of road with 600 rivals to compete against, you'll have a game that will keep you busy for awhile.

The premise of the game hasn't changed much since the beginning -find a rival, flash your lights, race, and win (or lose) depending on whose meter runs out first. Every rival is part of a gang that must be beaten before you can race the leader of the gang. This, in itself, doesn't sound particularly thrilling but there is an undeniable rush when beating your rivals and accumulating funds to buy better cars and modifications to try to beat even faster rivals. And it doesn't stop there! You can also do engine swaps from hi-revving inline-4's to brawny V-8's that go beyond the normal engine upgrades that can really give your ride some very serious power! If that isn't enough, you'll also have the chance to race two bosses at the same time in some situations! Double the pleasure when you win but double the defeat if you don't. Also new for this series is the weather-effects. You'll have many opportunities to race in the rain and snow, although the snow doesn't accumulate but those roads sure get icy! It adds a great dimension to the game that makes you prepare for every race you encounter.

Sound? Definitely better. All the variety of engines now make the appropriate noises from the buzzy 4's to the burbling V-8's and even the 'squish' of the tires on the rain-soaked roads are worth noting. I can't say much for the music, though. If you like the typical power-grunge rock, then this is right up your alley. Personally, I never listen to the music when I'm playing. With the new and proper engine sounds combined with gear-revving, tires squealing, and turbo waste gate whoosh-ing, that's the best music you can have! The music is just a distraction from that.

The graphics are certainly better and a little cleaner than the previous series and the graphics for the weather-effects are superb. The only drawback is that there seems to be an awful lot of pop-ups, especially on the weather-effects. It's not too noticeable when you are driving fast but it's easy to see the buildings and overpasses fill in as you move forward, even when viewing this from the rear-view mirror. This doesn't effect the game play but on some sections of the roads when traveling super fast on rainy days, the pop-ups aren't visible until it's too late and suddenly you find yourself having to make a micro- second decision on what path to take and by then you've crashed big time. Come to think of it, this would probably happen in real life.

Summary:

Hits
* More highways, more cars, more rivals, endless modifications.
* Better road feel, less 'floatiness'.
* Realistic weather-effects.
* Good graphics.

Misses
* Lots of pop-ups on rain/snow days.
* Some bosses start way in front of you before you race.
* WAY too many yellow "Official" vans on the road.
* Absence of Honda/Acura vehicles (which may not necessarily be a bad thing!) :-)

All in all, a first rate game with a tremendous replay value loaded with new options that make it even more fun to play. And that's why I give it 5 stars because it's just good old, bumper-to-bumper, winner-takes-all, fun! Bottom line, if you liked the previous series, go out and lay down your $20.00 for your own copy. It's that simple! If you didn't like it before, rent it and play it. You might be surprised!

DON'T WORRY; you are playing a different, better game
I picked up a very first Tokyo Xtreme Racer (TXR) for Dreamcast without having much anticipation. Result was stunning. I couldn't put down the controller, playing it for hours and hours. I get easily bored with games these days because they look good on surface with graphic, however, lacking the most important aspect; gameplay/fun factor. However, this wasn't the case with TXR. I couldn't wait for the TXR 2 for Dreamcast in the States and ended up getting import version of it. I bought PS2 version, Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero, in order to obtain rival's profiles(you get rival's profiles once you beat them) since I can't read Japanese. You must be wondering why would I buy almost same game for different system just for stupid profiles, especially when it's just a driving game, right? Well, I vividly remember racing against this car in the first game. I raced literally 20 times and each race was so close, so close... After I beat that car, I couldn't help but smile when I read the profile;The rival was female, who goes to city college, borrowing her boy friend's car without his permission. Dang, I felt this 'bond' or 'tie' with her after having twenty close, close races. I almost, almost felt like asking her number... and she was just one of them.

Strangely, this game becomes personal and you get to relate to each rivals, especially ones who gave you hard time.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3... The very first thing I noticed was the graphic. The first impression was that it ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE HIGHWAYS IN TOKYO. One of my Japanese coworkers took me to Japan couple years ago to show me Shutokou Highway after we were fervently discussing about the game(actual highway where game battle takes place). The funny thing is that I didn't think first two TXR games looked anything like actual highway, of course, it looked similar. However, when I was playing TXR 3, it just came to me naturally that this really does look like actual highway. Game looks very identical not only in details (now there's oncoming traffic) but most importantly the scale wise. Feels like actually racing in the highways of Tokyo.

Moreover, they have balanced whole battle system. You could sort of bump into walls and cars and still manage to maintain your speed, however, it wasn't the case with TXR3. Even if you are ahead of your rival, you could still lose EASILY, WHICH FORCES YOU TO MAINTAIN THAT INTENSITY, CONCENTRATON TILL THE END OF RACE. If you just scratch your car or bump into something, then not only you lose speed but also considerable amount of your 'health bar'. This game rewards those players who play with precision, taking game driving as if they were driving a real car. You wouldn't bump into anything if you were to drive your own car in real life while racing someone, would you? No, this game really rewards those who drive realistically. I think that was another great improvement over the previous games. Furthermore, they have tweaked whole physic, where you just can't blindly make a turn without being understeer, which could result in partial spinning..and there goes your victory. They have managed this 'up grade' aspect in a way it literally felt like playing a RPG. It was more like playing Dragon Warrior, where you are fighting to make money to buy better weapon/armor without feeling bored but rather anticipated for better equipment. I felt exactly same way as I was playing this game. One time I was racing against the ring leader, and when that leader was losing, the battle turned into this three-way battle; the leader was trying to drive away while the second team member tried to block me- Wow, I was just blown away!

Yes, this game does finally accommodate real licensing cars- however, they missed few crucial car makers like Honda/Accura. Having this license aspect does help with fun factor obviously despite of its short numbered licensing availability. This game also implemented weather change (raining) which seriously limit your visibility and that's another great addition.

You know, this game does have its own faults here and there.. but trust me, it does not interfere with your game in anyway because, for instance, you would be concentrating on driving, either trying go get ahead of your opponent or preventing them from gettting ahead of you, and I do not think you would notice any serious popups (and if you do, you must be a confident racer, not like me). One more thing I need to mention is that the difficulty has been lowered considerably in my opinion compare to previous two games. So if you were looking for something with more challenge, then this might not work for you. And for those who thought the previous games were way too hard, then this might be the one for you.

I guess if you are reading this game then you must be either new to the series or veterans who want to check out if they are buying another same old games- and rest asure because this is not a same game- (may be I could make a comparison between original Metroid and Metroid Zero Mission, which was the remake however it felt like a totally new game while attaining the original formula). Trust me, it's not about just having enhanced graphic here and there, changed menu and interface here and there.. they made substantial changes for you to not only enjoy the game but also appreciate the changes (especially for those who've played previous two games and were wondering if this is worth your money and time)...

AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO BUY AND PLAY THIS GAME ANYWAY IF YOU'VE PLAYED THE FIRST TWO GAMES, RIGHT?

So if you are making comparison with games like Gran Turismo or other games and decide not to buy this game (for whatever unreasonable reason), HEY, IT'S YOUR LOSS, SERIOUSLY. Gran Turismo is a great game, no question about it. However, there's some aspects from Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3, WHICH CANNOT BE REPLICATED ANYWHERE, EVEN WITH GRAN TURISMO 3 (AND PROLUGUE OF GT4), BUT IN TXR ONLY, PERIOD.

Tremendously enjoy this game like I have.

solid racing game
If your sick of the hollywood hipe, with 2 fast 2 furious, need for speed underground, and all the other lame racing games/ movies, this is the game for you. I've playn' Shutokou Battle 2 ("tokyo xtreme racer 2" in the usa) for a few years, and even though i can't read Japanese, i love the soild real-life feal. this game puts NFSU to shame. In this game you buy parts for a reason: to win. No Lame style points, retarded sound tracks, and even worse game modes. If you want a REAL street racing game, this is it. i loved it.

Price: $47.00

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