Okay, for those who don't like to read, let me just give the ending away by saying that Import Tuner Challenge is a great tribute to the series, in my opinion, and the win multiplier and different roads are great touches, the story mode is surprisingly DEEP, and I DO NOT MISS DRIVING DOWN THE WANGAN.


...if you are interested in finding out why I said what I did, then by all means, read on.

When I first picked up my Xbox 360 last summer, I picked up Import Tuner Challenge. 10 months later, I am still playing (albeit from time to time).

I noticed that the Wangan was not represented in this game at all, and I wasn't happy about that at first, but I stated playing anyway. As I kept playing the game, and moved on from my first vehicle (the old-school Supra) to the Impreza, the game started opening up more and more:

* my first major boss battle with Platinum Prince.
* my discovery of the win multiplier.
* having new roads open up as you progress in the game.

As a whole, the battles are easier than they were in TXR 2 - the gameplay is more forgiving (although sometimes it doesn't seem that way, especially when two traffic cars are occupying lanes at almost the same location).

The thing that rocks about the battles is the presentation - just like in TXR 2, minibosses have a bit of a "cominatcha" moment when they show up, or when you challenge them at a parking area and meet them on the road. Then, you have the boss battles - bigger shows of force, most every one of them is at least a psychological challenge at first (until your hopped up car gives them the business, anyway).

Oh, before I forget - since I never played the other TXR titles (or Wangan Midnight titles), I am definitely enjoying the multi-car battles. Most notable example, a 3-car boss battle involving Mad Murdoc and Dark Tengu, two of the three bosses you meet in your rise to the title of top racer.

A lot of money is won in this game, but the mods also cost a lot of money as well. Fortunately, the win multiplier comes in like gangbusters to help the persistent racers score a lot of money and stay on top of the racing to come. (As I get deeper and deeper into the story, I find that thoroughly racing the roads and racking up the win multiplier go hand in hand.)

It also helps that you are not going QUITE as far to get that money, either. Since the W-A-N-G-A-N is O-U-T of this title, you have the C1, route 9, and routes 3 and 4 (Shinjuku and Shibuya lines, if I'm not mistaken). It's actually quite easy to get to all the major routes in a consistent fashion, take on the racers you see, rack up your win multiplier, and bide your time until the next boss battle.

(By the way, what's your take on using nitrous? I barely use mine except when I mess up while racing someone as a way of catching up, or when a parking area is less than a mile away and I really, really want to beat someone first before I pull in.)

But amazingly enough, something that I actually keep thinking about, a feature more amazing than actually being able to drive the wrong way and not be automatically turned around by the computer, is the storyline.

THAT'S RIGHT! I SAID STORYLINE!

Never before in my Tokyo Extreme Racer history has story involved me so much. Ok, so you know you pull into a rest area when you are tired in real life. In the game, the parking areas let you learn a little more about the racers you are driving with as well as the bosses you are going up against. You also have to pay attention to learn the habits of those perennially picky wanderers.

But then you start being drawn in to the story, and suddenly the racers you were racing with start having more and more interesting stories themselves, and the bosses you raced against to climb up the ladder start telling you more and more of what's going on. I'm at the point now where the former "King Speed" has resurfaced, and the other bosses want to see him race again.

Yes - I am a racing game fan who is impressed by how deep the story is. Yes, I know Wangan Midnight has manga behind it, but hey, let me have my moment here! ITC is involving me on a level that TXR 1 and 2 did not, and I'm still impressed. If I haven't even seen Snake Eyes yet, then I wonder what the buildup to King Speed will be.

So there you have it. I like this game a lot. Basically, there's almost a TXR1-esque old-school quality to how quickly you can get around the track, a good chunk of customization and detailing options available, and yes, deep story (or at least a New York pizza slice of it). And at least in my case, you'll be ripping around the roads so fast that you won't miss the Wangan south of Daiba.

That's my review. Am I'm not even done playing this thing yet!

The Wangan missing bothered me at first, then it didn't but since i played TXR0 again, it did. IT NEEDS TO BE THERE! :o

You just sold me a copy of SBX, thanks I've been looking at this game since i got my 360 but never knew what i thought of it, I was turned off by the relative lack of cars until I realized how much more detailed they are with engines and interiors and all that.

What really sold me was what you said about the story, thats always been my favorite aspect of Genkis games. I'll definitely give this a go.

that was a long read. I might give this game a try eventually. short on cash for games right now, and i'm not done with TXR3. judging from the reviews, this game seems toned down from TXR3 in a way, with missing courses, and simplified physics.

UPDATE: I'm probably somewhere very near the end of the game. The car's stats are maxed out, and I just beat White Charisma (a hopped up Mazda RX-7 that's similar to a similar one from Tokyo Extreme Racer 2). I think the only real thing left to do is to probably race one or two more minibosses until King Speed.

The last few bouts have been pretty interesting. Also, it almost seems like the computer is trying to get me to mess up. I recently had a draw when the car I was racing with turned left, then turned right just before an interchange (it could have been because there was traffic).

The game is beginning to grind down now. Bring on the foozle!