Get ready to flash your high beams because a teaser for a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer has just dropped. It’s been 20 years since the last console installment of the beloved racing game. But developer Genki has just dropped a teaser hinting at a return to the series.
For those not familiar, the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series recreates a highly accurate map of the Shuto, Tokyo’s famed expressway loop, which was the setting for real life street racing during the Bubble Era. As a player, you battle your way through the many street racer gangs, earning more money for cars and mods as you rise through the ranks.
There wasn’t much way in terms of story, but each rival team had their own personality and driving style. The appeal of the game came from its representations of real life cars (though sometimes unlicensed and referred to only by their chassis codes) and the hyper-authentic replica of the Shuto. There appeared to be an unofficial link to the Wangan Midnight manga and anime as well, as the top two bosses — spoiler alert — were a Porsche 930 and a devil-themed Nissan S30 Z.
The series started in 1999 with the first installment and its 2000 sequel, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2, on the Sega Dreamcast console. Sadly, that system disappeared by the time third game, Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero, came out in 2001 so that one moved the Sony PlayStation. The fourth and most recent major chapter, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3, came out way back in 2003.
It could be argued that in 2006 another successor was released for Xbox, but it was titled Import Tuner Challenge in the US as a tie-in to the magazine. Since then there have been other installments, but mostly smaller games for mobile devices. The last one came out in 2017 for Android and iOS, but in Japan only.
In the past 20 years the Shuto itself has changed, with new signs, exits, and buildings. It will be interesting to see those updates are reflected in the game. Think of all the cars that have come (and gone) since the mid-aughts — Nissan GT-R and Z34, NC1 Honda NSX, anything with the Lexus 5.0-liter V8, Toyota’s GR crew, two generations of Toyobaru twins, and more.
Genki hasn’t given many details about the release. The caption under the teaser simply states:
Your rivals await to drag you back into the ultimate challenge! Thrilling races that unfold on the Tokyo Expressway, a return to the Tokyo Xtreme Racer roots.
The game has an official website, an official launch year of 2025, and a page on Steam, where the following description is posted:
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a racing game set in a blocked-off future Tokyo, where players aim to be the fastest by driving their best cars on the highways that weave through the city. A new title, Tokyo Xtreme Racer now in development please look forward to the release of more information.
Sparse as they may be, these statements and the few screenshots posted to Steam have us stoked. We look forward to taking down some Rolling Guys.
On the third night, drive inbound with your lights off… There is no other game this great.
I’m in the Discord fan server for the series and I can confirm that the most expected non-Japanese car in the game is the Peugeot 106 – Genki’s racing team ran one in the Idlers 12hr event on Twin Ring Motegi some time ago.
Didn’t they have one in TXR0 (Shutokou Battle 0)?
that doesn’t count because txr0 cars are not licensed
I was just talking about the series last night. I consider it to be the best arcade-style driving/racing game franchise ever released on console. I played Zero on PS2 a lot but I struggled with 3 for some reason. I felt like driving dynamics changed.
I do considerr Import Tuner Challenge as part of the series and I bought it a while back and played it all the way through twice back to back over the course of a couple weeks.
I am just now getting into the Xbox One so I am always at least a generation behind and likely won’t be able to play the newest version if it comes to console. Maybe it’ll be the second game 8 download from Steam (GTA V).
I’m excited to see a new version for sure.
Please rescue my comment 🥴
Import Tuner challenge is definitely a Shutokou battle game. It was released as Shutokou Battle X in Japan. For whatever reason they dropped the TXR name for that and Street Supremacy.
I think it gets slept on because of the name change making it look like shovelware. The 360 also did horribly in Japan.
It’s worth playing if you want something to scratch the itch between now and then.
Found it!
Thanks Ben!
I have Shutokou Battle 1 and 2 on Super Famicom. I haven’t spent a lot of time on them other than making sure they both play. I need to pop them in and get some time with them.
Take my money!
Dang, I am excited for this!
It is a series that I totally missed in my youth, and I am now discovering Street Supremacy, what is apparently the worst game of the series -though I never seen the smartphone one- I have dusted off my old PSP and it is the game I keep coming back at. I read that it is based on an other Wangan Midnight PSP game so I went and tried it, and… yeah, the Wangan Midnight one has more cars, multiple traffic cars, an actual story… I cannot remember if it had voiceover too? Anyway, just playing it without being able to read or understand anything gets old so I came back to Street Supremacy.
If I want to discover the series mor, which one of the main console game would you all suggest for me to start with?
Not related , but I thought it was Night Riders Prelude for a second