Genki, the Japanese video game developer renowned for its racing games, especially the “Tokyo Xtreme Racer” series, has announced that a new installment in the series is currently in development.
Founded in 1990, Genki has developed and published a wide range of games, with a particular focus on racing and simulation genres.
The Tokyo Xtreme Racer series, known as “Shutokō Battle” in Japan, is Genki’s most iconic and well-known franchise. These games stand out for their distinctive mix of highway street racing and car customization.
Although Genki had been developing Shutokō Battle titles before, they truly found success in 1999 with the release of Tokyo Xtreme Racer for SEGA’s failed Dreamcast console.
The success of the first game resulted in numerous sequels, such as “Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2,” “Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3,” and spin-offs like “Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Zero” and “Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Drift.”
The series gained a cult following thanks to its unique setting, which featured racing on Tokyo’s Shuto Expressway system, realistic highway racing, a wide variety of distinctive vehicles, fan favorites, and a comprehensive customization system.
Genki was once working on a game based on the popular “Fast & Furious” film franchise in the early to mid 2000’s, aiming to leverage the success of the first handful of movies, which focused on street racing and custom “car culture,” areas where Genki had considerable expertise.
However, this project was ultimately canceled, and the game was never released.
In recent years, Genki has not been as active as a game developer, more or less abandoning their popular racing game series. Over the past decades the company has shifted its focus towards developing mobile games and other projects, call me judgmental but I don’t consider these to be authentic continuations by any means.
Their last game release on home consoles was “Import Tuner Challenge,” a continuation of the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series, published by Ubisoft and released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in 2006.
The game struggled in the market, likely due to its unconventional title, which may have been influenced by Ubisoft.
Now, nearly 18 years later, Genki has officially announced that a new installment in this renowned series is in development for PC via Steam and presumably console platforms to be announced at a later date.
This announcement comes at a perfect time, as indie developers have been trying to tap into the niche fanbase that Tokyo Xtreme Racer created, exemplified by games like “NIGHT-RUNNERS,” which I am personally excited about.
The next installment is expected to release sometime in 2025, although Genki has not confirmed an exact release date yet, as their teaser announcement didn’t reveal much. However, it’s exciting to see Japan’s iconic C1 Inner Loop in higher quality in the screenshots provided on the game’s Steam store page.
The series is definitely niche, appealing to those who appreciate its unique style, characterized by a slow progression system and a core gameplay loop focused on head-to-head battles around Tokyo’s highway network in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
The cars felt as though they were made of lead, making cornering a challenge, especially at high speeds. However, the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series was praised by its dedicated fanbase for innovative features, such as quality-of-life improvements like flashing headlights to signal races, and the realistic progression of races being impacted by increasing oil and coolant temperatures, which would reduce engine power and ultimately affect performance.
The same goes for tire selection, as you can extensively customize your vehicle by choosing different types of tread. Depending on their softness, tires can experience increased wear during longer races. Tokyo Xtreme Racer also appeals to completionists, featuring “wanderers,” who are independent street racers not affiliated with any specific team or group.
These wanderers have unique personalities, preferences, and specific conditions that must be met for them to race, so you likely need a guide with you at all times.
Wanderers are known for their unique, quirky and sometimes tedious requirements to show up or agree to race. These conditions can vary greatly, introducing an element of unpredictability to the game.
Some Wanderers might only appear at certain times of the day, under specific weather conditions, or if the player is driving a particular type of car. Others might even require the player to change the characters on their license plate to a specific combination. Players often need to explore different parts of the highway and modify or switch their cars to meet these Wanderers’ conditions.
As a reward for defeating all the wanderers in the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series and its Xbox 360 counterpart, Import Tuner Challenge, players can encounter and race against the Devil Z.
This special, high-profile car is a cameo from “Wangan Midnight.” Renowned for its immense power and formidable challenge, the Devil Z stands out as one of the most iconic and sought-after opponents in the series.
The Devil Z is a highly modified Nissan Fairlady Z (S30), renowned for its exceptional speed and challenging handling, reflecting the infamous car from the “Wangan Midnight” series. In the Tokyo Xtreme Racer games, the Devil Z represents the ultimate challenge, serving as a near-mythical rival that only the most skilled racers can aspire to defeat.
The Devil Z appears only after the player has made significant progress in the game and met specific challenging conditions. This makes encountering the Devil Z a standout moment and a reward for skilled players.
As a symbol of street racing lore inspired by the “Wangan Midnight” series, the Devil Z’s legacy is expected to continue in the upcoming installment of Tokyo Xtreme Race which I personally can’t wait.
