Initial D Extreme Stage Unveiled

Sega has released the first screenshots for the home version of its Initial D Arcade Stage 4 coin-op. As with the previous PS2 and PSP Inital D games, Sega Rosso will be handling the conversion themselves as well as adding plenty of new content for arcade veterans to get to grips with.

This new 'extreme stage' version of the game will feature more cars, tracks and 'super eurobeat' songs for the kids to get down to, as well as online touge (mountain road) battles via playstation network.

For both of the previous PSP and PS2 releases, some cool limited addition Inital D branded accessories were released too. The PS2 got a limited edition logitech steering wheel and memory cards covered in original artwork. The PSP version came with a pre-order only 'Fujiwara Tofu Ten' carry strap and logitech made a special Initial D PSP hard-case.

If what Sega's been up to with the arcade version at their Joypolis site in Odaiba, Tokyo is any indication, we can hopefully expect something cool for the PS3 version:



More on it here via akihabaranews.com .

So, you hear that sega? Full size Sprinter Trueno AE86's for the home or else!


Sources:

http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1213893_1407.html

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/855/855898p1.html

Official site:

http://initiald.sega.jp/ps3/

Wangan Midnight Portable impressions.

So, here's a 30 second summary of Wangan Midnight Portable:

The bad:
It's laughably easy.
It has stupid AI opponents that crash every race.
Buggy jittery AI traffic cars.
Lack of free-roaming.

You could finish it in 2 hours or less.
Recycled music/sound effects/story mode missions from the 2002 PS2 game and Shoutoku Battle Zone of Control.
Overly simple tuning options.
Handles like the cars' tyres are flat.

The good:
Fun enough for five minute sessions.
Graphics are nice enough for a PSP title.

Features good-looking story screens with all of the charaters from the manga (although largely recycled from the old PS2 game).

Nicely 'styled' cars.

Fills a small gap whilst you wait for the next 'proper' Genki highway battle game.

The end.

Wangan Midnight Portable - Official Website Launched

Genki has launched the site for its upcoming PSP title Wangan Midnight Portable, with screenshots, trailers, price, release date, car list, mode list, PS3 linkup details and more.


Based on the Anime/Manga Wangan Midnight, it also features more emphasis on story and cut scenes than the previous games.


The game is shaping up to very much be the game PSP Shoutoku Battle (a.k.a Street Supremacy) should have been, i.e free roaming gameplay, and would seem to include the full Wangan expressway line for you to cruise around picking automotive fights with any car you don't like the look of.


Theres also a better variety of cars this time, 20 initially, although we'd bet theres a few boss cars to unlock on the way too. Car customization looks on par with its home-console brethren, and there's a new collectible card system for upgrades too, which can be exchanged with the PS3 version via link-up to "catch 'em all"

And in traditional car/beat-em-up hybrid style, there's bound to be about a gazillion 'wanderers' for you to waste half your life trying in vain to race, only to find they won't turn up because it's not a Tuesday with an odd numbered date, and your car doesn't have the right wheels, and its too new anyway, and you don't have 4,000,000,000 credit points in the bank, so he's not racing tonight thankyouverymuch. The bastard.

More opinions when the game hits Japanese shelves on the 27th September!

Source: Genki's Wangan Midnight Portable Site