DESCRIPTION

Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero has players racing the highways of Tokyo to become king of the midnight road. As developer Genki's third entry in the underground world of Japanese street racing, Xtreme Racer Zero makes its PlayStation 2 debut by utilizing the extra power offered by the system in an attempt to improve the gameplay and scope of its midnight racing predecessors.

In the world of Tokyo Xtreme Racer, dark highways are ruled by gangs in command of modified cars. With names like Twister, Top Level, and Driving Force, the gangs all bow to the superiority of the one group who rules the night: The Thirteen Devils. The player belongs to no such group, and drives simply for the thrill of victory. The goals are to improve one's car, beat the gangs on their home turf, and show the Thirteen Devils who is the true king of the road.

Genki has re-created over 100 miles of authentic Tokyo highway for realism. Over 100 cars are also available and, although they possess generic names, they all bear more than a passing resemblance to real cars, both domestic and import. Cars can be purchased and upgraded using money earned from winning races. Players can drop in a new engine or transmission, or use the money to buy trim parts like spoilers, hoods, fenders, and the like. A car's fine-tuning can be adjusted in the areas of gear ratios, turbo power, and other minutia.

The heart of Tokyo Xtreme Racer is the Quest mode, which is different from other racing games in that there are no traditional start or finish lines. Instead, players challenge rival cars by flickering their headlights before racing them on the highway. Each car has a power bar as in a fighting game. The second place car gradually loses power, and both cars can lose power by slamming into walls, other cars, or each other. The first car to have its power drained loses the race.

In addition to the Quest mode, the game offers a Time Attack mode, a Free Run, and a Quick Race that takes players right into the action. There is also a Versus mode where players can challenge a friend, choosing between an assortment of modified cars and then flooring the pedal to determine the most "Xtreme" driver. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide