Import Tuner Challenge[a] is a racing game published by Ubisoft and developed by Genki for the Xbox 360. It is the most recent main installment in the decade running Shutokō Battle series of games known as Tokyo Xtreme Racer in North America and Tokyo Highway Challenge in Europe. This is the only Shutokou Battle game to be on the Xbox 360.
| Import Tuner Challenge | |
|---|---|
 North American box art | |
| Developer(s) | Genki |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Designer(s) | Tomo Kimura |
| Series | Shutokō Battle series |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360 |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Story
editAfter the 13 Devils have been defeated once more in the Kaido Circuit, Motoya Iwasaki, aka Speed King, disappeared suddenly, leaving without a trace. Since then, many drivers from all across Japan come to Tokyo in order to have his title of "Speed King". The hero here is the best friend of Iwasaki and beats Bloodhound, Midnight Cinderella, Platinium Prince, Skull Bullet's gang & eventually, the Phantom 9. In the meantime, Bloodhound reveals to the racer why Iwasaki has been depressed for a long time : his girlfriend died because she was ill and Iwasaki wasn't there to support her.
Gameplay
editThe player's objective in the game is to make a name of the player out on the highways of Tokyo. The player begins as an unknown driver and as the player progresses through the game by earning increasingly impressive nicknames or Handles as they're called in the game.
The player begins the game with a small amount of currency before picking out the first car. When the player picks the first car, the player will begin a race against Iwasaki. The game features player versus player and a score meter called a spirit points bar.
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 52.77%[1] |
| Metacritic | 54/100[2] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 1Up.com | D+[3] |
| GameSpot | 6.4/10[4] |
| GamesRadar+ |    [5] |
| IGN | 5.9/10[6] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 4/10[7] |
| TeamXbox | 4.9/10[8] |
| Detroit Free Press | [9] |
While Famitsu received the Japanese version very well,[citation needed] it did not receive well overseas. GameRankings gave it a score of 52.77%,[1] while Metacritic gave it 54 out of 100.[2]
TeamXbox's Nate Ahearn rated the game 4.9 out of 10, saying, "Tuning the numerous parts of your car provides for some decent variation, but you’ll soon figure out that the actual gameplay just isn't very good."[8] IGN's Erik Brudvig criticized the AI for being too easy, saying, "They can be blown away on every turn with only minimal drifting and turning skills."[6]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Import Tuner Challenge for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
- ^ a b "Import Tuner Challenge for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ Sewart, Greg (October 7, 2006). "Import Tuner Challenge". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (October 2, 2006). "Import Tuner Challenge Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ Lewis, Cameron (September 26, 2006). "Import Tuner Challenge review". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ a b Brudvig, Erik (October 10, 2006). "Import Tuner Challenge Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ "Import Tuner Challenge". Official Xbox Magazine. December 25, 2006. p. 80.
- ^ a b Ahearn, Nate (October 26, 2006). "Import Tuner Challenge Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ Donaldson, Stan (February 18, 2007). "Fast times on the streets of Tokyo". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.