Back in the mid-90s, Japanese studio Genki were responsible for a series of games called Shutokō Battle, known (mostly) in the West as Tokyo Xtreme Racer. From 1994-2006 these games landed on the Super Famicom, PlayStation, Saturn, Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox 360, PC and even portable systems, then they just...disappeared.
The last main game in the series came out in 2006, and that seemed a pretty fitting time for it to bow out. In the West we were well into the age of Forza, Project Gotham and Burnout, and Tokyo Xtreme's obsession with hard numbers and grinding--not to mention its relatively limited roster of cars and locations--made it seem almost quaint by comparison.
But hey, times change! We're now in 2025, we're exhausted with AAA racing games, we're tired of the same old franchises doing the same old things, and it's time for something new! And by something new I mean something very old, because here comes a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer game like nothing happened.
Look at this series’ release timeline. This is the video game equivalent of a cat going missing for nine years then just walking back into your house like nothing happened. Only instead of nine years it's 19. And instead of walking, the cat drifted in sideways like a sick, modified Subaru Impreza.
This is great! This new game is, I'm told, largely unchanged in terms of structure from its decades-old predecessors; you drive around Japanese motorways challenging people to races, which are decided not by clocks or flags, but by a "spirit meter" that drains if you're behind your opponent. There's also loads of grinding and tinkering to do in order to level up your car and be able to defeat more powerful rivals. About the only thing that's changed significantly is that it looks nicer.
Which is fine, because going back to the well is maybe my favourite broad trend in video games right now. AAA gaming has gotten so risk averse, and its release calendar has become so sparse, that these mid-tier kinds of games--once beloved by millions, but crowded out over the past decade by an industry that thought it was moving past them--are coming back.
Turns out we weren't moving past anything. We thought we were, but all we've ended up doing over the past two decades is see racing games--like so many other genres--become bloated beyond almost all recognition as they've chased realism, more cars, more features, bigger tracks, more, more more. Or, on the flipside, they've retreated the other direction and become incredibly simple, casual affairs (like the excellent Art of Rally!)
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025), then, is a welcome reminder that for many people racing video games were at their best when they were somewhere in between; when they were just video games about racing cars, not swollen attempts at simulating the act of driving. This is a game about menus, about tinkering with engine values, unlocking old Nissans and just driving around to have some fun. It's returning at a time when we've learned to appreciate that maybe we never had to move past these kinds of games at all.
Time now to confess that I'm a newcomer to the series, and one thing I love from playing this new release is the 1v1 aspect of the game. Tokyo Xtreme Racer works by just letting you drive around the motorway until you find a rival, then when you want to challenge them, you flash your headlights a couple of times and a race triggers.
You're supposed to challenge other drivers in fancy sports cars, who are clearly noted on the map as rivals, but turns out you can also just challenge anyone driving on the motorway. Guy driving a Dyna work truck? You can race them. Someone behind the wheel of a little Suzuki? Take them on. You don't get many points (needed to upgrade your car and buy stuff) for doing so, but it's incredibly funny the first 90-100 times you do it.
Being new, I was also unaware that the game, which mostly takes place with a very racing game tone and presentation, also has intros like this? I'm driving a Mazda on a motorway, but this looks like the intro to a game about mystical ninjas on PS2? Incredible stuff.
I'm glad this series is back, and I'm sad I missed it the first time around. We all need more video games in our lives where we can race against cab drivers in a 1987 Toyota Corolla, while a rousing eurobeat soundtrack plays in the background.
