Initial D (video game series)
Arcade racing series based on the Initial D manga.
Initial D is an arcade racing game series developed by Sega, based on the anime and manga series Initial D. In Japan it is known as Initial D Arcade Stage, while in the United States and Europe it is simply called Initial D.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Sega
- Producer
- Kenji Arai
- Director
- Isao Matsumoto
- Composer
- Hideaki Kobayashi
- Genre
- Arcade racing
- Modes
- Single player, online multiplayer
- Platforms
- Arcade
- PlayStation 2
- PlayStation Portable
- PlayStation 3
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Players race against opponents through mountain passes from the manga, using mostly Japanese cars such as the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mazda RX-7, Subaru Impreza, Honda Civic, and Toyota AE86. An optional magnetic card system (arcade installations from Arcade Stage Zero onward use Amusement IC, Banapassport, or Aime cards) lets players save a customized car and progress for future sessions; without a card, game progress is deleted. Cards can be used on another cabinet of the same version and must be renewed every 50 plays. Resuming from another version has no backward compatibility; upgrading to a more recent machine is permanent, and remaining plays carry over with 50 plays credited. This feature was absent from Arcade Stage Zero to The Arcade. Players with save data on Arcade Stage Zero received continued play benefits including full tune tickets based on the number of fully tuned cars owned (up to 56), titles based on player level, and avatar pieces, dressup tokens, and avatar tokens based on mileage. Players with save data from Sega World Driver Championship received a full tune ticket and avatar pieces based on driver level.
Game modes
Legend of the Streets is the main story mode, where players race opponents from the manga with increasing difficulty; in English versions until Arcade Stage 4, opponent names come from the Tokyopop manga. Time Attack is a timed mode ranking players at the same machine or online; from Ver.2/Special Stage to Arcade Stage 6 AA, weather conditions could be changed, but this was removed from Arcade Stage 7 AAX to Arcade Stage 8 Infinity. Bunta Challenge, from Ver.2 to Ver.3/Street Stage, pits the player against Bunta Fujiwara; each defeat gains a level and increases difficulty. In Ver.3, losing costs 1000 points, but end credits roll regardless. Bunta's car changes across levels: AE86 Trueno (levels 1-6), AE86 Trueno with TRD 20-Valve 4AGE Racing Engine (levels 7-11), and GC8V Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version V (levels 12-15). This mode was discontinued in Arcade Stage 4/Extreme Stage, but Bunta appeared as a final boss in Akina. It returned in Arcade Stage 7 AAX (Legend mode after clearing Rebirth mode) and in Initial D The Arcade in a 20th-anniversary update, unlocked at Street Racer Grade C9. Online Battle, introduced in Arcade Stage 4/Extreme Stage, allows racing against others on the same continent. Racer's Event, from Arcade Stage 5 to Arcade Stage 8 Infinity, includes only online battle and time attack. Tag Battle, from Arcade Stage 6 AA to Arcade Stage 8 Infinity, lets players at the same location team up, one driving uphill and one downhill; matches pair similar levels, and the team with the highest score wins.
Games versions
Initial D Arcade Stage Ver.1 released in Japan on 6 July 2001 and in English in 2002, with four courses: Myogi, Usui, Akina, and Happogahara. Ver.2 released in Japan on 10 December 2002 and in English in 2002, adding Akagi and Irohazaka courses, plus rivals including Kenji, 2 Guys from Tokyo, Kenta Nakamura, Toru Suetsugu, Kyoko Iwase, Nobuhiko Akiyama, and Sakamoto. Ver.3 released in Japan on 27 January 2004 and in English in 2004, adding Akina Snow, Shomaru, and Tsuchisaka courses, new opponents, and cars such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V, Lancer Evolution VI T.M. Edition, Mazda RX-8, and Nissan Skyline 25GT-T; it also featured original Eurobeat songs. Arcade Stage 4 released in Japan on 21 February 2007 and in English in July 2007, running on Sega Lindbergh hardware with a new card system and physics; it was the last Western release, added God Hand and God Foot as rivals, removed several previous competitors, and introduced Lake Akina, a new Myogi layout, and Tsukuba Fruit Line courses. It was the first to feature online battles via Sega's ALL.net service and the Initial D.net service exclusive to Japan and Asia.
Reception
Initial D Arcade Stage (2001) sold 2,534 hardware units in Japan up to 2004. Ver.3 sold 673 units between April 2004 and March 2005. Combined, both versions sold approximately that many units up to March 2005, grossing approximately that amount in hardware sales at $2,130 per unit. Arcade Stage 4 sold 3,904 units in 2007, grossing approximately that amount at $4,250 per unit. Total arcade hardware sales in Japan up to 2007 were approximately 7,111 units. In 2014, Sega Amusements' head of local R&D attributed the series' lack of popularity in Europe to its one-on-one race format, where players are either first or last, contrasting with European preference for open roads and more AI cars.
More in Sega Video Game Franchises
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced