Tourist Trophy [PS2]

[Rx3]

Motorcycle gamers rejoice. Looks like Polyphony Digital, the makers of the popular racing series Gran Turismo are coming out with a new racing game for the motorcycle guys.

Here is a list of features from the website:

* Critically-acclaimed development team: from the developers of Gran Turismo, the best-selling worldwide racing videogame franchise with more than 44 million units sold.

* Real-life simulation: perfected game physics, graphics and the balance of the rider versus the bike are accurately captured to offer the most authentic motorcycle racing simulation available.

* Motorcycles: Tourist Trophy features more than 100 licensed motorcycles from more than a dozen worldwide manufacturers that include BMW, Honda, Ducati, Buell, Kawasaki, Triumph and more.

* Courses: Tourist Trophy features more than 35 international courses that include closed-circuit and city tracks. Introduction of new tracks and the return of popular tracks from the Gran Turismo franchise include Tsukuba, Laguna Seca, New York City, Suzuka and more.

* Game Modes: Tourist Trophy offers two modes of play, Arcade Mode and Challenge Mode. In both modes, players have the opportunity to select their bike, track and difficulty level.

* Arcade Mode: players have access to a quick race for single-player or two-player battle. In two-player battle, players have the option to race in split-screen.

* Challenge Mode: it serves as a career mode for players to earn their way up the ladder by participating in the license school missions, various race events and more in an effort to upgrade and unlock new bikes and related accessories. The license school will include various tests that will strive to better the player's driving skills in driving a motorcycle in various conditions and at various speeds, taking into account the rider and their riding style. Upon obtaining a license, players will have access to various race events based on engine class (250cc to 1500cc), course selection and more. In between race events, players have the opportunity to participate in a Time Trial on various courses to improve lap times and access their garage.

* Photo Mode: To further improve their racing skills, in Challenge Mode, players have access to Photo Mode, which allows them to take snapshots of their favorite bike and race gear by freezing frames of an actual race from a replay. Upon taking a photograph, players have the opportunity to save it to a Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation2) or a USB storage device and share it with friends. After doing so, players can have the opportunity to print photographs directly from their PlayStation 2 USB port by using a printer that includes a PlayStation driver, such as Epson's PictureMate.

* Licensed Accessories: With the incorporation of the motorcycle driver, players have access to a wardrobe where they can customize their rider by selecting from numerous licensed helmets, suits, shoes and more to further authenticate the riding experience

* Rider Editor: Players have the opportunity to customize their riding form through a variety of parameters, whether it is preference to riding "out" verse "in" and so forth.

* Customization: Players have the opportunity to earn credits and upgrade their motorcycles to enhance performance of their bike.

* In-Game Soundtrack: Tourist Trophy will offer a selection of original and licensed tracks.




and some screenshots:

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Scheduled release date is 4/4/06.

 

[Rx3]

So far I'm really starting to love this game. I've picked up quite the array of bikes, including a few racebikes , and surprisingly I am having no problem winning races (yes I am set to pro). I breezed through a lot of the licence tests, and I have over 10 golds, and many of my silvers are just a 10th or three off of gold times. Now that I've gotten comfortable with the mechanics and being smooth, I've started to tinker with suspension setup.

I really love the physics and mecahnics of the game. You have to be very smooth with throttle delivery as well as brake application.

I wish I could get a steering damper for some of these bikes. A few of the tracks have weird off-camber turns or dips that really send the bikes into tank-slapper mode.

I'm also really falling in love with the riding style function. The customization avaliable and how it interacts with the game (bike handling, etc) is really top notch. I can make a form to almost mirror the way I ride a bike, and even re-create things that have happend to me (grabbing the brake wrong, etc) and produce similar results. I can also change the riding style and thereby slighty change how the bike reacts too. It's pretty cool to see. I definitely think this game is better than the Moto GP series for sure.

Acquiring bikes in TT is slightly different from acquiring cars in GT4. Yes you can acquire bikes from winning races. But the main way to acquire bikes is through "challenges"

It works like this:


Lets say, you want the Ducati 999 for your garage. You go to challenge mode in your sim game. Select the Ducati 999 from the list of bikes (choose color that oyu want, etc). You are then given a challenge. There are many challenges, similar to driver missions in GT4. For the Ducati 999, you are pitted against a liter bike (GSXR-1000 '05 in my case). The mission in my case was to pass the opponent on Deep Forest in three laps (yes, he has a considerable head start). To complete the mission the terms were:

1) Pass the opponent before the three laps are over, and maintain the lead for 10 seconds.

Or:

2) Pass the opponent, and beat him to the start finish line.


You had to make a clean pass. If the opponent crashed because of you, you automatically failed.

Complete the challenge, and the bike you desire (and competed with) is yours to keep. Lose, and as the Soup Nazi would say, " NO SOUP FOR YOU!"




There is no "money system" in the game that I have seen so far. Many of the bikes you acquire have all the modifications with them as options. For instance, I won a race (forget which series) and won the MV Augusta , and it came with an aftermarket exhaust pipes as well as street tires and performance tires. Race bikes acquired all have come with three different race tire compounds (hard, medium, soft). Most bikes already have adjustable suspension as standard, so there is no need to purchase anything really.

While you can collect bikes for your garage, the game has taken away the importance of buying/selling cars and parts for horsepower to overpower your competition, and forces you to concentrate more on riding skill. This changes the game, and makes things more interesting (and to an extent, more difficult). Now if you want to be fast, you really need to concentrate on being smooth, and setting up the bike properly (suspension, gearing, etc.) No more getting away with ramming your opponent off the track. You hit something with the bike, more often than not you are going down hard.

 

[olmytsi]

I will be renting this game soon to try it out before i buy it! I have heard lots of good things but not being able to purchase stuff is kind of turning me off as well as the lack of extensive mods.

 

[chuckdog_5]

its worth buying, you really have to buy to get into it. im actually about to go play rignt now

 

[CanadianTSi]

Lovin this game.

Here's a Couple Pics I snapped.

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[olmytsi]

Damn you..i am so tempted to buy it now. I have to wait tho, got some bills and car goodies (dsmlink) to buy this week

Canadian, can you post some pics of the gixxers if you have any of them...hayabusa would be nice

 

[shawnsadler]

this game is awesome i also have had a pretty easy time collecting bikes and gettin licenses.. but the gameplay is so smooth and lifelike you really do have to concentrate to be fast... i will load some screenshots as soon as i get a flash drive..

 

[timgt]

Yeah, this game is awesome. I wish it had been online however. Its great if you get a buddy to play you vs him.

Great game overall. Hours of fun

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

Wow, I know nothing about bikes or riding and it shows. I will need alot more pratice before attempting to win anything. I absolutley suck at controlling a motorcycle.

P.S. 1080i on this game is just as awesome as GT4.

 

[CHItown90gst]

I love this game. I like how you have to just challenge some guys to get motorcycles instead of winning races and earning money.

 

[Rx3]

Nice pics Canadian, especially the power slide. I've done them by acciden while racing, but everytime I try to do one on purpose it ends in tears. Just like real life


I just hit 75% in the game, FINALLy won the TZ250 RM bike, so I can get that series done. After that just need to finish the Suzuka Bike series (#23) and the historic bikes (which I still have no idea where to get the bike from).

Wow, I know nothing about bikes or riding and it shows. I will need alot more pratice before attempting to win anything. I absolutley suck at controlling a motorcycle.

P.S. 1080i on this game is just as awesome as GT4.

Yeah, 1080i is sweet on my 55" too! I find it much easier to be smooth by using the analog sticks for both steering and throttle. With steering a bike, it's really imprtant not to be sudden or herky-jerky. Also popping out of tuck will help with turn in and overall stability with some types of turns.