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Join Date: Aug 2003
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From IGN
Hands On: Tourist Trophy
We try out Polyphony's first motorcycle racer. New screens and details.
by Anoop Gantayat
October 18, 2005 - The Tokyo Motor Show kicked off today in Chiba, Japan, just outside of Tokyo. As always, Sony Computer Entertainment is at Japan's largest car show to highlight Polyphony Digital's latest racer, only this time, the game doesn't have the words "Gran" and "Turismo" in its title.
While the retail version of Gran Turismo 4 is given a few kiosks just outside the main exhibition area of the Motor Show, Sony's real attention at the show is on Tourist Trophy, Polyphony's new motorcycle racer. First unveiled on the eve of September's Tokyo Game Show, the title is far enough in development that we were able to get some hands on time today after hearing producer Kazunori Yamauchi and director Takamasa Shichisawa speak about their latest creation.
First, a few details that racing fans have been dying to hear: the control system, the included motorcycles and the course count. Sony has the game set up at the Motor Show with standard Dual Shock controllers, a bit surprising considering the GT games are always shown with steering controllers. The control layout has changed just a bit from the GT games. X is used to accelerate, with square used for break, triangle to go in reverse and circle to see what's behind you. Select switches between three views: behind the racer, rider view and first person. L1 and R1 are used for shifting up and down in manual. R2 is for your rear break, with L2 making your rider crouch.
Based on what Shichisawa revealed regarding course and bike count, Tourist Trophy could end up being one of the most expansive bike racers ever. The game will include over 80 bikes from domestic and international bike makers. Over thirty-five courses will make the cut, with most of the courses from Gran Turismo 4 included. Courses like Fuji Speedway and Tsukuba have had their course layouts updated for bike races.
On display at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Currently, the list of bikes known to be included in Tourist Trophy reads as follows:
Kawasaki: D-Tracker (2005), GPZ900R (1984), Ninja ZX-10R (2005), Ninja ZX-12R (2000), Ninja ZX-6R (2000), Z1000 (2005), ZRX1200R (2005), Zephyr 1100 Racing Modify
Suzuki: DR-Z400SM (2004), GSX 1300R (2005), GSX 1400 (2004), GSX1100S Final Edition (2000), GSX-R 1000 (2005), GSX-R 600 (2005), GSX-R 750 (2005), Sky Wave 250 SS (2005), Sky Wave 250 Type S (2005), Sky Wave 650 (2004)
Honda: CB1300 Super Fire (2005), CB400SS (2005), CB750F (2005), CB750F (1979), CB750FB (1981), CB750F Fire Blade (2002), FTR (2005), NS250R (1984), NSR250R SE (1993), VFR (2005), VT250F (1982), XR250 ???^?[?h (2005)
Yamaha: MT-01 (2005), RZ250 (1980), SR400 (2005), TDM900 (2005), TMAX (2005), TW225E (2005), TZR250 (1985), TZR250SPR (1995), XJR1300 (2005), YZF-R1 (2005), YZF-R6 (2005), Grand Majesty 250 (2005)
BMW Motorrad: K1200R (2005), K1200S (2005), R1200ST (2005)
MV Agusta: F4-1000s (2005), Brutale 910 (2005)
Aprilia: RSV1000R (2005), RSV1000R R Factory (2005)
Ducati: 999R (2005)
Triumph: Speed Triple (2005), Sprint ST (2005)
Buell: Fire Bolt XB12R (2005)
As for tracks, 36 have been revealed:
Beginners Course
Tokyo R246
Apricot Hill Raceway
Citta di Aria
Autumn Ring
Costa di Amalfi
Deep Forst Raceway
Fuji Speedway '90
Grand Valley Speedway
Grand Valley East Section
High Speed Ring
Hong Kong
Infineon Raceway
Motor Sports Land II
Laguna Seca Raceway
Midfield Raceway
Autumn Ring Mini
Cote d' Azur
Twin Ring Motegi Road Course
Twin Ring Motegi West Short Course
Twin Ring Motegi East Short Course
Fuji Speedway 2005
New York City Course
Nurburgring North Course
Special Stage Rout 5
Clubman Stage Route 5
Circuit de la Sarthe 1
Seattle Circuit
Seoul City Course
Suzuka Circuit
Suzuka Circuit East Course
Suzuka Circuit West Course
Test Course
Trial Mountain Circuit
Tsukuba Circuit
El Capitan
The version of the game on display at the Tokyo Motor Show includes just six courses and fourteen bikes. It also includes a number of clothes. That's right, you can select your gear prior to the start of a race! The game includes a variety of helmets, suits, gloves and boots, with Shichisawa revealing that we can expect over fifty suits and fifty helmets, along with street ware. We saw some big name brands in the demo version: Arai, Kushitani, Shoei, Taichi and Spidi look like they'll be making it into Tourist Trophy.
Yamauchi (left) and Shichisawa (right)
In the arcade mode of play, you don't have to worry about mixing and matching gear, as the game takes care of these areas for you. For this mode, in order to get players into the race as quickly as possible, you select a pre-styled biker. Don't worry -- the bikers always have their helmets on, so you won't be seeing any ugly digital faces every time you head out for a quick race.
The main mode of play -- Tourist Trophy's GT mode, if you will -- is the Tourist Trophy World mode, and this is wear you can fine tune your racing experience, with gear and even unique riding forms. Like GT mode, TTW mode is a progressive mode of play where you build your skills, take license tests and earn new vehicles and courses along the way.
TTW Mode includes a License School mode where, in GT fashion, you go through training exercises and tests in order to better your riding skills. Because you're riding bikes rather than cars, the tests and difficulty level should be vastly different from GT's license mode. The game promises a number of different tests, each with four levels. Clear the tests and you earn new riding gear.
Don't let the signs fool you -- Tourist Trophy is the main event.
Performing well in the license mode also unlocks new opponents in the main area of Tourist Trophy World: TT Challenge. It's through this mission-style mode that you earn new bikes. In TT Challenge, you select a bike and color and are then placed on a course with a rival racer. Defeat the rival and the bike that you selected becomes yours. While racing in this mode, sign boards display how many seconds you're lagging behind your opponent, something that's sure to add to the intensity of the race.
Outside of the TT Challenge, Tourist Trophy World Mode includes a Series Race mode where you race against three opponents. This is an advanced mode of play, requiring that you've unlocked certain machines through hard work in the TT Challenge and License School sections. Of course, if you haven't gotten far enough in the game to try the Series Race, you can always try out the Time Trial mode of play, which places you by yourself on a single course.
While playing the Tourist Trophy World mode, you can adjust your riding experience in three ways. Prior to the start of a race, you can make quick adjustments to your bike in such areas as power, weight, driving assist and front/rear tire type. You also have access to a Closet, where you can try out all the gear that you've collected.
Also adjustable in TTW mode is riding form. While Tourist Trophy includes a few pre-set forms (inside, normal and outside), Tourist Trophy World's Form Editor allow you to make fine adjustments to eight areas of your form, including seat position, knee angle, underarm angle and waist offset. Form adjustments aren't just for show, as the game simulates your rider's center of gravity, changing the feel of the race based on your form.
Some forms just look cool, of course. Polyphony will be including a Photo Mode similar to mode we saw in Gran Turismo 4. You'll be able to snap pictures of your rider wearing your favorite gear and using your favorite form.
When we weren't playing games, we were dreaming of this.
Tourist Trophy clearly inherits a lot from Gran Turismo 4, from the photo mode to the basic license system. The games even share the same graphics engine and interface! You might think you're looking at GT with bikes when you first see Tourist Trophy. Not that this is a bad thing, of course. GT4 is one of the best looking PS2 games around, and also includes one of the slickest interfaces.
Play the game, and you'll find that racing on two wheels is a totally different experience from four wheels, even though you're racing on the Gran Turismo courses you've come to know over the past year. Gran Turismo doesn't deal with wipeouts and crashes, but Tourist Trophy sure does. It's easy to make your bike lean too far and flip out, with the game switching to a third-person perspective as your bike and biker tumble into the barriers. The game does a good job of replicating the feeling of speed of bike racing, as well as the bumpiness and noise of the ride while racing in racer's perspective.
The recycling of GT4's graphics engine seems to have benefited Tourist Trophy. Although just announced a month ago, the game is already shaping up into a polished racer, suggesting that Polyphony's first try at motorcycle racing will be a successful one.
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Manic-Depressive and my head hurts.
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