Shutokou Battle series

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Shutokou Battle (首都高バトル?) is an arcade oriented driving game series created by Genki in 1994. The games were released in America as Tokyo Xtreme Racer and in Europe as Tokyo Highway Challenge. The series is based on illegal highway racing at the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo with custom tuned cars, which was a common occurrence at the time, until stricter police enforcement came into force. Despite this, a such phenomenon is growing popular in Japan since the 90's with its dedicated manga (Shutokou Battle's biggest inpiration being Wangan Midnight), anime series and video games (C1 Circuit, Wangan Trial, Naniwa Wangan Battle).

Contents

[edit] History & Sidestories

Ultimate 3D version for i-mode.
Ultimate 3D version for i-mode.
  • Originally subtitled "Drift King", after the trademark nickname of racing driver Keiichi Tsuchiya who endorsed the game with then team manager Masaki Bandoh of Bandoh Racing Project; when published by BPS, then renamed overseas "Tokyo Highway Battle" (when published by Jaleco & THQ Int'l), "Tokyo Xtreme Racer" (Crave Entertainment), "Tokyo Highway Challenge" (Ubi Soft) or "Street Supremacy" (Konami), the "Shutokou Battle" series, sometimes misspelled "Metropolitan Highway Battle", longs for over ten years and has been released on almost every game platforms (including cellular phones) and supports (ROM, CD-ROM, GD-ROM, DVD-ROM, UMD and Downloadable Binaries).
  • During the 90's Genki produced a highway drift/adult content oriented Shutokou Battle sidestory series for the Sega Saturn, Wangan Dead Heat and a circuit/tune edition unique episode Kattobi Tune (PlayStation) which oriented the Shutokou Battle series through a new direction, leading to the Dreamcast version and it's worldwide recognition & distribution. "Kattobi Tune" was compiled under the supervision of Rev Speed popular Japanese tuning magazine and features seven licensed professional tuners, RE Amemiya, Spoon, Mine's, Trial, "RS Yamamoto", Garage Saurus and Jun Auto, appearing years later in the Gran Turismo series.
  • In 2002, Genki released the home game version (while Namco did the arcade versions) of, a racing comic "Shutokou Battle"'s based on, Wangan Midnight.
  • Recently, the popular illegal highway racing series "Shutokou Battle" has been extended to illegal touge (mountain) racing with the Kaido Battle series, the third Kaido episode being a crossover between the two series.
  • A D1 Grand Prix drifting championship inspired brand new series named Racing Battle appeared in 2005 remembering 1997 drift cicuit based "Shutokou Battle Gaiden".

[edit] Series Timeline

[1994]

  • 05/27: Shutokou Battle '94 "Drift King Keichii Tsuchiya & Masaaki Bandoh" (Bullet-Proof Software, Super Famicom)

[1995]

  • 02/24: Shutokou Battle 2 "Drift King Keichii Tsuchiya & Masaaki Bandoh" (Bullet-Proof Software, Super Famicom)
  • 12/15: Wangan Dead Heat (JVC/Pack-In-Video, Sega Saturn) CERO+18

[1996]

  • 05/03: Shutokou Battle "Drift King Keichii Tsuchiya & Masaaki Bandoh" (Bullet-Proof Software, PlayStation)
    • Flag of United States United States 1996/07/16: Tokyo Highway Battle (Jaleco)
    • Flag of European Union European Union 1996/09/30: Tokyo Highway Battle (Jaleco/THQ International)
  • 08/30: Wangan Dead Heat Plus Real Arrange (JVC/Pack-In-Video, Sega Saturn) CERO+18
  • 12/20: Shutokou Battle Gaiden "Super Technic Challenge Road To Drift King" (Media Quest, PlayStation)

[1997]

  • 02/28: Shutokou Battle '97 "Drift King Keichii Tsuchiya & Masaaki Bandoh New Limited Ver.97" (Imagineer SPD2/Genki, Sega Saturn)
  • 04/25: Shutokou Battle R (Genki, PlayStation)

[1998]

[1999]

[2000]

  • 06/22: Shutokou Battle 2 (Genki, Dreamcast)
    • Flag of United States United States 2000/09/27: Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2 (Crave Entertainment)
    • Flag of European Union European Union 2000/12/14: Tokyo Highway Challenge 2 (Crave Entertainment/Ubi Soft)

[2001]

[2002]

[2003]

  • 01/09: Shutokou Battle Online (Genki Racing Project, Windows)
  • 02/27: Kaido Battle "Nikko, Haruna, Rokko, Hakone" (Genki Racing Project, PlayStation 2)
    • Flag of United States United States 2006/04/18: Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift (Crave Entertainment)
  • 07/24: Shutokou Battle 01 (Genki Racing Project, PlayStation 2)
    • Flag of United States United States 2003/11/19: Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 (Crave Entertainment)
  • 08/06: Shutokou Battle Online Special Pack "SpeedMaster" (DigiCube/Genki Racing Project, Windows)

[2004]

[2005]

  • 04/04: Shutokou Battle Evolution (Genki Mobile, i-mode Mobile)
  • 04/21: Shutokou Battle (Genki Racing Project, PSP) CERO+12
  • 05/26: Racing Battle "C1 Grand Prix" (Genki Racing Project, PlayStation 2)
  • 07/28: Kaido Battle Touge No Densetsu (Genki Racing Project, PlayStation 2)
  • 09/06: Shutokou Battle Evolution Plus (Genki Mobile, i-mode Mobile)

[2006]

  • 01/26: Shutokou Battle Evolution (Genki Mobile, EZweb Mobile)
  • 07/27: Shutokou Battle X Ten (Genki Racing Project, Xbox 360)

[edit] Note

  • Drift Racer Kaido Battle (2003) which was the American version of "Kaido Battle ~Nikko, Haruna, Rokko, Hakone~" published by Sammy has been definitely cancelled. The original game was licensed to Crave Entertainment for an American release in April 2006 as "Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift" (PlayStation 2).
  • Tokyo Xtreme Racer Advance (2004) was not designed, nor produced by Genki but by "David A. Palmer Productions" in UK for Crave Entertainment (Game Boy Advance).
  • Genki had officially announced a Shutokou Battle (2006) for Xbox 360 was in production at the Tokyo Game Show 2005. This episode will be the 1st of the series being produced for a non-Japanese game console. The opening CG movie and two teasers have been released in late 2005 and broadcasted by IGN.

[edit] Domestic Releases

Shutokou Battle '94 D.K.

Shutokou Battle 2 D.K.

Shutokou Battle D.K.

Shutokou Battle Gaiden

Shutokou Battle '97 D.K.

Shutokou Battle R

Shutokou Battle

Shutokou Battle 2

Shutokou Battle Zero

Shutokou Battle Zero One

Shutokou Battle Online

Shutokou Battle for PSP
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