Tourist Trophy (video game)

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Tourist Trophy
Developer(s)	Polyphony Digital
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)	Takamasa Shichisawa
Picture format	1080i (HDTV) 480p (EDTV) 480i (SDTV)
Release date(s)	January 26, 2006 February 2, 2006 April 4, 2006 May 29, 2006 June 1, 2006
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone (E)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Media	1 DVD-ROM (single-layer)

Tourist Trophy, "The Real Riding Simulator", is a motorcycle racing game for the PlayStation 2. This game has been designed by the team who made the popular Gran Turismo series, Polyphony Digital. It was first released in China on January 26, 2006. Then in Japan on February 2, and rated 32/40 (Silver rank) by Weekly Famitsu. The North American edition was officially released on April 4, 2006 with seven extra bikes, new riding gears, seven bonus BGM's, enhanced visual effects, an exclusive Semi-Pro Mode and bikes profile. The PAL edition was launched on May 29 in Europe and June 1, in Oceania. This PAL version is upgraded with two extra bikes and five new BGM's performed by additional European artists (Infadels, Vitalic and Hystereo).

Contents 1 "Powered by Gran Turismo" 2 Riding Form 3 Professional, Semi-Pro & Normal Riding 4 USB Device 5 Game Modes Overview 6 Special Features 7 Reception & Awards 7.1 Awards 8 Trivia 9 See also 10 External links

[edit] "Powered by Gran Turismo"

Developer Polyphony Digital has used the Gran Turismo 4 physics engine instead of creating a brand new one, the same goes for both the Graphical User Interface and the circuits, with all but one of the 37 available tracks taken directly from Gran Turismo 4, some of them being slightly updated. However, the number of AI racers (aka CPU) has been reduced from five in the Gran Turismo series to only three. Tourist Trophy also uses the famous "License School" feature which was popularized by the Gran Turismo series as well as the "Photo Mode" introduced in Gran Turismo 4.

The motorcycle selection covers the entire lineup from Scooter to Supersport with Roadster, Enduro, Naked Bike, SportTourer and Racer. The developers have recreated 135 bikes from 124cc up to 1670cc, including both road & race versions from the 80's up to 2005. The racers are divided into categories, the semi-licensed race tuned versions (named "Race Modified") and the official fully licensed Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance 2005 series. This game features 10 licensed manufacturers including the world's biggest: Honda, Aprilia, Triumph & BMW motorcycles. Some minor industry actors are also included, the American Buell (Harley-Davidson) being the tenth one, and two Japanese pro tuners, whose unlocked, will be added to the maker list.

While wet, dirt and reverse classic GT4 racing conditions have been removed, a unique course was specially created for Tourist Trophy. The "Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo" is an official track appearing in the Superbike World Championship and MotoGP. It is also used extensively as a test circuit during the off-season. This Superbike round is located in the city of Cheste (near Valencia), Spain.

A new concept appearing in Tourist Trophy is the "Riding Gear" (named "Closet" in the Asian editions). The player can unlock and collect 186 different riding accessories for his character: helmet (Full Face & Off Road types, Basic, Graphic & Replica models), gloves (textile & leather), boots (or shoes), pants (textile & leather), suit (one piece racing) and jacket (textile & leather) directly taken from the actual lineup of more than a dozen famous manufacturers from America (Simpson, Vanson Leathers, AlpineStars, etc.), Japan (Shoei, Kushitani, RS Taichi, etc.) and Europe (Dainese, AGV, Lewis Leathers, etc.). Up to four different combinations can be saved on the Riding Gear, two racing leather suits (Racing A & B) and two casual outfits (Street A & B).

[edit] Riding Form

The "Riding Form" option is available in both Arcade Mode & TT Mode.

• ARCADE MODE: before the race, the user can choose between four Riding Form presets selectable as "Lean Body", "Neutral", "Lean Bike" & "Motard" (aka "Dirt"). "Neutral Form" focus on handling, "Lean Body" focus on quick cornering, at last, the "Lean Bike" is about slow cornering. The particular "Motard Form" with the leg off, is the "Dirt" position specially dedicated to Enduro and Naked bikes riding. The user is free to use it on all bikes though.

• TT MODE: the user can enter the Garage "Riding Form" settings with up to four fully parametrable forms to record. They are saved as "Form A", "Form B", "Form C" & "Motard" ("Dirt"). Each one has eleven unique parameters and four presets, "Neutral", "Lean Body", "Lean Bike" & "Motard/Dirt" to choose from. Fully adjustable parameters are Head Roll Angle, Head Pitch Angle, Torso Roll Angle, Torso Yaw Angle, Body Lean (Full Bank), Arm Angle, Seat Position (Forward/Back), Lateral Slide, Vertical Slide, Leg Angle and Body Lean (Upright).

[edit] Professional, Semi-Pro & Normal Riding

Tourist Trophy's default setting is "Normal”, Using the "Normal" setting, the player can perform maneuvers such as the wheelie and the stoppie on powerful bikes. These possibilities are disabled with the "Professional" setting. Enabling the "Professional" feature will enhance the Simulation aspect as well as the difficulty level, over the Arcade oriented "Normal". Professional riding is supposed to allow a more realistic experience with autonomous upper body control (as the "Tuck" manual function is enabled) and a separated front/rear brake control is added over the rear+front brake default system. The Semi-Pro Mode is an American edition exclusive feature. Other options enhancing difficulty are the "Strict Judgment"; 10 seconds slow down penalty as seen on Gran Turismo 4, and the famous "Best Line" optional display.

[edit] USB Device

Tourist Trophy is compatible with the "UTT128" retractable USB 2.0 Flashdrive 128MB released by I-O Data in a special campaign pack in Japan in addition to standard third-party USB storage devices.

The TT USB Flashdrive's purpose is multiple.

• REPLAY / GHOST

The USB Flashdrive can host Tourist Trophy Replay/Ghost files downloaded either from the official TT website or either from a TT fan site. It can also be used to exchange files with a friend's own USB device. Once the TT files are in the Flashdrive, the user can upload them from within the game in order to compete with a Ghost ("Time Attack") or just to watch a Replay (Theater). Each file can be used as Replay or as Ghost. The first Replay/Ghost files released on the Japanese site were featuring a famous Weekly Famitsu journalist, Japanese pro rider & TT test rider Satoshi Tsujimoto and the Tourist Trophy producer, Kazunori Yamauchi, himself. A Time Attack Tournament has been organized in Japan, on February 2006 with a "UTT128" device as winning prize. Formating the USB device from Theater mode will create the "PDI" folder allowing Tourist Trophy to store, upload and download files generated under the form "replay.dat". Standard third-party USB devices are also compatible with "REPLAY.DAT" files.

• PHOTO MODE / BEST SHOT PHOTO

Unedited screenshots can be taken from a race replay and saved in a Memory Card or connected USB Flashdrives. This function is known in TT as "Best Shot". Using various replay angles as a digital camera, TT is able to produce a selection of screenshots with variable compression rate (Normal/Fine/SuperFine) and size (up to 1280x960 72dpi) from within the user can choose to save or print with an Epson compatible USB printer, or even to display on TV using the Musical Diaporama feature. Saved TT screenshots can be exchanged with friends or made public on the Internet. Unlike "Best Shot", the "Photo Mode"'s parameters are fully adjustable and as such it gives the user the opportunity to entirely set photographs. The user can tune various parameters such as camera angle or course section. Formating the USB device in Photo Mode/Best Shot will create the "DCIM/100PDITT" folder/subfolder allowing Tourist Trophy to store, upload and download game picture files generated under the form "IMG_00X.JPG". Standard USB 2.0 flashdrives (including MP3 players and pendrives) can be used to manage TT "JPG" files instead of the official I-O Data model.

[edit] Game Modes Overview

Unlike Gran Turismo games, Tourist Trophy doesn't contain any money system. The player has to obtain licenses ("License School") in order to complete various missions ("Challenge Mode") and obtain bikes that will be used and tuned to compete in the Championships series ("Race Event").

Tourist Trophy's "Race Event" (TTM) core mode requires a license gained after completing riding lessons on an 250cc Yamaha TW225 off-road bike. Being successful on "License School" will unlock upper class "License Cards" (TTM), new bikes (AM/TTM), extra "Riding Gear" items (TTM), new tracks (AM), extra makers (AM/TTM). Winning "Challenge Mode" will make new bikes available in the "Garage" (TTM). Beating "Race Events" will unlock a bonus 23rd Race Event, extra bikes (AM/TTM), new tracks (AM/TTM) and even a classic bike (TTM).

Completing the game will unlock the "Ending Movie" and add the "Clover Crown" ending theme in the "Music Theater" (AM/TTM).

[edit] Special Features

• USB 2.0 Flashdrive compatible (photo mode & theater mode)
• Epson Stylus Photo RX650/350/250 & PictureMate100 printers compatible (photo mode)
• Widescreen/Letterbox TV mode selection
• Progressive Scan 480p compatible
• Hi-Vision 1080i compatible
• Dolby Digital 5.1ch compatible (opening sequence only)
• Dolby Pro Logic II compatible (SFX & BGM)

[edit] Reception & Awards

[edit] Awards

• Won IGN's award for Best PS2 Simulation of 2006. [1]

[edit] Trivia

• Kunimitsu Takahashi's Honda RC162 is a special bike only playable in the "TT Mode"'s "Practice". This model is not available in Arcade Mode, 2-Player Mode nor as a CPU rival in the "Practice" mode.
• 124, out of 125, bikes are selectable in the "Arcade Mode" in the Asian and Japanese versions since the Honda RC162 is a special bike.
• 130, out of 132, bikes are selectable in the "Arcade Mode" in the North American version since the Honda RC162 is a special bike and that, for some reason, the Suzuki SkyWave 250 Type S was removed. This 250cc scooter was the license school's default bike in the Asian and Japanese versions, but it was replaced by the Yamaha TW225E 225cc naked bike in the North American and European versions. The Suzuki SkyWave 250 SS similar grade is still available in the Arcade Mode though.
• Since color variations are counted as an individual "bike" in the "Tourist Trophy Mode", a superior number, compared to the actual grade number (125/132/135), can be displayed in the "Game Status" feature.

• The SevenStars mentions and logo were blurred or removed on both the Suzuka 8 Hours Honda CBR1000RRW and the team's logo due to legal issue. Tobacco and alcohol brands cannot advertise nor be exposed on TV because of a specific anti tobacco law adopted by some countries around the world including Japan. In France this law is known as Loi Evin (Evin's Law), in the name of the deputy who submitted it to vote. In 2003 the whole European Union has voted and adopted this anti tobacco restrictive law. Since SevenStars is a Japanese tobacco brand and video games are displayed on TV screens, the anti tobacco law is applicable in this entertainment product as well. A such censorship is also effective on all Polyphony Digital games e.g. all "Martini Racing" (becoming "Lancia Racing") and "Marlboro Racing" team logos were exchanged, blurred or removed in the Gran Turismo series.
• Tourist Trophy's Asia editions were developed in a such rush that Polyphony Digital didn't had enough time to integrate all wanted elements. This game is the quickest development ever made by the Gran Turismo series creator as only ten months were used to produce Tourist Trophy hence the unique new circuit, dirt track absence, the Honda RC162's limited availability and the credited makers and models not appearing in the final product e.g. Cagiva (MV Agusta affiliate), Aprilia Atlantic and Aprilia RS125. The American edition has kept these mentions without offering the missing models though.
• Chinese, Japanese and American editions replay files are not compatible.
• Various lexical changes were done after the Asian releases. "Racing Modify", "Closet" and "Free Run" are replaced by "Racing Modified", "Riding Gear" and "Practice" since the North American edition.
• The "Motorland" (Driving Park) circuit is internally named "Kashiwa" among Polyphony Digital developers. Kashiwa is PD director Kazunori Yamauchi's hometown.
• The "Beginner Course" (Driving Park) is internally named "20r60r" among Polyphony Digital developers.
• A subtle change was specially introduced in the North American version, since the course selection was sorted with the American circuits (Infineon, Laguna Seca, New York and El Capitan) on top of each category. In all versions, including the European one -which is an update of the American one- the Japanese circuits are the first selectable. The two different hierarchies are Asian/American/European in all editions but the North American, which is sorted American/Asian/European.

[edit] See also

• Gran Turismo 4

[edit] External links

Official sites

• Tourist Trophy official website, Global
• Tourist Trophy official website, USA
• Tourist Trophy official board, USA
• Tourist Trophy official website, Japan
• Tourist Trophy official website, Europe & Oceania

Related sites

• SRO - Super Racing Online
• Screenshots Gallery of "Tourist Trophy" for PS2, Switzerland

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