Released in the next couple weeks, although DO NOT, under any circumstances pick up the Asian version if you're wanting online play, since it's the Japanese one that only has this.
It's been too long since we've had an Initial D game and remembering how digustingly good Fourth Stage was in Tokyo, I can't bloody well wait.
My RX7 awaits...
It's all gone silly money ordering PS3 stuff online - I've been looking around all day,
Also fired off an email to a friend to see if I can get a copy or two sent straight over from Tokyo. Yesasia seems the cheapest option to go for (doesn't qualify for their tax-free deal though).
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i dont think there is any actual online versus though is there.
its just time attack and ghost downloads.
still expecting it to be awesome though.
re: yes asia, i've had a few ps3 games that apparently didnt qualify for their tax free thing, so was expecting them to be shipped direct from hong kong instead of the usual reshipping from the uk. but they still were, there was no difference at all as far as i could see. so i got it ordered a while back.
I'll be ordering soon, yesasia looking like the best choice for me too...
its just time attack and ghost downloads.
still expecting it to be awesome though.
re: yes asia, i've had a few ps3 games that apparently didnt qualify for their tax free thing, so was expecting them to be shipped direct from hong kong instead of the usual reshipping from the uk. but they still were, there was no difference at all as far as i could see. so i got it ordered a while back.
Thanks for that Fuddle -
A friend of mine gave a brer he knows over at SOJ a shout and was told that there was an online VS Mode included, probably a mistake/language confusion. Either way I don't mind, Initial D is pure win regardless.
Still shopping around trying to get a copy in for reasonable buckage - I'll go YesAsia if my scheme backfires, all my friends are back from Japan now which leaves me totally screwed!
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I've got an extra copy on the way if anyone is after one (courier delivered from yesasia) - should be around £40 all in.
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Can do - not ordered mine yet
TT_TT
Really sorry Papercut but someone's already shouted for the extra copy.
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http://idforums.net/index.php?showtopic=33582&st=800
Online confirmed as working outside Japan!!
So, Umm, this any good?
Anyone know if it is compat with the logitech wheels?
Because if it is....
Bleeders and minez is in transit - should hopefully have it by Friday.
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w00000000000000000t!!!!!!!!!!1
XD
Mine is on its way too, should hopefully be next week
Anyone else using a wheel with this? I'm going to give the Driving Force Pro a go (assuming it is compatible, but surely it would be...)
I'm too ghetto to own a wheel
Actually tell a lie - I did pick up the force feedback one for the Gamecube when HMV were selling them for £10. I'm useless with it though, I tried to play F-Zero but it was embarrasingly bad.
I'm fine on a pad for Initial D - I'm even playing Daytona via the emulator on a Sixaxis no problem
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A new Sega racing game? Mmmm.
Let me know if it's any good.
There's no way this can be bad. It's a port of the brilliant arcade game. You have to live and breath InitialD to get MAXIMUM impact. I've been feeding myself a diet of Eurobeat in eager anticipation and driving the wife's AS200 with the traction control OFF.
OMG 1:34 Blind Attack! TT_TT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KXv7JokOKw
For me the PS3 begins with this game, everything before InitialD is irrelevant.
I still have no PS3
maybe I should buy the game anyway.
Bleeder's andf mine arrived today!
Gonna try and blitz work and take the afternoon off! XD
*fires up the gabber channel*
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It's INITIAL D!!!11!!!
Didn't get much time with it last-night, but what I did garner from it other than it being unmistakably Initial D that we all know and love, is that the handling takes some getting used to on the Sixaxis. I'm finding it very twitchy (with the RX7 at least), so dropped the sensitivity down to it's lowest setting and whilst its better, steering only requires the deftness of touches it seems to navigate around the courses.
Fundamentally, the game is based on 4th Stage, although I'm sure the drift mechanic was made slightly easier in the Arcade version as opposed to how it is in this.
I'm shit at racing games anyway, but I've lost count the amount of times I've tried to go into a drift and crashed into the wall, which was either a result of me not braking correctly or turning too early. There's an art to it and its certainly nothing like the OutRun or Ridge Racer drift mechanic.
I very much doubt it will do much to attract new fans tbh, this is a game for Initial D enthusiasts, no doubt.
I love it... once I get my head around the steering and drifting, like.
XD
Had a quick go last night too, it feels and looks just like 4th Stage.
Not sure I agree that the drifting is twitchier. The analog stick control is pretty terrible, that might be whats making things tough. Unless the stock vehicles use better parts in the arcade? Not got my head around how that works in Extreme Stage yet. No d-pad steering either, that is racist
Does seem to fully support the Driving Force Pro, but not given that a try yet
Finding the same with judging corners, and I went through the exact same in the arcade. Time to get back on the learning curve.
I had a quick bash online and a Japanese player beat me by 75 yards on one of the easier courses, not as terrible as I was expecting.
In-game the engine looks pretty much identical to 4th Stage, but the character cut scenes really chug along frame-rate wise, very strange.
Agreed on the Sixaxis analogue control - it's dodgy (and racist)! No matter how you set it; slight movements don't do enough while moving the stick all the way does far too much. Maybe it's a ploy to make us all buy wheels, I'm considering one now.
Mechanics-wise I'm getting used to it (at first I forgot HOW high you have to keep the revs!
), allowing the back-end to slide out wildly around the corners is not the way to go as I initially tried to play. You have to make sure you get the entry speed into the corner right and use an out-in-out racing line to get it right most of the time.
Got an AE86 and Skyline on the go at the moment, the Skyline is still sex!
Regarding the chugging cutscenes, it's weird - some (especially the first one) are pure chuggervision but as you move on through the characters it smooths out.
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I think we an all agree on one thing - Sega want us using the wheel for this. Apparently, it helps matters IMMENSELY and no D-Pad control is complete and utter shite!!!1! >_<
EDIT - Cheapest, and apparently, one of the better ones for £40.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Driving-Force-Steering-Wheel/dp/B000ZBRMZU
I need one....
I'm gonna try Game Focus to see if they have any in - I can trade this fucking Metal Gear in towards it.
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It supports the G25 I think (though not fully) which is the latest and greatest, but they were £170 on TCR Saturday - wtF!!
I'd aim for a Driving Force Pro, you could pick em up for £60 - £70 not so long ago, and mine has done me proud. I'll give it a shot with IDX and let you know if its any good. The Force Feedback is amazing on PS3 Sega Rally (better than SR3), and the turning circle is perfect for Tokyo Bus Driver 2 (that isn't just me, right?).
That's just you blud!
Thanks for all that - I'll keep and eye out but it's brokeness that's putting up the barrier >_<
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Never had a chance to play v4 in the arcades, so how does this one feel compared to Special Stage / Street Stage? I remember special stage being well twitchy with analogue, but you just had to get used to it and after a while it sort of clicked in. I remember spending a lot of time hitting the inside of the corners too, something which seems to be the same in this game. Maybe we're all just a bit rusty.
d-pad control
shame on you. I know you are a digital control whore Paper, but I can never feel it myself. I hope you are all playing with manual gears at least. 
Personally my garage would include Ryo Takahashi's FC (The white comet of Akagi), Takumi's 86 Trueno, Keiske's FD3S (Rude not to really) and of course the Toyota Altezza RS200 (in black just like the wife's car).
The basic mechanic is the same; hitting the barriers will not just slow you down at the point of impact, you also get a timed penalty which reduces your speed. What they've changed from Special Stage is the handling itself; the cars REALLY swing out on the corners and if you swing round too much you'll go into a spin. The spin causes the car to drift outwards at the barrier and you'll end up clipping the back end round as you go - which completely fucks you up!
So you have to find just the right way of taking the corners, drift by all means but don't overdo it, the entry speed seems to be the most important factor from what I've played so far.
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Wow, the new handling sounds deep. The acceleration penalty period was the thing for me that made the game so special. Glad they've kept that in. Peeps will probably not understand it, but as a gameplay device it's a stroke of genius.
This is what I love about Sega racing games. They never let realism get in the way of fun
.
The Driving Force Pro works about as well as the arcade wheel. The Force Feedback is very light, but gives you enough information to know whether you have entered a drift or not.
Not sure if the full 900 degree turn of the wheel is that useful for Initial D, but the gear lever might be nice to have. The Driving Force EX (I'm assuming this is the same as the Japanese GT Force RX) probably does just as good a job for £40, otherwise.
Trying to get used to the handling myself, it feels familiar but at the same time needs learning again. I'm finding it easier to enter a drift, easier to control a drift, but as Saur says the back end really kicks out now and is harder to control. Overall the handling of the AE86 feels slippy, I'm finding it easier to initiate a drift but feel as if I could lose the back end at any moment. I'm also finding it harder to control drifts with the wheel, even though overall the wheel feels much more responsive.
What you should do is watch this;
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N2IWxqvsSY8
It'll greatly improve your game
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Suar that is the best thing I have seen in ages!!!
ROFLLMAOLOLSROFL
"This could just be the kick in the dick and the balls that we need to get you into Overdrift"
"Everybody's drifting all the time there. It's impossible to drive straight".
A world where it's IMPOSSIBLE to drive straight?
I feel cheated being born here! >_<
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I know the D Dimension sounds fucking brilliant.
got my copy today, rather quicker than i expected.
really liking it, although the slightly different handling will take some getting used to. managed to change accelerate/brake back onto the face buttons, but didnt notice any way of using the dpad instead of analogue....had a quick look on gamefaqs, and if they're to be beleived your not allowed to use the dpad!
had one race online which was a bit odd.
the guy gave me a huge head start and then caught me up very quickly, no doubt due to my car basically being stock. but he didnt bother getting away, just blocked me the rest of the way. i assume he was just messing around/being a twat.
not sure what all the other bits of online are, as it seemed to just hand as i was looking at something...rankings i think.
still, i like it, and its good to have it back.
Fuddle, iirc you were heavy into Special Stage. Can you see this one grabbing you in the same way? Also what is the upgrade system this time around? I hope they haven't used the card based system from Street Stage, which was alright, but didn't work as well as the points based system.
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We're all dinos here. Everyone drifts, all the time: it's impossible to drive straight. DUKE OUT!
This game has totally grabbed me now - I'm zoning in just like in Special Stage, still badly need to sort out my drifting but the cornering is starting to feel a lot more instinctive.
Regarding the online game, I've had what you explain Fuddle happen to me too (but the other way round). Sometimes the race starts before your machine has synced up; so while you're getting the little intro text before the 3, 2, 1 start the opponent has already shot away. The last race I had last night had me starting about 10 seconds after the guy, yet the rubber banding still allowed me to catch up by the 3rd from last corner! XD
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ah i see. i just assumed my car was crap. i only tried online once too.
not quite sure how online races will work out really. the actual overtaking part has always seemed a bit messy, trying not to bump the other car. normally i would at least try to make it look good and loose rather than barging past. and i would feel pretty bad knocking a real person out of the way, but i dont have a massive amount of faith in the general online world being that nice. i'll try it again tonight and see what happens. theres a few more bits in the online section i havent figured out yet too.
i'm really liking it a lot in general though. i couldnt stop playing it last night, mainly doing time trial.... i assume online time trial is in there somewhere too, i didnt notice it uploading times or anything.
i can see myself sinking a lot of time into it already now i'm getting a bit more used to it.
upgrading your car is done by spending points that you get from racing/time trials. very glad they got rid of that random card element. i think you still need to go up through stages though. buying the cheaper parts before it allows you to get the better more expensive bits. unless they were just greyed out as i couldnt afford them.
you also can do visual upgrades,body parts etc, which i dont think affect performance.
We all need to hook up for some games, what's your PSN address Fuddle? (mine is Saurian)
I've got 3 cars on the go at the moment, currently trying to save up and get the misfiring system for Emperor's Evo. You do have to go up through the upgrades in sequence regardless if you have enough money or not.
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No doubt the Evos are properly tough. I see you have gone to the dark side of the drift Saur with your 4WD choices. I'd feel too dirty if I used anything other than FR or MR.
I need to hook up with one of you lot so I can at least play this game instead of talking bollocks about it.
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We're all dinos here. Everyone drifts, all the time: it's impossible to drive straight. DUKE OUT!
Blud if you ever want to pass by for some games I'm always about - I'm too lazy to stray too far from my yard
I'm definetly a 4WD evil-doer, I love powering through the corners; brute force rather than tactical finesse. I have got an AE86 still though and I'll make damn sure I can represent with it.
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my psn is AvexFuddle seeing as somebody already stole plain fuddle.
using a white FD at the moment, but only got it up to stage 3 of the upgrades so far. i think i spent more money making it look cool. got the suzuki cappucino as my second but havent actually used it yet. evo will probably be my third.
had a few more races online, and got destroyed each time, but it seemed to be working just fine. looks like i'm the only one not pretending to be a girl though. i need to get the car a bit better and learn not to smash into everything a bit before i try again i think.
btw, the red/blue yes/no option in the ranking battle, what is that one, i'm guessing catch up maybe?
LOVING this now!
Finally got the feel for the cornering properly, I simply wasn't braking hard enough. Was caning Akina in the Evo last night, Akina is proper SICK in this version - the gutter-run is still totally epic.
I just wasn't braking hard enough into the corners before, you need to dive really deep into the inside of the corner - even gearing down a few times while you're at it does not rip much speed off.
Fuddle that option you mention is the "Boost Assist" it's basically switching the rubber-banding ON/OFF.
My drifting is fast becoming truly Dinosauric - no more of that Amish drifting I've been throwing out over the past week.
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cheers for the games saur.
i obviously need some more practice. still bumping into so many things. and overtaking isnt especially easy in this anyway. think my FD is on stage 3 of the parts now.
i'll get my head around all the online options too someday. switching between X&O being yes/no or no/yes all the time. plus it automatically seems to put you on no for rematch.
I get the opposite thing - nothing winds me up more than O and X being the wrong way round on western games!
I've got everything to do with the electronics on that Evo bought and am currently one away from fully upgraded suspension, I'm dreading powering up the engine as it's stupid fast enough as it is!
It really clicked with me last night and I've managed to suss the cornering, you gain so much ground on the corners it's unreal - the gutter-run is especially sick this time aswell. Make sure you aggressively attack the inside of the corner while braking and gearing down, even if you gear down from 5th to 2nd and back up you still fly round.
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ah, it didnt seem to put in half the words i was writing at the end, but i didnt notice as i was typing. but i figured you'd get it anyway
had to leave it there, but it was good. getting a bit closer with my little cappucino.
That was mint man!
There's so much to the cornering I still need to suss out! We're both getting faster though.
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How come nobody here challenges on Initial D? I don't smell or anything - come on, BRING IT !!!!1
I've got a fully tuned 86, Evo 3, RX-7 and a RIIIIIIIIDGE RACEEEEEERRRRR style Mazda MX5 all ready to drive really fast in a non-straight line.
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I'm not very good at it, and not found the time to get any better
Did you get a wheel in the end?
Nien, I'm still on the ghetto SixAxis
It works though, I managed to finish the main game with this pad - I can't hope to keep up with the l33t players on the network though (you can blatantly tell who's on a wheel).
It's not the tight corners which present problems on a pad but rather keeping an accurate line, the pad control is bizarre in that you can't push the stick slightly to turn slightly. So my play style has no finesse whatsoever, I just throw the car at the inside of the corners as fast as possible!
Just bear in mind that you can brake VERY heavy and not suffer that much of a speed loss, my problem before was that I was gearing down too much - when just braking would have done the job better. Like even on Irohazaka (the one with the bonkers hairpins) where I was gearing down to 2nd to get round works LOADS better if you go from 4th to 3rd with heavy braking.
Remember touching the barrier is what costs you the most, so dont be shy braking lots - you'll be spared the acceleration penalty just as long as you stay clear of the barrier.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=KFPI8htS2sk
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Still got that extra copy Saur?
That's long gone man -
www.yesasia.com will sort you one out.
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