Ok, so once in a while I pop in here and start a topic I know nothing to little about, and this is one of those instances. Long story short, I had an opportunity to play an Initial D arcade game at a Gameworks and thought the game was pretty well done. So I did a little more digging into it. I found that there was an Initial D on the PSP in Japan which came highly recommended, and apparently those can be played on US PSP's. Then I saw there was an anime that has been around for quite some time. I saw the first season of this for sale around the 40 dollar mark. Is anyone quite familiar with all of this Initial D stuff? Is the anime any good? Is it all about racing or do they focus on any of the characters outside of showing just racing scenes? Has anyone played the Initial D game on the PSP and if so what are your thoughts? Feel free to post anything else Initial D related that I may not have mentioned or missed. Thanks!
This doesn't really answer your questions, but I saw the animation, and I just can't bare to watch it. It's so, I dunno... lumpy. Those faces just don't appeal to me.
There was a movie that was released maybe a year ago which I thought was pretty decent. (better than fast and furious 3 anyways).
Anime First Stage(Season 1) Seconds Stage(Season 2) Extra Stage(Movie focused on the Sileighty girls that happens between Second Third Stage) Thrid Stage(Movie) Fourth Stage(Season 3, with a gap in years it was brought back, last season to air so far) Battle Stage(Compilation of the Battles from First, Second and Third Stages, and 1 Extra made for the DVD) Battle Stage 2(The Battles not seen During Fourth Stage focused on Keisuke) Live Action The Movie(Created by a group that had nothing to do with the Anime or Manga series. No other info as I don't care to watch it) Games There is a PS2 game that was just like there arcade titles, sold alot in Japan. Even a version with a wheel. PSP game just like the Arcade game. Some newer places to race. And yes it works on a US PSP as no region lock. Earn upgrades by Winning Cards. Has a Ad Hoc mode. There are 4 Arcade Stages(Arcade Stage 1-4, hence 4 Versions). Newest Version(only 1 known place in the US with it) now has more of a Ridge Racer setup to have a great feel and look to the Drifting action from the Anime and Manga. There was a POS 10 dollar PC title made for the US, complete crap. There were also games of the series on Saturn, PS1, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and there is a CCG out there, no clue if its still in production(rather doubt it is). Anything else I can think of right now, would be TokyoPop has brought the Anime over, changed character names, even some of the scenes, and pretty much screwed it up. They are ok at best if you have never seen the sereis, but original DVDs, HK DVDs, or it being found on the net in original from are much better. First thru Third Stage do a good job at balancing Story and Racing, while Fourth Stage is more geared towards Racing than Story. The Group that made the Initial D Series are also currently doing the Midnight Wangan series(which also has some pretty dam good racing titles) which agian focus's on Racing, but Highway Racing(hence Wangan in the Title) instead of Moutain Racing. I think you can find the first 4 Episodes on YouTube now. Also, Sega just released 3 special Arcade Stage Ver 4 Cabinets that have you in the actual cars. Not just a lame thing that looks like them, but actual shells with everything. They also cost 5 bucks per race in them. http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/japaninitiald
Thanks for all the input. I think I might give the anime a shot. I definitely plan on getting the PSP game.
If you do like the series, but find you want soem more story to it, they did bring the Manga to the US, and only some characters names were changed but story is still intact. They are still releasing the Manga in Japan to.
And if you really, really get into it, and you want to be like all the other driftards, track down a Corolla GTS hatch. Be warned - even the ass-ugly rusty ones became quite a bit more expensive after Initial D became popular, and they are usually ass-ugly and rusty.
The live-action movie was made by the same folks who made the Infernal Affairs trilogy. While things were altered from the manga, the race scenes were still worth it. I have it on DVD and the DTS gave my 5.1 speakers a good workout. i'd love to play this on a 7.1 setup and hear its full potential. (it's actually a DTS-es audio track) as for the games, the PSP game is the best version so far. the PS2 version doesn't have the arcade stage 3 levels.
Yes, and its Touge, Mountain Racing, not Street Racing. Street Racing is all about Horsepower, and Moutain Racing is more about Handling and Suspension setups over power. Fourth Stage is also the last one to be made, and well after the Movie. First Stage when made for its time was also considered good looking and with a good Blend of Animation and CGI.
Funny My friend is looking for a Car and Im helping him and we tracked one down for 700(CND).....a bit of rust in the ligths rust but nothing worse than the z28 Camaro 96 that his father owns. decent conditions -as I actually saw the engine and tested it- because Im the one who drives a stick shift he wanted me to be the one to tell him if it felt rigth or not) . And to the anime, probably my favorite take on Cars, as I actually learned a few things out of it. and inspired me to get into cars ...I enjoyed first stage, save the lack of funds, and the whole stage 1 to 3 was awesomeness incarnate Stage 4 blew me away ...as It taugth me even more(the suicidalness of it)....and to be honest I despise Tokyo pop for their dub... And this anime is one of the reasons Im driving a Celica(gts) cause I became a Toyota fanboy (it was either a celica, an MX3, or cavalier/sunfire)
Hey, not bad, wing. I could be wrong, could be the price for a North American AE86 has come down again. It was about 3-4 years ago that the price jump happened, so that's certainly enough time. As for the ugly-ass factor, the few Corolla GTS's I've seen around here have had pretty serious rust around the rear wheels - pretty much the same place old Civics get it. An unrusty AE85/86 really brings that rectilinear 80's style that I like. And I'm glad you sprung for a Celica. The MX3 didn't impress me much more than the 1st-gen Probe I drove at the time, and a cav/sunfire is so frickin' Uncle Ben's. (y'know... american rice.)
when we went back to buy the corolla hatch it was sold already....meh we resume our search for his car-he actually wanted to put his "*insert last name* Tofu shop" in Japanese on the door..... (as soon as I told him it was a real ae86) I like my Celica a lot for what some people call it the wrong reasons-when I was a kid my dad had a dodge phantom that had lights that hide and ever since I been fascinated with those cars-and well Its black and fast. the mx 3 had the hatchbackness I like on cars, but couldnt find for my life the color I wanted, or one in good condition in the colors I wanted. the Sunfire...that was more of an issue of my colors, and "I dont wanna drive the same thing my dad drives" but then again my dad's sunfire has lasted 8 years now AND came all the way from mexico city to Canada 3 times already. by the way has anyone seen battle stage ? because I have yet to get it.-or does anyone recomend a game of initial d because the computer one....sucked....
Guys, it wasn't so much Initial D that drove up the price of AE86s, but the fact that drifting reached a new height in popularity in the US. The 86 is said to be "the" entry level drift car. They were cheap, easy to work on, and (then anyway) abundant. Now, it's a different story. Just watch the reruns of the D1 series on G4. Half the cars that aren't pro there are 86s. Also, if you've never driven a light weight, rear drive car, those little things are FUN. FWD FTL!
