Unboxing [JP]: Initial D: Extreme Stage - The Best! Edition (PS3)

Decided to add a new section to my blog, and to start that off my latest Japanese import arrived.

Initial D: Extreme Stage is an arcade racing game based on the popular anime and manga franchise. The PS3 game is the sequel to Initial D: Special Stage and has gameplay resemblance to the Initial D: Arcade Stage series (in fact Extreme Stage is pretty much the console version of Arcade Stage 4). The Initial D games released in the arcade had a bunch of restrictions and they all have been lifted in this title so you can access some features without having to require an IC Card.

The game is entirely in Japanese but the gameplay itself is pretty basic as it's just a racing game so I would place this under the Import Friendly section. There is no local multiplayer which is a shame as a friend of mine is a fan of the franchise but on another note there is online that will allow you to race against another player. Unlike the Asian version, the online is only available if you get the Japanese version (whether it's the original release or The Best! edition).

For those who don't know, The Best! edition is a re-release released at a budget price of 2800 Japanese Yen (around £15.77/€20.67/$23.93 at the current exchange) that Sony uses for their Japanese PlayStation consoles for games that have sold very well in their market. The Best! line up is basically the Japanese equivalent of The Essentials edition in the UK.

Format: PlayStation 3

Version: Japan

Exclusive: Yes

Local Players: 1

Online Players: 2

Resolution: NTSC 480p, 720p

HDD Space: 736 KB

Trophies: No

The game is still available for a good price at various game retailers like Play-Asia. I ordered the game from Genki Video Games, a UK online retailer that sells retro games and some newer titles. No customs but the prices are relatively high in a similar matter to United Publications.