Initial D: Special Stage

Overview

Initial D: Street Stage is a port of Initial D Arcade Stage 2 with new additions exclusive to the console version. These exclusives include the addition of five new tracks, new background music and a Story mode where you are able reenact races and events from the Initial D manga. The game is controlled with the D-Pad or analog stick, though it also supposedly works with with Logitech steering wheels. There have been complaints about the transmission stick not working in game however.

Gameplay

Races involve one on one races against rivals through mountain passes that the player selects. As the tracks become more difficult, so do the rivals. Skillful use of gear shifting and braking techniques allow cars to drift around corners. The game's physics are arcade like, but they do involve some realism as well. Cars can oversteer and understeer depending on the car type.

Modes

Arcade

Just like in the arcades, your goal is to defeat all the Initial D characters in the many different tracks in the game. As you win (or lose) battles, you gain points in which to spend

on upgrading your car that you choose or to personalize it.

Story

Take control of Takumi Fujiwara as he rises to fame from his first race with Keisuke Takahashi on Akina to the climatic mountain battle against Tachi on Happogahara. All the races are based on the manga events, so those that watch the anime may not remember specific events exclusive the manga. The story is told through manga panels as well as illustrations where the characters' mouths move with their respective voice acting. Majority of the unlockable features and items in the game can be unlocked by playing through this mode. Unlockable range from new background music to car explanations in the car showcase mode.

Time Trial

Cars that have been saved in Arcade mode can be used here. When the player completes a time trial, they are able to earn points depending on how fast they were.

Car Showcase

The car showcase allows players to view a replay of a selected car in action as well as an explanation of the car from Iketani.

Cars

Cars are divided up into three different types of drivetrain styles:
MR - Mid Rear Drive
FR - Rear Wheel Drive
4WD - Four Wheel Drive
FF - Front Wheel Drive

MR and FR cars tend to be driftier than the other counterparts. 4WD cars tend to have superior traction in any weather condition, but tend to understeer.

These are the cars that are present in this version of Initial D as well as their drivetrain type:

Toyota:

• Trueno GT-APEX (AE-86) FR
  
• Levin GT-APEX (AE-86) FR
• Levin SR (AE-85) FR
• MR2 G-Limited (SW-20) MR
  
• MR-S S Edition (ZZW30) MR
  
• Altezza RS200 (AKA: Lexus IS) (SXE10) FR
• Celica GT-4 (ST205) 4WD
  

Nissan

• Skyline GTR V-Spec II (BNR32) 4WD
• Skyline GTR V-Spec II (BNR34) 4WD
• Skyline GT 25 Turbo (ER34) FR
  
• Silvia K's (S14) FR
• Silvia Q's (S14) FR
• Silvia K's Aero (S14) FR
• Silvia Spec-R (S15) FR
• 180SX Type X (RPS13) FR
• Sileighty (RPS13) FR

Mitsubishi

• Lancer GSR Evolution III (CE9A) 4WD
• Lancer RS Evolution IV (CN9A) 4WD
• Lancer GSR Evolution VII (CT9A) 4WD

Honda

• Civic SIR II (EG6) FF
  
• Civic Type R (EK9) FF
  
• Integra Type R (DC2) FF
  
• S2000 (AP1) FF
  

Mazda

• RX7 Infiniti III (FC3S) FR
• RX-7 Type R (FD3S) FR
• RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD3S) FR
• Roadster S Special (NA6C) FR
• Roadster RS (AKA: Miata MX-5) (NB8C) FR

Subaru

• Impreza WRX Type R STi Version V (GC8V) 4WD
• Impreza WRX-STi Version VI (GC8) 4WD
• Impreza WRX-STi (GDB) 4WD

Suzuki

• Cappuccino (EA11R) FR

Tracks

All of these tracks are unlocked from the start.

Original Tracks

• Myogi
• Usui
• Akagi
• Akina
• Happogahara
• Irohazaka

Console Exclusive Tracks

• Shin Myogi (This is later featured on Initial D: Arcade Stage 4)
  
• Shin Usui
  
• Shomaru (This is later featured on Initial D: Arcade Stage 3)
  
• Momiji
• Enna

Music List

Out of all the home versions of Initial D, Initial D Special Stage has the most background music choices. Most of them, however are not exclusive as many of them are eventually used in the future versions of this game.

1. Space Boy
2. Night of Fire
3. Don't Stop the Music
4. Love is in Danger
5. Killing My Love
6. Running in the 90's
7. Grand Prix
8. Beat of the Rising Sun
9. Heartbeat
10. Rock Me to the Top
11. Station to Station
12. Speedy Speed Boy
13. No One Sleeps in Tokyo
14. Remember Me
15. Back on the Rocks
16. Don't Stand So Close
17. White Light
18. Save Me
19. Burning Desire
20. Get Me Power
21. Mikado
22. Crazy for Love
23. Stay
24. 100
25. Don't You (Forget About My Love)
26. West End Guy
27. Crazy For Your Love
28. I Need Your Love
29. Big in Japan
30. Crazy Night
31. Express Love
    

Arcade Mode

These are the characters you face in Arcade Mode as well as the cars they drive:

Myogi

• Itsuki Takeuichi - Levin SR (AE-85)
• Takumi Fujiwara - Levin SR (AE-85)
• Shingo Shoji - Civic SIR II (EG6)
• Takeshi Nakazato - Skyline GTR V-Spec II (BNR32)

Usui

• Two Guys from Tokyo - Silvia Spec-R (S15)
• Nobuhiko Akiyama - Altezza RS200 (AKA: Lexus IS) (SXE10)
• Mako Sato and Sayuki - Sileighty (RPS13)
• Sakamoto - Cappuccino (EA11R)

Akagi

• Kyoko Iwase - RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
• Kenta Nakamura - Silvia Q's (S14)
  
• Keisuke Takahashi - RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
• Ryosuke Takahashi - RX7 Infiniti III (FC3S)

Akina

• Kenji - 180SX Type X (RPS13)
  
• Iketani Kouichiro - Silvia K's (S13)
  
• Wataru Akiyama - Levin GT-APEX (AE-86)
• Takumi Fujiwara - Trueno GT-APEX (AE-86)

Happogahara

• Toru Suetsugu - Roadster RS (NB8C)
• Daiki Ninomiya - Civic Type R (EK9)
• Smiley Sakai - Integra Type R (DC2)
  
• Tomoyuki Tachi - Civic Type R (EK9)

Irohazaka

• Seiji Iwaki - Lancer GSR Evolution III (CE9A)
  
• Kyouichi Sudou - Lancer RS Evolution IV (CN9A)
• Kai Kogashiwa - MR2 G-Limited (SW-20)
• Keisuke Takahashi - RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
• Takumi Fujiwara - Trueno GT-APEX (AE-86)

Shin Myogi

• Shingo Shoji - Civic SIR II (EG6)
• Takeshi Nakazato - Skyline GTR V-Spec II (BNR32)

Shin Usui

• Mako Sato and Sayuki - Sileighty (RPS13)

Shomaru

• Wataru Akiyama - Levin GT-APEX (AE-86)

Momiji

• Toru Suetsugu - Roadster RS (NB8C)
• Atsurou Kawai - Skyline GT 25 Turbo (ER34)

Enna

• Daiki Ninomiya - Civic Type R (EK9)
• Smiley Sakai - Integra Type R (DC2)

Akina

• Bunta Fujiwara - Impreza WRX Type R STi Version V (GC8V)