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TXR 2: Q&A

We speak with the producer of Tokyo Xtreme Racing 2 for the US Dreamcast about the improvements being made and the game's online features.

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GameSpot conducted a short Q&A with Mike Arkin, executive producer for Crave Entertainment in charge of the US version of Tokyo Xtreme Racing 2 for the Dreamcast. He spoke specifically on the changes to be made for the US version of the game. According to Arkin, several graphical and gameplay problems that were present in the Japanese version will be fixed for the US incarnation. The entire Q&A session follows.

GameSpot: Some of the problems people were having with the Japanese version were automatic resets, freezing, and camera glitches. Will these minor bugs be addressed for the US release?

Arkin: Yes, these and many other issues have all been fixed.

GS: For the US localization, will Crave add new car models to the game's lineup? Will any resemble actual US car models?

Arkin: Yes, we added five new cars. Also, we added American license plates that you can customize. Also, the tracks have much more than doubled. Actually the first game had 40KM of track, and this game has 180KM of track. There are actually 374 rivals, not the 250 that you mention in the [import] review.

GS: TXR 2 has some slowdown issues, especially with several cars onscreen at once. Will those be addressed for the US release?

Arkin: We have made every attempt to reduce the slowdown as much as possible. The US version should be better than the Japanese version in this area.

GS: Will the US version bring back the two-player mode? Will there be network features, such as the posting of ghost car times?

Arkin: There won't be a two-player, but all of the online features will work correctly. You can upload and download times, replays, and stickers. Also, I think we will have hints and tips and some surprise downloads later after the game ships.

GS: Will the credit system in the game be tweaked? With the import version, the parts needed for ultimate customization sometimes cost too much, which forces the player to race to earn enough money to buy a certain part.

Arkin: We have updated the money system to be more like US dollars, but the relationship between the money that you earn and the cost of items is still the same. This is part of the way the game is balanced. If the game gave you more money, then it would be much easier to get the faster cars without racing all of the rivals.

GS: Does Crave plan to rework the soundtrack, or will it remain essentially the same as the Japanese version?

Arkin: It will remain the same.

Stay tuned to GameSpot for continuing coverage on Crave's Dreamcast racer.

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