Lowrider E3 2003 Preshow Report

Though it has been out in Japan since the early part of this year, Lowrider, a rhythm action game based on the popular lowrider car lifestyle, has only recently found its way to a US publisher. Jaleco Entertainment will be releasing the game stateside in October of this year and will also be showing the game off at its E3 2003 booth.

Lowrider will feature two main modes of gameplay. In story mode, you begin with a dull, uninteresting-looking car and start to work your way through various sites on the West Coast, building up a reputation as you compete against other lowrider cars. As you continue through the story, you will be able to purchase upgrades and cosmetic customizations to make your car more impressive. These upgrades can range from improved hydraulic systems to give you significantly more bounce, to new, customized paint jobs to personalize and beautify your ride. The game will also feature an arcade mode that allows you to play against friends or the CPU in specific competitions.

Lowrider's gameplay will be very simplistic, handling very much like other rhythm action titles. Face and shoulder buttons will be the primary hydraulic controls, and pressing them in different combinations can perform various moves and tricks. Four different types of competitions will be available, including a street mode, which will have various people along a city block calling out tricks they want to see, and a dance mode, which puts you one-on-one against an opponent, performing timed sequences of tricks.

Lowrider will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 2, and you can expect more coverage on the game in the near future.