Initial D Extreme Stage (頭文字D Extreme Stage, Inisharu D Extreme Stage) is a 2008 racing video game and a home console port of Initial D Arcade Stage 4. It was developed by New Entertainment R&D Dept. and Cavia and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. It is the thirteenth game to be based on the Initial D series and the last to receive a console release.
Sega first revealed the game at the SIS Tokyo Special Import Car Show 2008 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on May 16, 2008, at the Speedworks Japan booth, where the game was put on display.[7] Similar to Arcade Stage 4 and Arcade Stage 4 Kai, the game retains the same core gameplay with some tweaks and additional features. The Legend of the Streets story mode is retained, while Time Attack mode lets players upload records to a Nationwide Time Attack Ranking via PlayStation Network (PSN) and compete against top-ranking players by racing against ghost cars.[8][7]
One change is the Network Battle mode, enabling players to race online using their PlayStation Network accounts, whereas Arcade Stage 4 used Sega’s ALL.Net network service. Network Battles include ranked battles, free battles, and a chatroom function. The ranking system is similar to Arcade Stage 4, where a player's rank increases or decreases after each race.[8][7]
The game features a fully 3D CG-animated opening, depicting Takumi Fujiwara and Keisuke Takahashi’s battles during Project D, covering up to the Saitama and Ibaraki arcs. The opening is accompanied by "Dive Into Stream" by m.o.v.e, which was released as a tie-in single with the game.[9] Additionally, the game re-introduces Happogahara and the character Tomoyuki Tachi, both of whom were absent from Arcade Stage 4.[7]
Characters[]
In alphabetical order:
- Wataru Akiyama
- Bunta Fujiwara
- Takumi Fujiwara
- Kozo Hoshino
- Koichiro Iketani
- Seiji Iwaki
- Kyoko Iwase
- Toshiya Joshima
- Kenji
- Kai Kogashiwa
- Kenta Nakamura
- Takeshi Nakazato
- Daiki Ninomiya
- Smiley Sakai
- Mako Sato (as part of Impact Blue)
- Sayuki (as part of Impact Blue)
- Shingo Shoji
- Kyoichi Sudo
- Keisuke Takahashi
- Ryosuke Takahashi
- Itsuki Takeuchi
- Two Guys From Tokyo
- Tomoyuki Tachi
Legend of the Streets[]
Akina Lake (Easy)[]
| Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Itsuki Takeuchi | Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85) | 1/10 | Counter-Clockwise | Day | Clear |
| Takumi Fujiwara | Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85) | 2/10 | Clockwise | Day | Clear |
| Two Guys From Tokyo | Nissan Silvia Spec-R (S15) | 3/10 | Counter-Clockwise | Night | Clear |
Myogi (Normal)[]
| Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenji | Nissan 180SX Type II (RPS13) | 2/10 | Uphill | Day | Clear |
| Shingo Shoji | Honda Civic SiR-II (EG6) | 3/10 | Downhill | Day | Clear |
| Mako Sato & Sayuki | Nissan SilEighty (RPS13) | 4/10 | Downhill | Night | Clear |
| Takeshi Nakazato | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32) | 5/10 | Uphill | Night | Clear |
Akagi (Hard)[]
| Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenta Nakamura | Nissan Silvia Q's (S14) | 3/10 | Downhill | Day | Rainy |
| Kyoichi Sudo | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR (CE9A) | 4/10 | Uphill | Day | Clear |
| Keisuke Takahashi | Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) | 5/10 | Uphill | Night | Clear |
| Ryosuke Takahashi | Mazda SAVANNA RX-7 Infini III (FC3S) | 6/10 | Downhill | Night | Clear |
Akina (Hard)[]
| Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koichiro Iketani | Nissan Silvia K's (S13) | 3/10 | Downhill | Day | Clear |
| Kyoko Iwase | Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) | 4/10 | Uphill | Day | Clear |
| Wataru Akiyama | Toyota Corolla Levin GT-APEX (AE86) | 5/10 | Uphill | Night | Clear |
| Ryosuke Takahashi | Mazda SAVANNA RX-7 Infini III (FC3S) | 7/10 | Downhill | Night | Rain |
| Takumi Fujiwara | Toyota Sprinter Trueno 3door GT-APEX (AE86) | 8/10 | Downhill | Night | Clear |
| Unlocked after beating base game and Project D battles | |||||
| Bunta Fujiwara | Subaru Impreza WRX STi Coupe Type R Version V (GC8F) | 10/10 | Downhill | Night | Clear |
Irohazaka (Hard)[]
| Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seiji Iwaki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV RS (CN9A) | 5/10 | Downhill | Day | Clear |
| Kyoichi Sudo | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR (CE9A) | 6/10 | Downhill | Night | Clear |
| Kai Kogashiwa | Toyota MR2 G-Limited (SW20) | 7/10 | Downhill | Night | Clear |
Tsukuba (Expert)[]
| Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daiki Ninomiya | Honda Civic Type R (EK9) | 6/10 | Day | Clear | |
| Smiley Sakai | Honda Integra Type R (DC2) | 7/10 | Day | Rainy | |
| Toshiya Joshima | Honda S2000 (AP1) | 8/10 | Night | Clear | |
| Kozo Hoshino | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nur (BNR34) | 8/10 | Night | Clear | |
| Unlocked after beating base game | |||||
| Keisuke Takahashi (Project D) | Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) | 9/10 | Night | Clear | |
| Takumi Fujiwara (Project D) | Toyota Sprinter Trueno 3door GT-APEX (AE86) | Night | Clear | ||
Happogahara (Expert)[]
| Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daiki Ninomiya | Honda Civic Type R (EK9) | 7/10 | Day | Clear | |
| Smiley Sakai | Honda Integra Type R (DC2) | 8/10 | Day | Rainy | |
| Kozo Hoshino | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nur (BNR34) | 9/10 | Night | Clear | |
| Tomoyuki Tachi | Honda Civic Type R (EK9) | Night | Clear |
Cars[]
Honda[]
Mazda[]
- Eunos Roadster (NA6CE) (added in 1.50 update)
- SAVANNA RX-7 ∞ III (FC3S)
- ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
- RX-8 Type S (SE3P) (added in 1.50 update)
Mitsubishi[]
Nissan[]
- 180SX Type II (RPS13)
- SilEighty (RPS13)
- Silvia K's (S13)
- Silvia Q's (S14)
- Silvia Spec-R (S15)
- Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32)
- Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nür (BNR34)
Subaru[]
Suzuki[]
Toyota[]
- Altezza RS200 Z Edition (SXE10) (added in 1.50 update)
- Corolla Levin SR (AE85)
- Corolla Levin GT-APEX (AE86)
- MR2 G-Limited (SW20)
- Sprinter Trueno 3door GT-APEX (AE86)
Courses[]
- Akina Lake (Easy)
- Myogi (Normal)
- Akagi (Hard)
- Akina (Hard)
- Irohazaka (Hard)
- Tsukuba (Expert)
- Happogahara (Expert)
Soundtrack[]
| Use | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Dive Into Stream | m.o.v.e |
| Akina Lake (day) | Let's Go, Come On | Manuel |
| Akina Lake (night) | Go Beat Crazy | Fastway |
| Myogi (day) | Speed Car | D-Team |
| Myogi (night) | Fly To Me To The Moon & Back | The Spiders From Mars |
| Akagi (day) | Revolution | Fastway |
| Akagi (night) | We'll See Heaven | Digital Planet |
| Akina (day) | All Around | Lia |
| Akina (night) | Eldorado | Dave Rodgers |
| Akina (vs Bunta) | The Fire's On Me | Spock |
| Irohazaka (day) | Raising Hell | Fastway |
| Irohazaka (night) | Spacelove | |
| Tsukuba (day) | No Control | Manuel |
| Tsukuba (night) | Forever Young | Symbol |
| Tsukuba (Project D) | Rider Of The Sky | Ace |
| Happogahara (day) | Go Beat Crazy | Fastway |
| Happogahara (night) | Raising Hell | |
| Happogahara (vs Tomoyuki) | Rider Of The Sky | Ace |
| Ending | Keep On Movin' | m.o.v.e |
Downloadable Content[]
PlayStation Store DLC Icon
Three downloadable content packs were made available for the game exclusively for Japanese users and could be downloaded from the PlayStation Store.
The first was a downloadable patch called "Additional Car Model Data", equivalent to Version 1.50 update on Initial D Arcade Stage 4. It added three new vehicles: Toyota Altezza RS200 Z Edition (SXE10), Mazda RX-8 Type S (SE3P), and Eunos Roadster (NA6CE). This update was released on July 24, 2007, as a free download.[10]
The other two were additional customizable parts for the player's created character, available for both male and female characters. The female pack included 26 new parts while the male pack included 27 parts and was released on August 1, 2008, at a price of 329 yen each.[11][12]
| Title | Release Date | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Car Model Data (追加車種データ, Tsuika shashu dēta) | JP: July 24th 2007 | FREE |
| Additional My Character Parts (Female) (追加マイキャラパーツ (女), Tsuika Maikyarapātsu (On'na)) | JP: August 1st 2008 | ¥329 |
| Additional My Character Parts (Male) (追加マイキャラパーツ (男), Tsuika Maikyarapātsu (Otoko)) |
Gallery[]
Miscellaneous[]
Promotional Material[]
Flyers and Posters[]
Commercials and Videos[]
Initial D Extreme Stage [BLJM-60055][]
Japanese Release
Initial D Extreme Stage [BLAS-50053][]
Asia Release
Initial D Extreme Stage [BCKS-10052][]
South Korean Release
Initial D Extreme Stage PlayStation 3 the Best [BLJM-55013][]
Initial D Extreme Stage PlayStation 3 the Best Reprint [BLJM-55028][]
Characters[]
Cars[]
Courses[]
Loading Screens[]
Promotion[]
The game was showcased at the D1 Grand Prix's Tokyo Drift in Odaiba exhibition during the 2008 Gran Turismo D1 Grand Prix series on June 7, 2008. It had its own booth, featuring a racing cockpit setup for visitors to experience the game. As a promotional giveaway, attendees who played the game received a hand towel from Fujiwara Tofu Shop. The Japanese band m.o.v.e also appeared at the event, performing live.[9]
To promote the game, Sega launched "The 'Let Us Promote If We Win' Campaign", a series of promotional videos featured on the game's official website.[13] The campaign starred fashion model and racing driver Mika Kagoshima, who served as the game's promotional captain. The premise of the campaign was based on Sega's attempt to gain exposure after overspending on development, challenging various media outlets to Time Attack battles. If Mika Kagoshima won, the losing side was required to promote the game.[14] Battle results were posted on the game's website, and opponents included motsu from m.o.v.e,[9] representative writers from various media outlets, Toshihiro Nagoshi (creator of the Like A Dragon / Yakuza series),[15] and others.
On June 30, 2008, Sega held a live event at Joypolis in Odaiba to commemorate the game's release. The event featured a live performance by m.o.v.e, coinciding with the release of the game's opening theme, "Dive Into Stream" on the same day. Additionally, Miss Magazine 2007 Reader's Special Award winner Ise Mihato and motsu from m.o.v.e participated in Time Attack battles against attendees. The competition had a rule, if the attendee won, they received a copy of Initial D Extreme Stage. However, if they lost, they were required to promote the game to their acquaintances for the following week.[16]
Reception[]
The game sold 43,977 units in its first week, with its sales at the end of the year totaling an estimated 78,330 units.[17] On March 11, 2010, the game was re-released under PlayStation’s budget range, the Best, and later saw a reprint of the Best version on June 30, 2011.[3] The initial the Best release saw sales of 9,593 units by December 2010, while the reprint release saw estimated sales of 57,523 units by the end of December 2013.[17] With total sales across all versions estimated at 145,446 units as of December 29, 2013.[17]
References[]
- ↑ Video Game Credits Database (August 1, 2017). "Initial D Extreme Stage - Credits". Youtube. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ "ソフトウェアカタログ 頭文字D Extreme Stage" (ja). PlayStation.com(Japan). Archived from the original on July 10, 2008. Retrieved on February 15, 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Initial D: Extreme Stage – Release Details". GameFAQS. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ "이니셜 D 익스트림 스테이지" (kr). PlayStation.co.kr. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ "ソフトウェアカタログ 頭文字D EXTREME STAGE PlayStation®3 the Best" (ja). PlayStation.com(Japan). Archived from the original on March 6, 2008. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ Shinji Nakano (May 6, 2011). "SCEJ、PS3/PS2/PSP「the Best」シリーズ6月発売予定タイトルは「鉄拳6」など" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Shinji Nakano (May 15, 2008). "セガ、PS3「頭文字D EXTREME STAGE」「SIS 東京スペシャルインポートカーショー 2008」に出展" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "頭文字D EXTREME STAGE プレイステーション3 家庭用ゲーム SEGA" (ja). SEGA. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Kenji Saeki (June 7, 2008). "お台場で「D1 GRAND PRIX TOKYO DRIFT in ODAIBA」開催PS3「頭文字D」と「m.o.v.e」のドリフトライブなどイベント盛りだくさん" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ "追加車種データ" (ja). PlayStation Store. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ "追加マイキャラパーツ (女)" (ja). PlayStation Store. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ "追加マイキャラパーツ (男)" (ja) (PlayStation Store). Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
- ↑ Kenji Saeki (June 17, 2008). "セガ、PS3「頭文字D EXTREME STAGE」宣伝隊長神子島みかさんとガチバトル!" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on March 6, 2025.
- ↑ "告知をかけて『頭文字D』で対決！ 記者たちの前に現れたのは……金髪ギャル!?" (ja). Dengeki Online (June 16, 2008). Retrieved on March 6, 2025.
- ↑ "『頭文字D EXTREME STAGE』キャンペーン動画を追加" (ja). PS3 NAVI (June 12, 2008). Retrieved on March 6, 2025.
- ↑ Kenji Saeki (June 30, 2008). "セガ、PS3「頭文字D EXTREME STAGE」発売記念でm.o.v.eがジョイポリスでライブ!伊勢みはとさんも参戦" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on March 6, 2025.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Game Data Library". Retrieved on February 16, 2025.
External Links[]
- Game Listing on SEGA Website - Archived on archive.org (Japanese)