Initial D Special Stage (頭文字D Special Stage, Inisharu D Special Stage) is a 2003 racing video game and a home console port of Initial D Arcade Stage Ver. 2, developed by Sega Rosso and Tose Software and published by Sega Corporation for the PlayStation 2 in Japan and Asia. It is the ninth game to be based on the Initial D series.
The game was announced on December 3, 2002, during a strategic sales presentation held by Sega in Tokyo as part of their spring sales campaign for 2003.[4] Initially slated for release on March 27, 2003, the release was delayed due to concerns that the original release date did not allow adequate time to achieve the desired improvements in software content and quality. As such, the release date was moved to June 26, 2003, where the game was eventually released.[5][6]
Like Arcade Stage Ver. 2, the game includes the Legend of the Streets story mode, Time Attack mode, and a new feature called Introduction of Iketani-Senpai Car, in which Koichiro Iketani explains the various car models featured in the game. The Legend of the Streets mode has been updated to cover the story up to Volume 22 of the manga. The game also features voice acting by the anime's voice cast, along with manga-style animations that incorporate panels from the Initial D manga to narrate the story before and after each battle.[7]
Two new characters have been added to the story mode, Atsuro Kawai and Tsukamoto, while one new car, the Nissan Skyline 25GT Turbo (ER34), has been introduced. Additionally, five new courses have been added: Enna Skyline, Momiji Line, Shomaru Pass, and the full-length versions of Usui Pass and Myogi.
Premise[]
Just like the Arcade games, the main objective for the player is to race against different opponents from the manga. However, unlike the Arcade Stage series, there is a special story mode in the game. This story mode requires players to play as Takumi Fujiwara and Keisuke Takahashi as you replay the different events that happened in the manga.
During cutscenes the characters (voiced by their respective voice actors) talk and interact with the player prior to the race, a first for the series.
Characters[]
In alphabetical order:
- Nobuhiko Akiyama
- Wataru Akiyama
- Bunta Fujiwara
- Takumi Fujiwara
- Koichiro Iketani
- Seiji Iwaki
- Kyoko Iwase
- Atsuro Kawai
- Kenji
- Kai Kogashiwa
- Kenta Nakamura
- Takeshi Nakazato
- Daiki Ninomiya
- Sakamoto
- Smiley Sakai
- Mako Sato (as part of Impact Blue)
- Sayuki (as part of Impact Blue)
- Shingo Shoji
- Kyoichi Sudo
- Toru Suetsugu
- Tomoyuki Tachi
- Keisuke Takahashi
- Ryosuke Takahashi
- Itsuki Takeuchi
- Tsukamoto
- Two Guys From Tokyo
Legend of the Streets[]
Myogi (Easy)[]
Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Itsuki Takeuchi | Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85) | 1/10 | Counter-Clockwise | Day | Dry |
Takumi Fujiwara | Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85) | 2/10 | Clockwise | Day | Dry |
Shingo Shoji | Honda Civic SiR-II (EG6) | 4/10 | Counter-Clockwise | Night | Dry |
Takeshi Nakazato | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32) | 5/10 | Clockwise | Night | Dry |
Usui (Normal)[]
Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Two Guys From Tokyo | Nissan Silvia Spec-R (S15) | 2/10 | Counter-Clockwise | Day | Dry |
Nobuhiko Akiyama | Toyota Altezza RS200 Z Edition (SXE10) | 3/10 | Clockwise | Day | Dry |
Mako Sato & Sayuki | Nissan SilEighty (RPS13) | 6/10 | Counter-Clockwise | Night | Dry |
Sakamoto | Suzuki Cappuccino (EA11R) | 7/10 | Clockwise | Night | Wet |
Akagi (Hard I)[]
Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kyoko Iwase | Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) | 3/10 | Uphill | Day | Dry |
Kenta Nakamura | Nissan Silvia Q's (S14) | 4/10 | Downhill | Day | Wet |
Keisuke Takahashi | Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) | 7/10 | Uphill | Night | Dry |
Ryosuke Takahashi | Mazda SAVANNA RX-7 Infini III (FC3S) | 8/10 | Downhill | Night | Dry |
Akina (Hard II)[]
Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kenji | Nissan 180SX Type X (RPS13) | 2/10 | Uphill | Day | Dry |
Koichiro Iketani | Nissan Silvia K's (S13) | 3/10 | Downhill | Day | Dry |
Wataru Akiyama | Toyota Corolla Levin GT-APEX (AE86) | 8/10 | Uphill | Night | Dry |
Takumi Fujiwara | Toyota Sprinter Trueno 3door GT-APEX (AE86) | 9/10 | Downhill | Night | Dry |
Bunta Fujiwara | Subaru Impreza WRX STi Coupe Type R Version V (GC8F) | 10/10 | Downhill | Night | Dry |
Happogahara (Expert I)[]
Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toru Suetsugu | Eunos Roadster (NA6CE) | 4/10 | Outbound | Night | Dry |
Daiki Ninomiya | Honda Civic Type R (EK9) | 8/10 | Inbound | Night | Dry |
Smiley Sakai | Honda Integra Type R (DC2) | 8/10 | Outbound | Night | Dry |
Tomoyuki Tachi | Honda Civic Type R (EK9) | 9/10 | Inbound | Night | Dry |
Irohazaka (Expert II)[]
Opponent | Opponent's Car | Skill Level | Direction | Time | Conditions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seiji Iwaki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV RS (CN9A) | 6/10 | Downhill | Day | Dry |
Kyoichi Sudo | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR (CE9A) | 7/10 | Downhill | Day | Dry |
Kai Kogashiwa | Toyota MR2 G-Limited (SW20) | 8/10 | Downhill | Night | Dry |
Keisuke Takahashi | Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) | 9/10 | Downhill | Night | Dry |
Takumi Fujiwara | Toyota Sprinter Trueno 3door GT-APEX (AE86) | 10/10 | Downhill | Night | Dry |
Story[]
Akina's Eight-Six[]
As Takumi Fujiwara in the Eight-Six
Stage | Goal | Course | Music | Reward |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lets Buy an Eight-Six (Part 1) | Don't spill the water | Akina | Space Boy - Dave Rodgers | |
Lets Buy an Eight-Six (Part 2) | Reach the finish in 3:40 | Speedy Speed Boy - Marko Polo | Speedy Speed Boy - Marko Polo | |
The Ultimate Tofu Vendor Drift | Gain a 40km lead over Keisuke Takahashi in 2:00 | No One Sleep in Tokyo - Edo Boys | No One Sleep in Tokyo - Edo Boys | |
Dogfight | Beat Keisuke Takahashi to the finish line | Running In The 90's - Max Coveri | ||
Iketani's Valuable Experience | Raise Koichiro Iketani's fear meter to 100% | Don't Stop the Music - Lou Grant | ||
Stupid Father, Bring Back the Eight-Six!! | Beat Kenji to the finish line in 3:40 | Remember Me - Leslie Parrish | Remember Me - Leslie Parrish | |
Battle to the Limit | Beat Takeshi Nakazato to the finish line | Back On The Rocks - Mega NRG Man | Back On The Rocks - Mega NRG Man | |
Deathmatch of Madness | Beat Shingo Shoji to the finish line | Don't Stand So Close - Dr. Love | Don't Stand So Close - Dr. Love | |
Sparkling Line Cross!! | Beat Ryosuke Takahashi to the finish line | Beat Of The Rising Sun - Dave Rodgers | ||
Hot Winds! Mad Racing! Usui Pass | Beat Impact Blue to the finish line | Usui | Love Is In Danger - Priscilla | |
Know the Fear of the Rain Battle | Gain a 200m lead over Kenta Nakamura | Myogi | Killing My Love - Leslie Parrish | |
High Tech vs. Super Technique | Beat Seiji Iwaki to the finish line | Akina | Grand Prix - Mega NRG Man | |
Let Takumi Do the Driving!! | Lift Natsuki Mogi's mood by beating the couple | Akagi | White Light - Mr.Groove | White Light - Mr.Groove |
Suicidal Fireball Battle | Don't let Kyoichi Sudo gain a 100m lead | Save Me - Leslie Parrish | Save Me - Leslie Parrish | |
The Seal Shall Be Released | Reach the finish line in 3:30 | Akina | Burning Desire - Mega NRG Man | Burning Desire - Mega NRG Man |
Hunch of Awakening | Round 1: Stay within 100m of Wataru Akiyama
Round 2: Don't get overtaken Round 3: Stay within 100m |
Shomaru | Get Me Power - Mega NRG Man | Get Me Power - Mega NRG Man |
Challenge!! Irohazaka | Reach the goal without being overtaken by Kyoichi Sudo | Irohazaka | Mikado - Dave McLoud | Mikado - Dave McLoud |
Further Inside Corner!! | Beat Kai Kogashiwa to the finish line | Crazy For Love - Dusty | Crazy For Love - Dusty | |
Blazing Course Record | Reach the finish line within 3:15 | Akina | Stay - Victoria | Stay - Victoria |
Akagi RedSuns[]
As Keisuke Takahashi in his RX-7 FD3S unless specified
Stage | Goal | Course | Music | Reward |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eve of the Rivals | Don't let Takeshi Nakazato overtake | Akina | Night of Fire - Niko | |
Conflicting Pride!! | Pass Takeshi Nakazato during the fourth section | Myogi | 100 - Dave Rodgers | 100 - Dave Rodgers |
Trial Battle | Beat Seiji Iwaki to the finish line | Akagi | Grand Prix - Mega NRG Man | |
Breakthrough of Fear!! | As Ryosuke Takahashi: Beat Kyoichi Sudo to the finish line | Don't You (Forget About My Love) - Sophie | Don't You (Forget About My Love) - Sophie | |
A Critical Moment for the FD!! | Leave Wataru Akiyama behind | West End Guy - Digital Planet | West End Guy - Digital Planet |
Project D[]
As either Takumi Fujiwara or Keisuke Takahashi
Stage | Goal | Course | Music | Reward |
---|---|---|---|---|
Who is the More Reckless! | As Takumi: Gain a 150m advantage over Toru Suetsugu | Momiji Line | Crazy For Your Love - Morris | Crazy For Your Love - Morris |
Full Throttle Hill Climb!! | As Keisuke: Beat Atsuro Kawai to the finish line | I Need Your Love - Dave Simon | I Need Your Love - Dave Simon | |
Don't Look Behind | As Takumi: Beat Daiki Ninomiya without exceeding 9000rpm | Enna Skyline | Heartbeat - Nathalie | |
Takumi Attacks!! | As Takumi: Beat Daiki Ninomiya before your tires lose grip | Station to Station - Derreck Simons | ||
A Turbo FF Driving Man | As Keisuke: Beat Smiley Sakai to the finish line | Big In Japan - Robert Patton | Big In Japan - Robert Patton | |
Blind Attack | As Takumi:
Round 1: Don't let Tomoyuki Tachi get more than 100m ahead Round 2: Beat your opponent using a Blind Attack |
Happogahara | Round 1: Crazy Night - Boys Band
Round 2: Express Love - Mega NRG Man |
Crazy Night - Boys Band & Express Love - Mega NRG Man |
A Nightmarish Machine | As Takumi: Win | Akina | Beat Of The Rising Sun - Dave Rodgers |
Cars[]
Honda[]
Mazda[]
- Eunos Roadster (NA6CE)
- Roadster RS (NB8C)
- Mazda SAVANNA RX-7 ∞ III (FC3S)
- Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
- Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD3S)
Mistubishi[]
Nissan[]
- 180SX Type X (RPS13)
- SilEighty (RPS13)
- Silvia K's (S13)
- Silvia K's Aero (S14)
- Silvia Q's (S14)
- Silvia Spec-R (S15)
- Skyline 25GT Turbo (ER34)
- Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32)
- Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR34)
Subaru[]
Suzuki[]
Toyota[]
- Altezza RS200 Z Edition (SXE10)
- Celica GT-Four (ST205)
- Corolla Levin SR (AE85)
- Corolla Levin GT-APEX (AE86)
- MR2 G-Limited (SW20)
- MR-S S-Edition (ZZW30)
- Sprinter Trueno 3door GT-APEX (AE86)
Courses[]
- Myogi (Easy)
- Usui (Normal)
- Akagi (Hard I)
- Akina (Hard II)
- Happogahara (Expert I)
- Irohazaka (Expert II)
- Shin - Myogi (Real Myogi)
- Shin - Usui (Real Usui)
- Shomaru
- Momiji Line
- Enna Skyline
Soundtrack[]
Gallery[]
Miscellaneous[]
Promotional Material[]
Sega Spring 2003 Sales Strategy Presentation[]
Screenshots from the game's announcement at Sega's Spring 2003 Sales Strategy Presentation on December 3, 2002.[8]
Flyers and Posters[]
Commercials and Videos[]
Initial D Special Stage [SLPM-65268][]
Initial D Special Stage [SLPM-68509][]
Limited edition release by Kodansha as part of a sweepstakes.
Initial D Special Stage PlayStation 2 the Best [SLPM-74420][]
Initial D Special Stage [SLAJ-25008][]
Export release in Asian territories: The game remains entirely in Japanese, but the manual booklet is in English and Chinese.
Logicool GT Force Racing Wheel [LPRC-10002][]
Swiss manufacturer Logitech (known as Logicool in Japan) released a limited edition of their GT Force racing wheels for the game on June 26, 2003.[9] Originally designed for Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, the wheel included an attachment that allowed it to be used on the player’s lap.[10]Initial D Special Stage Memory Card[]
Japanese video game peripheral manufacturer HORI released two PlayStation 2 memory cards on June 26, 2003. Each memory card had a capacity of eight megabytes and was accompanied by a memory card case capable of storing up to four memory cards. The designs of the memory cards and case featured two variations: the Takumi version and a Keisuke version.[11]
Initial D Special Stage Trial [SLPM-60204][]
Initial D Special Stage Special Demo [SLPM-60205][]
Initial D Special Stage Fastest on Public Roads Manual[]
Initial D Special Stage Fastest on Public Roads Manual (頭文字D Special Stage公道最速マニュアル, Inisharu D Special Stage Kōdō Saikyoku Manyuaru) is a strategy guidebook for Initial D Special Stage that was released on June 27, 2003, a day after the game’s release.[12] It delves into and explains the driving techniques that can be utilized in the game, and focuses on the best vehicles. The guide also includes information on the eleven mountain passes in the game, such as Myogi and Usui Pass, detailing the best lines and braking points, as well as data and parts lists for all vehicles.[13]
Reception[]
The game sold 167,645 units in its first week, with its sales at the end of the year totaling an estimated 267,091 units.[14] On February 26, 2004, the game was re-released under PlayStation’s budget range, the Best.[3] This release saw an estimated sales of 79,601 units by the end of December 2004, with total sales across all versions estimated at 346,692 units as of December 26, 2004.[14]
Trivia[]
- The select sound was reused from the other Sega game "Sonic Adventure 2".
- The developer was changed from Sega Rosso to Hitmaker Co., Ltd. in the PlayStation 2 the Best release.
References[]
- ↑ Fujiwara Tofu Shop (August 31, 2018). "Initial D: Special Stage - Story Mode - Part #31 - A Nightmarish Machine (ENG SUB)". Youtube. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ "頭文字D Special Stage ソフトウェア" (ja). PlayStation.com(Japan). Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "頭文字D Special Stage PlayStation2 the Best ソフトウェア" (ja). PlayStation.com(Japan). Archived from the original on December 2, 2006. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ Kenji Saeki (December 3, 2002). "PS2「VF4 EVO」、「頭文字D Special Stage」発表!セガ「2003 春商戦 戦略発表会」開催" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ Minoru Funatsu (January 24, 2003). "セガ、クオリティアップを理由にPS2「頭文字D Special Stage」の発売日を3カ月延期" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ Minoru Funatsu (January 24, 2003). "セガ「2003 春商戦 戦略発表会」" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ Kenji Saeki (July 3, 2003). "★PS2ゲームレビュー★「頭文字D Special Stage」" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 8, 2025.
- ↑ Kenji Saeki (December 3, 2002). "セガ、最新ソフトタイトルスクリーンショット集". GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 10, 2025.
- ↑ "「GT FORCE 頭文字Dバージョン」予約受付開始" (ja). Logicool. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ Minoru Funatsu (January 7, 2002). "ロジクール「GT FORCE」、セガの「頭文字D Special Stage」" (ja). GAME Watch. Retrieved on February 7, 2025.
- ↑ "ソフトと合わせて購入しておきたい!『サカつく3』『頭文字D』の特製メモカが登場" (ja). 電撃文庫 (May 28, 2003). Retrieved on March 26, 2025.
- ↑ "頭文字D Special Stage 公道最速マニュアル 講談社ゲームBOOKS" (ja). BOOKOFF. Retrieved on February 18, 2025.
- ↑ "頭文字D Special Stage公道最速マニュアル (講談社ゲームBOOKS)" (ja). Amazon. Retrieved on February 18, 2025.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Game Data Library. Retrieved on February 8, 2025.
External Links[]
- Official Website - Archived on archive.org (Japanese)