Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Crave
  • Release Date: May 28, 2001
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Hot Games
    100
    What do caviar, waterbeds, and David Lynch films have in common? They’re all unique acquired tastes - as is the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series. Once you’re hooked on the “scene”, though, you’ll never let go.
  2. All Game Guide
    90
    If you're a fan of illegal racing, or of those souped up imports from Japan, this is definitely a game you'll enjoy.
  3. Da Gameboyz
    86
    While the game conveys a good sense of realism, I can't help feel that it's somewhat linear. The tracks become too familiar until more are unlocked. Otherwise, Tokyo Extreme Racer is excellent.
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  5. TotalPlayStation
    85
    With TXR Zero, gamers not only get a PlayStation 2 version of the game, but they get the best one, hands down.
  6. GameSpy
    84
    Anyone who is into racing or tuning will think that they have stumbled upon the proverbial pot of gold with TXRZ. While the somewhat repetitive style of competition in the game will turn off some, the game is simply too exciting and fun to even notice.
  7. IGN
    83
    "GT3" is still the king, but TXR makes a cracking giant-exhaust-cone-bedecked court jester.
  8. Electric Playground
    80
    For those in the know, the actual Tokyo highways have been painstakingly recreated, so consider this the ultimate vacation.
  9. Gamezilla!
    77
    The huge amount of available roadway and varied collection of opponents will keep you racing for a good long time, but if you’re not a dedicated racing junkie then there’s not much here to catch your attention.
  10. GameSpot
    76
    Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Zero is not without its flaws, but the game's unique battle system and realistic sense of speed make it one of the most entertaining racing games on the PlayStation 2.
  11. GamerWeb Sony
    75
    If you're sucked in to the experience, you will find that there's plenty to do; cars to customize and challengers to crush. Although some may find it cumbersome and repetitive, the idea is sound, and the game comes out fairly clean in the end.
  12. Happy Puppy
    75
    Think of it as falling in between "Ridge Racer" and Gran "Turismo." If you are a car fanatic who would rather spend $1,000 on nice rims than pay off a student loan, this might be the racer for you.
  13. Gaming Age
    67
    It has all the charm and addictive qualities of its Sega-based brethren, with better graphics and more features, to boot.
  14. PSX Nation
    60
    Just mute that terrible music and you'll be set, mmkay?
  15. GamePro
    50
    Tokyo Xtreme Boredom.
  16. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    50
    Boring. [June 2001, p.98]
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best PS2 Game of 2001
21
#21 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2001
79
#79 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2001

User Reviews

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User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 76
  3. Negative: 5 out of 76
  1. jintei
    Oct 1, 2020
    8
    I've been playing this game since I was a child and from time to time I still grab it to start all over again only to get the same feeling ofI've been playing this game since I was a child and from time to time I still grab it to start all over again only to get the same feeling of clearing a masterpiece.

    This series is really important to me and helped me learn a lot about cars and JDM in general. At first, you may think driving on a highway for tens of nights in a row might get dull but actually it only gets boring when you are forced to farm over 3,000 miles for a single rival to appear.

    The game is pretty well finished, not buggy and engine sounds are fairly reasonable. Graphics are good and the nightly aura won't get you tired. It's rather relaxing when you're just cruising around looking for new rivals.

    Speaking of rivals, those are what make this game series so special. Each single one of them has two profile fragments, which let you know more about their lives before and after defeating them. Most rivals will drive cars that you may build by yourself but bosses and some wanderers have special cars, concerning both performance and visual aspects that you simply aren't able to replicate.

    Bosses will appear upon defeating all teams from an area and challenge you from behind. All of them have short intro sequences. Team leaders as well. Wanderers are drivers that don't belong to any team and all of them have certain conditions to be met before they accept your challenge or even appear on the map.

    The main objective is to defeat all 399 rivals in order to defeat the final boss. Kinda tough to achieve since every one of them will try to overtake you at all costs. Leaders and bosses have super powerful cars so defeating them will require blocking skills and patience.

    It's a great game, full of cars to try and customize as you like. The huge variety of opponents will keep you busy for hours and longing for more after you finish it.    … Full Review »
  2. Squatmaster
    Jul 7, 2023
    10
    Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero is simply one of the greatest PS2 highway racers, next to its sequel, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3,
    The handling takes some    Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero is simply one of the greatest PS2 highway racers, next to its sequel, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3,
    The handling takes some getting used to but after a bit it eases up on its player's, over time with enough tuning the handling can be fixed,
    10/10, must play.    … Full Review »
  3. VRH15
    May 2, 2023
    8
    Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero, or Shutokou Battle Zero in Japan, is one of those games where the premise undersells the game.

    The car list is    Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero, or Shutokou Battle Zero in Japan, is one of those games where the premise undersells the game.

    The car list is honestly very good, filled with the classics like NSX and Skyline accompanied with the obscure ones. The rival list is also really good, as this is the first game that Genki put a lot of effort into making each rivals' biographies unique and interesting. In addition, the bosses are also some of the best in the series as they provided a fair challenge, and some of them can even give unsuspecting players a tough fight such as the final bosses of the game. The graphics is also pretty decent for a game that was initially a Dreamcast game before being ported to PS2 due to the Dreamcast being on its last legs. The physics is also very good, as it was surprisingly intuitive for an arcade style of handling for this game. The sense of speed and atmosphere is also brilliant, as if the player really are street racers vying for glory on the Shutokou highway.

    There are some issues with this game though. One of the rivals essentially forces you to travel a long distance on the highway, which brought the game's pacing down a little bit. In addition, the localisation for the American version is poor, as it leaves out a lot of information and personality in the rivals' biographies from the original Japanese version. Therefore, it is recommended to play the Japanese version, as the story is more detailed and the biographies are more complex.

    Overall, TXR0 is a great game and easily one of the most underrated racing games for the PS2. It has a lot of content, as well as having a good progression as well. In addition, the physics and graphics are really good, couple with great atmosphere and sense of speed as well. Just make sure to play the original Japanese version though, which is called Shutokou Battle 0. Nevertheless, TXR0 is an underrated gem that any racing game enthusiast should check at least once.    … Full Review »
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