Though the name says “Import”, all of the cars featured in the game are native to Japan, the county whose interstate system is converted into a giant racetrack. Similar to other games in the series,
Import Tuner takes a while to really get going – something that in the past has turned off players. The feeling is no different here. If you can stand a slow start that eventually works up to something else, you’ll like what
Import Tuner has to offer. If not, don’t bother.
You begin with a limited budget, a decent selection of cars and upgrades and one loop of the interstate open. After buying your first car and getting it tuned up (a process that could take a while if you don’t know what you’re doing), you are turned loose on the streets. Your goal at the beginning of the game is much like your goal at the end of the game – win races against rival racing clubs.
Races are split into a variety of types. The most common are point battles where you try to drain your opponent’s point meter while making sure yours stays ahead. Simply being ahead is enough to drain points, though hitting other objects can also cause point counts to drop even more. The potential for wild point swings makes these some of the more exciting race types, though they can easily be among the more frustrating ones when you first start out. Even the low-level racers seem to have cars that are slightly better than your own, so you’re usually left with having to re-race a couple of times and hope for a swing of luck. Trying to set up situations where opponents crash is also an option. Later in the game you’ll encounter gang point battles, where you’ll have multiple opponents rather than one.
Multiplayer point battles are also available, though they can be really hard if you don’t know what you’re doing. Don’t expect to make much of a name for yourself in multiplayer until you’ve built a great car.
You’ll also encounter the standard point-to-point races as well as races where you need to face a series of opponents.
Winning races nets you money which can, of course, be spent on new upgrades and better cars. Winning also moves you up the ranks of a particular car club, eventually earning you a visit from the club’s leader. Your goal is to beat all of the leaders, thus ridding the interstate of another car club. One of the neat things is the number of combinations needed to race every car club. Some will only hit the road at certain times (you can choose to race at dusk, night or midnight) or only race certain loops. Some hidden groups will only show up if you have particular markings on your car or meet other conditions.
