There’s no drought of racing games on the 360. While the dearth of criticism tends to point towards the number of shooters starring bald space marines with big guns, there are more than enough racing games on the system as well. Import Tuner Challenge is another entry in the overcrowded market, but don’t let the name fool you – this isn’t some newbie racing game, but another game in the long running, Genki developed Tokyo Xtreme Racer series. Even with a different name, Import Tuner Challenge is still a love it or hate it affair.

Import Tuner’s visuals are impressive, though rank near the bottom when compared to other racing games on the 360. The sprawling Tokyo skyline looks nice, though it isn’t the most interesting of things to look at. Then again, if your time is spent gazing at the skyline, you’re probably losing. Car models are clean, though not far above what you’d find on top-tier racing game on current generation systems. A nice number of body modifications and other visual upgrades are available, which is a plus. At the same time, cars show no visual wear and tear.

Sound is best described as generic. Engine noises aren’t the best and the accompanying music isn’t much to get excited over either.

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.

Import Tuner Challenge is a hard game to get into, especially for newcomers. The game starts out very slow and it is difficult to really crack into races since even low-level racers aren’t pushovers. Players who know how to tune cars will have an easier time of getting past the slow start; everyone else will likely have to grind out money for a better car or parts before getting over the hump.

Import Tuner Challenge features a number of licensed cars from manufacturers such as Mazda, Toyota and Nissan. After purchasing cars, you can buy after-market parts to upgrade your car. Import Tuner Challenge features a deep, simulation-styled tuning system that should really appeal to the simulation-racing crowd. Unfortunately the options won’t mean anything to people who aren’t into cars. To make matters worse, little explanation is given, making the game slightly harder for those of us who don’t know how to properly tune a car. I tended to just buy the most expensive parts and roll with those.

Those who know what they are doing will probably love that each adjustment has some type of impact on car performance. What they won’t like, however, are the controls, which aren’t completely simulation based, but at the same time aren’t completely arcade either. As a result you get a scheme that feels solid, though at the same time slightly floaty and loose. Again, how well your car handles depends on how much you know about tuning.

Import Tuner Challenge is a game that you have to sit down and really play before getting into it. It isn’t as accessible as Project Gotham or Need for Speed, though if you’re into tuning, and want an experience that will last a long time, Import Tuner Challenge is the game for you. Otherwise, there are better options out there – especially for $60.