Forza 3 Races Through Japan
We’re well aware that Forza Motorsports 3 looks amazing, but where will it look amazing? Microsoft highlights the legendary racing tracks of Japan in their latest update, revealing a handful of new cars in the process.
The latest Turn 10 update for Forza 3 reveals four new tracks across three classic Japanese racing venues for Forza 3 this week. For starters we’re getting the Suzuka Circuit, one of the oldest and most dangerous motorsport tracks in the country, with 17 turns packed into the 3 and a half mile course. Then we have the Twin Ring Motegi, which consists of both a 1.5 mile oval and 3 mile road course. Finally we’ve got the Tsukaba Circuit, home of the Revspeed Super Battle, Japan’s original time attack.
On top of the three courses, Turn Ten is also revealing seventeen new vehicles for the game, from the sporty 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR to the rally-bred 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti. Check out the full list below to see if your favourite ride made this week’s cut.
This Week’s Cars:
Production 2009 Lexus IS F
Production 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe Sport
Production 2009 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3
Production 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR
Production 2010 Nissan 370Z
Production 2009 Nissan Versa SL
Production 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
Production 2008 Toyota Yaris S
Production 2009 Honda Fit Sport
Race Car 2008 Nissan #12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R
Race Car 2008 Nissan #23 XANAVI NISMO GT-R
Race Car 2008 Nissan #24 ADVAN Clarion GT-R
Race Car 1997 Nissan #23 Nissan Motorsports R390
Race Car 2008 Nissan #3 YellowHat YMS TOMICA GT-R
Race Car 2008 Toyota #25 ECLIPSE ADVAN SC430
Race Car 2008 Toyota #36 PETRONAS TOM’S SC430
Race Car 2008 Toyota #6 ENEOS SC430
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@Dielaughing:
Hell yes -- not only has H. Jackson won all my endurance races for me, I set him to run an endurance race while I eat dinner. After I'm done . . . 150 grand for cars waiting for me.
If you want to increase your take with a level one hired driver, jimmy the difficulty levels. If you ser the race to easy (-5% to prize money), they'll almost always win . . . so set all your other difficulty settings to the max (no break line, manual trans, ABS off, Traction control off, etc.). That boosts your prize money about 40%, so even though they're still taking 55%, the overall prize is bigger.
Runing the Seabring Endurance nets between $150K and $180K per 90 minutes of driving (depending on the car), and I'm usually watching a movie while it runs.
busboy33
"We're well aware that Forza Motorsports 3 looks amazing, but where will it look amazing?"
Fantastic critical approach, trying really hard to give away as much information about the /actual game/ as possible. Brilliant, really.
As long as they have a Rally mode in the game i'll be happy.
A fucking Versa is in the game?
Nassin
@mossiprose: Welcome to Kotaku comments. Are you new here? :P
chronomasakari is dizzy from the spinning of games
Well it looks well on it's way of following in GT's footsteps by making over 40% of the cars in the game Skylines.
@urbanturban666: /Users/alexsmout/Desktop/PicardRikerPalm.jpg
CarlMarssilas13
@urbanturban666: Yeah, let's compare 2 heaps of prerendered footage.
Way to go!
Horusz
@That mop mutant from NES.:
Oh yes, the Ariel Atom.
I forgot about that, screw that Veyron, I want THAT one!
I used that car ALL the time in PGR4.
Horusz
@That mop mutant from NES.:
me wants.
badly.
@urbanturban666:
( insert insult about GT5 never actually being released )
( insert insult about GT5 demo being pretty horrible )
( insert insult about the poster wanting to base his purchase on a trailer )
@edhe (xbl):
ah yes physics in forza 2 what a joke the walls in that game are like jello even if you run wide and barely touch the wall your car goes for a spin. you also cannot drive on the run off areas on the silverstone GP track whats the point in having run off areas if there like driving on ice?
@edhe (xbl):
Or wrecking the engine on your RX-7 by downshifting to 2 at 120mph ....
@One Man Freak Show: True
gt5 will whoop them all.... just compare the trailers....
urbanturban666
I'm glad they have the Subi Imprexa in there, but what I really want is the 2003 Impreza WRX or STi.
I'm not as taken by the new models.
superkong
@aurahack is TRASH PANIC!! AH!! SO AWESOME!!:
Maybe Kotaku should have giant letters up top that say "VIDEO GAME BLOG" so we stop getting comments like this.
So, Motegi, Tsukuba and Suzuka. 3 tracks... that have already been in Gran Turismo. For years, even? (I believe 2 out of 3 of those were in Forza 2 as well)
:c Not to fanboy, I loved F2, but... this is news?
@RykinPoe: I can't wait until Kotaku makes their next post about Gran Turismo 5, a game which I have no intention of buying, so that I can go into the comments section and make disparaging comments about it, while name-dropping Forza 3 as a better game! Everyone will be so impressed with me!
@Shin-san: He may have been using sarcasm there, since the Yaris game on XBLA is widely considered one of the worst games on the service...
@Bonus-Round: Consider Forza 3 a "practical" purchase too, since now you can test out how your car would handle with various upgrades in order to help you decide what potential modifications you might want to do in real life.
@Technogamer1992: You can do a lot of things to your car in forza2. There's the most complex phsyics engine to date in that game not just for racing but for deformation of your car - and not the bumps and scrapes it gets, but for race wear, tear and incidental damage such as taking on gravel.
@One Man Freak Show: Hired drivers are seriously the best feature in the game. I don't think I've done a single endurance race without one. And the level 1 drivers almost always win, giving you 45% of the winnings.
But hour long races in general are just ridiculous. Definitely one of my least favourite aspects of Forza.
@One Man Freak Show: Do you abandon your car in real life when it "decides" to run out of gas too?
needs the top gear track, or i'm holding out for gt5...
@RykinPoe:
Forza1 had quite a few original tracks -- here's hoping they bring some back. Blue Mountain was fantastic!
Gotta agree with crespo -- Maple Valley is brilliant.
busboy33
@Dragooncancer:
Fun, yes. Likely to help in the race . . . probably not.
If you're looking to get your knocking Junes out of your system, feel free to join me (Tag: busboy33) and my buddies for some "Cat & Mouse" racing. As far as I know, its a homegrown Forza racing set (I never saw it in GT, but I played very little GT online so it might be there too).
1. Damage set to cosmetic, so your car will be totaled and you can still drive it
2. Everybody starts with a stock, POS D class car.
3. race a standard race, with "standard rules" off (btw, in Forza online standard rules are no deliberate ramming, the passer has the responsibility to make the pass clean around the lead car), so much ramming and P.I.T. action ensues.
4. Last place is "out" of the race (i.e.: they "lose").
5. Race another set of laps, but the person who came in last place can take any car they like (I prefer my 3k+ lbs, U class, 220-mph Challenger Concept).
6. The loser (the "cat") can't win -- they're only there to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible.
7. Loser of this race becomes another "cat" for the next race, so now there are two "cats" to harass the "mice".
8. Repeat until you eventually end up in the final race with only two "mice" and 6 "cats", winner is the winner for the series.
You've never seen so much destruction. Once you get several Cats in the field, they actually end up causing more destruction to themselves as opposed to the mice (its suprisingly hard to zero in on a target at 200+ mph when the target is going 50 mph).
busboy33
@darkos87: Two of the tracks are on the Forza 2 disc, the other was DLC. So erm, intelligent comment ;)
Mr_Fujisawa
@Cimmerian76: I was really bummed that they took the mountain downhill tracks out of Forza 2. I had a special sylvia just for drifting.
@seafisch: I've been using one of the original Playseats for years. It's served me through everything from Daytona on DC, to Steel Battalion, to Forza 2. I don't care for the newer design because a bar goes between your legs. The one I have is sometimes referred to as the Playseat Classic.
It's awesome, and you should be able to pick one up for around $200 or $300....maybe less.
@crespo: That hard right turn over the crest of a hill STILL gets me half the time...Great track.
@darkos87:
What does this have to do with the status of the 360 in Japan? If you are a fan of racing games then you want to know what tracks you have available to you....regardless of where you live. Suzuka is a great course as is Tsukaba.
Poor attempt to knock the 360. Fail.
logikil
@+ Watch video
@Talryyn: "Evian water comes from Spa as well".
As a guy who lived most of his life at 50km from Evian-les-Bains, I'm kinda doubtful of this. Do you have a proof?
Nudgenudge
@KesMonkey:
maybe it was that game...instead of the original...
@Horusz: you can blow your tires on forza 2...?
Technogamer1992
@Talryyn: Well when I first started I felt like playing dirty, so insted of braking for the turn I would gun it and time it so I would smash into another car and it would in-turn (no pun intended) turn me around the corner...
More often than not though, it would just cause both of us to spin out.
Still fun though ^^
@KesMonkey: I stole number 3 from Murray Walker :)
KesMonkey
@crespo: (forgot to mention: Forza 2's Maple Valley Raceway is my all-time favorite game-original track - great scenery, a huge challenge, and very satisfying to get right)
crespo
@Talryyn:
"You have to drive slow to drive faster"
Exactly!
@Dragooncancer:
1. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
2. Slowing down is quicker than crashing.
3. To finish first, you must first finish.
4. Always brake in a straight line.
:D
KesMonkey
@RykinPoe: There are a lot more tracks to be revealed. Apparently close to half of them will be original, non-real world tracks. Do yourself a favor and stay tuned :D
crespo
@icepick314: Ya, the MS one isn't taht good, but T10 is pairing up with Fanatec, which is making some seriously good wheels/pedal sets. The Logitech G25 has been the best for a while, here's to hoping it has some competent, er.. competition.
crespo
@panikt: congrats.. you just stole a joke from an actual comedian. you are my true hero.
mossiprose
Umm weren't all three of these tracks in Forza 2? The one place Forza really lacks compared to Gran Turismo in in the original non-real world based race tracks. I guess the Forza designers just lack imagination.
@Doeseph:
Well I have a ps3 and I'm not getting MAG because COD 4 is much more awesome than LAG :)
@KesMonkey: And, according to wikipedia, Suzuka appeared in Pole Position II.
KesMonkey
@franckv: Ah yes, it was Final Lap, not Pole Position, that featured Suzuka, sorry. Pole Position featured Fuji.
KesMonkey
@Dragooncancer: Hehe, yes it is more about keeping enough speed through the turn to exit the turn with the best amount of speed to help you carry the highest speed down to the next breaking point/turn. The longer you can go faster on the straights the better you lap times. But you have to get the turns right to make this all happen. Come in to slow to the turn and you do not maximize the exit, or come in to fast and cause the car to get front or rear limited and you mess up the speed you were carrying.
You have to drive slow to drive faster, brake for the turns, wax on wax off.
Talryyn
Twin Ring Motegi for the win! More subarus please!
Prophane33
@One Man Freak Show: Can't argue this...
uzivatel
@Xenigma: which btw has been in Gran Turismo for a while
Shin-san
@McDollar:
during GT 3-4, Logitech made some really nice set of pedal/wheel sets...
the new one for 360 sucks?
that's disappointing...
@Curse_Lily: A Mine's GTR aswell please.
@icepick314: The Suzuka circuit was also featured in Final Lap, and boy, was that a sweet coin-munching cabinet! ^ ^
[www.klov.com]
@darkos87: You're so informed.
scotty
"Production 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR"
using my real-life owned vehicles in racing games is SO much fun! my logitech wheel/pedal set kind of disappoints, though.
what's the most beloved set for 360?
I played Forza 2 for the first time last night on my 360.. I guess I'm too use to Mario Kart style racing games and GTA because instead of breaking to turn around the corners I would hit the e-brake and "floor" the gas pedal and expect to drift around it..
I dunno I guess breaking and racing aren't something that add up in my head. Hahaha, its a fun game though...
@Nudgenudge: Spa could be in Forza (hopes), it was the highest polled track on Forzacentral. Not sure what that means though, but I want this track. Just fun to drive on, in sim and RL. As a kid I actually stopped at the bus stop chicane on a bus! I was young, it was the first race track I had ever seen, my love started there. Been back several times over the years, neat to see the changes.
Evian water comes from Spa as well, and well yes there is a world famous spa there as well.
Talryyn
@Curse_Lily: When you say Nürburgring, do you mean the original? I love the modern F1 circuit, but the Nordschleife has got to be the greatest circuit of all. I also like Fuji and Tsukuba, but Le Mans doesn't really do it for me. All this talk has me itching to race. I'm going to have to load GTR2 now...
KesMonkey
@Vixtro: Try going at it with the mazda 787B if you want to have fun ^_^
Nothing says "good game" quite like Yaris.
@One Man Freak Show: ouch. Never cared for endurance racing, reminds me too much of NASCAR.
Bonus-Round
@Bonus-Round: I was just thinking that, hahahah
Ranged360
@Horusz: sweet, now the Fit can compete with the others.... this game will be great!
Bonus-Round
I hope Turn 10 is able to squeeze the Bugatti Veyron in there, I'd love to tear that thing round the track, if only for shits and giggles.
Horusz
@Rauzaruke: Indeed!
Bonus-Round
Just gimmie a Porsche 911 GT1 and Nurburgring then I'm happy.
@Bonus-Round: You can still upgrade the shit out of it, though.
Horusz
I loved Forza 2, will definitely pick this one up.
I've got a Logitech wheel/pedal combo, but it doesn't work setting on your lap, and it doesn't work well clamped to the coffee table.
Anyone know a cheap racing chair? Or a good do-it-yourself design?
seafisch
@NecronomiconUK:
Fuji isn't exactly a fun track to race in: In its current form, it has few interesting areas, just like every other Tilke design.
Now, if they brought back the pre-74 design, the course could be fun, but as it is, I'd rather race in the other three circuits.
hibikir
@darkos87: Aren't they different racing games? So isn't that like saying "Don't go buying COD4 because MAG is coming out soon!"
P.S. I loled
@One Man Freak Show: I have to agree it's pretty rage-inducing to lose the race that way, but it is still your own fault. I once had a blown tire on the last lap of an 40+ lap endurance race. I crashed my car, and did not finish.
And I was pretty confident I didn't need a pitstop either ;_;
Horusz
@KesMonkey: Nah my favorite tracks are
Nurburgring
Circuit de la Sarthe
Fuji Speedway
Tsukaba Circuit
I love to drive on those in GT4
@darkos87: I haven't bought a GT since 3, but the appeal of Forza for me is the mountain tracks. Maybe 4 had them, I didn't bother to look. But as someone who has a specially built manga shelf in the half bath off of my game room, filled with Initial D, mountain racing is a must.
@Bonus-Round:
THE FIT IS GO!
@darkos87: Eh, this appeals to me, and I live in the Netherlands.
These three tracks are awesome, so i'm exited they are in Forza 3.
Horusz
@One Man Freak Show: yes, 42 laps is impressive indeed. I'm sure that if you managed to slow down a bit in the last 10 laps, you could have finished the race.
Nudgenudge
Granturismo staffs are better be quick. Otherwise, I swear that somebody's gonna get hurt.. real bad.
panikt
@KesMonkey: I'd kill people for Spa-Francorchamps. Best racing circuit ever, with the Raidillon at 300kph, and the HUGE deceleration at the end.
I know it's coming to GT5, but the more the merrier.
Nudgenudge
@Nudgenudge: In my defense, I couldn't find the pit stops.
Although I must admit that I'm very impressed that my car could maintain 42 laps of driving without the need for more gas.
Suzuka is awesome. Esses at the start will be epic.
mzo
@One Man Freak Show: did you not wonder why you were so far ahead? everyone else had actually stopped for fuel.
mzo
@One Man Freak Show: um, maybe you had to do a pit stop?
I mean, that's the main interest of endurance races: planning the stops, preferring 3 laps with almost slick tires/no gas to new tires/full gas tank.
You only have to blame yourself for this one; what, did you think your car ran on unicorn farts or something?
Nudgenudge
@RgvXavi: I'm a man. I don't read instructions.
Production 2009 Honda Fit Sport? That's exactly what I drive in the real world... I was already considering Forza 3, but now it's a must-buy! haha....
(yes, I realize the Fit won't win any races. Bought it for practical purposes)
Bonus-Round
@icepick314: You're dead right, it was! I love Suzuka. It's definitely one of the all-time great racing circuits, and has always been one of my favourites (along with Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, and laguna Seca).
KesMonkey
Not enough Skylines to cater to the Japanese crowd.
Rozzlit
@One Man Freak Show:
ain't that your fault and not the game?
next time pay attention to the blinking dummy lights...
@One Man Freak Show: if you read the note before you started the endurance race you would have known that it is necessary to re-fuel and watch your tire tread. All assistance is off.
No Fuji Speedway? Hmm oki...
Suzuka is a sweet track, getting the first section right is a bit touchy, but very rewarding. Have not played it in a sim since the old Isi F1 games that EA put out though.
Talryyn
haven't been a real big racing fan since Gran Turismo 3 but this list of tracks and cars want to get back into racing sim again...i haven't tried first two Forza but with Forza 3 and upcoming Dirt 2, racing seems like both fun and deep enough to keep on playing...
wasn't Suzuka Circuit used in old racing arcade game Pole Position?
the track shape looks very familiar....
I love Forza 2, but I haven't played it in a while.
Why? Because I was on lap 42 of my first 45-lap endurance race, a full thirty seconds ahead of everyone else, and an hour into the race, when my car decided to run out of gas.
Haven't touched it since.
I guess they are trying to appeal to the 3 guys who own a 360 in Japan and don't know that Gran Turismo 5 is coming out soon...
Soon as in before 2013.