The overlays and framing-mostly lifted directly from the original Densha de D manga-really do make it look like you’re personally participating in the latest chapter, and the exuberant voice acting that goes with it only makes the whole experience feel even more thrilling. Have you just slid through a station? Make sure you enjoy the hand-picked camera angle on your reckless dash past the platform. This is honestly the best manga-style presentation I’ve seen in a game since Capcom’s fabulous EX Troopers. Pass an opponent’s train when there’s barely inches of track between the two? There’s probably an excitable voiceover and matching artwork to go with that. Every semi-exciting event will dynamically trigger an interactive cutscene with you as the star. No, because Lightning Stage is as much an interactive manga simulator as it is a racing game. The animations of trains themselves also accurately reflect their current state, and with practice it’s possible to learn the difference between “Wooo~! We’re going so fast!” vibrations and “This is dangerous, I need to ease off” shaking, which gives you the chance to focus on the race itself rather than keeping one eye on the UI, and also feel like a master train driver who just instinctively knows how to push these locomotives to the limit.īut what happens when you get used to all of that and perfect a race on a set track with one opponent? Is that it? ![]() Between those extremes you’ve got green (normal), orange (watch out), and red (you’ve lost control of the carriage and will just have to hope it’ll dramatically pop back into place, cartoon racer style). The top of the screen plainly shows the current status of each individual carriage, ranging from blue (drifting), to a dark red, which means a carriage has completely detached (this is “fine”, so long as it’s not the driver’s carriage). The good news is all the information you need to keep your train hurtling along at top speed is on the screen and ready for you to use. Sudden changes in the track-two lines converging, an upcoming station, your opponent catching up at exactly the wrong moment-can turn the perfect drift into a race-ending nightmare.īut most importantly of all you need to really control your speed on the corners if you don’t want to wobble off the rails, either dramatically losing speed for a short while or leaving the track entirely. Inclines make a palpable difference to your train’s speed, naturally needing a bit more oomph to go up a hill and gaining speed-whether you want it to or not-on a downward slope. There’s no need to worry about all the usual rules and regulations that define a typical train sim experience either, although instead of this apparent simplicity turning the game into a glorified slot car set Densha de D instead uses this opportunity to bring vibrant texture to other areas, giving the game depth in a different way. It’s a satisfying technique to pull off taking a side-on stance as the bend comes into view, correcting yourself on the straight so you’re ready for the next corner, quickly dancing between the lines to avoid an incoming obstacle while keeping the needle at the very edge of the speedometer’s upper limit. ![]() Mastering the art of multi-track drifting is the key to racing success, as hopping across two railway lines allows your train to keep or even safely increase its speed around the many tight corners found in these fictionalised takes on small stretches of Japan’s rail network. The manual even includes the complete first chapter at the back (or the front, depending on how you look at it), just so you can enjoy comparing and contrasting the original work and your own playthrough of Lightning Stage’s opening race.Īnd as for every other race in the game? Don’t worry, they’re a whole heap of fun whether you already have some idea of what’s to come or have never seen a train drift around a bend at impossible speeds in your life. This 2010 game’s based on the successful manga of the same name, and lifts its high-speed scenarios directly from the fantastic stories illustrated within. Looking for something in particular? Search for: Click here to be taken to a random article! Archives Archives
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