Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5DX+
Another Monday means another week beginning with games that I’ve been playing while taking a break from playing games for work. I realize this is redundant because the game I’m talking about, Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5DX+, is something I’m talking about for work today. But you know what? There’s a difference to this you know. Everyone has that one game that they play when they want to “break away from life’s woes” for a while. Here’s a story on how Maximum Tune became mine over the course of several years.
Contrary to what may be the general consensus, arcades are not dead. In fact, they are thriving and co-existing along with other forms of modern gaming. With the convenience of everything played from the comfort of one’s residence, the need for the arcade may not be as high. However, I long for a place where I can game without seeing the same four walls all the time. I’m realizing this is very quickly becoming a piece not just on Wangan Midnight, but going to arcades in 2023, so this will be a little bit of both.
In New York, there are two major arcades, Chinatown Fair and Round 1, the latter of which has two locations in Middleton and Hicksville. I tend to split my time between Chinatown Fair and Round 1 Hicksville, so when I mention “Round 1,” I mean the closest arcade I have access to via public transportation.
Round 1 is almost always the preferred option simply from the number of games it has. As Round 1 was originally a Japanese chain of entertainment centers, their games are going to be based in Japan due to their connections. Games like Beatmania IIDX Resident, Sound Voltex Exceed Gear, and many other titles that I will probably feature and make a “top five arcade games” list or something are all here. The racing games are what attracts most players and it makes sense if you think about it. Most players in Long Island drive, so it doesn’t require any external skills to get started. Games like Dance Dance Revolution are also popular for this reason. Simply stomp on arrows to the beat. Simply drive in a relatively straight line and make the occasional corner count. Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune may be simplistic on the surface but deceptively so.
Back when I looked at Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3, I mentioned Wangan Midnight as one of its many influences. The various drivers the player races against, all fifty billion of them, are based on the series as well. In other games in the series, the “Devil Z” is the final boss. Impressed with the dedication and homage to the manga, Genki developed the first few Wangan Midnight titles published by Namco. However, realizing that they could do a decent job without the use of a third-party developer, the arcade games were developed in-house by Namco. Thus, Maximum Tune was born from the same ideologies as Tokyo Xtreme Racer but with a “Namco” twist.
One of the biggest draws to Maximum Tune is the lack of a “pay to win” feature. With every game and every inclusion of a new car, the “tier list” among all cars is relatively the same. Of course, an Aventador will be faster than a Toyota Corolla but in Maximum Tune, this is not the case. Every car that is Full Tune has the same fighting chance as any other car the player would play against unless it’s going for a “Time Attack” record.
Before the player can enjoy a “Full Tune” car, they will have to work for it. Story Mode is the “main single-player mode” where the player clears races in sequential order. After every few races, the player will “level up,” upgrading their car accordingly. The highest bhp a car can reach in 5DX+ is the coveted “830 BHP,” but it’s not as simple as “car goes fast I win.” To make every car viable in competition, the player can adjust various parameters including how strong the car’s speed and handling are.
A high-speed car is useful for courses like the Wangan, Yokohane, and Nagoya because they are speed courses with very few corners to worry about. The more points spent towards Speed, the more difficult it is to control the car until it starts to behave like the Crinale from Ridge Racer 2 and drive like it's on ice. Conversely, the lowest the car can go is 600 BHP but in exchange for the low speed, the car sticks to the road like it was a magnet, making technical courses like Kobe and Hakone far better to contend with.
After the player has a “full tune” car of their own, they can decide to continue Story mode if they wish. Clearing Story mode without losing a single race will net you a unique tachometer, which looks fairly neat and its bragging rights. The player can also race against “online ghosts” and beating them will earn the player Maxi-G points. MG points are used in the Tune-Up shop to trick out your ride, but this is only accessible via the Wangan Midnight Terminal.
This is where you can change your car settings on the fly, no online website is needed, although I highly recommend backing your Banapassport card online! There’s also a Time Attack mode which eliminates all the traffic cars and other opponents altogether. It’s just the player and the open road, meaning that the cleanest lines and the true advantages of individual cars come out to play. The Nissan Skyline is regarded as one of the best all-around cars in the game yet other cars like the Mazda RX-7 have faster exit speed.
There’s no way of knowing the advantages and disadvantages your car has unless it’s full tuned and you’ve driven it for a few. No two cars are the same and it’s all based around the player’s own play style. My main car is the RUF RK Coupe, an underrated Porsche-like car that has insane handling but not as much top speed to fly down highway straights. It all depends on the skill of the player in their car as the fastest car doesn’t mean much if the opponent constantly runs into walls.
Some players also go for “Crowns,” which are the arcade’s “best runs” at a specific time. Beating the “crown holder” AI will net that player the crown themselves. It’s like “King Of The Hill” in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but some take it seriously. I just like the idea of driving my fictional Porsche that I will never own in real life going over 330 km/h down the Fukuoka Expressway. That’s not a lot for a girl to ask and for the most part that’s what I enjoy the most about the game. That and the amazing soundtrack composed by legendary Streets Of Rage composer Yuzo Koshiro is also given, considering he has been providing phenomenal trance tunes since the beginning.
It’s an arcade racer but it’s grounded in realism to the point where it does feel like I’m actually driving down various metro highways across Japan. Some of the environments are scenic, going through suburban areas and city centers, meaning each course has something unique to it that stands out. Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5DX+ may be a few games behind 6RR, but the serenity from being in a “zen-like” state while also being on your guard for potential challengers is exhilarating. Now, if only I can learn how to shift properly in corners.
Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5DX+ is available at your local arcade. Support your local arcades, please!