Polyphony Bikes Up Tourist Trophy

Creator of the Gran Turismo series loses two wheels as a new bike-based version of their hit title is revealed. First details and hot screens.

Polyphony Digital, the Japanese maker of the smash hit Gran Turismo series for PlayStation 2, has unveiled a new motorcycle-based racer that looks every bit as impressive as its four-wheeled cousin. The forthcoming racer, Tourist Trophy, is set to offer a fully licensed suite of bikes, with the same completeness seen in the Gran Turismo series.

Tourist Trophy - previously know as Gran Turismo Bikes

Astonishingly, rumours of the bike-based spin off from Polyphony first surfaced around two years ago on gaming website Spong, when it was referred to by its internal development name, Gran Turismo Bikes - but only last week was the SCEI title's existence made official.

The racer was announced at last week's Tokyo Game Show as the famed producer of the GT games, Kazunori Yamauchi, revealed that he is personally overseeing in the biking title - despite an undoubtedly busy schedule with the next generation version of Gran Turismo, and not to mention the new PlayStation 3 tech demo, Vision Gran Turismo, which had to be finished for last week's event.

Next generation antics aside, this title proves that current machines including the relatively humble PlayStation 2 can still offer spectacular visuals.

The respected developer is promising a realistic riding experience, with a solid line-up of bikes including the Yamaha TW 225E '05, Honda's CB1300 Super Bol D'or '05, the Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa '05 and Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-10R '05. But perhaps more importantly, the emphasis on the player's riding equipment is just as vital - expect to select the most appropriate top-brand bike clothing and boots, helmets and gloves, before you speed around the circuit.

As you would expect from the makers of Gran Turismo 4, the focus is on ultra-realism - so expect the mind-bending reality of knee-scraping biking physics to be fully integral to the gameplay experience.

Tourist Trophy for PlayStation 2 is scheduled for release this Christmas in Japan and is likely to hit western markets early next year. Stay tuned for more.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com