SCEA announced today the launch of Tourist Trophy The Real Riding
Simulator, available exclusively for the PlayStation 2. Developed by Polyphony Digital, makers of Gran Turismo, Tourist Trophy hopes to do for motorcycle games what Gran Turismo did for car racing games.
The game features head-to-head racing action and various game modes to challenge players, Tourist Trophy offers 35 real-life and fantasy courses and more than 100 licensed motorcycles from manufacturers, including BMW Motorrad, Buell, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and more.
I've had the chance to spend some time with the Japanese version of the game and it's basically Gran Turismo with motorcycles. Progression through the game is handled a little differently but you've still got to pass license tests, which are actually helpful this time around since most people don't ride motorcycles. There's no online mode – a bit of a bummer since Polyphony has had plenty of time to get this whole "internets" thing down.
