We're certainly a spoiled bunch here in the States when it comes to street racing culture. Where Japan has for decades copied American culture, the country has got a wild bit of modern car craziness that we've only begun to scratch the surface of. Sure, we can pimp out rides, strut them off in car shows and get scantily clad gals to contort over them for photo ops, but the true art is really on the road behind the wheel. One area where Japanese drivers have us beat cold is in the art of drifting. Born up in twisty mountain areas and refined into a unique subculture that requires plenty of specialized equipment and skill, drift racing is an acquired taste that few games stateside have attempted to nail accurately. Which is why Yukes' first US published title, D1 Professional Drift Grand Prix Series, is a winner in my book.

If you pick this up expecting the usual blend of street and track racing with million part car customization and a big pimpin' soundtrack, you'll be stomping up and down on your PS2 controller within seconds. The highly technical aspect of D1GP makes the game definitely not for those with little patience to learn a new skill. As I've said elsewhere, good games aren't always those that rehash tried and true play mechanics - they're the ones that have you fumble through a new set of skills until you master what's there. This is structured as a hands-on game that assumes you've at least a mild interest in the sport, or some willingness to learn the ropes. Right from the start, this game expects no less than your very best - so you'd better be prepared, and then some.

D1GP has six gameplay modes (D1 Series, X-Treme, Time Attack, Survival Mode, Battle Mode, D1 Theater), almost forty licensed cars and real-life drivers, and thirteen courses to race around. There's a mandatory series of tutorials that gives you the rundown on this niche sport and you'll soon see that the game isn't what you're expecting at all. While you can do some normal racing here, the main focus is the D1 drifting series. To the uninitiated, drift racing can be seen as a bizarre cross between drag racing and synchronized swimming, taking place on twisty sections of famous Japanese racecourses with no room for error. It's not a race where the first one to a particular goal wins, folks! What makes the sport intriguing is that both drivers have the lead during a run while the other driver tries to match his drift style while getting as close as possible to his or her car. So, races combine speed, precision and a deft steering hand, even more than some popular racers on the market.

What you'll absolutely need to get into your head here is that this game is going to be highly frustrating until you understand the rules of the sport, and while you're going to get better and eventually master things, it'll hand you your hat on more than enough occasions. One thing you'll notice right away is that the cars are tuned to slide sideways quite nicely using either the PS2 controller, a Logitech Driving Force or Driving Force Pro wheel. Of course, the wheel is the best way to go, as you'll figure things a lot better when you've got your hands and feet occupied like you're in a real car. This is one of those games that gets you gripping the wheel, gritting your teeth and sweating out a few hours of play as you come to grips with its unique style of racing.

A great way to learn the courses is to jump into Time Attack and keep doing laps until you've memorized turns perfectly. The actual drift races take place on certain portions of the tracks and you need to concentrate on nailing four aspects: speed, angle, distance and cutting into your opponent's corner. You'll learn to 'clutch kick' your way through long drifts and how to hug corners as tightly as your favorite teddy bear when you were a kid. [Is it bad that I still hug mine? Ed]. Given the game's super-strict grading system, every mistake costs you points and hitting marks gains them. If you're one of those folks who exploits your racers by pushing cars around to pass, or bumping off a wall every so often, then you'll find yourself killing your controller in about an hour of play.

Granted, D1 GP is totally unforgiving throughout, right down to the triple threat commentators who chide you when you screw up and make nice when you're doing good. Again, the rules of any other road racer doesn't apply here, so you need to concentrate fully on doing your best as you try to rise to the top. In Beginner and Expert modes you're given a set number of cars that you can play with cosmetically and adjust the auto handling assist, but they're already tuned for the tracks. While the game does offer tuning for some of the higher end Professional class models, you'd better know what you're doing or else you'll be spinning into walls or your opponent in nothing flat.

Even when you're good at the game, progressing through nearly all the modes can be daunting when you have to face off against some of the real-life drivers and their super-tuned driftmobiles. Here's where the greatest amount of pain comes, particularly when the judges take you to task for a tiny mistake or worse, you manage to tie your rival and have to go for a third pass. If you can't keep up the pace, prepare to yell at your TV for a bit. The good thing for folks looking for longevity is that D1 GP takes a few weeks to play through, so the two-player split screen Battle mode is only going to be touched by you and someone else who's as dedicated to what's here. Playing it with a newbie or someone expecting Ridge Racer will only have smoke coming out of their ears as you put the screws to them on the twisty tracks.

Visually things are pretty good, but don't expect to stack it near a next-gen or quality Xbox racing game point for point. The car models are well detailed, while tracks like Fuji Speedway, Tsukuba and Irwindale all look pretty accurate (and like their real-life counterparts, sort of bland). There's a simple damage model at work here, so don't expect to see some of the cars here busted up completely if you hit a wall or other car at speed. You'll lose a bumper and a ton of points and that's it. The flashiest thing about the looks is the drift angle meter with its spreading flames and the wild-looking text that pops up onscreen as you pull off some great moves. The menus are easy to navigate and overall there's a decidedly Japanese flair to the production that those seeking a super serious sim may not like all that much, but to me, it fits the game's style just fine.

As far as sounds go, the cars are fine but expect some intentionally cheesy J-rock and other un-'streetlike' tunes; don't complain too much, as too many games emphasize how awesome their soundtracks are over any actual gameplay innovation anyway. If you want easy gaming and endless hip-hop tunes blasting out of your TV speakers, there is plenty to choose from! Those of us who want the real drift thing will be happy with this. I was more ticked off by those announcers chiding me for the tiniest of errors and I usually have a load of patience for corrective criticism. Feel free to adjust the music and voices down in the Options screen if you want to fully concentrate on the road action.

While some may bemoan the utter lack of forgiveness, it's hard to fault Yukes for not catering to the casual racing fan or gamers who want everything handed to them right from the start of a game. Nevertheless, that's the main issue that most gamers will have with D1 Professional Drift Grand Prix Series. As I mentioned above, there are plenty of other games that cater to those who want an arcade-like experience. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but it's also important to embrace other racings styles, particularly if you consider yourself a car fan who wants to see every variation on racing that there is. Right now drift racing has the potential to be the next big thing, so you may as well try something that emphasizes the extreme difficulty it takes to gracefully glide around curves.

Reviewed by Greg Wilcox for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).