Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3

Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3
Developers: Bandai Namco, Xeen Publisher: Bandai Namco Platform: Arcade (Namco System N2) Released internationally: 2007 Released in JP: July 18, 2007 This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has regional differences.

To do: Revisional differences, Ver.A/Ver.B and stuff.

Trance and distinguishable force feedback come together to make a surprisingly addicting racing game.

Unused Graphics

3d.png

A poorly drawn rectangle with "3D" written on it.

bonnet.png

A render of a red Evo III bonnet, angled differently from the textures of bonnets in Dress Up.

car.png

Speaking of a red Evo III bonnet, that's a red Evo III! The bonnet above fits with this car graphic.

car2.png

A green Evo III, effectively a palette swap of above.

car3.png

A purple Evo III, also a palette swap of above.

crown_car.png

The same red Evo III from before, on a crown platform. Cars are not normally displayed on a platform in the ghost crown screen.

menu_p_vs_star_minus2.png

It is normally not possible to lose two stars in one battle, so this goes unused.

menu_p_ramp_map_OK.png

An early in-game screenshot of a ramp selection screen in multiplayer. In the original Maximum Tune 3, players were able to choose the starting ramp; this action became randomized in the 3DX revision. Interestingly, the sub-header of the menu is for the day/night selection screen instead.

"Under construction"

Two temporary textures for the menu and map splashes, both displaying "Under construction".

Unused Models

An unused model. Looks like it was used in ramp select.

Unused course selection backgrounds. Final version is grayscale.

An unshaded test model of an Evo III (likely used for the Evo test sprites). Textures are in BGR format, hence the incorrect coloring.

A Toyota HiAce traffic car. Has different licence plate from the final version.

Debug Mode

To do: How do you access this debug mode? Also the names of the menus appear to be developer names - who's who?

This mode lets you view menus, preview car dressup and even write debug cards!

• ynagamatsu: Crashes the game.
• ytakenaka: Also crashes the game.
• himamura: Has various level up/tuning screens. Also is used to test card reading/writing (which requires a card reader).
• jaoki* Just goes to a blank screen, pressing the gas pedal exits the menu. At least this one doesn't crash.
• mhidaka: Used to test the weather select screens with various variables. Entering test menu while in this menu will sometimes cause the screen to rapidly flicker in most cases and you will be forced to exit the game. This menu also contains scripts to render story cars plus a script used to generate car images in PNG format for all the stages.
• tsumida: Used to test various dress up combinations and car select screens.
• ftani: Same as jaoki.
• mmiyoshi: Plays music from 10 Outrun Mode, shich can be changed with the View Change button. Also for some reason the music continues playing after exiting the menu until it finishes.
• ykaneda: Seems to put you in an early version of Story Mode's Stage 2. The version here takes place ta daytime and has no dialogue except from the beginning cutscene.
• kiida: Again, is used to test various menus and cutscenes.
• rhatano: Used to test menus such as Story Mode select and the like. Also contains some unused menus which are all for testing.
• soundtest: Doesn't do anything. Forces you to exit the game.
• movietest: Plays back the unused "play demo" video and at the end stops at the last frame of video until B is pressed. Works only in the Japanese version of the game.
• spritetest: Used to test various sprites.

Regional Differences

To do: Get a screenshot of the traffic car disclaimer and the accept/refuse VS screen.

The Japanese version includes one additional manufacturer, Gemballa, featuring three modified Porsche models: 3.8RS (based on the 964 generation 911), RSR (also based on the 964), and the Avalanche (based on the 997 generation 911). Because the Gemballa cars were removed in the English version, the Blackbird instead drives a Nissan Fairlady Z Version S (Z33, also known as the 350Z outside Japan); that is equipped with a NISMO S-Tune GT bodykit (Aero Set C) in the storyline. Yoshiaki Ishida, one of the storyline characters, also switches from Gemballa Avalanche to Subaru Alcyone SVX in the English version; he originally drove a Ferrari Testarossa in the manga. This change means that Gemballa-branded wheels are also removed in the English versions.

Unlike Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 2, the English version of the game will not accept a Tuning Card with a Gemballa car in it, either from the Japanese version of Maximum Tune 2 (as a transfer) or Maximum Tune 3. This is because all data for the Gemballa cars were completely removed in English versions of Maximum Tune 3; the game will crash if a Gemballa is accessed from the debug menu above. However, it is possible to put the 3D model files from a Japanese dump into the English game files and it will load properly in debug menus, and even in gameplay if further game files are modified.

In addition to the Gemballa-related changes, there's also the following changes:

• In the Japanese version, Chapter 210 has the player facing against Taiko no Tatsujin characters; in international releases, it was changed to have the player face Pac-Man characters instead.
• The Japanese version displays an additional explanatory disclaimer during startup that explains why the traffic vehicles are all branded with Namco logos. While the disclaimer in question was present and translated in the English version of the Genki-developed, System 246-based Wangan Midnight game, it was never the case in any of the Maximum Tune games; only the standard "work of fiction; do not try this at home" notice is present.

Disclaimer	Translation
20XX年 バイパス道路開通により、首都高速道路は経済活動の動脈としての役目を終えた。 そして今、閉鎖された特設サーキットとして生まれ変わり、今夜も挑戦者を待っている。	In the year 20XX... With the opening of the bypass route, the metropolitan expressway has finished its role as the city's main route. And now... The highway has now changed to a special circuit and awaits the challengers.

• On linked machines, the default highlight to accept/refuse VS opponents is to refuse in the Japanese version and to accept in the English versions.
• Highlighting the Aristo or the Celsior when selecting a car will display a Japanese model disclaimer in the English version, as these cars are sold as Lexus outside Japan.

Revisional Differences

To do: Later updates of the game curbed down card duplication (by players duct taping their tuning card and forcibly ejecting it while in use, a rather dangerous method); verify this.

• The DX upgrade adds 4 new cars, which are the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X (CZ4A), Subaru Impreza WRX STI (GR), Mazda MX-5 (NC) and Nissan Fairlady Z (Z34/370Z), increases horsepower to 825, changes the tuning card data transfer to only allow only Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 tuning cards that are active, and makes several changes to the Discarded Vehicle Card system.
  • The Fairlady Z (Z34) was initially only available from a special Tuning Card; the car became later available for general play in a later revision of DX.
  • As mentioned above, the starting ramp selection in VS races are now randomized from this revision onwards.
  • The changes made to the discarded system include: addition of a Present Card system, in which one player can play with a car 5 times before turning into a Discarded card, reducing a Discard's use from 2 uses to a single-use discard, and restricting the body color to the default body color of the discarded card.
    • Ver.C of 3DX changed the Search by Level from "Beginner (below 600 HP)," "Advanced (600-820 HP)," "Expert (825 HP)," and "Challenge the top player!" to the original 10-level system.
• The DX+ revision adds the 1972 Nissan Skyline GT-R (KPGC10) and 2007 Nissan GT-R (R35), as well as the 2009 Spec-V variant as a secret car, as well as some more dress up visual parts, also data from WMMT3 can be transferred without having to convert it to a DX version card.
  • None of the R35 GT-Rs can be customized and the horsepower ratings are hidden (instead being advertised as "Step-Up System") due to a licensing agreement with Nissan at the time.
  • Ver.B of 3DX+ fixed a glitch where used cards that were transferred to 3DX+ (in its previous 3/3DX state) can have their data copied by being inserted several times into the arcade machine when prompted to insert a card, until the timer to do so runs out, and subsequently purchasing a new card.

Title Screens

3	3DX	3DX+