Tourist Trophy

Tourist Trophy is a 2006 motorcycle racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is a spin-off to the Gran Turismo series, with races consisting of motorbikes ranging from electric, everyday scooters to high-performance racing motorcycles. Unlike in Gran Turismo 4, this game does not include in-game credits, as bikes can only be earned by completing Challenge Mode. It includes License School much akin to Driving License in Gran Turismo games, but these tests can unlock players to earn more faster and powerful motorcycles to compete in certain events in Race Events. The Race Events themselves have up to 22 events in total, none of which require licenses to participate in these events.

Why It's the Real Riding Simulator

 * 1) As this game does not include in-game credits, you can collect and ride bikes (though be mindful that bikes can only be used for specific races and they cannot be discarded at all; they are permanently kept in your garage) at no charge, and they can be earned by completing Challenge Mode.
 * 2) *Furthermore, this game has a large selection of bikes to choose from and even ride them.
 * 3) Despite the graphical limitations, all of the bikes have a fully-functioning interior view which is impressive for a seventh-gen console.
 * 4) True to its name, bikes handle realistically well, and can be fine tuned at will.
 * 5) Although the UI looks drastically different than in GT4, they're still relatively easy to navigate. And the HUD in races were reused from GT4 which is a nice, nostalgic touch, though the speedometer was changed to make it more appropriate for motorbikes.
 * 6) The rider animation is fluid (though a bit canned when falling off of the bike) when riding it, including when using any position from Riding Form.
 * 7) If the player were to fall off of the bike or if the rider ends up making contact to the wall, they will immediately respawn at no penalty (though they may end up losing a couple of seconds which gives opponents the opportunity to catch up and take the lead if the player isn't careful). Additionally, the bike is never damaged at all.
 * 8) The soundtrack is surprisingly good for a Gran Turismo spin-off.
 * 9) Large array of rider gear that'll help customize your needs and suit your tastes.
 * 10) You can also perform wheelies and stoppies on bikes, preferably for faster bikes. Be mindful when performing wheelies for extra speed however; you could potentially lose control and risk of a dismount!

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Strangely, a few tracks that were included in GT4 are absent in Tourist Trophy (Dirt & Snow Circuits do not count for obvious reasons), such as George V Paris, Opera Paris, Test Course, and the Stock Car layout version of Infineon Raceway (now known as Sonoma Raceway).
 * 2) *Missed opportunity: Polyphony Digital could've included the Bugatti Circuit track, a standalone track from Circuit de la Sarthe used for MotoGP races, but for some reason they failed to include this for Tourist Trophy.
 * 3) The difficulty curve is rather strange at best, and the AI opponents aren't very consistent either.
 * 4) There's not a lot to do in Tourist Trophy, and it feels quite lacking in terms of variety (though Endurance Races and Rally Races were omitted for obvious reasons so those are minor).
 * 5) *And only up to three opponents can be raced, as opposed to five, making these races feel rather empty.
 * 6) Some of the bike manufacturers weren't included for Tourist Trophy (such as Harley-Davidson, KTM, and Indian Motorcycle), either from licensing issues or time constraints.
 * 7) If you somehow win the same bike that you already own, you cannot get rid of them at all so you're basically stuck with them.

Tips

 * As this game does not feature in-game credits, you can basically collect bikes without any issues. Although, some of the Challenge Mode when picking out a bike of your choice has various challenges, ranging from getting the best time lap to overtaking your opponents without crashing into them or risk losing control of the bike. Consistency is key.
 * For longer races (maximum at 5 laps), use Medium tire for the front, and Hard tire for the back. As pit stops are permanently inaccessible, this makes tire changing completely impossible as tire wear can greatly affect the bike's handling. Tuning is readily available without the need of buying parts in order to adjust them, but also plan accordingly if you want your bike to handle well in races.
 * The nature of riding a motorcycle in this game differs greatly from driving cars in Gran Turismo 4. When riding for the first time, you'll notice your rider leaning left and right depending on the direction and improperly turning can risk of being dismounted off of the bike. It's best to familiarize yourself with bikes on any of the tracks until you've grown accustomed to them and be able to take on opponents in races.

Reception
Tourist Trophy was well-received by game critics, but it had mixed reviews from Metacritic with 74/100 score overall.

Trivia

 * Although Kazunori Yamauchi did hint a possible Tourist Trophy sequel, this has yet to be officially confirmed.
 * Specific sponsor billboards that were in GT4 were changed to different sponsors, namely bike accessories and manufacturers exclusively for Tourist Trophy.
 * A track that was exclusively from Tourist Trophy known as Circuit de Valencia would make its return for Gran Turismo (2009).