Initial D: EX (non-existent build of cancelled Nintendo DS racing game based on anime series; 2008)

One of the "in-game screenshots" of Initial D: EX, mostly believed to be a photo taken from an old phone of the PS1 Initial D game.

Status: Non-Existent

Initial D is a popular street-racing manga and anime series written and illustrated by Shuichi Shigeno from 1995-2013. The story focuses on illegal street racing, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes and rarely in cities or urban areas. Initial D is also known for the various video and arcade games developed by SEGA, however, one of the biggest rumors at the time was that there was a planned Nintendo DS game in the works by SEGA Rosso.

Background

Initial D: EX was a cancelled title from the video game series that was being developed by SEGA Rosso for the Nintendo DS. It was first known when the game was leaked on the SEGA of America website on accident, before screenshots of the supposed game was found on SEGA Rosso's website before being swiftly deleted. Many sites from before mostly believed about this game's existence because of the screenshots.

Non-Existence Confirmed

On June 13th, 2021, user Eimiko on the Initial D subreddit made a post compiling evidence that the game never existed. They first went from least concrete like the SEGA of America screenshot of the game was faked, the "in-game screenshots" from SEGA Russo being a low-quality photo of the PS1 Initial D Game, and that the original rumors always came from the same user, King Zell. At the end of the post, they compiled the most concrete evidence, being that the user contacted Kenji Sasaki, former head of Sega Rosso and producer of Initial D games. When asked, Kenji responded immediately with confirmation that there was never a Nintendo DS title in the works, quote:

Thank you for your message. We are glad you are playing the game we made. By the way, I don't think Initial D for Nintendo DS is a SEGA Rosso title. We think it is another game company or a speculative article in a magazine.

Best Regards, KENJI SASAKI.

Gallery

Photos

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  The "leaked" screenshot that's used as the source of the rumor.

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  Kenji Sasaki's message when asked about the supposed DS title.

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  A comparison of a screenshot from Initial D: EX (left) and the PS1 Initial D Game (right). Notice the similarities with each other

Videos

EvilToiletGuy's video on the subject.

Evil Pixel's video on the subject.

External Links

• Initial D: EX Unseen64 article.
• Initial D: EX Sega Retro article.
• Initial D wiki article on Initial D: EX.
• The lost media "Initial D: EX" never existed.