History YMMV / InitialDArcadeStage

** Tsukuba in ''4'' and ''5'' goes from "fairly nice and easy" in sections 1 and 2 (assuming you're going outbound) to "{{oh crap}} what the hell is this" in sections 3 and 4.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the [[NintendoHard Bunta's Challenge]] Mode brought back in ''The Arcade'', the point-deduction mechanic was removed, and the players can immediately continue after inserting coins, as opposed to being forced to watch GameOver screens after a race, thus shortening the time intervals as well.

* HilariousInHindsight: The Toyota GR Supra was added into ''THE ARCADE'' in the Ver 1.3 update, released on December 23, 2021. Like in ''[[VideoGame/WanganMidnight Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune]]'', both game's respective depictions of the [=A90=] Supra have to work around the fact that the car's sole transmission offering at the time, an 8-speed automatic, has more gears than there are shifter positions available on the arcade cabinet of both games. The latter game handles it like any other car whose transmission has more than 6 forward gears, by only allowing the top 6 forward gears to be used (ie. The new Supra has only gears 3 through 8 usable), while ''THE ARCADE'' simply installs a fictional 6-speed manual transmission. Fast forward 5 months, to the end of April 2022, [[https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1118957_2023-toyota-supra-price-specs-review-photos-info and Toyota would announce that starting from the 2023 model year]], a 6-speed manual would be introduced as an option for the car, though available only on the 3.0 models.

* HilariousInHindsight: The Toyota GR Supra was added into ''THE ARCADE'' in the Ver 1.3 update, released on December 23, 2021. Like in ''[[VideoGame/Wangan Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune]]'', both game's respective depictions of the [=A90=] Supra have to work around the fact that the car's sole transmission offering at the time, an 8-speed automatic, has more gears than there are shifter positions available on the arcade cabinet of both games. The latter game handles it like any other car whose transmission has more than 6 forward gears, by only allowing the top 6 forward gears to be used (ie. The new Supra has only gears 3 through 8 usable), while ''THE ARCADE'' simply installs a fictional 6-speed manual transmission. Fast forward 5 months, to the end of April 2022, [[https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1118957_2023-toyota-supra-price-specs-review-photos-info and Toyota would announce that starting from the 2023 model year]], a 6-speed manual would be introduced as an option for the car, though available only on the 3.0 models.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the [[NintendoHard Bunta's Challenge]] Mode brought back in ''The Arcade'', the point-deduction mechanic was removed, and the players can immediately continue after inserting coins, as opposed to being forced to watch GameOver screens after a race, thus shortening the wait time as well.

* GameBreakingBug: Every game in the series runs at a constant 59.94 frames per second. If the framerate deviates from this at all, such as during emulation on unsuitable hardware, it affects the physics and performance of the cars themselves. At sufficiently low framerates, it may not even be possible to complete a run in the time allotted as the car is going slower than normal.

* CharacterTiers: The AE86 usually hangs out in the high end of the tier lists, due to it being an very consistent JackOfAllStats in all courses throughout all games. That said, there were a few notable cars that surpassed it in certain games:

* UnexpectedCharacter: More like unexpected crossover: Who expected ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'' to have an event based around the series in ''Initial D Zero''?

* MostAnnoyingSound: The loud Buzz/Honk while navigating the selection menus in ''Initial D 3''.
** A few versions/ports of the series also use a different sound effect for screeching tires, a high-pitched squeal that sounds more like a cat in grievous harm instead of rubber spinning on pavement. Especially noticeable in ''Initial D Special Stage'', a port of Version 2, as many players would use a normal controller rather than the steering wheel of the arcade version, meaning they would have to correct their steering angle multiple times throughout a turn due to a smaller and more sensitive control radius. This led to the same ear-splitting squeal playing, stopping, playing, stopping, and so on continuously ''every time a player would go around a corner''.

* TierInducedScrappy: All FWD vehicles, both versions of the Roadster, and the [=AE85=]. Though the latter (and its driver in the anime and manga) are already [[ButtMonkey in-universe Scrappies]].

** ''3'': The Suzuki Cappuccino and the Mazda RX-8 had incredible top speed, but we're balanced out by various factors. The Cappuccino was nerfed in ''7AAX'', and the RX-8 stands as a mid-tier car in later installments.

%% * GameBreaker: The Integra Type R [=DC2=] in ''Ver. 2''

** ''3'': The Suzuki Cappuccino and the Mazda RX-8 had incredible top speed, but we're balanced out by various factors. The Cappuccino was nerfed in ''6AA'', and the RX-8 stands as a mid-tier car in later installments.

%%* CharacterTiers

* BaseBreaker: The [[PimpedOutCar Special Cars]]. While some fans welcome this, others were not amused with this because it wasted modeling time that could be used for demanded cars that are not yet in the game, like Suzuki Swift Sport, Honda Accord Euro R and Nissan [=300ZX=].
* [[CharacterTiers Car Tiers]]

* [[strike:Character]] [[CharacterTiers Car Tiers]]

* ContestedSequel: ''Zero''. Was the move from an up/down shifter to a 6-gear H-shifter necessary? Is the new soundtrack a refreshing change of pace, or TheyChangedItNowItSucks? Was moving from data cards to the online-requiring Sega Aime infrastructure a wise move?

* ScrappyLevel: Happogahara in ver. 1 through 3 (and 5), Irohazaka and Myogi in ''Initial D 4''. The latter, by the way, is ''supposed'' to be a beginner-level course, but it becomes scrappy when you combine it with a...

* TierInducedScrappy: All FWD vehicles, both versions of the [[strike:Miata]] Roadster, and the [=AE85=]. Though the latter (and its driver in the anime and manga) are already [[ButtMonkey in-universe Scrappies]].

* GameBreaker: The Integra Type R [=DC2=] in ''Ver. 2''

* {{Sequelitis}}: ''Initial D 4'' and ''5''
** Version 6 AA averts this, generally being more warmly received than 4 and 5, with Ver. 7 AAX being mostly the same game as Ver. 6 with added content.

** ''Initial D Zero'', amongst other changes, has none of the Eurobeat music that is so widely associated with the franchise.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: ''Initial D 4'' employs a completely different physics engine from its predecessors. Fans complained. Then the "version 1.5" update was released and changed some issues with the original version.

** To a smaller extent, the three AE86 variants (especially the 2 door) in ''7 AA X'' and ''8 Infinity''

* GameBreaker: The Integra [=DC2=] in ''Ver. 2''

** A few versions/ports of the series also use a different sound effect for screeching tires, a high-pitched squeal that sounds more like a cat in grievous harm instead of rubber spinning on pavement. Especially noticeable in ''Initial D Special Stage'', a port of Version 3, as many players would use a normal controller rather than the steering wheel of the arcade version, meaning they would have to correct their steering angle multiple times throughout a turn due to a smaller and more sensitive control radius. This led to the same ear-splitting squeal playing, stopping, playing, stopping, and so on continuously ''every time a player would go around a corner''.

* TierInducedScrappy: Both versions of the [[strike:Miata]] Roadster, and the [=AE85=]. Though the latter (and its driver in the anime and manga) are already [[ButtMonkey in-universe Scrappies]].

* MostAnnoyingSound: The loud Buzz/Honk while navigating the selection menus in ''Initial D 3''
* ScrappyLevel: Happogahara in ver. 1 through 3 (and 5), Irohazaka and Myougi in ''Initial D 4''. The latter, by the way, is ''supposed'' to be a beginner-level course, but it becomes scrappy when you combine it with a...

** 6 AA averts this, generally being more warmly received than 4 and 5.

** A 6th game is in the works for 2011.