Unfortunately, the background music setting is not saved to the memory card. Even more unfortunate is that the annoying guitar riff is as loud as it ever was. Its volume can not be affected through any game option. For the most part, the cars' sounds are realistic. The engines rev, tires squeal, and mufflers change the way the car sounds.
Every car appears to have unique sounds, and some are quite odd.
One car sounded as though the engine was not well lubricated. Odder yet is that the same car, when downshifted and then quickly upshifted, lets out a whipping sound. You can actually hear the crack of a whip as you do this. Needless to say, the realism stops when you feel like you're not driving a car but rather a mule pack. Modeling collision sounds has never been done well in racing games, and Tokyo Xtreme Racer is no different.