WANGAN MIDNIGHT =======\ MAXIMUM TUNE
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MAXIMUM TUNE =======/ WANGAN MIDNIGHT
FAQ by Darrell Wong (DKW 001)
i. Stuff for CJayC
ii. Update history
iii. Glossary
iv. About Japanese names
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE ESSENTIALS
3. COURSES AND FEATURES
4. STREET ROCKETRY 101
5. STORY MODE OVERVIEW
6. ALL 80 STAGES
7. 10 OPPONENT OUTRUN
8. GHOST VERSUS BATTLE MODE
9. THE PARTS BOX
i. Stuff for CJayC
------------------
e-mail: dkw0001@gmail.com
Date submitted: 6/16/08
Version: 7.0
ii. Update history
------------------
7.0 - Okay, pretty much done with this...only thing left is going to be Parts
Box entries (which will include a bit about time attack). Not quite as
passionate about this as before, but it's still a fun game, and I'm willing
to see this through to the end.
iii. Glossary
------------
Yeah...definitely better do this first. Freeway racing has enough chaos as
it is. To be updated as required.
BAR - That thing that says something like "collect points to upgrade your
car". When you complete it, you get a tuning unit or a cosmetic part,
depending on which bar it is, of course.
BATTLE - Japanese street lingo for a match (one on one) race. A race with
more than two competitors is sometimes called a "super battle". In arcade
racing, this is the general term for a player-vs.-player matchup.
BLOCK - An advanced tuning unit, indicated by an orange block on the setup
screen (red if you put more than 10 into power or handling). This can also
mean "get in the way of the other guy", of course, but you'll know it when it
happens.
COLD START - A start from a complete standstill.
DROPOUT - An opponent that fails to finish the race.
GUIDE WALL - One of those transparent or curved angled barriers on the side
of the road with arrows on it.
JUMPER - An opponent who enters the race at some point after it's begun. A
*very* frequent occurrence now.
MAXIMUM TUNE - Thirteen blocks, the highest possible.
NONCOMPETITOR - A car that drives with you but isn't actually in the race,
so you don't have to beat it to win. It's indicated by an arrow with no "R"
above it.
QUARTER - One fourth of Story Mode, a total of 4 tiers and 20 stages. What
was a "cycle" in the previous games.
RANK - Exactly how far you've progressed, indicated by your "Class" and
corresponding "Level".
SETUP - The power/handling block allocation you can set before each race.
STARTER - An opponent who starts the race with you (a "regular" opponent,
in other words).
TIER - One of the 20 different 5-stages groupings in Story Mode, each with
its own name.
TITLE - The cool/funny/weird/stupid/wicked/whatever label you have at the
moment. This is separate from your rank.
WALL PASS - A pass of a traffic vehicle in the space between it and the
wall. Any car can do it if you have the skill (and nerve).
iv. About Japanese names
-------------------------
Japan, throughout its history, has historically been highly socially
stratified, with a strong emphasis on politeness. There are also many long-
standing traditions, stemming in large part due to isolationism and
traditional values. One of which is politeness. Plus there's a very strong
importance given to ancestors and family, the highly traditional, historical,
and highly important...units. Of stratification. And isolation.
Anyway, one tradition, stemming from Japan's Chinese origins, is that for a
full name, the family name comes before the given name. This is because the
family is supposed to be more important than the individual. When speaking
or writing in Japanese, the family name for any Japanese person always comes
first. (If you wondered why the announcer for Samurai Shodown gave every
name backwards, well, that's the reason.)
Now for fictional characters, and especially for stories that have a plethora
of minor characters that are seen for a short while then never used again
(like, oh, your typical shonen manga), it can be a burden thinking of a given
and family name for everybody. This is further compounded by the fact that
Japan has traditionally been highly isolationist (remember?), thus rather
severely limiting name choices. In America, you might find a Bill, Juanita,
Pavel, Pierre, Dikembe, Hilda, Devon, and Kimo, as well as a Richardson,
O'Malley, Kwon, Hackenschmidt, Martinez, Goldberg, and Tan in the same city;
nowhere in Japan has anywhere near that level of diversity. Most authors
have a very simple solution; cut off half.
But which half? It depends. In general, characters who are "important" (or
at least supposed to be important) get to go by the family name. Yamashita,
Hayashi, Yamanaka, Motoki. In old times, just the family name generally
meant the clan leader (that's why important guys like Tokugawa and Nobunaga
are known by one name, even though they all did have given names), so this is,
in a sense, a measure of respect. Less important characters, typically
youngsters or those without important positions, are on a first...oops, last
name basis. Tatsuya. Rikako. Women, incidentally, virtually never go by
the last name. This may seem sexist, but the truth is simply that a woman,
traditionally, could never be the most important part of any organization,
plus her identity was largely shaped by the men in her life, most commonly
her husband and father. Okay, it's definitely unbelievably sexist.
So family name first...HOWEVER, *only* when speaking or writing *in Japanese*.
When using another language, you follow the proper structure *of that
language*. In other words, it is *not* ever "Asakura Akio", it's "[bunch of
katakana I can't do in plain text]". "Asakura Akio" is the equivalent of
"[Japanese 'Akio'] [Japanese 'Asakura']", making it wrong *twice over*. And
nobody wants that.
Namco has had a pretty good track record with this (there's never been any
confusion with Tekken's names), but in this game, they slip a bit here and
there. So I've provided this convenient chart:
given family given family
-------------------------------------------
Akio Asakura Rikako Ota
Tatsuya Shima Takayuki Kuroki
Reina Akikawa Keiichiro Aizawa
Jun Kitami Koichi Kijima
Ko Tominaga Eiji Kamiya
Yoshiaki Ishida Maki Kamiya
Koichi Hiramoto Gen Goto
Kazuhiko Yamamoto Makoto Morishita
Kazuo Ota
All good? No more confusion, right? Okay.
(If you have a problem with any of this, write your own damn Wangan Midnight
Maximum Tune 3 FAQ. :-D)
1. INTRODUCTION
---------------
A road that never ends...
The eternal quest for 1km/h more...
No winners, only those that race and those that walk away...
It started with a fast-paced romp. It turned into a grueling journey and a
series of unforgiving 10-stage battles. Now, the final step has been taken
with a feature so many Wangan Midnight players have wanted for so
long...customization.
That's right. Bodykits! Spoilers! Skirts! Carbon fiber! Every "dress up"
part imaginable (and that's exactly what they're called in the game). No
more having to drive the same boring R34 or boring RX-8 or...gaudy-in-the-
same-way-as-every-other-Celsior Celsior. Now YOU are in control of your
car's appearance.
Of course, you also have a new Story Mode to contend with, one much more
faithful to the actual manga than in the past. 10 Opponent Outrun is back,
and while a little less demanding than in the past, at its toughest it gets
very challenging. And of course, the ultimate challenge, Time Trials, which
now have two entirely new Highway courses to test your marathon driving
skills.
Other additions:
- More courses. Entire Wangan Line now present, as well as complementary
Yokohane. Also added is Hanshin Line, a tight, tricky Osaka circuit.
- Completely revamped Story Mode; now you're running every chapter exactly
(well, for the most part) how it happened in the manga. Lots of spinouts and
jumpers and other surprises.
- Enhanced tuning; maximum tune is now 13 blocks.
- More cars, including a new traffic car.
- Ghost Battle Mode, where you take on a variety of pre-set "ghosts" to earn
dress-up parts.
Changes:
- Overall speeds slowed down somewhat.
- Hakone has been completely redesigned, much wider and less technical. It's
also brightly lit throughout at night, so darkness is no longer a factor
- Story Mode is much easier than in MT2, *however*, there are a few spots
where you still need a great run to win.
- 10 Opponent Outrun is easier overall.
- In a battle, the lead driver has the option of changing the course whenever
there's a juncture. This makes the ability to drive a variety of courses and
make adjustments on the fly essential.
2. THE ESSENTIALS
-----------------
First things first...you're going to slide a lot. When you have that heavy
an object carrying that much forward momentum and want to change direction,
it's going to resist you. Second Law of Motion; no getting around it.
Furthermore, getting through a turn or around a vehicle doesn't mean you're
out of the woods just yet, as it's possible to hit something getting
straightened back out (go through Story Mode with an MR2 if you really want
this point driven home). This not only means that you have to think ahead
for certain tough spots, you need to avoid attempting anything that's simply
not possible, like inverse drifting. The good news is that every vehicle, no
matter how squirrelly, has a basic level of stability, so you never have to
worry about spinning out or fishtailing horribly.
The two things you want to avoid, above all else, are hitting walls and
running into traffic. Both tasks are a lot more of a challenge now due to
the increase in tight roads (especially Yokohane) and traffic. As before,
the amount of speed you lose depends on the severity of the hit, so if you
have to take a hit (which you will, many, many times no matter how good you
are), be sure to "roll with the punch" and lessen the impact. Burnouts,
which occur when you gas it too hard in a tight corner, aren't nearly as
dangerous now, but it's still best to avoid them. Learn to "feather" the
throttle and figure out the right time to go hard again.
Use manual transmission! Automatic dampers both your high speed and
acceleration, handicaps you can almost never afford. Although it'll make the
game more accessible for a beginner, it can quickly become a crutch that'll
really hamper you when you need every bit of speed later on. The only time I
ever recommend it, in fact, is for a powerful 6-gear vehicle for Hakone.
That's it. As for shift points, again, trust the tachometer and don't be
afraid to go up a half second sooner/later than the ideal. Downshift after a
hard turn or for a steep uphill stretch, then upshift back when your
powerband can take it. And this bears repeating: Don't abuse the shifter.
Nothing even marginally good *ever* comes from this.
Both Story Mode and player vs. player battles have traffic, consisting of
trucks, vans, and cars, which always appear in the same places. Vehicles go
at a constant speed, and only a few change lanes. It's best to avoid them,
obviously. If you absolutely have to choose between running into a vehicle
and hitting the wall, the vehicle is always better, but you should always at
least attempt to stay clear. It's possible to squeeze between a vehicle and
the wall. This is actually easier now due to the reduced speeds, but it's
best to resort to this only when it's reasonably safe (say, a straight
stretch on Wangan) or if you absolutely need to pull ahead.
- Subsection: about cards -
You need to buy a card to save your progress. Your tuning, Story Mode status,
time trial results, 10 Opponent Outrun progress, and dress-up parts are all
saved. Each card is limited to 60 plays.
You can transfer a card over from the second game. Your name and car color
will be kept, and your tuning will be exactly the same. Every Story Mode
stage you cleared is transferred as well. If you made it through 80 stages
undefeated, you get a special tachometer (there's no other way to get it).
Note on shading/unshading; if your MT2 card was unshaded (no Story Mode
losses), it remains unshaded for MT3. If it was shaded, your MT3 card will
be shaded. ONLY EXCEPTION I'VE SEEN: If you transfer a card that's cleared
the entire Story Mode *and* hasn't yet cleared a stage in the "second run",
and it was shaded, it'll unshade when you transfer.
You cannot transfer over a card from the first game.
Your game ends automatically when you run out of plays. The next time you
enter the card, you have to renew it. After renewing a card, you can make an
additional two copies of the old card before it becomes invalid. Copied
cards can have only basic tuning and start from Stage 21 of Story Mode at the
latest, and nothing important is changeable (the name *can* be changed).
It's good to have if you want to give a headstart to a friend or want to have
a backup for an unshaded card so you don't have to start completely from
scratch if you mess up. Not much use otherwise.
Here's what I know about the cars I've played at length.
Toyota Celsior - For a vehicle with so much "rice" baggage (even though what
Gatchan's going for isn't quite the same), it's not bad at all. It's
responsive and *very* stable in the corners, and it's so heavy and unshakable
that it doesn't lose a lot of speed from wall hits. It even has pretty good
acceleration, especially for a 4-gear, and the top speed isn't too shabby
either, although still nothing to write home about. You won't be setting
records with this, but it's a great beginner car and always fun to drive.
Toyota MR2 - As always, the little guy is blessed with silky-smooth handling,
and it's also the easiest car to make wall passes and get through those nasty
Enforcers. The weird thing, however, is that while its *handling* is great,
its *grip* is terrible, meaning that you're going to slide coming out of
nearly every corner. It's also hampered by so-so acceleration and one of the
worst top speeds. Be prepared to get left in the dust in a lot of places
where you'd normally cruise to victory.
Nissan Fairlady Z Type S - Considering that this is the model for the
Blackbird, it's a major disappointment. In fact, about the only positive is
that it has one of the most explosive accelerations of all. It's difficult
to control in the corners, and its top speed is *pathetic*. (I got outrun by
Sonoda, of all people, in the stretch.) Unless you're after "challenge", I
really can't see any reason to take this.
Nissan Skyline R33 (GT-R V-Spec) - The "forgotten" Skyline makes a name for
itself in MT3. It has very good acceleration for a 5-gear vehicle and can
shrug off minor wall bumps and fender benders like nothing. Even better, it
has crisp, responsive cornering, enabling you to take medium and even medium-
to-sharp corners hard. Tends to burn off speed, but with its acceleration,
that's a minor setback. It is a bit drifty and somewhat tough to maneuver at
high speeds, however, so this is not a beginner's car by any means. An ideal
second or third car.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 MR - It's changed somewhat from the previous
games. Now it's no longer so lacking in power, but it's also lost a fair
amount of traction. In other words, no more gunning it through those corners.
On the whole, it's solidly in the "good but not great" category. A good
choice for players of all skill levels.
Nissan Skyline R34 (GT-R V-Spec II) - Its speed is simply phenomenal, even in
the early stages of tuning, and it can get up to top speed like nothing. It
has very good handling for a vehicle of its weight and rock-solid grip. It
does scrub off speed, but much less than an MR2 or Fairlady Z Type S, and
getting back up is never a problem. Even better, it's extremely sturdy,
meaning that even if you do tap the wall, the speed loss is negligible. This
is arguably the best vehicle in the entire game, and considering how
reluctant I am to put the "best" label on anything, that's saying a lot.
Mazda RX-7 Type R - The best control of all the vehicles I've played; smooth,
tight conering and a rock-solid grip on the road. It also has a very
respectable top speed. As you might expect, this comes at the expense of
heavy speed loss in the corners and mediocre acceleration. Excellent
beginner vehicle, but players of all skill levels will enjoy this rotary's
ability to tame a course.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 - Very similar to the R34, an all-around beast.
Slightly better grip but also slightly worse top speed. Acceleration,
especially out of corners, is phenomenal.
Toyota Hiace - Not a race car by any means (not a car, period, but never
mind), it's big and bulky and not particularly good at any aspect of racing.
It's also an *extremely* tight squeeze between a vehicle and a wall and even
the Yokohane Enforcers. There's absolutely no chance at any realistic kind
of accomplishment with this, so if you are going to drive it, drive it for
fun. And by "fun", I mean "4-player melees". (Hey, check out YouTube
sometime; what do you *think* most Hiace drivers do with it?)
+ The hidden cars! +
For all of these, highlight the appropriate car in the select screen and do
the following motions on the shifter *slowly* and *carefully*. Don't rush.
Be careful. Make sure you get every shift right. If you mess up, turn to
another car, then turn back and try again. Carefully. Without rushing.
Slowly.
Corolla - Toyota Supra 2.5 GT, 4-1-2-6
Hiace - Toyota MR2, 3-2-2-3-2-2-3-2-2
R2 - Subaru Alcyone SVX, 6-4-6-4-6-4-6-4-6-4
Aristo taxi - Toyota Aristo, 1-1-1-2-2-2-3-3-3-4-4-4-5-5-5-6-6-6-6-6-6
3. COURSES AND FEATURES
-----------------------
The Tokyo battlegrounds you will be competing on fall into four distinct
areas, C1, New Belt Line (Shinkanjyo), Yokohane, and Wangan Line. The
streets are all one-way, so clockwise and counterclockwise runs take place on
different roads.
C1 is a small loop, the inner counterclockwise direction called "Inbound" and
the outer clockwise direction called "Outbound". Both directions have plenty
of hard turns and short, narrow straightaways.
New Belt Line, directly to the east of C1, is divided into the long clockwise
run, the shorter counterclockwise run that crosses the Rainbow Bridge, and a
special run which crosses the bridge clockwise, which I call "long", "short",
and "reverse", respectively. It shares a stretch with C1 which I simply call
the "shared road". Except for that area, expect mostly medium-to-long
straightaways interspersed with a variety of turns.
Yokohane extends southward from the shared road, continues southwest, then
goes straight west, eventually circling back around into Wangan. Both
directions are an extremely long series of short straightaways and shallow-
to-medium turns contained within two narrow lanes.
Finally, the famous Wangan Line starts from the northeasternmost part of New
Belt Line and goes southwest for a long, long time before turning west,
ending at the start of Yokohane. It's the longest, widest, straightest
roadway in all of Japan with only a few very gentle corners. Needless to say,
it's an extremely popular location for high-powered street battles. Note:
When I give "Wangan" as a course, I mean just the parts that are *not* in New
Belt Line.
I give the Wangan and Yokohane directions as "outward" and "inward". Outward
is the direction heading away from C1 and New belt Line; inward is the
opposite.
There are two courses away from Tokyo, Hakone, an undulating rural road full
of twists and turns, and the new Osaka Hanshin Line, consisting almost
entirely of straightaways and medium-to-hard right turns. Your gearing is
tightened up on Hakone.
An arrow indicator, either blue, yellow, or red, will pop up before every
corner. Blue is a gentle turn, yellow is a fairly gentle to medium turn
(always less than 90 degrees), and red is a hard corner. When two turns in
succession are coming up, a two-turn indicator will appear, either yellow or
red depending on severity. There are also straight green arrow indicators
pointing left, right, and straight; these are self-explanatory. Finally,
there's the classic "!", meaning a hazard of some sort up ahead, like an
Enforcer (see below).
Because it can be difficult to keep track of all the locations and features,
I've invented names for some of them. I'll be referring to them as such
throughout this FAQ.
Back Straight (New Belt Line long) - A fairly long, completely straight two-
lane stretch between the Front Straight and shared road.
Boomerang (New Belt Line short) - A short climb leading to an extremely sharp
left followed by a straight downhill stretch. It leads directly to the
southbound Walls of Death. Because it's on an uphill, you're going to be
very slow coming out. Downshift to third for a 6-gear and second for
anything else and leave it there until you're back up to speed.
Bridge (New Belt Line short and reverse) - The famous Rainbow Bridge, with
curved ramps leading to it in both directions. If it's night, you'll see an
impressive fireworks display. The bridge itself is perfectly straight and
easy to manage.
Crazy Snake (C1 Inbound) - A very short distance from the Suicide Left, this
is three medium turns in immediate succession with plenty of open spaces on
both sides for you to crash into. The most difficult part is the troublesome
third turn with the van in the right lane. If your handling is good enough,
holding the road and passing it on the left is a good idea. Otherwise, swing
around it on the right and quickly rejoin the main road.
Crossover (Yokohane inward) - A steep uphill connecting ramp that turns right,
goes straight for a bit, turns left, and feeds into the Sprint Junction a
little before the first Launchpad.
Double Reverse (C1 Outbound) - A medium left/medium right combo followed
quickly by a medium right/medium left.
Dragstrip (New Belt Line long) - The start of the Wangan Line, going from
northeast to southwest. It's an *extremely* long (over 5K), wide, almost
completely straight section. At the end, it branches into the Turnabout and
Sprint Junction.
Drainpipe (Yokohane inward) - Appearing out of nowhere near the end of
Yokohane, this is a sharp, very tight right turn with a downhill hard left
almost immediately afterward. Because you'll be hitting both at close to top
speed, it's *extremely* easy to wreck horribly. Brake hard and brake *early*.
Fortunately, the first turn has a series of arrow markings, so it's easy to
recognize.
Drop Chute (New Belt Line reverse) - A downhill left-right turn combo
followed by a short downhill straight, all with a high steel wall on the left.
It's not too far from the bridge exit. Because it's a fairly steep descent,
you need to be a little more conservative than usual.
Enforcer (Wangan & Yokohane, multiple locations) - A row of lane dividers
with booths in them crossing the width of the street. Each divider is marked
with a purple light at the bottom. It's not too hard to get through (since
you'll see it long before you get to it), but if you don't get through
*completely* clean, you're taking a huge speed hit or worse. The best advice
is to keep your eyes on the purple lights and ignore everything else,
*especially* the lane lines. Avoid the extreme left and right openings if at
all possible, as it's hard to get the proper entry angle for them.
Front Straight (New Belt Line long) - A fairly short, narrow, straight
stretch immediately after the Turnabout.
Funnel (New Belt Line long) - A wide-open road which quickly narrows, via a
guide wall, to a ramp. Take this a little wide to get a good entry angle for
the ramp.
Hillcrest (shared road, northbound) - The top of the gentle uphill stretch
following the Walls of Death.
Launchpad (Wangan, two outward on Superspeedway, two inward on Sprint
Junction) - The greatest danger of the Wangan, a rise in the road which, due
to the speeds you hit here, result in a spectacular jump. It's very easy to
rear-end a vehicle on the way down, especially since you can't see the
traffic beyond the hump until after you're airborne. More on these unusual
hazards in the Story Mode walkthrough.
Out Ramp (C1 Inbound) - The start of the Asakasa Straight, a narrow two-lane
straightaway leading out of the last tunnel. There's a van in the left lane
at the beginning that's very easy to hit; make sure you're in the right as
you make the turn in. I called this the "Motorcade" in the previous games.
Pendulum (C1 Inbound) - The third-to-last corner before the Out Ramp, this is
a medium right with a car in the right lane and a small open space to the
right of the road. It's a judgment call whether to make the pass on the
inside or outside (neither choice is perfect). Either way, you're going to
go from a gentle turn to a hard one quickly, so stay sharp and keep a light
touch on the brake pedal.
Short Line (New Belt Line short) - A short stretch of freeway running
immediately opposite the Dragstrip. I called this the "Trophy Dash" in the
previous games.
Snap Hook (C1 Outbound) - The corner connecting to the southbound Walls of
Death, easily the toughest right turn in the game. The apex is a little
*past* the midpoint and very easy to miss. Unless you're conservative *and*
precise here, you're taking a costly wall hit. As with the Boomerang, you're
going to be slow coming out; gear accordingly.
Sprint Junction (Wangan, both directions) - Connecting the Dragstrip to the
Superspeedway, this is a fairly wide high-speed section with several very
gentle turns.
Sucker Exit (New Belt Line short) - A short distance from the little stretch
with the steel girders, this is a shallow, wide left turn with a van in the
left lane. Since there's so much space to the left, you might be tempted to
pass there. *Don't*. This is actually a branch-off lane that's *completely*
cut off by a nearly horizontal guide wall less than 200 meters down; needless
to say, getting through here without a horrendous collision is next to
impossible.
Suicide Left (C1 Inbound) - The most challenging single corner in the game, a
extremely sharp left which quickly becomes an even more extremely sharp left
(this is known as a "decreasing radius" turn). Unless you have a High Grip
setup, you must slow down well before entering it to have any chance of
getting through cleanly. It's just after the Hillcrest.
Sunrise Straight (New Belt Line short) - An undulating straightaway on the
northernmost part of New Belt Line. If it's morning, you'll see the sun on
the right.
Superspeedway (Wangan, both directions) - The legendary wide, extremely long,
completely straight stretch of freeway, the proving ground for 800 HP
monsters. Don't relax, however, because there are literally dozens of
vehicles to get around, and at the speeds you'll be going, you'll need a
light touch on the steering wheel to stay out of trouble.
Trap Tunnel (C1 Outbound) - A mostly straight and fairly nondescript
tunnel...with a nasty little open space on the left (looks kinda like a bus
service lane). Needless to say, keep out of there or you're in for a
spectacular crash.
Turnabout (New Belt Line long) - This consists of a very hard right, a short
straight, and another hard right, after which you're driving the opposite way
you came. The southernmost part of New Belt Line.
Twister (shared road, northbound) - A gentle left/medium right combo coming
after a short straightaway. It's right before the Walls of Death.
Walls of Death (shared road, both directions) - Not *nearly* as painful now
due to the reduced speeds, but still a place that demands skillful driving.
It consists of concrete lane dividers contained within tight chicanes.
You'll face two dividers going south and three going north. Southbound, you
have to make two hard turns in succession a total of three times; you'll want
to downshift one or two gears depending on your car and tuning. The north
Walls require you to maneuver between the dividers at a pretty high speed;
hit closest opening for the first two, but always take the third on the left,
making a nice, *controlled* turn as you do. All the walls are dangerous
(especially if the finish is the Hillcrest); don't think that just avoiding
the dividers is enough. If you're a veteran of this game, consider this
practice for Yokohane.
Wishbone (C1 Inbound) - A medium right/left combo, a short straight, and then
a medium left/right combo. Kind of the Inbound's counterpart to the Double
Reverse.
4. ROAD RIPPING 101
-------------------
There's nothing terribly complex about freeway racing. Essentially, the
objective is to go as fast as inhumanly possible without running into
something. Since the objects in question are generally walls, vehicles, and
the various obstructions, anticipation is the key, and the only way to find
the ideal lines is to practice.
For a typical easy-to-medium corner, it's usually best to go in hard, turn,
and ease off the gas as much as possible to hold the turn. If speed is of
the essence, it's best to start on the outside, get as close as possible to
the apex of the corner on the inside, then gently roll back to the outside
(this is known as "out-in-out"). Don't hesitate to brake a bit if you feel
you have to; being a little too conservative is preferable to hitting a wall.
For sharp corners, especially hairpins, the thing you must remember is to
slow down BEFORE entering it. If all you do is rush in and turn the wheel,
the vast majority of your momentum will still be straight ahead, and you're
taking a massive collision. Even if you manage to get on the brakes, if you
don't brake enough, you'll have the unpleasant choice of a hard wall hit or a
wicked burnout. (The latter is usually the better choice, BTW.) Note that
unlike real life, it's possible to brake and turn hard at the same time, so
if you find yourself too hot, just stay on the brakes and make the inevitable
contact as light as possible. Again, get as close to the apex as possible
and roll out as gently as you can manage. Once you're through, straighten
out and get back on the gas. Most cars will slide a bit even after levelling
out, so don't breathe easy just because you're pointed in the right direction.
Some corners are *so* extreme (e.g. Snap Hook, Suicide Left) that getting
through at anything close to "clean" is next to impossible. Just do your
best and, if possible, favor the inside.
All right, you got single corners down. Consecutive turns are a different
story. For a simple chicane, ease up a bit and get it as close to both
apexes as possible, then smoothly even out. The key is to not line up too
far to the inside or outside of the first corner, or you'll burn off a lot of
speed holding the second. An "S" turn is more challenging, requiring a
reduced speed on the second corner because you'll be going against the first
corner's inertia as well. *Sometimes* easing off the gas is enough. If not,
don't be too macho to brake. Numerous consecutive turns, which you'll
encounter the most often in C1 Outbound, are just plain unforgiving, and
there are no shortcuts; you just need to slow down enough *and* have
sufficient handling.
As you gain experience, you'll learn about the courses' individual quirks and
foibles, which have greater race-wrecking potential than virtually anything
else. For the seemingly mindless Superspeedway, you need to watch out for
the two Launchpads in either direction, any of which will throw you right
into the back of a vehicle if you hit it wrong. Both the Sucker Exit and Out
Ramp are seemingly easy, harmless stretches that will spell your doom if
you're in the wrong place for even a *moment* (it was the Out Ramp that got
my first Evo 9 shaded). I can warn you about these (and I will), but
ultimately you just have to run these stretches long enough until the right
course of action becomes completely automatic. Believe me, you won't have
time to check your notes for which side of the Wangan you're supposed to be
on when you're going 330 KPH and the Devil Z is seconds from ripping by you.
5. STORY MODE OVERVIEW
----------------------
Story Mode is the essential part of the game where you make your plain-Jane
factory vehicle ultra-fast, wire tight, sleek, and powerful. Without the
upgrades you get here, you're pretty much doomed to crushing failure in
anything else you attempt (unless you can find three other players with stock
vehicles who are willing to battle you boost-off, and good luck with *that*).
There are a total of 80 stages, each with different opponents, courses, and
conditions; no two are exactly alike. The stages are divided into 4 quarters,
each with 4 tiers of 5 stages each. For the first quarter, the tiers are
labelled C, B, A, and A+; this just gives you an idea of the overall level of
the opposition. The first four opponents of any tier can be selected at any
time (although jumping ahead is inadvisable); the 5th, 10th, and 15th stages
become selectable after the rest of the tier is beaten. The last stage
becomes selectable only after every other stage is beaten. For the other
three quarters, you have no choice but to do all the stages in order.
All stages have boost in effect, which "evens things out" by making the
computer cars faster when you're in the lead and slower when you're behind.
Furthermore, the computer cars lose a fair amount of power in the homestretch.
This effect is cumulative with boost, so if you're behind, you may find your
opponent slowing to a crawl as you rocket ahead. Because of this, you should
*never* give up, even if you fall hundreds of meters behind. It's possible
to make some of the worst blunders imaginable and still be #1 when it counts.
For the first quarter, each opponent you beat fills an entire bar and adds a
level to your basic tuning. These are parts that improve either your
horsepower or overall handling, 10 for each. Losing in the first quarter
fills only a third of the bar, and the next win only completes the bar; the
extra third doesn't carry over to the next bar. This quarter is easy enough
that this should never be a concern. For the second quarter, winning fills
half a bar and losing fills a quarter; once its full, you get an advanced
tuning block. As with the first quarter, "extra" progress once the bar is
complete is lost. You get a total of 10 advanced blocks in this quarter.
Completing the first half of the third quarter (stages 41-50) gets you the
11th advanced block; the second half (51-60) gives you the 12th. You'll see
the progress as you win the stages; losses are worth nothing. Finally,
finishing the entire fourth quarter gives you the 13th and final advanced
block for the much-desired maximum tune (you'll see progress in increments
for this as well).
Beating a stage you've already beaten always gets you nothing, so don't
bother racking up meaningless wins.
You can freely exchange advanced blocks between power and handling before the
start of each race. Even though all the advanced blocks go into power when
you get them, you're under no obligation to leave them there.
Many of the battles pit you against more than one opponent, and frequently an
opponent will join the race after it's begun (what I call a "jumper"). There
are also many instances where one or even two cars fail to finish the race.
If there's more than one opponent, one will always be ahead of the other(s)
at the end; this, of course, is the "real opponent". I indicate all of these
in the walkthrough. If you're ahead of a dropout near the point where it
drops out, it'll get a sudden burst of speed and pull ahead of you no matter
how fast you're going (and then drop out, of course). This is a good way of
identifying a dropout, and also a warning to get the heck out of its way!
You must finish ahead of every opponent to win the race...no credit for just
the one.
Each stage starts out at a preset difficulty. If you lose, the opponent(s)
will become a bit slower the second time you play that stage. If you lose a
second time, the opponent(s) will be *extremely* easy the third time (the
"mercy rule"). Most of the stages are easy enough that you don't have to
worry about repeating stage after stage over and over and over (like in MT2),
so you won't need mercy too often, if at all.
Even though you have a choice, I strongly recommend doing all of the first 20
stages in order, or at least the first 4 tiers in order. Unlike the previous
games, the opponents get stronger in a nice, even progression from start to
finish; you don't have to worry about a Harada or Makoto Morishita throwing
you off, nor is there anyone like Koichi Hiramoto who'll demand more power
than you're likely to have at that point. If you go in the proper order, you
can easily make it to stage 41 undefeated no matter what you're driving. As
for basic upgrades, the only thing you need to avoid is loading up on
handling (unlikely, I know, but just FYI), and in fact, going with the
default from start to finish (power, handling, power, handling etc.) is
perfectly all right. All the "flat out" stages can be beaten with a Balanced
setup.
6. ALL 80 STAGES
----------------
+FORMAT+
Stage
Course / Homestretch
Opponent(s), followed by recommended setup if applicable
S: starter J: jumper NC: noncompetitor
+: opponent to beat
##: dropout; quit/blow/spinout/mechanical indicated in brackets
Parenthesis indicate a passenger in the same car
<COLD START> - Race begins from a standstill
chicanes - two or three turns in immediate succession
easy - can be taken full throttle
single turn - one turn that you have to slow down a little for followed by a
short straightaway
straightaway - a straight section of at least appreciable length
*****************
* FIRST QUARTER *
*****************
++ RETURN OF THE DEVIL Z 1 ++
Stage 1 - Encounter
Wangan inward / Superspeedway
S: Akio Asakura (Ma)
NC: <cutscene> Tatsuya Shima
The biggest hazard is your right foot getting tired from putting the pedal to
the metal for so long. That's all there is to this battle; floor it and keep
your front bumper away from traffic. (You'll hit both eastbound Launchpads,
but they're no sweat at stock vehicle speed.) Rest that foot a bit when the
Blackbird shows up in a cutscene about 2.5K from the end, then take it home.
Akio's old Fairlady is *really* slow, so as long as you don't fall asleep,
you're winning this.
Stage 2 - S30Z
Yokohane inward to New Belt Line long / Back Straight
S1: +Kochan+
S2: Akio Asakura (Ma)
Yokohane will be a challenge after you get your power upgrades. For now,
enjoy this low-speed cruise and try to get a good feel for the tightness of
the course, especially in the corners.
Stage 3 - Reina
New Belt Line short to C1 Outbound / chicanes
S: Reina Akikawa
Kinda tricky for such an early stage. C1 Outbound has some of the most
unforgiving corners in the game, and the finish line is right in the middle
of one. You can take them pretty slow without giving up the lead, so be as
conservative as you need to be.
Stage 4 - Instruction course
Hakone Inbound
S: Akio Asakura (Rumi Shimada)
Hey, where's all this light coming from? And are mountain passes usually
this wide? This stage, fairly simple in MT2, is an absolute cakewalk now.
2A is taking it really, *really* easy here, so just stick to the basics; good
lines, off the walls.
Stage 5 - Rival
Wangan outward to Yokohane inward / straightaway
S1: +Akio Asakura+
S2: Tatsuya Shima
You still don't have nearly enough power for the Launchpads to be an issue,
so have fun here and continue mapping out Yokohane.
++ RETURN OF THE DEVIL Z 2 ++
Stage 6 - Camera Man
C1 Outbound / chicanes
S: Reina Akikawa (Yoshiaki Ishida)
Very similar to stage 3; in fact, the finish line is the same.
Stage 7 - The Devil Tuner
C1 Inbound / easy
S: Tatsuya Shima (Jun Kitami)
On to the Inbound. You should have 3 or 4 handling upgrades at this point to
keep contact to a minimum.
Stage 8 - Memories of my Brother
Yokohane inward / easy <COLD START>
S1: +Tatsuya Shima+
S2: Eriko
Ah, the first standing start! Actually, this really doesn't affect anything;
it just takes you a little longer to get up to speed. Leave the gear in 1
until the acceleration decreases, then upshift to 2 and do the same; only
when you're in third should you go back to the tachometer (ineffectual when
the tires are spinning). Don't worry about Eriko starting out way ahead;
she's just cruising, and you'll be past her with about 5K to go.
Stage 9 - The Ones Who Have Been Charmed By The Devil
Wangan inward to shared road / Twister
S: ##Akio Asakura (Eriko)## [quit]
J1: Tatsuya Shima
J2: +Reina Akikawa (Jun Kitami)+
Akio will pull to the side of the road when he drops out, USUALLY the left.
Give him plenty of clearance when he does. The ideal line for the Twister is
to turn into the far left lane of the shallow left, getting as close to the
wall as possible, then immediately turn back and cut it as close to the apex
of the medium right as possible. By giving yourself as much room as possible
for the right, you ensure a good exit speed, which is paramount when this is
the finish.
Stage 10 - The Devil Z
C1 Inbound to New Belt Line long / Dragstrip <COLD START>
S1: Tatsuya Shima
S2: Reina Akikawa (Jun Kitami)
J: <cutscene> +Akio Asakura (Eriko)+
When the finish is the Dragstrip, the gameplan is simple: 1. Put everything
into power and 2. cruise to victory. Well, okay, the first item doesn't
apply yet, but the second holds no matter what.
++ PERFECT GT-R ++
Stage 11 - Mechanic
C1 Inbound / Hillcrest
S: Koichi Hiramoto (Megumi Hiramoto)
Now you gotta be careful. Not only must you navigate the always-treacherous
northbound Walls of Death, the finish is right after it. As always, the
third divider is the biggest danger. Brake as much as needed to avoid the
left wall, then immediately straighten it out and gun it.
Stage 12 - The Perfect Exhaust
New Belt Line short to Wangan outward / Sprint Junction
S: Koichi Hiramoto (Mata)
J: +Harada+
Not much to say about this. Harada's Fairlady is pretty strong, but as long
as you have your 6th power upgrade, it's still a routine win.
Stage 13 - Z31
Wangan inward / Sprint Junction
S1: Reina Akikawa (Jun Kitami)
S2: +Tatsuya Shima+
J: ##Harada## [blow]
Both you and Harada will be going at a pretty good clip through a lot of
traffic at the time he pushes the engine too hard. Don't panic if you run
into Harada or traffic; extricate yourself ASAP and get back up to speed.
Stage 14 - The Authentic Dragon
Wangan outward / single turn
S: Koichi Hiramoto (Harada)
As with all single turn finishes, brake *just* enough to hold the corner.
The Devil Z will make its presence known; fortunately, you'll have already
won by then.
Stage 15 - The Last Wangan Attempt
New Belt Line long / Dragstrip
S1: ##Koichi Hiramoto (Harada)## [quit]
S2: +Akio Asakura+
J: Tatsuya Shima
You didn't really expect Taz to ignore this foolish young upstart, did you?
Not that it matters, of course, since there's only one master of the
Dragstrip. (That'd be you, champ! :-D)
++ THE AKASAKA STRAIGHT ++
Stage 16 - Masaki
Wangan inward / Sprint Junction
S: +Masaki (Mami)+
J: Akio Asakura (Rumi Shimada)
"Waaait-pound?" "Waaait-any letter?" Oh, whaaatever. The finish line is
immediatey after an Enforcer, so you MUST get through cleanly. Keep your
eyes on the lights and this isn't tough at all.
Stage 17 - Once More, Until Daybreak
Yokohane outward / easy
S1: Masaki (Ko Tominaga)
S2: Reina Akikawa
J: +Tatsuya Shima+
Another relatively high-speed dash ending at an unproblematic part of
Yokohane.
Stage 18 - Setting
New Belt Line Long to C1 Inbound / Crazy Snake
S: Masaki (Yamanaka)
J: +Akio Asakura+
The finish is at the start of the Crazy Snake (so don't worry about the third
corner with the van). Now would be a good time to get used to getting
through the Suicide Left without a massive collision or burnout. Always
downshift 2-3 gears and keep to the inside as much as possible, especially
since this is a decreasing radius turn. Don't worry, your opponents have as
much trouble with it as you.
Stage 19 - C1
C1 Inbound / Wishbone
S1: Masaki (Yamanaka)
S2: +Akio Asakura+
There really isn't anything wild leading up to the Wishbone. Masaki will
make a push once you're in it, but as long as you don't hit anything, he'll
come up short.
Stage 20 - The Asakasa Straight
C1 Inbound complete / Wishbone
S1: ##Masaki (Yamanaka)## [mechanical]
S2: +Tatsuya Shima (Jun Kitami)+
S3: Akio Asakura (Reina Akikawa)
For a race this long and with this many people involved (six!), there's
really nothing special about it. Once Masaki drops out, it's a clear shot to
the Wishbone and victory.
******************
* SECOND QUARTER *
******************
Note: If you somehow get an additional advanced block, put it wherever you
want.
++ MONSTER MACHINE 1 ++
Stage 21 - Phantom Speed Liner
New Belt Line long / Twister
S: Keiichiro Aizawa
Cake isn't familiar with the sneakily demanding Twister. Another easy win.
Stage 22 - Demo Car
C1 Outbound to New Belt Line long / Dragstrip
S: Kazuhiko Yamamoto (Gatchan)
As soon as it its the Wangan Line, you got it. Long straights are *always*
your friend.
Stage 23 - Host
C1 Inbound complete / Suicide Left
S: Keiichiro Aizawa (Tatsuya)
Recommended setup: 0-1
Don't sweat the finish; Cake isn't pushing it in the Suicide Left with an
important passenger. Even a conservative exit speed will easily beat him out.
Stage 24 - Manager
New Belt Line reverse complete / Bridge
S: Reina Akikawa (Manager)
Recommended setup: 1-0
Ah, Wangan Midnight's cautionary tale about mixing business with pleasure.
The bridge is thoroughly uncomplicated and an effortless winning point.
Stage 25 - Out Runs
New Belt Line long / Hillcrest
S1: ##Yamanaka## [spinout]
S2: +Tatsuya Shima+
Recommended setup: 1-1
Power *and* handling will be in demand for the homestretch. As always, make
the final turn as cleanly as possible.
++ MONSTER MACHINE 2 ++
Stage 26 - VIP Racecar
C1 Inbound / Out Ramp
S: ##Gatchan## [quit]
J: +Gatchan+
Recommended setup: 1-1
Three weird things about this battle: 1. Gatchan will quit, only to rejoin
later. 2. He'll almost completely fill the screen with text four times. 3.
"I isn't quitting." (More on this in an upcoming Parts Box entry). Once
those annoying obstacles are out of the way, there isn't much else he can
throw at you. As always, hit the Out Ramp on the right to avoid the craftily
hidden vehicle.
Stage 27 - Real Race Setting 1
Yokohane inward / single turn
S: Gatchan (Yoshioka & Ueda)
Recommended setup: 2-1
That van can move at a pretty good clip, and because it's going to obscure a
lot of traffic, there's a good chance you'll be taking a lot more hits than
you'd like. Don't worry about keeping it clean, just make sure you have the
horses for the finish.
Stage 28 - Real Race Setting 2
Yokohane inward to shared road / Hillcrest
S: Akio Asakura (Ko Tominaga)
Recommended setup: 1-2
Same deal as 16; favor handling.
Stage 29 - Monster Machine
New Belt Line long / Front Straight
S1: +Keiichiro Aizawa+
S2: ##Akio Asakura## [quit]
Recommended setup: 3-1
As you might expect, the key is getting a good speed out of the Turnabout.
It's best to be cautious for the first turn, then get a good line for the
second and take it as gently as possible.
Stage 30 - Will Power
New Belt Line long to C1 Outbound / [see below]
S: +Keiichiro Aizawa+
J: Tatsuya Shima
Recommended setup: 2-2
The finish is the right/left reverse in the tunnel just before what I called
the "Smasher" in MT2. Balance will serve you well here. As long as you're
the first into the tunnel, it's in the bag.
++ R200 CLUB 1 ++
Stage 31 - The True R Rider
C1 Outbound to New Belt Line short to New Belt Line long / Dragstrip
S: Takayuki Kuroki
NC: Reina Akikawa
Recommended setup: 5-0
You'll only be on the Dragstrip for a short time, but it's long enough to
justify full power. Don't worry about falling behind in C1; you'll have it
more than made up by the Bridge.
Stage 32 - Wavelength
Wangan outward / Superspeedway
S1: Takayuki Kuroki
S2: Akio Asakura
Recommended setup: 5-0
In case you haven't figured it out, Akio recently tore through Wangan and
circled back on Yokohane, and is now about to turn *back* into Wangan in an
attempt to "lap" both you and Glasses Man. The Devil Z will constantly gain
on you no matter how much power you have, so keeping your speed up is
paramount. Complicating things slightly are the Launchpads, which will be
trouble for the first time. The first one is followed by traffic in the left
and middle lanes, so you want to land on the right. You'll have to make the
jump at a *slight* angle because of a car in the right lane; as long as
you're at least mostly out of the middle lane when you land, you're fine.
Once you're past this, go left as soon as possible for the second launchpad,
which precedes traffic in the middle and right lanes. You'll have to take
this at an angle too; fortunately, the landing area is higher than for the
first jump, so it's much easier to handle. As long as you're at least
reasonably clean, neither of your opponents should threaten.
Stage 33 - The Feeling Team
Yokohane inward / Twister <COLD START>
S: Feeling Team
Recommended setup: 5-1
Much like Eriko, except you have a much bigger deficit to overcome, and their
pace isn't quite so relaxing. Stay calm and keep it off the walls as much as
possible. You absolutely need a high-power setup to take full advantage of
the straights near the end. Be especially careful at the Drainpipe, as it's
easy to lose a TON of ground here if you get too aggressive. So long as you
beat the Feelies to the Twister, you should win.
Stage 34 - R200 Club
Wangan outward to Yokohane inward / multiple turns ending with a medium
S: Motoki
J: ##Teizuka## [spinout]
Recommended setup: 4-2
Teizuka will last all of six seconds before wiping out. Motoki isn't much
better, lacking badly in power and having no fire whatsoever in the
homestretch.
Stage 35 - Here I Go!
Yokohane inward / single turn
J: Sonoda
Recommended setup: 6-1
Two down, one soon to follow. Sonoda may actually make a little charge in
the final straight, but it won't be nearly enough to catch you (provided your
car is up to the task, of course).
++ R200 CLUB 2 ++
Stage 36 - YMSPEED
C1 Inbound complete / Twister
S: Kazuhiko Yamamoto
Recommended setup: 2-5 or 1-6
The level of competition is going up (200 Ways to Screw Up Club
notwithstanding), and exit speeds are becoming important. You must have at
least a Grip setup to take the Twister at speed.
Stage 37 - BCNR33
Wangan outward / Superspeedway <COLD START>
S1: Takayuki Kuroki
S2: +Tatsuya Shima+
Recommended setup: 8-0
Just a typical Wangan super sprint.
Stage 38 - Cap Turbo Setting
C1 Outbound complete / Double Reverse
S: Jun Kitami (Ko Tominaga)
Recommended setup: 3-5 or 2-6
Jun's a tester, not a racer. Basic Grip is okay.
Stage 39 - Riding Motivation
Wangan outward to Yokohane inward / easy
S1: Tatsuya Shima
S2: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 8-1
For Yokohane, the proper setting is a dash of handling and the rest into
power. No exceptions.
Stage 40 - That Which Matters
New Belt Line long / Dragstrip
S1: ##Takayuki Kuroki## [mechanical]
S2: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 9-0
Closing out the second quarter...a no-brainer. The traffic's a *little*
hairier with 780 HP than 600, but hardly enough to throw you off.
*****************
* THIRD QUARTER *
*****************
++ HANSHIN EXPRESSWAY LOOP LINE 1 ++
Stage 41 - Go to West
New Belt Line short to C1 Inbound / Out Ramp
S: Tatsuya Shima (Jun Kitami)
Recommended setup: 4-6 or 5-5
Don't play it too safe with your setup; even a despondent Taz can make a
charge when he has to. 6 handling is plenty enough.
Stage 42 - Half Brother
Hanshin Line / easy
S: +Eiji Kamiya+
J: Maki Kamiya
Recommended setup: 8-2
Osaka! City of...uh...lots of medium-sized buildings! If you're unfamiliar
with this area, the turns can be something of a pain, especially since
there's no easy way to tell which one's coming up next or how hard you can
take it. Don't sweat it too much, and don't worry about getting passed; Edge
will be beatable when it matters. There are plenty of straights (and that's
virtually all there are besides right turns), so don't skimp on muscle.
Stage 43 - Hanshin High Speed Circuit Line
Hanshin Line / hard reverse & short straight
S: Tatsuya Shima (Jun Kitami)
J: +Eiji Kamiya+
Recommended setup: 8-2
The finish takes you to a place you're unlikely to have seen before. It goes
from a quick left-right S turn to a straightaway. The only important thing
to remember is that to immediately go left as soon as you hit the straight.
As long as you're quick enough, it'll be easy to avoid traffic all the way to
the line.
Stage 44 - Lancer Evolution
Hanshin Line / straightaway
S: +Eiji Kamiya+
J: Maki Kamiya
Recommended setup: 8-2
The toughest Osaka battle in Story Mode, although still quite managable so
long as you don't lose your head. Edge will be running *very* hard at the
end, so don't even think of putting less than 8 into power.
Stage 45 - Uplift
Yokohane inward to New Belt Line long / Back Straight
S: Tatsuya Shima
Recommended setup: 9-1
The second and last stage where the objective is to hold on to a continuously
decreasing lead. Use plenty of power and be careful around the Drainpipe,
per usual.
++ HANSHIN EXPRESSWAY LOOP LINE 2 ++
Stage 46 - Approach
C1 Outbound complete / Double Reverse
S: Eiji Kamiya
Recommended setup: 3-7
Your first serious C1 Outbound battle, which means that handling will be in
high demand. You don't have to worry about being outmuscled here, so "Grip
it and rip it".
Stage 47 - Target
New Belt Line reverse / easy
S: Eiji Kamiya (Rikako Ota)
Recommended setup: 7-3 or 8-2
Nothing special. Use a little more handling than for Yokohane.
Stage 48 - Tokyo
New Belt Line long to C1 Inbound / Crazy Snake
S: Eiji Kamiya
Recommended setup: 4-6
Pretty much everything up to the Walls of Death is smooth sailing, so there's
no need to pour on handling.
Stage 49 - Running-in
C1 Outbound to New Belt Line long / Dragstrip
S1: ##Eiji Kamiya (Rikako Ota)## [blow]
S2: +Tatsuya Shima (Ko Tominaga)+
Recommended setup: 10-0
It's a piece of cake to avoid Edge, as he'll most likely swerve way out of
your way before you even realize he's in trouble. The Blackbird is pretty
weak here for some reason and won't come close to threatening.
Stage 50 - Stall
New Belt Line short to C1 Outbound to New Belt Line long to Wangan outward /
Sprint Junction
S1: ##Eiji Kamiya (Rikako Ota)## [quit]
S2: ##Akio Asakura## [mechanical]
J: +Tatsuya Shima+
Recommended setup: 10-0
Take it easy and don't fall too far behind. You have lots of corners to
navigate with a Dangerous setup and only about 3KM of easy stuff at the end.
And with three opponents on the course, expect things to get hairy sooner
rather than later. As long as you don't get impatient or make a ton of
mistakes, it's in the bag.
++ LEGENDARY FC 1 ++
Stage 51 - Drive Go Go
Yokohane outward / easy <COLD START>
S: Koichi Kijima (Reina Akikawa)
Recommended setup: 9-2
For the most part, Yokohane outward is fairly simple, and nearly all the
corners can be taken flat or close to it. Anything less than 9P is probably
a bad idea, but 9-2 works just fine.
Stage 52 - The Feel of The Engine Starting
Yokohane inward to shared road / easy (just before Twister)
S1: +Koichi Kijima (Reina Akikawa)+
S2: Akio Asakura
Recommended setup: 10-1
A bit of role reversal here, with Speed Writer giving the vaunted Devil Z a
trial run while 2A watches from the FC. Nearly, but not quite, all Sprint
Junction material, which demands a likewise setup.
Stage 53 - The ACE Demo Car
New Belt Line reverse to Yokohane outward / easy
S: Akio Asakura (Koichi Kijima)
Recommended setup: 9-2 or 10-1
You may have to make a pass on Yokohane, but that's no sweat.
Stage 54 - Gotemba
Hakone Outbound
S: Hayashi (Koichi Kijima)
Recommended setup: 0-11
Why 0-11? Because this, like the other two Hakone battles in Story Mode, is
double-dog full-burner psycho-cannon super ultra easy to win, so no sense
taking unnecessary chances. (And besides, when else are you going to get the
opportunity to use a kick-awesome setup like this? :-D)
Stage 55 - Oki
Hakone Inbound
S1: ##Oki## [spinout]
S2: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 0-11
With the speeds you'll be running on Hakone (especially if you go 0-11, which
really is a good idea), Oki's about as much of a threat as the falling leaves.
The Inbound is the harder direction, but you'll hardly notice it on such a
ludicrously, insanely, sickeningly, unbelievably, surreally easy stage to win.
++ LEGENDARY FC 2 ++
Stage 56 - New Circular Line 18
New Belt Line reverse / Drop Chute
S1: Oki
S2: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 5-6 or 4-7
With the Drop Chute, gravity does most of the work, so you want to make sure
it works for you and not against you. It's generally a good idea to favor
handling on New Belt Line reverse anyway.
Stage 57 - Blackbird
Wangan inward to New Belt Line short / Sunrise Straight
S1: ##Koichi Kijima## [blow]
S2: Tatsuya Shima
Recommended setup: 9-2
Be *very* sharp when Speed Writer pulls ahead of you, as his blown engine
will occur with no warning (even the smoke when it does happen will be barely
visible) and amidst a lot of traffic. There are enough corners that you'll
want to be a little more conservative than on Yokohane.
Stage 58 - The Rotary Engine
Yokohane outward to Wangan inward / Sprint Junction
S: Koichi Kijima (Reina Akikawa)
Recommended setup: 11-0
Now you get your first real taste of the inward Launchpads. For the first,
stay in either the left or right lane to avoid the car in the middle. Once
you're past that, stick to the middle lane to avoid the traffic in the left
and right lanes following the second Launchpad. You'll have to make another
angled jump for the latter.
Stage 59 - Tuned RE
New Belt Line short to C1 Inbound to Wangan outward / easy
S: Rikako Ota (Ko Tominaga)
Recommended setup: 9-2
Another course where you have to take on a lot of early technical stuff with
a setup you'll need for the fast 'n hard finish. Ricky isn't an ace driver
by any means, so this shouldn't be too much of a headache.
Stage 60 - Words
C1 Outbound to New Belt Line long to Wangan outward / single turn
S1: ##Koichi Kijima## [quit]
S2: +Akio Asakura+
J: ##Tatsuya Shima## [quit]
Recommended setup: 10-1 or 9-2
For all the drama and tension and window dressing, this ultimately turns into
another game of Hold Off The Devil Z. This is very much a make-or-break
stage, as Akio will make a strong charge in the homestretch, and if your car
is too slow (hello, MR2!), you're going to get absolutely burned no matter
how much you've dominated the previous 59 stages.
******************
* FOURTH QUARTER *
******************
++ GARAGE ACE 1 ++
Stage 61 - R-Killer
C1 Outbound / easy
S: Tomoya (Kyoko)
J: Gen Goto
Recommended setup: 6-6 or 7-5
Fairly routine stage. Balance setups should be a piece of cake by now.
Stage 62 - Garage ACE
New Belt Line short / Bridge
S: Tomoya (Gen Goto)
Recommended setup: 11-1 or 10-2
The finish line, and the finish line for all the remaining races that go to
the Rainbow Bridge, is in the middle of the straight uphill section
immediately after the left turn approach. Because of this (and of course the
fact that this is New Belt Line), you *must* have a ton of power. In fact, I
don't recommend 10-2 at all for any of the weaker vehicles (hello, MR2!);
always go with 11-1 if in doubt. (But not 12-0; you'll lose too much speed
on the turn.)
Stage 63 - The Encounter
Yokohane inward to New Belt Line reverse / Drop Chute
S: Tomoya
J: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 5-7
As always, Balance favoring handling is the ticket.
Stage 64 - ACE's Pride
C1 Outbound complete / Double Reverse
S1: ##Tomoya## [spinout]
S2: +Tatsuya Shima (Jun Kitami)+
Recommended setup: 4-8
Time to relax with another run on this relatively low-speed circuit. 4-8 is
fine, possibly even 3-9 as well; don't worry about getting smoked in the
corners like what happened in MT2 all the time.
Stage 65 - 32GT-R
Yokohane outward / straightaway <COLD START>
S: Akio Asakura (Tomoya)
Recommended setup: 11-1
Yokohane can be harrowing at the kind of speeds you'll be hitting now.
Thankfully, you won't have problems with a single opponent. You can actually
be a little behind at the ending straight and still win.
++ GARAGE ACE 2 ++
Stage 66 - Tuning's Answer
Wangan outward to Yokohane inward / easy chicanes
S: Tomoya (Gen Goto)
Recommended setup: 11-1
That's right, easy chicanes...nothing unusual for Yokohane, as you know doubt
have experienced by now.
Stage 67 - Break Out From The Cage
Wangan inward to New Belt Line long / Front Straight
S1: +Tatsuya Shima (Tomoya)+
S2: Akio Asakura (Jun Kitami)
Recommended setup: 11-1 or 10-2
Use the same setup that you used for stage 62; very similar situation here.
Stage 68 - ACE32 GT-R Start
Yokohane inward to C1 Outbound / Double Reverse
S: Tomoya
Recommended setup: 4-8
Just the one, just for fun, just another routine win.
Stage 69 - Raise Standards
C1 Outbound to New Belt Line short / Bridge
S1: Tomoya
S2: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 11-1 or 10-2
Back to the bridge; essentially the same as 62.
Stage 70 - From Today
New Belt Line reverse to New Belt Line long / Front Straight
S1: ##Tomoya## [quit]
S2: ##Tatsuya Shima## [quit]
J: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 11-1
Steady nerves and sure cornering will be on demand. You not only have a long
way to go, you'll face a ferocious charge by Akio at the Turnabout, and
unless you can somehow block him, he *will* be ahead of you running to the
line. *Immediately* find an opening and attack it HARD. It'll be close, but
the good kind of close. This is the second "stumbling block" after stage 60,
and success depends in large part on whether your machine is up to it.
++ THE LEGENDARY F1 TURBINE 1 ++
Stage 71 - Sound of a Heart Beat
C1 Outbound complete / chicanes
S: Makoto Morishita (Hiroki)
NC: <cutscene> Akio Asakura
Recommended setup: 4-8
Heeeere's...Momo! (A bit underwhelming after all the superstars and legacies
we've seen, but what the hey.) As always, favor handling and be generous
with the brakes.
Stage 72 - Even Temperature
C1 Outbound to New Belt Line short / Bridge
S: Reina Akikawa (Makoto Morishita)
Recommended setup: 11-1
You've been here before (twice, in fact); you know what to do.
Stage 73 - Anthropomorphism
Yokohane inward / easy
S: Yamashita
NC: Tatsuya Shima
Recommended setup: 11-1
This really is an easy part of Yokohane. In fact, if you want to go to 12-0,
go right ahead.
Stage 74 - Heads And Tails
New Belt Line reverse / Bridge
S1: Makoto Morishita
S2: +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 10-2 or 11-1
The bridge approach has more corners to deal with than the straight-and-up
dashes you're used to in the normal direction. 2A isn't pushing it here, so
you might want a *little* more handling than usual.
Stage 75 - The True Image
Wangan inward to shared road / Hillcrest <COLD START>
S: Yamashita (Makoto Morishita)
Recommended setup: 5-7
No need to take risks here. Balance favoring handling, as always, is the
ticket.
++ THE LEGENDARY F1 TURBINE 2 ++
Stage 76 - The Legendary F1 Turbine
Yokohane inward to New Belt Line reverse / straightaway
S: Reina Akikawa (Ko Tominaga)
Recommended setup: 11-1
You're almost certainly going to take some hits in the early going. Remember,
roll with the punches; make sure Reina doesn't make a big lead an
overwhelming one. You have plenty of time on New Belt Line for a
counterattack.
Stage 77 - Authentic Traction
C1 Outbound to Yokohane outward to New Belt Line Long / Front Straight
S1: Yamashita (Ko Tominaga)
S2: +Akio Asakura (Makoto Morishita)+
Recommended setup: 11-1 or 12-0
First Taz is hellbent on putting 2A out of commission, then he assists him
against a bunch of mutual foes, and now he's letting him *drive his car*??
Man, almost unbelievable how much someone can change in a mere 33 volumes. ;-)
Anyway, since the Turnabout is out of play, it's largely a clean shot from
the Yokohane exit to the Front Straight. 11P will get the job done, of
course, but if you want to get a little daring with 12P, that's fine too.
Stage 78 - Essence
C1 Inbound complete / Twister
S1: +Reina Akikawa (Jun Kitami)+
S2: Makoto Morishita (Ko Tominaga)
Recommended setup: 4-8
Your last C1 circuit. I don't need to tell you of the need for handling or
how to take the Twister, right?
Stage 79 - Beyond The Wall
C1 Inbound to New Belt Line short to New Belt Line long / Back Straight
S1: +Tatsuya Shima+
S2: Akio Asakura
Recommended setup: 12-0
Crunch time, and appropriately enough, it's a pure power battle. Taz will be
absolutely *flying* down the Back Straight; you need to as well. Oh, and try
not to wreck in that little corner connecting the Front Straight to the Back
Straight, easier said than done with a Dangerous setup.
Stage 80 - The Last Race
New Belt Line long to Wangan to Yokohane / chicane and short straight
S1: Makoto Morishita
S2: ##Tatsuya Shima## [quit]
J: <cutscene> +Akio Asakura+
Recommended setup: 11-1
Sheesh, this has got to be the most anticlimactic Last Race ever. Not only
is Momo...*Momo*, fer chrissake...one of the competitors, she actually
outlasts *Taz*, by god. Well, you've been here a lot of times already, and
the finish is nothing special...gentle right, gentle left, little straight,
been there, done that. In fact, you'll probably be so far ahead going into
the final corners, you might be able to hit a wall and still not even have to
block Akio. And if you *do* have to, it's a breeze on ribbon-thin Yokohane.
Seriously, just get this over with. (And if you laid odds that I'd ever say
THAT regarding the final stage of a Maximum Tune game, well, you could
probably buy a dragon that could challenge even the Devil Z. :-D)
7. 10 OPPONENT OUTRUN
---------------------
This is a fun little challenge where the object is to pass a total of ten
opponents travelling at a fixed speed. All the courses are open, and they've
been converted into full circuits. After making a pass, you are
automatically moved a few hundred meters ahead to face the next opponent.
There are 10 levels per course, each starting at one of either three or five
locations, except for Hakone with two and Hanshin Line with one. Each of the
starting points are used in order as many times as it takes to get through 10
levels. With three starting points, levels 1, 4, 7, and 10 start in the same
location, as do 2, 5, and 8 and 3, 6, and 9. With five, it's 1/6, 2/7, 3/8,
4/9, and 5/10.
You start with a limited amount of time and get a few seconds for every
opponent you pass. A good rule of thumb is if the 20 second warning pops up
before the 9th opponent, you're in trouble.
You get a letter grade at the end based on how long you took. The best
possible grade is S; the worst is E. If you get an S, the screen will
declare a "SUDDEEN KILL"...yeah, I can't believe they missed that one
too...and the level indicator will turn gold. If you get an A, you get
"VANQUISHED", and the indicator turns silver. A clear of B (the lowest) is
branded "COMPLETE", which gives you a copper indicator. Failure gets you a
grade of either C, D, or E.
Getting an S on every level makes the "?" level available, an entertaining
slugfest where you face 31 opponents.
There's no penalty for failure, and you can retry any level as many times as
you like. You can even redo a level you've gotten an S on, although of
course there's no point except for, ah, research purposes.
You gain one rank for every course you get all S's on (unlike MT2, there's no
credit for all clears). If, and *only* if, you clear all 10 levels in order
*and* without failing any of them, you get a title for that course. It's
"[course] Fighter" for all B's or better, "[course] Champ" for all A's or
better, and "[course] Emperor" for all S's. As long as you clear 1-10 in
order with no fails, whatever grades you get, you can get Champ and/or
Emperor at a later time. Clearing all 80 stages in order without a fail
gives you a "Metropolitan" title, which progresses from Fighter to Champ to
Emperor just like the course titles.
Note that if you clear even *one* level out of order and/or fail even *one*
level, you can NEVER get a title from that course, nor can you get any
Metropolitan title. Keep this in mind if you're going for the extremely
prestigious Metropolitan Emperor, or you're going to waste a *lot* of money
(like me).
Clearing a "?" level with an S (nothing else) gets you a title of "[course]
Instant Killer". That's it, unfortunately, but unlike the normal course
titles, you can get them as many times as you like.
Opponents per level (same for all courses) -
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1:AkAs Koch ReAk Hara Oki Gatc MaMo Yams RiOt TaSh
2:Koch Hara Oki Gatc KaOt MaMo KeAi KoKi Masa AkAs
3:Oki Hara RiOt YuKi Masa MaMo KeAi Tomo ReAk AkAs
4:Hara Gatc Oki MaMo Yams EiKa KeAi TaKu TaSh AkAs
5:YaMi Teiz Sono Moto GeGo Yams Gatc Haya KaYa KaOt
6:Hara Yams MaMo RiOt KoHi ReAk Yamn TaKu GeGo AkAs
7:RiOt Yamn TaKu YaMi GeGo Yams Haya Gatc KaYa KaOt
8:Yamn Teiz Sono Moto KaYa GeGo Tomo KoHi TaKu ReAk
9:Yamn MaMo KeAi Tomo KoHi KoKi Masa EiKa TaKu TaSh
10:Tomo KeAi KoHir KoKi Masa EiKa TaKu ReAk TaSh AkAs
AkAs - Akio Asakura Masa - Masaki
EiKa - Eiji Kamiya Moto - CCR Motoki
Gatc - Gatchan ReAk - Reina Akikawa
GeGo - Gen Goto RiOt - Rikako Ota
Hara - Harada Sono - JPP Sonoda
Haya - Hayashi TaKu - Takayuki Kuroki
KaOt - Kazuo Ota TaSh - Tatsuya Shima
KaYa - Kazuhiko Yamamoto Teiz - JAPAN Teizuka
KeAi - Keiichiro Aizawa Tomo - Tomoya
Koch - Kochan YaMi - Yasuhiko Miki
KoHi - Koichi Hiramoto Yamn - RGO Yamanaka
KoKi - Koichi Kijima Yams - Yamashita
MaMo - Makoto Morishita YuKi - Yuji Kishida
Like Story Mode, this is a pretty easy mode overall, but there *are* a few
tricky spots where getting an S can be a real hassle. It's a great romp if
you're pretty accomplished but not an absolute megastar-level videogamer.
Like me. :-)
Some general tips:
- The more tuning you have, the better, and don't be the slightest bit
ashamed about waiting until maximum tune.
- Keep it clean! You have to make passes everywhere, not just near a
finish line or when it's convenient, and every hit you take makes that
coveted S or even simply clearing all the harder.
- The line in front of the vehicle shows how far ahead you have to get.
The action comes to a halt as soon as you make the pass, so don't ever let up
until it does.
- Many opponents will try to block you, and some of them are *very* good at
it, especially on narrow roads. Be prepared to jump to the other side as
they slam the door on you. Sometimes, unfortunately, you have no choice but
to fight the bastard and gain just enough clearance to nose ahead.
- Gatchan can be particularly annoying because he *always* goes for a block
and will cross the entire width of the freeway to do so. You can use this
aggressiveness against him, however; approach on one side, and when he moves
to block, cut across to where he used to be. He won't seriously contest you
after you've hit an opening.
- A useful tactic when your opponent is about to enter a turn (and one
you'll using frequently with Dangerous setups) is to move to the inside and
go full-bore, not even attempting to hold the turn. If you're carrying
enough speed, you'll hit the line without having to brake for the turn.
Experience will tell you when this is and isn't a good gamble. (I'll call
this an "inside cut" for future reference.)
- Using your opponent as a pick is a terrific technique that you'll find a
lot of use for. If you're nearly even with your opponent approaching a sharp
corner, don't slow down for it, but enter it with the opponent on the outside.
You'll slam right into him, which not only keeps you off the wall but also
helps you hold the corner, and it even sometimes slows him down. Get back in
gear and complete the pass as soon as you're out of the turn.
- Wall passes can be a godsend, especially against pushy or particularly
fast opponents. You get a clear line and no paint tradin' to slow you down.
This is most effective with small, maneuverable cars like the MR2, but any
vehicle can pull it off if you have the chops.
- Try different setups and see what's ideal. You have to decide whether to
go for straightaway power or cornering speed, both of which require
sacrificing the other. Don't forget that in many cases, the starting point
dictates the proper setup, especially on New Belt Line long.
Strategies for the toughest levels for each starting point.
+ C1 INBOUND +
1/6 Kandabashi - just past Crazy Snake
2/7 Kasumigaseki - partway down Out Ramp
3/8 Ginza - just before the last divider in Walls of Death
4/9 Daikan-cho - start of the last long, winding tunnel (leading to Out
Ramp)
5/10 Shiba-koen - just before the hard left leading to Twister
Levels 6-8: The starting points aren't really a big deal since you're going
to be turning the wheel a lot every step of the way. Hard cornering is the
hallmark of the Inbound, and keeping your speed up in and out of corners is
crucial. In fact, *nothing* will hit you harder here than giving up ground
in the corners, simply because your opponents are so adept at them. 5-8 or
6-7 are good setups for 6; I'd stick to 6-7 for 7 and 8. Nothing fancy about
getting S's here; you just need a good feel for the course and solid
cornering.
Levels 9-10: Same, except much, *much* harder, mainly because your opponents
are so fast in the easy sections. This means that you absolutely must get an
excellent exit speed out of every corner and can't afford a single blunder.
You *will* have to make wall passes to have a shot. A good rule of thumb for
10 is that if you can't pass Cake before the tunnel leading to the Walls of
Death and Speed Writer before the Suicide Left, you can forget about S
(although you still should play it out, of course). The best setup is 7-6.
+ C1 OUTBOUND +
1/6 Shiba-Koen - just before Trap Tunnel
2/7 Kandabashi - nondescript?
3/8 Ginza 8 - after the last tunnel
4/9 Kasumigaseki - in the tunnels
5/10 Kyobashi - before the last divider in Walls of Death
All levels: Don't sweat the start points too much, because no matter where
you begin, the story is lots of hard corners interspersed with short-to-
medium full-throttle sections. The best place to gain ground or make a pass,
surprisingly, is the Snap Hook, as your opponents are slow through both it
and the ensuing downhill straight. Grip may suffice for the early levels,
but for the most part, Balance is the way to go. 5-8 is good for levels 6
and 7, maybe 6-7 for one of the slower vehicles. For 8 and 9, you want to go
with 6-7 or 7-6. For 10, always go with 7-6. For some reason, the opponents
don't run as hard here as on the Inbound; any reasonably good car should
manage an S on every level.
+ NEW BELT LINE CLOCKWISE (LONG) +
1/6 Shiohama - a few turns before Dragstrip
2/7 Shibaura - near the end of Back Straight
3/8 Fukuzumi - steel walls area (a little before Shiohama)
4/9 13 Gochi - the start of Dragstrip tunnel
5/10 Ginza - just after the last divider in Walls of Death
Level 6: Easy. 12-1 setup. For all corners before the Dragstrip, brake well
before entering, maintain a moderate speed through the apex, then power out
(i.e. slow in, fast out). You should have 2A by the Front Straight.
Level 7: This is a tricky starting point because you get a lot of corners
right off the bat and in all likelihood will have to take on Kazuo on the
Dragstrip. This isn't a huge problem at level 7, however. I'd go with 11-2;
10-3 should work for most cars as well.
Level 8: Very similar to level 6. Actually, it's essentially the same since
you'll be facing faster opponents. Again, 12-1 is the ticket.
Level 9: This is the level where you need the right setup and smooth, sound
driving. Go with 10-3 for the setup; I've never gotten good results with
anything else. You should get Momo before the Turnabout and Masaki ideally
just before the start of of the Walls of Death (inside cuts will help a *lot*
here). You cannot waste a single passing opportunity if you're going to S
this, as it could be a while before the next one comes up.
Level 10: If you can S or even A level 9, this is a snap. I'd go all the way
to 13-0 to deal with the Dragstrip, and absolutely no lower than 12-1. You
should have no trouble passing 6 opponents before the Dragstrip (again, slow
in, fast out). 2A will take it to the Turnabout; just take it nice 'n easy,
then attack him hard on the Front Straight. Even if you don't succeed,
there's a whole Back Straight to get by him.
+ NEW BELT LINE COUNTERCLOCKWISE (SHORT) +
1/6 Kiba - nondescript area
2/7 Kyobashi - after second divider in Walls of Death
3/8 Ariake - at the end of the Short Line
4/9 Hakozaki - immediately before Boomerang
5/10 Ginza - after tunnel
Levels 6-9: 10-3 served me fine throughout, and I honestly can't recommend
anything else. This is a great course for outruns because it has no
extremely long straightaways, and the only real trouble spots are the
Boomerang and Walls of Death. That means that you can go hard all the way
without a hairy setup. 800HP is plenty enough to catch up to your opponents,
so it's all up to your driving skills and reaction times.
Level 10: Go with 11-2. It's possible to complete this with 10-3, but it's
going to be tight. For the S, you should have Taz just before the Boomerang
and 2A on the ensuing downhill straight.
+ YOKOHANE +
2/5/8 Haneda (inward) - about 2km before Drainpipe
3/6/9 Shioiri (inward) - very close to Crossover
1/4/7/10 Shibaura (outward) - beginning
Level 8: This is going to the Wangan Line, so 12-1 is the ticket. Most of
the tough cornering, including the Drainpipe, occurs in the early going with
the relatively slow opponents, so you can afford to go hard. Just watch your
opponent's movements carefully and hit each gap as soon as it opens, as
always. If you're on at least #8 by the time you hit the Wangan, it's in the
bag. In all, so long as you've done your time on Yokohane, it's a fairly
simple level.
Level 9: This is essentially a Wangan outrun; I'd go all the way to 13-0.
Some cars can do it with 11-2, but there's really no reason to hold back.
Just take it easy for the first few corners, get a couple of passes, stay in
control in the turnoff to Wangan, then let 'er rip.
Level 10: This one's really tough, even for an ace machine. Not only will
you have to fight hard simply to find an opening, you'll have to stay with it
for a while to make the pass, and on a wire-tight course with corners
everywhere, that's a lot easier said than done. Note that whenever there's a
traffic vehicle in the other lane as your opponent, there very often will
*not* be enough room to pass on the inside, even if you try to force the
issue, and rear-ending a traffic vehicle is disastrous here. When in doubt,
just tail 'em until the coast is clear. To get an S, you have to get by 2A
before he hits the Superspeedway.
+ WANGAN LINE +
2/5/8 (outward) Airport Central - around start of Sprint Junction
3/6/9 (outward) Daikokutou - just before the turn to Yokohane
1/4/7/10 (outward) 13 Gochi - start of Dragstrip tunnel
Level 8: Even though this ends at Yokohane, you won't run into any of the
real pain spots, so you shouldn't have any qualms about 13-0. You should
manage 8 passes on Wangan without any trouble. When you hit Yokohane, take
it easy in the turns, flatten out ASAP, and leave 'em in the dust. Simple as
that.
Level 9: This is actually the toughest level. Not only does nearly all of it
take place on treacherous Yokohane, you hit the Crossover just as your
fastest opponents are on deck, so playing conservatively is out of the
question. 12-1 is your best bet. Brake generously for all chicanes and hard
corners! This actually is pretty managable once you get good at Yokohane;
you just need to stay calm and keep the speed-killing hits to a minimum.
Level 10: A piece of cake. A walk in the park. A milk run. Like taking
candy from a baby. So easy a c...well, you get the idea. You start at
almost the beginning of the Wangan Line, meaning that the ENTIRE OUTRUN is
nothing but a pedal-to-the-metal sprint. And you have the advantage over any
computer opponent at that. It's literally as easy to get an S on this as on
level 1. 13-0 and forget it. What do you even need my help for? :-D
+ HANSHIN LINE +
All levels have the same starting point, Douton-Bori.
Level 10: Hooooo boy. THE toughest level in *all* of 10 Opponent Outrun.
There really isn't any one thing I can point at, it's just very easy to mess
up, your opponents are on the top of their game, and even one tiny little
mistake can ruin your chances for an S. I've gotten pretty good results with
10-3, and it just *might* be possible with 9-4, but no matter what, count on
lots of difficult cornering, plenty of vehicles for your opponents to slam
you into, and tight stretches where it's next to impossible to pass. Tips: 1.
If Edge makes it to the S turn, attack him on the left (the inside). 2. When
you get to Taz, take a moment to see where the best opening is before
attacking it. 3. Do your absolute best to pull at least even with 2A before
the extreme hairpin right. If you successfully pick 'n roll him here, it's
an S; if not, it'll be a mad scramble just to clear at all. Good
luck...here's where you *really* need it.
+ HAKONE +
1/3/5/7/9 Outbound
2/4/6/8/10 Inbound
Level 9: By the time you've beaten the previous 8 levels, you know the drill;
get up to speed ASAP, watch the opponent's movements, make your move quickly,
and (most importantly) go for the inside whenever possible. In fact, you're
pretty much going to *need* an inside cut to get by Taz at the end, otherwise
he'll just block you and squeeze you out over and over. They run hard on
this level, so you can't skimp on power; in fact, I'd go all the way to 7-6.
Level 10: Not much different from level 9, but it does have a nasty pitfall.
You'll reach the little jut-in-the-road section against Masaki. When you
reach it, *keep right*. If you can pass him on the right, fine; otherwise,
just tail him until you're past the obstacle. If you try to pass on the left,
he WILL shove you into the wall, which kills your S if not your entire Outrun.
As for 2A, you just have to get him before the uphill serpentine corners; if
he gets that far, he's gone. This will probably take you a few attempts, but
it's certainly doable; you just need everything to go right just once. Again,
7-6 is my recommended setup.
- Clean sweeping the Outrun -
It's definitely possible to S every stage in 10 Opponent Outrun, and it's
definitely easier than in MT2. In order to avoid wasting a lot of cash,
however...and this can get *very* expensive, even compared to the other
stages...it's best to do the most difficult stages first. Thankfully, Namco
was thoughtful enough to allow you to do just that.
Right. The most difficult stages:
1. Hanshin Line 10 - Just plain brutal. B is a great result anytime.
2. Yokohane 10 - Most cars can clear it, but being fast enough for the S is a
huge task.
3. C1 Inbound 10 - Strong opponents on a tight course; almost no margin for
error.
4-5. Hakone 10, C1 Inbound 9 - (Hanshin Line 9 should be here too, but they
all start at the same place, so I won't bother with the earlier levels.)
Which is tougher depends mostly on your car. I actually didn't have much
trouble with Hakone 10 with my Evo 8, but it took me four attempts with my
R34, arguably the best overall car in the entire game, and it was really
close. At any rate, if you can do one, you can do the other.
6-8. Hakone 9, Wangan Line 9, C1 Outbound 10 - This is "kinda murderous"
territory. Can be intimidating for a journeyman, but they're all doable, and
no big deal once you've dealt with the 5 toughest levels. (I'd probably put
Hanshin Line 8 around here as well.)
And then Yokohane 8, C1 Outbound 9, C1 Inbound 8, Hakone 8, etc.
The real benchmark is #3. If you can S the three toughest stages, you can be
confident about getting #4-8, even though one or two may actually take a
little longer (especially Hakone). Once all 8 are in the bag, the rest of
the stages should go down in short order.
Just a reminder that this strategy is to be used ONLY if you're not going for
the Metropolitan Emperor title. If you are, you have no choice but to play
each course honestly, as I explained earlier. If you're not sure if you (and
your car) are up to it, start with Hanshin Line and make a note of how long
it takes you to clear 10.
Incidentally, the easiest *course* to S everything, including the "?", is New
Belt Line clockwise, something to consider if you want an Outrun title
without the hassle.
8. Ghost Versus Battle Mode
---------------------------
In this mode, you select your opponent from one of ten levels and race for
cosmetic parts. All races are regular battles, i.e. one-on-one with fixed
starting and ending points; you won't run into permutations like multiple
opponents or dropouts or anything like that.
The first choice to make is your opponent level, with the default being based
on your tuning. Then you select one of the "ghosts" to battle. Actually,
they're all actual vehicles, not "ghosts" in the usual sense (images of cars
in previous runs). Then you select the area. After the game confirms your
selections, you get the setup screen, as usual, and then the battle is on.
There are a total of seven default (computer) opponents per level in addition
to any player ghosts that have registered on that machine from previous
battles.
Just because you start in a certain area doesn't mean that you finish in it.
Switching courses is common, and a few battles may switch twice. The
opponents will *usually* pick the same finishing point for each starting
point, but not always. In general, they like to attack obvious weaknesses,
e.g. if you use a Dangerous setup, they'll switch to an area with lots of
corners. It's always advisable to have *enough* power or handling for the
course you start on while leaving enough leeway should your opponent pull a
changeup on you.
All levels *except 10* have boost in effect, so it's usually possible to make
up a deficit unless it's completely hopeless. Level 10 opponents run at a
fixed speed; there is no boost.
The higher the level, the more points you get for winning (and losing). A
successful "revenge" (beating a player ghost that beat you before) earns 1.5x
the normal reward. However, beating a level 10 opponent *always* gets you
the maximum number of points possible for that level of tuning.
You can see where I'm going with this, right? :-) Level 10 is the way to go.
If you have maximum tune, your opponents are virtually helpless. I've won
some battles by over 500m. It's a piece of cake. Level 9, strangely enough,
is the hardest level of all, and you're most likely going to struggle on it
(especially with boost, which your opponents REALLY take advantage of), and
all for fewer points than for 10. If you're looking for a challenge...and I
admit that there isn't a ton of it in this game outside of time attack...go
ahead and have some fun with 9. But if you want to get the parts (and that's
probably why you're doing this in the first place), stick with 10.
There are a total of 46 parts. For the first 10, beating a level 10 opponent
actually gives you more than 100% of a bar. Unfortunately, any extra isn't
saved, so it'll take you 10 wins to get the first 10 parts. For parts 11-20,
a win gets 75% of the bar, so a total of 20 wins are needed for the next 10
parts. (Losing to a level 9 opponent gets you 25%, so you can take the
opportunity to face the toughest opponents in this mode without risk if you
like.) For parts 21-30, a win is worth 50%, so another 20 wins are needed to
obtain them. Afterward, a win gets 30%, which means 4 wins per part, so
another 64 wins are required for the remaining parts. In all, "full
customize" (or whatever) requires 114 wins. Whenever you obtain a new part,
you can choose either it or any of the previous parts of that type you've
obtained to go on your car.
IMPORTANT! WARNING! DANGER! The *only* time you can select a different
part is in this mode. Not during startup, not during renewal, NO other time.
In other words, if you add a part you don't like, you're stuck with it until
you get a new one *of the same type*. So be careful with your choices,
especially if you're not willing to spend well into three figures on this
mode (and trust me, it can reach this amoung very easily). Once you have all
the parts, filling the bar again (you still get a maximum of 30% per win)
allows you to change *one* component, and this is your only recourse once you
have all the parts of a certain type. Fortunately, there's no limit to the
number of times you can do this.
9. The Parts Box
----------------
This is all the incidental/miscellaneous/because-it's-my-FAQ-dangit stuff
that doesn't go anywhere else.
- Rice (and the extremely minor relevance it has to this game) -
"Ricing" refers to making modifications and accessorizations to a car that
don't improve its performance in (or only improve it slightly), but give it
the appearance (more or less) of a high-powered vehicle. Some "ricers"
honestly believe these useless changes make the car faster; others know that
they don't but outwardly maintain the lie, mostly out of pride, or sometimes
as a cheap attempt to intimidate potential opponents. Sometimes ricing is
done purely for appearance, the driver having no intention of getting into a
battle.
Some of the ways to "rice" a car:
* Big spoilers designed for much more powerful vehicles, or *any* spoilers on
a vehicle that clearly has no use for them (FF, subcompact, flatbed truck,
etc.)
* Parts/design from some other car (Altezza lights, Viper racing stripe, etc.)
* Other useless parts (air intake, dual tips, carbon fiber hood, etc.)
* Excess headlights
* Useless brake rotors
* Lots of stickers (esp. for parts the car doesn't have)
* Oversized muffler/exhaust tip
* Clear taillights
* Cut springs to lower the vehicle
* Anything to produce excess engine noise
* Single windshield wiper
* All identifying (incriminating!) emblems and badges removed
Note, however, that the one universal fact of riced vehicles (commonly known
as "ricemobiles") is that *they're not actually fast*. They're the same old
slow, pedestrian passenger vehicles made to look otherwise.
That is why the Celsior in this game is NOT a ricemobile. Not only is it
genuinely fast (not the fast*est*, of course, but defintely fast), but the
vast majority of the "useless" upgrades aren't intended to make the car look
fast. The whole point is *luxury*. Specifically, the "VIP racecar", a
luxurious car that can also race. Gatchan, of course, grossly exaggerates
how much the parts benefit ("With this you'll obtain 10,000 HP!"), but the
fact remains that they *do* benefit, all of them.
Of course, there are a lot of things that go into the Celsior that don't
improve a car's performance...clear taillights, an air horn, colorful cables,
what have you. The thing is, though, they DO help in this game. So while
the kind of Celsior Gatchan builds could be considered at least ricey in real
life, it doesn't qualify in any way, shape, or form as rice in this game.
And while there are plenty of dress-up parts, that's all they are...dress-up
parts. Since there's no pretense of improving speed or handling, this isn't
ricing, this is just plain 'ol customization, like the kind "hod rods"
undergo. In fact, a lot of the paint schemes are in fact classic hot rod
designs.
Anyway way you slice it, while WMMT3 does have faint traces of ricer culture,
it's not a ricer game, not a single vehicle is a ricemobile, and rice plays
at most a tiny role in the game. There. I said it and I'm glad.
- How the drivers talk to each other during a race -
They don't. Well, they're not supposed to, anyway. Most of the time.
I'll explain. The whole point of Story Mode, in addition to providing your
vital tuning, is to give some insight into the Wangan Midnight manga. In the
manga, there are all kinds of conversations and explanations and jabs and
barbs and good ol' buddies shooting the breeze, and as you might expect,
plenty of time away from the freeway. In this game, however, there's *no*
downtime...it's racing, first and last. All the dialogue has to be
incorporated into this framework somehow.
So what you're seeing is actually one of the following:
1. Dialogue that took place during an actual drive
This happens a number of times. Generally it's two people talking to each
other in the vehicle; stage 22 is a good example. Or else it's just a driver,
and he's not actually talking to anybody (or thinking instead of talking).
2. Conversation that happened off the freeway or before the actual battle
Buddy chat, tearful pleading, spec talk. This is the case for nearly all the
non-drivers in this game. Stage 11 is the most obvious example (Megumi is
never seen in *any* car in the manga).
3. Words from two drivers during a battle, but not to each other
Strictly private words that may or may not have been spoken, e.g. stage 37.
4. Talk originally directed at someone else in the manga
Kochan, Reina Akikawa, and Keiichiro Aizawa do this all the time, and Gatchan
turns it into an art form in stage 26. This is just for your benefit, since
in this game you're supposed to hear everything that's going on. Less common
now than in MT1 and MT2.
5. Made-up dialogue
Surprisingly, this is the *least* common instance. Namco has followed the
manga religiously and resorts to inventing dialogue only as a last resort.
And just for the record, the cell phone/radio contact between the R200 Club
members is the only instance in the manga or game of anyone using any actual
remote communication during a race.
- Ranks -
Here's how you gain ranks:
* Completing Story Mode the first time, 9 ranks in all
* Completing Story Mode each additional time (1 each)
* Winning in Ghost Versus Battle Mode. 1 rank at 20, 50, 100, and 200 wins,
more for truly astronomical totals.
* Earning stars in battle (again, the requirement is pretty high).
* Clearing an Outrun stage with all S's.
As you might expect, it's tough to get the highest possible rank, SSS. I
certainly wouldn't bother.
- Differences from Initial D -
I *really* never wanted to go here, but given that Wangan Midnight finally
got an anime release and the discussions are flying right now. Everyone else
has said their piece; here's mine.
First off, though, the thing you really need to understand is that in any
street racing manga, the "hero car" ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT be a car you'd expect
to be a nigh-unbeatable juggernaut, *especially* if it's a highly popular
model. Why don't you ever see a dominant Skyline, LanEvo, WRX, RX-7,
Fairlady Z Type S, or Silvia S15? Because nobody wants to *read* a story
about a dominant Skyline, LanEvo, WRX, RX-7, Fairlady Z Type S, or Silvia S15
precisely *because* that's the reality. No one with half a brain honestly
expects a Trueno, no matter how juiced up, to be able to take down LanEvos
and RX-7's, or a Z30, or even a Porsche 911, for that matter, to be *that*
incredibly dominant. It's fantasy. It's an *appealing* fantasy, and it
makes for a compelling manga, which is why that's what we see.
+What it's about+
A somewhat subtle but significant difference. Initial D is about being a
racer. Wangan Midnight is, quite simply, about being a *driver*, and racing
is actually just a small part of it. If you have access to the Wangan
Midnight manga, make a note of how many heated battles end in no-contests,
one person qutting midway through, or even complete confusion. We're not
even told what the *point* of spending a lot of money tuning up a vehicle and
engaging in dangerous runs is, other than the simple desire to do it.
Competition is fierce and incredibly heated in Initial D; in Wangan Midnight,
"There are no winners or losers, only those that race and those that walk
away." (This is from the Hiramoto arc, BTW, and there is no better example of
WM's general attitude toward "winning".)
+The hero+
The vital component of any shonen story. Initial D's hero, the irreplacable
Takumi Fujiwara, is an enigma when we first see him. He doesn't seem all
that interested in anything. Eventually, we see what he's capable of doing
with a car, and in true shonen hero fashion, he never loses. (Well, he did
lose that one time, but it wasn't a *loss* loss...go read it, it'll become
clear.) He eventually betrays something of a mean streak and is hardened by
his experiences. Wangan Midnight has *two* heroes, both passionate about
racing from day one. Akio Asakura is one of the cool kids, a dashing
gearhead with a bit of punkishness, and he drives fast because he just plain
loves to. So much so, in fact, that he gets others in on the game every
chance he gets (test driving a bevy of high-performance rumblers in the
process). Tatsuya Shima is the established professional, the legend in the
black Porsche 911. He's much more low-key than Akio but otherwise shares the
same passion, even if he has to overcome occasional crises of faith. Going
back to the overall premises, the main difference is that whereas Takumi is
ferociously driven to win, Akio is enamored more of the *idea* of being a
feared unstoppable juggernaut than actually fighting for #1, and Tatsuya does
it mostly out of emotional need and racer's pride...he has a reputation to
defend, you know.
+Car capabilities+
A huge difference here. Initial D is a lot more about the *idea* of a Trueno
taking on a Skyline or Evo 3 or S2000 than even trying to accurately depict
how a battle would actually go. The reason Takumi can win is...well, he just
*can*. It's preordained. In Wangan Midnight, specs (especially horsepower!)
are all-important, and only a real powerhouse has any chance of competing on
the unforgiving freeways, much less the Wangan Line. You'll never see a
Levin, a Cappuccino, or even an Altezza making a serious go of it. Yes, the
Devil Z is incredibly difficult to beat, but that's because it really is that
damn good.
+Accidents+
Vehicle damage in Initial D is usually very minor, and outright wrecks are a
rarity, pretty remarkable given all the spinouts and midjuged corners on
tight roads. It's reached the point where suffering any significant damage
is a mark of gross incompetence. In Wangan Midnight, crashes are very common,
simply because that's what happens when extreme high-powered vehicles make
lots of dangerous maneuvers amidst a lot of traffic. Nearly everyone wrecks
spectacularly at least once at some point, and Akio Asakura *himself* suffers
several collisions (though he's a fast learner and eventually manages to stay
completely out of trouble).
+Pro aspirations+
Wangan Midnight is a paean to amateurism...nobody is getting paid for this.
In fact, the only ones who were ever professional at any point are a few
tuners, and they've long since settled down to their less dangerous
professions. While most of the drivers in Initial D are dedicated amateurs
(mainly because they're not good enough to turn pro), there's always the
unwritten goal of the big leagues. Takumi himself said point-blank that he
wants to turn pro.
---------------------------------------
FAQ in progress copyright 2008 by Darrell Wong (DKW)
All rights reserved
