SONIC RIDERS
Instructions and FAQ/Guide for the videogame Sonic Riders, by final_lap
version 1.5
Last revised: July 1, 2006
Disclaimer: This document and any portion of it may not be redistributed,
copied, or sold in any way without explicit permission from me.
/end Disclaimer
As of this update the following sites are allowed to post this guide:
Sonic Center - www.soniccenter.org
GameFAQs - www.gamefaqs.com
neoseeker - www.neoseeker.com
GamesRadar / CheatPlanet - www.gamesradar.com
1UP.com - www.1up.com
Email relevant comments and questions to:
its.the.final.lap@gmail.com
This guide was made with the Gamecube version of Sonic Riders. It can be
presumed that most of the information in this document is compatible with the
Xbox and Playstation 2 versions of the game, but that is not guaranteed.
Past updates to this guide:
- Rewritten for clarity and accuracy.
- Added Storm's Missions
- Added Wave's Missions
- Added 'Gear Listings' section
What this guide is missing:
- Course maps of Digital Dimension, Babylon Guardian, Sega Carnival, and Sega
Illusion
- Jet's Missions for 'Mission Guide'
- general placement of robots in Egg Factory map
========
CONTENTS OF THIS GUIDE
========
[ 0 ] GENERAL INFO
Less technical info will be here, such as what Sonic Riders is, obligatory
rundown of the game modes, and a list of characters.
____ 0.0 - Just what in the dickens is Sonic Riders?
____ 0.1 - Save Data
____ 0.2 - Game Modes: Free Race
____ 0.3 - Game Modes: Time Attack
____ 0.4 - Game Modes: World Grand Prix
____ 0.5 - Game Modes: Story Mode
____ 0.6 - Game Modes: Mission Mode
____ 0.7 - Game Modes: Tag Mode
____ 0.8 - Game Modes: Survival Mode
____ 0.9 - Shop
____ 0.10 - Extra and Options
____ 0.11 - Characters
[ 1 ] CONTROLLING YOUR GUY
How to play, and comprehensive explanations of game mechanics and many gimmicks
including character types, turbulence, ramps, tricks, and air. This section
covers many basic aspects of the game that for some reason are not explained in
the game or instruction booklet.
** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ **
____ 1.0 - Learn to Play NOW
____ 1.1 - Pre-Race Countdown
____ 1.2 - Movement and Turning
____ 1.3 - Air Meter
____ 1.4 - Boosting
____ 1.5 - Braking
____ 1.6 - Sliding
____ 1.7 - Slide-Boosting
____ 1.8 - Advanced Sliding
____ 1.9 - Jumping
____ 1.10 - Long Jump and High Jump
____ 1.11 - Ramps
____ 1.12 - Tricks (Stunts)
____ 1.13 - Automatic Trails
____ 1.14 - Tornado Trap
____ 1.15 - Item Capsules
____ 1.16 - Yellow Item Capsules (100 Ring Item)
____ 1.17 - Rings and Leveling Up
____ 1.18 - Attacking
____ 1.19 - Turbulence System
____ 1.20 - Riding Turbulence
____ 1.21 - Grind Rails (SPEED-Type)
____ 1.22 - Flight Ramps and Air Rings (FLIGHT-Type)
____ 1.23 - Breakable Obstacles (POWER-Type)
____ 1.24 - Out of Air and On Foot
____ 1.25 - Choosing your Character and Gear
____ 1.26 - Dash Plates
____ 1.27 - Air Pits
____ 1.28 - The Clock
[ 2 ] COURSE MAPS
Piece by piece ASCII representations of each of the game's courses, with brisk
walkthrough, and advice for Speed, Flight, and Power types.
____ 2.0 - Explanation and Map Legend
____ 2.1 - METAL CITY
____ 2.2 - SPLASH CANYON
____ 2.3 - EGG FACTORY
____ 2.4 - GREEN CAVE
____ 2.5 - SAND RUINS
____ 2.6 - NIGHT CHASE
____ 2.7 - RED CANYON
____ 2.8 - ICE FACTORY
____ 2.9 - WHITE CAVE
____ 2.10 - DARK DESERT
____ 2.11 - BABYLON GARDEN
____ 2.12 - SKY ROAD
____ 2.13 - BABYLON GUARDIAN
[ 3 ] MISSION GUIDE
Explanations of the different types of missions, and tips for getting those
pesky Gold Medals.
____ 3.0 - Explanation and Types of Missions
____ 3.1 - STORM'S MISSIONS, Gold Guide
____ 3.2 - WAVE'S MISSIONS, Gold Guide
[ 4 ] GEAR LISTINGS
A listing of all the different Extreme Gears and a synopsis.
____ 4.0 - Gear: Basic Info
____ 4.1 - All 54 Extreme Gear
========================================
[ 0 ] BASIC INFO
========================================
____ 0.0 - Just what in the dickens is Sonic Riders?
Sonic Riders was released by Sega and Sonic Team in February 2006 for Gamecube,
Xbox, and Playstation 2. It is a mascot-based racing videogame featuring Sonic
the Hedgehog and other characters, with an emphasis on abusing shortcuts and
riding the turbulence left behind by other racers. Characters race using
'Extreme Gear' which primarily take the form of high speed hover boards.
Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Riders are property of Sega.
____ 0.1 - Save Data
For the Gamecube version of the game, saving your Game Data takes only one
block of space on the memory card. You can save multiple Game Data on one
memory card, allowing other players who use the console to complete the game's
challenges for themselves. Each Game Data is updated automatically as you
complete races and unlock stuff.
You can jump from one Game Data to another by accessing the Options menu from
the title screen.
Ghost data is saved seperately. On a single memory card, you can record and
save one ghost for each course in Time Attack mode. Each ghost uses 14 blocks
on a Gamecube memory card.
There are 16 courses in the game, so saving a Ghost for each course and saving
Game Data would take a total of 225 blocks on a Gamecube memory card.
____ 0.2 - Game Modes: Free Race
Selected under 'Normal Race', Free Race pits you against computer controlled
racers in single race on any of the courses you have available. Up to three
other players can join you via split-screen. If three or four players are
playing, there won't be any computer opponents.
____ 0.3 - Game Modes: Time Attack
Selected under 'Normal Race', Time Attack puts your character alone on any of
the game's race course for the standard three laps. Upon completing a Time
Attack, the game prompts you to save your Ghost.
Your best time record is saved automatically saved as part of the Game Data as
normal.
The only difference between courses in Time Attack and the other modes is that
in Time Attack, all the Item Capsules that give a random item are fixed to give
+30 Air each time. If you are using The Crazy or Chaos Emerald, they give a
certain amount of Rings instead.
NOTE: Ghosts are saved seperately from Game Data. Each ghost takes 14 blocks on
a Gamecube memory card. You can only save one Ghost for each course. There are
16 courses in the game, so saving a Ghost for each course and saving Game Data
would take 225 blocks total on a Gamecube memory card.
____ 0.4 - Game Modes: World Grand Prix
Selected under 'Normal Race', World Grand Prix consists of five races on
different courses. You can choose the Heroes Cup, or the Babylon Cup as it
becomes available. You get points from each race depending on your placing.
(first gets 10 points, second gets 8, and so on) The winner of the Grand Prix
is the one who has the most points at the end. Two people can play World Grand
Prix with split-screen.
You may also get a Bronze, Silver, or Gold medal depending on how many points
you have by the end. For each of the two Cups, a Gold medal may require a
player to get a full 50 points. See the 'COURSE MAPS' section for help on
winning all the races in each cup.
These gold medals need to be attained to unlock all the missions, characters,
and gear hidden in the game.
The Heroes cup contains the courses Metal City, Splash Canyon, Egg Factory,
Green Cave, and Sand Ruins. The Babylon cup contains Night Chase, Red Canyon,
Ice Factory, White Cave, and Dark Desert.
You can also alter the Rule Settings for World Grand Prix as you can in some
other modes. However, none of the settings seem like they would benefit you, so
I would recommend leaving them.
(TIP: If you are having trouble getting the gold medals, I recommend reading
over the information I gathered in the 'CONTROLLING YOUR GUY' section of this
guide to make sure you know how to take advantage of all the game's gimmicks.
After that, check out the course maps and walkthroughs to utilize the best
shortcuts in each course.)
____ 0.5 - Game Modes: Story Mode
Story Mode runs you through the story of Sonic Riders told by cutscenes, broken
apart by races. The races tend to have little to do with what's actually
happening in the story, but even I don't mind. At first, the Heroes story is
available, and completing it will unlock the Babylon story. Each race in this
mode challenges you to finish within a certain place, usually 1st place.
Completing both Story Modes is the basis for the chain of unlockable modes,
stages, characters, and Gear available in Sonic Riders.
Heroes story stages:
1. Metal City (Sonic)
2. Splash Canyon (Tails)
3. Egg Factory (Knuckles)
4. Green Cave (Tails)
5. Sand Ruins (Sonic)
6. Babylon Garden (Sonic)
Babylon story stages:
1. Night Chase (Jet)
2. Red Canyon (Wave)
3. Ice Factory (Storm)
4. White Cave (Jet)
5. Dark Desert (Jet)
6. Sky Road (Wave)
7. Babylon Guardian (Sonic)
____ 0.6 - Game Modes: Mission Mode
As it becomes available, you can try the challenges in Mission Mode.
Apparently, Sonic and friends get hax0red a mission notebook from the Babylon
Rogues and are so bored that they decide that they will beat them to each of
their errands. When you unlock Mission Mode, Storm's missions are available,
with Wave's missions earned later down the line. Complete them all to play
Jet's missions.
Each mission generally asks you to perform a certain task within one lap in a
specific course, using a given character and board. You would have to do the
task, and then complete the lap. You are rated with a Bronze, Silver, or Gold
medal upon completing each mission.
The types of missions include:
- Collect X pieces of junk. (rated by no. of junk collected)
- Grind X many times. (rated by no. of grinds)
- Go through X many Air Rings. (rated by no. of Air Rings)
- Knock down seven obstacles in succession. (rated by time it takes you to do
that)
- Tag a robot before it reaches the end of the course. (rated by time it takes
you to hit the robot)
- Complete one lap without using too much Air. (rated by amount in Air tank)
- Complete one lap under a certain time. (rated by time)
- Win a race. (rated by placing)
- Collect X many rings. (rated by no. of rings)
- Get X points from doing tricks. (rated by no. of points)
But no matter what the mission criteria is, you are also required to complete
the lap within a time limit.
Getting a Gold medal requires a good rating in whatever it is that type of
mission rates you by. For example, in the ring collecting mission, it doesn't
matter how fast you do it, just how many rings you collect. You can take as
long as you want, just as long as you reach the finish line under the time
limit.
Jet's missions are unique because most of them have Jet racing you, even when
he isn't part of the mission. In those cases, you automatically fail if Jet
crosses the finish line before you do. If that wasn't bad enough, Jet can even
interfere in the junk collecting missions by taking junk for himself! Yea, no
doubt about it, Jet's missions are CRAZY.
In some of the missions, an unusual item is hidden in them. It is a glowing
purple box. Grabbing these items and completing the mission allows you to be
able to unlock unique Extreme Gear through a menu in Mission Mode, the Treasure
Menu.
____ 0.7 - Game Modes: Tag Mode
Tag Mode is a split-screen race in which two teams of two players each race
across three laps. The players on the top two screens compete against the
bottom two. For each person less than four playing, a computer controller racer
takes the spot. Both racers on a team share the same Air meter.
Both racers on each team have a radio trailing them. The reception of the
radios between each other is displayed over that team's Air meter with a
colored symbol. Air refills slowly, and it refills faster depending on how
close the two teammates are to each other.
If the teammates distance themselves too much, the lead teammate is zapped and
stays zapped for a considerable amount of time.
As a weightless multiplayer extra, Tag Mode features "dumb-downed" versions of
the game's race courses, in which /all/ shortcuts are sealed off, and character
type abilities are disabled. Players are allowed only to choose the basic Gear.
____ 0.8 - Game Modes: Survival Mode
Choosing Survival Mode actually reveals two completely different contests. The
Race Stage version is a competition for up to four players. The goal is to grab
the Chaos Emerald and earn a point by carrying it through a gate. When a player
runs through enough gates with the Emerald, that player wins.
In each course, gates are placed at certain points. A Chaos Emerald appears in
one of them. The racer who grabs the Emerald is 'it'. This racer moves more
slowly and his air is quickly depleted. Once the player runs out of air, that
player is zapped and loses the Emerald, at which point the Emerald respawns at
the next gate.
The other racers can attack the racer with the Emerald, stealing it from them.
As a weightless multiplayer extra, the Race Stage variant features "dumb-
downed" version of the game's race courses, in which all shortcuts are sealed
off, and character type abilities are disabled.
The other variant of Survival Mode is Battle Stage, which is a free-for-all
fight for up to four players. Rather than playing on the race courses, Battle
Stage has three arena type courses to compete on.
The variety among the list of exclusive item pick-ups available in the stages
are surprising. This is also the only mode in the game with its own unique
stages. These facts make it not so easy for me to simply write this off as a
forced, weightless multiplayer extra. But in any case, I am not covering this
mode further. However, be sure to check out the Battle Mode stages by yourself
in full screen glory. They are kind of cool.
____ 0.9 - Shop
In the Shop, you can buy more Extreme Gear using the Rings you were awarded
from playing and completing races and challenges. Also, rings you have when you
finish a race are added to your total count for the Shop. (NOTE: I don't think
all game modes add to your Ring count. At the moment, I just know that 1-player
Free Race and Grand Prix modes definitely do.)
At first, only boards are available in the Shop. Skates become available as you
unlock Shadow the Hedgehog and the Darkness skates. To unlock skates, complete
Heroes Story in Story Mode. Bikes become available as you unlock Dr. Eggman and
the E-Rider bike. To unlock bikes, complete the Babylon Story in Story Mode.
Even more Extreme Gear will be available later as you complete more of the
game.
Most of the attainable Gear in Sonic Riders is bought from the Shop. However,
not all of the Gear in the game is accessed here. Some of it has to be unlocked
my completing races or missions, or by 'repairing' Gear through the Treasure
Menu in Mission Mode.
____ 0.10 - Extra and Options
Accessed from the title screen, Extra allows you to listen to the game's music
and CG cutscenes you have seen already. You can also see your time records, and
see all the Extreme Gear you've attained, cataloged by number.
When you view your records, press L/R to scroll through your records in each
mode. (World GP, Free Race, and Time Attack modes) Only your best lap time and
best overall time is displayed for each course. Using the control stick, you
can select one your record to see what character and Gear was used.
From the options menu (also accessed from the title screen) on the Gamecube
version of Sonic Riders, you can:
-Switch on or off the controller rumbling.
-Choose audio setting out of Stereo, Monaural, or Dolby Pro Logic II.
-Choose a language for the subtitles.
-Jump to another Game Data, or delete one.
____ 0.11 - Characters
These are the playable characters in the game. Every character is either a
Speed, Flight, or Power type. Speed Type characters can grind on specific
rails. Flight Type characters can use fly at designated Flight Ramps and Air
Rings. Power Type characters can knock down small obstacles and certain walls.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
Sonic is an adventurer who loves competition, always looks out for his friends
and never gives up. When his status as the fastest in the world is contended by
the arrogant Babylon Rogues, he must once again show us that dreams can come
true and that hedgehogs can fly.
- Type: SPEED
- Starting Gear: Blue Star
Extra Unique Gear: Blue Star II, and Chaos Emerald
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: no difference
Lv.2-3 Attack Mode: Spin Dash
- Available from the start
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
Other Technical Info: Sonic's spin dash attack seems to take less time than
other attacks. Also, when Sonic is leveled up, he seems to equal Shadow in his
boost length.
TAILS THE FOX (full name Miles "Tails" Prower)
Sonic's young friend can spin his two tails to fly like a helicopter, and
happens to have a talent when it comes to machinery and computers. Tails is
determined to help Sonic and Knuckles beat the Babylon Rogues by tweaking out
their Extreme Gear.
- Type: FLIGHT
- Starting Gear: Yellow Tail
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: Holds an electrical cord
Lv.2 Attack Mode: Swings an electrical cord around him
Lv.3 Attack Mode: Holds an electrical cord
- Available from the start
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 4/3/2/3
Other Technical Info: Tails boosts over longer periods of time than normal.
For this reason, he is apparently the best Flight-Type character in the game.
KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA
Sonic tamed this loose fuse a long time ago and they've been allies ever
since. Knuckles used to have a mystical duty to protect the Master Emerald on a
floating island, but now nobody blinks when he tags along for each of Sonic's
new adventures.
- Type: POWER
- Starting Gear: Red Rock
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: no difference
Lv.2-3 Attack Mode: Fists become bigger
- Available from the start
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/3/4/2
AMY ROSE
This outgoing lass is always keeping up with the latest fashion, just as she's
always trying to keep up with Sonic! (I guess there's a little Amy in us all.)
Wherever Sonic appears, she isn't that far behind and always manages to sneak
herself in each Sonic release one way or another in her quest for her crush.
- Type: SPEED
- Starting Gear: Pink Rose
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: no difference
Lv.2-3 Attack Mode: Holds her famous "Piko" mallot
- Available from the start
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
JET THE HAWK
This easily agitated, arrogant 'thief by day, speed demon by night' has a way
with handling Extreme Gear. He is the leader of the Babylon Rogues (himself,
Wave, and Storm) and pilots a spiffy flying ship to go with his job, which he
rightfully earns for his boarding skills and succulent love-making.
- Type: SPEED
- Starting Gear: Type-J
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: no difference
Lv.2 Attack Mode: Jet spreads one of his 'wings'
Lv.3 Attack Mode: Jet spreads both his 'wings'
- Available from the start
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
WAVE THE SWALLOW
Wave is the clever mechanic who designed the Extreme Gear used by the Babylon
Rogues, and isn't afraid to use trickery and sabotage to win. She may seem
annoying, however she is in fact a sensible and responsible ally, and may
advise Jet on their missions, should he decide to listen.
- Type: FLIGHT
- Starting Gear: Type-W
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: no difference
Lv.2 Attack Mode: Wave holds a wrench
Lv.3 Attack Mode: Wave holds a bomb
- Available from the start
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 4/3/3/2
STORM THE ALBATROSS
Storm gets excited easily, jumps to conclusions, has a short attention span,
is clumsy, and isn't too smart. However, he is skilled and very strong. Jet's
the one who can keep him under control. Storm is loyal to Jet, and often refers
to him as "boss".
- Type: POWER
- Starting Gear: Type-S
- Lv.1-3 Attack Mode: no difference
- Available from the start
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/3/4/2
CREAM THE RABBIT
Cream the Rabbit is a very young and innocent princess who is accompanied by a
Chao named Cheese almost everywhere she goes. Well, he isn't around now, but
appears in some of Cream's attacks. Anyway, I'm still wondering just WHEN is
her bedtime??
- Type: FLIGHT
- Starting Gear: Smile
- Lv.1-3 Attack Mode: no difference
- Complete Hero Story to unlock Cream.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 4/3/2/2
ROUGE THE BAT
Rouge is a sassy treasure hunter who used to work for the goverment as a spy,
and has once conned Dr. Eggman and Shadow by pretending to be their ally. She's
obsessed with jewels, and at one point she dueled with Knuckles over the Master
Emerald.
- Type: FLIGHT
- Starting Gear: Temptation
- Lv.1-3 Attack Mode: no difference
- Complete Hero Story to unlock Rouge.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 4/3/3/2
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG
Shadow was created by a scientist to be the Ultimate Life Form, but the
government forcefully shut down the research and sealed him in a capsule for
fifty years. When Dr. Eggman recently awakened him, a deluded Shadow wasted no
time being cool and blowing things up.
- Type: SPEED
- Starting Gear: Darkness (not exclusive to Shadow)
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: Stands upright holding a glowing orb
Lv.2 Attack Mode: Forms a could of light in his hands
Lv.3 Attack Mode: Stands upright holding a larger orb, with ELECTRONS
- Complete Hero Story to unlock Shadow.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
Other Technical Info: Shadow boosts over longer periods of time than normal.
For this reason, he is apparently the best Speed-Type character in the game.
(with Sonic being a close second)
DR. EGGMAN (formerly Dr. Robotnik)
Dr. Eggman might have taken over the world a long time ago if weren't for
Sonic the Hedgehog. The crazier his schemes get, the more thrilling the
adventure for Sonic and his friends.
- Type: POWER
- Starting Board: E-Rider (not exclusive to Eggman)
- Lv.1 Attack Mode: Holds a megaphone
Lv.2 Attack Mode: Holds a cartoon punching glove weapon
Lv.3 Attack Mode: no difference
- Complete Babylon Rogues Story to unlock Dr. Eggman.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/3/4/2
Other Technical Info: Dr. Eggman can't use boards or skates, only bike-type
Extreme Gear.
E-10000 G
(I call him E-Green.) For one of many identical robots with little backstory,
E-Green doesn't seem like a terribly exciting character. Anyway, it should be
noted that his head looks like as if he was wearing a baseball cap backwards,
indicating that he is STREET.
- Type: POWER
- Starting Board: E-gearG
- Lv.1-3 Attack Mode: no difference
- Rack up 20 hours of play time to unlock Green Robo.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/3/3/2
Other Technical Info: E-Green can't ride bikes or skates, only board-type
Extreme Gear.
E-10000 R
50 Hours?? Just for some dumb robot? For his sake, let's hope Sonic Riders is
that good. I'm still unsure what's so special about this guy. Well, he /can/
take his own head off during a race. I guess that's kind of cool. Hehehe.
- Type: SPEED
- Starting Board: E-gearR
- Lv.1-2 Attack Mode: no difference
Lv.3 Attack Mode: Holds his head over his shoulders.
- Rack up 50 hours of play time to unlock Red Robo.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
Other Technical Info: E-Red can't ride bikes or skates, only board-type
Extreme Gear.
NIGHTS
Nights (also spelled 'NiGHTS' by many fans), a creature of the dream world,
starred in a Sega Saturn game by the same name. Revered by fans as well as the
game's creator, Nights is clearly not too good to serve the shameless role of a
bonus playable character in a Sonic racing game.
- Type: FLIGHT
- Starting Board: Night Sky
- Lv.1-2 Attack Mode: no difference
Lv.3 Attack Mode: Gear disappears and Nights flies
- Do all of Jet's, Wave's, and Storm's missions to unlock Nights.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
AIAI
Aiai is a monkey who stars in the Super Monkey Ball series for Gamecube,
arcade, and other systems, which are all about his two favorite things:
Bananas, and being trapped in a ball. Aiai competes in Sonic Riders looking for
more sharks to jump.
- Type: POWER
- Starting Board: BANANA
- Lv.1-3 Attack Mode: Gear disappears and Aiai runs inside his ball
- Do all of Jet's, Wave's, and Storm's missions to unlock Aiai.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
Other Technical Info: Aiai boosts over longer periods of time than normal. For
this reason, he is apparently the best Power-Type character in the game.
Ulala
Ulala starred in the Space Channel 5 games for Dreamcast and Playstation 2.
With the story taking place in futuristic spacey world, she is a TV news
reporter who dances and shoots aliens during broadcasts. What she's doing in
Sonic Riders is anybody's guess.
- Type: SPEED
- Starting Board: Channel5
- Lv.1-3 Attack Mode: no difference
- Do all of Jet's, Wave's, and Storm's missions to unlock Ulala.
- Dash/Limit/Power/Cornering: 3/4/3/2
Other Technical Info: Ulala can't ride bike-type Extreme Gear, only skates and
boards.
========================================
[ 1 ] CONTROLLING YOUR GUY
========================================
____ 1.0 - Learn to Play NOW
These are the basic control to get you started playing Sonic Riders. (This
refers to the Gamecube controller. To find out what buttons do what on your PS2
or Xbox controller, use a little guesswork.)
Once off the starting line, characters in Sonic Riders roll along ALL BY
THEMSELVES. You don't need to press forward on the Control Stick or hold any
button or nothin'.
(Riding on your board consumes Air. Watch your Air meter on the bottom left of
the screen. If you run out of Air, you'll have to continue on foot.)
Turn using the Control Stick.
By pressing L or R shoulder button (doesnt matter which) while turning, you
will Slide, which allows you to turn more sharply. Sliding consumes a little
Air.
Hitting Y or B gives you a Boost of speed. This takes a bite out of your Air
meter.
Press and release the A button on a ramp to jump from it.
Use the Control Stick while in the air to perform tricks. Performing tricks and
landing correctly gives you Air.
Speed-type characters can grind on certain rails. Press A to jump, and after
jumping, press A to land on a grind. Sonic and Jet are Speed-type characters.
Flight-type characters can fly off certain ramps and go through Air Rings.
Simply ride over these ramps to begin flying. Use the Control Stick to go
through Air Rings to keep flying longer. Tails and Wave are Flight-type
characters.
Power-type characters can smash through most obstacles just by riding through
them. Doing this refills air. Knuckles and Storm are Power-type characters.
____ 1.1 - Pre-Race Countdown
Each game begins with all racers on foot behind the starting line. At this time
you control your character with the Control Stick. (up/down to move, left/right
to turn) A clock counts down from about five seconds, and when it hits zero,
the race begins and everyone is allowed to pass the starting line. As each
character crosses it, they will start riding their Extreme Gear.
Until the clock finishes counting down, racers aren't allowed to cross the
starting line. If you do, you get zapped as a penalty, and everyone will pass
you. While the clock counts down, a glowing green line spread across the width
of the road moves from behind everyone to the front, reaching the starting line
just as the clock hits zero. This is intended as a guide.
To get the most speed off the starting line, your aim is to cross it with a
full running start right after the countdown finishes. The green line is
extremely helpful, so use it. There are also markers placed on the ground
indicating the distance between that and the starting line.
Your speed off the starting line isn't too important for a normal race but is
probably something a Time Trial junkie might want to get the hang of.
Your character quickly accelerates into speeds much faster than the green line
moves, so make sure you're a good distance away from it before charging the
starting line. It's a good idea to back up as soon as the countdown begins, to
give yourself more room to adjust your momentum in the case that you begin
running too early.
Your entry across the starting line is rated based on how long it took you to
cross it, and how fast you were moving. The top three ratings in order are
"Good", "Excellent", and "Unbelievable".
____ 1.2 - Movement and Turning
After crossing the starting line, each character is propelled forward by their
Extreme Gear, whether it's a board, skates, bike, or whatever. You don't have
to press forward or any button, characters in this game just roll along ALL BY
THEMSELVES!
You can turn left or right by using the control stick.
NOTE: Normal turning in this game is very tight. It's basically used to adjust
your position for the most part. Navigating actual turns on the course should
be done with help from Sliding.
As you move forward, your character gradually accelerates to their maximum
speed. Turning gradually reduces your speed at a slow rate.
Your turning ability depends on your speed. The slower you go, the better your
cornering is.
____ 1.3 - Air Meter
Notice that at the bottom right of the screen there is a meter. This indicates
your fuel, which is called 'Air'. Just riding along consumes Air at a slow
rate. There are many ways to refill Air, but there are also some abilities that
you need to take advantage of that consume a lot of Air.
You start the race with a full tank, but when you run out of Air, your Gear
stops working. You are forced to continue on foot until you get more Air,
directing your character with the control stick. Your character moves slowly in
this state and you can't get more Air as easily.
When you are running low on Air, your meter becomes orange instead of blue, and
will begin beeping. In this state, you don't have enough Air to boost. If you
lose more Air, it will eventually turn red, and in this state, you begin to
lose some speed. Run out, and you will have to continue on foot until you
refill some Air.
In Sonic Riders, it is important to keep an eye on your Air meter and try to
exploit as much of it as possible, at the same time aiming not to run out.
Besides riding, Sliding and Boosting consume Air. These are very important
abilities. Sliding is necessary to navigate the course, and you need to Boost
to win races.
These are actions that refill amounts of Air:
-Landing from a jump. (even more Air for each trick you did whil jumping)
-Rotating the Control Stick during Automatic Trails
-Grinding (SPEED-Type characters)
-Flying (FLIGHT-Type characters)
-Busting through obstacles (POWER-Type characters)
-Getting Air from Item Capsules
____ 1.4 - Boosting
Hitting either B or Y will execute a Boost. Each Boost takes a chunk out of
your Air meter.
Boosting jumps your speed up for a short time, before gradually crawling back
down to what it was before.
Boosting is also how you initiate an attack in races. After boosting there is a
period of time before you can Boost again. In this time, approaching an
opponent will cause you to attack them. (I call this state 'Attack Mode')
The speed of your boost depends on the level of your character as well as your
Gear. On an average Gear, Level 1 characters boost at about 200, and Level 3
characters can boost as fast as 250. Also, leveled up characters hold their
boost speed longer.
Boosting will be the primary way you will exploit your Air. If you have more
than half of your Air meter full, you should probably boost. If you are
approaching an area where you will refill a significant portion of your Air
meter, it's probably a good idea to boost right away.
NOTE: If you were in a boost, falling/landing from a drop in the road kills
your boost. You return to normal speed and can boost again.
NOTE: Do not boost while Sliding! If you do, your boost is locked into whatever
your speed was at the time. Very bad!
____ 1.5 - Braking
Press the L or R shoulder button (It does not matter which.) to brake. You
can't be turning when you brake, or else you will Slide instead.
Braking is not often practical and can be ignored for the most part. Generally,
it may be used to control your speed to help navigate into specific areas,
after being knocked off course by an opponent or turbulence. (The best place in
the game for braking that I know of is in Egg Factory, to help maintain a low
enough speed to keep the rotating machines from hitting you off the course.)
NOTE: Holding down A (which is the Jump Button) slows you down so it /sort of/
can be used as a brake! The difference is it doesn't bring you to a complete
stop, and releasing it causes you to Jump.
____ 1.6 - Sliding
While turning, press L or R shoulder button. (It does not matter which.) This
will execute a Slide. While sliding you begin to turn very sharply. To release
the Slide, simply let go of the L/R trigger.
(BEWARE: You have to be turning when you press L/R, or else you will brake
instead. It's easy to forget and accidentally press L/R right before you begin
to turn, which will mess you up. Be careful!)
While Sliding, your Air is consumed more rapidly than normal.
Sliding is the most important maneuver in Sonic Riders. You will need it to
navigate not some, but PRETTY MUCH ALL of the turns in ALL the courses in this
game if you don't want to hit walls or fall off. This is because normal turning
is very tight.
The normal way to use Sliding is to simply Slide into a corner, and release the
Slide when you are ready to exit that turn. But Sliding doesn't have to be used
just to handle corners -- it can also be used to complement your normal
turning. Try gently tapping L/R trigger or just pressing it for short amounts
of time. Using Sliding this way allows you to adjust your direction and
position faster than you could by turning normally.
____ 1.7 - Slide-Boosting
Holding a Slide for about one and a half seconds gives you a boost of speed
when you release the Slide. This does not make you go as fast as a normal Boost
would, but it doesn't consume any extra Air. Players who want to push their
game to the max might try to Slide-Boost whenever it's practical to do so.
The best way to hold a Slide long enough to Slide-Boost is to use the control
stick to adjust how sharply you turn while Sliding.
(EXPERT ADVICE: Good players may try practicing Slide-Boosting on a straight
road! This is useful when you want a small burst of speed without using as much
Air as a normal Boost would.)
____ 1.8 - Advanced Sliding
Try using the control stick to change your angle during a slide.
As you can probably tell, continuing to press the control stick in the
direction you were turning when you started the Slide causes you to turn very
sharply.
However, centering the control stick during a Slide widens your turn.
And then, holding the control stick in the opposite direction causes you to
practically stop turning altogether.
In other words, you can pretty much freely adjust the width of your turn during
a Slide with the control stick. This makes it easy to hold a single Slide
during longer or wider turns, instead of having to doing multiple short Slides
to avoid hitting the inside walls. This is very practical for Sliding more
efficiently and easier in general. And, since you are holding Slides for longer
periods of time, you can Slide-Boost more often. The only disadvantage is that
by Sliding more constantly on turns, you consume more Air.
However, on some corners, you may be able to save a little time and Air by
splitting up your Slides. I'll explain: After about half a second of Sliding in
one direction, your character stops turning as much. Therefore, starting a new
Slide completely will continue turning your character even faster. You gotta be
quick with the shoulder button to take advantage of this. (Playstation users
probably have it easier here, since their button is smaller.) Try experimenting
with it once you get the hang of basic Sliding.
____ 1.9 - Jumping
Jumping is primarily used to jump from ramps. If you jump when not on a ramp,
your character does a pathetic little hop and slows down.
Press and hold down the A button, then release it on a ramp to jump. Jumping
this way can get you to distant or overhead items or platforms.
When you land, you refill some of your Air. During a jump, you can performs
tricks which increase even more Air if you land correctly. The longer you held
down the jump button, the faster you can perform tricks in the air, allowing
you to perform more tricks. To perform a trick, simply move the control stick
in any direction while in a jump. Your character will spin in that direction
and perform a trick. If you are upside down or in the middle of a trick when
you hit the ground, that is landing incorrectly. (ouch) Landing incorrectly
slows you down and only gives you a very small amount of Air. But if you land
normally, you get more Air and are sent off at a speed depending on how many
tricks you performed.
When you hold down the A button, you begin to slow down gradually, and the
thrust of your Extreme Gear begins to fizz. When the thrust turns red, that
indicates that you have charged the maximum amount. At that point you move very
slowly. Charging your jump to the maximum is normally necessary to reach
certain platforms and items. Careful timing is needed to charge your jump at
the right time, so as to spend as little time in this state as possible.
NOTE: If you're not on a ramp, jumping just makes you do a little hop, like I
said above. This move is sometimes practical. The most obvious use for it is to
jump onto grind rails if you're playing with a Speed-Type character like Sonic
or Jet.
____ 1.10 - Long Jump and High Jump
To reach the shortcuts from certain ramps, you will have to know how to
properly perform long jumps and high jumps.
To do a long jump, you have to hold the jump button down, and charge your jump
all the way. Then release the button at the edge of the ramp while holding
forward.
To do a high jump, do the same thing, except hold backward instead of forward.
You will have to specifically perform either a high jump or a long jump to
reach certain shortcuts.
NOTE: On some ramps, you may not have to charge your jump all the way, or not
have to release the jump at the edge of the ramp, or not have to move the
control stick, and STILL be able to reach the shortcut. This mainly concerns
Time Trial junkies who want to find ways of cutting a second or two from their
run.
____ 1.11 - Ramps
Ramps are the enablers for jumps, and may give you access to higher platforms
and items. Many times, you have to use one to proceed on the course.
There are three kinds of Ramps. Mandatory ramps, optional ramps, and halfpipe
sections.
1) Mandatory ramps are the most obvious. They are usually brightly colored and
cover the entire width of the track. You can't go through without taking them.
When you reach the edge of a mandatory ramp and haven't jumped, it will make
you jump automatically. They are usually a main part of the course and take you
across something to the next trail.
2) Optional ramps are ramps that only work if you jump from them yourself. You
will ride over them as if they weren't there unless you press the jump button.
They are usually used to reach items or higher platforms. Optional ramps may be
small, not easily noticeable, and may not even look like ramps. (For that
reason, it may be difficult to tell exactly where these ramps begin and end,
making it easy to press the jump button at the wrong time and missing them.
Trail-and-error and memorization may be needed to master certain optional
ramps.)
3) Halfpipe sections are only placed against the walls. Instead of pushing you
forward when you jump from them, they bounce you off. If you don't jump from
them yourself and ride off the edge, you jump automatically, kind of like a
mandatory ramp. You may be able reach grind rails, Air Rings, and items from
halfpipe sections. (Note: Grind rails are very easy to reach from halfpipe
sections and can always be reached without jumping.)
Performing high jumps or long jumps off ramps may help or may be required to
reach certain items and platforms.
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked all ramps in the maps
with R's.)
____ 1.12 - Tricks (Stunts)
Once you're in the air from a ramp, you can perform tricks. Every time you
press the control stick in a direction in the air, your character rotates in
that direction and performs a trick at the same time.
The name of the trick scrolls across the top of the screen for each trick you
perform. The amount of degrees you spin in the air is displayed on the bottom
right.
The speed which you perform these tricks depends on how much you charged your
jump. Not charging your jump at all will usually not allow you to perform more
than one trick in the air, because it will be time to land before you can do
another.
When you land, you get an amount of Air depending on the number and quality for
your tricks when you land. You also are graded with a stylized letter, with 'X'
and 'SS' being among the best grades. In certain missions in Mission Mode, you
also get a point rating, which can be anywhere from 1-10 points.
The speed which you are sent off when you land is affected by how many tricks
you performed. If you perform too few, you will to have to accelerate a little
back to your normal speed. Doing enough tricks will put you at your normal
speed, or maybe even a little faster, before going back down to your normal
speed.
However, if you land incorrectly, you get no points and less Air than if you
would have performed no tricks at all. You also have to accelerate from a very
low speed. Landing incorrectly is when you are upside down or in the middle of
a trick when you reach the ground.
Performing a lot of tricks is pretty simple. You're actually able to do quite
well at tricks just by rotating the stick. As long as you charged your jump,
and keep moving in the air, and land correctly -- you're good to go.
Just keep in mind that you can start a vertical trick while doing a horizontal
trick, and vice-versa. Merging tricks this way is as almost as good as doing
two seperate tricks, but it takes less time. (I say almost, because doing them
seperately is worth even more Air. If you have time while in a jump, seperate
your tricks!) So, in other words, try to alternate between vertical and
horizontal directions on the control stick.
Diagonals: A diagonal trick takes about as long as a vertical/horizontal trick
combo, but usually doesn't refill as much Air. Not only that, you can't bail in
the middle of it if you think you're too close to the ground. I don't do
diagonal tricks on purpose anymore. I recommend avoiding them altogether.
The only part of the game where you really need to get the tricks down is in
Mission Mode. No sweat, since even getting the /maximum amount/ of points on a
single jump is actually pretty easy.
____ 1.13 - Automatic Trails
At one place in each course in the game, your character is pulled along a
certain trail or gimmick automatically. I'll just call them Automatic Trails.
During an Automatic Trail, an indicator will appear on screen that tells you to
rotate your control stick. While that is on-screen, continually rotating your
control stick in circles will refill your Air and slightly increase your speed
on the trail.
Some Automatic Trails allow higher speeds than others. For example, rotating
the stick in Babylon Garden allows you to increase your speed to high levels.
On the other hand, rotating the stick in Green Cave barely seems to affect your
speed at all. However, Air is refilled the same quickly on both of them and
only depends on how fast you are rotating your stick.
Don't be fooled -- They look different, but all Automatic Trails work the same
say. All you have to do is rotate the stick. Other than that, you're just
watching.
Listed here are what the Automatic Trails are in some of the courses:
Metal City: rail lift
Night Chase: rail lift
Splash Canyon: river rapids
Red Canyon: river rapids
Egg Factory: rail lift
Ice Factory: rail lift
Green Cave: giant insect
White Cave: giant insect
Sand Ruins: crossbow charge
Dark Desert: the crazy room!!!!!111
____ 1.14 - Tornado Trap
Pressing both L and R shoulder buttons at the same time causes your character
to spin around and leave behind a small tornado. Opponents who come in contact
with the tornado lose all their momentum and come to an almost complete stop.
This is a risky move, because using this attack slows you down and takes a bite
out of your Air. However, it can be quite devastating. From 2-player races, I
have observed that this attack interrupts your own turbulence trail and can
affect opponents who were riding it. So, the ideal time to use it is when the
racers behind you are riding your turbulence.
____ 1.15 - Item Capsules
Throughout the courses you may find Sonic Adventure style item capsules. If you
aren't familiar with them, they basically look like capped bubbles. Normally,
they are spread in a row across the width of the road. Item capsules have a
card floating inside them indicating what they have. Capsules with a question
mark "?" in them give you an item at random.
(NOTE: In Time Attack, all Item Capsules with question marks are replaced with
ones that are fixed to give you +30 Air. If you are using The Crazy or Chaos
Emerald, they are fixed to give a certain amount of Rings instead.)
Running over an item capsule gives you an item, and a card appears on screen to
let you know which item you got. Destroyed item capsules respawn in the same
place soon afterwards.
Here's a list of all the items you can get from Item Capsules:
- AIR: A card with a small tornado graphic indicates an Air refill. A number
on the card indicates how much Air you got.
- RINGS: A card with a ring indicates a Ring pack. A number on the card
indicates how many Rings you got.
- INVINCIBILITY: A card with with a glowing, rainbow-colored ball thing
represents the Invincibility item. When you get them, you become SUPER for a
short perioid of time in which your character glows and the music is
interrupted for a new beat. During this time, you can't be attacked and can
bust through obstacles without slowing down.
- MAGNET SHIELD: This is represented by an electrical looking circle. For a
period of time after you get this, an electrical energy covers your character,
attracting nearby Rings like a magnet.
- SPEED SHOE: A card with a Shoe represents the Speed Shoe item. This locks
your speed at about 200 for a short perioud of time. The problem is, if you
were going /faster/ than 200, the Speed Shoe SLOWS YOU DOWN! To make things
worse is the fact that 200 is fast only if you don't know how to play.
- BOMB: When you get this, a large black cartoon bomb rolls down the course.
The bomb hits racers ahead, knocking them off balance. (The bomb can hurt the
person who threw it, so watch out.)
- SLOWDOWN: A card with a Shoe shackled to an Iron Ball represents this item.
When you get this, your speed is considerably reduced for a short time. (If you
don't count the Speed Shoe, this is the only negative item.)
Invincibility, Magnet Shield, Shoe, Bomb, and Slowdown items are only attained
through random item capules. (Capsules with a question mark in them) Normal
item capsules always give either Rings or Air in a fixed amount.
Besides normal item capsules, most of the courses have at least one Item
Capsule that's larger than the others, and it's yellow. I'll call these Yellow
Item Capsules. A Yellow capsule always contains either 100 Rings (yay!) or full
Air tank refill (meh!) ... Yellow item capsules don't respawn.
(NOTE: After running over an item capsule, you can't get another one for about
2 seconds. This applies even to Yellow capsules. If you touch one in this time,
it will just disappear and nothing else will happen.)
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked Item Capsules with o's)
____ 1.16 - Yellow Item Capsules (100 Ring Item)
Each course has at least one Yellow Item Capsule. They are larger than normal
Item Capsules, and are colored yellow. Unlike normal items, Yellow Item
Capsules do not respawn once a racer gets it.
Yellow Item Capsules always either contain 100 Rings, or Air Max which
instantly refills all of your air. Getting the 100 Ring Item is one of the best
ways to do well in Sonic Riders, since it's the fastest way to level up.
Locations of the 100 Ring Items in the courses:
- Metal City -
This one is near the start of the course, on the higher level. There is a
small sign floating above the road. Jump into the left side of it and you will
grind into the 100 Ring Item.
- Splash Canyon -
This appears in the first lake, on the right side behind a waterfall.
- Egg Factory -
Placed on the left side of the path of the rotating machinery. (Slow down to
avoid getting pushed off the course.)
- Green Cave
Flight-type characters will have to fly under the 2nd Air Ring to reach the
stem that leads to it. You can also reach it by doing a trick off turbulence on
the right stem.
- Sand Ruins -
In the end of the desert area, and on top of the structure where the Flight
shortcut ends. Non-Flight characters can reach it by doing a high jump from the
piece of ruin that falls into the sand from the left.
- Night Chase -
This appears after the intersection and can be reached by the halfpipe section
on the right side.
- Red Canyon -
At the end of the course, in the lake, on the left side, in plain sight.
- Ice Factory -
Look in the same place as in Egg Factory. It's near the machines, except they
are not rotating this time.
- White Cave -
Flight-type uses the ramp at an unusual angle to reach the stem with the Item
on it. It is also possible to reach the stem by jumping from behind the Flight
Ramp.
- Dark Desert -
On the first right hairpin, use the turbulence to break through the ceiling.
- Babylon Garden -
On the left side, use a ramp to jump over the gap that was blown off and grab
the Item in the air.
- Sky Road -
On lap 2, a part of the course is blown off. Use the ramp before the gap to
reach the Item above it. (The ramp is placed right after double turns and is
very annoying to get.)
- Babylon Guardian -
N/A. (No 100 Ring Item in this course.)
- Digital Dimension -
In the 'heaven' part, hug left to see it before a Flight Ramp.
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked Yellow Item Capsules with
either a '3' for 100 Rings, or 'Y' for Air Max.)
____ 1.17 - Rings and Leveling Up
Besides being able to get Rings from Item Capsules, individual Rings are spread
across each of the courses, normally in rows. Rings respawn just like normal
Item Capsules.
Collecting Rings allows you to level up, which increases your abilities for the
remainder of the race.
Collecting 30 Rings upgrades your character to Level 2. (Lv2)
Collecting 60 Rings upgrades your character to Level 3, (Lv3) which is the
highest level.
See the top left of the screen to see how many Rings you have and your current
level.
When you level up, your character sparkles and a short jingle plays. Your Air
tank is filled to max at that instant. (This means leveling up can also be used
as a way to refill air quickly.)
Leveling up is EXCELLENT! For each higher level, your boost speed is increased.
Your attacks are also more devastating. The dramatic increase in boost speed is
the reason that leveling up is so vital to doing well in Sonic Riders. Average
gear boost at a speed of 200, but when you level up to Lv2 they boost at 230.
Level up to Lv3, and you will go 250 when you boost.
Getting attacked or falling off the course will bring you back to Lv1. So be
careful!
AIR TANK: When you level up, your Air tank increases, however, you consume Air
more rapidly and Boosting consumes more Air. Despite this, leveling up is a big
advantage because it's easy to refill Air quickly.
NOTE: Many characters at higher levels appear differently when they are in
'Attack mode'. For example, Sonic enters into a good ol' fashioned spin dash,
and Jet spreads his 'wings'. Besides simply looking cool, this is a useful
indicator to see if your character is in Attack Mode or not.
____ 1.18 - Attacking
When you Boost, your character is ready to attack for a few seconds until you
are able to Boost again. Let's call this 'attack mode'. While in this state,
simply approaching the side of an opponent may initiate an attack.
The intensity of the attack depends on whether you are Lv.1, Lv.2, or Lv.3.
While at Lv.1, attacking an opponent slows them down, steals Air from them, and
makes them lose their Rings. (In other words, attacking LEVELS DOWN!) At higher
levels the attack may also paralyze the character for a few seconds.
Each character has their own attacks -- Knuckles may a throw a punch, Jet slaps
you with his wing, and so on. But this is just eye candy. All character's
attacks have the same effect as far as I can tell, and that effect is dependent
only on their level.
The attacker and the racer being attacked can't move for a second or two. Both
racers have to wait until the attack animation is played out before they regain
control again. For this reason, I don't recommend attacking in complex parts of
the course.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Since boosting puts a racer in 'attack mode' for such a lengthy
span of time, it's often that two or more attack-mode racers come in contact
with each other. When that happens, I don't know how the game decides who gets
hit.
To avoid your attack from backfiring, I recommend keeping side-distance from
other racers, and to attack only from behind.
____ 1.19 - Turbulence System
At many times, racers create turbulence behind them. Turbulence in this game
takes the form of a halfpipe shaped road made of wind. You can mount an
opponent's turbulence from behind where it begins, or by falling into it from
above, or by pushing in forcefully from the side. While riding turbulence, you
are automatically sent along it at a steady speed, and you're able to increase
your speed on it with tricks and bobbing.
Turbulence is not always formed in the same shape of the route the racer who
created it took. In some parts of courses, turbulence is formed in the same
position every time, and is created after a racer passes that area. (For
example, the lead racer takes a certain hairpin turn on the inside. But the
turbulence on that hairpin turn is always formed near the outside edge.)
In some areas, turbulence never happens. In other areas, it happens very often.
And, in some areas, two turbulence trails can happen at the same time.
To a trailing racer, turbulence can be an excellent way to catch up to the
lead, but it can also be a nuisance when you don't want to use it. The lead
racer or racers can interrupt their turbulence by jumping from a ramp, flying,
or grinding. It's also possible to make your turbulence lead off the course.
(For example, in Egg Factory, Flight-Type characters turn right and ride off a
Flight Ramp. Everyone riding that turbulence will follow it in the same path
and fall off the course.) There are definitely at least a couple of places
where you can sabotage your own turbulence this way.
In the courses Babylon Garden and Sky Road, at a specific place there exists
permanent turbulence. These are part of the course and are not created by
racers, and will not disappear. These turbulence trails are much wider than
normal turbulence, and movement on them is much stiffer.
____ 1.20 - Riding Turbulence
You can increase your speed on turbulence by two ways. The first way is
bobbing. By riding left and right across the center of the turbulence, you can
increase your speed up to a certain level.
The second way is to perform tricks. To perform a trick from turbulence, you
first have to look for red arrows to appear along the edge of the turbulence
trail. When you see them, riding to the edge will cause your character to jump
up and perform a trick. You don't move as fast when you jump this way, but when
you land, you refill some Air and your speed on the turbulence trail is
increased. (By doing tricks, you can reach higher speeds on turbulence trails
than you could by bobbing. However, you can't go faster than a certain speed on
turbulence, so doing too many tricks is a waste.)
Red arrows usually appear on turbulence whenever it turns. The arrows will
appear on the outside of the turn. Arrows may also appear on both sides of the
turbulence when the trail moves up or down. Arrows always appear below areas
that can be reached by doing a trick from turbulence.
When you reach the end of the turbulence, your character will dismount gently,
and gradually return to normal rolling speed. If you reach the racer who was
creating the turbulence this way, often your character will push that racer out
of the way.
You can dismount turbulence manually by pressing both L and R shoulder buttons
at the same time. Your character will spin around and get off the turbulence,
and will return to rolling speed. For a few seconds after you dismount
turbulence this way, you can't ride turbulence again and will be able to move
through all turbulence trails as if they weren't there. (Note: When you do
this, your character looks like as if he/she was creating a Tornado trap, but
really isn't, so you're not losing Air.)
In a few specific areas, there are rooms/platforms that can be reached by doing
tricks off turbulence. When your character leaps to do a trick in these places,
he/she will go through the ceiling and land in a new place.
____ 1.21 - Grind Rails (SPEED-Type)
Speed-Type characters are able to grind on rails. Sonic, Jet, and Amy are
Speed-Type characters.
Grind rails will appear as floating rails. The beginning of the rail will be
lit in a blue light. The end of the rail will have a red light.
To land on a grind rail, you first have to jump. Then, after jumping, tap the
jump button again in the air, and your character land on the grind rail. You
then begin to grind automatically along the rail at a specific speed. You can
jump from the rail at any time by hitting the jump button. While grinding, your
Air is being refilled.
(You can press the jump button any time in the air -- It doesn't have to be
right when you touch the rail. As long as you press it in the air, before you
reach the rail, you will land on the rail automatically.) If you didn't press
the jump button in the air, your character will fall through a grind rail as if
it wasn't there.
Besides jumping onto grind rails from the ground, many rails are also reached
by ramps or simply by falling onto them. Simply hitting the jump button in the
air will cause you to start grinding along a rail when you fall onto it.
While on a grind rail, your character moves at a specific speed along it,
depending on which rail it is. One rail may take you along it at 180 speed, and
another may be set to take you at 240. The rate that your Air is refilled
depends on how fast you are moving on the grind rail.
In many cases, grind rails are placed next to each other in sequence. You are
able to jump from one rail to the next. Keep an eye out for the red light which
indicates the end of a rail, as well as the blue light which indicates the
start of a new rail. In many cases, not landing the next rail will cause you
fall off the course.
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked all grind rails in the
maps with lowercase g's, with the beginning of the rail marked with a capital
G.)
____ 1.22 - Flight Ramps and Air Rings (FLIGHT-Type)
Flight-Type characters are affected by Flight Ramps and Air Rings. Tails and
Wave are Flight-Type characters.
Flight Ramps are ramps marked with a yellow pattern on them. They're not like
the other ramps in the game, because nothing happens when you jump from then.
However, riding over them as a Flight-Type character will cause you to fly off
of them. While flying, your Air is increased very quickly.
While flying, you are being automatically propelled forward in the air.
Pressing down causes you to go up, and pressing up causes you to go down. You
can turn left and right.
Usually, large floating rings are placed after a Flight Ramp. I prefer to call
these Air Rings. Going through an Air Ring pushes you in that direction. Air
Rings are always set up in sequence to be a shortcut, or to take you to a
shortcut or an item. Only in a few specific cases is it practical to stray from
the path of Air Rings. You usually have to steer your character a little to
make it through the Air Rings.
After flying for a period of time without going through an Air Ring, your
character slows down and begins to fall.
Some Air Rings have to be accessed without using a Flight Ramp. These are
reached from a ramp or halfpipe section. Going through an Air Ring causes you
to begin flying.
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked all Flight Ramps in the
maps with F's. I marked the paths that the Air Rings lead with a's, with the
first Air Ring of that path marked with a capital A.)
____ 1.23 - Breakable Obstacles (POWER-Type)
Power-Type characters can break through certain obstacles without losing speed.
Knuckles and Storm are Power-Type characters.
This is the simplest character-type ability to use. Simply go through an
obstacle, and your character will smash through it, and regain some Air.
Smashing through multiple obstacles in succession refills even more Air then it
would if you smashed things one by one.
The only downside to this ability is that when you're approaching a bunch of
obstacles, it may be hard to see where you're going. Practice and course
memorization can negate this drawback.
Not everything on the track can be affected by Power-Type's ability, but most
small obstacles and designated barricades can.
Some of the obstacles you can destroy and the courses they're in:
- cars, trucks (in Metal City and Night Chase)
- barrels, signs (in Splash Canyon and Red Canyon)
- robots, cans (in Egg Factory and Ice Factory)
- signs, grapes (in Green Cave and White Cave)
- statues, stones (in Sand Ruins and Dark Desert)
- pillars, rubble (in Babylon Garden and Sky Road)
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked all smash-able obstacles
in the maps with B's.)
____ 1.24 - Out of Air and On Foot
When you run out of Air, your character dismounts their Extreme Gear and begins
running on foot, just like in the countdown before the race. When this happens,
you have to control your character just like in the countdown, so you have to
press forward to keep moving. You remain in this state until you refill any
amount of Air.
Your character accelerates slowly in this state, and can only run as fast as
150. However, if your character was moving fast when he/she ran out of air,
your character will retain some of that speed, but quickly slows back down to
150. Your cornering suffers too, because you can't Slide.
Running out of Air isn't devastating, and there are plenty of ways to get back
some Air even in this state. The most obvious method is to go to an Air Pit.
When an Air Pit is near you when you are out of Air, an arrow actually appears
on-screen to point you in its general direction.
You can still refill Air in other ways as normal, so Air Pits aren't necessary.
Going over a mandatory ramp, a halfpipe section, or an Automatic Trail refills
Air as normal and gets you back on your Gear. Also, Power-Type characters can
refill some air just by running into an obstacle, just like always. You can
also refill air by getting Air from an item capsule, and getting enough Rings
to level up.
While out of Air you can mount turbulence and ride it just as if you had Air.
You can perform tricks from turbulence to refill Air.
Some things you can and can't do when out of Air:
- You can't jump manually. On mandatory ramps, however, you will jump
automatically when you reach the edge.
- You /can/ go through Air Rings and land grind rails. (Normally it's not
possible to reach them without jumping, although in certain places there are
ways of reaching them regardless.)
- You aren't affected by Flight Ramps. (aww!)
At times when you are out of air, some things like bumping into a wall or
falling will cause your character to get back on his/her Extreme Gear for a
short time. This is a result of lazy animators. (In this game, there are no
animations for characters getting bumped while not on their Gear. Good work
Sega!) You are still out of Air, so don't be confused.
____ 1.25 - Choosing your Character and Gear
Each character is either a Speed, Flight, or Power type. Speed-Type characters
can use grind rails. Flight-Type characters can use Flight Ramps and Air Rings.
Power-Type characters can break through obstacles.
In addition, each character is rated in Dash, Limit, Power, and Cornering. The
rating appears as a number of stars. For the most part, it appears the ratings
are misleading. I won't cover them further. I strongly recommend ignoring them.
(Many players have avoided the strongest characters in the game because they
went by the ratings, and not the abilities that the characters actually have
that are unlisted.)
With that in mind, I'll go over the noteworthy, confirmed differences between
the characters:
- Sonic, Jet, Amy, Shadow, E-10000R, and Ulala are Speed-Type characters.
- Tails, Wave, Cream, Rouge, and Nights are Flight-Type characters.
- Knuckles, Storm, Eggman, E-10000G, and Aiai are Power-Type characters.
- Eggman can only ride bikes.
- E-Green and E-Red can only ride boards.
- Ulala can't ride bikes.
- Every character comes with their own starting Gear that only they can use,
except for Shadow and Eggman.
- Sonic is the only character with more than one exclusive Gear. Besides his
starting Gear, Blue Star, he also has Blue Star II, and Chaos Emerald.
- Sonic's spin dash attack seems take up less time than the attacks of other
characters.
- Some characters have higher max rolling speeds than others. Another FAQ
writer, WtR_Flash, has confirmed the maximum rolling speeds for all of the
characters. (Note: Boost speed is the same regardless of your character. Your
boost speed depends only on what Gear you use.)
- Tails, Shadow, and AiAi boost for a longer period of time than all the other
characters. For this reason, these three are quite apparently the BEST
CHARACTERS IN THE GAME. (When Sonic is leveled up, his boost length seems to be
on par with Shadow's. I haven't confirmed if any other characters are like
this. But at level 1, there's no doubt that Shadow, Aiai, and Tails have the
advantage.)
After selecting a character, you then choose an Extreme Gear to use. Extreme
Gear's stats are merged with your characters and can alter your maximum rolling
speed, cornering, and so on. Besides that, some Extreme Gear can affect boost
speed, air consumption, add character abilities, even TAKE AWAY your ability to
do certain maneuvers. There is a vast selection of Gear with different
abilities. Some examples of Gear:
"Destroyer" - This Gear grants Power-Type abilities to Speed-Type and Flight-
Type characters, allowing them to smash through obstacles.
"Air Tank" - This Gear has a larger Air tank, but has a lower boost speed.
"Trap Gear" - Using this, you can drop Tornadoes without using Air, but you
can't boost.
To learn about the effect of all the Extreme Gear in the game, see the 'GEAR
LISTINGS' part of this guide.
____ 1.26 - Dash Plates
Dash Plates are those gray plates. Ride over them for a boost of speed. They
push you forward in the direction they are pointing at a certain speed,
depending on which Dash Plate it is. (for example, one Dash Plate may be set to
200, while another at 180) After about a half second, you regain control of
your character and then, your speed gradually crawls back to normal.
The secret: if you are going faster than the speed of the dash plates, then
running over them will actually /slow you down/. (what a rip off) Advanced
players may want to avoid dash plates at certain places for this reason.
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked all dash plates in the
maps with D's.)
____ 1.27 - Air Pits
Air Pits are those orange things. Can't miss 'em. If you are out of Air, an
indicator appears on screen if you are near an Air Pit, with an arrow pointing
you in its general direction.
When you run or ride over an Air Pit, you come to a complete stop as your Air
is quickly being refilled. You can dismount an Air Pit at any time by pressing
the jump button, or wait until you refill your entire tank and dismount
automatically. You don't have to accelerate from an Air Pit, because it pushes
you off at rolling speed.
If you know what you're doing, you will generally never need to use an Air Pit.
But, never underestimate them! Remember, they refill Air pretty quickly, push
you off at a good speed, and you can get off at any time by pressing the jump
button.
(NOTE: Air Pits take longer to refill your Air if you are leveled up, because
your Air tank is larger.)
(In the 'COURSE MAPS' section of this guide, I marked all Air Pits in the maps
with P's.)
____ 1.28 - The Clock
No real strategy here but I wanted to address this:
In all modes of play in Sonic Riders, the top center of the screen will have a
clock counting how much time has passed in the race. It's a pretty useful thing
to have in Mission Mode and Time Attack, but in split screen races it is a real
nuisance. That annoying clock is in the same place, even in multiplayer.
In 3 and 4 player split screen races, the top two players will share the burden
of the clock. But it's not such a big deal then.
In two player split screen, the top player has his view ahead obscured by the
clock. It's quite an embarassing downfall of multiplayer mode. If you must play
2-player, I recommend making sure that the more experienced player uses the top
screen out of good sportsmanship, or try to use any other method to make it
fair. (Maybe take turns, or give it to the loser of the last race, or make it
so you can't pick stronger characters or gear unless you use the top screen,
etc.)
Prepare for the clock, before it prepares for YOU.
========================================
[ 2 ] COURSE MAPS
========================================
____ 2.0 - Explanation and Map Legend
Here I placed ASCII representations of courses featured in Story and Grand Prix
modes, and advice for each of the three character types Speed, Flight, and
Power. (I will refer to them by those names. Example "Power should use this
shortcut.") These are representative maps, which means they are not totally to
scale, so you may have to use a little imagination. However, they will include
placement of boost plates, items, and many other course features. I made these
with the presumption that you have played these courses before. The purpose of
the maps is to present all of the paths and items available in each area.
For each course, I will cover the entire course seperated into 2-6 or maybe
more sections. Many parts of the course are multi-tiered and may contain
several roads directly on top of another. In these cases, I represent each
level seperately, and mark which ones are the higher and which are lower, and
where they lead and from where they start.
I marked course features like items and ramps with characters. Here is a list
of what each character represent:
'START' 'END' or 'FINISH' - Starting/finish line
'o' or 'ooo' - Item capsules
'RAMP' or 'R' - a Ramp (any type)
'D' - Dash plates
'B' - an obstacle or robot that Power can destroy
'X' - an obstacle that can't be destroyed
'G' - start of a grind rail (blue-lit rail)
'ggg' - Grind rail
'F' - Flight Ramp
'A' - beginning of an Air Ring path
'aaa' - Air Ring path
'3' - Yellow Item Capsule containing 100 Rings (yay!)
'Y' - Yellow Item Capsule containing Air (booo!)
'e' - In Egg Factory, these mark the path which the rotating machinery goes
around
'^' 'v' '<' '>' - I put them on the maps to tell what direction you race in,
and therefore which direction to read the map. (I may place other words or
indicators on the map that will be self-explanatory or explained in the
walkthrough.)
Further explanation of my method for mapping grinds and Air Ring paths:
A simple grind may look like this:
gggg
Gggggg g gggg
gggg
The capital G notes where the grind rail begins. Here is what a double rail
might look like:
gggg ggg
Gggggg g gggg Gggg
gggg
In that case, you would have to quickly jump from the end of one rail to make
it to the next. Otherwise, you'd fall off the first rail. I confirm these
instances in the walkthrough for that section of the course.
Ggggggggggggg Gggggggggggggg
-OR- Ggggggggg
Gggggggg
That represents a two rails with the second starting alongside the first. You
have more time to jump to the second rail than you do in the last example. I
confirm these instances in the walkthrough for that section of the course.
| |
Ggggggg| |gggg
| |
That represents a grind rail going under a piece of the track and continuing on
the other side.
All these are representations of grind rails, and so I wont actually shape them
in the same directions they go in the course. I will only try to put their
starting and end points in the right place, because as I figure it, that's all
that matters.
I did Air Ring paths much in the same way. I won't mark the Air Rings, only the
first Air Ring with an 'A' and then smaller a's going along to the point where
the Air Ring path ends. In some cases, however, you can deviate from where the
Air Rings lead for practical results. If I catch these instances, I might mark
where the alternate route leads with a single small 'a', like this:
a
F Aaaa
a
aaa
That lone 'a' means you can abandon the flight path and land there. When these
show up, I may go into detail about it in the walkthrough.
Well I hope that didn't take too much of your time. 8|
First course:
Metal City
____ 2.1 - METAL CITY
It's recommended to boost wisely in this wide open course. You should also to
take the higher level from the ramp at the end of the course, in order to skip
the Automatic Trail and save time. Definitely go for the 100 Ring Item at the
start of the course, on the higher level.
Power: Power has the advantage in Metal City. Power has a steady supply of cars
and trucks to bash for most of the course, whereas Speed and Flight have to
deal with avoiding them. Power should take the road on the road at the
intersection, going through the truck trailer.
Flight: Flight should go through the Air Rings both times in this course. The
first path of Air Rings has a item in it with some rings. A nice bonus! The
second Air Ring path is at the intersection.
Speed: Speed may not even want to bother with the grind rail on the lower level
and stay on the higher level instead. But Speed should definitely try to take
the rail off the halfpipe section at the intersection.
Here's the first section. As with most of the maps here, they are read from the
bottom, going up, and then whatever directions the road goes.
_________________________ __________________
/ \ / \
/ \ / \
/ \ / \
/ | / \
/ gggg Ggg | / \
/ g _ g | / _ \
| g / \ g | / / \ \
| G | | g | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | D D D D | | | | D D D D |
-->-- -<-- | | | | |______________|
| | | | | |
| B | | | | 3 |
| B | | | | |
| B P| | P | | |
| B | | | | o o o o o o o |
| B | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
--<-- ->--- | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |________________|
\ /
\ /
\ /
\_________/
^ LOWER LEVEL ^ ^ HIGHER LEVEL ^
(Long Jump)
^^^^
| RAMP |
| |
/ \
/ \
/ \
| |
| |
| |
| ^^^^^^^ |
|____START___|
| |
| |
| |
|____________|
Off the starting line, you go downhill and onto a ramp. Doing a long jump off
the ramp can gain you access to the higher level. Otherwise, you land on the
road directly beneath it. Both routes take a right hairpin turn before entering
the next section.
In the lower level, cars are moving out of tunnels from the side. These cars
turn toward you, keep going straight and eventually turn back to the side and
off the course. On the very left of the road there are even more cars, but
these are parked. Power has a lot of work to do, but Speed and Flight are
forced to stay in the center of the track.
Meanwhile, up in the higher level, it's smooth sailing with nothing but a row
of items. After the hairpin, there are dash plates, and the highway ends,
dropping you off back at the lower level and in the next section.
To get the 100 Ring Item, jump and hit the small sign floating in the air to
the left of it. (A trail of rings is placed before it as a guide.) It only
works if you hit the left side of the sign. Your character will grind off the
sign and into the item.
(Note: It's actually possible to get from the lower level to the higher level
by doing a trick on turbulence at the start of the lower level.)
I begin the next section with the dash plates from the last section. (Read it
from the bottom of the map, going up.)
_____________
/ \
/ \
/ \
| _ |
| / \ |
| | | |
| | | |
__| | | |
__/ | | |
_/ | | oooooP| <--- Ring10 Items!
/ P | | |
/ | | |
/ B| \ /
/ B| \ /
/ g a B| RAMP (Do a high jump.)
| g a B |
| g a /|B | _HIGH_ _LOW__
| g oooooo a / |B | | | | |
| g a | | | | | | |
|Rg aR| | | | | | |
|Rg aR| | | | RAMP | | A.T. |
_|Rg aR|__| |_
g a
_ g a __ _
|RG AR| | |
|R R| | |
|R R| | |
| | / /
| | / /
| |/ /
| B /
| /
| /
| /
| /
| _ |
| | | |
| | | |
| | \ \
| | \ \
\ \ | |
\ \ | |
\ \| |
| |
| ooooooooo |
| ^ |
| ^ |
| C |
| A |
| R |
| S |
|___________|
| ^ RAAMP ^ |
|P P|
| |
| a |
| a |
| a |
| o |
| a |
| a |
| A |
| |
| ^ |
| F |
| L |
| Y |
| |
/ |
/ |
| P |
| |
| |
| _D_D_D_D____|_
| | D D D D |
| |(Higher Level}|
^^^^^^^^
The first thing you'll come to is the Flight Ramp marked in advance with yellow
markings on the road. Flight should take it and grab the Ring +30 item floating
in one of the Air Rings on the way, if Flight isn't already leveld up. (You may
have to ascend a little to reach it, or else you may fly under it.) Speed and
Power should boost up the next hill.
The road ends with an really thin optional ramp. If you want to go on it, you
will have to release the jump button right at the edge. Anyway, after that you
fall to a lower road. Cars come on the right lane from behind you and continue
going into the right tunnel, all the way to the intersection, before turning to
either side. At the intersection, more cars constantly move across left and
right.
Power should take the right tunnel and smash any cars. Then Power should
continue hugging the right path, through the truck to a little shortcut with
even more parked cars in it, before meeting up with the main road again. Before
the intersection, Speed should ride off the halfpipe section on the left to
grind across the street. Flight should get to the Air Ring on the right the
same way. The grind and the Air Rings jet Speed and Flight across the
intesection.
(GAMBLER RUN: The only 'safe' method of crossing the intersection without using
any character-type abilities, is to jump across it using the halfpipe section.
Other than that, you can use skill/timing to avoid the passing cars, or just
rely on dumb luck and hope you don't get hit.)
After the last hairpin, past the Ring items, you approach a large Ramp. Do a
high jump to get to the higher level. On the higher level, a second ramp takes
you straight back to the finish line. On the lower level, you take a dumb
Automatic Trail instead, which takes more time.
Next:
Splash Canyon.
____ 2.2 - SPLASH CANYON
At the beginning of Splash Canyon, there are enough Ring items to support
multiple players and level everyone up to Lv.2 or Lv.3. You can either get the
respawning 30 Ring items (sweet!) on top of the bridge after the first left
turn, or grab the 100 Ring Item (sweet!) to the right side, behind the
waterfall. The latter is much easier to get, but don't forget: It doesn't
respawn. Try to hold that Lv.3 for the entire race. If you do, winning should
be easy.
Getting some fast rings at the start of the race is definitely recommended.
Besides that, you should take all your character-type shortcuts and do a high
jump on the last ramp in order to land the rainbow.
Power: Power has the best shortcut in the course because it's the most direct
route. Other than that, don't be shy of the crystals in the cave.
Speed: Speed should avoid the first rail until later. You gotta get rings
first, and that rail goes past the rings in the lake area. The second rail is
the slowest shortcut in the course, but is still worthwhile.
Flight: There is a strangely placed Air Ring before the bridge in the lake
area, which is pretty pointless since any character can reach that bridge
without it. (However, it can be for Time-Attackers scrounging for as much Air
as they can.) Anyway, Flight should take the Flight-Ramp after the river
rapids. The Flight Ramp behind the waterfall can be ignored.
Below is the first section. (Read from 'START' going down.) You go straight
into a wide left turn into a blind ramp. You can go through the trouble of
doing a precise long jump off the left side of the ramp to make it to the
bridge. (Flight can hit the Air Rings off the ramp which takes you farther up
the bridge, BUT, you also land at the start of the bridge by taking the first
Air Ring, but skipping the second Air Ring, which is good if you want an extra
ring item.) A grind rail appears on that first left turn, and Speed should
always take it once he/she has leveled up.
(long jump for higher level)
_____^RAMP^_
||^^^| \
||RRR| \
|| | \
|| | \
||o o| g \
|| | g |
| | || | g 3 |
| | ||a | D g P |
| | ||a | D g |
|___START__| ||a |D g /
| vvvvvv | ||aoo| g /
| | ||a | g /
| | ||a | g /
| | ||a__| g /
| oooooo | | A g /
| | |________g_/
| | | ^RAMP^g|
| \ / g |
|P \__/ g /
\ g /
\ G /
\ /
\ /
\_______________/
Doing a long jump properly off of either ramp gets you to a higher level.
Below, I put the lower level on the left, with the higher level on the right.
(Read from the bottom of the map, going up.)
AUTOMATIC
TRAIL _
^ ^/ \
a ^/ \
a ^/ \
a ^/ \
a | \ AUTOMATIC
a \ \ TRAIL
a \ \
a \ \ ^^^^
a | B | ________
a | B | \ \
a | | \ \
a / | | |
a / B | | |
a| | | |
a | / /
| F | / /
\ | / /
\ ooooooo | / /
| | / /
| | / /
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |_______|
| | ^^^^
\_______/ HIGHER
LOWER (long jump)
Lower level: Random barrels exist here for Power's amusement. A Flight Ramp is
hidden behind the waterfall on the left. The Air Rings jet you halfway up the
river rapids. (The rapids are the Automatic Trail of this course.) The Flight
Ramp seems too slow to be worthwhile.
Higher level: There is nothing here but some rings. This brisk downhill bridge
ends early taking you to an early section of the rapids, sending you fast on
your way to the next section. (The higher level is effective, but if you are
boosting at a high enough speed at the lower level when you land on the rapids,
you can retain some of that speed on the river rapids, allowing you to move
across them faster than you could from the higher level.)
Coming out of the rapids, you land in a lake with shortcuts for each character
type in plain view. (Read map from bottom, going up.)
__________
/ \
/ \
/ _ \
/ / \ |
| | | |
| | | |
|P | | g |
/ / | g |
/ / | g|
/ / | g
TO | ooooo g_
CAVE | g\_
| a g \_
| |\a g \_
| | a\_ G \
| B | a \_ g \
| B | a \ g \
| B | a | g |
| BB |_a____/ g |
| a g /
| g P /
| FF g |
| G |
| ____ |
| /RAMP\ |
| |
\ /
\_____________/
^ FROM RIVER ^
Speed should use the thing sticking out of the water as a ramp to land the
rail. From that rail, jump to the next one.
Flight should use the Flight Ramp to jet over to the next clearing.
Power is the best here, and simply gets to take the most direct route.
Watch out on that hairpin turn -- It's easy to notice that turbulence acts very
funny in this particular turn, even in Red Canyon. It becomes very thin, and
because of that, you won't be able to stop your character from doing a trick
from it when it swings left. Not only that, the turn is so sharp that doing a
trick may cause your character to attempt to jump the rock on the inside of the
turn, but usually you'll just hit a wall. At times, your character recovers
facing the wrong way on the track, so you'll be sent jetting the wrong way! Ha
ha ha!! I recommend getting out of turbulence in this area and going through
the turn normally. Seriously. :]
!! TECH: Flight can fly over this entire section! From the Flight ramp, lean
left to avoid the second Air Ring. If you gently lean left from that point on,
you can fly left of the hairpin and land facing the entrance to the cave. An
amazing shortcut!
After that, you go into the cave and toward the end of the course. (Read this
map from the bottom, going up)
-LAP END-
| |
| |
_/ \_
_/ \_
/ \
/ \
| ______ |
| / \ |
| / \ |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
\_____ ______ _____/
|^RAMP^|
| |
| B \
| B |
| B |
| B /
| /
Inside the cave are a bunch of crystals. I didn't keep track of their exact
locations. All I know is that it's easy to avoid them all by staying right.
Power should knock through them instead.
Off the Ramp, you fall to a reef below, before crossing the water back to the
finish. If you do a high jump off the ramp, you will land on a high speed
RAINBOW over the reef. It will lead you down to the water, refreshed and with a
new lease on life.
The rainbow pushes you ahead at a speed of 230. Do not boost on the rainbow, it
won't affect your speed and will just be a waste of Air.
Next:
Egg Factory
____ 2.3 - EGG FACTORY
The best shortcuts in Egg Factory can be used by anyone. You should stick to
the higher level at the start, hug the inside of turns, and go left at the
split where the generator is. You may have to slow down a lot to get the 100
Ring Item without falling, but it's totally worth it, as it usually is.
Power has the convenience of not having to worry about any of the robots
scattered across the stage in certain rooms. It also has a well hidden shortcut
behind one of the walls. That shortcut doesn't seem as fast as the left split
but it's easy and safe, so less confident players would definitely want to use
it.
Flight should use both the Air Ring paths: the one near the start, and the one
from the Flight Ramp placed after the fan.
Speed's grind rails are only decent in this course and they will probably be
used to refill Air, and not so much as actual shortcuts. You can land the one
near the start of the course, and then there is another one from the halfpipe
section in the lava room. The rail from the lava room leads to another rail,
but it's recommended to ignore it and get off right there, in the generator
area.
I present the first part of the course along with the road that leads to it. In
other words, here is the beginning and end of the course at the same time.
(Read from the starting line, going up.) NOTE: I did not mark the placement of
robots in the maps for this course.
ggggggggg
ggg ________g___
_____________gg___/ g |
| g o g |
| o g |
| o g |
| o aa D g |
| __________a_D g |
| \_____ a | g |
| \_ a | G |
| R aaaaaA |
| R |_________|
|______________/ ||RRRRRRRRR|
|DD DD|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| ooooooo |
|_________|
^ |RAMP| ^
/ \
/ \
| | (from Power)
| | Shortcut or
| | Automatic
|__________| Trail)
|^ START ^ | __vvvv__
| | | |
| | | |
|__________| | |
|| | | |
| \_/ |
\ /
\ /
\ /
\_______________/
Off the starting line, you go downhill into a mandatory ramp. There are no
shortcuts from this ramp. When you land, you'll go through a row of items and
come up FAST on some robots. (gah!) Dash plates are placed directly before an
optional ramp. Speed and Flight can use the ramp to gain access to a rail or an
Air Ring which jets them a short distance. (Speed may choose to ignore the
rail.) Otherwise, just go normally and try to get those dash plates inside the
left turn. Watch out for a couple more robots in this room.
After the hairpin, do a long jump off the ramp to access the strictly better
higher level in the next part of the course. Here are the higher and lower
levels side by side. (Start at the bottom.)
LOWER
______________________
|P |
| |
| D |
| D______ |
| | | | HIGHER
| | |DDDDDD| ____________
| | | D
| | <<fan>> | D
| | | D <<fan>>
| | | __D_
| | | |
| | | |
| DDD| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |DDDDDDD|
| | | |
|_______| |_______|
from from
Ramp Ramp
(long jump)
Both roads lead to the same fan which blows your character up to the next part
of the course. As you can see, the higher level is quite faster.
Here's the next part of the course. (Read from bottom, going up then left, then
back down.)
gggggg
ggggggggggggggggggggg _____g__
g_____________________/ g |
g| P g |
g| g |
g| D g |
g| _ _D g |
g| | | | | g R|
g| DDD| | B | |R G R|
g| | | B | |R -Lava- R|
g| | \ \|R R|
g| | \ |R oooo oooo R|
g | \ |
|g | \ B |
| g | \B a |
| gDDDD | |_____ ___a_|
| g | | | a
| | | | a
G | | a
g | | a
(to generator) | | A
/DD \ ____
/ \ | FF |
| |_| |
| DD |
| |
|______________|
^^(from fan)
Beware of the robots in this section starting with the lava room.
Once you land, Flight has to react quickly to make the Flight Ramp. You don't
have much time to turn to it, so use a Slide right away. Otherwise, you have to
tread uphill with Speed and Power.
Once you make it up, you come to the lava room. You know which one! The one
where lava pours from the ceiling across the entire width of the track, except
maybe for one or two spots. If you touch the lava, you slow down a lot. Of
course, you can always just pass the side by riding at the base of the halfpipe
section.
Power could choose to ignore it all and hug left to a little hidden hallway,
before making a sharp left turn.
Right after the lava, Speed can use the halfpipe section on the right side of
the lava room to gain access to a grind rail. This rail goes all the way around
the next turn and ends after some Dash plates, right before another rail. You
can land the second rail from the first, or drop off there. It's actually a
good idea to drop off, because the second rail takes you to an unhappy part of
the course.
Here's the next section, starting with the dash plates and rail from the end of
the last section. You begin from the bottom right of the map approaching a wide
left turn, going around a HUGE generator.
_______
|D P|
| _ |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
|DD|
| |
gggggg | |
_____g______g_______________ |DD|
_/ g D ggggggggggggggg\__ | |
R D ggg\__ | |
\______ D e ggg\_ |DD|
_/ e_______ e g \| |
_/ e__/ \__ e g B |
/ e/ \_ e g B|
/ _e \_ e g \
/ /e \ 3 g |
/ / e \ e g |
/ / \ e g|
|___| e oooooo g|
(Automatic e| G |
Trail) | |
| g |
| DDDDDg |
After those Dash plates, you see that huge generator featured in the pre-race
shots. That machine rotates smaller-yet-still-huge egg like things around most
of this turn, hitting racers who get too close to the inside. Getting hit by
them may cause you to fall off the inside of the turn, which isn't protected by
barriers.
(NOTE: If you are moving slowly or at a complete stop, the egg-things don't
push you if you get hit by them, instead you just get nudged a little.)
The e's on the map mark the path of the machinery.
The inside of the turn is guarding a 100 Ring Item which is right after the
normal Items. You have to go through the path of rotating machines to reach it,
so it's risky, but you can get this without falling with some practice. You may
have to slow down a lot to reduce the chances of you falling off, but it's
worth it. 100 Rings win, every time. (TECH: My preferred way to get the 100
Rings is to move straight into the path of the moving machines. As you approach
them, without turning, press the L or R shoulder button to brake a little. When
they hit you, you should be moving slow enough that you get knocked to the
left, but not enough to fall off. At this point, the 100 Ring should be in
front of you. After you get it, continue hugging left to avoid the machinery,
until you pass under them as the road takes a slight dip.)
Going left at the split at the end takes you straight to the Automatic Trail
which leads right back to the beginning of the course. You may get bumped
straight off the course by the rotating machines going into this, but if you
keep enough distance from the machines, you can keep that from happening.
(You'd have to just barely squeeze yourself into the left path at the split.)
Starting with the split, the inside of the turn is protected by a barrier. The
beginning of the left split is lower than the rest of the track, so at that
point, you are safe from the moving machinery, which pass over your head.
If you don't make it left on the split, you'll have to take the Dash plates
into a Ramp, which leads to another part of the course that I like to call
'Loserville' because of how slow it is.
At the beginning of this section, Speed can land a second rail if it took the
first. Problem is it locks you on the path to Loserville, so ignore it. Speed
should continue normally and try to go left on the split.
Power has this cool, well-hidden shortcut straight through the right wall on
the start of the turn. It's not quite as fast as taking the left on the split,
but it's much safer, and it's still way faster than going to Loserville. To
access this shortcut, go through the red-lit wall with the crooked sign.
Here I'll show Loservile, and the rest of the Power shortcut.
LOSERVILLE
_______________
|D P|
| |
>> Robot Conveyer Belt >>
| _ | POWER SHORTCUT
| | | | ____________________________
| | | | | D D D|
| | | | | _______D______D____ |
| | | | | | ___| |
^^^^ |DDDD| >> |
(to A.T.) (from | | >> ______P|
generator | |
area) \ /
RAMP
Loserville is an annoying part of the course that takes more time than the
other two paths. It's pretty easy to end up going here on accident and one
usually takes this path if they don't know any better. Anyway, this is just a
left hairpin turn into the Automatic Trail that takes you back to the
beginning. There are a couple of robots hanging out, and purple robot parts
being dragged across from the conveyer belt on the top. It's tricky just to not
get hit. You had to take a ramp to get here, and an Automatic Trail to get out,
so it's very slow.
I put the rest of the Power shortcut starting with the same hairpin turn from
the last section. The rest is just one more high speed stretch, a left turn and
a ramp. The ramp puts you in the same place the Automatic Trails take you. Not
bad.
Next:
Green Cave
____ 2.4 - GREEN CAVE
Flight: Flight has the clear advantage in this course since only Flight can
access all the stems, which gives it access to the best shortcut, and also the
100 Ring Item. Flight should get the 100 Ring Item using an unusual shortcut on
the first lap. You should have no trouble winning a race in Green Cave as
Flight.
Power: Power has fun and effective shortcuts, both of which are placed behind
the signs on the walls. Go through the signs to jet through areas specifically
for Power.
Speed: Speed could be better in this course, especially considering how
difficult it is to land a couple of its rails here. The two rails on the spiral
turn are okay, but the one later in the course is kind of short and awkward to
land. There is also a hidden rail in this course, which is the toughest rail to
land in the entire game, but thankfully, it's quite a good one. Only experts
should attempt to land it!
Other than that, all racers should do the high jump at the ramp before the
webs. It's an easy and effective shortcut that you'd be crazy not to take.
The first part of Green Cave takes you straight and downhill, off a ramp.
________________________________________
| S D R
| T > D R
| A > D R
| R > D R
|___________T___________D________________R
You land on the next section, shown below. (Read from the bottom, going up.
____________
/ \
/ \______
/ \___ \
/ _ \ | | < A.T.
/ //\ | | |
| |/ /| | / /
| B / | |/ /
| B/ / DDDDD \/
| g | | |
| g |
| g |
| g |
ggggggggggg |
__g_________|__ooooo |
/ g \ |
/ ggG ggg P\ |
/ g \ |
/ _ g \ /
| / \ g |/
\ \_/| g |
\ | G |
\ | |
\_________| |
| |
(I should point out that the grind path I laid out here for the second rail is
not the actual way that rail goes in the course. The beginning and end of the
rail is in the right place on this map, but the rail in the game actually stays
on the road as it spirals, not off the track like in the map.)
Speed should take the grind rail and jump to the second one from the first.
(COOL NOTE: The neat thing about that grind rail is that you can land the
second one without jumping! Simply hit the jump button /as soon/ as you fall
off the first grind, and you'll connect the second one like magic! Practice it
a little. It's so fast and cool! yaaay)
Flight and Power will have to Slide around the entire spiral turn. (This is a
good place to practice Slide-boosting.)
When the course evens out, note the sign on the right side of the road with
arrows painted on it, before the hairpin turn. Power needs to ram through it,
to go through a weird and short Automatic Trail that takes it around the
hairpin at a high speed. Yes, there are Dash Plates here, but it's still an
A.T. so be sure to rotate that joystick for the extra Air. (NOTE: Be sure to
point your character into that wall and not just turn into it, or else you'll
bounce off it. You know, kind of like a rock skipping off water. Or a space
shuttle vs. the atmosphere. You know what I mean!)
Speed and Flight will have to Slide around that hairpin turn, into the next
section. Here's the next section, starting with the Dash plates from the last
section. (Read from the bottom, going up.) Here is where it starts to get
CRAZY. Check this out:
_______
A.T. to |_______________________
shortcut < _D___aaa___________o_ |
< _______| a | |
_______ aaaaaaaa | |
|__________ a | |
A.T. to < _D______ | a | |
normal < | | | a |o|
path < |________| |___a____ | |
< _D______| |___a__ | |a|
_______| | | a | | | |
_______ | | a | |
A.T. to < |________| |___a__| |_____
shortcut < 3 _D___a__| |_o_a_a| |_____
_______| | | a | |
|o| a |o|
| | a | |
^^ VERY REPRESENTATIONAL ^^
| | a | |
| |_ A | |
| | | |
| R |_F_| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| P oooooo P |
| |
| |
| |
/\ D D D D /
/ /| |
(from ^ ^ ^
A.T.) (from last section)
The first section is pretty straightforward. Speed and Power will have to take
either of the two stems on the side to progress. For some reason, the left stem
has a ramp placed before it that mostly serves to slow you down if you don't
avoid it. For this reason I prefer to go right. The right stem also allows you
to access a higher stem by doing a trick off turbulence.
(Once the stems begin, then it gets complicated. I tried to map it as best I
could... in 2D... and in ASCII. Needless to say, this particular map only
loosely represents the positions of everything in the actual game, but I think
it does a good job showing everything hidden in this area.)
Flight can just embarrass everyone else and take the Flight Ramp in the middle
to gain access to an impressive shortcut.
But beyond that, Flight can ignore the later Air Rings and take a different
path to access a secret fourth stem, that has access to a 100 Ring Item. To get
to that one, take the first Air Ring off the Flight Ramp, but try to descend to
avoid the second Air Ring and land on the nearby stem. If you are led to a 100
Ring Item, you know you landed on the right one. (Time Attack Tech: This stem
actually seems to be the fastest out of all four, even after you get the 100
Ring Item.)
(Non-Flight characters can get the 100 Ring Item by doing a trick from
turbulence, from the stem on the right side.)
If you practice flying around in that area, you can land farther up on the
stems. Going under the second Air Ring can gain access to any of the landing
points I marked on the map on the 'a'. It doesn't seem worth the trouble, but
for some reason there are items further back on those stems. (This course was
clearly designed by devious people!)
Depending on which stem you took, you will be dropped off in different places
after the Automatic Trail. The normal stems lead to the normal path, whereas
Flight's stem and the 100 Ring Item stem lead to a shorter path.
NOTE: The Automatic Trail in this course doesn't give you much of an
opportunity to increase your speed. You're pretty much locked at 146, and
spinning the stick can make it alternate from 146 to 148 barely a difference at
all. For that reason, you can choose to stop rotating the stick on this part
once you already filled your Air. (EXTRA NOTE: I've seen myself go up to 150 on
this part, somehow.)
Here's the next section. (Read from the bottom, going up.)
(high jump
to reach webs)
^^ ^^
RAMP
| |
| |
| |
| a
| |a
| g| a
| g| a
_/ gg a
__/ DD | g a
_/ _ | g aa
/P __/| |g g aa
| _/ |Y|g g aa
| / g G aa
| \________g_______ aa
| \_R a
| D \R a
\ ____D_______ \R a
\ \ g \_ \R A
\ G \ g \ \R
\ R \ g | |R
\ A \ G _/ /R
\ P \ _/ /
\ E \ __/ _/
\ S \/ o _/
\ _/B oo _/
\ /B oo _P/
_\/B /
_/ |
_/ \
/ D __ \
/ D / \ \
/ D / \ \
/ / |P \
| | \_ \
\ \__ \ ^^^
\_ D < (from
\_ D < Flight
\____ < stems)
(from
normal
stems)
The two paths quickly meet up. On the left there will be another painted wall
just like the one before, and once again Power can break through. Beyond it is
the grape zone, which is full of obstacles that Power can smash. Just like last
time, remember to point into that wall. It's a bit harder here since you're
normally coming from a right turn.
Just beyond it, way down in the pit on the left, there is a TOP SECRET GRIND.
It's out of sight unless you deliberately look for it, and impossible to land
consistently without blatant memorization of its location and quite a bit of
practice. Although, if you can hit that rail at will, you are a grind ninja!
From the secret rail, you can land the second rail without jumping. I prefer to
ignore it, it seems plenty fast enough to just land back on the road.
The second rail can be mounted from the course as normal. This is good for
Speed players who aren't ambitious enough to get the secret one.
Anyway, there is a halfpipe section going up along the right side of the left
turn. Flight can gain access to an Air Ring, to ensure its dominance in this
course.
(Note: There is an unusual stem branching out from the last turn with an Air
Max item on it. It can be reached by going off the edge of the normal track
over to it. Power should be able to get it easily coming out of the grape zone
since he/she would be at the right angle.)
Doing a high jump off the ramp will get you straight to the spider webs above,
which take you back to the finish line after a dramatic leap over the jungle's
canopy. Otherwise, you have you go through an additional part of the course,
which I like to call the Hairpin of Shame.
Either way, you fall and land in front of the finish line.
Hairpin of Shame:
__________________
> | \
> | \
> |______________ |
______________| |
R |
<web> R /
R__________________/
Next:
Sand Ruins
____ 2.5 - SAND RUINS
Flight: Flight has it the best in this course, since the Flight Ramp takes it
right into the platform with the 100 Ring Item on it. Flight can take the Air
Rings in the cave as well. Really, Flight's shortcuts cover a lot of distance
in Sand Ruins.
Speed: Speed should totally ignore the grind rails in the desert and take the
dash plates instead, or simply boost. In the cave, however, the first two rails
are worth taking, but ignore the third.
Power: Power /seems/ underpowered in this course, and barely even has a
shortcut. The underground tunnel in the desert is too slow, and other than
that, all there is besides that is a couple of dumb statues in the cave. At
least Power doesn't have to concentrate too much in this course. In any case,
that seems all there is to Power.
Speed and Power can get the 100 Ring Item on the platform in the desert, but
they will have to do a well-timed high jump from a small piece of ruin.
Here's the first section. (Read from the bottom, going up.)
^^^
_______RAMP
___/ \
___/ \
__/ \
_/ ___ \_ ___
/ / Y\ \ / Y\
/ / \ \ /|RR| \
/ / \ \ / | | \
| / \ | | |
| P ooooo DD| SHIFTY | | | |
| | SANDS | | / /
| | / ooooo P | / /
| | /DD | | |
\ \______/ / | |
\ BB /
\_ _/ UNDERGROUND
\__ __/
\___ ___/
\___ D D ___/
| |
| |
__| |__
_/ ^^^^^ \_
/ START \
/ \
| |
\ /
\_ P P _/
\_ _/
| |
| ^^^ |
FROM
CROSSBOWS
^^^
Out of the coliseum, you enter a wide desert area with a mound of shifting
sands in the center. (The shifting sands make you go veeery slow, so you're
supposed to go around either side.) Power can break through the slab in front
of the mound of shifty sands to access an underground path. The path leads to a
ramp, which takes you /over/ the Air Max item, and on your way to the next
ramp.
If you're not Power (and maybe, even if you are) then you want to go right and
run over those Dash Plates, and head straight for that ramp. Going left is a
less direct route, so it doesn't seem practical.
Off the ramp, you fall into the next section. (Read from the bottom, going up
then right, then down.)
gggggggggggggg
g g
gggg Ggggg gggggggg
g _g__________________________g____
g / g ggggggg P g \
g / ggggg g \
g / D D D D \
g / X X X X \
g/ XX X \
g _________________ \
/g / \ \
/ g / \ oooooo \
/ G / aaaaaaaaa \ \
/ / aaa ____a______ \ RAMP <-- (to High)
/ _F Aa \ a \ \ P \
/ / \ 3 \ \ \
/ / HIGH--> \ \ \ \
/ / \_RRRRRRRR_\ \__RRRRRRRRR__\
^^^^^
Okay, in this section the sands will be shifting at certain parts.
Specifically, at the two turns in this section. The sands will be pushing you
toward the inside. Compensate so you don't fall in.
A simple and effective route through this area for any character would be to
stick to the left and go inside the pillars, running over all four pairs of
dash plates. (Before that part, there is a piece of ruins in the way, so you
can't go straight through. You will have to go either left or right around it.
Either way is fine.) After that, simply continue normally.
Flight should definitely take the Flight Ramp at the beginning of this section,
on the right side. Following through the Air Rings would place you on the
higher platform, giving you the 100 Ring Item. The higher platform also grants
you the option to access the higher level of the next section, should you want
to go there for some reason.
Speed has access to a grind rail at the start which pointlessly leads halfway
through the dash plate area. However, at the rail's peak you can jump to a
second rail which goes around the roof of the dash plate area. /Both rails/ are
a waste of time.
Both ramps at the edge of this section leap you across to the next section.
However, doing a long jump from the /higher/ platform can put you on a higher
level in the next section. (Although the lower level is just fine.)
A piece of ruins falls near the end of this section, creating a small optional
ramp. If you do a high jump off it, you will get to the higher section. Non-
Flight players can use it to get the 100 Ring Item up there, but you gotta be
careful to be in the exact position to get the Item when you land up there, or
else you will pass it.
Below is the next section. It is three floors on top of each other. I put each
floor seperately side by side. Each floor is read from the bottom, going up.
The one of the left is the lowest floor. The one of the right is the highest.
|P P|
|_ _|
| | <<-----------
| | ___________
| | |RRRRRRRRRRR|
---------->> | ^^ ^^ | | |
| | (from downhill) | |
| ^^ ^^ | | D D D D |
| (uphill) | | o o o o |
|_ _| | |
| | | a |
| g __ | |_________a_|
|g / \ | __________ a
| g \__/ | |RR RR RR| a
| g | |__ __| a
| g | | | a
|RR g RR| __|____|__ a
|RR g RR| | <moves> | a
| g | |__________| ___ ___ a
| g | | <moves> | |RRR| |RRR| a
| __ g | |__________| | | | | a
| / \ ggggggggggggggg| DD |gggggggg |g | | | a
| \__/ | |__ __| g gggg | |