___ ___ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___
/ \ / \ | \ | \ | | \ / \
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| |-----| |____/ |____/ |---- |____/ |-----|
| | | | \ | \ | | \ | |
\___/ | | | \ | \ |____ | \ | |
____ ___ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
| \ / \ | | | | | \ / | | | \ |
| | | | | | | | | | \___ | | | | |
|____/ | | | | | |---- |____/ \ | | | | |----
| | | | | | | | \ | | | | | |
| \___/ \_/ \_/ |____ | \ ____/ |___ | |____/ |____
===============================================================================
Table of Contents
===============================================================================
[INTRO] Introduction and Review
[STRAT] Strategies
[VERSN] Version History
[COPYR] Copyright
[CONTC] Contact Information
Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the
name of the section you're looking for - like [VERSN] for the Version History.
===============================================================================
Introduction and Review [INTRO]
===============================================================================
Wow. It's been three months since I last wrote a new guide. That's the longest
hiatus I've taken for guide-writing in two or three years. While it's true that
I've been cutting back on producing guides for older games, I still intend to
continue putting out new content for the time being. And this time, my content
covers a really obscure racing game for the Game Boy Advance.
Carrera Power Slide is an auto racing game where you control toy cars that run
on an electric track. Really. If you've never played with anything like that
before (I have), you hold a little gun, and when you press down on the trigger,
your car will go, thanks to the electric impulses. You can't always go at full
speed, though, or you'll spin out (and possibly damage your car or scare any
dogs, cats, or humans in the vicinity). In reality, these tracks don't really
work that well, because if one track section comes apart just a teeny bit,
you'll have to fix it or it won't work at all. Anyway, Carrera Power Slide
tries to translate that "action" into a video game format. Usually you're
racing against three computer-controlled cars on one of 48 different tracks
(although you can also design your own courses). While it sounds pretty fun,
and it is sometimes, the game is plagued by problems that make it quite a bit
less fun. For one thing, hit detection is absolutely terrible. Whenever another
car spins out, and you make the slightest contact with it (even if it's just a
little touch at slow speed), you'll crash too. The same is also true for the
various obstacles (like spiders) that frequently wander onto the track. Not
only are these creatures almost impossible to avoid, especially with faster
cars, the collision detection is awful, and there's no sense of depth at all.
You'll see what I mean when you're six inches behind a bird's wing and crash
out. Another problem is you're playing with just one button. That certainly
keeps it simple, but the real toy tracks use an analog trigger that makes it
much easier to adjust your speed in the curves. Here, you have to drastically
let off the gas before turns, and tap the button during the corner. This,
however, isn't a huge issue. In championship mode, the courses gradually become
tougher and MUCH longer as you progress. There are many (48) of them, and
that's certainly nothing to complain about. Another plus is you can upgrade
your cars and buy new ones. Game graphics aren't anything special, but they get
the job done. The toy grandstands and household artifacts (coffee mugs, TV
remotes, and even Raggedy Anne) are a nice touch. The theme song is rather
perky, but doesn't provide anything memorable. No music is played in-game.
Sound effects aren't too special, and often you hear other cars crashing even
if you're on the opposite side of the track. Play control is easy to learn, but
an analog joystick would've made the game easier to play. As for challenge,
this is a game you can easily beat in a weekend, despite the abundance of
tracks to play on. With perfect driving, you can finish many races several
minutes ahead of your competitors, but you're going to take some crashes while
you're getting used to the game. This isn't a game you're likely to pick up
again and again, but it might be worth a replay if you like racing games. Also,
the season mode is much harder on the second playthrough. Overall, this isn't a
great game, but since you can surely get it for a low price (if you can find
it), it's worth a try if you like racing games.
===============================================================================
Strategies [STRAT]
===============================================================================
These strategies cover every aspect of game play.
---Modes of Play---
Season: The most exciting part of the game, Season mode lets you run a series
of races, earning prize money and unlocking new tracks, cars, and upgrades
along the way. And according to legend, you can play it again after you've won
the championship, and it'll be much harder on the second playthrough.
Quick Race: A single event against the computer at any unlocked track using any
car you own. You can change the number of laps in the race under the Options
menu.
Time Attack: Essentially a practice mode, Time Attack puts you on the course by
yourself with the car and track of your choice. You can also choose the slot in
the track in which you run (it doesn't really matter).
Create Track: This enables you to create up to four tracks of your own for use
in modes other than Season. Tracks can be as big as 150 pieces in size. Press A
to add a new section of track, B to remove the last piece of track, and L and R
to cycle between the different pieces. Definitely worth trying.
Multiplayer: Race against a friend (or enemy) using your Game Link cable.
Options: Change the volume of music or sound effects, or turn them off
entirely, change the number of laps in a Quick Race, turn Creatures (spiders,
mice, or birds) on or off, or change the language used in the game.
Backup Options: Choose this if you want to delete saved game progress.
Carrera Racing: I'm not quite sure what this does, but I think it lets you play
with an actual Carrera set using this game and a Game Link cable. E-mail me if
you know more.
---Controls---
Hold A to floor the accelerator, or tap it to go a bit slower.
Under certain conditions, you can press L to make a pit stop (more on that
later).
START pauses the game, as usual.
And that's it.
---Driving the Car---
On straightaways, hold down the A button to accelerate at full speed.
Just before you reach a corner, release the A button to slow, then tap A
through the duration of the corner. If you go too fast, you'll spin out,
costing a few seconds and a slight degree of damage to your car. For that
reason, it's best to take the turns with care, especially for inexperienced
players.
Different turns require different degrees of deceleration. You can take a 90-
degree turn with just a little loss of speed, while a hairpin will require you
to slow dramatically. 270-degree turns, seen on many of the later tracks, are
especially tricky. Banked corners, however, are a totally different story;
these can always be taken at full speed. Some chicanes and gentler curves can
be taken at full speed, but not all; you'll have to drive them for yourself.
Loop-the-loops should always be taken with the pedal to the metal.
Many tracks cross over themselves. Overpasses are never a problem, but
sometimes you'll cross another part of the track. When that happens, it's
possible to hit another car going the other direction and crash. Try to watch
out for such sections and be prepared to slow if it means you won't slam into
an opponent.
Often it's easiest to look at the map on the bottom of the screen instead of
the road when driving. This way, you'll know exactly what kind of turn is
coming up and won't be distracted by the props and distractions around the
track.
---Obstacles---
Obstacles are very difficult to avoid, especially with faster cars. Spiders,
mice, and yellow birds regularly creep onto certain parts of the track and
block the road. If you see one coming, stop in front of it and it'll move
slowly off the course. If you hit one, you'll crash (although at least it will
move then).
Also watch out for other cars that crash and block your lane. If you hit such a
vehicle, you'll crash too. You may have to wait for the car to reset.
---Pit Stops---
In Carrera Power Slide, there are two reasons to make a pit stop. First, to
refuel; if you run out of gas your car will go very slowly (too slowly to make
it over a loop-the-loop, in fact). Second, to repair damage; you car sustains
damage every time it crashes, and a damaged car won't go as fast as one that's
in pristine condition.
To make a pit stop, press the L button when stopped while the Pit In light is
flashing. Then, highlight the Damage or Fuel gauge, and rapidly press the A and
B buttons alternately. You want the Damage gauge to be as low as possible, and
Fuel to be high enough to get you until the end of the race. To end your stop,
just press L again and drive away.
A few tips for stops:
1. When the pit light starts flashing, try to hold off on making your repairs
until you reach a place where you have to stop anyway - like waiting for a
creature to cross the road, or when you crash. Of course, if you run out of
gas, you pretty much have to stop, unless you're almost finished with the final
lap of the race.
2. If there aren't many laps left in the race, you don't have to fill the gas
gauge up all the way. Just get enough fuel so you know you can finish the race
without stopping again. This is a good way to save a couple of seconds.
3. You'll probably never have to pit until you reach the medium-difficulty
tracks. On Series 12, you may find yourself making three stops per race.
4. Fuel consumption is based on time. You won't conserve fuel by letting off
the gas more in turns.
---Season Mode---
In championship mode, you run a series of twelve four-race series, and you'll
be required to finish in a certain place (or higher) in each race to advance to
the next series. You earn prize money after every race. This money is based on
where you finished; you earn the most money if you win. This money can be used
to buy upgrades for cars or to buy new cars.
---New Cars---
The prize money earned in championships can be used to buy new cars or upgrade
ones you already have. A few cars are unlocked automatically if you win every
race in a particular series; these models can't be obtained in any other way.
To buy a car, choose "Purchase New Car." If you want to switch to a car you
already own, select "Change Car." Don't forget you can scroll up or down on
the car selection screen to see different models within each class of car.
However, the cars in each class is always pretty similar to one another.
You never lose cars you've purchased/unlocked. All upgrades are permanent,
although you can downgrade any upgrades to anything other than "Stock." Note
that the stats for each car on the "Change Car" screen reflect any upgrades
you've made to them.
There are four bar graphs that indicate the way each car performs. The first
one, Top Speed, shows how fast a car can go in a straight line. Acceleration
(0-60) tells you how fast a car can get going from a standing start. Grip, the
most important stat, lets you go faster through corners without spinning out.
And lastly, Fuel Economy refers to the amount of time a car can go without
having to stop to refuel. A longer bar means it will have to stop less
frequently.
The F-1 Dark Ninja, unlocked upon completing season mode, is the best car in
the game.
---Upgrading Your Car---
To improve a car you own, select "Upgrade Car." There are four parts you can
upgrade:
Braids: These improve your top speed, provide some boost to acceleration, and
hurt your fuel economy slightly. While not too important, it's a good way to
make your car peppier without buying expensive engine upgrades.
Tyres: Tire upgrades improve your car's grip more than anything else, but they
also hurt your fuel economy a bit. Probably the most important upgrade, as a
car with poor handling is no fun at all.
Motor: Buying new motors will significantly improve your speed and
acceleration, while also making your fuel economy proportionately worse. This
is your lowest priority for upgrades, as handling is more important than power,
and usually you're better off buying a new car anyway instead of upgrading the
motor. Plus, these are REALLY expensive.
Magnet: This helps your grip while making you have to refuel slightly more
frequently. A good buy.
Whenever you buy an upgrade, get the best one available. Keep in mind that
upgrades for better cars cost more than do upgrades for the earlier ones.
===============================================================================
Version History [VERSN]
===============================================================================
Date | Version | Size |
---------|---------|------|----------------------------------------------------
10-28-09 | 0.5 | 11KB | Beat the game and began the guide.
10-29-09 | 1.0 | 17KB | Finished the guide.
===============================================================================
Copyright [COPYR]
===============================================================================
(c) 2009 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved.
All copyrights mentioned in this guide are property of their respective
holders.
* You can print this guide out for your personal use.
* You can download this guide to your computer for your personal use.
* You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit
AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even an tilde).
* Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com,
but don't count on there being frequent (if any) updates.
* You can translate this guide into a foreign language (British, Southern,
Australian, and New Yorker are not considered foreign languages) as long as you
ask permission first.
* You can't post this guide on your Web site and then say you wrote the guide
yourself.
* You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain (or have links to sites
that contain) explicit depictions of unclothed humans (also known as
pornography), racism, gambling, or flattery of totalitarian regimes.
* You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change
anything in this guide that took me so many hours to write.
If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted
inexplicably and you will suffer from constipation for the rest of your life.
Heed this warning.
===============================================================================
Contact Information [CONTC]
===============================================================================
If you have any questions or comments about this guide, please send an e-mail
to VHamilton002@gmail.com. That's zero-zero-two, by the way. Remember that not
all e-mail messages will be read. Please follow these guidelines:
* Do include "Carrera" in the subject line.
* Do send polite suggestions for ways to make this walkthrough better.
* Do tell me about any errors or omissions you find in this guide.
* Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you discover in
this game.
* Do ask any questions you have about Carrera Power Slide gameplay. I will
respond eventually if you follow all of these rules.
* Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage,
punctuation, and capitalization so I can understand what you're trying to say.
* Do use patience. I check my e-mail quite sporadically.
* Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that
contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violating this rule will result in
deletion of the message and permanent constipation.
And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all
humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Don't smoke or use tobacco
products. No one's likely going to read this, anyway.
For Thunder Dragon, Retriever II, and everyone at MFGG
