Midtown Madness 2
Unofficial Strategy Guide and FAQ
by Kasey Chang
released March 27, 2005
0 Introduction
This section is for "what the FAQ is about" and things like that.
Feel free to skip this section.
If you like the FAQ, please send me a dollar. :-) See [0.3]
This FAQ is about "Midtown Madness 2", the racing game from
Rockstar San Diego, published by Microsoft Games.
0.1 A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR
There doesn't seem to be any FAQ for this budget game, so here it
comes.
This is a FAQ, NOT a manual, not that you really need a manual to
play this game.
This USG only covers the PC Version. I can't vouch for any
application on other platforms as I only have the PC version.
Some of you may recognize my name as the editor for the XCOM and
XCOM2: TFTD FAQ's, among others.
0.2 TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION
This document is copyrighted by Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang (c) 2005,
all rights reserved excepted as noted above in the disclaimer
section.
This document is available FREE of charge subjected to the
following conditions:
1)This notice and author's name must accompany all copies of
this document: "Midtown Madness 2 Unofficial Strategy Guide
and FAQ" is copyrighted (c) 2005 by Kasey K.S. Chang, all
rights reserved except as noted in the disclaimer."
2)This document must NOT be modified in any form or manner
without prior permission of the author with the following
exception: if you wish to convert this document to a different
file format or archive format, with no change to the content,
then no permission is needed.
2a) In case you can't read, that means TXT only. No banners,
no HTML borders, no cutting up into multiple pages to get you
more banner hits, and esp. no adding your site name to the
site list. [Small exception: a "small" toolbar with no banners
embedded is okay. See IGN or Neoseeker for examples.]
3)No charge other than "reasonable" compensation should charged
for its distribution. Free is preferred, of course. Sale of
this information is expressly prohibited. If you see any one
selling this guide, contact me (see below).
4)If you used material from this, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE the source,
else it is plagiarism.
5)The author hereby grants all games-related websites the right
to archive and link to this document to share among the game
fandom, provided that all above restrictions are followed.
Sidenote: The above conditions are known as a statutory
contract. If you meet them, then you are entitled to the
rights I give you in 5), i.e. archive and display this
document on your website. If you don't follow them, then you
did not meet the statutory contract conditions, and therefore
you have no right to display this document. If you do so, then
you are infringing upon my copyright. This section was added
for any websites that don't seem to understand this.
For the gamers: You are under NO obligation to send me ANY
compensation. However, I do ask for a VOLUNTARY contribution
of one (1) US Dollar if you live in the United States, and if
you believe this guide helped your game. If you choose to do
so, please make your US$1.00 check or $1.00 worth of US stamps
to "Kuo-Sheng Chang", and send it to "2220 Turk Blvd. #6, San
Francisco, CA 94118 USA".
If you don't live in the US, please send me some local stamps.
I collect stamps too.
0.3 VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION
Gamers who read this guide are under NO obligation to send me ANY
compensation.
However, a VOLUNTARY contribution of one (1) US Dollar would be
very appreciated.
If you choose to do so, please make your US$1.00 check or $1.00
worth of stamps to "Kuo-Sheng Chang", and send it to "2220 Turk
Blvd. #6, San Francisco, CA 94118 USA".
If you don't live in the US, please send me some local stamps. I
collect stamps too.
For the record, out of ALL the FAQs I wrote (about 60 by now)
over the past ten years or so, I've received LESS than $1 per FAQ
written. So I'm NOT making any money off these guides, folks.
0.4 HOW AND WHEN TO CONTACT ME
PLEASE let me know if there's a confusing or missing remark,
mistakes, and thereof... If you find a question about this game
that is not covered in the USG, e-mail it to me at the address
specified below. I'll try to answer it and include it in the next
update.
Please do NOT write me for technical support. That is the
publisher's job.
Please do NOT ask me to answer questions that have already
answered in this FAQ/guide. It makes you look REALLY idiotic.
I will NOT answer stupid questions like the ones above unless I'm
in a really good mood. If you send questions like that, do NOT
expect a reply.
The address below is spelled out phonetically so spammers can't
use spambots on it:
Kilo-Sierra-Charlie-Hotel-Alpha-November-Golf-Seven-Seven AT
Yankee-Alpha-Hotel-Oscar-Oscar DOT Charlie-Oscar-Mike
To decipher this, simply read the first letter off each word
except for the numbers and the punctuation. This is "military
phonetics" or "aeronautical phonetics" in case you're wondering.
This document was produced on Microsoft Word 97. Some editing was
done with Editpad (editpadclassic.com).
0.5 THE AUTHOR
I am just a game player who decided to write my own FAQs when the
ones I find don't cover what I want to see. Lots of people like
what I did, so I kept doing it.
Previously, I've written Unofficial Strategy Guides (USGs) for
XCOM, XCOM2:TFTD, Wing Commander, Wing Commander 2, Wing
Commander 3, Wing Commander 4, Privateer, Spycraft, 688(I)
Hunter/Killer. Mechwarrior 3, MW3 Expansion Pack, Mechwarrior 4,
Mechwarrior 4: Black Knight, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed,
The Sting!, Terranova, Fallout Tactics, Starfleet Command Volume
II, DS9: The Fallen, DS9: Dominion War, Driver, Warlords:
Battlecry, Monopoly Tycoon, Dungeon Siege, and a few others.
To contact me, see 0.4 above.
0.6 DISCLAIMER / COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Angel Studios created Midtown Madness 2.
Microsoft Games published Midtown Madness 2.
This USG is not endorsed or authorized by either of the
companies.
The information compiled in this USG has been gathered
independently through the author's efforts except where noted
otherwise.
0.7 HISTORY
27-MAR-05 Initial release
1 General Info
1.1 THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Can you send me the game (or portions thereof)?
A: No.
Q: Can you send me the manual? (or portions thereof)
A: It's on the CD
Q: Can you tell me how to play the game?
A: Read the manual please.
Q: What are the controls?
A: Just press F1 to see the list of controls.
Q: How big is the install?
A: About 387 MB, in typical install. Minimal install would take
up less space.
Q: Is there a patch?
A: There is a patch on the official website that fixes some
graphics issues with Intel 810 chipsets and GeForce series cards,
and added XP compatibility.
Q: What about some cheat codes?
A: See the end of this FAQ
Q: What game modes are there?
A: Multiplayer, Crash Course (mission-based racing), Blitz,
Checkpoint, Circuit, Cruise (just cruise the city). All modes are
available at two cities: San Francisco, and London.
Q: Can I play without the CD?
A: You can remove the CD once the game has started. The CD's only
needed when the game starts to verify ownership. And no, I do NOT
know where you can get the noCD crack. I don't WANT to know
either.
Q: Can I tweak the vehicles?
A: Not within the game. There are external editors that will let
you do so though. Do a Google search for it.
Q: Can I add new cities? Can I edit the existing cities?
A: There are some for download, and the editor seems to exist for
San Francisco. Adding cities is covered in the final section.
Q: Can I add new vehicles? Can I edit the existing vehicles?
A: No tweaking possible, adding new vehicles is covered in the
final section.
1.2 HISTORY
Microsoft has a history of publishing games with innovative
technologies. Fury 3 and Hellbender highlighted 3D gaming and
DirectX on the PC, and heralded the use of 3D accelerators in
Windows games. One of the games Microsoft later showcased was a
game called Monster Truck Madness, in which you drive and race
offroad with monster trucks. It was among the first games
featuring force feedback technology (shaking the joystick to let
you feel the effects of going offroad).
Monster trucks are interesting creatures, with wheels taller than
most vans, and custom built suspension that costs more than the
rest of the truck. With tires that large, they can go over just
about anything, and it's actually quite entertaining to watch
them crush cars. Why not give people a chance to race them in
exotic offroad locations? It was so popular that it spawned a
sequel. (That company later did 4x4 Evo.)
Then a company called Angel Studios presented an idea to
Microsoft... A Windows game where you can drive variety of
vehicles, but not just in a circuit track, but actually over an
ENTIRE city, without pause. Of course, the city will be
simplified, but all the major landmarks and most of the better
known streets will be there. There will be traffic, and
pedestrians. And lots of things to smash like lightpoles,
newspaper boxes, trash cans, and more. Put in some popular
vehicles and present a variety of racing modes. The city will be
Chicago, and to continue the "madness" name, it'll be called...
"Midtown Madness".
Midtown Madness was a hit, as it has a lot of familiar vehicles
like VW Beetle, Ford Mustang, and more. It also has some vehicles
for fun like Freightliner and City Bus. Midtown Madness was the
first game that allows one to race over a full city without
pause, and people liked the idea. It quickly spawned a sequel,
which is Midtown Madness 2.
The sequel takes you to simplified version of San Francisco and
London, with most of the major landmarks and major streets, plus
even more cars, and now, custom paintjobs.
You also get a bunch of single-player missions called "Crash
Course". In San Francisco, you'll be doing a bit of stunt
driving, while in London you'll be working as a cabbie.
There are plenty of multiplayer modes as well, with of course,
Microsoft Zone support.
1.3 HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
These are the MINIMUM required. Better the hardware, more
features can be enabled.
ú Pentium II 266 with 32 MB RAM (64 MB is recommended) or
Pentium II 233 with 32MB RAM (64 MB is recommended) and 8 MB or
better Direct 3D compatible video card for hardware acceleration
ú Windows 95 operating system or higher (including Windows
2000 and Windows Me-Millennium Edition)
ú DirectX 7.0a API (included on CD)
ú Quad-speed or faster CD ROM
ú Hard drive free disk space - 250 MB for minimum install
option and 400 MB for typical install option
ú Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device
ú Sound board with speakers or headphones to hear audio
ú DirectSound compatible 3D sound board to hear 3D audio
ú 28.8 Kbps modem for Internet play (Note: Internet play also
requires 64 MB RAM and an existing Internet connection)
1.4 HOW DOES IT PLAY?
Handling in MM2 is simplified yet each car handles different
enough. Large vehicles turns slowly and accelerates slowly, but
has a lot of momentum (and smashes through things) while smaller
vehicles are nimble yet cannot take much damage.
With the whole city to play with, there are usually plenty of
shortcuts and alternate paths. The traffic makes every race a bit
different. When you win a race, you can change the options like
pedestrians, traffic, even cop density.
The addition of handbrake gave the cars additional
maneuverability.
There are multiple vehicles and paint schemes to unlock.
The main attraction of MM2 is seeing the city and recognizing the
familiar landmarks, as well as doing the things you'd NEVER try
in real-life.
1.5 BUGS AND FIXES
The patch deals with some issues on XP with Intel 810 video and
some GeForce video.
1.6 EXPANSION PACKS? SEQUELS? RELATED TITLES?
There is the original Midtown Madness that had you driving around
in Chicago.
Midtown Madness 3 is already out for the Xbox. It doesn't look
like it'll be coming to the PC.
If you like the Madness series, also try Motorcross Madness and
Monster Truck Madness series, also from Microsoft.
1.7 WORDING NOTE
From now on, I'll just refer to the game as "MM2".
2 Driving Tips
2.1 GENERAL TECHNIQUES
2.1.1 Learn the Shortcuts
Every course has shortcuts, some more than others. Some are
useful, others are not. Observe the AI and see what routes they
take, and see if you can do better. Remember that AI tends to
stay on the road, and if you can find some offroad runs, you can
get ahead that way.
Also see race guides for known shortcuts.
2.1.2 Learn the handbrake turn
Turn the wheel and give a VERY quick tap on the handbrake will
help you make the corner sharper than ever before, and maintain
speed. A short tap will give you 90-degrees turns, while longer
taps will give you 180 turns.
2.1.3 Don't get too much air
If you're flying, you're not accelerating. When you crest a hill,
instead of going full speed over and get "big air", you may want
to slow down a little and accelerate DOWN the hill instead WITH
your tires on the ground.
2.1.4 Don't jump into a turn
If you see a jump just before a turn, SLOW DOWN! If you're in the
air, you can't steer! Go full speed into a turn means smacking
into walls!
Similarly, don't go too fast into a climbing or dropping turn.
You can't steer in the air!
2.1.5 Minimize hitting anything
Hitting just about anything will slow you down, the question is
how much. Clearly you don't want to hit buildings and other
vehicles. However, there are some other things you don't want to
hit... You don't want to hit water (either they slow you down, or
you need to restart). Hitting a curb in a low car will stop you
dead. Smaller trees and posts will slow you down, but bigger
items will stop you completely.
2.1.6 Practice, practice, practice
Practice makes perfect, it really does.
2.2 ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
2.2.1 Shallower the turn, higher the speed
The gentler you can make the turn, the higher the speed you can
maintain through the turn. Sharp turns causes the tires to slide,
dissipating your momentum.
This would usually require you to cut across the corner, and you
should do so in every opportunity.
Another way to keep the speed up is to make the turn as WIDE as
possible.
2.2.2 Touching the gate is enough
As long as you touch the gate it'll count as cleared. So go
through it at either of the side posts if it'll help you make a
cleaner turn.
2.2.3 Plan at least one checkpoint ahead
As you are about to go through this checkpoint, you should be
planning ahead and looking for the shortest route to the next
checkpoint.
Optimally, the best route will let you position yourself to
accelerate out of the checkpoint pointing on the optimum path to
the next checkpoint. By thinking ahead instead of just reacting
to the road, you will automatically make "shortcuts" and cut
fractions of a second off your lap time.
2.2.4 Consult the map!
You have a full-screen map (Q) that will pause the game. So study
the map and determine which route is best for you toward the next
checkpoint! Use it extensively in races against AI.
2.2.5 Maximize visibility
By default visibility is only like 25%. You want to set it to as
high as you can without slowing down your frame rate too much. So
you can see further ahead. Turn off the graphics "goodies" to
improve the frame rate.
3 The Original Vehicles
These vehicles are available immediately. Vehicles are rated in
various areas from scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best.
Knowing which car is good for what will take a few attempts.
3.1 VW NEW BEETLE
Small, fits into tight spaces, lacks power and durability. Good
for races in tight places.
Horsepower: 1.0/5 Top Speed: 3.0/5 Durability: 3.0/5 Mass:
3.0/5
Colors: Yellow, Blue, Silver, Red
3.2 FORD MUSTANG FASTBACK
Fast and pretty tough, good for general use.
Horsepower: 3/5 Top Speed: 3/5 Durability: 3.0/5 Mass:
2.5/5
Colors: Green, Blue, Red, White, Classic Chrome **
Classic Chrome must be unlocked by completing the San Francisco
Crash Course Midterm 3.
3.3 CITY BUS
Good for demolition derbies
Horsepower: 3/5 Top Speed: 2/5 Durability: 5.0 /5 Mass:
4.0/5
Colors: White, Red, Orange, Blue
NOTE: San Francisco MUNI (the city transit company) does not run
this type of bus (which look like the old GMCs). We use the
square-looking Flyer buses.
3.4 LONDON CAB
Not too fast, but fast enough. If you get its speed up it'll
actually do about 117 mph. However, acceleration is slow, and the
tail will spin out if you keep the throttle down. RELEASE the
throttle when you turn, esp. at high speed!
Horsepower: 2/5 Top Speed: 3/5 Durability: 3.0/5 Mass:
3.5/5
Colors: Black, Bathtub Floral **
Bathtub Floral must be unlocked by completing the London Crash
Course Midterm Exam 2.
3.5 CADILLAC ELDORADO
Tough and almost as fast as Mustang GT. The heavier mass means it
won't jump as far. The heavier mass also means it will shove
other cars aside, but lower acceleration.
Horsepower: 3.5/5 Top Speed: 3.5/5 Durability: 3.5/5 Mass:
3.5/5
Colors: Crimson Pearl, Blue, Polo Green, Chrome Yellow
3.6 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY
This is great for ramming people into submission!
Horsepower: 3.5/5 Top Speed: 2.5/5 Durability: 4.0/5 Mass:
4.0/5
Colors: Blue, Black, Orange, White
3.7 MINI COOPER CLASSIC
Even SMALLER than the VW New Beetle... Practically NO
horsepower... It is good for races in tight spaces and
practically no speed.
Horsepower: 1/5 Top Speed: 2/5 Durability: 2.0/5 Mass:
1.0/5
Colors: Red Flame, British Racing Green, Volcano, Tahiti Blue,
Spoon! **
The colors all have racing numbers and such.
Spoon! color must be unlocked by completing London Crash Course
Midterm Exam 3.
3.8 FORD MUSTANG CRUISER (POLICE CAR)
This is Police version of Mustang GT, slightly faster, in fact,
but just a wee bit.
Horsepower: 3/5 Top Speed: 3/5 Durability: 2.5/5 Mass: 3/5
Colors: Police Special, London Patrol
NOTE: Police Special is actually the SFPD paintjob, even though
SFPD does NOT use Mustangs! (In fact, SFPD use Ford Crown Vics,
Vans, F-250's... everything BUT Mustangs)
3.9 DOUBLE-DECKER BUS
You do see this occasionally in San Francisco (and esp. London).
Greyline operates a few of these as tourism buses in the city.
Horsepower: 2.5/5 Top Speed: 1/5 Durability: 4.0/5 Mass: 5/5
Colors: Red, Blue, Green, Groovy **
Groovy color must be unlocked by completing San Francisco Crash
Course Midterm 2.
3.10 FORD F-350
Great for bashing people out of your way in heavy traffic, but
not that fast. It is pretty good off-road though. Great for
cutting through parks and making your own way.
Horsepower: 3/5 Top Speed: 2/5 Durability: 3.5/5 Mass:
3.5/5
Colors: Blue, Black, Green, Red
3.11 FORD MUSTANG GT
This car is fast enough for almost any job, and tough enough to
last through most races.
Horsepower: 3/5 Top Speed: 3/5 Durability: 2.5/5 Mass: 3/5
Colors: Yellow, Green, White, Red
3.12 PANOZ ROADSTER
Very fast, but delicate. Don't run into things with this vehicle,
and you may have enough to finish the race.
Horsepower: 3.5/5 Top Speed: 4/5 Durability: 1.5/5 Mass: 2/5
Colors: Yellow, Silver, Blue, Red
4 Locked Vehicles
4.1 LTV (LIGHT TACTICAL VEHICLE)
This is the military version of the Hummer, i.e. the HUMVEE.
Remember Black Hawk Down?
To unlock, successfully complete all lessons, midterms, and the
Final Exam in the San Francisco Crash Course.
4.2 AUDI TT
Audi TT is a roadster that is also sporty. It has good top speed
so if you need something that goes faster than the Mustangs, this
would be your vehicle. if you are going REALLY fast, the wind may
push it low enough to run into a curb, but in most races it's
quite tolerant of curbs.
To unlock, Amateurs must place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in half of the
San Francisco Checkpoint Races. Professionals must finish in
first place in half of the San Francisco Checkpoint Races.
To Unlock Custom Paint Job "Big Kitty": Amateurs must place 1st,
2nd, or 3rd in all of the San Francisco Checkpoint Races.
Professionals must finish in first place in all of the San
Francisco Checkpoint Races.
4.3 ASTON MARTIN DB7 VANTAGE
Better known as the "recent James Bond car".
To unlock: Successfully complete all lessons, midterms, and the
Final Exam in the London Crash Course.
4.4 PANOZ GTR-1
Extremely fast as this is a GT car... Over 200 mph if you can
find a long straight. But it is very delicate. It's also very low
to the ground, and will likely get stopped cold by a curb. Stay
on the road, or else!
To unlock: Amateurs must finish in the top three in half of the
London Checkpoint Races.
Professionals must finish in first place in half of the London
Checkpoint Races.
4.5 AMERICAN LAFRANCE FIRE TRUCK
Very large (even larger than city bus and Freightliner tractor),
will mow down just about anything.
To Unlock: Amateurs must finish in the top three in half of the
San Francisco Blitz Races. Professionals must finish in first
place in half of the San Francisco Blitz Races.
To unlock custom paintjob: Amateurs must finish in the top three
in all of the San Francisco Blitz Races. Professionals must
finish in first place in all of the San Francisco Blitz Races.
4.6 VW NEW BEETLE DUNE
This is 4WD version of New Beetle... better acceleration too, and
improved durability. It also leans into turns and handles as if
it's on air springs.
To Unlock: Amateurs must finish in the top three in half of the
San Francisco Circuit Races. Professionals must finish in first
place in half of the San Francisco Circuit Races.
To Unlock Custom Paint Job: Amateurs must finish in the top three
in all of the San Francisco Circuit Races. Professionals must
finish in first place in all of the San Francisco Circuit Races.
4.7 VW NEW BEETLE RSI
This is the racing version of New Beetle, with rear wing and
turbo... This is one of the faster cars and definitely worth it.
Great for circuit races where tight maneuvering is needed.
However, do NOT hit any curb... Its lowered stance means it'll
get stopped cold by a sidewalk curb.
To Unlock: Amateurs must finish in the top three in half of the
London Circuit Races. Professionals must finish in first place in
half of the London Circuit Races.
To Unlock the VW New Beetle RSi's Custom Paint Jobs (there are
three of them):
1) amateurs must finish in the top three in all of the London
Circuit Races. Professionals must finish in first place in all of
the London Circuit Races.
2) pass the San Francisco Crash Course Midterm Exam #1.
3) pass the London Crash Course Midterm Exam #1.
NOTE: There's also the Microsoft "Team Madness" paintjob, worth
trying at least once.
4.8 NEW MINI COOPER
The New Mini can be thought of as a smaller BMW. However, it's
not quite fast enough.
To Unlock: Amateurs must finish in the top three in half of the
London Blitz Races. Professionals must finish in first place in
half of the London Blitz Races.
To Unlock Custom Paint Job: Amateurs must finish in the top three
in all of the London Blitz Races. Professionals must finish in
first place in all of the London Blitz Races.
5 Crash Course: San Francisco
The San Francisco crash course has you working as a stunt car
driver, except it's NOT as easy as it seems!
The course is divided into 3 sets of three lessons each, with
midterms in between, and a final exam at the end.
NOTE: All SF Crash Course are done in Mustang Fastback. Once
you've passed the mission you can retry it with a different
vehicle.
5.1 LESSON 1: FREQUENT FLYER
Difficulty: 2.5/5
Go through two checkpoints, then turn right, onto the ramp, and
jump to the boat and the last checkpoint. Easy enough? Two major
problems: not fast enough, and bad aim. Either way you sleep with
the fishies. Turn toward the pier withOUT throttle, get your aim
straight, THEN accelerate. If you do it fast enough, you'll have
enough speed to make the jump.
5.2 LESSON 2: HIT OR MISS
Difficulty: 2/5
This one is simple... Do a slalom along the Embarcadero. The
trick here? Don't go too fast, and remember, you only need to
TOUCH the gate, not go through the middle. Go through 10 gates
and that's it.
5.3 LESSON 3: TURN IT UP!
Difficulty: 2.5/5
This one may give you headaches until you read one of my earlier
"general driving tips". To reiterate: the smoother the curve, the
higher the speed. This basically means you need to make your turn
as WIDE as possible. If you are turning right, start from the
left sidewalk. Get your speed up to 80 or 90, let the car coast
for a second, then turn, and start accelerating as you pass the
apex of the curve.
5.4 MIDTERM 1
Difficulty: 4/5
This one is a doozy as you need to drive fast AND dodge traffic,
AND hit checkpoints, AND maintain high speed of 50 MPH.
Cut across the corner and go around the parking lot to the right,
look for the ramp. Go up the ramp with speed and jump across.
Then get onto the freeway, watch for the "trap" to your left
(don't fall in!). Get onto the freeway and do the slalom. Don't
go too fast, as you want to cross BEHIND the group of cars at the
next crossing. Get through the next three gates with enough speed
(but slow down a little or you'll miss one), and the rest is
easy.
5.5 LESSON 4: BRAKE DANCING
Difficulty: 2/5
This one basically tests your 180 turn skills. Basically, hit
handbrake and turn the wheel full over and you should spin
exactly 180. Repeat hitting each checkpoint until you're done.
5.6 LESSON 5: THE HEAT IS ON
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Make it to the checkpoint near the waterfront... but there are
cops in the city after you. And you need to lose them BEFORE you
hit the final checkpoint.
Best way to lose cops is speed, and hope they run into something.
One possibility is brush some civilian cars to get them to stop
as an impromptu roadblock. If the cops smash up they can't chase
you.
5.7 LESSON 6: BONNIE & COLLIDE
Difficulty: 3.5/5
You have to ram a Ford F-350 into submission within time limit.
The problem is... you don't have enough mass. Slight collisions
don't work. You have to do full t-bone rams, or force the guy
into the wall. Basically, get a speed advantage, pull off, then
turn in and smack his tail on the rear corner. This should spin
him around a bit. Even better... Crash him just as he's about to
turn at the corner of the lot. This would force him into the
houses on the side, doing him double damage.
5.8 MIDTERM 2
Difficulty: 4.0/5
Ram another F-350 into ruins... Except there is a time limit, AND
he starts heading AWAY from you. After you take care of him, you
need to head toward the final checkpoint WITH cops after you. You
need to lose the cops first before you cross the finish line.
The trick here is... After you take out the truck, start from the
NORTH side of the park. If you go downtown from the south side,
you'll pick up lots of cops, and you'll never lose them in time.
If you go via the north side, and take a few detours by going
left a bit then right (such as down California a bit) you'll
avoid the cops altogether.
If you need hints on how to take out the truck, see the previous
section.
5.9 LESSON 7: KEEP IT CLEAN
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Time is short. You have to go maximum speed, and you can't hit
ANYTHING. Get on the bridge and get to the other end before the
clock counts down. You will have maybe 0.5 seconds to spare at
the end. So don't be timid, maximum speed and switch lanes into
oncoming traffic when necessary.
5.10 LESSON 8: ABOUT FACE
Difficulty: 5/5
Do a reverse 180 and go through 2 checkpoints, extremely tight
time.
This one is impossible for me after about 50 attempts, so I
cheated. The main reason is I can't do a reverse 180 with
keyboard controls. When I hit the handbrakes, the car stops dead,
no spinning at all. So do yourself a favor... Use the time stop
cheat (see the end) and skip this lesson.
5.11 LESSON 9: STRAIGHT, WITH CHASER
Difficulty: 3/5
This one is actually NOT that difficult if you have driven around
San Francisco a bit and knows how to keep track of vehicles. Just
follow him for a bit and don't let him get away. He has to stay
on the road whereas you can cut corners. So you should have the
advantage.
NOTE: Straight, with chaser, also refers to alcoholic drinks.
Straight here means "not mixed with anything", and a "chaser" is
something you drink after the drink.
5.12 MIDTERM 3
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
You need to reverse out of the pier, turn right, and immediately
go after the other car. Don't try to get him in sight, just get
your speed up and he'll be coming down Embarcardero on your
right. Then follow him close every turn. By the fourth or fifth
time you should be able to shadow his every move. Use brake turns
(powerslides) sparingly. Keep him within 1 block distance or you
will lose! You will end up at City Hall. Just go through the
checkpoint to finish.
5.13 FINAL EXAM
Difficulty: 5/5
The final test. This is extremely difficult. You have to maintain
a speed of 50 MPH while going through all checkpoints. If you
win, you get the Light Tactical Vehicle!
Easier said than done, of course. Left turn up the hill, and aim
left of the arrow a bit so you get back on the road, and go
through the gate. Go through the grass and aim for the next gate,
which is up Lombard again. Aim right down the middle, and you
should hit 110 as you crest, which should take you all the way
over. If you flip, try again. Continue down and after passing the
next gate, make a WIDE right turn. You need to cut this corner
carefully so you can aim for the next gate without going below 50
MPH. You would be brushing the right wall as you aim left and
through the next 2 gates. Then right on next corner and through
another gate. Then follow the sign to another gate... Then make
right and then left to get back onto the big road (California?).
Go through a series of gates with easy turns, then cut left into
more gates. You're on Embarcadero again. Go through two more
gates. The third is a bit toward the right. Go through the RIGHT
post, and then turn left just tight enough (yet not too tight) so
you can turn around, yet still maintain 50 mph. Then head down
Embarcadero until you find the small gate next to the Ferry
building to finish.
The most difficult part would be maintaining speed through that
extremely tight S-turn, though that 180 turn at the end will take
you a couple attempts as well.
6 Crash Course: London
All London lessons are done in the London cab.
6.1 LESSON 1: LONDON LEAP
Difficulty: 1.5/5
Go through the checkpoints... And leap across the bridge at
maximum speed. If you fell into bunch of cars, you aren't going
fast enough.
6.2 LESSON 2: CUTTING CORNERS
Difficulty: 2/5
There are a TON of checkpoints, AND you need to maintain minimum
speed of 40 mph. The main danger here is actually missing one of
the gates, and that will take you a bit of practice to memorize
the route.
6.3 LESSON 3: THE WEAVER'S TALE
Difficulty: 2.5/5
This is a slalom... with a VERY tight time limit. You're on this
bridge with cars lined up to force you into a slalom, and you
can't hit any of them. Make it to the checkpoint at the end
before the time runs out. Basically... Get your speed up,
accelerate when you can... Skid the wheels a little bit, and you
should be fine. May take you a few attempts to pass this though.
6.4 LONDON MIDTERM 1
Difficulty: 3.5/5
There are a lot of turns, and one wrong turn will destroy your
chance of passing the midterm. As long as you go through each
checkpoint at a decent speed, you should pass.
6.5 LESSON 4: THE KNOWLEDGE
Difficulty: 3/5
The announcer tells you where to go, but you don't really need to
know the landmarks THAT well. Hit Q to bring up the map and
you'll see your next destination. Just get there as fast as you
can. You need to have more than 20 seconds left before you hit
the last checkpoint or you won't make it.
6.6 LESSON 5: ROUND YOU'LL GO
Difficulty: 3/5
NOTE: Do NOT hit ANYTHING or you'll fail this mission!
This one has a lot of closely space checkpoints. Basically, it's
group of 3 circles, plus a few in-between ones to make sure you
don't cheat (much).
Go straight, then right circle around the checkpoint circle, then
cut the corner into the next circle, then go LEFT around the
checkpoint circle, then head through the park, cut across grass
(but don't hit any trashcans and such!) and do the next
checkpoints. Then head down and go across bridge, hit another
circle (watch for traffic!) then through town (narrow streets!)
and hit 2 more to finish.
6.7 LESSON 6: FOLLOW THAT CAR!
Difficulty: 2.5/5
Not hard at all, actually. Don't follow too close. That other cab
will slow down to take turns. Remember, you can cut across
corners as much as you want. You should have NO PROBLEM at all
following this guy.
6.8 LONDON MIDTERM 2
Difficulty: 3/5
You need to race down the road and turn right at the river to
find that other cab within a time limit (which is quite
generous). After that, the cab will lead you through a few
circles through London, but since you can cut across circles and
corners, while he can't, you should have no problem at all
keeping him in sight. In fact, I got so close, I bumped him a few
times.
6.9 LESSON 7: GIVE ME A BRAKE!
Difficulty: 3/5
Your first instinct is back up all the way to the main road, THEN
do the reverse. That's the wrong way to do it. You should have
notice that to your right (your left if going in reverse) there's
enough room for you to turn into and reverse direction by making
a "T" turn. That's what you should do.
Hit reverse. As the 3rd person viewpoint switch to rearward view,
hit full right and start accelerating (instead of reverse). As
the car stops, switch to full LEFT, and you should make it out of
the alley. Then full speed ahead, dodge the light pole and the
tree, and you should be at the gate.
6.10 LESSON 8: RIVER DANCING
Difficulty: 4.5/5
This Crash Course Lesson involves precision jumping, not long
jumping. Head straight down the road, and go right a LITTLE to
line up on the ramp. As you drop into the first barge, turn right
to aim for the second one. If you did it right you should be
aimed at the next gate properly... You need to go straight up the
barge and keep enough speed to jump to the third barge. Hang
right a bit go get into the fourth barge, and keep enough speed
so you end up back on solid ground, and head for the last gate.
Expect to do this one several dozen times.
6.11 LESSON 9: ARTFUL DODGING
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Not that big of a deal, actually. Three to four Audi TT's and
other fast cars (like Mustangs) that are after you, but the
checkpoints are in almost a straight line so you should have no
problem maintaining speed. Make a right through the alley, but
turn left onto the road LATE or that Audi TT will hit you head-
on. Then accelerate down the road, through the first checkpoint,
and the second checkpoint should be down the road as well. Then
turn right a bit for the next one, go THROUGH the gates, then go
right around the Palace, and straight down the road. When you
pass the checkpoint by the church, go right across the grass and
you should make it to the final checkpoint.
6.12 LONDON MIDTERM 3
Difficulty: 4.5/5
This one is a bit of fun. You get chasers, you got jumps, and you
got tight space maneuvering.
Back out of the alley, avoid the Audi that's after you. Do a
reverse 180, then accelerate toward the first gate, right turn
around it (watch for the Audi again!) then left a bit at next
corner for the next gate. Then down the street, left U-turn to
the next gate then down the street, past the plaza and left into
the narrow street (SLOW DOWN!) then immediately right into the
narrow street. Straight out, then veer left a bit to stay on the
road, then right into the castle. Straight through, and jump into
the barge. Turn right a bit and aim for the next barge. However,
at the gate, go through on the LEFT side (aimed left) and land on
the bridge. Then head down toward the final checkpoint. You
should have 10 seconds to spare.
6.13 LONDON FINAL EXAM
Difficulty: 5/5
This one is horribly long and forces you to start over if one of
the parts go wrong.
Basically, you start with a reverse 180, then you get to follow
that other cab. That's easy though. He doesn't go very fast, and
once you've memorized his moves, following him is easy enough.
The hard part comes later. Once you've tailed him to the
checkpoint, better take a breath... Next part is tough. Timer
starts (with about 2:40), and you need to go through various
checkpoints in the city along narrow streets with trees in the
middle. There's quite a few. Then you get to the castle and do
the river jumps... With the gates moved slightly, but the barges
are in the same positions. Once you've made it through all the
jumps, go through the gate, and you're done!
The main problem is making EACH of the jumps precise enough to
keep your speed up. ANY mistake, and you get to do the WHOLE
thing over. Yikes.
7 Blitz: San Francisco
Blitz is race against the clock, but you're able to go through
checkpoints in any order. Still there are optimal orders and
those will be mentioned whenever possible.
7.1 IGNORACE IS BLITZ
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang Fastback or Ford Mustang GT
Difficulty: 1/5
You start on Lombard street... starting from Presidio. You go
straight up... Jump over the crest... And come down on the curvy
side. If you jumped, depending on your luck, you may get turned
around. It's THAT bumpy. However, there's the last gate, and if
you went fast enough you should make it.
If you want to be a bit more precise, don't jump. As you crest,
aim for the sides, and slow down a bit. There's a bit of flat
area on the sides (sidewalks) that you can use to drive down
safely.
(HINT: you can use this going up as well)
7.2 HANG ON TIGHT
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang GT
Difficulty: 2/5
You start on Embarcadero, cut through SOMA (South of Market
Area), and head for Embarcadero center / Ferry Building. You'll
be going against traffic and cutting across grassy areas, so you
need a vehicle with some durability.
7.3 WRONG WAY!
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang Fastback
Difficulty: 2.5/5
The run is from 19th street up to Presidio, then down back on a
parallel street...
There are two approaches to this. Either you up straight north,
turn right, and come straight south, or you make so many left and
right turns your head will spin. I recommend the straight north
and straight south method. Weave through traffic (and sometimes
going through them, just to create a mess for vehicles following
you).
7.4 GOLDEN RACE
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang Fastback
Difficulty: 2/5
Start from the Embarcadero, you're going up California all the
way until you get to Presidio, then cut across until you get to
the Golden Gate bridge, and end up in Marin.
Stay in the middle of the cable car tracks when you see them
should avoid most of the traffic. Then cut across grass and onto
the Golden Gate Bridge. Watch for head-on collision as that'll do
you major damage.
7.5 PRESIDIO PUSH
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang GT
Difficulty: 3.5/5
You must nail every turn precisely. At least there aren't too
many turns.
As you come to the first intersection, cut left slightly and go
up that green hill between the buildings. As you crest, turn
right slightly and aim for the gap and you'll cut straight to the
next checkpoint. Then when you hit the bridge checkpoint, do a
180, and aim for the last checkpoints. You can hit the last two
both at once by going at them both straight on at a high rate of
speed. When you hit the hill you'll fly over and through the last
gate.
7.6 AMAZING GRACE
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang Fastback
Difficulty: 4/5
The reason it's call Amazing Grace is you passing by Grace
Cathedral on California.
Any way, you start going through the checkpoints and go by the
church. There really IS a shortcut up there, but it's EXTREMELY
tight. In any case there is time to come back down and head up
the steps, do a 180, and head back down. You need to get to Union
Square and hit the four checkpoints surrounding it. No need to go
through, just stay on the sidewalk and hit all four.
7.7 LUMBARD LUNACY
Recommended Vehicle: VW New Beetle, or Ford Mustang Fastback
Difficulty: 3/5
This is not that hard if you can climb hills fast enough. The
trick here is drive on the sidewalk.
You start on the bottom of Lombard. Climb to the top (against
traffic, I may add), and go straight down the other side.
There are two schools of thought here... save time on the front
by going through the twists faster, or save time at the back by
going down the hill faster. Both will work. The problem is
balancing the two. Regular cars can go up the hill by going up on
the sidewalk.
7.8 EMBARCA-DARE-O
Recommended Vehicle: Panoz Roadster, Audi TT
Difficulty: 5/5
This one is a doozy, and you'll be doing this one a couple times
(a dozen times?) to get it right.
Basically, you're at Justin Herman Plaza. You have to make it
onto second floor of the Grand Hyatt, hit the checkpoint on the
roof, jump off, head back down Embarcadero, turn into one of the
piers for another checkpoint, come back out, head into
Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 for the final checkpoint at the
end.
As you start, turn left slightly and aim at the LEFT post of the
checkpoint. This will get you past the fountain and the big dip
there (if you hit the stairs there you may not land straight).
Then look for the small checkpoint to right and go through the
entrance. Go all the way to end and powerslide right onto the
ramp to second floor. Go through the LEFT POST again and then go
slightly right, aim for the corner of the grass so you can cut
straight back onto Embarcadero. Try to stay in the left lane
(against traffic) so you have room to cut right through the
checkpoint onto the pier. Be careful on the pier as one wrong
turn and you're sleeping with the fishies. Come back out and
hopefully you still have about 20 seconds. Head straight down
Embarcadero, cut outside if needed to avoid traffic. When you see
the big crab sign, be ready to cut into Pier 39. Make sure to aim
LEFT when you hit the final slope so when you fly, you should
land through the gate. If not... You'll miss and need to try
again.
7.9 TELEGRAPH TURNAROUND
Recommended: Panoz Roadster or Audi TT
Difficulty: 4.5/5
You start from Presidio. Go straight up, turn around, straight
down. Hit the checkpoint at the turnaround, and head straight
down the street dodging cars. Roads are narrow, and competition
is fierce. Stay in the middle of the road as much as possible.
7.10 COIT NIGHTMARE
Recommended: Ford Mustang GT
Difficulty: 4/5
Follow the arrow until you need to crash through the barriers to
go uphill. Go straight up, through the barriers, turn left, past
the tree, through the barrier and straight down. Left and look
for another barrier to go through and up the hill again. This one
is narrower so watch out. When you're near the top, aim RIGHT a
bit. You want to get on that tiny ledge just left of the
building. When you go through the gate, go for the remaining
checkpoints. You should have enough time for the rest of the
checkpoints.
8 Blitz: London
8.1 RACE 1: LONDON'S CALLING
Difficulty: 1/5
Just drive straight down the road... Nothing to it... except
traffic in your face.
8.2 RACE 2: EMBANK ON IT
Difficulty: 2/5
This one requires making a half loop, from one bridge to the
other bank, then onto another bridge. Beware of big jumps, and
lots of traffic!
8.3 RACE 3: TOWER TOUR
Difficulty: 2.5/5
Go through Tower of London (the castle thingie). Climb the ramp
to get to the two checkpoints on the walls. Jump the gate (on the
wall) to get to the other checkpoint on the wall.
8.4 RACE 4: HYDE AND GO SEEK
Difficulty: 3/5
Drive around in Hyde Park and get all the checkpoints. Do NOT go
for the nearest. Look at the pattern on the map and get the
closest one in the pattern, or you'll be circling the places
forever.
8.5 RACE 5: GOING UNDERGROUND
Difficulty: 3/5
You need to drive down into the subway entrance and go through
the tunnels and up the other side's exit. Not that difficult,
actually.
8.6 RACE 6: BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
This one has you chasing checkpoints all around and in Trafalgar
park. Look at the pattern. Do the ones in the park first, head
out to get the one around the building, back to the park, then
head for the one at the gates.
8.7 RACE 7: CROSSTOWN SPRINT
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
The path for this one is rather straightforward... Just dodge
lots of traffic.
8.8 RACE 8: ALLEY CATS
Difficulty: 4/5
Tight corners and alleys dominate this race. Beware!
8.9 RACE 9: MIDNIGHT MASH
Difficulty: 4/5
You need to do the 4 gates almost touching the walls of the
cathedral. It's impossible to go THROUGH the gate, but touching
the gate is enough. After you get all four, go do the final one.
8.10 RACE 10: FIVE-RING CIRCUS
Difficulty: 4 / 5
Very long Blitz with LOTS and LOTS of checkpoints. You'll be
circling at least five different landmarks, all under a time
limit!
9 Checkpoint: San Francisco
In checkpoint races, the final finish line is only revealed when
the final checkpoint has been reached. Also, if you destroy your
car, you are out of the race (unlike circuit race, where you
merely get a 5 sec penalty).
9.1 RACING 101
Recommended Vehicle: Any
Difficulty: 1.5 / 5
This race is easy, as it's a simple run against lousy vehicles.
9.2 DECK THE HALL
Recommended Vehicle: Mustang GT
Difficulty: 2.0 / 5
This is another easy race, with a few more turns, but still
against lousy opponents.
9.3 GOLDEN HOUR
Recommended Vehicle: Mustang GT
Difficulty: 2.5/5
First, you'll have to go through some checkpoints. Then, you'll
have to jump over a grass hill. Then, go to the Golden Gate
Bridge and go through all the checkpoints. Opponents are still
slow.
9.4 CITY TOUR
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang GT
Difficulty: 3/5
Not much to say about this race. The checkpoints are laid out in
an obvious pattern... just follow the most logical path.
Opponents are getting faster though.
9.5 FOGGY MEMORY
Recommended Vehicle: Ford Mustang GT
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
The police may get in your way. It's better to do it like the
question mark, starting from the bottom. Turn left at the
checkpoint, then turn right, then turn left by TransAmerica
Pyramid, and keep following the checkpoints. As you approach the
final visible checkpoint, watch for other racers coming head-on.
Go wide right and dodge them. Then turn left and head straight
toward the finish line.
9.6 PARK & RIDE
Recommended Vehicle: Mustang GT
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
This one has a couple different routes available. The usual route
is the one everybody takes... South on Van Ness past City Hall to
checkpoint, then right and straight down to next checkpoint. Then
you may want to hang a left then right, to get that next one,
then cut across the park toward the bridge for the final
checkpoints.
9.7 THE HILLS ARE ALIVE
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
This one has cops and plenty of traffic. You're racing mostly
Mustang Fastbacks. You need speed to outrun them and the cops.
Watch your route carefully. Cut left early at the first gate and
head straight down toward Market St, and then straight down. When
you hit the next checkpoint, cut hard left, then right
immediately so you can go UP the hill. Then at the grass next to
TransAmerica Pyramid, cut across the grass to checkpoint, but go
RIGHT. You can then turn left and head straight up the next
checkpoint. However, you'll likely pick up a cop or two here and
streets are narrow so collisions are nearly unavoidable, and
it'll cost you a place or two if you do hit someone. You're
almost guaranteed to hit someone when you crest the hill if you
don't stay in your lane. After that final checkpoint, cut across
the grass toward the finish at the Presidio.
9.8 LOOKOUT!
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT or any Mustang.
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
This one would involve a little flying. Cut right a bit at the
first intersection and go through the tract houses and right
until you get on the parallel road higher up the hill. Go
straight down toward Financial district (downtown), then turn up
to Coit Tower, come back down the other road and straight down,
following the checkpoints. You'll need to jump Lombard, or just
drive down the sidewalk on either side, and head for the final
checkpoint.
9.9 WANTED!
Recommended Vehicle: Panoz Roadster or Audi TT
Difficulty: 4/5
This one has plenty of cops. Go straight down Market, then left
onto 4th then right onto the Embarcadero (not the raised freeway,
but under it), then left onto the offramp (yes, against traffic).
You should see some cops right here. Drive on the WRONG side of
the road, and follow it all the way to Golden Gate Park.
This one will test your reflexes driving in lots of traffic. Even
getting out front will not guarantee you a win due to driving
against traffic. You may want to hit one or two cars to create an
impromptu roadblock. A heavier car may be better in smashing
through traffic... A lighter car may not last until the end.
9.10 AFTER HOURS
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT or faster!
Difficulty: 4/5
You'll be going up and down hills a bit, so pick a car with a bit
of endurance. Start downtown, follow the checkpoints north and
west, then south straight down, then north and west again until
you reach Golden Gate Park.
9.11 FULL SPEED AHEAD
Recommended Vehicle: Panoz Roadster or faster!
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
This one is a very fast race... against quite a bit of traffic.
Start on Market, then to Embarcadero, then up to Fisherman's
Wharf, and finally to Presidio, and then down to Lombard to
finish. Look at the streets and don't miss any turns. Competition
is fast here and any head-on crashes will ruin your chance of
finishing ahead.
9.12 PANOZ PRESSURE
Recommended Vehicle: Panoz GTR-1
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
This race is EXTREMELY fast. No traffic, but lots of fast
opponents. You're racing 6 other Panoz Roadsters. Start in Civic
Center, run down to Market then Embarcadero (though there's a
place where you can cut THROUGH the building!), then onto the
freeway loop to Van Ness, up to Golden Gate Bridge, north into
Marin for finish. Beware of enemy cars bumping you. There are
very few corners to cut so you need a car with good top speed.
10 Checkpoint: London
While you can go through the checkpoints in any order, the final
checkpoint is only revealed after you hit all the visible
checkpoints, and if you hit them in the wrong order, you will
lose!
10.1 TOP OF MORNING
Difficulty: 1/5
Just go straight toward the bridge.
10.2 BRIDGE BASH
Difficulty: 2 / 5
This one requires a bit more turns, as you must go through the
town, across the river, left and follow the bank, go around the
Towers of London and make it all the way to London Bridge.
10.3 THROUGH THE PARK
Difficulty: 2.5/5
It's actually around the park, but introduction of the
Constabulary to the city makes for a more interesting race.
10.4 V & A VISIT
Difficulty: 3/5
You start on the southeast corner, and you go across the river.
The 3rd from last checkpoint is a bit difficult to reach, be
careful.
10.5 SOUTH BANK BRAWL
Difficulty: 3/5
Go straight, then at the third checkpoint, go left, ignore the
arrow. Go past two more checkpoints, then turn around and go for
the last visible checkpoint.
10.6 RIVER THAMES RUN
Difficulty: 3/5
Start in the northern part of city, then head south, to river
Thames, and follow the river down. Cops are out in full force...
10.7 CIRCUIT WITHIN
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Lots of checkpoints, and time is short. There are plenty of sharp
corners to watch out for...
10.8 CHECK THIS!
Difficulty: 4.5/5
This one is very difficult to do well in, you may be lucky to get
3rd. Basically, make a right at first corner, then left up to
first checkpoint. Do a 180 and start going full speed. Try not to
run into any lampposts or parked cars. The rest of the course
should be very straight-forward, and speed is all you really
need.
10.9 SPLISH SPLASH
Difficulty: 4/5
Time is short as you must make it through the narrow London
streets in order to locate all the checkpoints. The final set is
a circle, beware. Better to head west, the north, and finally
east.
10.10 CUT IT SHORT
Difficulty: 4/5
Time is short again and cops are out in full force as you try to
race in London's northeast corner. The final checkpoint is in the
middle of the pattern...
10.11 DIZZY DRIVING
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
Lots of checkpoints that basically require you to make a full
loop and come back to where you started. You may want to go
clockwise (i.e. east, then south, then west).
10.12 FOGGY, FOGGY NIGHT
Difficulty: 5/5
Lots of fast cars as competition, AND you need to make a full
loop. This time, go counter-clockwise.
11 Circuit: San Francisco
All the circuit races are performed on pavement. There are
barriers present, but they can be crashed through easily, so if
you need to make a shortcut or two... It can be done.
11.1 TAKE IT EASY
Difficulty: 1/5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT / Mustang GT / Mustang Fastback
This short track has you racing in the streets between Presidio
and Golden Gate Park. Your opponents are just VW Beetles, so
anything that goes faster than that is good.
(Trivia: "Take It Easy" is American colloquialism for "don't work
too hard".)
11.2 HANG TIME
Difficulty: 1.5/5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT / Mustang GT / Mustang Fastback
This race is slightly longer, but it has you racing on the hills,
where a wrong jump will hurt you big time, and the climbing
corner must be taken VERY carefully. Your opponents are slow
cars, so anything that goes faster will go.
(Trivia: "Hang Time" is a term that describes how long could
something flying stay in the air)
11.3 GIMME SOMA
Difficulty: 2/5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT / Mustang GT / Mustang Fastback
This race has a few more twists and turns, but the course is wide
and you should be able to easily outpace just about anybody
(Trivia: Gimme is slang for "Give me". SOMA = "South of Market
Area", the area of San Francisco south of Market Street. )
11.4 WIND IT UP
Difficulty: 2.5/5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT / Mustang GT / Mustang Fastback
This race will be difficult... Until you learn the shortcut.
Basically, you go up Broadway, cut up Lombard... Then... You go
STRAIGHT UP Lombard by going on the left sidewalk. When you're
almost to the turn, cut right and get back on Powell and head
down to the coast, then follow the circuit back. You'll save
about 10 seconds every lap.
(Trivia: "Wind it up" usually means to "wind up" the clock)
11.5 MIDTOWN MAYHEM
Difficulty: 3/5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT / Mustang GT / Mustang Fastback
This one is interesting as it's mainly racing around Van Ness,
Civic Center Area. However, cars are now quite fast and
competition is fierce. However, with an Audi you should be able
to force your way to the front and leave them in the dust. Then
it's the matter of not making any mistakes.
There are plenty of corners to cut. You need to weigh the damage
done to your car vs. the time you'll gain by cutting through.
However, if you can bypass the other cars, then it would probably
be worth it.
11.6 CHINATOWN
Difficulty: 3/5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
The race is on Grant then cuts down to Columbus and then doubles
back. A few cars are fast, and those are the ones you really need
to beat. No shortcuts, just be careful taking those corners, as
some of the turns are sharp downhills. Be careful going through
the Chinatown gate.
11.7 PRESIDIO!
Difficulty: 4/5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
This one have you go around the Presidio (that patch of green
just south of Golden Gate Bridge). This one can be hard as the
road is narrow, what's why you may need to make a path... Outside
the road. Follow the road as much as you can, but know where the
next gate is and try to steer a straight path to it, ignore the
barriers. These barriers are light as air. You can save a LITTLE
time, but there are no significant shortcuts. Barge THROUGH
traffic.
11.8 SQUARE DANCING
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
This one is essentially a figure 8, but you need to be quite
precise due to a lot of weird curbs. There are no significant
shortcuts. Drive across Union Square at a diagonal each time and
then circle around the block and repeat. Everybody has Audi TT's
now so you can't make a mistake. You can try the Aston Martin
Vantage if you've unlocked it.
11.9 CIRCUIT BREAKER
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Panoz Roadster or Audi TT
This is a VERY long course that sends you up hills to Coit, down
the street, then downtown, with LOTS of corners all over the
place. Miss one turn, and you can kiss the race goodbye. There
are no significant shortcuts.
11.10 FLOOR IT!
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
This race takes you all around San Francisco... at night. Start
from Ferry Building / Market street, race down Market, turn on UN
Plaza, cut to City Hall, cut up Van Ness, through Presidio,
through Fisherman's Wharf, then Embarcadero back to Ferry
Building. Not that many turns, high speed all the way. There are
two locations where you MUST go offroad, and the low cars will
have a very hard time there (like VW Beetle RSi or Panoz GTR-1)
Better stick to a "normal" car. You're probably facing Panoz
Roadsters, so Audi TT should do pretty well. However, Audi TT can
have a problem near Fisherman's Wharf where you cut across the
Presidio housing tracts and get into Fisherman's Wharf area. Audi
TT tend to hit the curb right there and suffer major damage. Slow
down, and hit the curb at an ANGLE to get through.
12 Circuit: London
All the circuit races are performed on pavement. There are
barriers present, but they can be crashed through easily, so if
you need to make a shortcut or two... It can be done.
12.1 MINI RACE
Difficulty: 0.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Just about anything... except the Mini
You're facing Mini Coopers (the old version) and you're just
circling this... traffic circle, 3 times. Even in a Mustang you
should be able to lap the other cars before the 3 laps are up.
12.2 ROUND WESTMINSTER
Difficulty: 1 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Any Mustang
You're facing weak vehicles again, and you should have no problem
at all leaving everyone in the dust. Path is wide and turns are
gentle.
12.3 VIEW FROM TWO BRIDGES
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Any Mustang
You are facing a bunch of London cabs... The problem is... They
have good acceleration, and you'll be bunched up with them from
the beginning. You may want to accelerate up the sidewalk right
at the beginning and see if you can cut to the front. Once there,
stay there! Make the turns and watch for those narrow corners
(esp. with parked cars!) You'll go around, jump another bridge,
and come back.
12.4 PARKS BUT NO PARKING
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Any Mustang
You're going around the entire Kensington Park, racing against
Minis and Cabbies.
12.5 CITY CIRCUIT
Difficulty: 2.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Any Mustang
You're still racing Minis, at least they're the modern version.
The weather is foggy, so you won't be going full out... Or will
you? Learn the powerslide, use it at every sharp turn. Watch for
one VERY SHARP right turn.
12.6 UNDERGROUND
Difficulty: 3 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Any Mustang
Some say the Mustang is too big for this race, I say "nonsense".
Crash through the barriers to get a straight approach to the
subway, then follow the subway tunnels until you see the exit, go
up and out, keep racing.
12.7 LONDON RUN
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
This course runs through two bridges and most of downtown London.
The downtown section is quite technical with a few checkpoints in
very tight corners, while other parts of the course are straight
and high speed.
12.8 GIMME SOME ROYALTIES
Difficulty: 4 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
This race circuit goes around the Kensington Palace AND
Westminster areas. Cut through the grass as much as possible to
gain some time.
12.9 SOHO MOJO
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Audi TT
This one is in the northern London districts, with LOTS of
buildings and tight corners. Speed will be relatively low so a
small maneuverable car may be more appropriate here.
12.10 ZANY ZIGZAG
Difficulty: 4.5 / 5
Recommended Vehicle: Panoz GTR-1
You'll be racing Panoz Roadsters in this full-blast speed fest,
as you go around the entire London (well, just about). A couple
sections have more turns, but the rest is high-speed run. You
will run at top speed for extended periods. With almost no
corners to cut, you need car with as much high top speed as
possible.
13 Multiplayer
Nothing at this time.
14 Miscellaneous
14.1 HOW TO ADD CUSTOM TRACKS
Additional tracks/cities can be installed. One good place to find
them is http://www.mm2c.com (Midtown Madness 2 Central). Some are
full-blown cities.
14.2 HOW TO ADD CUSTOM VEHICLES
Additional vehicles can be installed. One good place to find them
is http://www.mm2c.com (Midtown Madness 2 Central)
Once you've downloaded the file, unZIP it and put the .AR file in
the Midtown Madness 2 directory. Then you should be able to pick
it from the car selection menu. NOTE: use the up/down arrows as
the drop-down menu may not have room to hold all the entries.
14.3 CHEAT CODES
14.3.1 Stop the timer
To stop the timer, hit F2, then Q (which brings up the map). Hit
Q again to turn off the map, and the timer will stop! Remember to
turn the timer back on before you hit the final checkpoint by
pressing F2.
14.3.2 Chat Cheat Codes
Press ''y'' during a race to bring up the chat box. Enter the
code you want to use and press "Enter" key.
superspeed enables "turbo mode", press v to engage. May only
work for some cars.
The Mustang GT police cruiser should work.
damagefree makes your car invincible
midtowncars enables all cars. Quit back to car selection
screen to see it.
--THE END--
