Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 11:55:39 -0700 (PDT)
California Speed -- FAQ & Silicon Valley Track Guide/San Francisco Track Guide
by Poln (psu19257@odin.cc.pdx.edu) <-- Send any corrections/problems here
v0.12
v0.1
This is New
v0.11
Minor Corrections
v0.12
Fixed SFO Track
This is my first FAQ attempt at this game. Hope this FAQ works well. If
there are any corrections or problems, send an e-mail to the address above.
Thank you.
Welcome to Caliornia Speed. This is one of the new racing games from
Midway/Atari who brought you SF Rush, Radical Bikers, and others. If you are
into racing games, then this game is for you. Okay.. for this game, you can
choose different senerys of California on what to race on.. There is a lap
race availabe for those of you who like car racing like Indy 500 or Daytona
500 (vid Daytona USA). You can also choose the CA option which can you race
around CA. When I first saw this game, I think to myself "WOW, this is neat."
The signs/obsticles that you see are real. Example, for this guide you see
Hwy. 237 which is the Milipitas Freeway. Technically, this is true. Hwy. 237
cuts through 101 and I-880. Starts at HWY 85 (Mtn. View/Sunnyvale) and
ends at I-680 which turns to Calaveras Rd in Milpitas. It will also take
you to Great America theme park which is in Santa Clara as well as McCarthy
Blvd (in Milpitas). Silicon Valley is the south side of the Bay Area.
P.S. Like the Fast Food _In-N-Out_ .
Start of Game
When you first put in your coins, you get to select your track. You can
choose different races to play for. Then choose your car. Press one of the
view buttons to select the 2nd row or the last row of cars to race. You can
choose from a hot rod, to an old car and/or *really* a golf cart. I don't
know why you want to choose it, but if you want to do it, that's fine.
or...how about this... imagine driving through the mountains, go through
shopping mall accidently hit people, drive on a roller coaster track,
drive on the edge of a bridge or drive on a race track. You can with
this new racing game, California Speed.
I don't know if there are shortcuts in this game. If you see any, please let
me know and I'll try to figure it out.
If you wish, you have the option of racing a mirror track. All you need to do
is choose a track, hold ALL 3 viewing buttons then select. When starting, it
will be different. You will see a mirror image of everything including signs,
turns, etc. so if you turn right, the mirror image, you will turn left and
vice versa. I've haven't tried this myself so if you did this already, tell
me about it and I'll add it to the FAQ.
Next, you choose what transmission... either Automatic or Manual.
Now you can start the race.
As in any racing game (except for Pole Position), you will start in last
place, in this case 10th (2 player link, either 9th or 10th). You are trying
to pass all these cars towards 1st place. You have 75 seconds to start.
Extra time will be added as you go through checkpoints.
When you pass the cars, do the best you can. When passing cars and/or
move up the ranking, you will hear a voice that complement you for doing
so. Here are some of the phrases...
"Nice Pass"
"Great Job"
More will be added later....
Speed... the speed that you are driving is around 200-205 MPH on the
straightaway. Downhill up to 210 MPH.
Accidents
When an oncoming car travels towards you or when you hit a slow moving
vechicle, you'll to a flip and get back in the road. You will lose
considerable speed down to around 50-60 MPH and you'll lose time. Bummer.
Finish Race
You will cross the finish area (similar to Roadblasters, 1987-88), you have
completed the race. It will show you the actual time that you did, and the
record time. Hope you break a record. You get to enter your initials if you
are one of the top 10 fastest times for this track. I don't beleive that you
can get a free race if you are in 1st place. [I could be wrong on it]. If
your arcade honors free race for 1st place, let me know.
Now the guide..
Silicon Valley [Easy]
When you start, try to pass the cars smoothly. You see buildings, companies
that make high tech stuff, etc. Turns are NOT very tight as you might expect,
but you may need to get a grip on the controls. Otherwise, you may hit the
wall, jump the curb, etc. and may loose speed and time. Overhead, you see HWY
237 which is the Millpitas Highway. Stay on the right side of the road as you
can.. If you see an obsticle go by, then try to swerve around it, hoping that
you don't get caught in the middle. When you pass the final checkpoint. You
will go through the wonders of the high tech era. That is, what's it like
inside the computer. When you are in that area, there is NO oncoming traffic
so you don't have to worry about hitting it. This is the final lag to the
finish. When you come in to the weird area, the voice would say "Wooo,
Psychodellic" (can't spell right). In there you see a pentium processor,
lights, semi-conductor stuff, and parts for the computer. A rainbow of colors
that you see as well.. You will also see the signs 3D FX.. (I thought 3 Com)
oh well.. let me know if I'm wrong. Then you go through a tunnel to the
finish line. Technically, when you are on a curve, try to have a smooth one.
Avg. Time 2:15:xx
Best Time 2:12:99
San Francisco [Expert]
This track is harder. Turns are tighter and may require you to get more
control of your vehicle. Anyway, you will start off crossing the Oakland-Bay
Bridge which is I-80. You won't see the toll booth, but in reallity, this is
a toll bridge and you need to pay $1.00 to cross it when you head towards SFO.
No charge if you going to East Bay. As you cross the bridge. You may see
holes in the road. The holes that you see came from the 1989 earthquake which
measured 7.1 on the r. scale. If you fall in the hole, you'll drive on the
lower deck till you reach downtown. [You may not see Treasure Island or Yerba
Breuna Island in this arcade simulation. (T. Island is closed, that's where
the Naval Station used to be before shutting it down)]. When approaching
dtwn, you see overhead sign which is HWY 101 SFO, and Downtown San Francisco.
(Real life 4th Street exit). You will turn right and see buildings, another
sign near the Ferry Building/Embarcadero area and a curvey road through
victorian houses. You will also going to pass Market St. This is the main
road in downtown SFO. (I can tell by the traffic light).
Try not to stear hard in those places. A gradual turn would do. Later, you
will go into the MUNI subway tunnel (1 level higher than BART subway) and
drive on its tracks. Be careful of trains going by. If you hit one, boy, you
are screwed. Again, stay on the right side of the road. You will drive through
stations and end up though the toll plaza to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.
[Real life, No charge if you headed towards Marin County as you leave SFO. If
you cross the GG Bridge towards SF, there will be a $1.00 fee]. They'll make
you detour to the edge where you drive up and down the cable. You see below a
10-43 which means that traffic is really tied-up and and it's bumper to
bumper. It's kind of neat to drive on the cable to avoid traffic. When
completed, you are on HWY 101 headed north into the contury side as you see
green stuff there. Also, its wine country. You will drive there towards the
finish line.
That's all for now. hope that you enjoy the race.
