**************************************************
Sega Top Skater FAQ
**************************************************
"EVERYBODY JUMP ON BOARD FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE"
Authored by me, The Freakface of da East Coast
(thefreak@ix.netcom.com)
DISCLAIMER: I have written this FAQ out of my time. This is to
be distributed freely through Internet, word of mouth, or
through paper copies. It will not be used to gain financial
profit unless the money offsets expenses such as copy costs. Any
copyright infringements are unintentional and will be corrected
upon notification to me.
**********************
Introduction
**********************
I have written this FAQ out of my personal time and my reasoning
of pure enjoyment. Since I cannot skate for eight years due to
knee injuries, this is like being close to the real thing. All
information in this FAQ is confirmed by me. Rumors are either
not written here or mentioned as noted and not fully in detail.
My side comments is written in caps and in parentheses, and they
should not be taken seriously. Any comments about this FAQ
should be directed to me.
**********************
Updates
**********************
7 Sep 1997 - Creation of this FAQ
8 Sep 1997 - Added Things to Trick List, Revised Music Section,
More of My 2 Cents
12 Sep 1997 - NEWS FLASH!!!! Revelation on the Secret Course at
Easter Eggs Section, Added Details on Secret Course in Courses
Section, Added New Names to Credit List, Added Time Bonus
Factoid in Scoring Section, Revised Music Section (AGAIN), Added
Comments about the Ramp Jumps in Scoring Section
18 Sep 1997 - Added Tricks in Trick Section, Minor Change in My
2 Cents, Minor Change in Easter Eggs, Added More Credits,
Changes in S Class Finish Pose, Modified Finished Ranking in
Scoring Section, Revised Music Section (AGAIN!!), Revised
Opening, Revised Strategy on Secret Course
**********************
The Players
**********************
There are 6 regular skaters and 2 confirmed hidden players. Each
player has a distinct personality.
Ash - Your All-American. Cap to the back with decent tricks.
Keith - The Quiet Rebel. He has little to say, but shouts with
awesome tricks, especially his kickflips.
Ken-Ta - The Young Trickster On The Board. Small and quick, he
has awesome tricks with reckless abandon, like a young teenager.
J - Power and Arrogance In The Flesh. He has lots of power in
each trick, but he lack finesse to do great technical tricks.
Cookie - Great Ballerina On The Board. Each individual trick she
does are executed smoothly like a ballerina.
Jill - Hot Babe With Cool Moves. She lacks power, but she shows
great control and her moves sometimes makes the onlookers make a
double take.
Alex (HIDDEN CHARACTER) - Ash's Brother On A Surfboard. Has
mostly the same moves as his brother, but his turning is sharper
than the skaters. If the control is maintained, he can tear up
the course.
P-Nut (HIDDEN CHARACTER) - Cookie's Sister On A Bodyboard.
Limited number of moves, mostly aerial barrel-rolls. Turning is
not as sharp as the skaters but for some reason she was easier
to get the higher points. Anyone with excellent control can do
well with her, but her g-sting and wet T-shirt will cause
players to pick her anyway. (GO FIGURE!!!)
**********************
The Scoring
**********************
The scoring is made by many different ways.
1. The Ramps
The obvious way is to jump off the ramps. The standard ramp is
made of wood with hash marks on the lip (end of the ramp). Two
sets of arrows are marked at each side of the ramp pointing
towards the lip. A less obvious ramp is the inclined Coca-Cola
Sign. The player must jump on the sign then jump off to score
the points. There are one sign at the end of the novice course
and four on the expert course.
The scoring system is by grades E, D, C, B, A, & S. E Class is
the lowest. S class is the highest. The class is determined by
when the tail or the nose is kicked. The closer to the lip
before the kick is made, the better the class is and the more
difficult trick is executed. If the kick is made after leaving
the ramp, the player will wipeout hard. S class tricks will
always leave a shadow trail in its wake. (AWESOME!!!)
I really cannot give any way to score an S class trick other
than to say: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. It is all in the
timing and technique. Some sweep the tail when jumping, others
keep the board straight. It is all timing.
I always remember four (4) things when playing: Consistency,
Timing, Concentration, Control. Be consistent in all the tricks.
Just make the trick, forget the class. Time the jumps carefully.
Don't kick the tail after leaving the lip. Concentrate on your
character. Block out the spectators and don't get distracted.
Always take full control of the board. Don't swerve back and
forth aimlessly, and aim for the next obstacle like the next
ramp. Keep these in mind and you should get at least A class at
the finish.
2. The Half-Pipe
The half-pipe covers about one-fourth of entire course. The
player rides up to the top of the half-pipe and jumps off, like
jumping off the ramps.
The scoring system is the same as the ramps. The class is
determined on the speed of the board, timing of the jump, and
the angle of the climb. If the player moves close to parallel to
the edge, the class will be low. Again, S class tricks will
leave a shadow trail in its wake, as well as the view camera
revolves around the player. (COOL!!!)
The best way to score S Class tricks on the half-pipe is to
double pump. On the ascent, start with the back kick. That will
preserve the speed. By the time the player touches the pipe, he
is near the edge. Then kick either the front or the back. The
front usually yields better scores.
3. The Grind (1000 normal points)
Players can grind certain objects to score good points. Such
objects are the handrails, concrete tree potters, and sewer pipe
guards (found after the third checkpoint in the expert course).
The steps in the novice course and all half-pipes cannot be
grinded. Hold the front end of the board to keep grinding. Best
to use the nose to attempt a grind.
4. The Bump (1500 normal points)
Players can bump barrels throughout the courses by landing on
top of them.
5. The Combos
If the tricks of almost any kind are made in a short time, it is
considered a combo and the normal score is increased by
50%-150%. The multiplier increase as subsequent combos are
executed. An inherent or natural combo is when a player lands
either on a barrel for a bump or a rail for a grind after a ramp
jump. That kind of combo increases the normal score by a factor
of 10. If it is a subsequent combo trick, the factor increases
by 5. (ex.: if the grind is a natural combo and is fourth part
of that combo, the score increase by 20. The score of that grind
is 20,000 => 1000 normal points x 20.) The exception to this is
two half-pipe tricks made within that short time.
6. Time Tokens
Although these rings don't add points to the score, they do add
precious seconds to the time. They range from one second to ten
seconds. There is a thirty (30) second token on the expert
course (SEE THE TRICK SECTION). If the trick is made close to
the token, that token will move to intercept for the player to
get it.
7. Finish Ranking
If the player reaches the finish line with time left, bonus for
the extra time will be added to the final score. Each second
left would be about 1200 points, but I could be wrong. Depending
on the final score, the player will be ranked by classes. In the
Novice & Expert Courses, S Class is for scores 200000 and more.
For the Secret Course, the S Class rank is 160000 or better. A
better breakdown of finishing classes will be added on later. If
the rank is S Class, the game will replay highlights of the run.
Credits will also scroll on the right side. The sponsors also
appear with the model of shoes the skaters are wearing. After
the replay, the player will give a victory pose for the camera.
The description of each player's pose will be discussed later in
this FAQ.
**********************
The Courses
**********************
There are three courses in the game. Two courses are the normal
and the third course is hidden. See the Easter Egg Section to
find out how to get to that course.
1. Novice Course
This course is excellent for first time or those lacking great
technical skills. Lots of ramps and a half-pipe run after the
second checkpoint. Grinding can be done on the water's wall
after the first checkpoint, and the concrete tree potter after
the second and third checkpoint. Barrel bumping can be done
after starting and after the first checkpoint. Completely
straightforward.
2. Expert Course
This course is very technical with fewer scoring opportunities.
This course starts off with a very high ramp (BIG AIR), the
easiest of all the ramps. Grinding can be done after the Big Air
and after the third checkpoint. Barrel bumping can be done at
the start of the first checkpoint. A full-pipe is place after
the second checkpoint. Within the full-pipe are three-second
tokens and raised pipes to test the slalom skills of the player.
The full-pipe leads to the half-pipe that is steeper than the
novice course. There are also ramps place within the half-pipe
to provide combo opportunities. The third checkpoint opens up to
the drainage system, where left side has steel pipes to grind
and ramps to jumps and the right side is a half-pipe with
running water to slow down the player. (YES EVEN THE SURFER AND
BODYBOARD!!!!!) A very fast course and only the technical
players can score big here.
3. Secret Course ('Freestyle Course')
If you think the Expert course was hard, wait till you see the
Freestyle Course. Lotsa ramps, half pipes, step grinds, and the
swimming pool I like to call it the Black Hole. Obstacles are
spread throughout the indoor arena. You have ninety (90) seconds
to perform as many tricks as you can. THERE ARE NO TIME BONUSES
WHATSOEVER. I would avoid the pool since it is difficult to get
out. If you want to leave the pool, you MUST jump at the ends
where they are marked 'EXIT'. Roam around and do lots of tricks
quickly. At the edge of the arena is part of a half-pipe which
leads up to the lighting fixture over the playfield. If you
score at least an A Class trick at the perimeter half-pipe, you
will catch the fixture and grind it. It will be scored as a
natural combo and will multiply drastically. Very technical
course. Even I have problems scoring well here. Expect low
scores here. Still, you have the freedom to pick and choose the
kinds of obstacles here. Try this course if you are comfortable
with the Expert Course.
**********************
The Tricks
**********************
This section will always be evolving, and I am asking the
readers to help me out here. I need input to fill in the blanks
for each player in each trick class. If you know the exact
score, please include it here. Any correction should be forward
it to me. Your reward is a mention at the credits. (AND YOU'RE
EXPECTING MONEY????)
All Skaters
S CLASS
Triple Front Loop
Triple Back Loop
F/S & B/S Method (Half-Pipe)
Triple Grab Beta (Half-Pipe)
A CLASS
Double Front Loop to Indy
Double Back Loop to Method
B CLASS
Double Front Loop
Double Back Loop
C CLASS
Front Loop to Indy
Back Loop to Method
D CLASS
Front Loop
Back Loop
E CLASS
Ash (sponsored by Vans)
S CLASS
Super Impossible
Varial Karate Air
Hyper Kickflip (Half-Pipe)
A CLASS
360 Kickflip to Pop
B CLASS
C CLASS
D CLASS
E CLASS
Keith (sponsored by AD One)
S CLASS
Double Handflip to Kickflip
Double Handflip to Heelflip
Super Inward Kickflip (Half-Pipe)
A CLASS
Super Inward Kickflip
No Comply to Stalefish (Half-Pipe)
B CLASS
"R"
C CLASS
Come On!
D CLASS
No Comply
E CLASS
Ken-Ta (sponsored by Airwalk)
S CLASS
B.1.Q. (DOES ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THIS STANDS FOR?)
Ken-Ta Special Varial
Ultra Stalefish (Half-pipe)
A CLASS
Super Pop to Indy
Air Rocket
B CLASS
360 Yo-Yo
Great Air Walk
C CLASS
Yo-Yo
D CLASS
Air Walk
E CLASS
J (sponsored by Etnies)
S CLASS
720 Hoho Plant Air
J B/S 720 Double Grab
Hyper Kickflip (Half-Pipe)
A CLASS
J Twist
B CLASS
J Air
C CLASS
D CLASS
E CLASS
Cookie (sponsored by ES)
S CLASS
360 Super Big Spin
Cookie Hand Varial
A CLASS
360 Big Spin
B CLASS
Varial to Mute
"K"
Finger-Flip
C CLASS
Bye-Bye
D CLASS
E CLASS
Jill (sponsored by Reef)
S CLASS
Ultra Stalefish (Ramp and Half-Pipe)
Super Pop to Benihena (sp.?)
A CLASS
Hyper Kickflip
B CLASS
Oillie Cop Move
C CLASS
Kisses
D CLASS
Nose Bone
E CLASS
Alex (sponsored by Sega)
S CLASS
Super Pop to Indy
Hyper Kickflip (Ramp and Half-Pipe)
A CLASS
B CLASS
C CLASS
D CLASS
E CLASS
P-Nut (sponsored by Sega)
S CLASS
Aerial 1080
El Rollo (Half-Pipe)
Ollie (Half-Pipe)
A CLASS
Aerial 1080
B CLASS
Aerial 720
C CLASS
Aerial 720
D CLASS
Aerial
E CLASS
Aerial
**********************
S Class Finish Pose
**********************
NOTE: UNLESS NOTED, THE POSE FOR THE SECRET COURSE IS THE SAME
AS THE EXPERT.
ASH
NOVICE COURSE: He tosses the trophy to the stands.
EXPERT COURSE: He places the trophy to the camera and smiles at
you.
SECRET COURSE: Same as expert with back view and camera
upside-down. (THE CAMERAMAN GOT NAILED WHEN ASH THREW HIS
BOARD!!!)
KEITH
NOVICE COURSE: He just hold the trophy and his board.
EXPERT COURSE: He just raises the trophy and his board.
(DON'T YOU THINK HE IS TOO QUIET???)
KEN-TA
NOVICE COURSE: He jams with the walkman.
EXPERT COURSE: He does a breakdance backspin before playing
with his yo-yo.
J
NOVICE COURSE: He raises his hand in victory
EXPERT COURSE: He poses like a bodybuilder.
COOKIE
NOVICE COURSE: She waves to the crowd.
EXPERT COURSE: Same as novice with back view.
JILL
NOVICE COURSE: She kisses the trophy and her board before
tossing them to the crowd.
EXPERT COURSE: She kisses the trophy and her board before
tossing them to the crowd.
ALEX
NOVICE COURSE: He flips trophy at the end of his board.
EXPERT COURSE: Same as novice at the back view.
P-NUT
NOVICE COURSE: She kickflip the trophy to her hands while lying
on her stomach.
EXPERT COURSE: Same as novice at the back view. (OH YEAH!!!)
**********************
Easter Eggs
**********************
1. Alex the Surfer- (Character Select Screen)
3-Left
3-Right
13-Left
2. P-Nut the BodyBoarder- (After choosing Novice/Expert Mode
Hold Start)
6-Right
6-Left
3-Right
3-Left
4-Right, Then left go of Start.
3. Big Mode- (At the Novice/Expert Mode Screen)
9-Left
9-Right
4-Left
4-Right
5-Left
Lean the board forward and press both Left/Right 3 times... you
should be able to hear a laugh.
NOTE: This code will enlarge the player, so you will have your
vision limited. Also, the code will remain active until the
attract mode begins showing the six skaters posing on the start
ramp. (I THINK TOO MUCH STEROIDS WERE IN THE GATORADE!!!)
4. 30-Second token - on the expert level at the half-pipe, you
must jump on the second ramp and go head on to the oncoming
train. Remember: HEAD-ON!!!
5. On the character select, hold both left and right buttons to
switch the stance between normal and goofy. Notice the emblem on
the board is mirrored. If this trick is used on Alex, he will be
surfing backwards. (HE MIGHT BE DYSLEXIC!) This trick will work
on P-Nut, but I can't get her to do it.
6. On the expert course, after the third checkpoint, if the
three grinds and the two ramps are nailed, the red rocket man on
the spinning sign in the background will liftoff. (MOST LIKELY
HE WILL TRY TO FIX THE SPACESTATION MIR.)
7. After that series of grinds and ramps on the expert course,
the wall in the background scrolls "OLLIE OVER". If you jump
over the fence on the left, the jump value increase by 50%. But
the drawback is the speed reduction for going over the grass. It
may not be worth it if time is of the essence.
8. THE SECRET COURSE (Thanx goes to gkomatsu@hawaii.edu and
kenta20@aol.com)
While leaning foward, move the cursor to the Expert Course and
hold the Start button. While holding the Start button and
leaning foward on the board, go to the desired character,
release the Start button, and press and hold the Start button
again. Hold the Start Button and continue leaning foward until
the game begins. IMPORTANT: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE BIG AIR
JUMP!!!!!!!!! Intentionally wipeout if you feel like slowing
down. At the left side of the enterance of the indoor arena,
there is a segment of the fence that is now broken off. Jump in
and get ready for ramps and pipes galore. Just watch out for the
swimming pool in the middle I called it the Black Hole. You will
have 90 seconds to complete the "Freestyle Course", no time
bonuses.
**********************
Rumor Mill
**********************
1. There are other hidden characters bouncing around the rumor
mills. Such characters are street luge, snowboarding, BMX bike,
Wave Runners, Roller Blades, and the car from Daytona USA
(HUH???) Since I cannot confirm this myself, I will just note
this in the Rumor Mill.
2. The two cutoff bridges in the expert course was once thought
of as reachable with an S class Trick. In my opinion, they
cannot reach. The gap is too wide and too high. The ramps need
to be higher than the bridge elevation and LOTS of speed is
needed to even consider reaching those bridges. (REMEMBER YOUR
PHYSICS LESSON???)
**********************
Music by Pennywise
**********************
1. Novice Course
The Secret
Searching
Try To Conform
2. Expert Course
Homesick
It's What You Do With It
Wouldn't It Be Nice
3. Secret Course
Peaceful Day
Perfect People
4. Novice Course - S Class Finish
Dying To Know
5. Expert Course - S Class Finish
Society
6. Secret Course - S Class Finish
Society
7. Attract Mode
Society
8. Top 20 Ranking Entry
Perfect People
**********************
My 2 Cents
**********************
If I held a Top Skater Tournament (and Sega is paying for the
prizes) ...
1. I would definitely increase the difficult by shortening the
initial time by 10 seconds. So the novice course begins at 50
seconds and the expert course begins at 40 seconds.
2. it will be a preliminary round with 5 tries per course per
player, including the Secret Course. The character will be the
player's choice. The top 64 players with the combine best
novice, expert, and secret scores will advance to the next
round. To make this tournament interesting, the expert and
secret courses will have a higher scoring grade than the novice
course, mostly likely double the normal score. This rule will
play out from the second round to the finals. The reason is to
emphasize technical skills on the board. Not just jump and jump
again. The second round will have 3 tries per course per player,
the character selected at random. The top 32 with the combine
best novice and expert scores will advanced. Again, 3 tries in
this round, character select at random. Top 16 advances. Again 3
tries, random characters. Top 8 goes to the finals. Here, the
duel begins. Each player has 1 try per character per course. The
expert and the secret courses are still set at double. All
scores will be cumulative to the final score. The highest
overall score in the final round is declared the winner.
If I was in charge of making Top Skater 2...
1. I would add a fourth course where the player goes through a
parking garage with cars that can be jumped on. Also, a jump
from one parking garage to another.
2. The wipeouts will have an effect on the player. Each wipeout
will damage the board, making control harder to maintain and the
board wobbles as its rolls. (SORT OF LIKE DAYTONA USA)
3. There will be twelve skaters: the six original, four more
girls, and two more boys:
MOSH (Your typical headbanger)
JUSHIN (The oriental grinder)
LILITH (Lady in Black, Goth-like)
XANDRA (The redhead with fire)
GENA (Swedish Fox with an attitude, dressed in urban camouflage)
SPICE (Black and Buffed)
4. The background should be interactive, such as having a
barking dog come after the player at random spots of the course.
And maybe biting you while he is on your baord.
**********************
Where To Find This FAQ
**********************
You can find a copy of this FAQ as well as updates at the
following locations:
rec.games.video.arcade
The Coin-Op Players Distribution Network
http://www.micro-net.com/~mvs/cop-dn.htm
I will ignore all requests for copies for this FAQ sent to me by
e-mail. My e-mail will only be used for comments and corrections
only.
**********************
Final Thoughts
**********************
This is a great game to play, for the skaters and non-skaters.
Great players rely on timing for the big points. This game
definitely needs to be hooked up to a large screen monitor for
display. Great for spectators to watch and see them Oooo and
Ahhh at each "impossible" trick. Excellent showoff game. High
traffic arcades should have two machines available. The drawback
I can see is the strength of the board. Many times I have seen
reports on the Internet and at the local arcades that the boards
are breaking off or knocked off their calibration. The engineers
should think of this further should Top Skater 2 or the like are
being planned. Maybe the band Pennywise should play at the end
of the game. Again, great game!!!! (I DON'T THINK THE HOME
VERSION WILL BE THE SAME!!!)
**********************
Credits & Thank You
**********************
I want to thank the following people who helped me with this FAQ
Funscape Entertainment Center, Wilmington, DE
- my stomping ground
Champion Arcade, Christiana Mall, DE
- my other stomping ground
SEGA
- For creating this great game
The Coin-Op Players Distribution Network
http://www.micro-net.com/~mvs/cop-dn.htm
- For posting this FAQ on their web site
Topaz (topaz@niagara.com)
- For helping me rememeber that third song (Try To Conform) in
the Novice Course and fixing the Novice S Class Finish song
(ME TRYING TO CONFORM???... HELL NO!!!!)
Galen Tatsuo Komatsu (gkomatsu@hawaii.edu)
& Kenta20 (kenta20@aol.com)
- For finding and posting the secret level
Trevor Patterson (pattersn@lightspeed.net)
- Info about grinding
"13BLACKCATS.... ....MICHELLE" (sliverflames@hotmail.com)
- More tricks for Keith & Cookie
Brian Robbins (http://cartoon-wavs.simplenet.com/arcade)
- Notes about the Big Code
All the posters on rec.game.video.arcade
- For providing confirmed codes before this FAQ was written and
for keeping the spamming to a minimum
(SPAMMING CAN LEAD TO BLINDNESS!!!)
