WANGAN MIDNIGHT    %%%    MAXIMUM TUNE
                 %  %%
                   %%
                  %%
  MAXIMUM TUNE   %%%%%   WANGAN MIDNIGHT


FAQ by Darrell Wong (DKW)


i. Stuff for CJayC
ii. Glossary
1. INTRODUCTION
2. BASELINE STUFF
3. COURSES AND FEATURES
4. COURSE MANAGEMENT
5. STORY MODE OVERVIEW
6. 1ST CYCLE
7. 2ND CYCLE
8. 3RD & 4TH CYCLES
9. 10 OPPONENT OUTRUN
10. BATTLEMANIA!!
11. THE PARTS BOX
APPENDIX: ABOUT THE MANGA


i. Stuff for CJayC
------------------
Date completed: 10/10/05
E-mail address: [email protected]
Version: Final


ii. Glossary
------------
Okay, before we do *anything*, let's get this squared away.  It's going to save
a LOT of confusion later.

 BAR - That thing that says something like "collect points to ugrade your car".
When you complete it, you get a tuning unit.
 BARRICADE - An obstacle placed at a strategic point in the road in the second
half of Story Mode.
 BATTLE - Japanese street lingo for a match (one on one) race.  A race with
more than two competitors is sometimes called a "super battle".  In arcade
racing, this is the general term for a player-vs.-player matchup.
 BLOCK - An advanced tuning unit, indicated by an orange block on the setup
screen.  This can also mean "get in the way of the other guy", of course, but
you'll know it when it happens.
 CYCLE - One complete run of the four tiers in Story Mode, a total of 20
stages.
 EXTRA BLOCK - An advanced tuning unit beyond the ten you can normally get.
This will appear in red if you put more than ten blocks in power or handling.
 FIRST HALF - The first two cycles of Story Mode, where you get all your
upgrades (except for one block, possibly two).
 GUIDE WALL - One of those transparent angled barriers on the side of the road
with arrows on it.
 MAXIMUM TUNE - Twelve blocks, the highest possible.  You only get this if you
complete all 80 stages of Story Mode without losing.
 RANK - Exactly how far you've progressed, indicated by your "Class" and
corresponding "Level".
 SECOND HALF - The latter two cycles of Story Mode, a fixed series of matches,
some against special opponents.
 SETUP - The power/handling block allocation you can set before each race.
 TIER - The five opponents in C class, B class, A class, and A+ class in the
first half; also the five for each "chapter" in the second half.
 TITLE - The cool/funny/weird/stupid/wicked/whatever label you have at the
moment.  You start with "Newcomer of Wangan".  This is separate from your rank.

Whenever I give two numbers separate by a dash as a setup (e.g. 4-6), the first
number is power, the second handling.


1. INTRODUCTION
---------------
Well, it had to happen.  Namco took a chance on a little-known offbeat manga and
found that they had an incredibly successful racing franchise on their hands.
Maybe it's because you could really build up a head of steam and didn't have to
worry about spinning out all the time.  Maybe it was the colorful computer
opposition, who started out easy but could really push you in the third cycle.
Maybe it was the uniqueness of the street courses and traffic hazards.  Or maybe
it was just thrilling to fall hundreds of meters behind and come back to win.

But with so many dedicated players tearing through Tokyo day and night, it
wasn't long before they exhausted most of its challenges (shelling out quite a
bit in the process).  The unbeatable times were set.  The most prestigious
titles became commonplace.  The much lauded "all unshaded" card became the
property of numerous dedicated drivers (myself included).

The time had come to take it to the next level.  More cars.  More opponents.
More challenges.  *Bigger* challenges.   And a veritable planet of titles to go
after, in cause there was the tiniest risk of someone possibly getting bored.
We were raring for it.

Now the question is...are we ready for it?

Changes from the previous game:
- A new course, Hakone, a rural road completely apart from Tokyo.
- 10 Opponent Outrun, a special challenge where you have to pass a total of 10
cars in a limited time.
- A tremendously expanded and MUCH harder Story Mode.
- More Story Mode runs and homestretches.
- Three- and four-player battle.
- Several new cars, including the now-playable Namco car and Namco van.
- Over 2,000 titles, all which you have the option of accepting or declining.

Special thanks to the good folks at Initiald.com and their WGMT2 message board,
http://www.initial-d.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=99  These are great guys with
a ton of knowledge.


2. BASELINE STUFF
-----------------
All cars have either 5 or 6 gears except for the Eunos Cosmo, Celsior, and
Alcyone (and the hidden Hiace) with 4.  The number of gears simply reflects the
cars' real life designs and has no bearing on acceleration, responsiveness, etc.

No matter what your skill level, you'll want something you can win with.  Here's
what I know about the cars I've used:

Mazda RX-8 - Very well-balanced; no real weaknesses.  Good for players of all
skill levels.  Because it has no major strengths, however, you need precise
control to win some of the tougher battles, especially on Hakone.

Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) - This thing is really tight...a double-edged sword.
Tight in that it has excellent grip in the corners and good control at high
speeds; also tight in that it *understeers* like crazy.  Expect to spend a lot
of time (and tokens) getting it right.  Acceleration and top speed are both
pretty good.  It's fantastic when it has the whole road to work with and great
for time trials.

Mazda Eunos Cosmo - Gah.  All bad, no good.  Its traction is especially
horrendous; expect to lose speed hand over fist in corners.  Take it from me;
don't pick one unless you don't mind losing battle after battle.  If you
complete Story Mode with this, you're pretty hardcore.

Subaru Alcyone SVX - About the best that can be said for it is that it's much
more powerful than the Eunos Cosmo, and it'd almost *have* to be.  Its top speed
is pretty unimpressive, and it slides way more than you'd like.  Okay choice,
but be prepared to work...and spend...a lot to get anywhere.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 - Very stable and easy to control, but with a
major tradeoff in speed.  Keeping your speed up out of corners is paramount, and
some normally non-problematic opponents can simply outmuscle you.  This is
probably the best beginner car and a very good choice for anyone unfamiliar with
this game.  Oh, and it *rocks* on Hakone, so definitely pick one up if you're
planning on spending a lot of time in the great outdoors.

Nissan Fairlady Z Version S - If you're looking for pure, raw speed, this is
your car.  It's a terror on the straightaways and can get back up to speed out
of the corners in instants.  As you'd expect, all this power comes with a price;
it takes turns wide and is difficult to control at high speeds.  It also takes
HUGE speed hits from wall and vehicle collisions, even minor ones.  Shouldn't be
your first car, but once you get fairly accomplished at the game, you're gonna
love it.

Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (R34) - Like a Skyline out of Hell.  This beast
has almost scary acceleration and can hit "freeway speed" in next to nothing.
It's pretty bulky, however, making it somewhat hard to turn, and its top speed
is decent but not spectacular.  Much like the Fairlady Z Version S, it'll take
some practice to realize its full potential.

Toyota MR2 - This sporty convertible has very solid control but not much else to
recommend it.  Because it's so small, it's great for hitting narrow gaps,
especially between your opponent and a traffic vehicle (something you'll have to
do a lot more than you'd probably like).  As long as you're not expecting to
accomplish incredible things, it's good to have.

Toyota Celsior - This is the "VIP racecar" owned by Gatchan.  The unusual thing
about it is that Gatchan is the only tuner who works on it, and some of his
upgrades are either strictly cosmetic or of limited use (gold emblem, underbody
lighting, etc.).  He also has the habit of wildly exaggerating the benefits of
the parts that actually help.  Other than that, this is just another pretty
powerful, drifty middle-of-the-packer.  It is not, repeat, NOT a ricer (geez,
see that tiny little spoiler it gets?), so don't ever get it for that.

Toyota Hiace - Not a performance vehicle by any means...and you'll know it right
away.  Slow, slow, slooooow, and scrubs off a ridiculous amount of speed in
every corner.  Simply getting through the first cycle can be a monumental
struggle, and be prepared to repeat many, many stages two or even three times.
If you can't think of a really good reason to get this, don't, and *definitely*
don't even think of accomplishing anything whatsoever with this.  This is the
ultimate battle car mainly because that's what most players get it for.

+ The hidden cars! +
For all of these, highlight the appropriate car in the select screen and do the
following motions on the shifter.  Don't rush; *take it easy* and make sure you
get all the shifts right.
 Celsior - Toyota Chaser, 6-4-3
 Fairlady 300ZX - Nissan Fairlady Z (second from the right), 6-4-3
 Corolla (Namco car) - Toyota Supra 2.5 GT, 4-1-2-6
 Hiace (Namco van) - Toyota MR2, 3-2-2-3-2-2-3-2-2 (DON'T RUSH!!)
These are among the *weaker* cars in the game, so don't expect to set world
record times or anything.

All the cars absolutely love to drift.  You have to go at a pretty slow clip to
avoid burning off a lot of speed.  Furthermore, the cars have powerful inertia,
meaning that even after you've made it through a turn, you have to be very
careful to avoid sliding.  This inertia also means that the inverse drift
(drifting one way, then the other) is impossible, so take it easy in those
chicanes.  On the plus side, the cars are stable even when drifting; you won't
fishtail unless you're actually trying to, and it's completely impossible to
spin out.  So don't be afraid to take those corners hard when you have to.

The two biggest speed-killing dangers are wall collisions and burnouts.  Taking
the corner a little too slow is ALWAYS preferable to either.  You take a speed
hit from every wall contact as before, but the penalties are *much* more severe
now.  In some instances, hitting the wall with a fender can bring you to nearly
a complete stop!  The speed loss is commensurate with the severity of the hit,
so if you can't avoid the wall, at least do your best to soften the blow.  A
burnout occurs when you push the tires well beyond their grip level, causing
them to spin uselessly with an unhealthy high-pitched squeal.  This generally
occurs in you hit the gas too hard in a sharp corner, but if you have a high-
power setup, even medium corners can cause this problem.  A burnout results in a
sudden, massive speed loss and should be avoided at all costs; knowing how to
"feather" the throttle in these situations is essential.

USE MANUAL TRANSMISSION.  It may take some time to get used to, but it's an
absolute necessity here.  Automatic cuts both your top speed and acceleration to
the point where some battles are completely impossible to win.  The only time
you want to use automatic is on Hakone with a 6-gear car with very powerful
acceleration (I always use it for my R34).  If you must use automatic all the
time, get a Hiace, which is so slow to begin with that the speed loss is
negligible.

As for shift points, the best thing to do is watch the point on the tachometer
where the speed stops climbing.  If you're pretty close to the ideal point,
that's fine.  In fact, you can be 20 KPH below the best point and still get
decent acceleration.  Corners can come up really fast, and sometimes the best
thing to do is leave it in one gear and gun it.  Keep in mind, too that uphill
and downhill stretches have a considerable effect on your powerband, and in
these cases you want to upshift later or sooner, respectively, to maintain good
acceleration.

Gacha (rapidly shifting up and back down) is now useless; it causes the car to
be stuck in neutral for about a second.  So there's no reason not to shift
honestly.  And if I may reiterate simply because it's that damn important,
*don't abuse the shifter!*  If it breaks, you can't use it!  Nothing about the
stick is pressure-sensitive, so there's absolutely no reason to use more force
than necessary.

Both Story Mode and player vs. player battles have traffic, consisting of
trucks, vans, and cars, which always appear in the same places.  Vehicles go at
a constant speed, and only a few change lanes.  It's best to avoid them,
obviously.  If you absolutely have to choose between running into a vehicle and
hitting the wall, the vehicle is always better, but you should always at least
attempt to stay clear.  It's possible to squeeze between a vehicle and the wall,
although this is a big risk due to the enhanced wall penalties and should only
be done as a last resort.  Any car can pull this off, so long as you have the
skill (and nerve).

- Subsection: about cards -
You'll need to buy a card to save your progress.  Your tuning, Story Mode
status, time trial results, and 10 Opponent Outrun progress (no times) are all
saved.  Each card is limited to 60 plays this time instead of 50 saves, so
there's no drawback to only playing one game a session.

You can transfer a card over from the first game, but only basic tuning and
mileage get transferred over.  Transferring your information invalidates the old
card.

Your game ends automatically when you run out of plays.  The next time you enter
the card, you have to renew it.  After renewing a card, you can make an
additional two copies of the old card before it becomes invalid.  Copied cards
are treated essentially the same as transfer cards, i.e. only basic tuning
completed and can't change anything important (the name *can* be changed).  The
only real use for this is to give a headstart to a friend (or sell it if you can
actually find a buyer); it's probably no use to you.


3. COURSES AND FEATURES
-----------------------
C1 is the western course.  It goes in both directions, the clockwise run being
Outbound and the counterclockwise one Inbound.  Outbound has lots of chicanes
and short straights, while Inbound has plenty of tight spaces and blind turns.

There are actually three New Belt Lines, a long course which is clockwise-only,
a shorter counterclockwise course, and a short clockwise course (rarely used).
For the sake of simplicity, I'll refer to them as "normal", "short", and
"reverse", respectively.  The normal course is marked by long straightaways and
gentle corners, while the short has all kinds of corners and straightaways of
varying lengths.

There are a number of special courses in Story Mode which cross from one part of
Tokyo to another:
 Metropolitan Highway - There are two of these, one each at the end of the
first and second cycles.
 Daiba downwards - Starts from the southern part of C1 Inbound, crossing over
to New Belt Line short at the bridge.
 Haneda Line uphill - Starts at the southwestern part of New Belt Line normal
(Back Straight), then cuts left onto C1 Outbound.  This only appears on stages
42 and 67.
 North course - The game calls it "New Belt Line C counterclockwise".  It
crosses from the northern part of New Belt Line short to C1 Inbound.
 Spiral - Called "C1 Outbound D" in the game, this does a complete circut of C1
Outbound, then continues eastward to the northern part of New Belt Line normal.
This only appears on stage 79.

The streets are all one-way, so clockwise and counterclockwise runs take place
on different roads.

There's one area in the middle that's shared by C1 and New Belt Line; I'll refer
to it as such throughout this FAQ.  Additionally, part of the Wangan Line (the
entire easternmost road where the game's title comes from) is shared between the
two New Belt Lines.

New to this game is Hakone, a course separate from Tokyo that goes in both
directions, called Inbound and Outbound.  It's tight and twisty with numerous
uphill and downhill stretches.  Your car's gearing is tightened up here.

In Story Mode, anything other than a full circuit is given a letter between A
and E; these just indicate exactly which part is being used.  Hakone has no such
designations.

An arrow indicator, either blue, yellow, or red, will pop up before every
corner.  Blue is a gentle turn, yellow is a fairly gentle to medium turn (always
less than 90 degrees), and red is a hard corner.  When two turns in succession
are coming up, a two-turn indicator will appear.  There are also straight green
arrow indicators pointing left, right, and straight; these are self-explanatory.
Finally, there's the classic "!", meaning that a hazard of some sort is coming
up.

I've taken the liberty of naming several places of note and where they appear.
Most of them are the finish points of certain battles.

Back Straight (New Belt Line normal) - A long, narrow, almost completely
straight stretch nearly opposite the Dragstrip.

Big D (North course) - A gentle left followed by a very short straight and a
medium left.  Known in the racing biz as a "double apex".

Boomerang (New Belt Line short) - A short climb leading to an extremely sharp
left followed by a straight downhill stretch.  A short distance before the
southbound Walls of Death.  Because it's on an uphill, you're going to be very
slow coming out.  Always downshift to second (first in a 4-gear) and leave it
there until you're back up.

Bridge (New Belt Line short and reverse) - A suspension bridge with curved ramps
leading to it in both directions.  If it's night, you'll see a burst of
fireworks (unless you're doing the reverse).  The bridge itself is perfectly
straight and easy to manage.

Crazy Snake (C1 Inbound) - Just before the Front Tunnel, this is three medium
turns in immediate succession with plenty of open spaces on both sides for you
to crash into.  A lot of the C1 Inbound battles go through here, so you'd better
get used to it.  The most difficult part, which will almost certainly kill at
least a few battles for you, is the troublesome third turn with the van in the
right lane.  I'll cover this in my Story Mode rundown.

Devil's Path (New Belt Line short) - A gentle right and long medium left in
succession followed by a short straight.  So called because this is where the
Devil Z passes through the first time you see it.  It's a little ways before the
Big D/Boomerang junction.

Dragstrip (New Belt Line normal) - The southwest-running part of the Wangan
Line.  It's an *extremely* long (over 5K), wide, almost completely straight
section.  All you gotta do here is relax, keep it in top gear, and avoid rear-
ending anything.

Dual Feed (shared road, northbound) - A wide left turn connected to two ramps,
the "main" ramp on the right and a narrow ramp on the left.  The normal
configuration has both ramps open (although there's no reason to take the narrow
one).  Some of the stages in the second half have a guide wall blocking off
either the main or the narrow ramp, and it also frequently shows up in battles.
I refer to this as the "special" configuration throughout this FAQ.  If the
guide wall goes to the right and cuts off the narrow ramp, it's no big deal, but
if it goes to the left and cuts off the *main* one, you have a really tricky
turn to deal with.

Front Tunnel (C1 Inbound) - This is the first tunnel on the complete C1 Inbound
course; it's straight most of the way, then hooks right near the end.  There's a
lot of traffic before and after the tunnel, so be alert, especially if this is
the finish.  It's just after the Crazy Snake.

Girderway (New Belt Line short) - A gently undulating stretch with a series of
U-shaped girders above the street.  It's a short distance past the bridge.

Hillcrest (shared road, northbound) - The top of the gentle uphill stretch
following the Walls of Death.

Motorcade (C1 Inbound) - Coming after the last tunnel on this course, this is 4-
5 vehicles in a line on the right lane of a narrow road.  Don't ever try to
squeeze by any of the vehicles on the right...it doesn't work.

Smasher (C1 Outbound) - A hard left followed immediately by a hard right, with
traffic in both.  Not too noteworthy in the previous game; a real pain now with
several battles that have it as the finish.

Snap Hook (C1 Outbound) - The corner connecting to the southbound Walls of
Death, easily the toughest right turn in the game.  The apex is a little *past*
the midpoint and very easy to miss.  Unless you're conservative *and* precise
here, you're taking a costly wall hit.  As with the Boomerang, you're going to
be slow coming out; gear accordingly.

Sucker Exit (New Belt Line short) - Just past the bridge, this is a nondescript-
looking left turn with a car or truck in the middle.  ALWAYS pass it on the
right.  The left side brings you right into a guide wall, and it's a *very*
tight fit between it and the car/truck.

Suicide Left (C1 Inbound) - The most challenging single corner in the game, a
extremely sharp left which quickly becomes an even more extremely sharp left
(this is known as a "decreasing radius" turn).  Unless you have a High Grip
setup, you must slow down well before entering it to have any chance of getting
through cleanly.  It's just after the Hillcrest.

Sunrise Straight (New Belt Line short) - An undulating straightaway exactly one
turn after the Trophy Dash.  If it's morning, you'll see the sun on the right.

Trap Tunnel (C1 Outbound) - Just before the Truck Overpass, this is a fairly
long, mostly straight tunnel.  It has a very nasty feature, the service area on
the left (the kind some bus stops have to prevent the buses from blocking
traffic).  You absolutely *must* stay clear of this space or you'll crash into
the curb.  Needless to say, if the finish is at the Truck Overpass, you're not
gonna win.

Trophy Dash (New Belt Line short) - The northeast-running part of the Wangan
Line.  It's a wide and relatively short stretch with plenty of traffic preceded
by a left-turning on-ramp.  This is the finish point for numerous battles, hence
the name.

Truck Overpass (C1 Outbound) - A long and almost entirely straight overpass with
a line of three trucks in the left lane.

Turnabout (New Belt Line normal) - This consists of a very hard right, a short
straight, and another hard right, after which you're driving the opposite way
you came.  It's almost immediately after the Dragstrip.  There's a car just
before the entrance to the first turn.  The computer opponents always pass this
on the inside (left) and get *very* pushy around here, so if there's one near
you, go outside.

Twister (shared road, northbound) - A gentle left/medium right combo coming
after a short straightaway.  It's right before the Walls of Death.

Walls of Death (shared road, both directions) - One of the most painful areas in
the city, and a challenge for even experienced players.  It consists of concrete
lane dividers contained within tight chicanes.  You'll face two dividers going
south and three going north.  Southbound, you have to make two hard turns in
succession a total of three times; you'll want to downshift one or two gears
depending on your car and tuning.  The north Walls require you to maneuver
between the dividers at a pretty high speed; hit closest opening for the first
two, but always take the third on the left, making a nice, *controlled* turn as
you do.  No matter what, do your best to stay clear of ALL the walls, left,
right, and (especially) center.


4. COURSE MANAGEMENT
--------------------
Probably the most important skill in the game (and one of the hardest to master)
is getting a good exit speed out of corners.  For the most part, getting the
exact entry speed isn't all that problematic; if you go a bit too hard, the car
will just scrub off some speed.  If you go in way too hard, however, you run the
risk of slamming the wall, or worse, hitting *both* walls.

With that said, it pays to be conservative.  If you need to brake, always do it
*before* you go in.  The more speed you cut on the nice, easy straight, the less
risky, handling-killing braking you have to do in the turn.  Try to get a good
idea of how much speed you can take through the corner.  Don't get impatient and
gun it out too soon, or you'll burn out the tires, which just holds you back
further.  For very sharp turns (marked by a red arrow), the best place to enter
is the *middle* (not the outside as conventional wisdom dictates).  If you're
too far inside, you'll more than likely slam into the outside wall; too far out,
and you either scrape the wall or take the turn wide.

Keep in mind that rear and side collisions are just as costly as head-ons.
Because of this, you never want to just go in hard and crank the wheel.  Even if
you manage to get pointed the right way, the car's inertia is more than enough
to ensure a rude greeting from the wall.  The only way to prevent this is to go
hard on the gas, resulting in an equally-undesirable burnout.  Again, brake
before entering and keep all the sides of your car clear.

Always turn the wheel as *little* as possible to get through a corner.  The best
example of this is the area between the second and third dividers in the
northbound Walls of Death.  If you line up at just the right place, i.e. as far
left as possible, you can get through the left of the divider with just a couple
of small movements of the wheel.  You'll stay completely clear of the walls and
barely have to get off the gas.  Look for the most efficient line through each
turn, and take as flat a route through those chicanes as you can manage.  Once
you get this down, you'll cut a *lot* of time.

Setups are always important.  If you're doing your best but just can't catch up
to a stubborn foe, it's a good bet that you have the wrong setup.  If you need
to get up to speed faster, favor power, and if you need to carry more speed
through the corners, switch to handling.  Sometimes it's not easy to tell which
one you need; only experience will tell you which direction to go.  Don't be
afraid to experiment; a setup that strikes you as unthinkable or ridiculous may
be just the ticket.

Whenever you're fighting for the lead, always keep in mind which risks are
reasonable and which aren't.  For example, on the Truck Overpass and the
Motorcade, squeezing between the vehicles and the wall is always a bad idea, but
fighting it out on the other side (on the lane divider) is fine, and in fact
often a necessity.  Trying to block someone in a hairpin is practically
suicidal, but if your handling is high enough, it can be done in a medium turn.
You're going to have to make plenty of on-the-spot decisions in crunch time, and
the best thing to do is keep your eyes open and let experience be your guide.


5. STORY MODE OVERVIEW
----------------------
Story Mode is the essential part of the game where you engage in battles and
gradually tune your factory vehicle into a fearsome master of speed.  Once you
have all the upgrades, you can keep going, uncovering the Wangan Midnight story
and taking on some one-shot opponents.

There are a total of four cycles.  For the first half, the cycles are further
divided into four tiers, C, B, A, and A+, with five opponents in each.  The
fifth opponent can be selected only after the other four opponents have been
beaten.  The exception is the last battle in A+, which is selectable only after
you've beaten everyone else.  For the second half, you must do all the battles
in order (since they're following a story).

All Story Mode battles have boost in effect.  What this does, essentially, is
make the computer car more powerful when it's behind you and less powerful when
it's in front.  Boost is considerably weaker than it once was, however, so don't
count on being able to make a comeback if you fall way behind.  (This works the
other way as well, but with a few exceptions, it's impossible to get a big lead
on the computer opposition.)  When the race reaches the homestretch, your
opponent loses some power, making it possible for you to either hold onto your
lead or make a dramatic last-second pass.  However, this effect is also a lot
less than it once was, and you're going to have to slug it out a lot more than
you'd probably like (you'll notice this a lot for the Truck Overpass and
Motorcade finishes).

Leading to the *new* ironclad mandate of Story Mode: Stay sharp!  Mistakes
really hurt you now, and you can't count on being able to make up a 200m deficit
like you did in the past.  Don't give up a winnable race, of course, but race
smart, not just hard.

Keep in mind, too, that they *always* take red arrow corners faster than you.
Always.  (It was *sometimes* possible to beat them out of a hairpin in the last
game with the single-bump method, but it's not happening now with the enhanced
wall penalties.)  They're very good at managing chicanes as well.  Since a lot
of races end soon after a red arrow corner or chicane, you're going to have a
*lot* of tight, nail-biting finishes no matter what.  Consider yourself warned.

Several battles pit you against two opponents.  You have to finish ahead of both
of them to win the battle; no prize for just the one here.  As for which vehicle
is one to beat, this is handled one of three ways:
- One car starts out ahead, but after you pass it, the other pulls in front, and
you have to hold it off to win.  I indicate the initial leader with "1" and the
other with "2".
- One car is always ahead at the end, the other just along for the ride.  I
indicate the opponent to beat with plus signs.
- Both cars equal in ability, or the car to beat varies.  No indicators.
Note: When I separate the names with "&", that indicates two opponents; when I
put a name in parenthesis, it's just someone else in the same car.

For the first cycle, each opponent you beat allows you to add a level to your
basic tuning.  These are parts that improve either your horsepower or overall
handling, and there are 10 levels for each.  If you lose, you get either one
third or one half of a level, usually the former, but if you win, all partial
progress is lost.  You don't earn any upgrades beyond basic tuning until you've
completed the first cycle, so there's no harm in losing a part level.  You can
complete power and handling in any order you like.  If you build up one
attribute two blocks more than the other, Rikako Ota will appear and admonish
you not to neglect an attribute, but otherwise, there are no consequences.

For the second cycle, each win fills 50% of the bar and a loss fills 25%.  It
doesn't matter how you fill the bar; once its full, you get an advanced upgrade.
If you fill the bar past 100% (i.e. win when it's at 75%), you lose the extra
25%.  You get a maximum of 10 blocks no matter what, so again, there's no harm
in losing a part level.

Beating someone you've already beaten gets you nothing, so don't bother beating
up on the easy opponents (as tempting as it is).

Completing the second half earns you one extra block, a nice little reward for
sticking it out.  If you manage to complete all of Story Mode without losing
even once, you get a second extra block for the much-coveted "maximum tune".

You can freely arrange these blocks between power and handling before the start
of any event, not just at the start of the game (a nice plus).

Setups go a long way toward determing your success in Story Mode, and it's good
idea to get a feel for them here.  In general, you want a Drift setup when
you're anticipating a slugfest at the end, Grip when you have a lot of corners
to deal with, and Balance in most other situations.  Save High Grip for when you
need it (usually but not always Hakone), and don't pour on the power for
anything other than the Wangan Line.

The difficulty of all the opponents is based on the total number of times you've
lost in Story Mode.  You start with no losses, of course, so they're initially
at the highest level.  When you lose, all future opponents get easier by a very
small set amount.  Depending on your car, this may mean that you rack up a lot
of wins before needing four attempts to get by a real monster or that you lose
to a whole bunch of opponents but rarely need more than a second attempt (the
LanEvo 8 is the perfect example of this).

The reason this is important is that there's no cut-and-dried difficulty for any
particular cycle or even tier.  Sweeping statements like "stages 41-80 are
easier than 20-40" are based on a lot of assumptions, none of which are
necessarily relevant to your situation.  In any event, don't worry if any
particular battle is easier or harder than it "should" be.  Just win the dang
thing however you can.

If you lose the same stage three times, it'll go *really* easy on you the fourth
time around; your opponents will be slower overall and lose a ton of speed in
the homestretch.  For all practical considerations, this is a "mercy rule"
automatic win.  Don't be surprised if it comes to this more than you'd like,
especially with the weaker cars, and don't be surprised if you find you're
completely unable to win certain stages any other way.  (Especially 59.  Brrr.)

Difficulty ratings:
 0: Street drag.  A pure horsepower battle culminating on the Dragstrip.  One
and done no matter what.
 1: Autocross.  A low-level battle to cut your teeth on.  Don't fall asleep or
anything and it's an easy first-crack win.
 2: Go-kart.  A fairly easy, straightforward matchup.  If you mess up, there's
usually time to make up for it.  Will rarely take more than one attempt;
definitely no more than two.
 3: Lights.  Similar to 2 but with a little more precision required and a
little less margin for error, especially at the end.  Setups are also starting
to become important.  Slightly more attempts overall.
 4: Pro stock.  They're starting to race for real.  You're going to struggle
without a good setup, and you can't afford big mistakes.  One or two attempts
depending on your skills; you shouldn't need three.
 5: Touring car.  They're running hard now.  A bad setup is instant doom, and
your cornering has to be smooth and precise for the entire course.  One attempt
if you're *really* good, two for the most part, and three if things don't go
your way.
 6: Grand prix.  Your setup, lines, braking points, exit speeds, *everything*,
have to be on the money.  If you win this on the first try, you're pretty damn
good.  Two is good, three is typical, and don't be surprised if it goes to four.
 7: 24 hour endurance.  Drivers with the reaction time of a supercomputer and
the control of a karateka.  Cars that fly like the wind and dance around
corners.  No mercy asked and none given.  The toughest of the tough.  It's going
to go to four pretty often, and don't be surprised if you're obliterated each of
the first three times.


6. 1ST CYCLE
------------
If you're familiar with the last game, be prepared to make a *big* adjustment
here.  This starts out pretty easy, but gets tough in a hurry, and the final
stage can be a total pain (althought thankfully it usually isn't).  If you're
new to WGMT2, just be prepared for a long battle to get through this cycle and
don't get discouraged.

There are a few battles where having the right amount of power or handling is
crucial, so you'll want to put some thought into the order you get your
upgrades.  Getting all 10 power upgrades first is now inadvisable (no reason to
do it other than the funky title), and all 10 handling will get you nothing but
a world of hurt (okay, and a title, if for some weird reason you want it).  With
few exceptions, balance will serve you well.

Speaking of which, you'll also need to put some thought into the order you take
on your opponents.  There are three potentially problematic battles, all in
places where you wouldn't expect them, making a straight 1-to-20 progression
unwise.  In general, though, you should go from C to B to A to A+, just like in
the previous game.  Take on the "quarter milers", Koichi Hiramoto and Takayuki
Kuroki, as soon as you have enough horsepower.

Course, homestretch, and difficulty beneath the stage.

TIER C
Stage 1: Akio Asakura
C1 Outbound / straightaway / 1
You should have no problem outrunning Akio's old bucket 'o bolts.  Make a smooth
turn in the last tunnel and the deal is sealed.

Stage 2: Kochan
C1 Inbound / Twister / 1
He's just a casual racer and won't test you.  At the Twister, ease off a bit in
the shallow left, then cut hard right at the apex and floor it ("slow in, fast
out").

Stage 3: Makoto Morishita
Daiba downwards / Trophy Dash / 1
Your first taste of this fast and dangerous homestretch.  Take the opportunity
to note the traffic patterns and where the open lanes are.  As a rule of thumb,
if you're in the lead heading into it, stay on the far left and take as straight
a line as possible; otherwise go immediately to the far right.  At the speeds
you're running at this early stage, it shouldn't give you any headaches.
Remember to pass the car on the right at the Sucker Exit.

Stage 4: Oki
Hakone Outbound / 1
The first and easiest countryside duel.  Don't get too fixated on your opponent,
just pay close attention to the arrows and keep all four wheels on the pavement.
The finish is four consecutive turns followed by a spectacular jump.  If Oki's
still hanging with you, he'll favor the left side; get by him on the right.  He
fades *very* badly in the homestretch, and you should have no difficulty putting
him away.

Stage 5: Reina Akikawa
New Belt Line short / Devil's Path / 1
An ordinary battle except for a little twist: The Devil Z makes a sudden
appearance almost immediately after you enter the Trophy Dash.  Don't worry
about beating it (you can't), just keep the pedal down and your front bumper
clear.  Take the final left turn as hard as you can manage.

TIER B
Stage 6: Yamashita
New Belt Line reverse / Hillcrest / 2
The third divider in the Walls of Death will decide the battle.  Make as smooth
as possible a turn into the left side (always the left) and level out.  Ease off
the gas or brake if you have to.  As long as you suffer no worse than a small
bump, you should carry enough speed to leave Yamashita behind.

Stage 7: Harada
C1 Outbound / Smasher / 4
If you're new to the game, this will probably be your first loss.  The
homestretch and southbound Walls of Death leading up to it make Harada a far
more dangerous opponent than he has any right to be.  You *must* take as flat a
line as possible to get a good overall speed through the Smasher (and if you
mess up, you'll quickly find out why I called it that).  Line up on the far
right, go left ASAP (this'll also get you clear of that inconvenient car in the
right lane), and *gently* cut back right.  You'll probably want some extra
handling to even the odds; I recommend clearing stage 8 and/or 9 first.

Stage 8: Hayashi
Hakone Inbound / 3
The Inbound is the tougher Hakone direction, and Hayashi knows this place like
the back of his engine block.  Fortunately, he's considerate enough to go easy
on a rookie.  Remember to keep your revs high for the uphill sections and brake
generously for all hairpins.

Stage 9: Kazuo Ota & Kazuhiko Yamamoto
C1 Inbound / Front Tunnel / 2
Make your own Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi joke here. :-) The main challenge is the Crazy
Snake, three turns full of speed-killing impediments a short distance from the
homestretch. Maintain a moderately fast pace and keep a good distance from the
walls.  For the final van, just stay in control and pass it on the left, then
take the right lane through the tunnel.

Stage 10: R200 Club
This battle has two parts, both of which you have to win.  If you win the first
part but lose the second, you start over at the first part the next time you do
this battle.

part 1 - +Motoki+ & Teizuka
New Belt Line short / Boomerang / 5
Now you start paying your dues.  This one is really, really easy to lose because
of one thing...the homestretch.  Your ability to take a hairpin turn under
pressure will be tested.  Brake hard before you go in, turn the wheel all the
way to the left, and work the throttle *gently*.  YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT BURN
OUT.  If you manage to get a good exit speed, you should be able to catch up to
Motoki (he *will* be ahead of you out of the turn, get used to it) and beat him
to the line.  Skip this if you have *any* doubts about your ability to win it.

part 2 - Sonoda
New Belt Line short / Trophy Dash / 2
Once you've gotten by that CCR bastard, Sonoda's barely an afterthought.  If he
somehow manages to be with you at the Trophy Dash, go right.

TIER A
Stage 11: Yamanaka
New Belt Line normal / Twister / 1
Coffee Break!  (Gratuitous Gran Turismo 4 reference).  This battle takes place
on the easiest course in the cycle, incorporating the Dragstrip, the Back
Straight...and not much else.  Yamanaka's taking it easy here and won't test
you.

Stage 12: Keiichiro Aizawa
C1 Outbound / Truck Overpass / 3
If you manage a clean run and beat him to the Trap Tunnel, he's finished.  If he
beats you there...well, you can still win.  Attack him hard at the Truck
Overpass, and he *will* give you an opening.  You'll get him by centimeters
instead of meters, but they all count the same.

Stage 13: Koichi Hiramoto
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 0
As long as you have the 7th power upgrade (the big turbine), Koichi can do
nothing but stare at your rear bumper and grumble.  If you don't have enough
power, he'll make a charge at the end and pull close at around the 200m mark.
Lean into him hard, and it should check him enough for you to nose him out.

Stage 14: Koichi Kijima
C1 Inbound / Front Tunnel / 2
Speed Writer has a little more fight than the Kaz/Kaz duo, but you have plenty
of time to ditch him.  Again, keep right in the tunnel.

Stage 15: Gen Goto & +Tomoya+
C1 Outbound / Smasher / 5
Yikes.  Just like Harada, except against a faster car, not to mention a buddy to
provide interference.  Getting a good exit speed out of the Smasher is
absolutely paramount.  Gently fade to the outside on the second turn just to
keep those wheels turning.  Oh, and try not to get blocked, either.  You
probably...*very* probably...want to save this for last.

TIER A+
Stage 16: Tatsuya Shima
North course / Motorcade / 3
The biggest danger is hitting the wall of the tunnel just before the Motorcade
(I've done it a bazillion times).  *Brake* and make sure you don't touch it.
The Blackbird will pass you if you hit the wall or brake too much; if so, go for
the gap between it and the traffic vehicles.  It's gonna be close, but this
ain't horseshoes.

Stage 17: Eiji Kamiya
New Belt Line short / Girderway / 1
No sweat.  Absolutely nothing that can trip you up between the Sucker Exit and
the finish line.

Stage 18: Masaki
C1 Inbound / Motorcade / 3
Same deal as stage 16.  Masaki's got a slightly stronger ride, so do Taz first.

Stage 19: Takayuki Kuroki
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 0
Another straightforward charge down the Wangan Line.  You'll want the 9th power
upgrade (engine balancing) for this.

Stage 20: Dance with the Devil
Same conditions as the R200 Club.  This takes place on the first Metropolitan
Highway course.  The first part begins at the start of the Trophy Dash and goes
all the way to the Big D.  The second part does a complete circuit of C1 Inbound
before making the turn to New Belt Line normal, culminating at the end of the
Dragstrip.

part 1 - Reina Akikawa-2 & Tatsyua Shima-1
Metropolitan Highway 1 / Big D / ?
Taz enters the picture at first big left.  If you can get ahead of him, he'll
graciously allow Reina a crack at you.  The end of this section is a hard left
followed by a gentle right leading to the Big D, and you have to take it *all*
cleanly and without braking too much.  Blocking Reina's agile GT-R is almost
impossible, so you're just going to have to be faster.  If you can take the Big
D in a single, controlled turn, do it.  Otherwise, level out and make the second
as tight...and fast...as possible.  As for the difficulty, that depends entirely
on how good your car is at holding a corner.  It's a piece of cake for the R32
but an utter nightmare for the Eunos Cosmo.  No kidding; I lost to Reina THREE
TIMES with that slip-sliding hunk of junk.  The Alcyone wasn't much better, with
two losses.

part 2 - Akio Asakura-1 & Tatsyua Shima-2
Metropolitan Highway 1 / Dragstrip / 0
Reina misses the big dance due to some mechanical failure.  It doesn't matter,
though, because only one person is walking away a champion tonight...you.  This
is as close to an automatic win as you will get in this game.  20-50m is
typical, and I've seen upwards of 200m.  Too, too easy.


7. 2ND CYCLE
------------
If you're here, you either fought your way through the first cycle or
transferred a card from the previous game.  Either way, get ready for a brawl.
The big guns are out and after your blood.  The first few opponents are pretty
managable, but it gets intense in a hurry, and near the end, your margin for
error is microscopic.

C'mon, this is the street racing capital of the world...you didn't think making
your mark here would be easy, did you?

Anyhow...setups, setups, setups.  Take note of which setups work best on which
courses.  If it's unwinnable, skip it 'till it ain't.  If you have trouble
remembering this, don't worry, it'll get drilled home soon enough.

Here's my recommended order for the opponents:
 1. Beat Gatchan and Rikako first, followed by Kochan and Oki, then Pinky (in
other words, do the C tier first).
 2. Beat Yamashita.  This gives you 3 blocks, enough to take out the
Harada/Koichi Hiramoto duo.  If you get 3 blocks before facing Yamashita, you
can do the latter first; it doesn't matter.
 3. The 8th opponent should be either Makoto Morishita, Yamanaka, or Keiichiro
Aizawa.  If you still have only 3 blocks, they're all going to be a challenge.
Rule of thumb: Grippy and stable - Morishita, fast out of corners - Yamanaka,
anything else - Aizawa.
 4. Do the other two, and also knock out Takayuki Kuroki as soon as you have 5
blocks.
 5. Finish up tier B.  5 blocks should take care of Hayashi, and 6 is *just*
enough to do away with the Kazzes.  Sonoda should go down in short order to
whatever you take to him (you *might* need a second attempt).
 6. Beat Koichi Kijima, then Reina Akikawa and Masaki in either order.
 7. Take on Inky & Blinky as many times as it takes to beat them.  Save the
Kamiyas for last.

Assuming your car is at least decent, you shouldn't have any problems sticking
to this schedule all the way up to the Mako/Yama/Kei/Taka foursome.  A few of
the slow cars will need an extra block for the "quarter milers", H/KH & TK;
adjust your schedule accordingly.  If you struggle horribly against Hayashi or
the Kazzes, get an extra block from any of the higher-up competition (win if you
can; don't get too upset if you can't) and go back to your nemesis when you're
better equipped.  Sonoda shouldn't take more than two tries no matter what.  If
any of the last four opponents *or* the final battle are unbeatable...keep
trying.  As long as you never give up, you *will* eventually get the best of
them.

Remember that losing to an opponent makes him easier the next time.  Therefore,
if you have a 3/4 full bar, you might want to take on one of the toughest
remaining opponents (most likely either Reina or the Kamiyas).  You get a jump
on tuning and a slightly easier rematch, which may actually save you a credit or
two over the course of the cycle.  Of course, if you somehow manage to win it,
so much the better.  (I pulled off the most incredible win over Kazuo & Kazuhiko
with 3 power and no handling.  With my Celsior.  I wish I could make stuff like
this up.)

I've made setup recommendations whenever applicable.  Again, it's easy to get
half bars and even full bars by losing, so I won't get too specific unless it's
called for.

TIER C
Stage 21: Gen "Gatchan" Sasaki
Daiba Downwards / Trophy Dash / 2
Give him credit for hanging in there, no small feat given his car and his
general cluelessness.  Of course, that won't stop you from whipping him.  Favor
whichever side of the Trophy Dash is open, per usual.

Stage 22: Kochan
C1 Inbound / Twister / 3
Recommended setup: 0-1
He's become proficient at the last-second pass, so you definitely want a
handling block to even the odds.  As long as you can keep your speed up in the
final turn, he'll come up short.

Stage 23: Rikako "Rikako" Ota
Daiba Downwards / Trophy Dash / 2
Anyone else find it weird that her nickname is the same as her given name?
Anyway, she's fast in the early going, but just as weak as Gatchan on the Trophy
Dash.  Your basic tuning is plenty sufficient.

Stage 24: Oki
Hakone Outbound / 2
Recommended setup: 0-1
His car's a lot faster, but so is yours, and he still collapses hard at the end.
Net result, still an easy win.  Remember to brake a little earlier due to the
increased speeds.

Stage 25: Pinky
New Belt Line short / Devil's Path / 3
Recommended setup: 1-1
For some reason, a pair of classic Namco characters have decided to do a, er,
reenactment of your first encounter with the Devil Z (that's Pac-Man in the
mystery car that shows up).  The only danger is the final turn with that
inconvenient truck in it.  If Pinky gets beside you, put a fender on him pronto,
and you should hold him off long enough to beat him to the line.

TIER B
Stage 26: Yamashita
New Belt Line reverse / Hillcrest / 4
Recommended setup: 1-1 (1-2 if you have a third block)
Once again, you need to get through the final divider cleanly, which is a
considerably bigger challenge with 600 base horsepower.  You need a dash of
muscle to beat him on the uphill; Balance is the ticket here.  Remember, the
only good wall contact is no wall contact!

Stage 27: Makoto Morishita</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
C1 Outbound / Smasher / 4 to 5
Recommended setup: 1-2 or 1-3
Funny what getting a new car does to her personality...not funny what it does to
your chances of beating her.  Put the majority of your blocks into handling and
do your best to keep up.

Stage 28: Hayashi
Hakone Inbound / 5
Recommended setup: 1-4 or 1-5
Now it's for real.  He'll win running away if you neglect power; always spare a
block.  On the handling side, 4 should do the job, and 5 is definitely enough.
Time Trial practice is also a good idea, as Hakone is a much different beast
with 620 horsepower than it was in the first cycle.

Stage 29: Kazuo Ota & Kazuhiko Yamamoto
C1 Inbound / Front Tunnel / 5
Recommended setup: 5-1, 5-2, or 6-1
An ordinary back-and-forth battle...up to the Crazy Snake, where they turn it up
four or five notches.  One thing that'll definitely help your chances for
victory is how you pass the final van in that tricky section.  Pass it on the
*right*, then quickly rejoin the main road.  That way you take it all in one
smooth, continuous motion rather than having to brake and crank hard to the
left, killing your speed.  Your opponents will get by you no matter what, and
you have to FLY down the final stretch or they'll simply outrun you.  Not an
easy battle by any means; definitely save this for later if you have to!

Stage 30: Sonoda
New Belt Line short / Trophy Dash / ?
Recommended setup: 6P
Sonoda isn't that great a racer, but he's a bullet on the Wangan Line.  He's
also annoyingly effective at shoving you into stuff when you try to pass him.
Just stay close and don't fight it out until you hit the homestretch.  Exactly
how hard he is to beat can vary tremendously (I'd rate him a 3 or 4 in most
circumstances).  In any event, 6P will do the job, and 5P will *usually* work,
but not always.

TIER A
Stage 31: Yamanaka
New Belt Line normal / Twister / 4 to 5
Recommended setup: 0-3 or 0-4
A long, relaxing cruise through wide-open straights culminates in a vicious
half-kilometer shootout.  The best way to get a good exit speed through the
Twister is to stay near the left wall in the first corner, back off the throttle
a *little*, then cut sharply but smoothly to the right at the apex.  By taking a
wide line in the first turn, you avoid burning off a lot of speed and can really
sprint to the finish.  Be sure to get this down; you're going to have to do this
many more times over the course of Story Mode.

Stage 32: Keiichiro Aizawa
C1 Outbound / Truck Overpass / 4 to 5
Recommended setup: 3-0 or 4-0
Per usual, you can beat Cake the hard but surefire way (hold him off before the
Trap Tunnel) or the kinda easy, not so surefire way (let him reach the Trap
Tunnel first, then get him on the Truck Overpass).  Either way, you'll want
enough power to make a charge.

Stage 33: +Koichi Hiramoto+ & Harada
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 0
Recommended setup: 3-0
For once it's Harada's machine, not his arrogance, that betrays him; he'll blow
the engine with about 2.2K to go (watch for a telltale stream of smoke).  Stay
alert; he'll be ahead of you at that point.  Other than that detail, this is
just another Hiramoto drubbing.

Stage 34: Koichi Kijima
Hakone Outbound / 5
Recommended setup: 1-5 or 2-5
He can haul on this course, but as long as you remain calm and patient, he can
be had.  You might want to take a little more power than usual for the
homestretch.

Stage 35: Inky & +Blinky+
C1 Outbound / Smasher / 5 to 6
Recommended setup: 2P
I can understand wanting to be like Akio or Reina, but isn't ACE a little small-
time?  Anyway, the Smasher is never an easy finish, but by now you have the
experience and tuning to handle it.  This shouldn't take more than two tries.

TIER A+
Stage 36: Reina Akikawa
North course / Motorcade / 5
Recommended setup: 6P
Consider this a primer for the high-risk battles you'll be facing in the second
half.  The Reina GT-R is like a white comet in the final kilometer; you have no
choice but to match her power.

Stage 37: +Eiji Kamiya+ & Maki Kamiya
Hakone Inbound / 5 to 6
Recommended setup: 2P
Eiji is a skilled, precise, fearless opponent, and you have to take a little
risk if you want to beat him.  2P will get the job done; the rest is up to your
ability.  Don't let Maki get in your way.

Stage 38: Masaki
C1 Inbound / Motorcade / 4
Recommended setup: 5P
Pretty much the same deal as Reina, although thankfully not nearly as
devastating.  5P is plenty enough.

Stage 39: Takayuki Kuroki
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 0
Recommended setup: 5-0
Aside from the enhanced power requirement, this is exactly the same battle as
the last time.

Stage 40: The End of the Beginning
Recommended setup: 3P or 4P (see below)
Same deal as the finale to the first cycle.  This one uses a shorter (and
tougher) Metropolitan Highway.  The first part takes place on New Belt Line
reverse, beginning just before the turnoff on the Dragstrip and ending a shade
after the Suicide Left.  The second part completes a circuit of C1 Inbound,
switches to New Belt Line short via a connector (the same as on Daiba
Downwards), continues all the way past the Trophy Dash to a sharp left, and ends
on the ensuing straightaway.

This is the toughest, meanest battle of the entire first half for one reason:
You need a setup that can win both parts.  A too-powerful setup will kill you in
the first, but a lack of power spells doom in the second.  3P and 4P have the
best chances of success, but if you made it to this point with no or very few
losses, 3P will definitely *not* be enough.  You know your vehicle better than
anybody, so you decide.

part 1 - Reina Akikawa & +Akio Asakura+
Metropolitan Highway 2 / Suicide Left / 7 (aggregate)
As with Tatsuya previously, Akio will make his presence known a short distance
into the battle.  Unlike Tatsuya, he wants to beat you.  Badly.  Your task is to
navigate the always-treacherous Walls of Death while catching up to him, then
take the lead before the Suicide Left (if you don't, he's gone)...and keep it
after.  In other words, you need enough power to catch up to the ferocious Devil
Z *and* plenty of handling to get through all those tight turns at speed.  For
the Suicide Left, downshift *at least* two gears and brake well before going in.
If you're even a shade too hot, you're skidding right into the wall, and Akio
will blow by you before you have time to scream.  You *might* be able to block
him if you can stick in the very middle of the turn, but considering that it
gets sharper midway through, that's easier said than done.  Well, it's the final
battle, so you just gotta find a way to win...can you do it?

part 2 - Akio Asakura-1 & Tatsuya Shima-2
Metropolitan Highway 2 / Sunrise Straight
Don't relax; your work is far from over.  First off, drive cleanly and avoid all
accidents.  Mess up, and it's Akio's race.  When you get to the Trophy Dash,
head to the right pronto.  Your foes will duke it out in the middle, and unless
you stay the heck out of there, one of them's putting you into a vehicle and
spraying exhaust in your face.  If you manage to exit the final turn in the
lead, congratulations...you're about to find out if you have enough power to
finish the job.  If Taz noses by you for even a moment, the answer is no, and
it's back to square one for you.  You're earning this one, tomodachi!


8. 3RD & 4TH CYCLES
-------------------
Thought the second cycle was tough?  Thought it was grueling?  Well, yeah, of
course it was...but even that's nothing compared to what you're up against now.
You'll be facing the toughest conditions the game has to offer, and, far more
often than not, the toughest opponents you'll ever face.

You've hit the big time...and it's about to hit you back hard.

The tiers are spread out into "chapters", each chapter containing two tiers.
You have to take everyone in order; no skipping ahead.  You don't get any
upgrades until the very end, so every stage is essentially make or break.  These
stages are all based on actual events in the manga, some of them even using
dialogue from the first half the way it was actually said in the manga.

Setups are paramount now.  In particular, you never want to leave yourself short
on power.  There are several battles where 10-0 is ideal or even a necessity; if
you're not used to this, it's a good idea to practice it in time trials.

Remember those long, easy straights?  Well, guess what, they're a lot shorter
and definitely not easy.  Nearly every long straightaway has one or more red-
and-white barricades, and hitting one costs you every bit as much as hitting a
wall.  For the most part, you'll see them before you get to them, and they're
not really a threat; just keep your eyes open.  There are two locations,
however, where the barricades are a colossal headache; not surprisingly, both
are on the Wangan Line.

On the Dragstrip, you first come across three barricades forming a tight,
roughly clockwise opening, then two framing a narrow gap right in front of the
left wall.  For the first, line up roughly in the middle of the open half of the
road, turn in, level out *immediately*, and follow the rest of the open space
out.  For the second, line up fairly close to the left barricade, hit the
opening as squarely as possible, and level out quickly.  (It may take a while to
find the ideal angles of attack, which, like so many other things, depends in
part on your car.)  It's much easier said than done; expect to crash a lot of
times before you get it down.  Just to make things even more interesting, the
very first time you encounter these barricades is in a do-or-die battle against
Akio and Tatsuya.

The Trophy Dash has three barricades which force you to go left, right, and
left.  This can be an absolute nightmare, especially with the traffic that
usually clogs these passages, and doubly so if you're fighting an opponent for
the lead.  My only advice is to ease off the gas as much as you need to.  If you
hit a barricade here, your opponent will quickly become a tiny speck on the
horizon.

Finally, you'll be faced with the special configuration at the Dual Feed a
number of times.  The default is the difficult setup with the wide ramp blocked
off; on occasion (and I have no idea what causes this), it's the much easier
narrow-blocked one.  Watch for telltale left-pointing arrows before you hit the
area; if you don't see any, you've gotten a reprieve.  For the sake of
simplicity, I'll assume wide-blocked for every stage with the special
configuration.  The special configuration only appears on the stages that have
barricades.

Little note about the Hiace: There are a few stages where you have to cover a
lot of ground quickly, most notably 53.  Because the Hiace burns off so much
speed in the corners, you may want acutally want to go with one or two handling
blocks more than the recommendation.  You'd be amazed how much of a difference
gaining even 10 KPH out of the corner can make.

- RETURN OF THE DEVIL Z -
Stage 41 [Encounter]: Akio Asakura
Daiba Downwards / Trophy Dash / 2
Recommended setup: 5-5 or 6-4
A blast from the past featuring that old non-infernal Fairlady.  You should make
quick work of it.  Tatsuya will show up, but only to tantalize you.

Stage 42 [S30Z]: +Akio Asakura+ & Kochan
Haneda Line uphill / Truck Overpass / 3
Recommended setup: 5-5
Your first of two matchups on this crossover course.  The one trouble spot is
the tiny little turnoff road that connects New Belt Line normal to C1 Outbound.
If there's a way to get through there without giving up a lot of ground, I'm
unaware of it.  Other than that, this is nothing fancy.  Akio isn't putting it
all on the line...that'll come later.

Stage 43 [Reina]: Reina Akikawa
C1 Inbound / Front Tunnel / 6
Recommended setup: 3-7
"Hi.  I'm a famous pop idol with a finely-tuned GT-R, and my favorite hobby is
using said GT-R to blast by pathetic suckers like they're going backwards and
make them run crying to their mommies.  And you?"  Once again, the Crazy Snake
is the key, and only lots of handling will avail you.  Hope you've perfected the
final-van-right-side-swing-around...you're definitely gonna need it now.

Stage 44 [The Devil Z]: Akio Asakura
Hakone Outbound / 4
Recommended setup: 1-9
Akio's somewhere between Oki and Koichi over here.  By now you should be good
enough to win this on the first crack.

Stage 45 [Rival]: +Akio Asakura+ & Tatsuya Shima
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 7
Recommended setup: 10-0
++ DUAL FEED SPECIAL CONFIGURATION ++
You asked yourself how much you wanted it.  Now you're going to find out.  Okay,
first off, this is the first battle that uses the most difficult configuration
at the Dual Feed.  You have to make a sharp turn to an extremely narrow
road...not easy under the best of circumstances, but downright hairy with the
setup you'll need to win this.  Start on the far right and make the turn SLOWLY,
making sure you hit the ramp flush.  If you crash here, your opponents will soon
become a fond memory.  The real battle starts once you hit the Dragstrip, where
the Devil Z is an absolute rocket.  Oh yeah...did I mention the barricades?  GET
OFF THE GAS and slow down as much as you have to; you absolutely cannot hit
*anything*!  If Akio's even with you at either entrance, *let him go first*.  If
you try to fight it out with him (or worse, Tatsuya), he's going to shove you
right into the barricade and end whatever infinitesimal chances of victory you
had.  If you make it through cleanly, congratulations...now you find out if 800
horsepower is enough.  That's right, IT SOMETIMES ISN'T. (All together now:
"Yeeeeeeesh!!") This is the first battle that requires near-flawless driving
*and* a trainload of determination.  Hope you're not poor or anything!

Stage 46 [Memories of my Brother]: Eriko
New Belt Line short / Girderway / 2
Recommended setup: 5-5
Time for an extremely welcome breather with this minor character (her brother
was the previous owner of the Devil Z).  No worries here; just keep the rubber
side down.

Stage 47 [The Devil Tuner]: Tatsuya Shima (Jun Kitami)
C1 Outbound / Truck Overpass / 2
Recommended setup: 5-5
Taz isn't going to push it with an important passenger, so this one's no biggie.
5-5 will work just fine.

Stage 48 [Instruction Course]: Akio Asakura (Rumi Shimada)
Hakone Inbound / 4
Recommended setup: 1-9
A simple Hakone battle, if any Hakone battle qualifies as simple.  You should
have the lead for good just before the last turn.

Stage 49 [Teach Me]: +Akio Asakura+ & Reina Akikawa
New Belt Line normal / Twister / 5
Recommended setup: 3-7
Teach her what, how to drop that bogus dainty-little-Japanese-lady act?  :-)
Well, this battle goes from the Dragstrip to the Back Straight, and you know
what that means...280KPH EXTREME BARRICADE SLALOM!!  Actually, since you don't
need a fistful of power like in stage 45, getting through isn't a pain.  The
real challenge is at the Twister.  Remember, slow in, fast out, and keep the
out-of-control sliding part to a minimum.  The Devil Z is like quicksilver in
consecutive corners, meaning that you'll almost certainly have to block it in
the final straight.  If you're using the third-person view, make sure you
remember which "R" it is (green).

Stage 50 [From Today]: +Akio Asakura+ & Tatsuya Shima
New Belt Line short / Trophy Dash / 7
Recommended setup: 10-0
More like From Stage 45, and by extension, From Hell.  The start is the toughest
part, with the by now extremely hated barricades (just take it easy and make
smooth turns), but the finish against an extremely powerful Devil Z is just as
harrowing.  As before, 10P may or may not be enough, and you have no choice but
to keep pounding away until it is.

- R200 CLUB -
Stage 51 [The True R Rider]: Reina Akikawa-2 & Takayuki Kuroki-1
North course / Devil's Path / 6
Recommended setup: 6-4
I actually think this is a fair challenge even though I rate it a 6.  It's
mainly a test of reaction times and course knowledge, not a back-breaking slalom
against two insanely powerful supercars.  If you're good enough, you *can* win
this on the first crack.  Anyway, the primary objective is catching up to
Glasses Man, not easy due to his nasty habit of knocking vehicles in your way.
It takes them a while to return to their "correct" lanes; use this opportunity
to pass them.  Remember to be courteous and don't fight anyone at the barricade
entrances.  If you're ahead at the final corner, Reina will make a charge, so
keep that red R squarely behind you.

Stage 52 [Night On Racing]: Yasuhiko Miki
C1 Inbound / Motorcade / 2
Recommended setup: 5-5
Yas-who-hiko?  Bah...just another domino to be knocked down.  He can pass you,
but not when it matters.

Stage 53 [The Feeling Team]: The Feeling Team
New Belt Line normal / Twister / 4 to 6 (depends on a few things)
Recommended setup: 10-0 or 9-1
The interesting (i.e. grossly unfair) thing about this battle is that you start
out 4K behind...that's right, four thousand meters.  The other interesting thing
(i.e. the only reason this battle actually winnable) is that your opponent's car
goes at a constant, fairly slow pace for the entire battle.  You have a whole
bunch of straight stuff to work with, so make good use of it with a power setup.
If you can stay clear of traffic and get decent corner exit speeds, this
actually isn't too tough.

Stage 54 [R200 Club]: +Motoki+ & Teizuka
New Belt Line reverse / Hillcrest / 6
Recommended setup: 7-3 or 6-4
Motoki has Yamashita's laserlike precision and about 200 more ponies.  As
before, it's coming down to the final straight, and it's going to be close.

Stage 55 [Here I Go]: Sonoda
C1 Inbound / two gentle corners / ?
Recommended setup: 4-6 or 5-5
Again, it all depends on how much he wants it.  You'll want *just* enough
handling to deal with the Suicide Left and the twisty finish.

Stage 56 [YMSpeed]: Kazuhiko Yamamoto
New Belt Line short / Girderway / 2
Recommended setup: 5-5
An unremarkable battle with a simple homestretch.

Stage 57 [BCNR33]: Takayuki Kuroki-2 & Tatsuya Shima-1
New belt line normal / Dragstrip / 1
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE 10-0, BROTHER
The barricades have been removed for this battle (woo hoo!), so there's
absolutely no reason not to go full-bore.  Not exactly a milk run due to the
speeds you'll be hitting, but still as easy as it gets in the second half.

Stage 58 [Cap Turbo Setting]: Jun Kitami (Ko Tominaga)
C1 Outbound / two reverses in a row / 2
Recommended setup: 4-6
Hmm...left and right, then right and left...where have I seen this before?
Jun's a master tuner but an average racer, and you'll be done with this
encounter in short order.

Stage 59 [Riding Motivation]: Akio Asakura-1 & Tatsuya Shima-2
New Belt Line normal / Hillcrest / Hardest battle in Story Mode by about 100KM
Recommended setup: 7-3 or 8-2
Hope you enjoyed that little spate of managable stages, because you are now
about to enter an endless nightmare.  Same old story...you need to catch up to
the Devil Z, and then you need to stay ahead of it, as crushing a task as ever.
The problem here is that you have a lot less ground to do it with.  And the
finish line is just after the Walls of Death, which makes the task even tougher
(and practically a lost cause if Akio is ahead of you).  Need I mention Taz's
continuing repulsive habit of knocking you off balance every freaking chance he
gets?  There are about a million ways to lose this crazy battle, and if this is
your first time, you might be looking at *five* attempts.  Seriously.  It's that
hard.  Of *all* the battles in Story Mode, this is not only the one I needed
mercy the most often, but the only one I *never* beat on the first attempt (and
I managed it in two only twice).  That hard.

Stage 60 [That Which Matters]: Takayuki Kuroki & +Akio Asakura+
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 1
10-0 IS WHERE IT'S AT
Man, this tier...if it just weren't for that last stage, dagnabbit.  You guessed
it, barricade-free Wangan Line power battle redux.  Glasses Man will fall out of
contention less than 2K from the end, just after passing between two cars; get
by them and out of his way pronto.  When you have the freedom to go flat out,
even the Devil Z can't touch you.

- MONSTER MACHINE -
Stage 61 [The Phantom Speed Liner]: Keiichiro Aizawa
New Belt Line normal / Twister / 6
Recommended setup: 1-9 or 2-8
"Lastly, we have a gentle left that quickly reverses to a big medium right,
which is where my monster Supra becomes a barely perceptible blur that flies
across the finish line while your mouth is still hanging open."  Use handling,
lots of it, and milk every last drop of exit speed out of the final turn.  If
your tires burn even a little too much, it's your loss.

Stage 62 [Demo Car]: Kazuhiko Yamamoto (Gen "Gatchan" Sasaki)
Daiba Downwards / Trophy Dash / 6
Recommended setup: 7-3
Do pre-production cars usually run like they belong in the World Rally
Championship?  You're going to have to burn up the straightaways, but you can't
afford to surrender ground in the corners, either.  7-3 is your best bet, but
you need a super run no matter what.

Stage 63 [Host]: Keiichiro Aizawa ("Tatsuya"...not Shima, some other Tatsuya)
C1 Inbound / Twister / 2
Recommended setup: 3-7
Cake borrows a page from Crazy Taxi in this routine battle.

Stage 64 [Manager]: Reina Akikawa (Manager)
C1 Outbound / Smasher / 6
Recommended setup: 3-7 or 4-6
Geez, is there anyone on the planet she *doesn't* hate?  Other than the
terrified passenger, this is the usual have-enough-power-to-catch-up-but-not-so-
much-that-you-burn-off-speed-in-the-corners dealie.  Don't get impatient; this
is the toughest battle ending at the Smasher to date.

Stage 65 [Out Runs]: Yamanaka-1 & Tatsuya Shima-2
New Belt Line normal / Twister / 3
Recommended setup: 3-7
I'm sensing a rather annoying pattern here.  Anyway, pinhole-eyes will drop off
pretty badly at the end, leaving just a skillful Twister navigation to outdo
Taz.

Stage 66 [VIP Racecar]: Gen "Gatchan" Sasaki
New Belt Line reverse / two turns and a short straight / 4
Recommended setup: 4-6
++ DUAL FEED SPECIAL CONFIGURATION ++
Yo, Gatchan!  Where you been all this time, my man?  I could use a little change
of pace from all these catastrophic Dragstrip barricade slugfests and Hillcrest
mad dashes and endless aggravation at the Twister and...ahem.  The biggest
danger of New Belt Line reverse is that for some reason, the department in
charge of Tokyo highway maintenance decided to WAX THE ENTIRE COURSE.  Your
tires are going to slip quite a bit more here than anywhere else, so you want to
be just a little more cautious.  Finally...this is just weird...there's an area
where his words will cover almost the entire screen, which will happen twice in
succession.  Stay focused on the road and don't rear-end anything.  Oh, and
watch out for that nasty special configuration.  If you can deal with these
annoying details, Gatchan himself isn't a big challenge.

Stage 67 [Real Racing Setting 1]: Gatchan (Ueda & Yoshioka)
Haneda Line Uphill / Truck Overpass / ?
Recommended setup: 5-5
This is another one of those weird matchups that's always easy, except when it's
not.  It'll most likely come down to whoever's first out of the Trap Tunnel.

Stage 68 [Real Racing Setting 2]: Akio Asakura (Ko Tominaga)
C1 Outbound / Truck Overpass / 2
Recommended setup: 5-5
This is a typical warmup run for the young superstar.  He's just getting the
hang of his new ride; you won't struggle.

Stage 69 [Monster Machine]: Keiichiro Aizawa-2 & Akio Asakura-1
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 6
Recommended setup: 10-0 or 9-1
++ DUAL FEED SPECIAL CONFIGURATION ++
Akio's a *little* easier on Cake than his real rival, so this one isn't *nearly*
as impossible as stage 45.  Even so, lots of power is a requisite, and
definitely take 10 if you have the confidence.

Stage 70 [Will Power] Keiichiro Aizawa & Tatsuya Shima
C1 Outbound / two reverses in a row / 6
Recommended setup: 3-7
*Another* matchup against two aces driving like their lives are on the line?
Can't I just beat up on Harada some more?  It's not like the lousy punk doesn't
deserve it...<sigh>.  Well, you know the drill.  Keep up, get ahead, stay ahead,
don't hit.

- THE LEGENDARY FC -
Stage 71 [Drive Go Go]: Koichi Kijima (Reina Akikawa)
C1 Outbound / Smasher / 6
Recommended setup: 3-7
Speed Writer's cornering mastery adds yet another level of torment to this
already ultra-painful homestretch.  Use every method of getting through there at
speed that you know.

Stage 72 [The Feel of the Engine Starting]: +Koichi Kijima+ & Akio Asakura
(Reina Akikawa)
New Belt Line reverse / one medium and two gentle corners / 6
Recommended setup: 3-7 or 4-6
++ DUAL FEED SPECIAL CONFIGURATION ++
The Z becomes an entirely different devil in Speed Writer's hands.  It's not too
tough to get by it...well, it'll take you a while, but you'll manage it long
before the homestretch.  That's when it gets nasty; it actually becomes MORE
powerful in the final turns, enough to tear right by you to the line.  A Grip
setup works best for this tricky course, but no matter what, you're going to
have to block or at least make things difficult for Koichi if you want to have a
shot at winning this.  If you can't stuff him, squeezing him into the wall
should do the trick.  Another method is to trail him until the homestretch, then
pass him just before the finish (I actually did this once, although not
intentionally).

Stage 73 [The ACE Demo Car]: Akio Asakura (Koichi Kijima)
North course / Motorcade / 3
Recommended setup: 5-5
Thankfully, this demo car isn't nearly as overwhelmingly powerful as the one
Kazuhiko threw at you.  It'll take a while to catch up, but you'll get 'im on
the Motorcade just like all the others.

Stage 74 [Gotemba]: Hayashi (Koichi Kijima)
Hakone Inbound / 5
Recommended setup: 1-9
For such a pivotal battle, it's surprisingly managable, and in all seriousness,
not much different from your last encounter with him.  The formula's the same: a
little zip + a good, hard grip = a successful trip.

Stage 75 [Oki] +Oki+ & Akio Asakura
Hakone Inbound / 7
Recommended setup: 3-7
Oki?  Are you kidding me?  *Oki*?  O-FREAKING-KI??  That stupid hick who's
always whining about turbo lag and not being able to run?  Figures...one of the
few battles where Akio isn't a factor, and you have this hell to deal with.
Huh...well, you need 3P to keep up, which means that you're going to be sliding
a lot more than you usually do on Hakone, which means that you'll probably lose
on the first attempt anyway.  Start with 3-7 and work your way from there.

Stage 76 [New Circular Line 18]: Oki & +Akio Asakura+
New Belt Line reverse / two turns and a short straight / 4
Recommended setup: 2-8
The infamous slipperiness of this course is back with a vengeance.  Luckily,
your opponents have trouble with it as well, and they'll go a little slower than
their usual pace.  This makes a battle that *could* have been monumentally
torturous only mildly challenging.  You know the drill: Turn in from the outside
and don't trade paint.  Don't worry about seeing Akio's rear bumper for a long
time; you'll be in front when it matters.

Stage 77 [Black Bird]: Koichi Kijima & +Tatsuya Shima+
New Belt Line normal / Dragstrip / 1
HEY, 10-0, I'M TALKING TO YOU
The last of the fun barricade-free romps.  Speed Writer is another driver who'll
fall victim to inopportune engine failure on the Dragstrip, which happens at
around the 2.5K mark.  He'll be well ahead of you, so you have more than enough
time for the dodge.

Stage 78 [Tuned RE]: Rikako (Ko Tominaga)
C1 Inbound / two gentle corners / 4
Recommended setup: 5-5
The trouble spot, as you might expect, is the Suicide Left.  Rikako's not too
formidable an opponent, but she'll leave you if you wreck there.  Downshift
before you're even in it and brake hard.  Even if you slow down too much, that's
still preferable to slamming a wall.  As long as you don't surrender too much
ground, you have ample time get her back.

Stage 79 [The Last Race 1]
Recommended setup: 5-5, 4-6, or 3-7 ("Whatever works!")
This is it...the final battle.  The end of the road.  Armageddon.  Everything
you've done, all the painful battles, all the sweat, all the blood, all of it
has led to this moment.

The longest night of your life has begun.  When it's over, a new legend of the
streets will be crowned.

And there can be only one...

This is the last and toughest 2-parter.  The course is the Spiral ("C1 Outbound
D").  The first part begins on the shared road going south and ends at the
Smasher.  The second completes C1 Outbound and continues east.

Part 1 - +Koichi Kijima+ & Akio Asakura
Spiral / Smasher / 7 (aggregate)
As frustrating as Akio Asakura is as an opponent, he's downright madness-
inducing in the interference role.  Yep, that's his sole purpose here, and he's
damn good at it.  (As if we needed further proof that the Devil Z really is
evil.) The worst part is that Speed Writer doesn't exactly need the help.  Well,
by now you're certainly used to the grim reality of having to shovel in credit
after credit to get past a really tough spot, so...

Part 2 - Tatsuya Shima-2 & Koichi Kijima-1
Spiral / bunch of turns and a short straightaway
This is a trivial battle...just so long as you've paid your dues and don't
misjudge the final corner.  Yep, same deal as stage 40.

Stage 80 [The Last Race 2]: +Akio Asakura+ & Tatsuya Shima & Koichi Kijima
New Belt Line normal / Turnabout / ?
Recommended setup: ?
Don't get impatient; more than a full lap around New Belt Line normal ensures
that the ultimate battle won't be over anytime soon.  The good news is that you
have plenty of time to recover from your mistakes.  You'll most likely be in the
lead on your second trip through the Dragstrip...which is good, because both
Koichi and Tatsuya will drop out of the running here.  As has so often been the
case, the real battle starts less than 2K from the end, with just you, Akio, and
two hard rights to decide it all.

The finish line is only about half a kilometer past the second turn of the
Turnabout, meaning that you have to be very close to the Devil Z if you're going
to get the best of it.  No easy task, especially given its cornering ability.
Your best bet is...you guessed it...slow in, fast out.  Be conservative in the
first corner, power out *hard*, and take the second as hard...and *cleanly*...as
you can manage.  If you can block the Devil Z in the second turn, your victory
is assured, but it's damn near impossible to pull off.

As for the setup, you'll need a considerable amount of power to beat the Devil Z
to the line, but not so much that you burn to hell in the Turnabout.  By now,
you've gained enough experience with your car to know what the right balance is,
so I'll leave this to you.

Countless drivers have tried and failed to put an end to the legend of the Devil
Z.  It's all up to you now.  Good luck.


9. 10 OPPONENT OUTRUN
---------------------
The object of this mode is to pass a ten different opponents.  You must get
completely ahead of the opposing vehicle.  Once you make the pass, the game
"autopilots" ahead a few hundred meters to the next opponent.  (Don't worry if
you see your vehicle crash or come to a stop; you always start the next round
running normally).

There are a total of ten levels, each of which starts at a certain opponent:

L1> 1: Akio A.          10: Hayashi     L10> 19: Keiichiro A.
   2: Kochan       L6> 11: Kazuhiko Y.      20: Tomoya
L2> 3: Harada           12: Yamanaka         21: Koichi H.
   4: Oki          L7> 13: Gen G.           22: Koichi K.
L3> 5: Gatchan          14: Yasuhiko M.      23: Masaki
   6: Makoto M.    L8> 15: Teizuka          24: Eiji K.
L4> 7: Yamashita        16: Sonoda           25: Takayuki K.
   8: Kazuo O.     L9> 17: Motoki           26: Reina A.
L5> 9: Maki K.          18: Makoto M.        27: Tatsuya S.

The first Makoto encounter is in the Impreza; the second in the Fairlady.
Likewise, the Akio in Level 1 drives the old Fairlady.

Eight opponents follow after the first going down the list.  The last one is
Reina on levels 1-3, Tatsuya on levels 4-6, and Akio on everything after.  The
opponents get progressively faster as you go.  There's also the "?" Outrun,
available after you clear all 10 levels, where you have to beat *everyone* in
order.

You have a limited amount of time to complete the Outrun.  Clearing an opponent
gets you a few extra seconds.

You get a letter grade at the end based on how long you took.  The best possible
grade is S; the worst is E.  If you get an S, your Outrun status will show a
crown on top of that particular level.  All failures result in an E no matter
how far you got.

Beating *all* 10 levels on a single course increase your rank by one.  Getting
all S's earns you another rank (and a spiffy title).  Clearing the "?" Outruns
gets you only titles, not ranks.

Some general tips:
 - You can play this at any time, but it's advisable to have at least one or
two blocks.  For anything past the 6th level, you'll want all your tuning.
 - Keep it clean!  Wall collisions and burnouts, never desirable in a regular
battle, are deadly here.  You actually suffer an *acceleration penalty* after
hitting a wall and can waste several seconds just getting back up to speed.
 - The line in front of the vehicle shows how far ahead you have to get.  The
action comes to a halt as soon as you make the pass, so don't ever let up until
it does.
 - Note the lines your opponents take, especially in traffic, and get a good
idea of where to pass.  Nothing's more frustrating than building up a head of
steam only to run into a bumper.
 - A useful tactic when your opponent is about to enter a turn (and one you'll
using frequently with Dangerous setups) is to move to the inside and go full-
bore, not even attempting to hold the turn.  If you're carrying enough speed,
you'll hit the line without having to brake for the turn.   Experience will tell
you when this is and isn't a good gamble.  (I'll call this an "inside cut" for
future reference.)
 - Using your opponent as a pick is a terrific technique that you'll find a lot
of use for.  If you're nearly even with your opponent approaching a sharp
corner, don't slow down for it, but enter it with the opponent on the outside.
You'll slam right into him, which not only keeps you off the wall but also helps
you hold the corner, and it even sometimes slows him down.  Get back in gear and
complete the pass as soon as you're out of the turn.
 - Autopilot is your friend, allowing you to bypass areas that'd be risky or
simply annoying to drive.  Push hard whenever something nasty is coming up (e.g.
Boomerang, Twister, Suicide Left, Turnabout) to shave off a few precious
seconds.
 - Try different setups and see what's ideal.  You have to decide whether to go
for straightaway power or cornering speed, both of which require sacrificing the
other.  This is a lot tricker than in Story Mode because you'll be going for
passes in a variety of places, not just in one or two strategic locations.

And a bit of advice: Before you even begin, decide if you're going to go for
rank or if you just want to see how far you can go.  If you're playing for rank,
it's a good idea to do level 10 *first*.  If you absolutely can't clear it no
matter what (which is invariably the case for me), you know it's a lost cause
and don't waste a lot of tokens beating easier levels.  Ditto if you're going
for all S's.  If you do manage to beat 10, do 9 next.  Different levels have
different start points, some of which are easier than others; getting 10
absolutely does not make 9 automatic.  Once you have both, 1-8 should be
managable.

C1 INBOUND
This course is a constant mix of short-to-medium easy sections and gentle-to-
extreme corners.  Because of this, you'll want to get a good balance between
speed and power.  5-6 and 6-5 will serve you well.  For the most part, there
aren't a whole lot of tricks or shortcuts (the tight corners make inside cutting
impractical), so it's all up to your skills.

Level 10: This one's just plain nuts, and you can easily find yourself 300m down
after a single mistake.  The one place that'll really test your mettle is the
Crazy Snake, where you're going to lose ground no matter what.

C1 OUTBOUND
All your driving skills will be tested here.  In particular, because there are
so many corners, including reverses, your cornering has to be fast and precise.
And don't forget the traffic, which can be really nasty here.  Grip works best
in the early levels.  Use it to get used to the course and learn how to make
passes in a variety of locations.  In the later stages, you'll be too slow to
beat 10 opponents, especially the always-difficult Akio, with a Grip setup.
Move up to Balance to make those easy sections count, and do your best to at
least stay even in the corners.

Level 10: The big hazards (Snap Hook, Smasher, and the always-treacherous Walls
of Death) are an absolute nightmare when every bit of speed counts.  Simply
finding the right setup can be a colossal task.

NEW BELT LINE COUNTERCLOCKWISE
Straightaways can be found all over this high-speed course, and you definitely
want to favor power.  Drift will work great, especially in the early going.  You
shouldn't have to resort to Dangerous (which is impractical on the short course
anyway).  Traffic shouldn't be a major headache, but it's easy to rear-end a car
if you get careless.  In all, success largely comes down to your ability to
maneuver at high speeds...the essence of highway racing.

Level 10: This is a lost cause unless you can nail an absolutely perfect exit
speed out of each and every corner.  The toughest areas are the Walls of Death
and the Boomerang.

NEW BELT LINE CLOCKWISE
Every part of this course is wide open, easy, and insanely fast...except one.
And that's the killer, because unlike in Story Mode, you have no choice but to
tackle this with a high-power setup, with all the risks that entails.  The early
levels are ridiculously easy, but it gets ridiculously hard in a hurry.  My
hat's off to you if you can get an S on level 10.

Level 10: If it's possible to clear this with anything less than maximum tune,
I'm unaware of it.  You're going to have to FLY through the first nine
opponents, and then take on Akio...starting at the Walls of Death.  If you
haven't been cursing the all-or-nothing nature of 10 Opponent Outrun, after a
few cracks at this, you will.

HAKONE
You're on your own for this one.  :-) My only advice is to use as little power
as necessary.  You *will* have to go past 3P, and well before level 10, so don't
be afraid to experiment with setups.


10. BATTLEMANIA!!
-----------------
A player vs. player battle can be started at anytime so long as somebody has
"Accept vs." turned on.  The challenged player ALWAYS gets to select the course
(and music); the challenger only gets to select morning or night.

Boost is always in effect unless BOTH players agree to turn it off.  Boost
affects both players for the entire battle.  This means that it's actually
advantageous to be somewhat behind (ideally no more than 30-50m) in the
homestretch.  Of course, the lead car can try to block, and shoving into a wall
or traffic is also perfectly acceptable, so this is no guarantee.  Boost off
makes it a straight battle all the way.  Because this means that one big mistake
can doom your race, I recommend this only for experienced players.  Anyone who
tries to initiate a boost-off battle (or worse, directly requests it from you)
is going to be a tough opponent; don't accept this term unless you're confident
you can make it a contest!

Be advised that unlike in the previous game, boost *only* gives the trailing car
an advantage; it does not make any tuning adjustments.  If you take on a far
more tuned vehicle, boost isn't going to save you.  Use discretion when making
challenges (especially since your opponent then gets to pick the course).

Depending on the level of the cars involved, the barricades may or may not be in
place, and the Dual Feed can be any configuration.  The "lowest" player (I think
this means rank) determines which configuration it is.  It's a good idea to be
prepared for anything.

If you get over 100 wins, you get a special "100" star commemorating this
achievement.  These go all the way up to 2000.  From there on out, however, you
may *lose* stars if you finish last in any race.

If the machine is set up for 3- and 4-player battles, there'll be a message
saying something like "press View Change to turn off battles" accomplanied by a
picture of a red button on the screen.  During this time, anyone who enters the
game joins the "super battle".  (There is NO option to decline this...found this
out the hard way...so if you don't want to join, hold onto those tokens!) This
is handled the same as a regular battle, except that each opponent finished in
front of nets one star.  Therefore winning a 3-player battle is worth 2 stars,
and finishing second is worth one.  4-player battle has 3-, 2-, and 1-star
rewards for the corresponding places.  The game ends for ALL players once the
battle is over (another thing I found out the hard way...), so don't do this
unless you really want to.

My advice?  Take it easy and try to have some fun.  There is NO one car that's
going to win every battle, NO "best" course, NO one tactic that's going to
succeed *all* the time, and definitely not with three or four people involved.
Some cars have a big advantage on New Belt Line normal, but only if boost is
off.  You're going to win some and lose some, and it doesn't matter a whole lot
anyway, so there's no point in obsessing over every little detail or eternally
asking what's the "best" anything.  Get your machine out there and let the road
decide.


11. THE PARTS BOX
-----------------
This is where I put all the miscellaneous stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else.
Which, I guess, means all the miscellaneous stuff.  Y'know, becuase none of it
fits anywhere else.  By definition.

- Version B -
Some machines have been upgraded to version B, which gives maximum tune to a car
with at least 5000 KM, even if it hasn't gone undefeated in Story Mode.  This
benefit does not carry back to non-upgraded machines, however.

- Re. the Devil Z -
The vastly changed role of the Devil Z from the first game to the second does a
good job of illustrating the difference between the way things are handled in a
manga and a video game (and of course how video game companies will tweak things
to satisfy their fanbase).  You may have noticed that the Devil Z, which is
supposed to be the focal vehicle of the entire manga and an extraordinarily
famous and difficult opponent, is a complete non-factor in the first game.  The
first time you see it, you don't have to beat it (and the only reason you can't
is because it has a lot more tuning than you and isn't subject to boost).  When
you battle it for real, it's a pushover; it can barely keep up with the
Blackbird.  And in the second and final confrontation, 2P *easily* leaves it in
the dust.  Even its replacement in the third cycle, the Pac-Man Corolla, is easy
stuff by the time you actually get to it.

The problem is that the Devil Z's battles reflect its actual showdowns on the
Wangan Line in the manga, where simply getting to the finish is a nerve-wracking
challenge, especially with the immense horsepower of the cars that race there.
The truth is that when you're going that fast, that hard, and with an engine
that can blow up at any moment, it doesn't matter how "boring" the course is,
you're on a razor's edge the whole time.  Ask any NASCAR driver how boring a
500-mile race at Talladega is.  Unfortunately, there isn't really any way to
recreate this experience in an arcade racer, or if there is, Namco didn't feel
like spending the time and energy implenting a feature that'd just drive away
gamers.  The result being that the Dragstrip is just a really long easy section
where you have to get around a vehicle every so often.

Add that to the fact that in a game, every opponent has to be beatable.  Some
may be laughers, some monsters, but every single one can somehow be taken down.
Which means that the Devil Z can't simply overpower you on the Dragstrip,
because then there'd be no way to beat it.  The problem is that, deprived of
this option, there's NO way for it to beat you, other than you stupidly slamming
full-tilt into a vehicle or guide wall, and nobody gets that far making such
elementary blunders.

Surprisingly, this works perfectly fine in the context of the game.  The Devil Z
is rightfully feared becuase, up until your battles with it, it *was* the most
terrifying thing on four wheels.  There's no need to make an example of you.
When you easiily beat it, that's fine, because it shows how far YOU'VE come.
All beating the Devil Z is supposed to be is a passing-of-the-torch moment, and
it succeeds just fine in this respect.

Of course, those kinds of subtleties are lost on most gamers, who just see an
overrated welcome mat.  Hence, in WGMT2, stage 40 ends one turn after the Trophy
Dash, and stage 80 ends just after the Turnabout.  Ending a titanic four-way
battle on a half-kilometer straightaway is like concluding Legend of Success Joe
with his first comeback fight after his tough loss to Jose, but it had to be
done.  A finish line at the end of a 5K straight is no contest.  Thrown in the
Turnabout, and you have the stuff of photo finishes.

An even better example is the R200 Club battle.  In the manga, they took on
Tatsuya, and Motoki and Teizuka's plan, to be blunt, was to utterly wreck him.
It  failed when both got demolished themselves (it was a spectacular wipeout;
the cutscenes in the games don't do it justice).  Needless to say, plenty of
high-speed action and crazy maneuvers.  In WGMT2, there's only about 300 meters
between the Boomerang and the finish line, which means that you and your two
bloodthirsty opponents are practically *tiptoeing* to the line.  But hey, Motoki
isn't supposed to be a scrub; if throwing in an axle-wrenching corner is what it
takes to make him competitive, so be it.

Just remember, game makers can do whatever they want.  If the Devil Z is
supposed to be a nearly unbeatable monster, they'll do whatever it takes to make
it one.

(And then there's stuff like Dragonball Z warriors ripping off Kamehameha Waves
with absolutely blinding speed, but that's another issue.)

- Continuing Story Mode after completing it -
So, you've risen through the ranks of Tokyo street champs and unseated the
mighty Devil Z.  For this you get the privilege...of doing it all over again.
Fair warning, it's now *an absolute nightmare* (if it wasn't already).  This is
another one of those things where you'd better know exactly why you're doing it
before you take a single step.

All the cycles are treated the same this time.  You can pick the first four of a
tier at any time, the fifth once you've beaten the rest, and the final battle of
the cycle once you've taken care of all else.  You don't receive any more
upgrades whether or not you achieved maximum tune.  All your opponents will be
racing to the best of their ability (although this can still vary from battle to
battle).  All your previous losses remain on the record, however, so you don't
have to worry about facing incredibly difficult opposition right off the bat.
Unless, of coures, you've cleared Story Mode without losing even once...but if
that's the case, you hardly need a FAQ, do you?  :-D

Traffic is now your consistent, persistent, pervasive, and, oh yeah, extremely
irritating foe.  Vehicles can show up ANYWHERE, including inside the lanes of
the Walls of Death dividers and hairpin corners, and are often side by side as
well.  They also have a very nasty habit of popping up in the middle of blind
corners.  I can almost guarantee that you will slam into many, many, many
vehicles in the first cycle alone.  Every stage has a different traffic pattern,
so memorization is useless (unless you're thinking of going through Story Mode
multiple times, and that's a Wangan Line beyond the scope of *this* FAQ, thank
you very much).

You're on your own for this one.  I tried, folks, I really tried, and I simply
don't want to deal with the endless traffic headaches anymore.  I read about a
super-secret reward you get for completing Story Mode again (which you can get
multiple times), but as for how much it actually helps, I can't say.

- aero vs. carbon -
When you get the 7th basic handling upgrade, the aerodynamic parts, you have to
decide whether to go for aero or carbon.  Aero parts give the car tighter
handling, while carbon results in better acceleration and top speed.

The difference is very minor at best, and there certainly is no appreciable
advantage to either.  I recommend carbon for anything that tends to get outrun a
lot, especially the LanEvo 8 and Alcyone.  Other than that, it's up to you.

- About ranks -
As you conquer challenges, your rank will steadily increase.  You start at N.
Your first promotion brings you to C Class Level 7.  Additional advances bring
you to Level 6, level 5, etc.  After Level 1 is B Class Level 7, and this also
goes all the way to 1.  After that is the seven Levels of A and S, and finally
just plain S, then SS, and finally SSS, for a total of 31 ranks.

You gain one rank advancement for each of the following:
* Clearing a tier in the first half
* Clearing the third or fourth cycle
* Clearing all 10 levels in any 10 Opponent Outrun
* Getting an S on all 10 levels in any 10 Opponent Outrun
* Getting 20, 50, 100, and 400 stars in player battles
* Clearing the entire story mode again after the first time

No one knows for certain how many levels you can obtain from redoing Story Mode.
However, it's a safe bet that you will get as many levels as the number of times</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
you actually manage to get through that living hell.  :-)

- Beating the Devil Z in Stage 5 -
There's absolutely no need to do so, and this game has more than enough
monumental challenges as it is, but it can be done.  If you're going to have any
chance, you'll need as many upgrades as you can beforehand, of course, including
all your power.  The Devil Z will push its way to the middle when it first
appears, so it's a good idea to be at the far right of the Trophy Dash (where
you should be anyway).  What makes this especially tough is that it runs at a
constant speed, i.e. not affected by boost at all, which means that if you make
even a tiny mistake, that's it.

If you manage to beat it, Akio makes some comment about the car not responding
to his commands, and you're offered the title of "Big Upsetter".

- Getting all power or all handling in the first cycle -
It's completely impractical, and there's no real reason to do it other than the
special title, but it is possible to get all power or handling with your first
10 upgrades.  The order you take your first ten opponents is of utmost
importance, of course.  For all power, start with Tier C, then Yamashita and the
Kazzes, then Koichi Hiramoto, Yamanaka, and finally Takayuki Kuroki.  With all
handling, take the first 10 stages in order and hope for the best.  Of course,
it's possible to gain a level by losing, which makes this task a little easier.
I only recommend doing this for a car that you're just going to play around
with...no Internet Ranking or finishing Story Mode with no losses or anything.
Any of the "no hope" cars (Hiace, Eunos Cosmo, old Fairlady Z, etc.) is a good
choice.

- Titles! -
Too many to count, of course, but here are the basic ways of getting them:
 1. Story Mode.  One for each tier in the first half, and one for each chapter
in the second half.
 2. Continuing 10, 20, and 30 times in a single session.  Remember that your
game ends when you run out of plays; if you're going for this, make sure you
have enough card life.  And money, of course.
 3. Story Mode redux.  Every battle, win or lose, gets you a title.  The titles
for completing tiers and chapters are the same, but there's a special title for
completing the entire mode.
 4. Get all power or all handling with your first 10 upgrades.
 5. Get all the red flashes in any time trial.  You get a flash if you're above
a certain speed at a certain location (this supposedly mimics a police radar
gun).  I haven't gotten to first base with this, so you're on your own here.
 6. Earn stars in battles.  You get a title with your first victory and
correspondignly more impressive titles at higher intervals.
 7. Complete the Outruns, with or without S's.
 8. Get a time trial result with the last three digits all the same.
Everything except 888 has something.
 9. Complete all Story Mode without losing.  The usual title for this is
"Undefeated Winner of the Highway"; a few vehicles have their own title for this
accomplishment.


APPENDIX: ABOUT THE MANGA
-------------------------
Wangan Midnight, by Michiharu Kusunoki, debuted in 1993 in Weekly Young magazine
(one of those multiple manga showcases that has one chapter of everything).  As
of this writing, it's still ongoing.

It's primarily about street racing, of course, set in the backdrop of Tokyo,
which has plenty of long straightaways, high speed corners, and difficult
hairpins.  The most famous stretch is the Wangan Line, the longest, straightest
road in the entire country.  A number of cars are specifically tuned just for
this one stretch, and they're capable of almost unbelievable speeds...upwards of
320KPH isn't uncommon.  Of course, there's also lots of traffic to contend with,
including a fair number of heavy trucks.  Because of this, the action is
inherently hazardous, and wrecks are common.  Blown engines are also a frequent
hazard, especially with the extreme high power engines.

Almost as important as the actual racing is the work in the garage.  Tuners are
important, well-respected players and even sometimes get in on the action.
They're a chummy lot, and even the less friendly shops are able to form tenuous
alliances (the R200 Club is the best example).  Except for the fiercely
independent Takayuki Kuroki, every serious racer has a strong connection to at
least one well-known tuner.

Power is paramount in Wangan-style racing.  Nowhere was this better expressed
than in the attitude of Koichi Hiramoto, forever caught in a desperate scramble
for just a little more power to gain the edge he needed over the Devil Z.  280
horsepower is the starting point for a bone stock vehicle (the infamous
"gentleman's agreement", almost universally ignored), and 500 is a good number
for serious battling.  600 is the safe limit, the highest most cars can take
without excessive engine wear, inopportune boost spikes, difficut handling,
blowouts, etc.  The more a tuner pushes it past 600, the greater the risk of
something seriously bad happening on the road.  800 is considered to be the
absolute maximum; anything past that is simply undrivable.  (If you'll notice,
these numbers nicely coincide with the actual in-game values.)  Of course, power
is nothing without control, so equal measure is given to the bottom of the
car...the shocks, brakes, roll bars, suspension, and of course tires.

Since nearly all the action takes place in a rich, cosmopolitan urban
metropolis, there's lots going on away from the street as well.  Parties,
celebrations, and plain 'ol having fun are frequent occurrences.  Reina Akikawa
and Koichi Kijima, in particular, are highly public figures who show up just
about everywhere.

RGO, ACE, YMSpeed, CCR, JAPAN, JPP, Works-R, MACH, Exciting, FLAT, and Night On
Racing are all the names of speed shops.

There is absolutely no objectionable material.  Everyone is conservatively
dressed at all times, and there isn't even a hint of blood (despite some pretty
nasty wrecks).  There's no "fanservice" or even remotely "suggestive" dialogue.
Personal relationships, where they exist at all, are always handled from a safe
distance.

To answer a frequent question: The prospects for a domestic manga company
picking this up are slim.  It simply has too many strikes against it:
 - Mainstream shonen, which is all but dead in America now.
 - A simple, plain drawing style for the characters (I thought Rikako was a guy
the first time I saw her, and I know I'm not the only one), including a number
of characters with really tiny eyes.
 - No sex appeal whatsoever.  (Go ahead and laugh, but exactly how many Soun
Tendo or Keitaro Urashima figurines are there?)
 - An unusual subject for manga, racing, with lots of technical knowledge.
 - Demographics.  Every character except Rikako is a grownup with a job, and
even she's highly knowledgable and worldly for her age.  Adult-themed manga
(even if it has no actual "adult content") isn't a big seller here.
 - And of course, the glamorization of an illegal, dangerous activity,
something comic store owners and concerned parents generally aren't too thrilled
about.

Still, the very idea of an offbeat manga being turned into a red-hot racing
game, much less a second, was also a bit of a stretch, so anything is possible.
Actually, if this game continues to be successful, it'd be almost shocking if a
company didn't translate it, even if it was an abortive effort only lasting a
few volumes (something Viz Communications in particular is infamous for).

+Brief characer guide+
Like most sports mangas, you have your important characters, you have your
sorta-important characters, and you have a great big pile of one-shot throwaways
and flashes in the pan.

Akio Asakura is ambitious racer who started when he was very young.  He's in his
final year of high school as the story begins.  He briefly has an ordinary
Fairlady 300ZX, but gives it up after getting left in the dust by Tatsuya Shima.
He originally was just going to upgrade it, but by chance he spots the pristine
Devil Z in a junkyard.  He quickly learns that it's amazingly...almost
supernaturally...powerful, and available for a bargain price.  Even with a
subtle hint at a dark past, it's too good to pass up.  Despite his gentle
demeanor, he's dead serious about racing.  Like virtually everyone else in the
manga, he has trouble forming intimate relationships, although he has made some
slight inroads with Reina.  Spending as much time in Tokyo as he does, he's
regularly exposed to an active, fast-paced social scene.  He had a job as a
waiter, but got fired for showing up late too often (no surprise given his
penchant for staying up long past midnight).  He's was already a pretty
accomplished racer with his old car, but behind the Devil Z, he's nearly
invincible.  In fact, the main reason Tatsuya has such a powerful rivalry with
him is that he's the only one who regularly gives him a challenge.  He also has
tremendous adaptive ability and can learn to drive virtually anything, including
the "Legendary FC".

Tatsuya Shima is the elusive, mysterious driver of the Blackbird (a Porsche 911
in the manga).  He's a consummate student of street racing and knows every
aspect inside and out.  He's an extraordinarly skilled driver and the only one
in the entire manga who's never suffered a single crash or blowout (he spun out
once but managed to avoid wrecking).  He knows the limits of his vehicle and
will never risk disaster by pushing it too hard.  This actually cost him a
couple of battles, but he always learns from his failures and comes back even
tougher.  He's a doctor by day, but his exact practice is never revealed.
Details about his personal life are sketchy at best.

Reina Akikawa is a young fashion model who got wrapped up in Akio's world after
taking the Devil Z on a joyride (don't ask).  After getting her own GT-R, she
discovers a previously unknown aptitude for street battling.  She's very
sociable, lots of acquaintances, but has no real boyfriend.  She almost always
wears either a modest dark-colored dress or slacks.  Like most of the women,
she's very sensitive and bursts into tears easily, although she calms down
considerably in later volumes.

Takayuki Kuroki is a devoted student of street racing, spending hours just
analyzing his vast storehouse of data and coming up with strategies.  He
staunchly believes in the superiority of the R33 and refuses to drive anything
else.  His intellect is formidable, and he puts his plans into motion with
absolute precision and confidence.  He's one of the very few drivers who managed
to get a clean one-on-one victory over Tatsuya.  He shows up relatively late in
the manga and quickly becomes a ubiquitious figure.

Koichi Kijima is a world-hopping car enthusiast and writer for numerous car
publications.  He's experienced a tremendous variety of vehicles in his career
and knows how to get the most out of each one.  He's highly sociable and
frequently seen at parties, get-togethers, and similar functions.  He looks like
a gaijin (someone not born in Japan).

Jun Kitami is the "Devil's Tuner", probably the most famous tuner in the manga.
He's worked on both the Devil Z and Blackbird.  He laughs in the face of danger
and will gladly take anything...anything...past the safe 600 mark.  Ko Tominaga
is a longtime associate of Jun and nearly as fervent in the pursuit of speed.
He got the nickname "The Jet" from his racing days.  Kazuo Ota is the boss of
RGO, another associate of Jun K., and fiercely in denial about any car being
able to topple the Devil Z.  Rikako Ota is his daughter; she's in high school
the first time she appears, although never seen in uniform.  She's studying
under Kazuo's wing.  Gen "Gatchan" Sasaki is the owner of the ragtag MACH team,
which specializes in cars that combine luxury and performance.  He scoffs at the
sacrifices most drivers make to get every possible bit of speed out of their
cars and cheerfully installs hydraulics, shiny emblems, underbody lighting,
blacked-out windows, and clear tail lights on the vehicles entrusted to him.
(Again, he goes for LUXURY, not "rice", and he doesn't touch any of the really
crazy stuff like hideously oversized wings, ill-fitting side skirts, fake brake
rotors, dishonest labels, or muffler tips you could lose a grapefruit in.)

Then there's the disposable cast: Kochan, the early mentor to Akio, Koichiro
Hiramoto, the young speed freak, Harada, the dumb kid, Tomoya, the sensitive R34
driver who abandons Tokyo after too many defeats, Oki, the easygoing country boy
from Hakone, the flash-in-the-pan R200 Club, and numerous others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangan_Midnight has a little information.

====================================
FAQ copyright 2005 by Darrell Wong (DKW)
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