SSSSS H H OOOOO X X
S H H O O X X
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S H H O O X X
SSSSS H H OOOOO X X
SHOX: GAME GUIDE
by
Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather
[email protected]
Initial Version Completed: March 24, 2003
FINAL VERSION Completed: April 10, 2003
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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Getting Started
Shox Zones
Attaining Cars
Taking on the Champion (Shox Championship)
Vehicle List
General Tips
Shox Zones
Racing Tips: Braking
Racing Tips: Cornering
Racing Tips: Coasting
Racing Tips: Weight Shifts
Contact Information
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SPACING AND LENGTH
For optimum readability, this driving guide should be
viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier.
Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters
below line up:
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
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PERMISSIONS
Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or
print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use.
However, due to the extreme length, printing this driving
guide may not be such a good idea.
This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides,
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cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, RobsGaming.com,
CheatHeaven, IGN, ps2fantasy.com, gamespot.com, and
vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post
elsewhere on the Internet.
Should anyone wish to translate this driving guide into other
languages, please contact me for permission(s) and provide me
with a copy when complete.
Remember: Plagiarism in ANY form is NOT tolerated!!!!!
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INTRODUCTION
Shox (also known as Rally Shox in Japan) is an exciting, fun,
and definitely CHALLENGING over-the-top take on rally-cross
racing, in the tradition of EA Sports Big's signature titles
SSX and SSX Tricky. As in those two games, the action is
fast and furious, and there are plenty of things to unlock.
Even once everything has possibly been unlocked at a circuit
or in a given championship, it is still quite fun to go back
and rerace again and again and again and again and again and
again - again, in much the same way as SSX and (especially)
SSX Tricky.
Please note that some of the information in this guide comes
from my General Racing/Driving Guide (available exclusively
at FeatherGuides and at GameFAQs) and from my V-Rally 3: Game
Guide (available at numerous Web sites worldwide).
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GETTING STARTED
After setting up the game and controller options to one's
liking, the player jumps right in with the Compact
Championship. The player's first car in the game is free;
all others must either be purchased, 'won' via gambling, or
received for obtaining Gold status in all three Shox Zones in
a given circuit with a given vehicle IN THE SAME RACE.
Initially, only the Compact Championship is available. The
player can choose from amongst the six cars in this
championship for the initial car:
Citroen Saxo Super 1600
Ford Escort RS1800 MKII
Ford Racing Puma
Mini Cooper S
Peugeot 106 GTI 2000
Porsche 911 SC Safari
Once a car has been chosen, only one race is initially
available: the first Arid race. There are three environments
in Shox, each filled with numerous circuit configurations:
Arid, Jungle, and Ice. Since there is no place to simply
test a car, the player is forced to go to the first Arid
circuit and perform as well as possible. The player must
place at or above a certain position (fifth place for the
Compact championship) in order to unlock the next event in
that championship.
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SHOX ZONES
Each circuit has three Shox Zones. Each serves three
purposes. The main purpose of a Shox Zone is to provide the
player with an incentive to perform EXTREMELY well in that
section of the circuit, to reach the end gate of that Shox
Zone as quickly as possible to gain Gold status for that Shox
Zone and to amass even more bonus cash (the amount of bonus
cash obtained depends upon the time taken to reach the end
gate of the Shox Zone). Except for the third purpose
(below), the best status attained in a given Shox Zone is
permanent on the player's record.
The second purpose of a Shox Zone is to provide the player
with an incentive to catch up to and ride the Shox Wave. In
a single race, once Gold status has been attained in all
three Shox Zones AND the player must pass through at least
one more Shox Zone before the end of the race, the message
'Shox Wave Imminent' appears at the center of the screen. At
the start gate for the next Shox Zone, a 'bubbly' wave
appears and shoots off down the circuit. If the player can
catch up to the Shox Wave before it reaches the next Shox
Zone gate, then the player will gain a speed boost AND amass
even more cash. Each time the Shox Wave reaches either a
start gate or an end gate for a Shox Zone, however, the Shox
Wave will disappear if the player has not ridden the Shox
Wave since the previous gate; otherwise, the Shox Wave will
shoot off down the circuit again, and the player must once
again catch up to it as quickly as possible in order to gain
more speed and more cash. Note that Shox Zones do not offer
money while a Shox Wave is active.
The final purpose of a Shox Zone is to attain a platinum car.
There are six cars available in each championship, and each
championship is comprised of six races. Each race has a
platinum car requirement associated with it, meaning that if
a player can use the stated car to gain Gold status at ALL
THREE Shox Zones IN THE SAME RACE at that circuit, then the
player will win a platinum car (one of the 'regular' cars for
that championship, only painted a shiny obsidian black and
with better stats in Steering, Speed, and Stability).
Fortunately, it is possible to win a platinum car in the
first attempt at a circuit; even though there are other
things which can be unlocked at the circuit, they can occur
either in order or simultaneously.
The Shox Zones certainly give a significant, fun, and
challenging twist to the circuits in the game. The trick to
obtaining Gold status in each Shox Zone is to use as little
steering as possible in each Shox Zone, as steering
inevitably means shedding the speed which is required to
blast through each Shox Zone as quickly as possible.
It is generally possible to obtain Bronze status at each Shox
Zone without any difficulty, even if encumbered by traffic.
Obtaining Silver is also fairly simply at most Shox Zones, so
long as there is little or no traffic in the player's
immediate area. Gaining Gold status, however, often requires
pristine knowledge of a circuit as well as being either so
far in front of the competition or so far behind that other
cars will not be a hindrance.
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ATTAINING CARS
The player's first car is free. Afterwards, each vehicle
must either be purchased outright, 'won' via gambling, or won
as a platinum car.
Purchasing a vehicle outright is definitely the most
expensive method of obtaining a car. This is also the method
which requires the most amount of time, as several race wins
will be required to purchase even the cheapest of vehicles
outright. However, there is thus none of the risk assumed
with the gambling method, and none of the potential
frustration of either the gambling or 'platinum' methods.
Gambling is a great way to obtain the regular version of a
vehicle at low cost. Here, the player must shell out a given
amount of money, which is significantly lower than the amount
of money spent to buy the same vehicle outright. Then, the
player must win in a head-to-head competition with a rival in
an identical vehicle; however, the rival gets a head start!!!
The only true problem with this system is that these head-to-
head competitions are on short segments of the circuits, and
with the rival permitted a head start, the odds are
definitely stacked against the player in these head-to-head
competitions. Should the player win against the rival, the
player gets the chosen vehicle, and it is added to the
garage; should the player lose, however, the money spent is
permanently lost, although the amount of money required to
gamble for that vehicle again is reduced significantly
(generally by half the previous gamble amount). Fortunately,
before entering the gambling option and before actually
competing for a car in this manner, the CPU prompts the
player if this is indeed how the player wishes to proceed.
The final method of gaining a vehicle is via the 'platinum'
method. There are six cars available in each championship,
and each championship is comprised of six races. Each race
has a platinum car requirement associated with it, meaning
that if a player can use the stated car to gain Gold status
at ALL THREE Shox Zones IN THE SAME RACE at that circuit,
then the player will win a platinum car (one of the 'regular'
cars for that championship, only painted a shiny obsidian
black and with better stats in Steering, Speed, and
Stability). Fortunately, it is possible to win a platinum
car in the first attempt at a circuit; even though there are
other things which can be unlocked at the circuit, they can
occur either in order or simultaneously.
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TAKING ON THE CHAMPION (SHOX CHAMPIONSHIP)
Once the Compact Championship, Sports Championship, Turbo
Championship, and Power Championship have all been won, the
player can then take on the Champion - the cocky guy in the
silver car issuing taunts throughout the game thus far. This
is the Shox Championship.
Here, the player must win in four full-lap head-to-head
competitions. As with gambling for cars, the champion gets a
head start before the player is permitted to get underway.
Also, there are NO Shox Zones as well as NO money available
to be made in the Shox Championship.
In these head-to-head events, the player can choose from any
of the vehicles obtained in the Power Championship, including
any platinum vehicles won in the Power Championship.
However, there are 'entry requirements' to unlock the four
stages of the Shox Championship:
Stage 1 (Arid Attack): Obtain at least two of the eleven
available platinum cars
Stage 2 (Jungle Fever): Obtain at least four of the eleven
available platinum cars
Stage 3 (Snow Sortie): Obtain at least six of the eleven
available platinum cars
Stage 4 (Snow Sequel): Obtain at least eight of the
eleven available platinum cars
Once all four stages have been won, the player receives the
crown of Shox Champion and is shown one final cutscene with
the (now-former) champion.
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VEHICLE LIST
These are the normal vehicles available in Shox. Note that
each vehicle can only be used within the championship series
to which it is assigned.
Compact Championship Sports Championship
Citroen Saxo Super 1600 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Ford Escort RS1800 MKII Lancia Delta Integrale
Ford Racing Puma Lancia Stratos
Mini Cooper S Peugeot 306 Maxi 1996
Peugeot 106 GTI 2000 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Porsche 911 SC Safari Toyota Celica GT4 ST205
Turbo Championship Power Championship
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 Audi Quattro E2
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 Ford RS200
Peugeot 206 Racing 1999 Lancia Rallye 037
Porsche 911 Paris-Dakar MG Metro 6R4
Subaru Impreza 2000 Peugeot 206 T16 GRB
Subaru Impreza 2002 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar
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GENERAL TIPS
Buy or rent or borrow any game in the Gran Turismo series,
but especially Gran Turismo 2 or 3. In one of these games,
work through the License Tests, as this will teach how to
approach the various elements of racing, from judging braking
distances to controlling a car on a surface with little grip.
Gran Turismo 2 introduced rally racing to the series, so GT2
and GT3 both include a Rally License; the time and effort
spent in acquiring the Rally License in GT2 or GT3 will help
with World Rally Challenge. Overall, Gran Turismo 2 is
probably a better choice of the three games in the Gran
Turismo series, as GT2 includes the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and
Pikes Peak Downhill courses, the only point-to-point rally
venues in the series thus far (all other rally events are
held at actual circuits); unfortunately, both Pikes Peak
stages were removed for Gran Turismo 3 :-(
In rally racing, the principles of standard pavement-based
racing apply. However, there is generally less tire grip in
rally racing, which makes anticipation a key element in
correctly holding a tight racing line at the apex of a
corner, in judging braking distances on a steep downhill
grade, etc.
To the extent possible, ALWAYS brake in a straight line. If
braking only occurs when cornering, the car will likely be
carrying too much speed for the corner, resulting in the car
sliding, spinning, and/or flipping. (While a car may not
necessarily flip in this situation, a slide or spin can still
mean the difference between winning and ending up in last
position at the end of a race.)
The player will not be able to move on to the next
championship until a win average of First Place has been
attained among the six races of the current championship. At
a very minimum, this means Second Place in two races and
First Place in four races.
As the player progresses through the championships, the
circuits are longer and longer, and the competitors become
more and more aggressive. Only flawless circuit knowledge
combined with pristine vehicle handling skills will help the
player to win races, and the player will also be forced to
use 'dirty tactics' in order to win in the later
championships.
At most circuits, crucial corners are placed either in or
just beyond the landing zones of major jumps. There are two
tactics for approaching these crucial areas of the circuits.
On one hand, it can be useful to slam on the brakes just
before the vehicle launches off a jump, thus minimizing the
time spent airborne (and the abuse of the vehicle's shocks
and suspension) and maximizing the time the wheels actually
contact the ground... which is obviously the only time a
vehicle can possibly accelerate or (properly) turn. On the
other hand, the player can begin turning in the direction of
the upcoming corner JUST BEFORE the vehicle launches off the
jump, so that the vehicle's momentum will continue 'turning'
the vehicle in mid-air. This latter tactic has the result of
the vehicle inherently sliding once contact has been regained
with the ground, but at least the vehicle will already be
pointed in the right direction, which does take some of the
strain off the player in this situation (especially in the
latter championships, where the competition is EXTREMELY
fierce!!!!!). Both of the tactics presented here take on
even more importance when a jump's landing zone includes a
change in terrain type, such as from sand (which is
relatively slippery) to asphalt (which provides relatively-
excellent tire grip).
One nice tactic is to sweep through a championship as quickly
as possible, attaining at least the minimum placing in each
race to unlock the next event. Once all six events in a
championship have been made available, the player can then
choose to purchase outright or gamble for a car (provided the
player has enough money on hand) and begin the process of
attaining Gold status in the three Shox Zones of the event
which is linked with the chosen car for platinum purposes.
Then, if the player has yet to achieve Gold status at the
Shox Zones of the other five events in the championship, the
platinum car the player has just won can be used for that
purpose.
On the other hand, if at all possible, the player should work
toward obtaining a platinum vehicle early in a championship
quest. The bonus vehicle will then have generally better
stats (Steering, Speed, and Stability) than the other cars in
a race, and it should then be easier to rush through the
remaining events in the championship with little effort, and
likely without a need to rerace an event to unlock the next
event in the championship.
Initially, races are only held during daylight hours. To
race at a circuit at night, the player must obtain Gold
status at all three Shox Zones for a circuit (not necessarily
in a single race). Once this has been accomplished, pressing
the Square button on the Race Select screen will permit the
player to toggle between daytime and nighttime racing.
Racing at nighttime has the advantage of being able to use
the bright beams from the competitors' headlights to know
where and how close they are behind the player without the
risk of quickly switching to and from the rear view and
potentially losing track of where the player's vehicle is
located on the circuit. Nighttime racing also brings out a
different set of sounds (such as the sounds of crickets
chirping in the Jungle settings), which can provide a nice
change of pace in the aural backdrop of the race.
While vehicles become available to be obtained gambling as
soon as the player's bank account has the minimum funds
required to obtain them (via gambling), it is best to wait
until the player has about 1.75 times the amount of money
required to gamble for the chosen vehicle. This is because
it is often difficult to win a particular car the first time
via gambling (especially if the head-to-head race takes place
in an Ice environment). Using the '1.75x Rule,' the player
can then immediately try several other times, while the
layout of the (all-too-brief) circuit/segment is still fresh
in the player's mind.
There is SO much which can possibly be unlocked in each race
that it is highly tempting to try one's hardest to obtain all
of them at once at each circuit (which is indeed possible).
This is not so difficult in the Compact challenge, but in the
later challenges, this is virtually impossible. It is best,
therefore, for the player to set a SINGLE goal per race, and
to try to accomplish ONLY that single goal; to attempt to
accomplish more than that SINGLE goal per event is quite
likely to cause the player to try too hard, which is when the
player will be most likely to make mistakes (such as using an
even later braking zone than usual and then sliding too far
out into a corner, thus losing valuable time and one or more
race positions).
Of the three environments (Arid, Jungle, and Ice), Ice is
definitely the most difficult. While sand (Arid) and mud
(Jungle) can be rather 'slippery' due to the lack of traction
with the tires, ice (Ice) is much more prone to excessive
wheelspin, and vehicles also will tend to slide much further
than on sand or mud. This makes the anticipation of corners
and 'early' cornering MUCH more important in an Ice
environment than in an Arid or Jungle environment.
Damage is subtracted from a player's earnings ONLY when the
player has money (i.e., the player has yet to obtain at least
Bronze status in the initial Shox Zone(s), or is
participating in a head-to-head competition). With this in
mind, the player is thus 'free' to incur as much damage as
desired when the damage monetary penalty is not in effect.
However, any vehicle damage may indeed cause handling
problems, depending on the type and the severity of the
damage incurred during a race.
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SHOX ZONES
Except in the Shox Championship and in gambling for vehicles,
all races in Shox include three Shox Zones. This section is
designed to give an overview of each of the Shox Zones in the
game, to help to provide players with some 'advance warning'
so that they may hopefully advance through the Shox Zones
(and the game in general) a little faster.
Compact Championship
Race 1: Arid
Shox Zone 1: The game's initial Shox Zone occurs on a
long, gentle, uphill run with a few gentle
corners. The Shox Zone ends just before
the crest of this hill.
Shox Zone 2: This next Shox Zone begins immediately
before a tunnel, meaning a transition from
sand outside the tunnel to asphalt inside
the tunnel. Immediately on the other side
of the tunnel, the terrain returns to sand
and the circuit makes a sharp right turn
toward the end gate for this Shox Zone.
Shox Zone 3: Shox Zone 3 begins at the crest of a hill
and ends just beyond the crest of the next
hill.
Race 2: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: This opening Shox Zone is located in a
sandy S-curve section. (Actually, the
S-curves are more along the lines of
lengthy hairpin corners.) The circuit in
this section is rather wide, and water
creeps along much of its length at one or
both edges.
Shox Zone 2: This is essentially the same as the first
Shox Zone, but transitioning to mud and
re-entering the jungle about halfway
through the Shox Zone.
Shox Zone 3: There are several corners in this final
Shox Zone, but the terrain changes from
mud to poor asphalt shortly after this
Shox Zone begins.
Race 3: Ice
Shox Zone 1: Beginning on snow, this initial Shox Zone
makes a gentle left-hand turn, then is
quickly followed by a nasty right-hand
corner leading onto ice.
Shox Zone 2: This second Shox Zone begins immediately
before a NASTY right-hand corner with a
rapidly-decreasing radius.
Shox Zone 3: Transitioning from snow to ice, this is a
somewhat-lengthy Shox Zone with two
perpendicular corners which can be taken
at full acceleration with the proper
'early' cornering.
Race 4: Arid
Shox Zone 1: This Shox Zone begins on sand immediately
before a tight right-hand hairpin corner.
Immediately afterward, the terrain
transitions to asphalt and makes a nasty
left-hand hairpin turn - but at least the
asphalt provides superior grip compared to
the sand.
Shox Zone 2: Entirely composed of sand, this second
Shox Zone is comprised essentially of two
wide (in both length and width) hairpin
corners nestled between the mountain
cliffs.
Shox Zone 3: This is essentially the same configuration
as the previous Shox Zone, but more
attention must be given to the edges of
the circuit, which protrude inward at a
few key locations.
Race 5: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: Comprised of mud, this Shox Zone has
several lengthy corners and a tunnel.
Shox Zone 2: Beginning before the beautiful, LOUD
waterfall, this Shox Zone is all-mud and
again features lengthy, gentle corners.
Shox Zone 3: This final Shox Zone primarily consists of
tunnels, and transitions from asphalt to
sand within the tunnels.
Race 6: Ice
Shox Zone 1: This Shox Zone consists of two right-hand
right-angle corners on ice.
Shox Zone 2: The second Shox Zone begins just before a
tight right-hand corner on snow, then
leads into an asphalt-paved tunnel.
Shox Zone 3: This final Shox Zone of the Compact
Championship begins on an icy bridge which
curves gently to the left. Once off the
bridge, the circuit turns gently to the
left as the terrain transitions back to
snow.
Sports Championship
Race 1: Arid
Shox Zone 1: This initial Shox Zone of the Sports
Championship begins immediately at the
exit of a NASTY right-hand right-angle
corner, coinciding with a transition from
sand to asphalt at the entrance to a
tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, things
get much more challenging, however, as
there is a moderate rise in elevation,
crested by a right-hand J-turn with a
steep descent opening into a much-gentler
left-hand full-throttle corner.
Shox Zone 2: This is a twisty all-sand S-curve section.
Shox Zone 3: This final Shox Zone begins at the
transition from sand to asphalt. The
circuit snakes precariously between the
mountain cliffs.
Race 2: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: All-mud, this is a lengthy section of
semi-gentle S-curves.
Shox Zone 2: This is similar to the previous Shox Zone,
but containing more and somewhat-sharper
corners.
Shox Zone 3: All-mud with the exception of a brief
wooden bridge, this is the shortest of the
three Shox Zones in this race. There is
only one corner, a right-hand decreasing-
radius corner leading uphill to the
aforementioned bridge.
Race 3: Ice
Shox Zone 1: This first Shox Zone begins at the very
end of the overglorified bobsled course,
at the transition from ice to snow.
Almost immediately, the circuit contains a
left-hand right-angle corner, after which
the terrain transitions back to ice.
Shox Zone 2: This middle Shox Zone begins at the
transition from ice back to snow, just
before a left-hand right-angle corner.
Shortly afterward, the circuit transitions
to asphalt as it enters a tunnel. This
Shox Zone ends just beyond the end of the
tunnel, just beyond the transition from
asphalt back to snow.
Shox Zone 3: Beginning on a gentle uphill slope covered
with ice thinly layered with snow, the
circuit contains a NASTY left-hand J-turn
leading up a VERY steep icy slope which is
again thinly layered with snow. The
J-turn has a WIDE recovery area which is
largely filled with snow. The best
approach to this NASTY Shox Zone (one of
worst in the entire game) is to brake VERY
early and turn sharply, cutting to the
inside of any other vehicles which might
be present; in fact, this tactic will
provide some resistance to the vehicle's
inherent tendency to slide toward the
outside of the corner.
Race 4: Arid
Shox Zone 1: This all-sand Shox Zone is essentially a
pair of very wide (in length and in width)
hairpin corners.
Shox Zone 2: This all-asphalt Shox Zone snakes between
the mountain cliffs. Straightlining as
many corners as possible will shave off
valuable time here.
Shox Zone 3: This is a lengthy Shox Zone with numerous
corners. The circuit here is comprised
entirely of sand.
Race 5: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: Beginning on mud, this initial Shox Zone
heads into a tunnel, which is lined with
asphalt. The asphalt remains on exiting
the tunnel, but there is a NASTY right-
hand J-turn requiring SEVERE braking.
The circuit then turns gently back to the
left, transitioning back to mud about
halfway along the corner.
Shox Zone 2: Back on the wide twisting sandy road
along the shore, this Shox Zone comprises
several long hairpin corners and water at
the edges of the circuit.
Shox Zone 3: This final Shox Zone begins as the circuit
leaves the water area, but the landing
zone for the jump sports a NASTY right-
hand J-turn with NO room for error on
a poor-asphalt roadway. The terrain
transitions back to mud before this Shox
Zone comes to an end.
Race 6: Ice
Shox Zone 1: This opening Shox Zone begins on snow,
then transitions to ice shortly before a
right-hand near-perpendicular corner. The
Shox Zone comes to an end immediately at
the exit of a left-hand right-angle
corner.
Shox Zone 2: Beginning on snow immediately before a
bridge curving to the right, the terrain
quickly transitions to ice for the bridge,
then transitions back to snow on the other
side of the bridge as the circuit turns
semi-gently back to the left.
Shox Zone 3: Beginning immediately before a left-hand
right-angle corner, the circuit
transitions from snow to asphalt as it
enters a tunnel. On the other side of the
tunnel, the terrain returns to snow, then
transitions to ice again following a
right-hand right-angle corner.
Turbo Championship
Race 1: Arid
Shox Zone 1: This Shox Zone is seemingly all-corners
with a major crest about one-third of the
way through this section of the circuit.
Shox Zone 2: This is a moderately-lengthy Shox Zone
with several corners. At the entry to the
final corner of this Shox Zone, the
left-side barrier can be a problem, as it
is positioned so that it is possible to
ram into its front end, thus bringing the
player's vehicle to a complete standstill
or perhaps causing a spin or a flip.
Shox Zone 3: The first one-fifth of this Shox Zone is
on asphalt, while the rest is run on dirt.
There are numerous corners here, many of
them rather tight.
Race 2: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: Beginning on mud (except for a brief
wooden bridge), the circuit soon heads out
onto the white sand encountered in the
previous challenges.
Shox Zone 2: The first half of this Shox Zone is run on
white sand, similar to that used in the
beach area. The second half of this Shox
Zone is then conducted in asphalt (which
includes a tunnel), but transitions back
to mud immediately before the end gate of
this Shox Zone.
Shox Zone 3: Beginning near the waterfall, this all-mud
Shox Zone has several jumps and quite a
few semi-gentle corners.
Race 3: Ice
Shox Zone 1: This Shox Zone begins on snow, then
quickly transitions to ice. It is
important to brake before cresting the
icy hill, as the landing zone is in the
middle of a left-hand right-angle ice-
covered corner; failure to brake properly
will result in the vehicle sliding across
the ice and into a barrier. Shortly after
this corner, the terrain transitions first
to snow, then to ice with a thin layer of
snow upon it.
Shox Zone 2: This Shox Zone coincides with the
overglorified bobsled course.
Shox Zone 3: This final Shox Zone begins in a snowy
section with several significant jumps.
Following a gentle right-hand corner is a
transition to ice, followed immediately by
the first of three left-hand right-angle
corners.
Race 4: Arid
Shox Zone 1: This S-curve section begins on dirt, and
transitions to asphalt for the final third
of this Shox Zone.
Shox Zone 2: This Shox Zone begins on asphalt, and
transitions to dirt halfway between the
tight consecutive hairpin corners.
Shox Zone 3: Beginning with several wide corners on
dirt, the circuit transitions to asphalt
and enters a tunnel. On the other side is
the NASTY J-turn from Race 1 of the Sports
Championship.
Race 5: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: All-mud, this Shox Zone features lengthy
semi-gentle corners and a few jumps.
Shox Zone 2: Again on mud, this Shox Zone begins
immediately before a nasty left-hand
J-turn. A jump leads onto a wooden
bridge, with the end gate to this Shox
Zone shortly beyond its end.
Shox Zone 3: This is similar to Shox Zone 2 of Race 2
of the Turbo Championship.
Race 6: Ice
Shox Zone 1: This Shox Zone has several semi-tight
corners. Except the final few meters (run
on snow), the terrain here is entirely
ice thinly layered with snow.
Shox Zone 2: Beginning with a pair of jumps on snow,
the terrain transitions to ice immediately
before a left-hand right-angle corner.
Shortly after the right-hand right-angle
corner, the terrain transitions back to
snow.
Shox Zone 3: The final Shox Zone of Turbo Championship
coincides with the overglorified bobsled
course.
Power Championship
Race 1: Arid
Shox Zone 1: This opening Shox Zone begins with a steep
uphill climb on a right-hand turn,
followed by a steep descent into a
left-hand turn whose exit leads up a
semi-steep climb. The rest of this Shox
Zone is a long, gentle downhill run with
several corners, some of which can be
moderately straightlined to save time.
Shox Zone 2: Beginning on dirt, this Shox Zone runs
through the now-famous double-hairpin
section, transitioning to asphalt between
the hairpin turns. The circuit winds
through the mountain cliffs.
Shox Zone 3: Beginning on asphalt, this final Shox Zone
winds past the waterfall between the
mountain cliffs, then transitions to
dirt. The circuit continues winding
between the mountain cliffs with a few
hills thrown in.
Race 2: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: Beginning at the transition from wooden
bridge to mud, this Shox Zone quickly
moves to the winding white sand beach area
encountered in previous Jungle circuits.
Shox Zone 2: Except for a wooden bridge, the entire
Shox Zone is mud. The Shox Zone comes to
an end immediately at the exit of a NASTY
and NARROW right-hand right-angle corner.
Shox Zone 3: This all-mud Shox Zone is a number of
semi-gentle corners with a few hills and
minor jumps.
Race 3: Ice
Shox Zone 1: This initial Shox Zone begins on snow in
the VERY brief straightaway between the
overglorified bobsled course and a right-
hand right-angle corner. The rest of this
Shox Zone is comprised of gentle corners.
Shox Zone 2: Beginning on ice, this second Shox Zone
quickly transitions to snow, with a semi-
significant jump about halfway through
this Shox Zone. The final third
transitions to ice for the bridge, then
back to snow just before the end gate.
Shox Zone 3: After a VERY brief snow section, the
terrain transitions to ice, with a left-
hand right-angle corner following a minor
jump. The Shox Zone ends shortly after
transitioning back to snow.
Race 4: Arid
Shox Zone 1: This Shox Zone is mostly sand, but ends on
asphalt. The circuit here winds between
the tall mountain cliffs.
Shox Zone 2: The second Shox Zone begins on dirt and
has two significant jumps, the landing
zone for the second jump being asphalt in
a right-hand turn. The asphalt continues
for the rest of the Shox Zone as the
circuit snakes around.
Shox Zone 3: Entirely dirt, this final Shox Zone has a
few hills and A LOT of twists and turns.
Race 5: Jungle
Shox Zone 1: Entirely mud except for a wooden bridge,
this Shox Zone has several jumps and A LOT
of high-speed turns.
Shox Zone 2: Beginning at the transition from wooden
bridge to mud, this Shox Zone quickly
moves to the winding white sand beach area
encountered in previous Jungle circuits.
Shox Zone 3: Beginning on the beach, this final Shox
Zone heads back into the jungle and
ends after a narrow and difficult left-
hand right-angle corner.
Race 6: Ice
Shox Zone 1: Beginning with ice thinly layered with
snow, this Shox Zone transitions later to
snow and then to pure ice. There are
several corners, including a tricky
right-hand right-angle corner.
Shox Zone 2: The middle half of this Shox Zone is snow,
with the opening and final fourths icy.
There are numerous corners, several rather
tricky.
Shox Zone 3: The game's final Shox Zone begins on snow,
then makes a sharp left-hand turn into the
overglorified bobsled course.
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RACING TIPS: BRAKING
The first step in driving fast is knowing when, where, and
how much to slow down (braking). In some games, a brake
controller can be acquired or purchased, allowing the player
to customize the brake strength by axle or by adjusting the
bias of the brakes toward the front or the rear of the car;
in other games, this is part of the 'stock' feature of the
cars.
The use of a brake controller will affect the braking zone,
as will other factors. Specifically, the car's speed on
approaching a corner, the amount of fuel in the car at a
given moment, the drivetrain of the car, the weight of the
car, and even the car's center of gravity can all affect the
braking zone. Similarly, the driving conditions - sunny,
overcast, damp, wet, icy, snowy etc. - will affect the
braking zone for each corner (as well as the car's ability to
attain high speeds).
Except for purely arcade-style games, the braking zone will
differ somewhat for each car depending upon its strengths and
weaknesses. It certainly helps for the player to try a Free
Run or a Time Trial (if these modes exist in a given game) to
learn the circuit(s) - including the braking zones.
When looking for braking zones, try to find a particular
stationary object near the entry of each corner; it helps
tremendously if this object is far enough away from the
circuit that it will not be knocked over during a race. To
begin, try using the brakes when the front of the car is
parallel with the chosen stationary object. If this does not
slow the car enough before corner entry or if the car slows
too much before reaching the corner, pick another stationary
object on the following lap and try again.
Whenever changes are made to the car - whether to the brake
controller or to other aspects of tuning and/or parts - it
would be a good idea to go back into Free Run mode and check
that the braking zones still hold; if not, adjust as
necessary using the method in the paragraph above.
For those races which include fuel loads, the car will become
progressively lighter during a race. The lesser weight can
often mean a slightly shorter braking zone; however, if tire
wear is excessive (especially if there have been numerous
off-course excursions), that might dictate a longer braking
zone.
Cars with a higher horsepower output will inherently attain
faster speeds, and will therefore require a longer braking
zone than cars with a lower horsepower output. Try a
Volkswagon New Beetle, a Mini Cooper, a Dodge Viper, a Panoz
Esperante GT-1, a Corvette C5R, and an F-2002 (all in
stock/base configuration) along the same area of a circuit
and note how their braking zones differ.
A final note on braking: To the extent possible, ALWAYS brake
in a straight line. If braking only occurs when cornering,
the car will likely be carrying too much speed for the
corner, resulting in the car sliding, spinning, and/or
flipping. (Some games purposely do not permit the car to
flip, but a slide or spin can still mean the difference
between winning and ending up in last position at the end of
a race.)
If nothing else, players should strive to become of the
'breakers' they possibly can. This will essentially force a
player to become a better racer/driver in general once the
player has overcome the urge to constantly run at top speed
at all times with no regard for damages to self or others.
Also, slowing the car appropriately will make other aspects
of racing/driving easier, especially in J-turns, hairpin
corners, and chicanes.
==============================================
RACING TIPS: CORNERING
Ideally, the best way to approach a corner is from the
outside of the turn, braking well before entering the corner.
At the apex (the midpoint of the corner), the car should be
right up against the edge of the roadway. On corner exit,
the car drifts back to the outside of the roadway and speeds
off down the straightaway. So, for a right-hand turn of
about ninety degrees, enter the corner from the left, come to
the right to hit the apex, and drift back to the left on
corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this
guide for a sample standard corner.
For corners that are less than ninety degrees, it may be
possible to just barely tap the brakes - if at all - and be
able to clear such corners successfully. However, the same
principles of cornering apply: approach from the outside of
the turn, hit the apex, and drift back outside on corner
exit.
For corners more than ninety degrees but well less than 180
degrees, braking will certainly be required. However, for
these 'J-turns,' the apex of the corner is not the midpoint,
but a point approximately two-thirds of the way around the
corner. J-turns require great familiarity to know when to
begin diving toward the inside of the corner and when to
power to the outside on corner exit. See the Diagrams
section at the end of this guide for a sample J-turn.
Hairpin corners are turns of approximately 180 degrees.
Braking is certainly required before corner entry, and the
cornering process is the same as for standard corners:
Approach from the outside, drift inside to hit the apex
(located at halfway around the corner, or after turning
ninety degrees), and drifting back to the outside on corner
exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for
a sample hairpin corner.
If there are two corners of approximately ninety degrees each
AND both corners turn in the same direction AND there is only
a VERY brief straightaway between the two corners, they may
be able to be treated like an extended hairpin corner.
Sometimes, however, these 'U-turns' have a straightaway
between the corners that is just long enough to prohibit a
hairpin-like treatment; in this case, drifting to the outside
on exiting the first of the two corners will automatically
set up the approach to the next turn. See the Diagrams
section at the end of this guide for a sample U-turn.
FIA (the governing body of F1 racing, World Rally
Championship, and other forms of international motorsport)
seems to love chicanes. One common type of chicane is
essentially a 'quick-flick,' where the circuit quickly edges
off in one direction then realigns itself in a path parallel
to the original stretch of pavement, as in the examples in
the Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Here, the
object is to approach the first corner from the outside, hit
BOTH apexes, and drift to the outside of the second turn.
There are chicanes of various types in rally racing, but they
are not necessarily considered as such because the
competitors tend to think corner-by-corner, and not complex-
by-complex like circuit-based competitors.
FIA also seems to like the 'Bus Stop' chicane, which is
essentially just a pair of quick-flicks, with the second
forming the mirror image of the first, as shown in the
Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Perhaps the most
famous Bus Stop chicane is the chicane (which is actually
called the ŒBus Stop Chicane¹) at Pit Entry at Spa-
Francorchamps, the home of the annual Grand Prix of Belgium
(F1 racing) and the host of The 24 Hours of Spa (for
endurance racing).
Virtually every other type of corner or corner combination
encountered in racing (primarily in road racing) combines
elements of the corners presented above. These complex
corners and chicanes can be challenging, such as the Ascari
chicane at Monza. See the Diagrams section for an idea of
the formation of Ascari.
However, in illegal street/highway racing, the positioning of
traffic can 'create' the various corners and corner
combinations mentioned here. For example, weaving in and out
of traffic creates a virtual bus stop chicane (see the
Diagrams section at the end of this guide). Slowing may be
necessary - it often is - depending on the distance between
the vehicles. See the Sample Circuit Using Some of the Above
Corner Types Combines in the Diagrams section at the end of
this guide; note that this is a diagram for a very technical
circuit.
At some race venues, 'artificial chicanes' may be created by
placing cones and/or (concrete) barriers in the middle of a
straightaway. One such game which used this type of chicane
is the original Formula1 by Psygnosis, an F1-based
PlayStation game from 1995, which used this at Circuit
Gilles-Villeneuve along Casino Straight (shortly after
passing the final grandstands at the exit of Casino Hairpin).
One thing which can change the approach to cornering is the
available vision. Blind and semi-blind corners require
ABSOLUTE knowledge of such corners. Here is where gamers
have an advantage over real-world drivers: Gamers can
(usually) change their viewpoint (camera position), which can
sometimes provide a wider, clearer view of the stage, which
can be especially important when approaching semi-blind
corners; real-world drivers are obviously inhibited by the
designs of their cars and racing helmets. Great examples of
real-world blind and semi-blind corners would be Mulsanne
Hump at Le Mans, Turns 14 and 15 at Albert Park, each of the
first three corners at A1-Ring, and many forest-based stages
in rally racing.
Also important to cornering - especially with long, extended
corners - is the corner¹s radius. Most corners use an
identical radius throughout their length. However, some are
increasing-radius corners or decreasing-radius corners.
These corners may require shifting the apex point of a
corner, and almost always result in a change of speed.
Decreasing-radius corners are perhaps the trickiest, because
the angle of the corner becomes sharper, thus generally
requiring more braking as well as more turning of the
steering wheel. Increasing-radius corners are corners for
which the angle becomes more and more gentle as the corner
progresses; this means that drivers will generally accelerate
more, harder, or faster, but such an extra burst of speed can
backfire and require more braking. See the Diagrams section
at the end of this guide for sample images of a decreasing-
radius corner and an increasing-radius corner.
For traditional road racing circuits, increasing-radius and
decreasing-radius corners may not be too much of a problem;
after several laps around one of these circuits, a driver
will know where the braking and acceleration points are as
well as the shifted apex point (should a shift be required).
However, for stage-based rally racing, where the roads are
virtually unknown and the driver knows what is ahead only
because of the navigator¹s instructions (which - based upon
notes - may or may not be absolutely correct), the unknown
can cause drivers to brake more often and/or more heavily.
For rally-based games, such as the Need for Speed: V-Rally
series (PlayStation/PSOne/PlayStation2) or for World Rally
Championship (PlayStation2), there is often specialized
vocabulary used: Œtightens¹ generally designates that a
corner has a decreasing radius, whereas Œwidens¹ or Œopens¹
indicates that a corner has an increasing radius. This need
for Œextra¹ braking is also tempered by the fact that in much
of rally racing, corners are either blind or semi-blind, due
to trees, buildings, cliffs, embankments, and other obstacles
to clear vision all the way around a corner.
One particularly interesting aspect of cornering is one which
I honestly do not know if it works in reality (I am not a
real-world racer, although I would certainly LOVE the chance
to attend a racing school!!!), but which works in numerous
racing/driving games I have played over the years. This
aspect is to use the accelerator to help with quickly and
safely navigating sharp corners. This works by first BRAKING
AS USUAL IN ADVANCE OF THE CORNER, then - once in the corner
itself - rapidly pumping the brakes for the duration of the
corner (or at least until well past the apex of the corner).
The action of rapidly pumping the accelerator appears to
cause the drive wheels to catch the pavement just enough to
help stop or slow a sliding car, causing the non-drive wheels
to continue slipping and the entire car to turn just a little
faster. Using this rapid-pumping technique with the
accelerator does take a little practice initially, and seems
to work best with FR cars; however, once perfected, this
technique can pay dividends, especially with REALLY sharp
hairpin corners, such as at Sebring International Raceway or
those often found in rally racing.
==============================================
RACING TIPS: COASTING
Some players may believe that a good racer is ALWAYS either
accelerating or braking. However, this is not always the
best way to approach a given section of a circuit or rally
stage. Coasting can sometimes be beneficial.
First, consider standard street or highway driving. Street-
legal cars are designed for the same foot to be used for both
acceleration and braking (with the other foot used for
operating the clutch if the vehicle uses a manual
transmission). There is always a slight delay between
acceleration and braking as the driver moves the foot from
one pedal to the other; during this time, the vehicle is
essentially coasting - that is, the vehicle's current
momentum is the only thing moving the vehicle.
In real-world racing, there are a number of drivers who use
'left-foot braking.' In other words, one foot is used for
the accelerator, while the other foot is used for the brake
pedal. Yet even in left-foot braking, a driver must take
care to NOT be pressing both the accelerator pedal AND the
brake pedal simultaneously, as this could cause the engine
revs to spike and/or cause undue tire wear. Therefore, even
though for a much shorter duration (perhaps best measured in
hundredths of a second) than in standard 'right-foot
braking,' there is always a short period of coasting.
In many racing games, I find that coasting through tight
corners (including tight chicanes) can sometimes be the best
method to safely navigate these difficult sections - and this
is true in both pavement-based games and in rally-based
games. Certainly, braking properly (i.e., in a straight line
BEFORE reaching the corner or chicane) is key to successfully
coasting. However, using NEITHER the accelerator button NOR
the brake button will cause the vehicle to coast, thus using
the natural momentum of the vehicle to perhaps swing the
vehicle around the corner or through the chicane.
This is actually somewhat tricky to explain in words, and is
really something that each player should try several times
(especially on tight, technical circuits, such as Monaco and
Bathurst, or virtually any stage of a rally-based game) to
truly understand this technique. Once learned, however,
players may easily find themselves adding this technique to
their gaming repertoire :-)
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RACING TIPS: WEIGHT SHIFTS
Modern racing games are especially adept at simulating a
vehicle's weight shift in a variety of situations. This
section assumes that a vehicle is moving in a forward
direction.
When cornering, a vehicle's weight shift is to the opposite
direction; in other words, if a vehicle is turning to the
left, its weight will be shifted to the right (and vice
versa). If the player attempts to corner too quickly, the
resultant weight shift risks to slide the vehicle toward the
outside of the turn; in extreme cases, the vehicle could lift
and have only TWO wheels actually touching the ground, or
potentially the vehicle could even flip onto its side or its
roof!!! While it is certainly fun to see a vehicle on two
wheels or on its side or roof, this is obviously counter-
productive, especially in a close race or in a time trial
mode. Tires and downforce play a role in helping to keep the
vehicle on the ground during cornering, but once a given
speed is surpassed for the type, radius, and angle of the
corner in question, the player will have limited - if any -
control of the vehicle.
During acceleration, the vehicle's weight will naturally
shift toward the rear. In most situations, this is not a
particularly crucial phenomenon. However, if the vehicle is
moving fairly slowly and the player suddenly slams on the
accelerator, or especially if a race has a standing start
(such as F1, TOCA, and rally races), this weight shift should
be crucial. As the vehicle weight shifts to the rear of the
vehicle, the rear suspension and tires could potentially take
a lot of punishment. This is especially important for the
tires, as the extra weight will require an appropriate amount
of 'extra' acceleration (especially if the vehicle uses rear-
wheel drive, which is true of many racing vehicles) to
compensate and get the wheels to turn enough for the tires to
adequately grip the racing surface to help to propel the
vehicle forward. However, overcompensation could result in
excessive wheelspin, which is quite likely to create undue
tire wear.
While braking, a vehicle's weight will shift toward the front
of the vehicle. If the player brakes too late to corner
safely yet still attempts to take the corner even semi-
normally, the weight will load to the front outside wheel (in
relation to the corner; i.e., to the front-left wheel if
taking a right-hand corner) and risk causing the vehicle to
slide off the course in the direction of the front-outside
wheel. Even if not attempting to corner, the weight shift to
the front during braking requires a little extra care to
ensure that the front wheels do not lock (in those games
which support wheel-lock, such as Pro Race Driver).
In rally racing especially, the trick to successfully
navigating many of the tight corners on the various stages is
to use the vehicle's natural weight shifts to help
successfully clear each section of the stage. This requires
excellent knowledge of each rally car's capabilities and
limitations, as well as superb anticipation and planning for
each corner. Obviously, since most rallies are held on
point-to-point stages, there is only one chance to
successfully navigate each twist in the raceway, and using a
vehicle's natural weight shift is crucial to 'getting it
right' the first (and only) time!!!
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CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc.,
or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving
guide, please contact me at:
[email protected]; also, if
you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful
to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via
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http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail
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To find the latest version of this and all my other
PSX/PS2/DC/Mac game guides, visit FeatherGuides at
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