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by Neil Roesler (A.K.A. "TecmoVols")
E-mail:
[email protected]
Rad Racer II Guide Version 1.0
Date: 3-10-01
________________________________________
Rad Racer 2
Developed in 1990 by Square
Licensed by Nintendo
________________________________________
CONTENTS
--------
A. Introduction- Game Overview
I. Personal Opinion and Review of Rad Racer II
B. The Controls
C. Terms
D. The Car
E. The Music
F. The Tracks
I. Key West
II. Big Apple
III. Gettysburg
IV. Monument Valley
V. Las Vegas Boulevard
VI. Rocky Mountains
VII. Twilight California
VIII. Bay Bridge
G. Rad Racer II Code
H. Closing Thoughts
________________________________________
A. AN INTRODUCTION TO RAD RACER II
Rad Racer II is the sequel to a highly popular and successful NES game which is
of course, "Rad Racer".
Your only weapon/object is the car. This is a racing game in which you are NOT
racing against competitors,
but are however racing to get to a series of checkpoints in an allotted amount
of time (there are three checkpoints per track).
There are 8 tracks which you must conquer in order without continues. If you
lose, you go back to the beginning.
If you make it to all of the checkpoints in the game (24 in all, 3 on each of 8
tracks) then you are victorious.
I. MY OPINION OF THE GAME
I find Rad Racer II to be a fun and challenging game. Square did a good job
of keeping it very similar to the original.
I had the game for about five years, but never seriously played it. I would
pop it in the Nintendo, play it until I failed,
and that it would gather dust for a few months. When I actually sat
down to beat the game, playing it once each day, it took
me about four weeks to complete. If you are sitting down to play Rad
Racer II with the objective of conquering the game, get
ready for MANY MANY frustrating times, but also get ready for a huge
feeling of excitement after you complete the game.
RATING- 8 on a scale of 1-10
________________________________________
B. The Controls
____________________________________________________________
UP
___
_ _ Select
____ ____ _____ _____ _____ _____
LEFT ____ ____ RIGHT _____ _____ _ B _ _ A _
_ _ Start _____ _____
___
DOWN
____________________________________________________________
Quick Summary:
The D-Pad (Up, Left, Down, Right Arrows) controls the direction the car is
traveling
Select chooses the music on the track preview screen
Start pauses the game
B is the brake
A is the accelerator
Every function for each button:
Left (D-Pad): The Left arrow on the D-Pad turns the car left while racing
Right (D-Pad): The Right arrow on the D-Pad turns the car right while racing
Up (D-Pad): The Up Arrow can be held in conjuction with the A Button (Up + A)
to cause the car to turbo accelerate.
Down (D-Pad): The Down Arrow is held in conjunction with the B Button (Down +
B) to cause the car to power charge.
Select: Chooses the music on the track preview screen
Start: Pauses the game while racing
Sends you to the track from the track preview screen
A: Causes the car to accelerate
Is held in conjunction with the Up Arrow to turbo accelerate the car
Detonates a power blast out of a power charge by being pressed WHILE HOLDING
the Down Arrow and B
B: Acts as the car's brake, slowing the car
Is held in conjunction with the Down arrow to cause the car to Power Charge
________________________________________
C. TERMS
Accelerate- Cause the car to go faster.
Bay Bridge- The 8th and final track.
Big Apple- The 2nd track.
Brake- Cause the car to slow down.
Gettysburg- The third track.
Key West- The 1st track.
Las Vegas Boulevard- Also known as Las Vegas Blvd., this is the 5th track.
Monument Valley- The 4th Track.
Power Charge- Holding the Down Arrow + the B button (Down + B), this causes the
cars power meter to go up.
Power Blast- Pressing A WHILE STILL Holding the Down Arrow and the B button.
This causes the car to rocket from a stand still
to at or near near top speed.
Rad Racer- The predecessor to this game.
Rocky Mountains- The 6th Track.
Square- The game's developer.
Twilight California- Also known as Twilight Calif., this is the 7th track.
________________________________________
D. The Car
Unlike Rad Racer, Rad Racer II only has one car to choose from. It is a red
sports car of some sort and is a pretty nifty looking machine.
The top speed of the car is a whopping 255 MILES per hour. Here is the basic
info on the car:
Gear Shifting: Automatic
Top Speed: 255 M P/H
Crash Life: Infinite
The dash console and meters:
Lap Speed: The time for each lap, 1-3.
Speedometer: Measures the speed of the car in Miles Per Hour.
Track Chart: Breaks the track into sections, highlighted sections indicate that
you have passed or are currently in that section.
Power Meter: Measures the intensity of your power charge.
Turn Indicator: Shows what course the track will take next.
The Rad Racer Car has a few features that set it WAY apart from your family
sedan. The most important aspect of your car is the
Power Charge/Power Blast. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU LEARN TO DO THIS OR YOU
CANNOT BEAT THE GAME. The Power Charge and Power Blast
are separate entities, but they are used in conjunction with each other.
Power Charge: You will power charge whenever you start a race or whenever you
spin out. To power charge, you hold the down arrow and the B button
at the same time. The Power Meter on your console will show you
how much power you have built up.
Power Blast: Once the Power Meter reaches the top (full power), press the A
button WHILE still holding the Down Arrow and B Buttons. This causes
the car to blast from a stand still to at or near top speed.
It is imperative that you learn to do this. There are times when you will spin
out just a few hundred feet from the checkpoint with a few seconds left.
Without the Power Blast, you'd be doomed. With it, however, you will live to
race another day.
It is also important to two more things about the car:
A) The car cannot crash, it will only spin out and put you back at 0 MPH,
costing precious time.
B) On TURNS:
I. If you TURBO into a turn, your car will shift almost sideways and will be
nearly impossible to control. Avoid TURBOING into turns unless necessary.
II. You can go into gradual turns without breaking, but the sharp turns will
almost always require at least a tap of the brakes.
________________________________________
E. The Music
I could not create a complete guide to Rad Racer II without including a section
on the soundtrack of the game. There are three musical options for your
enjoyment:
A) "Coast to Coast"-- An easy listening, laid back tune.
B) "Gum Ball Crash"-- A tune with bit more of an "edge". This one gets the
blood going on the tougher tracks.
C) "Sing Yourself"-- If you don't like either of the other options, turn this
one on and listen to the hum of the engines.
You can choose to change your music before any race. I prefer to use all of
them at least once. I don't know why I do this, but I use songs that I feel
relate to
the environment of the track (Pathetic, I know). It serves no purpose, but it
gives me something to do. Here's my choices:
Key West- Coast to Coast
Big Apple- Gum Ball Crash
Gettysburg- Sing Yourself
Monument Valley- Gum Ball Crash
Las Vegas Blvd.- Gum Ball Crash
Rocky Mountains- Coast to Coast
Twilight Calif.- Coast to Coast
Bay Bridge- Gum Ball Crash
________________________________________
F. THE TRACKS
This is the most important aspect (I feel) of the guide. I will give you my
take on each of the tracks and what strategies I used to defeat each of them.
I will rank them each on difficulty (8 being the easiest, 1 the hardest). I
will also explain the visual aspects of the track, etc. Just read on, you'll
get
the picture.
I. Key West
Difficulty: 8
Toughest Stretch: Between the 1st and 2nd Checkpoints
Enemies: Keep your eye on the Red car that resembles yours, he's the only one
who'll aim for you.
Backdrop: The Gulf of Mexico
Track Color: Gray
Roadside: Tan
Music: Coast to Coast
As you view the map on the track preview screen, you'll notice the "S" turn in
section 2. This is the only part that can present any forseeable problems.
Section 1:
Before you start the game, I would recommend practicing the Power Charge and
Power Blast features. Once you have learned these techniques, hit reset and
start
the game over. Section 1 is a very simple section. There are no sharp turns,
only gradual ones. Take this time to get used to the feel of the car and how
to
avoid other cars.
Section 2:
This is the most difficult part of the course, this will present the first real
test. Be sure to tap your brakes going through the "S" turn in the heart of
Section 2.
Section 3:
Very simple. There is only one (I believe) gradual turn in this section and
that is it. The only problem, albeit very minor, is the red car who will aim
for you. If
you passed Section 2, you'll have no problem here. It is common to reach the
end with 15-20 seconds to spare.
----------
II. Big Apple
Difficulty: 6
Toughest Stretch: Between the 1st and 2nd Checkpoints
Enemies: Keep your eye out of a tan bug in the first section. He will almost
always ram you into the lightpole.
Backdrop: New York City
Track Color: Black
Music: Gum Ball Crash
This is a fairly difficult course that you will need to be ready to drive well
for. The map overview shows you the wavy third section. It looks intimidating
but don't be fooled.
The 2nd Section is much more difficult than that. This course takes place at
night, which gives you good practice for the difficult "Las Vegas Blvd."
Section 1:
Not as easy as Section 1 of Key West. The tan bug takes you out nearly every
time. The brake will be needed on this section.
Section 2:
A pretty challenging section. You will often coast past the flags on this one.
A few sharp turns make this section a mess. Get ready to use the brake.
Section 3:
Much easier than Section 2. A series of gradual turns is all it is. Even if
you coasted through the 2nd set of flags, don't worry. You should easily make
it to the finish on this one.
----------
III. Gettysburg
Difficulty: 7
Toughest Stretch: Between the 1st and 2nd Checkpoints
Enemies: None of Real Concern
Backdrop: Hazy hills (The Round Tops???)
Track Color: Gray
Music: Sing Yourself
This is a very simple track that I believe belongs before the Big Apple. Never
mind the obvious question "Why are we racing across a National Landmark?" Just
go out and race.
I honestly don't remember ever not passing this track. The Map Overview shows
that it's a long, spread out course. Naturally, that means that there are
plenty of gradual turns.
Section 1:
A couple of sharp turns may get you worried about this track, but if you use
the brake, you'll be fine. Just like on the rest of the track.
Section 2:
It's forseeable that you may crash on one of the sharp turns in here, but
you'll have plenty of time to get to the checkpoint.
Section 3:
Coast home. This section's a breeze.
----------
IV. Monument Valley
Difficulty: 5
Toughest Stretch: Between the 2nd Checkpoint and the end
Enemies: A big series of red hunters at the beginning will give you a big test
Backdrop: Desert, Mountains
Track Color: Gray
Music: Gum Ball Crash
Snap out of it. The easy tracks are over. Monument Valley is a very good
course that you will frustrate you a couple of times. It starts out nasty with
a bunch of those dreaded
red cars and gets worse. The map overview makes it look difficult and it
doesn't lie. There are no EASY sections here.
Section 1:
The obvious challenge here is to pass the series of red cars. Once you do
that, the rest of the section isn't too bad.
Section 2:
Challenging. A series of sharp turns with traffic. Be prepared to crash.
Section 3:
A big loop brings you back to the end, so there is some hard turning involved.
I ranked this the toughest section because you are trying so hard to get out of
this tough track.
----------
V. Las Vegas Blvd.
Difficulty: 3
Toughest Stretch: Between the 2nd Checkpoint and the end
Enemies: The Red Car and the Space Age Tan Car which hunts you more agressively
than the red car
Backdrop: Las Vegas
Track Color: Black
Music: Gum Ball Crash
Again, this is a track that I feel is out of place. This is tougher then its
successor, so get ready for a tough time. You'll have two car models going
after you in this one, so
get ready to fake them out. The map overview shows that this track is a giant
spiral into the direct center of the track. What does that mean???? TURNING-
Lots of it. This is also
the second night track.
Section 1:
Immediately into the start of this section, there is a VERY sharp turn. I
still recommend Power Blasting, but be ready to brake hard to well under 200
MPH. There is a lot of turning
in this section, just like the rest of the track.
Section 2:
A LOT of turning here. Avoid the Space Age Tan Car (You'll recognize it when
it's running you into a lightpole) and use your brakes. This is a very
difficult section.
Section 3:
I consider this is the toughest section because you are completing the most
compact and sharpest turns towards the center of the track. Use the same
strategy of braking in the sharp turns.
----------
VI. Rocky Mountains
Difficulty: 4
Toughest Stretch: Between the 2nd checkpoint and the end
Enemies: None especially come to my mind, just the usual
Backdrop: The Rocky Mountains
Track Color: Gray
Music: Coast to Coast
This track looks a lot similar to Gettysburg and it's similar in that it's very
easy for its position in the game. The important thing to note is that earlier
in the game, the roadside obstacles
(trees, poles, etc.) would disappear a little bit into the sharp turns. Not
anymore. The trees here keep going forever through the turns, so the brake
becomes especially important. Do not worry
about braking too much, in fact, be very conservative. The programmers give
you ample time to complete the course. The Map Overview shows it all. The
last section winds the most and is pretty
challenging.
Section 1:
This section is used to get acclamated to all the braking you'll need to do on
this track. This is a simple section.
Section 2:
Not very tough. Again, just brake a lot and you should have very little
trouble.
Section 3:
You're going to crash. It's as simple as that. There is a big series of sharp
turns at the end and you'll probably crash 2-3 times. Don't worry, you'll have
enough time. How winding is this section?
You ALWAYS spin out when you cross the finish line because you run right into
one of the flags.
----------
VII. Twilight Calif.
Difficulty: 1
Toughest Stretch: From the beginning to the 1st checkpoint
Enemies: Red Cars and camouflaged traffic
Backdrop: A brilliant sunset
Track Color: Blue
Music: Coast to Coast
This track is a monster. If you beat this track, you'll have no problem
beating the game. Why is this track so tough? Here are the main reasons:
1: The Sky is blue, the track is blue, and most of the cars are blue. If you
have glasses, wear them. It's very tough to spot the cars on this track.
2: Much of the track is spent driving uphill, meaning that you can't see what's
in front of you.
3: The amount of time you get on Section 2 depends on how well you do on
Section 1
I cannot stress how tough this track is. You just have to keep racing it to
get a feel for it, and you have to get lucky. The Map Overview is the most
misleading thing I have ever seen. It depicts the
2nd section as basically a long straightaway, which it is. What you don't know
is that you are given very little time, you spend much time going up and down
hills, the cars are impossible to see, and the
amount of time you get depends on how fast you completed the last section.
Whew.
Section 1:
This is the toughest section because you have to do well on it to pass the next
section. There are some tough turns going uphill, and you have red cars on it.
From my experience, you can only spin out ONCE
and still hope to pass Section 2.
Section 2:
A long straightaway that goes up and down hills. You'll have two red cars to
dodge out. To do so, get right up on their tail and then quickly turn hard to
either side. You can usually spin out once and just
barely make it to the checkpoint. Be on the lookout for the blue cars. There
are lots of them.
Section 3:
Congratulations! You made it to the easiest section. Lightpoles line both
sides, so be careful. The biggest challenge becomes the large hill at the end
which obstructs your view for a long time.
----------
VIII. Bay Bridge
Difficulty: 2
Toughest Stretch: From the 2nd Checkpoint to the end
Enemies: The Red Cars
Backdrop: A city, most likely San Francisco or Oakland
Track Color: Gray
Music: Gum Ball Crash
This track would seem a lot tougher if it didn't follow the beast before it.
Just be smart with your driving and you'll be okay. The map overview shows
that it's a lot like Twilight Calif. in that the 2nd
Section is a long straightaway. Again, do well on Section 1 to give yourself
more time on the second section. The overview makes Section 3 look impossible,
but it's really easier than it looks.
Section 1:
The important thing to note is that when you Power Blast, IMMEDIATELY get to
the right lane. A slow car will come up in the middle lane that will spin you
out followed by a pair of slow cars that occupy the left and middle lanes.
Complete this fast to make the next section easier.
Section 2:
A long straightaway that is easier than its Twilight Calif. counterpart. The
only concern is the "S" turn in the middle that isn't too difficult as long as
you brake.
Section 3:
It looks tough and it is if you go too fast, but use a lesson that you learned
on an earlier track. Rocky Mountains taught you to take your time. Do the
same here. Be generous with the brake and you'll be okay. At the end,
a straightaway leads you to Rad Racer II glory.
----------
G. Rad Racer II Codes
I'm not a fan of codes for this game because I think they are cheating, but
they are fun to play around with once you beat the game.
CONTINUE:
If you lose a race, when you return to the title screen, hold A and START and
you will return to the last track you were on.
TRACK SELECT:
At the title screen, hold UP and LEFT and press B once for each level you wish
to advance.
Play at Night:
At the title screen, hold UP and press the B button 8 times. <<<<<<< Very
cool, give this a try for the ultimate challenge
----------
H. Closing Thoughts
I just beat Rad Racer II tonight and was inspired to help others do the same.
I don't have the manual for this, so I did my best to explain just from my
gaming experience.
There may be a Version 2.0, there may not be, but at least Rad Racer II gets
the recognition it deserves for being a very fun and challenging game.
If you have any questions or if you wish to comment on this guide, e-mail me at
[email protected]
