As the sequel to the original R.C. Pro-Am title, also on the NES, this
second entry doesn't function much differently from its predecessor on the
most basic of levels. You still race your vehicles around small tracks and
you still view things from a top-down perspective. The differences lie in
the numerous additions. In case you haven't played the original, though,
I'm going to brush over everything in moderate detail, so you should have a
good idea how this game works even if you're not fortunate enough to own the
complete package deal (or in case you're emulating and had no chance in the
first place of owning an instruction manual).
--------
Controls
--------
Control in this game is every bit as tight as you might expect. Though it
can take some getting used to if you've not played a game of this type
before, the controls are actually quite intuitive.
B - Accelerate/bonus challenges (alternate with 'A')
A - Nitro/bonus challenges (alternate with 'B')
Left - Steer left
Right - Steer right
Up - Garage menu selection
Down - Garage menu selection
Select - Cance
Start - Pause game/exit garage
As you race along the various tracks in the game, you'll find that the
raceways are littered with items that help improve your chances of victory.
A quick examination of each of these seems warranted.
CASH BAG:
Pick these up for a boost to your overall wallet, which comes in handy
between races when you need to upgrade your vehicle. You can also get them
if you hit other racers with buckshot.
'S' PAD:
I forget what this does. Obviously it's important. There are two
varieties. One is the multi-colored one that any racer (including your
computer-controlled opponents) can grab. Others are painted the color of a
certain car, and only that racer may pick up that particular one.
LETTER:
These white squares with black letters emblazoned on them are spaced
throughout the track, and you must gather the appropriate letters to spell
out 'Pro-Am II', at which point you'll receive an upgraded vehicle (such as
a dune buggy).
NITRO:
This item an be used to speed past your opponents at important points, or to
get more air time when passing over ramps, or to feel the pain less when you
must race through the water that sometimes crosses over the track.
ROLLCAGE:
This important item grants you invulnerability for a time. Oil slicks will
no longer make you crash if you hit a wall (though you'll still come to a
dead halt). Also, enemy fire is no concern.
ZIPPER:
These give you boosts that allow you to cruise past any opponents
unfortunate enough to miss them. It's important to memorize the location of
these so you can get the jump on the competition.
OIL SLICK:
These stupid things will set you spinning and crashing into walls. They're
particularly lethal on some corners, and can make you go from first to last
place, right before crossing a finish line. Know their location well.
AMMO STAR:
You also can pick up ammunition for your chosen weapon on the track. This
is slightly cheaper than buying it, and you can save yourself a lot of money
for other important upgrades.
1-UP ICON:
This is a free continue. You don't find many of them throughout the game,
but when you do it makes sense to take advantage of it.
AIRPLANE:
This pilot flies along the course and drops bombs, just after an exclamation
mark appears in a box to warn you he's near. He seems to aim for you
exclusively, and the only way to successfully avoid him is to move at a
slightly diagonal angle that just barely allows you to steer clear of his
bombs. He doesn't appear on the last lap of a given track until you reach
the desert, where he also attacks with gunfire instead of bombs.
BOMB:
These are usually positioned on the sides of the track. If you know they're
coming, you can pick a different lane. If not, you'll hit them and turn to
scrap metal.
'?'
If you see this icon, you can pick up a special upgrade for your vehicle,
though the game doesn't let you know what it is before-hand.
ENGINE BLOCK:
I have no idea what this does, but it's on the track around three or four
times throughout the course of the game, so I mentioned it here just to be
thorough. It seems to be good to pick this up. Must boost your engine.
Between races, you'll be able to use your prize money (and any cash you
picked up along the way) to upgrade your vehicle in several key areas.
There are several levels of upgrades in each category.
MOTOR:
You start with the 'Standard' motor, and from there can upgrade to the red
motor ($2000), the black motor ($4000), the silver motor ($8000), the gold
motor ($16,000) and the hyper ($30,000) and mega ($50,000) motors. Each
obviously makes your car go faster.
TIRES:
Tighter steering helps you squeeze out victory in difficult races. You
begin with the 'Standard' tires and rather loose controls. From there, the
upgrades are to the skinny tires ($2000), the nobblies ($7000), the dynafit
($10,000) and the scoopers ($15,000).
GUNS:
You can find various types of artillery that will increase your chances in a
number of ways. You don't start with any real weapon at all, but you'll
want to change that promptly so you have the edge against your opponents.
There are several types:
Buckshot ($2000) - Fire at your enemies from behind with this, and you'll
cause them to drop money bags. This damages your opponents and, if you're
in position, increases your earnings.
Missiles ($10,000) - This all-purpose weapon fires directly forward and will
temporarily turn the target it strikes into a pile of scrap metal. Good for
you, as that racer won't be moving forward for a brief time. Useful on last
laps when you're just shy of placing and there's another vehicle within
range.
Bombs ($12,000) - If someone is riding your tailgate and it's looking like
they might pass you soon, a bomb can change that. It functions in much the
same way as a missile, except of course it drops behind you.
Lazer ($14,000) - Like a missile, but more powerful.
Freeze ($15,000) - A favorite of mine because it will cause your opponents
to freeze in place for a few seconds if it strikes. Very, very useful when
you're nearing a finish line, or just trying to get the jump on a close
competitor.
Mega Pulse ($20,000) - This costly weapon doesn't seem to do much of
anything useful that regular missiles don't, so I usually don't waste a lot
of money or ammo on this upgrade.
Remember that each weapon must be upgraded with ammunition, and some burn
through it very quickly. You should make careful use of your artillery, but
remember that ammo doesn't quite grow on trees.
EXTRA:
There are various other upgrades also worth a look. Not all of them seem
worthwhile at first, but you'll learn to use each of them.
Ammo ($200) - Though you can pick up some of these shells on various tracks
as you progress, it's also a good idea to buy extra shots if you know you'll
need them.
Shields ($50) - If you'd like to be impervious to enemy fire for awhile,
it's a good idea to stock up on this cheap upgrade. You'll still receive
damage in other ways, though.
Slicks ($500) - A poor man's bombs, in a way. These slicks of oil will
cause your opponents to spin all over the place, and may give you a good
lead at critical moments.
Nitro ($1000) - Like what you pick up on the tracks, only it costs a bunch
of money. If you use the ones you find elsewhere with caution, you won't
likely have to spend much money on these in the shop until everything else
is purchased and you're just blowing money for the fun of it.
Continue (varies) - Your first extra continue costs $5,000, and the cost
increases by that increment with each additional one you purchase. If you
find yourself buying a lot of these, you can't spend money on the other
upgrades that might render this item unnecessary. In other words: get good
enough that you don't need such extravagancies.
You need to use caution with each purchase you make. There's not one single
category that should be boosted at the expense of others, though of course a
solid motor is always a good investment. Remember the small things and
you'll get far.
==================
General Strategies
==================
Though every player is going to have a different style that works best for
him or her, there still seem to be some general strategies that will carry
you further than others.
The first thing to remember is that tire upgrades are much more important
than you would expect, perhaps more important in some cases than motor
modifications. Early on, your first upgrade shouldn't be the red motor
(which mostly is useless). Instead, go for the Skinny Tires and watch how
much time you cut off most corners. From there, your next upgrade should
likely be the silver motor, then the nobblies. In this way, you can keep
your turns efficient and your motor in decent shape. Invest on the smaller
motors in between and you're just wasting your money.
With good tires, you should really get the most out of corners. Even if
your opponents can beat you in straight stretches, sharp turns can work to
your advantage. This is particularly true of the elbows that switch back on
themselves repeatedly. Going into the first bend, align your car toward the
center, straight ahead. A diagonal line will zip you through the corner
while your opponents are busy with a bunch of time-consuming turns.
Another thing you should note is that the letters are very important to your
success. When possible, try to be the first to a particular vehicle
upgrade. You'll get a boost in speed that the early models don't have.
With that speed, you can repeatedly finish in first place, possible for an
easy track or three, before the others catch up. The difference in cash can
get you another upgrade while your opponents are still struggling.
Finishing first isn't necessary in the game (you only have to finish third
or better to avoid losing a continue), but it sure doesn't hurt. You'll get
more points, and there are several points in the game where your points are
tallied for potential cash bonuses of as much as $3,000. That's free money
you definitely want, so get as many first-place finishes early on as
possible.
As far as weapons go, they don't seem to be particularly important in the
single-player game. Buckshot is fun in multi-player when you want to tick
off your friend, but it's not practical in the one-player game. If you do
choose to buy a weapon, the freeze shot is probably your best bet, as it can
save your butt if you're racing someone just a little bit faster than you
down the home stretch and it's looking like you might not rank without some
cheap shots.
Then there are nitros to continue. When you pick them up, they only work
for the race in question, so go ahead and use them to your best advantage to
finish ahead of the pack. Note that if you're in the lead for a race
littered with nitros, this also makes it easier to grab the upgrades. Start
in the lead early and you shouldn't have much trouble maintaining that
position, in other words. Also, the nitro boosts are particularly useful at
the base of hills. They can carry you past the competition while you're
airborne, and you might even bounce over puddles, bombs, or other obstacles
that otherwise would slow you to a crawl.
Remember that when you've finished the first 24 tracks, the game will just
pick 8 more tracks out of its favorites to toss your way, but they'll have
modifications to keep you busy. For example, one might have more nitro
pick-ups, another more bombs. Don't assume that just because you've beat
them before you'll have an easy time the second trip through. Note that
while you'll continue through the league in the first 24 tracks even if you
come in fourth, that's not true of the final eight.
This actually works out near the end to your advantage. One of the levels
starts with a 1-up icon just behind the finish line. Turn around and snag
it right away, then finish in fourth place. You'll get a cash bonus, and
continue where you were. Since your continue was in essence a freebie, it
doesn't really cost you anything to do so. It's a great way to build up
cash for final vehicle upgrades, or for continues or whatever else you want.
Finally, if you'd like to get a quick start on a race, wait to press the 'B'
button until the split second the final light flashes at the starting line.
Immediately press the button and your vehicle will get the equivalent of a
nitro
boost that can allow you to take the lead early.
Of course, none of the above strategies will take you so far as memorization
of the tracks themselves. Get to know their hazards well and you'll go far,
perhaps to the end of the game.
Now that you know the basics of racing through R.C. Pro-Am II, it's time for
the gritty details concerning the tracks. As stated above, it's only the
first 24 tracks that are unique, while the last eight are just repeats. For
that reason, I'm only going to map out and provide strategies for the first
24. If a track below stumps you and you can't get past it with my advice,
you may want to print out the FAQ and study the course layout to formulate
some plans of your own. Have fun!
This first track is a great way to warm up for the challenges to come.
You'll find it's relatively difficult to place last, as the other drivers
aren't particularly aggressive and it's easy to slide around the corners
even with the crummy tires you'll be using by default.
There are zipper pads along the left side of the track, as well as along the
top. Using those will cement your lead. You can find the letter 'R' near
the middle of the rode as it winds down from the straight stretch up top.
Make sure you are in the lead and grab that the first lap around.
Otherwise, just grab as many of the money bags and 'S' symbols as possible
and look forward to an easy win.
If you played well on the previous track, it's fairly likely you have a bank
account of $2000 by now. If that's the case, be sure to pick up the Skinny
Tires before heading off to the race.
On this second track, you'll find an increased number of curves. There's
some cash early on, so hold tight to the first corner, then swing wide for
the 'S' symbol in the middle. Along the bottom side of the track, there's a
zipper pad you'll want to hit so it can carry you over the hill. There's
another set of zippers just after, and you should then hug the left side of
the track to hit the first two zippers along that side. As you hit the
second of these, veer right to the inside of the track, against the railing,
where you can collect a 'P.'
Near the top, try to hold to the center of the track to pick up some roll
cages, then keep at the middle for some 'P' and 'R' letters on the bend just
before the finish line. Watch out for the two oil slicks shortly
thereafter. They're positioned such that if you corner too tightly, you'll
go spinning into a wall while everyone else passes you and you finish in
last place.
The next lap around, pick up anything you missed on the first trip through,
and be even more careful of the oil slicks than you were the first time
around. Another easy track.
From the start, you may wish to immediately turn around and collect the 1-up
icon just behind you. It's easy to swiftly grab, and this track's three
leaps mean you should be able to overtake your opponents after doing so, if
you're the risk-taking type. Me, I always take that risk. An easy continue
is a priceless gift.
From there, the track is rather straight-forward. As you go forward from
the finish line, hold along the bottom of the track for money bags, and from
there stick to the inside of the track as you round the first curve, which
will net you an additional two money bags. Heading up and around the first
straight stretch near the top, there are zipper pads to hit. Otherwise,
just avoid the oil slicks along the outside of the last vertical straight
stretch and grab the goodies littering the track. Nothing special.
There are some 'R' letters early on, but you probably don't need those.
After you round the first bend of this race, hold left along the wall to hit
zipper pads and grab the letter 'O'. From there, just stay along the
outside of the track for straight stretches and cut corners sharply. There
aren't really any oil slicks. The only thing you've got to worry about is
the airplane that patrols the long straight stretch near the bottom of the
track. He's only there on your first lap, though. This is a good track to
build up your ammunition on, too. There are ammo stars all over the place.
This track is simplicity at its finest. All you have to do is race your
best, grabbing all the nitro boosts you can and hitting the zipper pads. In
general, the best approach is to stay near the outside of the straight
stretches while hugging the corners during turns. There are some zipper
pads along the way, and this path will allow you to hit them.
Though there are a lot of nitro boosts along the way, make sure you save
some uses for the big hill near the top of the track. You'll want to boost
near its base so the speed carries you over the top and allows you to bounce
over the creek on the other side. Then just stay near the inside of that
corner as you cross over the finish line.
Note that you're going to want to be in first place as you get around to the
bottom of the 'cup' shape of this track. There are 'M' and 'O' tiles here,
and the computer opponents are good about scooping them up if they're ahead
of you. Coming around from that first bend, watch out for the oil slick,
and hold to the inside as you're going up the handle of the cup. This will
enable you to pick up another letter tile.
From there, switch to the middle if you want an 'R', and then stay near the
top of the track as you hit the long straight stretch. This will allow you
to hit a series of zipper pads. Finally, hold near the middle of the track
most of the rest of the way, and you'll hit a final set of zipper pads just
before the finish line.
There's not a lot of interest here. This is one of those tracks you just
race through and hope you don't place last. Doing badly is actually rather
difficult, because there aren't even a lot of hazards. By now you should be
good at holding to the inside of corners as you navigate them, and turning
into corners early so you can take them sharply. Grab the goodies here, and
don't worry much about letters (the letter 'O' seems to be the only one in
place, and you should already have that one).
This track is deceptively difficult, and devoid of any precious letter
tiles. Therefore, you should focus all your energies on placing third or
better.
To do so, you'll want to take the lead early and keep near the edges on
straight stretches, where you'll be able to grab a lot of nitro boosts. On
corners, straight shots through bends can also give you both more nitro and
a small lead on the competitors.
The most difficult part of the track is the long straight stretch just
before the finish life. Whatever you do, keep enough nitro that you can
boost over the two large hills here, or you can lose a significant lead
right before the finish line. If you use your nitro wisely, this track
won't be too bad.
This is the track where you should find a bounty of 'I' tiles, which will
enable you to get the next car upgrade. Be sure to grab them.
The letters are all bunched together on the last downward turn of the track
(its right side). You'll find one 'I' along the inside of that turn track,
another on its outer edge. There's also another letter you may not have
picked up previously.
As an introduction to the new city environment, this track is a piece of
cake. Enjoy it.
A simple track with only two real points of interest. The first half is
littered with nitro upgrades. Stick to the outside and you'll hit the
lion's share of them.
The other key note is just before the finish line, where there's a bomb on
either side of the center lane during the home stretch. Stay at the center
and you'll do just fine. Considering all the nitro you should have picked
up, your only other concern is the oil slick on the first downward turn.
Stay on the inside of the track there and you'll be fine.
As far as letters go, they're on the final downward turn. Stay to the
outside of the track to catch an 'I'.
A very, very easy track. The main thing you'll notice is that 'I' tiles are
littered all over the place. Hopefully, you're already working on your
second upgrade at this point. If you are, you'll be off to a good start.
If you're not, this should be the stage that lets you finish up (your
opponents also will upgrade, mostly, so you dang well better be doing so
along with them).
In terms of hazards, there really isn't much to say. You will find icy
surfaces that make you slide around a bit, but none of that should prevent
you from finishing well or grabbing the letters.
There's a 'P' tile directly ahead of the starting line. If you miss that
one, hang around the outside edge of the next bend, where you'll find
another tucked away in a small recess.
From there, round the next corner and hold to the middle lane along the
straight stretch at the bottom (the outside lanes have bombs). Turning up
around the track's left side, there's another 'P' along the left side of the
road if you need it, though you shouldn't. Then there's another series of
turns. As you're winding back up to the final straight stretch near the
top, hold to the left to collect a much-needed 'O' tile. Then you're to the
final straight stretch.
The main hazard here is all those bombs you'll find. They mostly line the
edges of all portions of the track, so the safe route (if you're not worried
about letters) is to stay near the center.
The first thing worth noting here is that you'll need to dodge oil slicks
and air plane bombs as you're making you're way toward the long stretch at
the track's very top.
More importantly, though, there's a 1-up icon you definitely want to snag.
As you round the bend and head along the straight stretch at the top of the
track, keep to the top portion of the track and watch for the track to
widen. Swoop up into the recess, grab the 1-up icon, then keep moving as
the track proceeds.
Note that there's on the straight stretch along the bottom, you'll want to
hit the ice from the bottom of the track, angling up toward the diagonal
left, so that as you slide forward you're slowly advancing up the track.
This is because an airplane here is dropping bombs. If you head into the
area straight-on, you won't be able to turn in time to avoid the shrapnel,
and your opponents will pass you, leaving you in fourth place not far from
the finish line.
On the final big upward turn, you can hold to the left to hit zip pads, but
it's usually too late to recover if the plane took you out. This track
contains only one lap.
Memorize the zipper pad locations. They're along the left side of the
handle first. Follow that up, then wrap around to the straight stretch
along the top. Hold to the bottom on that stretch to hit three zip pads,
then cross over to the top for three more.
As you round the first bends from that long straight stretch, you'll find
letters scattered across the lanes, mostly ('M' and 'I' and 'R'). Grab
those as needed, and then round the final bend to the finish line.
Pretty straight-forward track here. You'll find lots of letters along the
sides of the track (particularly on the vertical drop along the track's
right side) and plenty of zipper pads.
Note that along the straight stretch at the top, you should hold to the top
to find a small recess where you can grab a '?' icon. That will give you
missiles and quite a few shots, even if you didn't pay for the weapon in the
garage, and you should be able to use the weapon to come in third or better,
even if you're racing horribly.
Another note: along the left side you'll pass under an underpass. I thought
I remembered there being a 1-up icon hidden under the overpass, out of view,
if you hold to the center. However, I haven't been in a position to confirm
that on recent plays through the game. I'll update this FAQ later if
something changes.
This is the last of the tracks in the city environment, and then you'll be
headed to the difficult desert stages.
As stages go, this one is straight forward. You will find a lot of nitro
items on the early going, so collect those and save them for the second lap.
About halfway through, you'll note a lot of oil slicks meant to trip you up.
Drive along a rail and you'll miss the lion's share of these. Steer wide on
corners, too.
During the last lap, you'll probably find it useful to use all those nitro
boosts you saved up so you can fly past your other opponents and into the
lead right at the last moment.
For whatever reason, the green car goes nutso on this course and starts
firing missiles at anyone who passes him. If you're in such a position,
move back and forth so you're not an easy target.
The rampaging green car is your main concern here, and ironically he's quite
nice on any of the other tracks. This is the only stage where he even pulls
out his artillery, so you might just want to bring some shields along in
preparation.
I didn't find any letters here, so the green car is apparently the star
attraction. You'll also find a lot of zipper pads, most of them along the
center of the track. Keep to the center and watch your back and you'll
finish in fine condition.
Hold right along the downward descent for an engine block, then keep near
the top for a series of 'S' icons. When you wrap around to the straight
stretch on the bottom, hit a zipper pad to propel you over most bumps.
The third set of log-like bumps has a '?' resting on it, between two bombs.
Make sure to grab that icon; it contains an extra continue. As the track
wraps upward, hold to one of the sides as an airplane attacks, then cross
gradually over to the opposite side to avoid his shots. You'll find 'R'
tiles near the top along the way.
Because of the airplane, it's pretty easy to finish poorly on this track.
Remember to grab that 1-up icon I mentioned and it won't matter. Onto the
next one!
This can be a nail-biting track. There are lots of 'M' tiles scattered
throughout, so be sure to pick one up along the way. It might well be the
only letter that stands between you and your final vehicle upgrade.
When I tackle this track, I find that my main problem comes from the
vertical left side. The whole of the track is littered with zipper pads
you'll be able to utilize to stay ahead of your opponents, but it's rather
common on the third lap to come around a corner on the left side, hit a
zipper pad, then strike a bomb just shy of the finish line. Then everyone
passes and you lose a continue. Be sure that doesn't happen to you! Either
hit the bomb intentionally on your first lap if you think you'll likely
strike against it later (thus giving you more time to catch up), or just get
really good at avoiding it on each pass.
This track is as straight-forward as they come. Just race around it,
grabbing the nitro boosts and being sure that you hit the zip pads near the
bottom (otherwise, you'll slow significantly). There's really nothing else
to say.
There's only one lap on this particular track, so it's important that you
stay in third place or better at all times. Early on, there are some nitro
boosts. Make sure you're in the lead and that you snag as many of those as
possible.
Then when you get near the end of the track, you'll go over a series of log-
shaped grooves that slows you down. Meanwhile, your opponents drive over
them just fine, and will pass you as if you're standing still. When you get
past the grooves, be ready to use your nitro like crazy to take a better
place again before crossing the finish line.
It's essential that you grab the nitro boosts when they are available for
this track. There's a trap of sorts along the top portion of the stage.
When you hit the straight stretch, stay near the bottom of the screen.
You'll see a hill coming ahead. Hit the nitro and you'll fly over the air,
bounce off the next mound, then the one after this. If you don't use the
nitro before-hand, you'll just run into a series of bombs.
The trap referenced above can easily prevent you from finishing better than
third if you fall for it, so be careful not to. Otherwise, the only
interest in this particular track are the 'I' letter tiles scattered around
the bottom half of the stage. If you needed those, now's the time to
collect them.
Careful on the first and last laps for this course; there's an airplane that
likes to fire gunshots on the second of the two vertical stretches on the
track's left side.
Otherwise, this is just another straight-forward track, as seems to be the
case at this stage in the game. You can expect a lot of aggressive driving
from your opponents, and the usual oil slicks and roll cages, but by now you
know how to deal with such threats and should do fine.
The final of the 'original' courses is remarkable only because it has so
many laps. There are four, in fact, which means you'll have to stay ahead
of your opponents for a rather extended period of time.
Though you will find nitro pick-ups littering the early portions of the
course, you should save them all for the last third or so of the final lap.
Good driving should keep you running close to your opponents, even if you
don't have the best of motors, and you'll be able to pull into the lead
during the final leg of the race through judicious use of your speed boosts.
Now you'll be going through eight more courses, taken from those you've
faced already. The strategies are the same, but the driving is much
fiercer. Have good fun and remember: winners don't use drugs!
This guide would not have come about if not for ASchultz and his challenge
to the GameFAQs board to cover every NES game in existence with a complete
FAQ. Thanks to him for that. It gave me an excuse to write for this game
that hardly anyone cares about. I'd thank source material, but of course
that's stupid when the whole reason this FAQ was written is that no one had
covered the game previously. So I guess final thanks should go out to
CJayC, for making GameFAQs the great site that it is. That is all.
======================
XI. Copyright Concerns
======================
Copyright 2004 Jason Venter
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright.
