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/ ___/____ ____ (_)____ / __ \_____(_) __/ /_ |__ \
\__ \/ __ \/ __ \/ / ___/ / / / / ___/ / /_/ __/ __/ /
___/ / /_/ / / / / / /__ / /_/ / / / / __/ /_ / __/
/____/\____/_/ /_/_/\___/ /_____/_/ /_/_/ \__/ /____/
Sonic Drift 2 Character FAQ v1.0
-----------
by TIDQ (Email at the bottom)
+=============================================================================+
& Table of Contents &
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
For ease, every part of the FAQ can be accessed by hitting Ctrl+F and searching
for the section number or section title.
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Stat Explanation
3.0 Character Analysis
3.1 Sonic
3.2 Tails
3.3 Amy Rose
3.4 Eggman/Robotnik
3.5 Metal Sonic
3.6 Fang/Nack
3.7 Knuckles
4.0 Stats by Rank
5.0 Miscellany
5.1 Legal Stuff
5.2 Emailing Me
5.3 Version History
5.4 Special Thanks
+=============================================================================+
& 1.0 Introduction &
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
In the fun little GameGear racing title Sonic Drift 2, also released as a part
of the Sonic Gems Collection, there are seven racers to choose from. However,
the game makes it very hard to tell at first the differences between each of
these racers. They all have different acceleration, top speed, handling, and
special weapons. In addition, there isn't even a measuring stick for speed in
the game, as racers as simply listed as travelling at 100% when they're going
top speed, even though 100% for one racer may be faster or slower than 100%
for another racer.
To make things even more confusing, the game manual lists the strengths and
weaknesses of each racer. Unfortunately, the manual writers got their own game
completely wrong, as you will soon discover.
That's why after conducting several experiments, I have created this little
guide to break down the exact differences between the racers so that you can
pick the one that best suits you without guesswork.
+=============================================================================+
& 2.0 Stat Explanation &
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
As I said, exact and comparable numbers for each stat don't exist in the game.
So, I compare the racers using the only true numerical stat in the game, time.
In the character analysis, I have the exact stat for each character, plus I
also have listed how each character stat ranks among all of the characters.
Then, I have the rankings listed together for easier direct comparison.
One thing to note is that the game manual is completely and utterly WRONG when
it comes to evaluating the drivers. In fact, that manual is downright laughable
in this regard, so please pay no attention to the manual.
____________
Acceleration
The rate of acceleration is determined by the ammount of time it takes for a
vehicle to go from 0 to 100% speed from the starting line, without getting any
kind of boost. So lower time means better acceleration. Many trials for each
racer were conducted to achieve the lowest possible time.
_________
Top Speed
I measured top speed by seeing how much time it took each of the racers to
travel a long straightaway. So once again, the lower the time, the faster the
car.
I used the Milky Way track, and I measured the time from the starting line,
down the long straightaway, until exactly the moment that the car falls off
the track on the first turn. To make the times more accurate, I begun each race
this time with a boost to eliminate as much of the accelation factor as
possible. Choosing the very long straightaway on Milky Way also reduced the
ammount that the initial acceleration affected the overall time.
________
Handling
Handling is a very tricky stat to quantify. The easiest way to describe the way
it works in the game is that it determines how quickly you can turn. A car with
bad handling might veer off the track during a turn.
I have suspected that handling might also be related to grip. That is, how
long you can drift (ie hand brake) before spinning out. However, there doesn't
seem to be enough differentiation in the ammount of time it takes each driver
to spin out to support this idea. So assume that grip is basically the same for
all drivers.
To test handling, I once again used a long straightaway. I got each car up to
full speed and placed them on the right side of the track. Then I measured how
long it took to take the car from the far right side of the track to the far
left side. I did several trials and found a rough average for each driver. So
once again, the lower the time, the better the handling.
As a side note, I personally think that handling is a little overrated. Any
car in the game can handle any turn in the game once you learn how to drift
properly.
+=============================================================================+
& 3.0 Character Analysis &
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Remember, the manual is often wrong. Do not listen to the manual. Listen to
me.
=========
3.1 Sonic
---------
Kart Name: Cyclone
First Appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis, 1990)
Background: Sonic. The hero. That instantly recognizable face that launched one
of the best-selling video game franchises in history. Sonic needs no
introduction. His mantra has always been speed, and his character in the game
reflects that.
Acceleration - 0'03"82 (4th)
Top Speed - 0'13"34 (3rd)
Handling - 0'02"76 (Tie-5th)
Special Ability: Dash. Sonic trades two rings to gain a temporary burst of
speed.
The Manual Says: Sonic's strength is high speed. His weakness is handling.
Personal Opinion: Sonic may not be THE fastest in top speed or acceleration,
but he's not *that* far behind the leaders in those categories. In addition,
Sonic also has a great special ability in Dash. Pick up a lot of coins, and
you'll be bursting down the track fairly often. The downside is his handling,
which is tied for worst, and it is quite bad. However, you can still manage any
turn if you learn how to drift properly. I have beaten the game on every GP
with Sonic and haven't had much trouble. One of the best racers, in my opinion.
=========
3.2 Tails
---------
Kart Name: Whirlwind S7
First Appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis, 1992)
Background: Miles "Tails" Prower has been Sonic's sidekick ever since his
second adventure. Although he mostly tags along behind Sonic, he has gone on
a few adventures of his own, notably his two marquee GameGear games. Tails has
the ability to fly with his twin tails, although he won't be doing much of that
behind the wheel of his car in this game.
Acceleration - 0'03"56 (1st)
Top Speed - 0'13"40 (5th)
Handling - 0'01"38 (Tie-2nd)
Special Ability: Jump. Tails and his car will jump. You can use it to avoid
obstacles or jump over hostile cars.
The Manual Says: Tails' has no real strength but no real weakness either.
Personal Opinion: The manual is full of crap. Tails is without a doubt the
best accelerator in the game, which I'd definitely say is a strength. His
handling is also pretty great. He also may only be 5th in top speed, but he's
a lot closer in speed to the fastest car than the least fast. So really, he
doesn't have much weakness, except for his special ability. Jump blows. Still,
if you don't need to rely on your special ability, Tails is a very solid racer,
particularly for beginners.
============
3.3 Amy Rose
------------
Kart Name: Breeze
First Appearance: Sonic CD (Sega CD, 1993)
Background: Amy is a younger hedgehog who has googily eyes for Sonic and will
follow him to the ends of the Earth. Sonic saved her from Metal Sonic long ago,
and she's followed him around like a lapdog ever since. Amy isn't helpless
though. She's been known to wield a mean hammer, and just maybe she has some
racing skills as well.
Acceleration - 0'06"36 (7th)
Top Speed - 0'13"38 (4th)
Handling - 0'01"46 (4th)
Special Ability: Heart Attack. Amy tosses a heart on the track. When hit, the
driver's car goes noticably slower until the effect wears off.
The Manual Says: Her strength is acceleration. Her weakness is high speed.
Personal Opinion: The manual couldn't possibly be more ridiculous. Amy's
acceleration is horrible. It even takes her more than a full second longer to
reach full speed than the second worst accelerator, Robotnik. Her top speed,
which is listed as her weakness, really isn't bad at all. Even though she
technically has only the 4th best top speed from my test, it's only six
hundredths of a second behind the fastest racer in the game. Her handling is
in the middle, and her weapon really isn't as useful as the ones that cause
people to come to a complete stop. Amy isn't really... very good. She's not as
bad as Robotnik, in my opinion, but it's close. Don't use Amy.
===================
3.4 Robotnik/Eggman
-------------------
Kart Name: Egg Typhoon
First Appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis, 1990)
Background: Sonic's nemesis since the beginning, it just wouldn't be a Sonic
game without old Dr. Robotnik. The rotund mad scientist isn't the fastest guy
around, and his racing skills reflect that as well. Still, if Eggman is one
thing, it's persistant. He won't pass up a chance to get the better of Sonic,
even in a race.
Acceleration - 0'05"14 (6th)
Top Speed - 0'14"04 (7th)
Handling - 0'01"38 (Tie-2nd)
Special Ability: Mines. Robotnik throws some metal mines on the track that
cause racers to spin out and come to a stop when hit.
The Manual Says: His weakness is acceleration. His strength is his "sturdy
chassis," whatever that means.
Personal Opinion: Robotnik is really if you want a challenge, because he
stinks, a lot. I mean, every racer is perfectly capable of winning a racer,
particularly because of the lag boost everyone gets from not being in first
place, but Robotnik... still... yikes. He does have good handling at least, but
so do Knuckles and Tails. He does have a weapon, but so does the awesome Nack.
The manual implies that Robotnik is impervious to his own mines, hence the
"sturdy chassis" comment, and something unique does happen when he hits one of
them. The screen flashes. But then... he spins out anyway. So, the chassis is
just a gimmick from what I can see. Robotnik sucks.
===============
3.5 Metal Sonic
---------------
Kart Name: Blue Devil
First Appearance: Sonic CD (Sega CD, 1993)
Background: Take one Sonic the Hedgehog. Turn him into a deadly robot, and make
him totally evil. That's Metal Sonic, and it's easy to see why he's become a
very popular character in the Sonic universe. Even Robotnik has a sense of
mercy, but Metal Sonic doesn't, which probably makes him the most purely evil
entity in the entire franchise.
Acceleration - 0'03"76 (Tie-2nd)
Top Speed - 0'13"32 (2nd)
Handling - 0'02"76 (Tie-5th)
Special Ability: Super Dash.
The Manual Says: His strength is high speed, and his weakness is handling, so
in other words they act as if he's identical to Sonic except for his special
ability (which he's not).
Personal Opinion: Even though it might appear that Metal Sonic is a clone of
Sonic, he actually trumps Sonic both in terms of acceleration and top speed.
He also shares that same horrible handling, but that can be overcome. The one
thing that makes Metal Sonic unique among all racers is that his special
ability costs three rings, and not two. This is offset by the fact that his
dash lasts quite a bit longer than Sonic's. However, due to the lack of
straightaways on many tracks, you might find it more beneficial to have three
shorter dashes than two longer ones. I don't like the Super Dash as much for
that reason, but dashing is still a fantastic ability, and Metal Sonic has an
argument for being the best racer in the game.
=============
3.6 Nack/Fang
-------------
Kart Name: Marvelous Queen
First Appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (GameGear, 1994)
Background: Fang the Sniper is a gun-toting rodent bounty hunter. In the past,
he has been hired by Robotnik to stop Sonic in his tracks. While known as Fang
in Japan (and in this game), he's mostly been known in the western world as
Nack the Weasel, as he is called both in Sonic Triple Trouble and in the Sonic
comic book series. Since I used to collect the comics avidly when I was young,
I will always think of him as Nack, personally. Nack joins the fun in this game
which just happens to be one of only three released games he has been a part
of.
Acceleration - 0'03"76 (Tie-2nd)
Top Speed - 0'13"06 (1st)
Handling - 0'02"76 (Tie-5th)
Special Ability: Oil Ball. Nack launches a ball in front of him which lands on
the track. When someone hits it, they spin out and come to a stop.
The Manual Says: His weakness is handling. His strength is acceleration.
Personal Opinion: One of the most surprising finds from experimenting that I've
found is that Nack is actually the fastest car in the game, without question.
The manual may say that acceleration is his strength, and he does have great
acceleration, but his speed is his best asset. Nack hasn't been known for his
speed anywhere he's ever appeared, but here he is quite fast. He is tied for
the worst handling in the game along with Sonic and Metal Sonic, so from a
statistical standpoint, he is better than both Sonics in every way. However,
what the Sonics have that Nack doesn't have is the Dash ability. Instead, Nack
has an Oil Ball, which is virtually the same as Robotnik's mine weapon. If you
like weapons, Nack is the best in the game, period. If you'd rather have the
Dash (like me), go with one of the Sonics.
============
3.7 Knuckles
------------
(aka "Knucles")
Kart Name: Tempest
First Appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Genesis, 1994)
Background: Knuckles is Sonic's rival. Sometimes friend, sometimes foe,
Knuckles and Sonic always seem to be in competition with each other. His red
dreadlocks allow him to glide on air, and his fists can crush solid rock. A
longtime favorite of Sonic fans, yet somehow poor Knuckles wasn't able to avoid
Sega butchering his name in this game, as the character select screen leaves
a "k" out of his name and calls him "Knucles."
Acceleration - 0'04"48 (5th)
Top Speed - 0'14"00 (6th)
Handling - 0'01"34 (1st)
Special Ability: Jump/Punch. When not near any racers, Knuckles will jump like
Tails does. If he's near someone else, he'll stick his fist out as if to punch
them. Punching is effective in bringing someone to a halt, but it's incredibly
hard to aim.
The Manual Says: His strength is handling. His weakness is high speed.
Personal Opinion: Knuckles' top speed isn't good. Knuckles' acceleration isn't
good. His handling is the best in the game, but that isn't going to help much.
He actually has two special abilities. He has Tails' lousy jump skill, and
punch is hard to aim. If you'd really prefer to have that extra handling, use
Tails instead. Tails is a better all-around racer.
+=============================================================================+
& 4.0 Stats by Rank &
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This is just another way of looking at the stats without having to try and
cross-examine the characters the hard way.
Note that there are some ties, and in those cases I put the same number by the
tied drivers.
____________
Acceleration
1. Tails - 0'03"56
2. Metal Sonic - 0'03"76
2. Nack/Fang - 0'03"76
4. Sonic - 0'03"82
5. Knuckles - 0'04"48
6. Robotnik - 0'05"14
7. Amy Rose - 0'06"36
_________
Top Speed
1. Nack/Fang - 0'13"06
2. Metal Sonic - 0'13"32
3. Sonic - 0'13"34
4. Amy Rose - 0'13"38
5. Tails - 0'13"40
6. Knuckles - 0'14"00
7. Robotnik - 0'14"04
________
Handling
1. Knuckles - 0'01"34
2. Tails - 0'01"38
2. Robotnik - 0'01"38
4. Amy Rose - 0'01"46
5. Nack/Fang - 0'02"76
5. Sonic - 0'02"76
5. Metal Sonic - 0'02"76
+=============================================================================+
& 5.0 Miscellany &
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
_______________
5.1 Legal Stuff
This FAQ is Copyright 2005 by me. Any publishing of this FAQ without my
explicit permission will be in a world of trouble, and I will find out if that
happens. Sonic Drift 2 is the Copyright product of Sega. I am not in anyway
affiliated with the company or its employees.
_______________
5.2 Emailing Me
I'd love to hear any commentary or questions about the guide. I can be reached
at
[email protected]
Do NOT ask me where to get a copy of the ROM. These emails will go straight
into the trash.
___________________
5.3 Version History
12/17/05 - v1.0 First and complete version of the guide is submitted to
GameFAQs.
__________________
5.4 Special Thanks
Special Thanks goes out to Sega for making and publishing this game.
Thanks also goes out to GameFAQs for being one of the greatest resources on
the internet.
__________________________________________________________
Sonic Drift 2 Character FAQ (c) 2005 John "TIDQ" Robertson
