===============================================================================
| T O P | Top Ride FAQ | Version 1.00
| R I D E |--------------/ by jamescom1
\---------/
Hello, I have created this FAQ to document everything in the Top Ride game,
which is a part of the Kirby Air Ride game for the Nintendo GameCube.
Obviously, this FAQ will contain spoilers if you have not played this game.
Contents:
Game Controls
Item Descriptions & Tactics
Course Descriptions
Checklist
Prizes
Free Run
Time Attack
Version & Contact
Copyright
===============================================================================
| T O P | Game Controls |
| R I D E |---------------/
\---------/
One thing I like about this game is that you can control the game with only
your left hand. This is useful if you want to drink something or if you have
an itch since if you pause the game you may annoy other human players.
Anything the Control Pad does, the Control Stick will do as well. The A, L,
and R buttons all perform the same function. You won’t have to hold down an
accelerator button since you automatically accelerate.
During menu:
Control Stick/Pad -> Select
A, L, R Button -> Accept
Start/Pause Button -> Accept
B Button -> Back
Z Button -> Game Settings/Additional Rules
During race:
Control Stick/Pad -> Move
A, L, R Button -> Brake, Drift, Boost, Use Item
Start/Pause Button -> Pause/Resume/Quit the race
The B, Y, and X Buttons and the C-Stick have no function.
Quickly press left and then right (or right and then left) to Quick Spin.
During replay:
A, L, R Button -> Switch among camera views (Side, Player, Fixed)
Start/Pause Button -> Exit Replay
About the A button usage (or L or R button):
Brake – Decelerate by holding down the A button.
Drift – Hold the A button to drift on the course.
Boost – Hold A to charge, then release to boost.
Item - Some items require pressing the A button to use.
About Top Ride machines:
In Top Ride, you have access to the Free Star and the Steer Star as your
vehicles. (There are no other Stars in Top Ride.) Your controls differ
depending on which Star you choose:
Free Star:
Control Stick/Pad up -> Free Star goes up
Control Stick/Pad down -> Free Star goes down
Control Stick/Pad left -> Free Star goes left
Control Stick/Pad right -> Free Star goes right
Steer Star:
Control Stick/Pad up -> nothing
Control Stick/Pad down -> nothing
Control Stick/Pad left -> Steer Star rotates counterclockwise
Control Stick/Pad right -> Steer Star rotates clockwise
===============================================================================
| T O P | Item Descriptions & Tactics |
| R I D E |-----------------------------/
\---------/
This section describes the various items and some tactics concerning them.
Most items you carry can be discarded by performing a Quick Spin. Attacking
other players can make them lose their items. You can only carry one item with
you at a time. I have a description of the item when you have it and against
someone else who has it. Most item names come from the instruction booklet or
the game itself. Names I made up will have (unofficial name) next to them. I
divided this section into three subsections: carried items, set-and-forget,
and one-time use. There are three unlockable items, all of which are in one-
time use.
-------------------------------> Carried items <-------------------------------
You carry these items with you for the duration of their use. Most of these
items can be discarded with a Quick Spin.
-->Drill
With: Your vehicle will have a drill at the front. It will automatically
attack any enemy in front of you.
Against: If someone around you has Drill, either evade as best you can, attack
with another item, or Quick Spin into him to knock away his Drill.
-->Buzz Saw
With: Your vehicle will have a buzz saw on each side. It will automatically
attack any enemy on either side of you.
Against: If someone around you has Buzz Saw, either evade as best you can,
attack with another item, or Quick Spin into him to knock away his
Buzz Saw.
-->Big Cake
With: You will double in size. If you come into direct contact with another
player, you will squish that player. Any attack will negate the effect
of Big Cake, and you’ll shrink to normal size. You cannot discard Big
Cake, as you cannot Quick Spin.
Against: Attack using another item, or just stay away. It is possible to
attack using Quick Spin, though a bit difficult.
-->Freeze Fan
With: Your vehicle will have a fan at the front, which will automatically blow
cold air in front of you. Any players caught in the icy wind will become
frozen.
Against: Either evade as best you can, attack with another item, or Quick Spin
into him to knock away his Freeze Fan.
-->Candy
With: Invincibility. Coming into direct contact with another player will make
him spin out and lose his item. You really can’t go wrong with this item.
You cannot discard Candy, as you cannot Quick Spin.
Against: Avoid. Period. The invincibility doesn’t last long anyway.
-->Bomb
With: You obtain six bombs that you can throw by releasing the A button. You
can lob bombs over walls.
Against: Either evade as best you can, attack with another item, or Quick Spin
into him to knock away his Bombs.
-->Hammer
With: A hammer will circle you, hitting any player close by. You swing the
hammer by moving the Control Stick (or Control Pad).
Against: Either evade as best you can, attack with another item, or Quick Spin
into him to knock away his Hammer.
-->Spinner
With: Every time you Boost, you will spin. The spin lasts longer than a Quick
Spin. You cannot discard Spinner.
Against: Either evade as best you can, attack with another item, or Quick Spin
into him to knock away his Spinner.
-->speed up (unofficial name)
With: A rocket will attach to the rear of the vehicle and you will gain
considerable speed.
Against: There’s no offensive threat to you, though you can still attack him to
get rid of the speed up.
-->charge up (unofficial name)
With: Your charge-up time will greatly decrease to the point where you can
charge your Boost almost instantaneously.
Against: There’s no offensive threat to you, though you can still attack him to
get rid of the charge up.
-->speed down (unofficial name)
With: A tire will follow behind you, and your max speed will decrease
considerably. Try to get other players to touch your tire, because the
tire will be passed on to them.
Against: Be careful when approaching an opponent with a tire following them.
Try to zoom past them without touching the tire.
------------------------------> Set-and-forget <-------------------------------
These items follow you until you activate them with the A button, then while
they’re active, you are free to grab another item.
-->Missile
With: Fire the Missile with the A button. It will home in on and accelerate
towards the player in front of you, no matter how far away. It can
travel for a long time before its propulsion gives out.
Against: You can’t simply avoid a Missile, since it accelerates, is homing, and
can turn corners faster than you. However, it is possible to deflect
it. When a Missile comes near you, perform a Quick Spin. If you time
it right, you will block the Missile without being blown up. The
Missile may even skip you entirely and chase the next player! This is
one of the few things you learn by watching level 5 CPUs. (^_^)
-->Fire
With: This item will leave several flames on the ground behind you. This might
be best used when going around corners. Try to drop the flames from wall
to wall, to make it difficult for others to avoid it.
Against: The flames usually don’t extend from wall to wall, so there should be
at least a little bit of space to go around the flames.
-->smoke (unofficial name)
With: This will leave a few clouds of smoke on the field. If other players
touch the smoke, they will spin out for a couple of seconds. Like with
the Fire item, try to drop the smoke so it extends from wall to wall.
Against: Like with the Fire item, the clouds of smoke probably won’t extend
from wall to wall, so try to go around the smoke.
-->land mine (unofficial name)
With: When activated, the land mine will leave a small dot on the course.
Remember where this dot is, so you don’t run over the land mine yourself.
Try to set the mine in places where the opposition will most likely run
over it.
Against: You probably won’t be actively searching for land mines, although they
are easier to spot on bright courses like Grass and Water. If you
happen to see someone planting a land mine, remember where its dot is.
You must actually run over the small dot if you want it to explode, so
just avoid the small dot.
-------------------------------> One-time use <--------------------------------
As soon as you touch one of these items, it is activated, and you are
immediately free to pick up another item. You cannot discard these items with
a Quick Spin.
-->Walky
With: It’s the Mike we all know and love (I don’t know why it’s called Walky).
Touch it, and there will be an ear-splitting scream that will paralyze
your opponents for a couple of seconds. It’s a great sight, although be
wary of anyone near you before you grab the Walky (see Against for why).
Against: If someone next to you is going for Walky, try to knock him away with
an item or Quick Spin. If he grabs Walky, attack him anyway. Walky
actually takes about half a second to paralyze. During that time, the
user is vulnerable to any attack, which will cancel Walky’s paralyzing
effect.
-->Kracko
With: Grab it. Kracko will electrocute the lead player first (unless you are
the lead player). One to four players total will be electrocuted. Be
careful not to stray into Kracko’s lightning, or you’ll be electrocuted
as well.
Against: Unless you have the Candy item, you cannot avoid Kracko. Even
interacting with the environment will not save you. (For example,
grinding on Light’s rails won’t help you since Kracko will still
follow you and electrocute you when you exit.) While Kracko is
attacking other players, be careful not to stray into the lightning
bolts yourself, or you’ll be electrocuted as well.
-->Chickie
(To unlock, grab at least 18 distinct items.)
With: When activated, Chickie will send smaller Chickies to the other players,
reversing their controls.
Against: If you become confused by Chickie, your controls are simply reversed.
If you can handle the reversal, then Chickie won’t hinder you much.
If you can’t control your vehicle in reverse, then either learn fast
or wait until it wears off.
-->Lantern
(To unlock, win on all courses without using items or setting Items to Off.)
With: Lantern will create a circle of light around you, leaving the rest of the
course dark (you can barely see anything). You can’t see very far in
front of you, so you should still have the course memorized, but at least
you’ll be able to see any hazards around you.
Against: If you have the course memorized, you shouldn’t have much trouble
navigating the course itself. Unless you’re staying around the player
who has Lantern, you won’t be able to see much of anything, especially
any hazards or attacks.
-->Who? Paint
(To unlock, pick up at least 500 items total.)
With: Your opponents will become invisible (the vehicles will remain visible).
As an added bonus, they won’t be able to grab any items.
Against: Do not lose track of your vehicle. If you do, try braking, drifting,
or boosting to see which vehicle responds to you. Since you can’t
pick up any items, just concentrate on racing.
-->Party Ball
A big yellow ball will open at the top of the screen, releasing several items
onto the course.
===============================================================================
| T O P | Course Descriptions |
| R I D E |---------------------/
\---------/
There are seven courses in Top Ride: Grass, Sand, Sky, Fire, Light, Water, and
Metal. I have a description of the features/hazards of each course, as well as
the in-game recommended number of laps, and the name of the alternate music for
that course (as named in the Sound Test). I also noted the differences in the
features/hazards when you set the Features setting to Many, if you have
unlocked that. (To unlock, race in WATER and finish first while driving into
the waterfalls five times or more.) For easier clarification of feature
locations, I’m going to use compass directions assuming that up is north.
+-----+
|GRASS|
+-----+
Recommended number of laps: 7
Alternate music: "Kirby Super Star: The Mountain"
This is a relatively short course. It’s very...green. There are two bomb
flowers on this course, one in the middle and one to the east, which yield--
take a guess--bombs. The bombs, if knocked off the flowers by a vehicle, will
slowly roll along the ground for a couple of seconds before they flash and
self-destruct. The explosion from one will knock your vehicle around, much to
the same effect as a Bomb item would. There is also a Dash Panel in the course,
but it will be invisible until a player runs over it. You will get a slight
speed boost by pressing the A button while on top of a Dash Panel.
Features Many: There are three hidden Dash Panels instead of one. Bombs grow
at a much faster rate, though they still explode at the same rate.
+----+
|SAND|
+----+
Recommended number of laps: 7
Alternate music: "Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards: Rock Star"
The main attraction of this course is something called Ant Doom, which resides
on the west half of the course. It is the sand pit, which always stays in one
place and can drag you in if you steer too close to it. A creature lives in
Ant Doom, simply referred to as the worm. The worm either spews rocks around
or grabs and drags players into Ant Doom. If you’re dragged into the sand pit,
one of two things will happen. Either you get shot back to the starting line,
losing a few seconds, or you get thrown forwards, losing no time. The distance
you go, whether backwards or forwards, may vary a little. It is possible for
the worm to grab more than one vehicle at the same time. Another feature is
some sort of rock golem who watches over the course to the northwest.
Sometimes, the rock golem will fall apart (literally) and crumble to the course
below. The rocks won’t hurt you, but they significantly reduce the distance
between the edge of the course and Ant Doom. After a period of time, the rock
golem will magically put itself back together. There are two bridges on this
course. The southernmost one is unstable. After players cross it a few times,
it will break down, removing it for the rest of the race. And finally, there’s
a pit on the east side of the course (about where Ant Doom would be if the
course was mirrored). Initially, it is filled with sand. However, after
crossing it a few times, the sand will disappear, leaving a pit that cannot be
crossed. You’ll have to go around it until the pit eventually refills with
sand.
Features Many: The worm will be MUCH more active, grabbing players at least
once almost every lap.
+---+
|SKY|
+---+
Recommended number of laps: 6
Alternate music: "Kirby Super Star: Revenge of Meta Knight (Map)"
Going in a clockwise direction, we first come to an isle connected to the rest
of the course by two conveyor belts on the west side of the course. On that
isle is a Jump Panel. You can jump into the air by pressing the A button while
on top of a Jump Panel. Not only does this shave a couple of seconds off your
lap time, but also you can activate the Isle Knob on top of the center of the
isle. This will make the isle slowly go up and down. The conveyor belts will
extend/retract accordingly. The conveyor belts will also change speed: the
longer the belts, the faster the speed. Moving on, there will be three more
Jump Panels on the north side of the course. On the southeast side of the
course, part of the course rotates like a carousel. Three large objects sit on
the carousel, impeding your progress. The carousel may rotate clockwise or
counterclockwise. And this leads back to the starting line. Five more laps of
this and you win!
Features Many: The isle with the conveyor belts will move faster when active.
The carousel will also move faster.
+----+
|FIRE|
+----+
Recommended number of laps: 6
Alternate music: "Kirby Super Star: Versus King Dedede"
There are two features in this course: vents and volcanoes. Vents can come
from either the wall or the ground, and they can vent out steam or fire. The
venting of fire doesn’t last nearly as long as the venting of steam. If steam
comes out from the wall, it will push you away; you’ll lose a little speed and
have to adjust your direction slightly. If steam comes up from the ground
(only in two specific locations), then you can ride the geyser for a quick
shortcut. Note that riding a geyser will deprive you of any item you happen to
be carrying, as well as negate any status modifier such as Candy or Chickie.
Vents of fire, whether from the wall or the ground, will burn you, not unlike
the Fire item, and you’ll lose your item and a great deal of speed, pretty much
all of it. As for the volcanoes, there are three of them. You can bump into
them (like with the bomb flowers on the Grass course), and they’ll shoot out a
rock that will roll along the ground for a short while until it disappears. At
irregular intervals, the volcanoes will erupt, shooting out a whole bunch of
rocks, some of which will form pools of magma on the ground. These pools of
magma also slow you down a great deal, but they quickly cool off and harden. I
think these "huge eruptions" are dependent on how many times or how often the
players ram into the three volcanoes.
Features Many: Vents will spout more frequently. Volcanoes will erupt more
frequently.
+-----+
|LIGHT|
+-----|
Recommended number of laps: 6
Alternate music: "Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards: Mid-boss Room"
There are two features to look for here: light columns and light rails. Up to
three columns materialize throughout the course and constantly regenerate. If
you hit one, there will be a very minute speed reduction, and that’s all. The
rails have three designated starting points, but they each have two possible
ending points. Only one starting point will be active at a time. To ride a
rail, simply go up to a starting point (a lit-up flashing triangle). You will
grind the rail to one of two possible ending points for that specific color.
Note that an active rail will not close until all players grinding the rail
have exited. Therefore, if the player in front of you is grinding a rail, you
may want to consider grinding it yourself. Also, grinding on a rail will
deprive you of your item, as well as any status modifier you may have.
Features Many: More columns appear at a faster rate. Two rails can be active
at the same time instead of just one.
+-----+
|WATER|
+-----+
Recommended number of laps: 5
Alternate music: "Kirby: Float Islands"
There’s not too much to say here. The waterfalls to the northwest and
northeast can suck you in if you go too close, losing some time, as well as
your item and any change in status. The little streams from the waterfalls may
slow you down a bit, but usually it’s too small to notice much. Occasionally
at the south end, the tide will come in and then recede, slowing down players
and washing away items that are there. And that’s pretty much it. Oh, and
there’s a sculpture of Kabu to the east.
Features Many: The effects of the little streams are more noticeable. The
tide rises and falls more often and with greater force, dragging the players
towards the south wall and considerably slowing them down.
+-----+
|METAL|
+-----+
Recommended number of laps: 5
Alternate music: "Kirby: Shooting"
Going in a general counterclockwise direction, you first see three gears
rotating on their face. A small wall pops out in the middle of each gear. You
will lose your speed if you crash into a wall. Continuing on, there is a giant
gear in the middle of the course. Think of this as the main gear: if this
spins, the others will also spin. To make it spin, drift on top of it; to halt,
come to a complete stop while on top of it. It’s not much to think about
during a race, but in Free Run, it can help or hurt your lap time. Following
the main gear are a couple of more gears spinning on their edge. On the west
side of the course are three switches on the ground. Press A on a switch to
light it up, activating the corresponding fan to the left. Press A on the
switch again to turn it off. At the southwest corner right before the finish
line, there are three more gears that spin on their edge. Take whichever spins
to the right. One or two may spin to the left, slowing you down a lot.
Features Many: There are two walls on each of the first three gears instead of
just one. The gears in the southwest corner spin in the opposite direction.
All gears in the course spin faster.
===============================================================================
| T O P | Checklist |
| R I D E |-----------/
\---------/
In Kirby Air Ride, the Checklist is a large 10x12 square that contains 120
individual squares (objectives) to complete. Air Ride, Top Ride, and City
Trial each have a separate Checklist, totaling 360 tasks in Kirby Air Ride. In
the beginning, the Checklist is blank. Chances are, you’ll complete a few
objectives accidentally. As the Checklist fills up, each little square that is
completed will reveal the surrounding squares. In this manner, you uncover the
rest of the objectives. Some of them even come with a reward for the player,
but that information will be unknown until you actually complete its objective
(unless of course you’re reading an FAQ, which I’m willing to bet you are). If
all 120 tasks are completed, the Checklist turns gold, and "Complete!" appears
on the screen.
The following is the complete Checklist for Top Ride, listing all 120 tasks to
accomplish. 33 of them reward the player with a small prize, such as a
different colored Kirby, alternate music, or a new rule in the Game Settings.
A + precedes each objective with a reward, and a – precedes the others. All
objectives here are quoted from the game, with the corresponding prize
underneath each one (if any). The next section in the FAQ has a separate list
showing only the prizes. I divided the list of 120 tasks as follows:
1ST PLACE COUNT OVERKILL
LAP/GOAL COUNT COMPUTER MAX
TOP RIDE TIME LIMIT ITEMS GALORE
TIME ATTACK COURSE-SPECIFIC
FREE RUN QUICK SPIN
NO BOOST MULTIPLAYER
NO ITEM CREDITS
[1ST PLACE COUNT] Keeps track of total first place finishes.
- Top Ride: GRASS
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
- Top Ride: SAND
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
- Top Ride: SKY
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
+ Top Ride: FIRE
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
Sound Test: FIRE
- Top Ride: LIGHT
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
- Top Ride: WATER
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
- Top Ride: METAL
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
+ Top Ride: Take 1st place
on all courses!
Extra Rule: Diagonal Camera Angle
[LAP/GOAL COUNT] Keeps track of lap and goal totals.
+ Cross the goal 20 or more times!
Green Kirby (X or Y Button on Player Entry)
- Time Attack: Cross the goal
30 or more times!
- Free Run: Race more than
100 laps!
- Top Ride: Race over
300 laps!
- Top Ride: GRASS
Race more than 100 laps!
- Top Ride: SAND
Race more than 100 laps!
- Top Ride: SKY
Race more than 100 laps!
- Top Ride: FIRE
Race more than 100 laps!
+ Top Ride: LIGHT
Race more than 100 laps!
Sound Test: LIGHT
- Top Ride: WATER
Race more than 100 laps!
- Top Ride: METAL
Race more than 100 laps!
[TOP RIDE TIME LIMIT] Complete the recommended # of laps within the time limit.
- Top Ride: GRASS
Finish 7 laps in under 00:43:00!
- Top Ride: SAND
Finish 7 laps in under 00:52:00!
- Top Ride: SKY
Finish 6 laps in under 01:02:00!
- Top Ride: FIRE
Finish 6 laps in under 00:53:00!
- Top Ride: LIGHT
Finish 6 laps in under 00:43:00!
+ Top Ride: WATER
Finish 5 laps in under 01:02:00!
Sound Test: WATER
- Top Ride: METAL
Finish 5 laps in under 00:58:00!
[TIME ATTACK] In Time Attack, complete five laps within the time limit.
+ Time Attack: GRASS
Finish in under 00:33:00!
Check off an empty box of your choice!
- Time Attack: GRASS
Finish in under 00:28:00!
- Time Attack: SAND
Finish in under 00:35:00!
+ Time Attack: SAND
Finish in under 00:29:00!
Music: Sand (X or Y Button on Select Course)
- Time Attack: SKY
Finish in under 00:57:00!
- Time Attack: SKY
Finish in under 00:47:00!
- Time Attack: FIRE
Finish in under 00:46:00!
- Time Attack: FIRE
Finish in under 00:39:00!
- Time Attack: LIGHT
Finish in under 00:38:00!
+ Time Attack: LIGHT
Finish in under 00:33:00!
Music: Light (X or Y Button on Select Course)
- Time Attack: WATER
Finish in under 01:06:00!
+ Time Attack: WATER
Finish in under 00:56:00!
Extra Rule: Attack Item Set
- Time Attack: METAL
Finish in under 00:57:00!
- Time Attack: METAL
Finish in under 00:51:00!
[FREE RUN] In Free Run, complete one lap within the time limit.
- Free Run: GRASS
Do one lap in under 00:06:00!
- Free Run: GRASS
Do one lap in under 00:04:50!
- Free Run: SAND
Do one lap in under 00:06:50!
- Free Run: SAND
Do one lap in under 00:05:00!
- Free Run: SKY
Do one lap in under 00:11:00!
+ Free Run: SKY
Do one lap in under 00:09:00!
Music: Sky (X or Y Button on Select Course)
- Free Run: FIRE
Do one lap in under 00:08:00!
- Free Run: FIRE
Do one lap in under 00:06:50!
+ Free Run: LIGHT
Do one lap in under 00:07:50!
Sound Test: Results Screen
- Free Run: LIGHT
Do one lap in under 00:06:00!
- Free Run: WATER
Do one lap in under 00:12:00!
+ Free Run: WATER
Do one lap in under 00:10:50!
Extra Rule: Side Camera Angle
- Free Run: METAL
Do one lap in under 00:11:50!
- Free Run: METAL
Do one lap in under 00:09:50!
[NO BOOST] You cannot press the A button (or L or R buttons).
- Top Ride: GRASS
Take 1st place without using Boost!
+ Top Ride: SAND
Take 1st place without using Boost!
Sound Test: SAND
- Top Ride: SKY
Take 1st place without using Boost!
- Top Ride: FIRE
Take 1st place without using Boost!
- Top Ride: LIGHT
Take 1st place without using Boost!
- Top Ride: WATER
Take 1st place without using Boost!
+ Top Ride: METAL
Take 1st place without using Boost!
Music: Metal (X or Y Button on Select Course)
+ Top Ride: Finish all courses
without using Boost!
Check off an empty box of your choice!
- Top Ride: Finish 1st on all
courses without Boost!
[NO ITEM] You cannot set Items to Off in the Game Settings.
+ Top Ride: GRASS (No "Zero Items" Rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
Sound Test: GRASS
- Top Ride: SAND (No "Zero Items" rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
- Top Ride: SKY (No "Zero Items" rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
- Top Ride: FIRE (No "Zero Items" Rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
- Top Ride: LIGHT (No "Zero Items" rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
- Top Ride: WATER (No "Zero Items" rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
- Top Ride: METAL (No "Zero Items" rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
- Top Ride: (No "Zero Items" rule)
Complete all courses without using items!
+ Top Ride: (No "Zero Items" rule)
Finish 1st on all courses using no items!
New Item: Lantern
[OVERKILL] Don’t just beat them; outclass them!
- Top Ride: GRASS
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
- Top Ride: SAND
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
- Top Ride: SKY
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
- Top Ride: FIRE
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
- Top Ride: LIGHT
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
+ Top Ride: WATER
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
Music: Water (X or Y Button on Select Course)
+ Top Ride: METAL
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
White Kirby (X or Y button on Player Entry)
- Top Ride: Finish 1st with
1 lap between you and #2!
- Top Ride: Finish 1st with
2 laps between you and #2!
+ Top Ride: Race one lap without
hitting a wall and finish 1st!
Extra Rule: Mystery Item Set
[COMPUTER MAX] It is possible to race against only one CPU.
- Top Ride: GRASS
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
- Top Ride: SAND
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
+ Top Ride: SKY
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
Brown Kirby (X or Y button on Player Entry)
- Top Ride: FIRE
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
- Top Ride: LIGHT
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
- Top Ride: WATER
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
- Top Ride: METAL
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
[ITEMS GALORE] Get and use as many items as you can.
- Send 3 or more rivals sailing
using one Buzz Saw item!
- Torch 3 or more rivals
using one Fire item!
- In one game, hit enemies 3 times
or more with Bomb items!
- Get more than 20
Invincible Candy items!
- Get more than 20
Spinner items!
- Get more than 20
Walky items!
- Top Ride: Take 1st place
while holding the Hammer!
- Top Ride: Get the same item
3 times in one race!
+ Get over 18 different types of items!
New Item: Chickie
+ Collect 500 items or more!
New Item: Who? Paint
[COURSE-SPECIFIC] These features only appear on the selected course.
+ Top Ride: GRASS
Finish 1st and hit 5 or more Dash Panels!
Music: Grass (X or Y Button on Select Course)
- Top Ride: GRASS
In one race, drop 30 or more bombs!
- Top Ride: SAND
Drop into Ant Doom 20 times in one game!
+ Top Ride: SAND
Drop into Ant Doom 50 times or more!
Check off an empty box of your choice!
- Top Ride: SAND
Take 1st place and catch the worm 3 or more times!
- Top Ride: SKY
Finish 1st without using the Jump Plate!
+ Top Ride: SKY
Take 1st and hit the Isle Knob 5 or more times!
Sound Test: SKY
+ Top Ride: FIRE
Cause a huge eruption 3 times or more!
Check off an empty box of your choice!
+ Top Ride: FIRE
Finish 1st while holding the Fire item.
Music: Fire (X or Y Button on Select Course)
- Top Ride: LIGHT
Finish 1st and bust 6 or more columns!
+ Top Ride: LIGHT
Take 1st and grind the rail 5 times or more!
Check off an empty box of your choice!
- Top Ride: LIGHT
Ride the grind rail 50 times or more!
+ Top Ride: WATER
Take 1st and enter the falls 5 times or more!
Extra Rule: Device Quantity
- Top Ride: METAL
Take 1st and hit the switch 10 times or more!
+ Top Ride: METAL
Take 1st and break 5 or more gear walls!
Sound Test: METAL
- Top Ride: METAL
Take 1st without breaking any gear walls!
[QUICK SPIN] Press left and then right (or right and then left) to Quick Spin.
- Top Ride: Take 1st place
while doing a Quick Spin!
- Top Ride: Do 20 or more Quick
Spins in one lap and finish 1st!
[MULTIPLAYER] You must have at least two controllers.
- Top Ride: Compete in more
than 10 multiplayer races!
+ Top Ride: Compete in more
than 50 multiplayer races!
Purple Kirby (X or Y Button on Player Entry)
[CREDITS] This one is always found at the bottom-right corner of the Checklist.
You cannot check off this one with a free purple square.
+ Fill in over
100 Checklist blocks!
Ending: View by pressing the A Button
===============================================================================
| T O P | Checklist | Prizes |
| R I D E |-----------/--------/
\---------/
There are 33 prizes you can unlock in Top Ride’s Checklist. Here they are,
with their accompanying conditions of course.
Kirby, different colors (X or Y Button on Player Entry)
Green Kirby
Cross the goal 20 or more times!
Purple Kirby
Top Ride: Compete in more
than 50 multiplayer races!
Brown Kirby
Top Ride: SKY
Finish 1st with CPUs set to level 5!
White Kirby
Top Ride: METAL
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
Sound Test
GRASS
Top Ride: GRASS (No "Zero Items" Rule)
Take 1st place without using items!
SAND
Top Ride: SAND
Take 1st place without using Boost!
SKY
Top Ride: SKY
Take 1st and hit the Isle Knob 5 or more times!
FIRE
Top Ride: FIRE
Take 1st place 10 times or more!
LIGHT
Top Ride: LIGHT
Race more than 100 laps!
WATER
Top Ride: WATER
Finish 5 laps in under 01:02:00!
METAL
Top Ride: METAL
Take 1st and break 5 or more gear walls!
Results Screen
Free Run: LIGHT
Do one lap in under 00:07:50!
Alternate Music (X or Y Button on Select Course)
GRASS
Top Ride: GRASS
Finish 1st and hit 5 or more Dash Panels!
SAND
Time Attack: SAND
Finish in under 00:29:00!
SKY
Free Run: SKY
Do one lap in under 00:09:00!
FIRE
Top Ride: FIRE
Finish 1st while holding the Fire item.
LIGHT
Time Attack: LIGHT
Finish in under 00:33:00!
WATER
Top Ride: WATER
Finish 1st 5 seconds faster than #2!
METAL
Top Ride: METAL
Take 1st place without using Boost!
Extra Rule (Game Settings)
Diagonal Camera Angle
Top Ride: Take 1st place
on all courses!
Side Camera Angle
Free Run: WATER
Do one lap in under 00:10:50!
Device Quantity (Features)
Top Ride: WATER
Take 1st and enter the falls 5 times or more!
Attack Item Set
Time Attack: WATER
Finish in under 00:56:00!
Mystery Item Set
Top Ride: Race one lap without
hitting a wall and finish 1st!
New Item
Chickie
Get over 18 different types of items!
Lantern
Top Ride: (No "Zero Items" rule)
Finish 1st on all courses using no items!
Who? Paint
Collect 500 items or more!
"Check off an empty box of your choice!"
-> Time Attack: GRASS
Finish in under 00:33:00!
-> Top Ride: SAND
Drop into Ant Doom 50 times or more!
-> Top Ride: FIRE
Cause a huge eruption 3 times or more!
-> Top Ride: LIGHT
Take 1st and grind the rail 5 times or more!
-> Top Ride: Finish all courses
without using Boost!
Ending
Fill in over
100 Checklist blocks!
===============================================================================
| T O P | Free Run |
| R I D E |----------/
\---------/
Since there are no items, you must master drifting and boosting, since it will
be your main source of speed. (The "How to Play" and "Top Ride Tutorial" in-
game movies show drifting and boosting.) Most of my tips will revolve around
which turns to drift through. In some courses, try to use the course features
to your advantage (for example, grinding the rails in Light). For every course
in Free Run, there are two time limits to beat. In this section, I only
displayed the lower of the two. I use the words "drift" and "boost" pretty
much interchangeably, since whenever you drift, you automatically charge up for
your boost. You should try to drift as close to the inside wall as possible.
Experiment with drifting to decide the best places to use it. Of course, keep
practicing; many times you may complete the time requirements with less than a
second to spare. For more information about the layout of each course, refer
to my Course Description section of the FAQ.
I tried my luck at creating some ASCII maps. Of course, my ASCII maps are
probably not drawn to scale. (I tried my best, but it may be a good idea to
stare hard at how the in-game courses look before trying to decipher these
ASCII maps.) Just remember that any of these characters /\|-_ represents part
of a wall.
+-----+
|GRASS| Do one lap in under 00:04:50!
+-----+
/------\ /------\
| | | |
| */\ *\-/ */\ |
| |\ /| |
| \---------/ |
| @ #|
\---------------/
The @ symbol marks the start/finish line.
The asterisks (*) show you the corners where you should drift through the turn.
The Dash Panel in this course is designated by the # symbol. If you drift well,
you should not need the Dash Panel to finish in 4.5 seconds. Using the Dash
Panel may or may not help your lap time.
+----+
|SAND| Do one lap in under 00:05:00!
+----+
/--------------\
| __ |
| ___ 2 |
| /-\/___| |
| 1\-/ @ 3 |
| @ |
| @ |
\--------------/
The @ symbol marks the start/finish line.
I used numbers in this map:
1. Here, round the sand pit while staying as close to it as possible. Imagine
a wall around the very center of this sand pit; get as close to that
imaginary wall as possible.
2. Two options here:
a. Drift very lightly here (hold A for about 1/3 or 1/4 of a second), just
enough to point your vehicle downward.
b. Don’t drift, but make your turn as tightly as possible; you should be
more or less hugging the wall.
3. Boost around this corner.
You should attempt to do all of this within the first or second lap, or else
the worm may interfere.
+---+
|SKY| Do one lap in under 00:09:00!
+---+
/--------------------\
| * # # # * |
\ /-------------| |
/ -\ /-------/ |
|-o | | /
\# -/----/ 2 |
/ 1 * @ |
\---------\---------/
The @ symbol marks the start/finish line.
The asterisks (*) show you the corners where you should drift through the turn.
Jump Panels are denoted with a # symbol. Press the A button while on top of
one to hop into the air.
Numbers on my map:
1. Use the Jump Panel here to leap over part of the isle.
2. On this rotating platform, try to go with the flow; if it’s turning
clockwise, go along the south half of the platform, and vice versa.
+----+
|FIRE| Do one lap in under 06:50:00!
+----+
/--------------\
| *__ \/ |
|__ \ #|* |
| * |\-----/ |
| *--\/_/ |
| # @ /---/
\---------/
The @ symbol marks the start/finish line.
The asterisks (*) show you the corners where you should drift through the turn.
There are steam geysers that occasionally erupt at the two # symbols. If you
drive into one, you’ll jump over the wall next to it, saving some time. Use
them if you can; they’re an easy shortcut.
+-----+
|LIGHT| Do one lap in under 00:06:00!
+-----+
/-----#-------#--\
# * \/ * |
| \ * |@@@|
| \------/ |
| |
\----------------/
The @ symbol marks the start/finish line.
The asterisks (*) show you the corners where you should drift through the turn.
The three # symbols mark where the rails begin. Try grinding a rail to get a
faster lap time. I believe the green one (closest to the start/finish line)
gives you the best result. It is possible to get under 6 seconds without
grinding a rail.
+-----+
|WATER| Do one lap in under 00:10:50!
+-----+
/-###-----\/-------##
| || * #
| */--\ \/* |-/ /
| |\ |/ /
|---\*| ------/ /
| | \ \
| *\--/--------\ \
| @ * |
\-------------------/
The @ symbol marks the start/finish line.
The asterisks (*) show you the corners where you should drift through the turn.
The ### shows where the two waterfalls are. Of course you should avoid them.
+-----+
|METAL| Do one lap in under 00:09:50!
+-----+
/-----------------\
| * | |
|# | | *---\ |
| | \___? | |
| # | | |
| *\---------/ |
| # [] @ |
| [] @ |
\-----------------/
The @ symbol marks the start/finish line.
The asterisks (*) show you the corners where you should drift through the turn.
The # marks are the switches for the three fans on the west side of the course.
I’m not sure how much they affect your speed, but the southernmost fan seems to
only help you, so activating that one should be harmless.
The ? mark on this map means that you can decide whether to drift through this
turn or not. If you decide to drift here, all the gears in the course will be
activated, which may help or hurt your lap time depending on how you race.
The three gears located at the [] symbols on my map will spin if the gears are
activated. If this happens, make sure to take a gear that is spinning to the
right; left is bad.
===============================================================================
| T O P | Time Attack |
| R I D E |-------------/
\---------/
General tips:
Lots of items appear during the race. Get only the "speed up" and "charge up"
items; everything else is meant to slow you down.
The exact same items always appear in the exact same order, no matter how many
times you restart the race.
Try to use course features to your advantage (for example, grinding the rails
in Light).
You shouldn’t have to worry about drifting and boosting as much as in Free Run
because of all the items available to you. (The "How to Play" and "Top Ride
Tutorial" in-game movies show drifting and boosting.)
Other than the items and the number of laps to complete, Time Attack is very
similar to Free Run; refer to the Free Run section of this FAQ for more
information about each course.
For every course in Time Attack, there are two time limits to beat. I only
displayed the lower of the two here.
GRASS Finish in under 00:28:00!
SAND Finish in under 00:29:00!
SKY Finish in under 00:47:00!
FIRE Finish in under 00:39:00!
LIGHT Finish in under 00:33:00!
WATER Finish in under 00:56:00!
METAL Finish in under 00:51:00!
===============================================================================
| Version & Contact |
\-------------------/
E-mail:
[email protected]
AIM: JAK1357924680
Version 1.00 – November 18, 2003
I finally submitted my FAQ for the first time after putting it off for
quite a while. I hope it proves useful to some people.
===============================================================================
| Copyright |
\-----------/
This may 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.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
Copyright 2003 James Akasaka.
