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Atari Karts for Atari Jaguar FAQ
by BHodges
Version 1.0
Created 07/07/10
This document Copyright 2010 by Brian Hodges. 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.
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Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Getting Started
A. Select a Challenge
B. Options
C. Memory Clear
III. Basic Gameplay
A. Controls
B. Object of the Game
C. Saving
D. Basic Strategies
IV. Items
A. Rabbit
B. Gold Speed Arrow
C. Wheel
D. Steer
E. Heart
F. Ramp
G. Turtle
H. Red <-->
I. Green <-->
V. Karts
A. Regius
B. Skully
C. Pulpito
D. Miz Tress
E. Bentley Bear
F. Vulky
G. Ptarmigan
H. Haratari
I. Pum King
J. Fire Bug
K. Miracle Man
VI. Worlds
A. Beach
B. Castle
C. Farm
D. Ice
E. Route 99
F. Space
G. Japan
H. Halloween
I. Hell
J. Heaven
VII. Cheats
VIII. Game Review
IX. Version History
X. Contact Information
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I. Introduction
This is a FAQ for the Atari Jaguar game Atari Karts. It contains information
on playing the game, tips for winning, and a mini-review.
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II. Getting Started
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A. Select a Challenge
Note: Unfortunately there is no "back" button, so if you want to go back to
a previous screen, your only recourse is to reset (* + # on Numpad).
There are four challenges in Atari Karts. Initially only the Beginner
Challenge will be available. In order to unlock the next challenge you must
win the current challenge's Miracle Race.
After choosing a challenge, you will be taken to the kart selection screen.
If there is a second player, he/she can press any button to join in. Please
note that both players are unable to select the same kart.
Once you have your kart(s), you'll have to choose one of three Cups. Once you
win all three cups, you will be able to race in the Miracle Race. Win the
Miracle Race to unlock the next challenge and your opponent's kart.
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B. Options
Press Option while on Challenge Select screen to bring up the options menu.
Mode
Choose between Hill or Flat. This determines whether or not tracks will have
elevation or be completely flat.
Controls
Change the button configuration.
Enter Name One/Enter Name Two
Change the player names. Press Up/Down on the Joypad to change a character,
Left/Right to change position. Note that there is no cursor, so it may be hard
to tell if you are on a blank character. Press C to clear a character and B
when you are finished.
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C. Memory Clear
To clear the game's memory, press *, #, and Option simultaneously on the Title
Screen. You will get a confirmation message if successful.
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III. Basic Gameplay
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A. Controls
Joypad Left/Right Steer
Joypad Down Reverse
A Button Accelerate
B Button Brake
C Button Activate Item
Numpad 4/6 Sharp Turn Left/Right
R/L Button (Pro Controller) Sharp Turn Left/Right
Pause Pause
Numpad * + # Reset Game
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B. Object of the Game
The object of the game is to complete all four challenges. Each challenge
consists of three Cups and a Miracle Race. You must win all three Cups before
you can select a challenge's Miracle Race.
Each Cup consists of multiple tracks. You must finish at least fourth place
in order to move on to the next track. You start each cup with three lives,
lose them all and your game is over. If you do finish fourth or better you
will earn points:
1st Place 7 pts.
2nd Place 4 pts.
3rd Place 2 pts.
4th Place 1 pt.
Finish a Cup at the top of the standings to win a gold trophy. You must have
all three cup trophies before you can choose the Miracle Race. Win the Miracle
Race to unlock the next challenge AND your opponent's kart.
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C. Saving
Your progress is automatically saved after completing a Cup or Miracle Race.
The instruction booklet claims that your best times and standings are saved
as well, but I've yet to figure out how to access them.
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D. Basic Strategies
- Try to stay in front of the pack as much as possible to avoid collisions.
- Stay on the track! Even going off track a bit drastically slows you down.
- A.I. racers cannot pick up items.
- You get three lives, use them. If you are going to finish third or fourth,
go ahead and throw the race so you can try again.
- If you are on a course with lots of turtles and/or red arrows, try grabbing
a steering or wheel power up, then DON'T activate it. You won't be able to
pick up the bad items as long as you already have an item!
- A Pro Controller isn't necessary, but it does help.
- I recommend using Bentley Bear for the Beginner and Warrior Challenges,
Pum King for the Miracle Challenge and Fire Bug for Jaguar Aces.
- In my opinion Fire Bug is a better choice than Miracle Man (acceleration
over speed).
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IV. Items
Note: A.I. controlled racers will not collect/use items.
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A. Rabbit
Rabbits will temporarily increase your top speed for a short time. Rabbits
cannot be stored, they are activated as soon as you run over them.
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B. Gold Speed Arrow
Not really an item, running over a gold speed arrow will give you a short boost
of speed. Beware, sometimes they are placed so that using one will send you
crashing straight into a wall!
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C. Wheel
Wheels are saved until you activate them with the C button. Using a wheel will
temporarily eliminate friction on your tires allowing you to run off track
without losing speed. Please note that if you hit an oil slick with the wheel
active you'll still spin off track.
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D. Steer
The "other" wheels will temporarily prevent your kart from skidding while
turning. Like wheels, steers are saved until you activate them with C.
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E. Heart
Hearts are very rare. Running over a heart will give you an extra life.
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F. Ramp
Like gold speed arrows, ramps aren't really items. Running over a ramp will
cause your kart to jump. They are very handy for jumping over rough terrain,
such as water on Beach world.
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G. Turtle
Turtles are the opposite of rabbits, they will decrease your top speed for
a short time.
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H. Red <-->
Very annoying. Red arrows will reverse your controls for a short time. While
it's not overly difficult to cope with, you need to be aware of the moment when
your controls revert back to normal because this is when you'll most likely
run off the track.
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I. Green <-->
Green arrows only appear in two player races. They allow you to reverse the
other player's controls for a short time.
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V. Karts
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A. Regius
Stats:
SPEED 2.5 ACC 1.5 STEER 3.5 TOTAL 7.5
Info:
Regius the rooster has the best handling of any of the karts initially
available. Unfortunately his poor acceleration makes him a poor choice.
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B. Skully
Stats:
SPEED 1.5 ACC 2.0 STEER 2.5 TOTAL 6.0
Info:
Skully is far and away the worst cart in the game. He has the lowest top
speed in the game and his steering and acceleration rank among the worst.
Ironically, when Skully is controlled by the CPU, he is consistently one of
your top competitors.
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C. Pulpito
Stats:
SPEED 3.0 ACC 1.5 STEER 3.0 TOTAL 7.5
Info:
Apparently having eight arms helps with steering! Pulpito has above average
speed and steering, but his poor acceleration drags him down.
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D. Miz Tress
Stats:
SPEED 1.5 ACC 3.5 STEER 2.5 TOTAL 7.5
Info:
They must have spent an entire afternoon coming up with these names. Miz Tress
has the highest acceleration stat in the game as well as decent handling. Her
top speed is tied with Skully for the lowest in the game.
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E. Bentley Bear
Stats:
SPEED 2.5 ACC 2.5 STEER 2.5 TOTAL 7.5
Info:
Yes, it's THAT Bentley Bear from Crystal Castles fame. Bentley Bear has
balanced stats and is the best racer available at the start of the game. I
definitely recommend using him for the first two challenges.
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F. Vulky
Stats:
SPEED 3.5 ACC 1.5 STEER 1.5 TOTAL 6.5
Info:
Vulky the alien has the highest top speed of any of the initial karts, but that
can't make up for having both the worst acceleration and steering stats.
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G. Ptarmigan
Stats:
SPEED 3.0 ACC 2.0 STEER 1.5 TOTAL 6.5
Info:
Ptarmigan the snowman is probably the coolest looking racer in the game (did
you see what I did there?). He has a good top speed and decent acceleration,
but his poor handling can make winning difficult.
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H. Haratari
Stats:
SPEED 2.0 ACC 2.5 STEER 2.0 TOTAL 6.5
Info:
Are you kidding me? You go through all that trouble to unlock a new kart and
he ends up having worse stats than most of the other karts! It even says in
the instruction booklet that the four secret karts are supposed to have better
stats. You're seriously better sticking with Bentley Bear than choosing
Haratari. You unlock Haratari by winning the Beginner Challenge's Miracle
Race.
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I. Pum King
Stats:
SPEED 3.5 ACC 3.0 STEER 4.0 TOTAL 10.5
Info:
Now this is more like it! Pum King, the second unlockable kart, is a HUGE
improvement over the eight previous karts. His steering stat is tied for the
highest in the game and his speed and acceleration are excellent as well. You
unlock Pum King by winning the Miracle Race in the Warrior Challenge.
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J. Fire Bug
Stats:
SPEED 3.5 ACC 3.5 STEER 4.0 TOTAL 11.0
Info:
My favorite kart. Fire Bug is basically Pum King with better acceleration.
You unlock Fire Bug by winning the Miracle Challenge's Miracle Race.
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K. Miracle Man
Stats:
SPEED 4.0 ACC 3.0 STEER 4.0 TOTAL 11.0
Info:
Miracle Man is the final kart that you unlock. He has the best top speed and
steering in the game. You unlock Miracle Man if you manage to win the Miracle
Race in the Jaguar Aces challenge.
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VI. Worlds
There are ten different worlds in all. While different cups have different
track configurations, all of a world's tracks share common attributes and
pitfalls. So instead of listing strategies for the 94(!) different tracks,
I decided to instead give general strategies for each world.
Note: Only four worlds are given names in the instruction booklet (Beach,
Ice, Route 99, and Halloween) so I just made up the other six.
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A. Beach
Obviously inspired by the Koopa Beach tracks from Super Mario Kart. Luckily
in Atari Karts, the water isn't deep enough to drop into, but it will slow your
kart down considerably.
Tips
- Stay out of the water as much as possible.
- Use the ramps to jump over water.
- Gold speed arrows aren't much help for crossing water.
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B. Castle
The most beautiful world is also my least favorite. The castle world is home
to the game's most frustrating tracks. The problem here is that the track is
lined with a stone wall which will knock you backwards on the slightest
contact. The sadistic programmers even went so far as to make some portions
jut out into the track for no reason whatsoever! Focus on finishing in the top
four, you can make up the points on the better designed tracks.
Tips
- Avoid contact with the stone wall at all costs.
- Be especially careful on turns, it's very easy to get stuck on the corners.
- Use your brakes!
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C. Farm
Not much to talk about, the farm tracks are usually the easiest. They also
seem to be the hilliest.
Tips
- Use the wheel item to cut corners without slowing down.
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D. Ice
My second least favorite world. The instruction booklet says to stay out of
the water but the trees and rocks are the real hazards.
Tips
- The water will slow you down slightly so try to avoid it.
- There are trees strewn about the track so be careful.
- The rocks are your biggest concern. They are hard to see and often times
sitting in the middle of the track. Hitting a rock usually causes your kart
to get stuck. If that happens, quickly shift into reverse to try to get
free.
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E. Route 99
Route 99 can be summed up in two words: "Oil Slicks".
Tips
- AVOID THE OIL SLICKS! Hitting one will send you violently off course.
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F. Space
Another straight forward world, the main obstacles here are the alien
spectators.
Tips
- The aliens must be made of rubber, because hitting one sends you flying
backwards.
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G. Japan
Japan is Haratari's home world and the site of the first Miracle Race. From
Warrior Challenge on Japan will be part of the Cup rotation.
Tips
- Avoid the gongs placed all over the track.
- There is a shortcut after the third left turn from the starting line. If
you keep going straight instead of turning left you'll see a gap in the
barrier.
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H. Halloween
Halloween world is Pum King's home turf. It is the site of the Warrior
Challenge's Miracle race and will be added to the track rotation in the
Miracle and Jaguar Ace's Challenges.
- The blood will slightly decrease your speed so try to avoid it.
- There is a shortcut immediately to the left of the starting line.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Hell
Surprisingly straightforward. Hell is Fire Bug's domain and the site of the
Miracle Challenge Miracle Race.
Tips
- Unfortunately, this is the only Miracle Race without a shortcut so you're
going to have to rely on pure driving skills.
- The lava will slow you down, but only slightly.
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J. Heaven
The heaven world only has one track, the Miracle Race for the Jaguar Aces
Challenge. It's a one-on-one race with Miracle Man.
Tips
- You're going to want to use Fire Bug.
- The shortcut for this track is located after the third left turn from the
starting line. There is a small gap on the right between the barrier and
wall that you can slip through.
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VII. Cheats
Skip to a Challenge's Miracle Race
Once you have completed the Beginner's challenge, you can skip straight to
the Miracle Race of your current challenge without having to complete the
three cups first. Here's how:
First select the Beginner's Miracle Race. While the camera is zooming in on
your kart, press * + # on the keypad to reset the game. Now choose the
current challenge. The Miracle Race will be highlighted even if it hasn't
been unlocked. Simply press B and you'll be able to race that challenge's
boss. If you win, you'll not only unlock that kart, but you'll also unlock
the next challenge!
Special Thanks go to the Atari Times for posting this on their website!
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VIII. Game Review
Atari Karts is Atari's answer (read: knockoff) to Nintendo's Super Mario Kart.
Comparisons between the two are unavoidable so let's see how Atari Karts stacks
up...
Graphically, Atari Karts is the clear winner. The karts and tracks are well
rendered and the hi-res backgrounds are absolutely gorgeous. The frame rate
manages to stay silky smooth throughout. Some tracks even have actual terrain
elevation!
Soundwise, it's a bit of a toss up. While not nearly as catchy as the tunes
in Mario Kart, the music is of much higher quality and I think it suits the
tracks well. The post race music seems a bit out of place, the melancholy tune
seems better suited for a soap opera deathbed scene than a victory song. The
game's sound effects are a bit weak, the engines sound more like electric
razors than go karts.
Nintendo clearly wins when it comes to the cast of characters, which isn't
surprising given their vast stable to choose from. Atari has... Bentley Bear.
That's right, during the glory days of Atari, they apparently only created
one character. In yet another missed opportunity, I think it would have been
really cool if they could have licensed some characters from the Golden Age
of arcade games (Pac-man, Q*bert, Frogger, Pifall Harry, Dirk Daring,
Kangaroo). The unlockable karts are also a disappointment. The first,
Haratari, is among the weakest in the game and the other two have near
identical stats.
One thing that Super Mario Kart has that Atari Karts sorely needs are the
plethora of game modes. In Mario Kart you can choose between an entire
circuit, time trials, or two player battles. In Atari Karts, all you get
are the circuits. There is a two player option, but again it's just the
circuits and there's no option to race without CPU opponents.
The actual gameplay is where Atari Karts falls flat on its face. The physics
are completely out of whack (think Ridge Racer DS *shudder*). Collisions will
send you flying in the direction opposite you're moving instead of
opposite the object you hit. What's worse is that it is VERY easy to get
stuck on walls and barriers. At that point you have to try to worm your way
off by alternating between reverse and forward while your opponents zoom by.
And don't get me started on the cheating A.I., they are completely unaffected
by items, track hazards, or kart stats. Skully and Miz Tress have the slowest
speed stats in the game but will frequently outpace even Fire Bug and Miracle
Man! Unfortunately, unlike Super Mario Kart, there are NO offensive items to
help level the playing field.
Atari Karts was clearly rushed out before it was ready. Basic racing game
features like time trials, saved best times, and an on-screen map are all
missing. Apparently they were in such a rush that they didn't even have time
to give the tracks names!
It's such a shame that a game this gorgeous turned out to be so bad. Jaguar
fans looking for a good racing game should check out Super Burnout or Power
Drive Rally. Leave this game for the diehard collectors.
Pros
+ Excellent graphics, the backgrounds are especially beautiful.
+ I really like the music.
+ It's a great nostalgia trip to play as Bentley Bear again!
Cons
- Uneven challenge. The first level is a complete snooze and the rest are
extremely frustrating.
- The A.I. cheats WAY too much.
- Physics are absolutely horrible!
- Game missing basic racing game features like time trials and course maps.
- No offensive items in one player mode.
- Why on Earth do you have to finish fourth or better to move on, even if you
are far ahead in points?!
- Copies of this game are hard to find and can run over $100.
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IX. Version History
1.0 07/07/10 Completed FAQ.
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X. Contact Information
You can contact me at
[email protected]
I would appreciate hearing your opinions of this guide and any thoughts or
suggestions for improvement.
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End
