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/ ) / /
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/ | / ) / / / /
_/_____|__(___(_/___/___(___/_
/
(_ /
______________________________________________________
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/ ) / / /
---/--------/__----__---/---/----__----__----__----__-
/ / ) / ) / / /___) / ) / ) /___)
_(____/___/___/_(___(_/___/___(___ _/___/_(___/_(___ _
/
(_ /
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|__ \ / _ \ / _ \ / _ \
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===============================================================================
Table of Contents
===============================================================================
[INTRO] Introduction
[MODES] Modes of Play
[COURS] Course Guides
[CARGD] Car Guide
[SETUP] Car Setup
[QUEST] Frequently Asked Questions
[RECRD] Vinny's Records
[VERSN] Version History
[COPYR] Copyright
[CONTC] Contact Information
Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the
name of the section you're looking for - like [COURS] for the Course Guides.
===============================================================================
Introduction [INTRO]
===============================================================================
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! Why not quote Shakespeare for
the introduction to an FAQ/Strategy Guide? This is my forty-sixth, and not one
had opened with a line from "Julius Caesar."
I have a lot of good memories playing Rally Challenge 2000 back when gas was
cheap and property values were rising (way back in A.D. 2000). To be honest,
though, this is not a very good game. The graphics are so blocky and fake -
including the miniskirt-clad young ladies in France! I love the replay feature,
though. I also like the music, both for the menu screens and the music that
plays in the background during races. It seems to fit the game very well, and
it certainly beats the terrible punk rock and Euro-pop you hear so frequently.
There's a decent variety of sound effects, although they are compressed quite a
bit. The controls are no different from most other N64 games, and the game
mechanics feel pretty realistic. Unfortunately, after a lap or two, your tires
often become so worn that some cars become impossible to control. And this
brings us to the biggest flaw with this game: It's too difficult. Even with
perfect driving, you can't win in Championship mode unless you use a manual
transmission. Worse, there's no way to change the difficulty level. Your only
hope is a GameShark code that eliminates tire wear and damage. Arcade mode is
more winnable, but it's not as interesting. In order to save your game, you
must use a Controller Pak. It really doesn't matter, though, since there's only
one thing to unlock in the game. Otherwise, all you can save are your record
times. One more annoyance is that many screens take several seconds to load (a
long time by cartridge standards). The nine cars (which are real) and nine
tracks (which are not) offer some degree of variety, and I like the blend of
arcade play and simulation. Rally Challenge 2000 had a lot of potential, but it
just doesn't hit the mark. Still, it might be a good way to spend a Saturday
when you're snowed in and there's no football to watch.
===============================================================================
Modes of Play [MODES]
===============================================================================
---Arcade---
Arcade play is like your typical late-90's Midway N64 racing game: Pick up and
play, and don't worry about fine-tuning your car's setup to suit the
intricacies of each course. You start the first race in ninth (last) place, but
you work your way up the field over the course of three legs. You begin each
leg in the position where you finished the last one. If you can pass three cars
in each of the one-lap legs, you'll be on the pace to win the gold trophy.
There are three races to choose from in Arcade mode, and each includes a more
challenging mix of tracks. More importantly, on harder circuits you won't be
allowed as much time between checkpoints. In Expert mode, it's easy to run out
of time, which forces you to start over. In Arcade mode, the weather is always
sunny and bright, and your car will never sustain damage by hitting a car or
obstacle.
Here's what races are included in each event, along with best car to use:
Easy: Australia, Spain, Great Britain (Hyundai Coupe Evo II)
Medium: Italy, Brazil, France (Nissan Almera Kit Car)
Expert: Germany, Canada, U.S.A. (Proton Wira)
Once you win the gold trophy in a class, you can press Right on the race
selection screen to choose between regular and mirrored courses in Arcade Mode.
Mirrored courses are the same as the regular ones, except all the right turns
are now left-handers (and vice versa) - sort of like Mario Kart 64's mirror
mode or the GameCube and Wii versions of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight
Princess. Nothing special happens if you win all the mirror events, though.
---Championship---
This is really tough. In Championship mode, you run a nine-race season where
you earn points based on your finishing position after each race. If you have
the most points at the conclusion of the season, you'll be the champion! Keep
in mind you're not directly competing with the other cars; instead, you're
trying to achieve a better time than them; all the cars start apart. For this
reason, the opposing cars are little more than obstacles. Another unique
feature of Championship mode is it's the only one that has damage and tire
wear. Every time you touch the wall or slam into an opposing car, you'll suffer
damage. Damage doesn't affect your car's paint job or body work, but it does
reduce performance and handling and/or make your car veer to the side where the
damage occurred. Worse, your tires wear out over time, so by the third lap,
it's often like driving on ice. To have a ghost of a chance of finishing above
last place, you'll have to set up your car properly for each race and use a
manual transmission. In Championship mode, weather is random; some events are
run at night or have rainy conditions. You can save your progress after each
race if you have a Controller Pak, but it really doesn't take a long time to
run through all the races. Select "Load" to load a saved game.
---Practice---
Practice mode lets you run a three-lap time trial at any course using the car
and setup of your choice. You can even experiment with different weather
conditions or race at night. This is a good way to experiment with different
cars and settings to see what works best for you. Also, there's no possibility
of damage or tire wear.
---VS. Race---
This only works if you have two or more controllers connected to your Nintendo
64.
===============================================================================
Course Guides [COURS]
===============================================================================
Unlike many of my F-1 guides, this section doesn't guide you through every
corner and straightaway in the game. Instead, I focus on the hard parts and the
best setup strategies. I recommend medium-soft tires and very soft suspension
unless otherwise specified.
---Australia---
The Land Down Under has what is by far the simplest track in the game. Use mid-
low gears, average tires, and one of the "gripper" cars. Unless you make a
mistake, you should be able to run the entire event without needing to change
gears (although you might want to downshift once right after the bog).
---Spain---
This course, which is shaped like an outline of the state of Texas, is split
between city pavement and a tough, winding dirt road. The setting reminds me a
little of the city of St. Augustine, Florida. On the paved sections, start
outside on the 90-degree turns and veer inside midway through the corner.
Select a medium gearbox for this course.
---Brazil---
While Brazil doesn't have many very sharp turns, the muddy surfaces make it
tough to keep your car on the road. Worse yet, different parts of the track
affect handling in different ways. You need a car that accelerates well, so on
the setup screen, move the gear slider just a notch left of the H in "high."
---USA---
This canyon circuit is the longest track in the game. It also has what are
perhaps the least impressive graphics in the game (at least in the daytime).
You'll probably spend a lot of time in fifth gear here. Select a gear ratio
between the center and the highest setting, and pick fairly soft tires.
---Italy---
The scenic Italian resort gives you the best opportunity of finishing on the
podium if you foolishly persist in using the automatic transmission. Italy has
the best road in the game, but unfortunately there's no runoff area for most of
the track, so almost any mistakes will cause you to slam into the wall. Use a
gear ratio slightly left of the center marker.
---Germany---
Germany has a challenging sequence of hairpins, but the lengthy straightaways
allow you to achieve some very fast speeds. Select a gearbox just a notch
higher than the center marker. A "grippy" car is needed to achieve a good time.
---Canada---
Canada's snowbanks provide the most difficult racing environment in Rally
Challenge 2000. This is where the Proton Wira overcomes its lack of horsepower
to truly dominate the race. Several hairpins require you to go into first gear
(at least for "grippy" cars). Just before the final turn, stay left along the
bumpy rock so you'll be in good position to make the final turn. Set your car
up with very soft tires and an acceleration-based gearbox (but don't move the
gear slider all the way to the edge).
---Great Britain---
Merry old England proves to be surprisingly difficult because of several tight
corners and the low visibility. The music here reminds of Bowser's Castle from
the first Super Mario Kart game. Stay away from the sandy curbs along the road;
you can't get much grip when driving near them, especially when it's raining.
Pick one of the "slippy" cars if you're in Practice mode, and use a gear ratio
that's slightly oriented toward acceleration.
---France---
One of the more "neutral" tracks in the game. Move the gear slider near the H.
France offers a little of everything, but there's nothing that's
extraordinarily difficult.
===============================================================================
Car Guide [CARGD]
===============================================================================
This section is designed to highlight the differences between each car model
available in the game. First let's take a look at the times required for each
car to accelerate from a stop to 60, 120, and 160 miles per hour, respectively:
0-60 0-120 0-160
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V 1.60 5.57 13.86
Subara Impreza WRC 1.49 5.31 13.29
Toyota Corolla WRC 1.46 5.24 13.36
*Nissan Almera Kit Car 2.13 6.21 15.13
SEAT Cordoba WRC 1.43 5.27 13.52
*Skoda Octavia 2.53 6.81 16.43
*VW Golf GTI MK IV 2.31 6.51 16.09
Proton Wira 1.80 7.24 23.04
*Hyundai Coupe Evo II 2.60 7.08 17.30
For this experiment, I used slightly soft tires and suspension, moderately
quick steering, average gear ratio, and automatic transmission while racing at
the Australia course. I went to great lengths to ensure that each car used the
EXACT same configuration during this test, which I repeated several times for
each car.
First, just because the Mitsubishi Lancer looks cool and is usually running at
the front of the pack doesn't mean it's the best car for you. It was my
favorite car when I was 11 years old, but further testing has shown it's not
that great.
And just because the Nissan Almera Kit Car is rarely selected by players of the
male gender (the back side of the car is pink) doesn't mean it's a bad choice.
For Championship mode, I recommend using the Nissan Almera Kit Car with a
manual transmission. The Volkswagen Golf GTI MK IV is the second best; it
handles a little better than the Nissan, but it doesn't accelerate as well.
Pick the good-looking Skoda Octavia if you want speed. It's good for setting
record times in Practice mode at some of the faster courses; namely, Australia.
The Proton Wira is the best car for tracks with bad conditions and sharp
corners. I think you'll find it works well at Canada. Otherwise, it's way too
slow, since it has only five gears instead of six.
The most important consideration: Four cars (the Nissan, Skoda, Volkswagen, and
Hyundai) are marked with asterisks. Throughout this guide, these cars are
referred to as being "grippy." You will notice that they feel markedly
different from the other five cars. Try it and see. These cars tend to grip the
road in corners instead of sliding. While you won't lose as much speed on
gentler turns, you will have to slow down heavily for hairpins and sharp turns.
These cars don't accelerate as well as the "slippy" models, but you'll find
them to be much easier to control - and that's more important.
===============================================================================
Car Setup [SETUP]
===============================================================================
---Tires---
This setting affects the kind of tire compounds your car runs. Softer tires
provide significantly better handling but reduce top speed. Harder tires
improve speed and acceleration but increase skidding or sliding in corners. In
addition, softer tires wear out a little more quickly than hard tires. In
general, I prefer using medium-soft tires for most courses.
---Steering---
Faster steering makes your car more responsive, but it doesn't really make it
handle any better. You might want to increase it a little bit for slower
tracks. Experiment with this setting to see what works best for your driving
style. In general, however, this setting can safely ignored.
---Suspension---
By softening the suspension, you make your car much easier to control. Harder
suspension might allow your car to make certain sharp turns at slightly higher
speeds, which might be useful at Canada. However, I advise using the softest
suspension at every course in the game.
---Gear Ratio---
The gearbox setting is easily the most important decision to make when setting
up your car. Lower gears provide greater top speed while hurting acceleration.
Higher gears allow you to get going faster, but your maximum speed won't be as
high. Besides adjusting for the track, you may want to take into account your
personal driving style and the car you've selected. Regardless, it's hardly
ever a good idea to move the slider to the very end of either side for this
setting.
---Other Stuff---
"Save" enables you to save your current car setup to one of four save slots.
You might want to do this if you find a configuration that works particularly
well at a certain track. Note that each save slot can only be loaded when using
that particular car.
"Load" loads a previously-saved car setup.
Select "Standard" to move all sliders back to their default values.
===============================================================================
Frequently Asked Questions [QUEST]
===============================================================================
Q: What are the controls?
A: The controls in this game aren't tough to figure out, but here they are
anyway:
Control Stick: Steer car
A: Accelerate
B: Brake
R: Upshift (only if using a manual transmission)
Z: Downshift (only if using a manual transmission)
C buttons: Toggle between the regular camera angle and a difficult in-car cam
START: Pause play
If you really want to, you can change the controls under the Options menu.
Note: There is no use in braking unless you're using a "gripper" car with an
automatic transmission. Usually it's best to slow for sharp corners by letting
your foot off the gas or by rapidly downshifting. Hard braking tends to cause
you to lose control.
Q: How can I get a better start off the line?
A: Start holding the A button as the "2" appears on the screen. Just don't
start revving too late (the opposite of most racing games).
Q: How do I use a manual transmission?
A: On the car selection screen, simply press Up or Down to toggle between
manual and automatic transmission.
Q: Is there any advantage to using a manual transmission?
A: Most definitely. Selecting the manual transmission provides a generous boost
to your car's acceleration and maximum speed. In addition, the ability to
downshift rapidly makes many tight corners much easier, especially if you drive
one of the "grippy" cars. The manual transmission is not without its drawbacks.
For one thing, the constant shifting requires you to divert some of your
attention away from steering and accelerating. Additionally, many players
forget to (or can't) shift effectively.
My recommendation is for beginning players to stick with the automatic
transmission. As you become more skilled, try experimenting with manuals at
easy courses like Australia. The best players will probably select the manual
transmission most of the time.
Q: When should I shift gears?
A: Try to keep your engine going around 7,000 RPM. Once you reach 7,500 RPM,
it's probably about time to upshift.
Q: What's the fastest straight-line speed you've achieved?
A: 191 MPH. Use a Skoda Octavia with manual transmission at Italy for your best
chance of really tearing up the tarmac.
Q: Can I change cars between races of a championship event?
A: Not until you finish the championship or cancel it. You can't even change
transmission types, although you can (of course) adjust your car setup.
Q: Is it possible to get a perfect season in Championship mode?
A: Yes. I've done it, getting a perfect 90 points. Nothing really special
happens when you do, however.
Q: Why does my car want to veer to the side even when I'm going straight?
A: Your suspension is damaged unevenly. Most likely, though, it won't stay like
that for long.
Q: How can I change difficulty levels?
A: You can't. Difficulty isn't adjustable in this game.
Q: What other notes and tips do you have for the game?
A: Here are some miscellaneous tips and random observations for Rally Challenge
2000:
* Pay attention to your navigator. A yellow (medium) turn usually requires
"grippy" cars to decelerate, and red (sharp) corners mean you will need to
downshift or brake.
* If you're driving a "grippy" car, you can intentionally hit a wall or
another car immediately before a sharp turn to reduce your speed quickly. This
is not recommended in Championship mode or if you're using a manual
transmission.
* In Championship mode, the top four cars are separated by a very close
margin. The rest of the field is more widely spread out.
* To see your best performances for each track, simply select "Options" and
then "Record Time." These will be specific to the mode you're currently
playing.
* Most other options aren't very useful, unless you're playing on a monaural
TV or if you find the background music or sound effects to be too quiet or too
loud. You can also use "Options" to change the controller configuration.
* The trophy presentation for Arcade Mode has a distinct 1970's feel to it,
from the background music to the text that appears on the screen.
* The ending credits are shown at the conclusion of every Arcade or
Championship season. However, you can skip them by simply pressing A at any
time.
* Yes, the logo for the Proton automaker is a modified version of the moon and
crescent, a symbol of Islam. The company is based in Malaysia, and its logo
resembles the Malaysian flag. Nowadays, Proton uses a new logo that depicts the
silhouette of a roaring tiger.
Q: How often do you get e-mail about your walkthroughs?
A: As you may know, my FAQ section occasionally includes a question about
things unrelated to game play. The answer: About once every 7-12 days.
Sometimes I get a flurry of messages; other times I might go a month without
getting any mail. Most people who write to me are estimated to be between 10
and 30 years of age. About a quarter of them seem to be from people outside the
United States; the rest are Americans. About a third of them seem to be female;
the rest appear to be male. I have never received a threatening, abusive, or
obscene message before, nor have I received unsolicited chain letters from
people who have read my guide. Everything I've ever gotten from my readers has
been a helpful tip or correction, a useful resource, or a question related to
game play (which I always reply to, though not always promptly).
===============================================================================
Vinny's Records [RECRD]
===============================================================================
Feel free to send me an e-mail if you break one of these records; I might print
your record in a future update of this guide. Please tell me the kind of car
and transmission you used, and it would be nice if you could give me a general
idea of the car setup you used. You can use any car or setup you want here.
Emulator save states are OK, but no fair using a game-enhancement device. Check
the Contact Information for more information.
The time in the left column is the best lap time for a course; the right side
shows my best cumulative time (if applicable). By the way, my Arcade record for
Canada was run on the mirror course, and I turned off damage with a GameShark
code when I broke the British Championship record.
---Arcade---
Australia 54.17 MT-Skoda Octavia
Spain 1:00.68 AT-MT-VW Golf GTI MK IV
Brazil 1:06.39 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
USA 1:09.33 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Italy 52.93 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Germany 59.21 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Canada* 1:03.04 AT-Proton Wira
Great Britain 55.61 MT-Skoda Octavia
France 59.28 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
---Championship---
Australia 48.57 2:31.10 MT-Hyundai Coupe Evo II
Spain 57.78 2:56.11 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Brazil 58.65 2:58.95 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
USA 1:07.73 3:28.71 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Italy 50.57 2:35.34 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Germany 52.90 2:46.26 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Canada 56.28 2:52.87 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
Great Britain* 51.57 2:44.52 AT-Proton Wira
France 52.77 2:44.59 MT-Nissan Almera Kit Car
---Practice---
Australia 47.06 2:27.22 MT-Skoda Octavia
Spain 53.77 2:45.39 AT-VW Golf GTI MK IV/MT-VW Golf GTI MK IV
Brazil 53.91 2:46.36 MT-Proton Wira
USA 1:03.03 3:16.29 MT-VW Golf GTI MK IV
Italy 45.29 2:23.21 MT-Skoda Octavia
Germany 50.37 2:36.87 MT-VW Golf GTI MK IV
Canada 55.47 2:52.37 MT-VW Golf GTI MK IV
Great Britain 47.62 2:28.89 MT-Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V
France 48.80 2:30.06 MT-Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V
===============================================================================
Version History [VERSN]
===============================================================================
The version history: All the fun of bad fruitcake, minus the calories.
Date | Version | Size |
---------|---------|------|----------------------------------------------------
12-11-08 | 0.2 | 12KB | Began guide.
12-12-08 | 0.5 | 20KB | Experimented with many things in Practice mode.
12-13-08 | 0.6 | 21KB | Finally figured out how to win Championship races.
12-14-08 | 0.7 | 22KB | Did just a little.
12-15-08 | 1.0 | 27KB | Finished guide.
3-18-09 | 1.1 | 27KB | Made a couple of fixes.
===============================================================================
Copyright [COPYR]
===============================================================================
(c) 2008-2010 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved.
All trademarks mentioned in this guide are copyrights of their respective
holders.
You can print this guide out for your personal use.
You can download this guide to your computer for personal use.
You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit to
me AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even a tilde).
Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but
don't count on there being many (if any) updates.
You can translate this guide into a foreign language and post the translation
on your Web site if you ask for permission first.
You can't post this guide on your Web site and say you wrote the guide
yourself.
You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain (or have links to sites
that contain) pornography, gambling, racism, or flattery of totalitarian
regimes.
You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change anything
in this guide that took me so many hours to write.
If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted
(permanently erased) inexplicably, and you'll suffer from constipation for the
remainder of your life. Heed this warning.
===============================================================================
Contact Information [CONTC]
===============================================================================
If you have any questions or comments about this guide, send an e-mail to
[email protected]. Remember that not all e-mails will be read. Please
follow these rules:
Do include "Rally Challenge 2000" in the subject line.
Do tell me about any errors or omissions you see in this guide.
Do send polite suggestions about ways to make this walkthrough better.
Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you find.
Do tell me if you break one of my records.
Do ask any questions you have about Rally Challenge 2000 gameplay. I will
eventually answer them if you follow all of these guidelines.
Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage,
punctuation, and capitalization so I can understand what you're saying.
Do use patience. I check my messages rather sporadically.
Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that
contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violation of this rule will result in
permanent constipation, as well as a lifetime of bad arthritis.
And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all
humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Reserve 200 MPH driving for
the racetrack. No one's going to read this section, anyway.
For C.M., A.M., and anyone who was playing "Petz" on the morning of September
11, 2001
