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AL UNSER JR'S TURBO RACING - DATA EAST
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Hi. I'm Dale. I noticed that there was no strategy guide up for Al Unser Jr's
Turbo racing at GameFAQs, so I took it upon myself to write one. It's a sweet
little game, though not terribly popular. I just want to say that it is illegal
to pass this FAQ off as your own work, or to repost it without permission. It is
also as unoriginal and pointless. So don't do it. Good? Good. If you have any
questions about using my FAQ, please e-mail me at
[email protected] and I will get
back with you as soon as I can.
This FAQ, Version 1.0 was submitted on March 28, 2005 by Dale Wicks. If there are
any questions, comments, or concerns, then please e-mail me at
[email protected].
I will do my best to fix any errors I may have committed.
Table of Contents
1) The Game
2) Controls
3) Upgrades
4) Beginning Driving Strategies
5) Advanced Driving Strategies
THE GAME
You play as a race car driver, looking to strut yourself on the world circuit
against drivers from across the globe. The object is simple; finish the course as
fast as possible. However, throw in 28 or so other drivers vying for the same
brass ring, and you get an enormous challenge. You first compete by yourself in a
qualifying round of a single lap, the results of which determine the order in
which your car will start the actual race. This can be essential for getting
quickly out of traffic. And you must avoid accidents at all costs! If your car
is in need of repair, you must make a pit stop immediately or you're out of the
race.
The six fastest drivers in each race are awarded points, with which they can
upgrade their cars. All the other drivers get squat. At the end of the circuit,
these points are cumulatively scored, and the driver with the most points is named
the champion. If it's you, you win! If not, then you can try again. The circuit
starts over, and you can begin again from the first track, retaining all of your
upgrades.
THE CONTROLS
Up- Shift to a higher gear. Your car has three gears, first being the slowest and
third the fastest. If you are already in third and press up again, you will use
your turbo.
Down- Shift to a lower gear. Your car handles better in lower gears. It may be
wise to do this if you're about to veer of the road.
Left- Moves your car left
Right- Makes aliens jump out of the car and have a rap-battle. Just kidding. It
moves the car right.
Select- Ends the race immediately. If you are in a qualifying run or a race, you
will automatically place last. This isn't a good idea, unless you're in a
practice run and are sick of going around the track indefinitely.
Start- Pause / Unpause. Data East generously give you a moment after you unpause
before action resumes. Probably trying to make up for that stupid select button.
Button B- Brake. This cuts your speed dramatically. As this is a racing game,
that's not something you want. I use this about as often as I press select.
Unless I'm spinning out, but I'll get to that later.
Button A- Your accelerator. You must keep this button pressed in order to move
forward.
UPGRADES / ATTRIBUTES
Your car is ranked in six different categories; Speed, Acceleration, Durability,
Suspension, Pit, and Turbo. Thankfully, there are no useless categories like
"luck" and all six are important. As the game begins, you are given 20 points to
spend on tricking out your ride. Unless, of course, you cheat and play as Al
Unser Jr. He starts the game maxed out in every area. If you're not a pansy,
keep in mind that you can't spend more than 10 points on any one attribute. So
once you hit 60 points, you can't make any more upgrades. Though by then you'll
be a regular speed demon and won't really need to.
Speed- The top speed of your car
Acceleration- How quickly it reaches that speed
Durability- How well your car avoids damage.
Suspension- Your car's cornering ability
Pit- The speed of your pit crew
Turbo- The amount of turbo you begin with. When you use turbo, your speed
increases dramatically, but you lose turbo energy for every second you activate
it.
For your benefit, I didn't say anything cute as I made that list. It won't last,
though. Anyway, I rank the attributes as follows.
1) Speed
2) Acceleration
3) Suspension
4) Turbo
5) Durability
6) Pit
Since this is a racing game, you'll probably want to max out your speed and
acceleration as quickly as possible. That's fine, but keep in mind that it's very
difficult to win without at least one dot in each category. For example, you'll
slide all over the road without at least a 1 in suspension, and your pit crew will
be a group of trained monkeys at 0.
RACING STRATEGY
Ah, the meat and potatoes of this FAQ. I'll begin by recommending a starting
configuration. Give yourself a 9 in speed, a 6 in acceleration, a 2 in
durability, and ones in all of the other categories. This is far from optimal,
but you've got to start somewhere, and you're not getting anywhere if you can't
move fast enough to win races. As long as your car holds together, its durability
is irrelevant, and you can hold onto that 2 rating for a long time. Any less and
the risk of a breakdown is too great. And if you break down completely, you've
lost any chance at winning any points that race, regardless of your position at
the time of the crash.
Suspension is important, but not crucial until you reach Mexico, where the turns
get a bit sharper. A good pit crew is a good idea, but again, not as pressing as
the other needs. The pit stops don't hurt you too badly, even if the game says
they take several seconds. Just get it to two and leave it there. Your turbos
run out quickly no matter how many you've got, and each point you spend only gives
you about 5 extra turbo units. So speed and acceleration are the way to go. Max
them out, then your suspension, then use your discretion for the rest of your
points.
As you begin, the first thing you'll notice is that hitting a roadside obstacle,
such as those turn flags that line the course, will immediately cause you to spin
out. Don't spin out! A spin out is about the worst thing you can do. It will
kill your qualifying time, and in a race, about 3 cars will usually pass you
before you get back up to speed. That said, if you do go for a spin, brake until
you hit 0 mph. The sooner you stop, the sooner you can get back into the race.
In addition, you'll notice is that you spin out immediately if you hit another
car, while in a supreme gesture of unfairness, nothing happens to the other car.
Not the fairest of features, to be sure, but something you'll have to deal with.
This gets especially difficult if you're starting in the middle of the pack. A
collision at the starting line will push you far back in the race, where it will
be difficult to get back into contention.
It is well worth it to take your finger off the accelerator to avoid a collision.
You'll likely get another crack at passing that car in a couple seconds, whereas
if you spin, you'll have to pass 3 other cars before you have another chance to
get around that other car. If you aren't accelerating and you do make contact,
you'll usually just bounce off the other car and not spin out. You'll also want
to be aware of those other cars as you swing around turns. The same strategy
usually works. It will also slightly help your cornering ability.
The next thing you'll want to be aware of is that you need to get to third gear
ASAP. Unless you're starting the race surrounded by other cars, tap up twice
immediately every time you begin accelerating. Don't worry about your
transmission; it'll sort it out. The transmission only gets damaged in crashes,
not from poor shifting. So shift as badly as you like!
While we're on the topic of gears, try briefly downshifting into second gear if
there are no cars around you and you need some extra room for a turn. Don't stay
there long, but you'll lose less time than if you plow into the grass, and
significantly less if you collide with a turn marker. The grass won't slow you
down much if you just briefly go over it, but it will cut your speed if you stay
there longer than a couple moments. Stay on that road, pilgrim.
Keep an eye on both your fuel level and the condition of your car. If your turbos
reach 0, you will eventually run out of gas and be out of the race. Likewise, if
your car needs repairs and you do not stop, you've had it. A message appears at
the bottom of the screen when either of these conditions arise, and in the case of
repairs, smoke comes from the back of your car, and a clattering sound replaces
the music. If you don't make the next pit stop, your car usually won't make it
around the track again. You have slightly more time if you run out of turbo, but
don't push it. Make the stop if you have 15 or less turbos.
The pit area is located at the right side of the starting line, right after the
big sings with "P" on them. Swing in there quickly. If you don't make it in
before the orange cones start, you'll plow into them, damaging your car. What's
worse, you can't make the stop, so you'll have to go around again. You shouldn't
slow down in the pit area. Just go as fast as you can, and your car will slow
down automatically.
Once you arrive, the game will be effectively paused at the pit screen. You can
elect to refuel, get repairs, or both. Don't get repairs if you don't need 'em,
but it's a good idea to refuel every time you're in the pit. And don't hit
"quit," or you'll drop out of the race. Just make your selection, then choose
"pit out." Also, note that it doesn't cost you any time to check your current
position. You'll also get a chance to see how many laps are left in the race.
ADVANCED STRATEGIES
Given the importance of the qualifying round, you'll need the best time possible.
To that end, you may wish to take all points from your durability and pit ratings
and pump them into other attributes, particularly when you are just beginning when
points are low. You won't incur enough damage to break down in just one lap, and
you won't be making any pit stops, so both attributes are useless in the
qualifying round.
Since there are no other drivers, you should use your turbo almost through the
entire course. You'll need about a 54 second-flat lap time in order to secure
first place. If you do get first place, tap up twice and turbo as quickly as you
can when the actual race begins. It will distance you considerably from the rest
of the pack. Practice once before you try the qualifying run to ensure a better
chance for that lead position.
As you approach the car in the lead, you'll notice that it will move in front to
block you as you try to pass it. Particularly Unser, if he's in the lead. Learn
the color of his car from the positioning (He always places first in the
qualifying run, unless you beat him). Watch out for him. He doesn't always
necessarily win, but he usually does well, and that positioning helps him
immensely. Regardless of who is n the lead, make certain you have a clear window
of opportunity before you pass. If you crash, you'll have more cars to pass.
Assuming you get around that pesky lead car, you can't win by milking that lead
without using turbos. Don't use them on the turns, but definitely use them on the
straight-aways. This will cut down on pit stops, so you'll miss fewer straight-
aways. Except, of course, for that last lap. I usually like to take a pit stop
before the last lap, refuel, and turbo all the way through that last lap if I'm in
the lead or close. Turbos make the lead car easier to pass, and harder for those
behind you to catch up.
As you're turbo-ing your way past that lead car, you will probably notice that the
grass affects you less if you are using turbo. It usually isn't wise to go into
the grass to pass someone, but if you wind up out there while using turbo, you CAN
still swing around them. Just keep turbo-ing until you're out in front.
Once you've built up your car, a very good way to win races is first to win the
qualifying round, and then to get enough turbo to last for a whole lap. You'll be
so far ahead of everyone else that even if you refuel every lap, the 2nd place car
won't catch up. Just remember to hit the pit area every time and you'll be in
great shape. This strategy works particularly well in the UK and in France.
Most of the tracks are pretty similar to each other in terms of strategy. In the
US, the final track, watch out for the second turn after the straightaway at the
very end of the track. There's an errant turn sign after the main cluster that'll
clock you if you take the turn normally. Don't be afraid to cut across the grass
here; use turbo so it won't slow you down much. Especially at the end; during
those last two turns it isn't possible to stay on the track.
If you want to win this in the first season, then it's important to do well on the
first few tracks. If you don't make at least 6th you won't get any points for
upgrades, while your opponents will just get faster and farther ahead in the
ratings. Also, make sure you win the UK. It's one of the easiest races and it's
near the end when you'll be powered up, so you'll have a good chance. Just watch
for the hills; cars will come out of nowhere and be right in front of you. Even
if you don't have the most points at the end of the season, you're still alright.
You keep your upgrades, so you'll be a powerhouse in season two.
Well, I hope that this FAQ has helped you. Thanks to Data East for making this
game, and shouts to GameFAQs for posting this guide. I'm out.
