================================================================.
| ALPINE RACER 3 UNOFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE |
|
[email protected] |
| __ |
| _ '_/_ / _/ _ _ /_ ___ _ |
| (/(//(/(- ()(/ /__,(-/)(//(/_) ( (/ |
| _/ / |
'================================================================'
,----,
/ /| |
/ / | |
/ / | |,--, ,-----,,--,,----, ,-,,-----.
/ / | || | |.--, || || \ | || ___|
/ / | || | |'--' || || \, | || |___
,-------, ./ / | || |___,| ,---'| || |\, \| || |___
| ,---, \, ./__/ |' |_________| |__||__| \_____||_____|
| | | | .---------.
| | ./ ,/ ,, ,-----.,-----,,------. '------.--|
| |/ / / \ | ___|| .---'| | | | _____|__|
| |\ \ ./ /\ \| | | '---.| |/ / |________|
| | '. './ ./''\ | |___ | .---'| |\ \. .------' |
|__| '._'./ \|_____||____/||__| \__\ '---------'
================================================================.
| Title: Alpine Racer 3 |
| Guide type: Unofficial Strategy Guide |
| Author: Zenalasca |
| Created: 27th August, 2006 |
| E-Mail:
[email protected] |
| Version: 2.0 |
'================================================================'
================================================================.
| The Disclaimer, Health Warning and e-mail guidelines can be |
| found at the bottom of the the document. |
'================================================================'
Though it may not be worth it to write a guide for Alpine Racer
3, I have gone and done it. But although it's an easy game, it's
a little more difficult to master.
================================================================.
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
| Part 1: Start of Guide Hoopla |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
'================================================================'
================================================================.
| 1:1) Table of Contents |
'================================================================'
Part 1: Start of Guide Hoopla
1) Table of Contents
2) Author's Note
a. Game Stats
b. Introduction stuff from the game itself
c. My Review
3) Revisions
a. Revision History
4) Introduction to the game
Part 2: Basics
1) Things you should know
a. Setting up your PlayStation 2 for dummies
b. Disc maintenance
c. Sorting out the controls
d. Main Menu
e. Options Menu
l. Playing the Game
2) Characters
a. Melina Verlaine
b. Ling Yufen
c. Jose Helguara
d. Brad Baxter
e. Chelsea Amery
f. Shun Mifun
g. Georg
h. Kolona
Part 3: Strategies
1) Courses
a. Nostalgia RMX 2.0
b. Sunset Rush
c. Sheer Madness
d. Acrobat Valley
e. High Powder
f. Blue Moon Run
g. The Great Mogul
h. Cybertrick Monster
i. Getting 100%
j. General tips and hints
Part 4: Reader's Section
1) Frequently Asked Questions
Part 5: Odds and ends
1) Epilogue
2) Pending Guides
3) Acknowledgements
4) Boring, yet Sadly necessary stuff
a. Alpine Racer 3 copyrights
b. Health warning
================================================================.
| 1:2) Author's Note |
'================================================================'
G'day, folks! Some of you guys may know me (Zenalasca) from my
Guide for Final Fantasy VIII. I decided to take a break from
RPGs and write a guide for this.
Skiing is pretty lousy down here in Australia so it's nice to
sit back and rip it up on *real* mountains.
The cheapness of the game got us in at first, and the game
didn't fail to disappoint in other respects either. True, it's
not so realistic you would call it "life simulation," but why
imitate life at the cost of fun? I might as well go to Perisher
every day of the ski season.
This guide is primarily meant for the English PAL version of
Alpine Racer 3, although there probably aren't any differences
with all the other versions to be worried about.
In the quest for the ultimate keyword system I've stumbled
across this. It's very simple, so I don't think I need to tell
you how to use it.
That's it...for now... Tell me if there's anything that
needs correcting/adding, and enjoy the game!
================================================================.
| 1:3) Revisions |
'================================================================'
----------------------------------------------------------------
1:3) a. Revision History
----------------------------------------------------------------
1.1- (20/01/08): Have made a additions to the guide overall.
1.0- (27/08/06): This is the first version. No updates have been
made. As this guide is largely uncompleted there
will be a lot of <Under Construction>s, but bet-
ter that than having this file rotting in my
iPod, waiting for me do do something with it.
1.1- (30/07/07): Added strategy for Sheer Madness.
1.2- (30/06/08): Added strategy for Sunset Rush and more.
2.0- (05/04/09): Added strategies for all the courses.
================================================================.
| 1:4) Introduction to the game |
'================================================================'
----------------------------------------------------------------
1:4) a. Game Stats
----------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Alpine Racer 3
Genre: Snow sports (skiing, boarding)
Series: Alpine Racer, I guess
Developer: Namco
Other Companies: Ripcurl, Cebe, Atomic
Players: 1 ~ 2
Difficulty: Easy
Age Group: Everyone (ELSPA recommends ages 3 or over)
Platform: Sony PlayStation 2
Memory Card: 100 KB needed (min.)
Analogue: Yes
DualShock 2: Yes
Online Compatible: No
Price: $20AUD tops
Made in: Austria
----------------------------------------------------------------
1:4) b. Introduction stuff from the game itself
----------------------------------------------------------------
The snow fell overnight, leaving a deep, crisp carpet of
brilliant white as far as the eye can see. I check my equipment,
one final time, taking huge gulps of fresh air, my mind alert in
anticipation of the adrenaline rush I know will soon come.
Down the slope, the sun catches on a visor. The crowd is already
starting to build up and there is an excited buzz as the people
wait for the action to begin. They've come to see style, tricks,
jumps and speed. I don't intend to disappoint them.
I stretch, reaching my arms as high as I can into the cloudless
sky and I can feel the smile spread across my face. It's time to
go.
Come on - let's conquer some mountains.
HIGH SPEED, ADRENALINE FUELLED DOWNHILL RACING HAS REACHED ITS
PEAK. GET READY FOR ALPINE RACER (tm) 3.
o 'Pick up and play' control system for instant alpine action
o Win prize money to buy better snowboards, skis or skiboards
o Five challenging game modes including superb 2-player split-
screen racing
o Real-life ski runs reproduced from satellite maps of the
European Alps
o Authentic commentary, extreme weather conditions and radical
obstacles
SO - WILL YOU BE THE FIRST ONE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN?
----------------------------------------------------------------
1:4) c. My Review
----------------------------------------------------------------
I can't see anything immediately dislikable about Alpine Racer 3
-- it's a fun, easy game that doesn't involve tuning up equip-
ment or anything like that. What's more, the courses are based
on real European runs. For the majority of people in the world
who've never visited Europe or even the European mountains
(including me) this is a great incentive to play the game.
Story - 4.5/10:
The "story" is that there's this skiing/boarding competition
with various people (most of whom have never skied/boarded
competitively before) who have entering either for promotional
reasons, thrill-seeking, or just for the sake of being total
sports nuts. It sounds like it's taken from some fighting game,
only worse, but I'm not into fighting games so I'm not bothered.
Characters - 5.5/10:
Speaking of characters, there are quite a few to choose from.
If you just want to be careful, you can choose a balanced
character like Chelsea Amery, or if you know you've got good
reflexes you can choose the agile yet weak Ling Yufen. Whoever
you choose, you'll have fun perfecting your style on every
course.
Game-Play - 9/10:
My Dad's into Gran Turismo and is partaking in the ultimate
quest to get full gold in the licences of GT4 and it's so int-
ense that he has to psyche himself up for a while before he can
do it. Alpine Racer 3 is a much older game and not as developed
even as the earlier GTs, but I believe that playing it could
make one better at any car racing game. When you're sliding
down that mountain you're not creeping up on every corner like
a pussy's sittin' on the accelerator; the only way to slow down
is to turn.
Graphics - 6.5/10:
As for the graphics, they're nothing special; but what do you
expect? For their time and the genre of game this is, the
graphics are really good. It shines in the mapped graphics dep-
artment, especially when you're flying down the top of Sheer
Madness and it looks almost real. The characters and movie
scenes look a little cartoon-like though; some PS1 games act-
ually did a better job (which isn't too surprising considering
the work they put into Square-Enix's star releases).
Music - 6/10:
The music really gets you into the spirit of the game when
you're playing it. When you go through a tough spot the tempo of
the music picks up, when you're just through that tough spot the
music seems to be in tune with that surge of excitement you feel
when you've got through the hardest kink in the world, at high
speed, without crashing (though the game doesn't change if you
happen to crash in that turn). But that's why the game's so
addictive. The music enhances the physical high you get from
playing the game. And it's pretty much the only game music my
father admits to liking. FF8's Liberi Fatali? He hated it because
it didn't play well on the piano. I'm sure he'd like it if only
he was into the story of FF8.
Commentary - 5/10:
The only thing I don't really like about it is having to listen
to the commentary all the time. Namco seems to have a knack for
making annoying commentators for their games, especially when you
have to hear that guy everytime you start a new race.
Overall - 6.6/10:
In terms of games, things like Final Fantasy and Gran Turismo
are on the A List; you'll notice every major game company has its
flagship series. For Enix it was Dragon Quest, for Konami it's
Metal Gear Solid and for Namco it's Resident Evil. This game is
a B Class and no better or worse than intended. It'd reserve C
class for the mainstream, common kinda games like Cool Boarders
or the old Tomb Raiders before they got it together and took it
up a notch.
================================================================.
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
| Part 2: Basics |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
'================================================================'
================================================================.
| 2:1) Things you should know |
'================================================================'
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:1) a. Setting up your PlayStation 2 for dummies
----------------------------------------------------------------
Refer to the instruction manual of your PlayStation 2. If you
can't figure out how to operate your PlayStation I guess you
could always sell it and give all your games to me...;)
Press the disc tray and insert the game (Alpine Racer 3). Make
sure the disc it is in is intact and you have enough space on
your memory card. If you don't have enough space you can always
delete other files from your PlayStation 2 browser or buy
another memory card.
Note that if you don't have the memory card in Slot 1 the game
will not allow you to load your save file right away if the
memory card isn't in Slot 1.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:1) b. Disc maintenance
----------------------------------------------------------------
You can only play a PlayStation game on a different system (like
playing an NTSC game on a PAL PlayStation) if you own a Mod-
Chipped PS2. There are people who advertise themselves as being
able to put mod chips in PlayStations and XBOXs.
Always play the game on the right side. The picture on the disc
should be facing you.
Whenever handling the disc hold it by the edges and middle. If
you have to put it down be careful of the sensitive side (the
one with the picture). While the dark side can be rubbed of
scratches, the side with the paint cannot be repaired if
scratched.
Keep the game in a cool dry place. Not directly in the sun or
near a raging fire ;).
Do not use the disc if it has been cracked, warped or cleaned
with adhesives.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:1) c. Sorting out the controls
----------------------------------------------------------------
In the menus
------------
Directional pad Move cursor
X button Select option, skip movies
Triangle button Cancel option
Start button Skip movies
On the mountains
----------------
Left analogue stick Steering, edging (see section on edging)
Right analogue stick Edging (see section on edging)
Triangle button Toggle views
X button Boost (when evolution gear is equipped)
Circle button Change rider's stance
L1 & L2 buttons Air trick, equipment action
R3 button Equipment action
Start button Pause
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:1) d. Main Menu
----------------------------------------------------------------
EWC: The Extreme Winner's Cup is Alpine Racer's tourna-
ment mode. You choose a character and go through
all 8 courses before getting to the finish.
Use prize money to get the best equipment (you'll
now be to use this equipment in the other modes).
If you win the Extreme Winner's Cup, you'll get
two extra costumes for the character you win with.
If you lose a race in the Extreme Winner's Cup
you'll have to pay some of your money to re-start
the course again, or start from the beginning of
the Cup for free.
The Extreme Winner's Cup is an important part of
getting 100% in the game (you have to buy all the
equipment and totally finish it with each player).
CROSS RACE: Basically an arcade race with 3 opponents. You can't
choose all the races at first; you have to do them
on the Extreme Winner's Cup.
SLALOM: Use your agility to go through the flags. If you go
through every flag on any course, you will get the
best character in the game (which you can't use in
Extreme Winner's Cup, bummer).
1 ON 1: Like cross race, except it's in 2 player mode.
Challenge a family member or friend now! Three
courses don't sound like a lot, but they cover the
range the game has to offer, giving you the versions
that have least visibility. The Cybertrick Monster
would be nice, but I guess you can compare times.
TIME ATTACK: Finish courses in the allotted time periods. This is
the only non Extreme Winner's Cup mode where you can
race on the Cybertrick Monster (winning the Extreme
Winner's Cup and beating it of course).
OPTIONS: Configure game options (see below for description of
the options menu).
SAVE/LOAD: Once you have made a save game you can load it from
this menu, or when you start the game up. Make sure
you save often. You will be asked if you want to
save sometimes. By the way, you need a memory card
with at least 100 KB to spare so you can make up to
4 save games on each memory card.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:1) e. Options Menu
----------------------------------------------------------------
Game Options
------------
1P Edging: Auto and Manual for player 1
2P Edging: Auto and Manual for player 2
1P Vibration: On and Off for player 1
2P Vibration: On and Off player 1
Difficulty: Easy, Normal, or Hard
BGM: Configure volume for background music
SE: Configure volume for sound effects
DJ Voice: Configure volume for commentator
Output: Mono or stereo
Default: Reset the game settings to default
Exit: Return to the Options menu
Rankings
--------
All the records for Cross Race, Slalom, and Time Attack are
kept here. My rankings...
EWC -Nostalgia RMX 2.0 1. Melina SG1 1'46"540
Cross Race-Sheer Madness
1. Klonoa SG1 01'23"840
2. Chelsea E 01'24"040
3. Melina E 01'24"080
4. Ling E 01'24"180
Sunset Rush
1. Melina E 02'20"560
2. Chelsea E 02'59"720
Nostalgia RMX 2.0
1. Melina E 01'20"560
2. Ling SG1 02'59"720
Nostalgia RMX 1.0
1. Melina E 01'57"540
2. Chelsea SG1 01'12"240
Acrobat Valley
1. Melina E 01'44"920
High Powder
1. Melina E 02'26"440
2. Brad E 02'36"880
Blue Moon Run
1. Melina E 01'42"080
2. Brad SG1 01'45"440
Great Mogul
1. Jose AG2 01'44"700
2. Melina E 02'04"520
3. Ling SG1 02'13"460
Theatre
-------
When you clear the Extreme Winner's Cup using a character, you
can see their movie sequence here. Need I say more?
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:1) f. Other Menus
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Character Selection
-------------------
Most of the time you can choose from 7 characters to race here.
Press the down and up directional buttons so choose an outfit
for a chosen character before confirming.
--------
Pro-Shop
--------
While in the Extreme Winner's Cup you can choose equipment
before racing. If there's a price tag (other than your kitty)
next to the item it means you haven't bought it yet.
--------
Pre-Race
--------
You get to see the course information, who you're racing against
and other info.
----------
Pause menu
----------
Continue: Continue the race
Retire: Retire from the Extreme Winner's Cup
Restart: Restart the race (not in Extreme Winner's Cup)
Main Menu: Go back to main menu (not in Extreme Winner's
Cup)
--------------------
Post-Race (EWC only)
--------------------
Here is an example of what you'll see on the post-race screen.
(1) CLEAR BONUS $5000
TIME 1'44"440 $9250
(2) TRICKS 5 $1560
(3) JUMPS 0 $0
(4) COLLISIONS 1 $-500
------------------------
SUBTOTAL $18430
(1) Each course has its own CLEAR BONUS.
(2) When in the air, do a trick by pressing the L1 or L2
buttons.
(3) Jumps occur when you fly in the air at any point.
(4) Collisions mean any time you've hit a tree, rock, barrier,
or competitor.
------------------------------
Post-Race menu (excluding EWC)
------------------------------
Restart: Restart the track
Player Select: Go back to the Character Select menu
Main Menu: Go back to the main men -u
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:1) g. Playing the Game
----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
The game screen
---------------
________________
| (1) (2) | (1) Map of impending changes in the course.
| | It isn't a full plan, but shows the rough
| | width of the course and where there are
| | forks.
| (3) (4) | (2) Placing, time taken and best record for
|________________| the course.
(3) At certain checkpoints pac-men come in
and tell you how much you're above or
below best record.
(4) How fast you're going and boost status
(if you have evolution gear equipped).
--------------
Rider's stance
--------------
Press the Circle button to change the rider's stance. In skis
this will be punching stocks and bending knees (same for Alpine
Skis except they don't have stocks); for snowboards it is crouch-
ing. One thing that every stance change shares in common is that
it makes you go slightly faster.
--------
Boosting
--------
The most advanced range of gear, the "evolution" equipment gives
you a special boosting ability. The only character who doesn't
have evolution gear is Klonoa (not that he needs it). You have to
press Circle (I think) to use it, and it can be done up to three
times per race (though there's a brief cooling off period after
using it).
----------
Air tricks
----------
Unlike a lot of games, you don't press combinations of buttons
to perform tricks in Alpine Racer 3. Nevertheless you *can* do
tricks and earn points for them. It isn't hard to do a trick,
you just have to be going fast when you go past the "trick point"
(every course has them -- they're big cliffs usually).
------
Edging
------
Edging is when the player sort of digs their board into the snow
as they go along, making them faster. In the options you can
choose manual or automatic for players 1 and 2. To edge, press
the left analogue stick slightly to the left.
---------------------
Obstacles and Hazards
---------------------
Points are taken away from you for colliding with opponents and
objects. The more Stability a character has, the less they'll
fall if they collide with something. Chelsea seems to be the only
aberration from this rule; she nearly always regains her balance
in time (the Melina vs. Chelsea match in the Extreme Winner's Cup
is one of the hardest). Ling on the other hand, will collide with
a twig sticking out in the snow, go "WAAAHH!" and promptly flip
over onto her backside, whereas Georg will merely grunt when
smashing his way through a tree, making him ten times stronger
than the average car.
----------
Short cuts
----------
If you're observant you can find side tracks veering off on al-
most every course, though some of them are long cuts and aren't
worth your time. An indication of a side track can be seen your
course map, but most of the time it isn't. And they tend to have
the slow type of snow. See course strategies (3:1) and snow types
(2:1 -- below this).
----------
Snow types
----------
There are three snow types in Alpine Racer 3, all of which can
effect your speed for good or ill. Fresh snow is the slowest, but
it's useful for slowing down when you'd otherwise collide into
something. Ice is the opposite, as it impedes turning and makes
you a whole lot faster. Groomed snow is the optimum condition;
you never find it off the beaten track (except when you're going
down a lift way).
---------
Equipment
---------
All characters will begin with their default equipment but the
only way to get more is to buy it in EWC mode. When you're play-
ing for the first time it's probably a good idea to just continue
until you can win no more races and when it prompts you to pay
the money to go further, begin again. Getting all the character's
equipment will get you the percentage you need to get to 100%.
Like pressing left and right to toggle between equipment options,
you can also press up and down to choose a character's costume.
You will get a new costume and ending movie for a character if
you finish EWC with them (which will also earn more percentage).
Equipment Type Character Spd Trn Pow Overall
--------- ---- --------- --- --- --- -------
Standard Gear 1 Skis Merlina 9 10 5 26
Standard Gear 1 Alpine Board Ling 8 8 7 23
Standard Gear 1 Skiboard Djose 7 8 9 24
Standard Gear 1 Skis Chelsea 4 5 2 11
Standard Gear 2 Alpine Board Merlina 7 10 7 24
Standard Gear 2 Skiboard Ling 8 9 7 24
Standard Gear 2 Board Jose 6 10 9 25
Standard Gear 2 Skiboard Chelsea 4 7 4 15
Standard Gear 3 Skis Merlina 11 9 7 27
Standard Gear 3 Board Ling 9 8 9 26
Standard Gear 3 Ski Boards Djose 9 9 7 25
Standard Gear 3 Skis Chelsea 7 6 3 16
Advanced Gear 1 Alpine Board Merlina 8 10 9 27
Advanced Gear 1 Ski Boards Ling 9 9 6 24
Advanced Gear 1 Skiboard Jose 7 10 11 28
Advanced Gear 1 Board Chelsea 4 7 6 17
Advanced Gear 2 Skis Merlina 12 9 5 26
Advanced Gear 2 Board Ling 10 9 7 26
Advanced Gear 2 Ski Boards Jose 10 7 9 26
Advanced Gear 2 Skis Chelsea 7 6 5 18
Advanced Gear 3 Skis Merlina 12 11 7 28
Advanced Gear 3 Board Ling 11 11 9 31
Advanced Gear 3 Ski Boards Djose 10 11 8 29
Advanced Gear 3 Skis Chelsea 7 6 3 16
Evolution Gear Skis Merlina 11 8 9 28
Evolution Gear Board Ling 11 9 9 29
Evolution Gear Ski Boards Jose 9 8 9 26
Evolution Gear Skis Chelsea 12 9 3 24
================================================================.
| 2:2) Characters |
'================================================================'
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:2) a. Melina Verlaine
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 170 cm (5'5") "Melina's father is the president of
Weight: ?? a large sporting goods company. Her
Country: France goal is to show the superiority of
Proficient equipment: N/A the company's new products by
Weak equipment: N/A defeating the young star, Shun sent
by a rival company."
Melina's like your typical fighting game feminine player; she's
a model who doesn't want to disclose her weight.
She is an ideal character for a beginner to use, because she's
fairly well balanced and speedy. Her stability isn't the best,
but it's better than Ling's.The game says she doesn't have any
best or worst equipment, but I personally prefer to use Melina
with skis.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:2) b. Ling Yufen
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 164 cm (5'3") "Ling is the daughter of a Chinatown
Weight: 48 kg (105 lb.) crime lord. She was spoiled as a
Country: U.S.A. child by her father and prone to
Proficient equipment: violence as a result. It is best not
Alpine Board to get on her bad side."
Weak equipment: Skiboard
So much as a tree twig can make Ling fly head over heels when
most characters can go through tree trunks easily ... Although
she is weak, her agility is amazing. From this perspective, Ling
is a very fun character to use, because you can go through a
particularly tricky bit in a course and think "wow, did I just
do that??" But she's a little twitchy, so unless you have pretty
good dexterity yourself I don't suggest this character.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:2) c. Jose Helguara
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 185 cm (6') "Jose is bored of college life, and
Weight: 85 kg (187 lb.) is looking for something more
Country: Dominican Rep. exciting than soccer and dancing. He
Proficient equipment: N/A saw a television advertisment for the
Weak equipment: N/A Extreme Winner's Cup and thought he'd
give it a try. The prize money is
also the major reason that he is
competing. He has never skied before,
but a has skateboarding experience.
He is the confident, cocky kind of
guy."
BORING! This guy is very, very stable, but he lacks the umph.
That's what I said, I said the UMPH, man! It takes a lot to
knock this crazy guy over, but he is possibly the SLOWEST
character in the whole game.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:5) d. Brad Baxter
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 205 cm (6'7") "A former detective. Brad became a
Weight: 102 kg (224 lb.) pro-snowboarder after leaving the
Country: USA police force. He is extremely
Proficient equipment: outgoing and quite popular with the
Freestyle board ladies. At first glance he looks in
Weak equipment: Skis great shape, but age and inactivity
has started to catch up with him."
Strong point/s: Strength.
Weak point/s: Agility and speed.
This guy is built like a tank! But tell me this; is a moving
boulder very agile? NO! And even though it doesn't really make
any sense, Brad is quite slow. What? Haven't the folks that made
"Alpine Racer 3" ever heard of the "snowball effect?" Overall,
Mr. Baxter is a disappointing player.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:5) e. Chelsea Amery
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 152 cm (4'9") "Chelsea is a TV personality and
Weight: 39 kg (86 lb.) enters the tournament as part of a
Country: UK TV programme. She is not very good
Proficient equipment: N/A at any sports, which is why the
Weak equipment: N/A producer chose her for this project.
Will it be a touching programme
about triumph, or a documentary of
tragedy?"
She's good at avoiding falling, and her boost is quick to re-
juvinate.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:5) f. Shun Mifun
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 180 cm (5'9") "A rising star, Shun grew up at a ski
Weight: 77 kg resort with his father who taught him
Country: Japan how to ski. His hunting skills and
Proficient equipment: mountain survival knowledge came from
Skiboard his grandfather. Shun possesses his
Weak equipment: father's technique and the fighting
Freestyle board spirit of his grandfather, making
him a strong candidate for the
Extreme Winner's Cup Championship.
Like Chelsea, Shun doesn't have any outstanding qualities (good
or bad), but he's not quite as good when it comes to keeping his
balance.
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:5) g. Georg
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 191 cm (6'2") "Known as 'The Raptor' for his
Weight: 96 kg (211 lb.) aggressive skiing, Georg accepted an
Country: Germany offer to disrupt the race in
Proficient equipment: exchange for a biogenetically
Skis enhanced body. Could the appearance
Weak equipment: of the Mythril raptor be close at
Alpine board hand?"
Strong point/s: Stability, speed.
Weak point/s: Turning.
Not my favourite character. Good if you wanna pick up some real
speed, though (but how do you turn in a rocket powered auto-
mobile?).
----------------------------------------------------------------
2:5) h. Klonoa
----------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 152 cm (4'9") Klonoa is a secret character; you can
Weight: 39 kg (86 lb.) get him by doing 100% on any slalom run.
Country: France As far as I know he's a French cartoon
Proficient equipment: character and is even more annoying than
Snowboard Jose.
Klonoa (despite being the most annoying character to use) is
technically the best. He has two boards, both of which are at
maximum on every stat. You can use Klonoa in the Extreme Winner's
Cup.
================================================================.
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
| Part 3: Strategies |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
33'================================================================'
================================================================.
| 3:1. Courses |
'================================================================'
The course strategies are designed in such a way that you can
see how to get through each section in the best way. If you're
learning how to do a course, pause the game after each section.
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) a. Nostalgia RMX 2.0
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (first day-preliminary).
Start: Alpine Racer's Valhalla
End: Stadium
Elevation: 1,490 m
Length: 24.765 km
Type: Branching Course
Trick Points: 3
Flag Gates: 86
Scoring Notes: - $1250 for 0 falls/collisions/clear time (under
3'00"00)
On the first jump try to keep in the middle and in the next two
jumps keep as far to the left as possible. Be wary of forks in
the course and steer wide to avoid them.
Flashing arrows serve as a guide in this run, so follow their
advaice as soon as they come into vision as long as you don't go
off course (as the soft snow will slow you down).
Veer to the left on all the jumps except the first.
Near the end of the run is a bridge (the second bridge you see
that you should try to og on the right side of.
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) b. Sunset Rush
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (second day-first round),
Cross Race
Start: Les Grandes Montets
End: Argentiere
Elevation: 2,805 m
Length: 16 km
Type: Technical Course
Trick Points: 2
Flag Gates: 90
Scoring Notes: - $1,870 for 0 falls.
- $2,500 for clear bonus (3'00"000).
1. The first part of this race takes place inside an ice tunnel.
You must carefully avoid the pillars and other players that
come in your way.
2. You enter a train tunnel. You must carefully follow the tunnel
around and avoid a train going in the opposite direction. In
one of the modes (cross race or 1 on 1) you can go to the left
at some point and crash through the glass into a shortcut,
which you should be careful to veer to the right as you
approach the bottom, as it's steep and has a sharp unexpected
turn.
3. Whether you took the shortcut or not you'll have to go through
two gates. Take care to aim slightly on the left side of the
first gate and slide strait through without turning left or
right. After this is a good opportunity to use Boost.
4. Ahead of the train there is a big jump in front of a bridge.
You can use the jump and go right over the bridge, but you
miss a vital shortcut.
5. The shortcut is rough but much better than going the long way.
Both involve a studious avoidance of sticking out bric-a-brac
that'll get in your way.
6. Using Boost on the home-stretch may save the race for you.
Melina vs. Ling
---------------
This is a tough battle. Try to keep on the beaten track (except
for shortcuts). Evolution Gear skis will help a lot, as long as
you use the boost correctly. Save your third boost right 'till
the end.
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) c. Sheer Madness
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (third day-second round),
Cross Race, 1 on 1
Start: Gornergrat
End: Zermatt
Elevation: 2,375 m
Length: 24.7 km
Type: Broad Course
Trick Points: 2
Flag Gates: 57
Melina vs: Ling (Brad, Shune)
Ling vs: Shune, Georg, Hose
Jose vs: Brad, Georg, Chelsea
Chelsie vs: Ling, Georg, Jose
Brad vs: Shune, Georg, Chelsea
Shune vs: Ling, Melina, Jose
Georg vs: Ling, Shune, Melina
Klonoa vs: Brad, Ling, Georg
Scoring Notes: - $2,500 for 0 falls.
- $3,750 for 0 collisions and clear bonus
(2'15"000).
1. Upon taking off wait for a couple of seconds before you turn.
2. It wouldn't be wise to boost on the next narrow strait as
there will be unexpected obstacles ahead. There is a narrow
but fast short cut if you go between one of the first poles
you see and meet the chair-lift-way to the right.
3. Upon leaving the shortcut, proceed as you normally would down
the hill [this may be a good time to boost] and go strait over
the mound using its ridge as a guide.
4. Approach the next drop from the left; this is important as you
will need to go as far left as possible to enter the tunnel
the right way. It's a narrow tunnel and you'll have to be
skirting the arrow signs to approach this without getting
hurt.
5. As soon as you leave the tunnel begin veering to the left
WITHOUT getting too close to the barrier; there's a hard corn-
er that you will need to steer widely around other wise you'll
build up too much speed and crash into one of the arrow signs
that line the next strait.
6. At the end of the next strait where there's a hard turn to the
right there's a shortcut that is not only a great place to
boost and do tricks [as it's a jump]; just beware the pole,
and veer left as you go through.
7. You can go between the next couple of arrow signs [they point
the the left] instead of going where they tell you [call it a
mini-shortcut].
8. If you're not too agile go halfway along the railway tracks
and turn hard left; there is another way of entering the
small gathering of trees which begins as you wander off the
stretch of snow just before the train tracks but there are
more trees to dodge. Boost as soon as you can.
9. There is another shortcut just before the bridge that will
let you onto the frozen waterway; be careful all the same.
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) d. Acrobat Valley
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (fourth day- third round),
Cross Race.
Melina vs: Chelsie
Scoring Notes: - $5,000 clear bonus (2'30"000).
1. The first part of this race takes place inside an ice tunnel.
You must carefully avoid the pillars and other players that
come in your way.
2. You enter a train tunnel. You must carefully follow the tunnel
around and avoid a train going in the opposite direction. You
can go to the left at some point and crash through the glass
into a shortcut, which you should be careful to veer to the
right as you approach the bottom, as it's steep and has a
sharp unexpected turn.
3. Whether you took the shortcut or not you'll have to go through
two gates. Take care to aim slightly on the left side of the
first gate and slide strait through without turning left or
right. After this is a good opportunity to use Boost.
4. Keep to the right as you try to outbeat the train.
5. Ahead of the train there is a big jump in front of a bridge.
You can use the jump and go right over the bridge, but you
miss a vital shortcut.
6. The shortcut is rough but much better than going the long way.
Both involve a studious avoidance of sticking out bric-a-brac
that'll get in your way.
7. Using Boost on the home-stretch may save the race for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) e. High Powder
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (fifth day-fourth round),
Cross Race, 1 on 1
Melina vs: Georg
Scoring Notes: - $3,750 for 0 falls.
- $7,500 clear bonus (3'00"000).
Retry Penality: $12,000
1. Veer to the left upon take off, but not so much or you'll be
slowed down.
2. Hug the right ride as you soar over the next couple of rises.
3. Upon entering the crevass area, keep to the left. When you
have to jump over the crevass, use those two glacier tops to
get over, and keep right to avoid an awkward late-entry of the
crevass.
4. Veer to the left to avoid the first avalanche and right for
the second. Keep in the middle, going in a straitforward
manner to avoid the third.
5. After the jump is a series of bends hug the left side as you
approach the first turn. To be cautious do the same with the
rest of the turns, using all the space you can get to your
advantage, but if you feel you can handle the presure do that
as well as going to the right of every skylift pillar.
6. At the bottom of the first left turn is a shortcut you should
try to take (it points slightly upwards). It's narrow but
fairly straitforward
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) f. Blue Moon Run
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (sixth day-semi-final)
Melina vs: Jose
Jose vs: ?
Scoring Notes: - $10,000 clear bonus (2'15"000).
- $4,370 for 0 falls.
1. As you take off veer to the left to cut the corner (but not
too much or it'll slow you down).
2. Hug the right ride as you soar over the next couple of rises.
3. Upon entering the crevass area, keep to the left. When you
have to jump over the crevass, use those two glacier tops to
get over, and keep right to avoid an awkward late-entry of the
crevass.
4. Veer to the left to avoid the first avalanche and right for
the second. Keep in the middle, going in a straitforward
manner to avoid the third.
5. After the jump is a series of bends hug the left side as you
approach the first turn. To be cautious do the same with the
rest of the turns, using all the space you can get to your
advantage, but if you feel you can handle the presure do that
as well as going to the right of every skylift pillar.
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) g. The Great Mogul
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (seventh day-final),
Cross Race.
Melina vs: Shune
Scoring Notes: - $12,500 clear bonus (2'30"000).
Retry Penality: $18,750
1. The first part of this race takes place inside an ice tunnel.
You must carefully avoid the pillars and other players that
come in your way.
2. You enter a train tunnel. You must carefully follow the tunnel
around and avoid a train going in the opposite direction, and
ready yourself for a hard (but not too hard) left turn.
3. You will have to take the shortcut outside the window as the
rest of the tunnel is blocked off. Edge towards the left side
as you crash through the glass and start turning right as soon
as you land, hugging the right side of the slope.
4. At the bottom of the slope, try to keep in the middle of the
course rather than veering in a certain direction or you'll
crash into something.
5. Go through two gates. Take care to aim slightly on the left
side of the first gate and slide strait through without
turning left or right.
4. Keep to the right as you try to outbeat the train. Boost, if
you have it.
5. Ahead of the train there is a big jump in front of a bridge.
You can use the jump and go right over the bridge, but you
miss a vital shortcut.
6. The shortcut is rough but much better than going the long way.
Both involve a studious avoidance of sticking out bric-a-brac
that'll get in your way.
a. The next series of breakneck turns is tough but you can go
through them at high speed believe it or not. As you near
the first kink, hug the left side until you see a strait
ahead of you and spring out of that corner!
b.
7. Using Boost on the home-stretch may save the race for you. Be
sure to avoid large patches of trees.
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) h. Cybertrick Monster
----------------------------------------------------------------
Available: Extreme Winner's Cup (The Future-New Challenge),
Time Attack (you can only unlock this track by
completing the Extreme Winner's Cup).
Retry Penalty: $25,000
Check Point 1
-------------
1. Prepare yourself for the first hard right, followed by a
series of long, sloping turns.
Check Point 2
-------------
2. Not long after the second checkpoint is a small, circular
tunnel full of lightening gates.
Avoid these gates as soonas you see them but don't steer
too hard or you'll crash into the sides! If you're going to
go into a gate it's better you go into the middle of it.
3. In the next hazard, keep right to avoid folling below (and
if you do, keep in the middle to avoid the "snowmakers" and
those lasers).
4. In the sewer is a short cut you should take. It's to the
right just opposite of where the sewer tunnel begins to take
a turn, and you may need to crash against the wall to get in.
It's a cyllindrical air hole filled with fans.
Check Point 3
-------------
5. You'll enter an area with sensors that block off certain
passages. Avoid the sensors and you'll take a faster route,
though it isn't so bad if you only go through the first sensor
and miss the second, because the latter will take you back in
a very annoying circle!
6. If you managed to get through that last stage without going
through any sensor you'll go above the next "snowball" area,
though you need to go on the right platforms to stay up there
as long as you can.
[uc]
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) i. Getting 100%
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Get all the equipment for the characters.
- In the Extreme Winner's Cup get to the end without losing a
single race with each character (you'll get to see their
movie).
- Go through all the flags in a slalom event (you only have to
do it once).
----------------------------------------------------------------
3:1) j. General tips and hints
----------------------------------------------------------------
- Speed is the objective in Alpine Racer 3. As long as you get
through the courses quickly and efficiently you're sure to win
(unless you're on Time Attack and just can't get any better).
In the Extreme Winner's Cup, if the minimum time limit is 3
the opposition will probably finish the course in 3 minutes.
- Get used to a course before you put any significant resources
into it. You can judge the best way to do the course then. It
works a treat on Nostalgia RMX 2.0, for instance.
- Get evolution gear as soon as possible, unless you really need
to get semi-decent equipment that you can use to earn decent
prize-money.
- Although speed may seem important it isn't nearly as important
as agility. The optimum equipment you can get for really
tricky courses is Advanced Gear 3. The best courses to use
Evolution gear is the easier courses where you can get
fantastic time records.
- The arrows serve as guide. Race how you would in real life,
making calculated turns and perceiving possible dangers.
- Your goal in Winner's Tournament is to make the most points so
you can make the most money and get the best gear.
- There are times when your direction will need to be as strait
as possible; the best way of doing this is having very minimal
contact with the joystick, just leaving it where it is at times.
- At times you will need extra room to properly make a turn. Most
runs provide you with this, the area just before the tunnel in
Sunset Rush for instance.
- I you feel uncomfortable about the speed you're reaching, the
best thing you can do is turn. Do a couple of sharp, quick
turns in succession or use the curve of a bend to your advant-
age.
- Shortcuts often have pesky little obstacles and be rougher than
the normal track, so beware of this.
- The highs you get from playing the game can tire you out rather
quickly, making you gradually worse at the game while wanting
to play more. As soon as your game starts taking a turn for the
worse, stop playing. You can start up later and I find if I'm
just "taking a break" it doesn't allow me to relax properly.
================================================================.
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
| Part 4: Reader's Section |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
'================================================================'
================================================================.
| 4:1) Frequently Asked Questions |
'================================================================'
Q: How do you get 100%?
A: These are the following things that need to be done:
- Buy equipment for all the players in Extreme Winners League
- Finish Extreme Winners League using all players
- Get all posts in a slalom event to win Klonoa
Q: How often do you update?
A: I'm very lazy when it comes to updtaing this guide. Every now
and then I feel like playing the game and update the guide then
-- about once every year.
Q: Why won't you answer my e-mail?
A: Probably because I've changed my e-mail account yet again,
though I tend to post my latest e-mail address on my guides.
Q: What other guides have you written for sports games?
A: None. This is my first, and possibly my last.
Q: Can this guide be used for all versions of the game?
A: There are only small differences between the versions which I
will try to point out. Other than that, I don't see why not!
Q: Should I try my hand at guide writing?
A: Guide writing should not be taken up lightly! It's a long
tedious process that will take 6 months-- AT LEAST. But hey, if
you get it on GameFAQs and they like it you'll even have other
sites asking to put it in their FAQ lists! Okay, Here are some
guidelines: -
-=- Only write a guide for a game you've really got into and
know a lot about.
-=- Offer something that nobody has before. I just hate those
clone guides who only have negative comments to say about
the game and are only writing a guide for the heck of it.
Those losers should get a life. If all guide writers had
something unique to offer a lot of people wouldn't have
to settle for second best.
-=- Another thing I hate about a lot of guide writers is they
have really bad spelling and grammar! Haven't they ever
heard of spell check or a dictionary?? I mean, I could
write a guide in German and still get the spelling right.
-=- Names are important. As most people may or may not be
likely to know about sites like Game FAQs and IGN, so
they're going to look up "Final Fantasy VIII Guide" or
"walkthrough", not "Final Fantasy VIII FAQ". When I
looked it up on Google I only found ONE guide from Game
FAQs! Maybe you could call it a Walkthrough FAQ Guide or
what ever to get the most hits. Also, if you create your
own web site or web page you can tell search engines
about it so people will find it when they look it up
using their directories.
-=- Format is important when you're thinking of submitting a
guide a gaming website. Most sites, like Game FAQs will
only accept your guide if it is in Word Pad format and
bound using RETURN/ENTER keys. Each line has to be 72
characters or less (you can appeal to have lines over
72 characters long if you have a good enough reason).
Otherwise, if you have any line which is too long, the
site will tell you which line it is. Luckily for you,
Word Pad has a function which allows you to type in a
line number and go directly to it! Go to the Edit menu
and click on Go To... or press Ctr+G.
-=- Before I have a final copy to upload to the internet I've
found that it's easier to keep my draft copy in separate
folders (preferably on my iPod, as I only ever go on the
internet rarely and at short notice -- so I'm always
carrying the latest version wherever I go!). Not only is
it safer, it's easier to access certain chapters rather
than scrolling down and backing up all the time.
-=- Last, but not least, it's probably not such a good idea
-=- It'll probably be easy to release a guide for Alpine
Racer 3 as long as it's better than mine.
Q: Can I use this guide on my website/whatever?
A: Yes, but only after notifying me about it. If you want to do
stuff like edit it and so on, I'll discuss that with you in
my reply to your e-mail.
Q: Can you join this/that web-site as a guest member?
A: Final answer. No.
================================================================.
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
| Part 5: Odds and ends |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -|
'================================================================'
================================================================.
| 5:1) Epilogue |
'================================================================'
Yeesh, this has to be one of the worst guides there ever are or
were. Badly worked out from the beginning, I didn't even expect
in to make it into GameFAQs. What can I do but gradually try to
make it better? Chances are not many people will look at it any
way, but if you are I'll have you know that my guide for Final
Fantasy VIII is bonza mate! Cheerio!
I've always liked skiing/boarding type games like this, and
I'd say Alpine Racer 3 is the fun-nest one I've played. Not too
much focus is put into the technicalities of it [like "Downhill
Skiing 2003," which is utterly boring] or the tricks [which was
why Cool Boarders for PSX was bearable and Cool Boarders for
NGPC was unplayable]. The only other snow sport game I really
like is Sled Storm for PSX, though I deleted the saves ages ago
to make way for my FF8 games. Damn!
================================================================.
| 5:2) Other Guides |
'================================================================'
Game Guide type Ver Date Size
---- ---------- --- ---- ----
Alpine Racer 3 Strategy Guide 1.2 04/04/09 61 KB
Breath of Fire Strategy Walk-Through 1.1 30/03/09 161 KB
Dragon Quest VIII Strategy Walkthrough 1.11 08/10/08 224 KB
Final Fantasy VIII Strategy Walkthrough 11.0 05/07/08 1.3 MB
Tomb Raider Legend Strategy Walkthrough 1.1 22/09/08 100 KB
================================================================.
| 5:3) Acknowledgements |
'================================================================'
I would like to thank my father. Without him probably wouldn't
even know about Alpine Racer 3; We were looking in a game shop
once and he wanted to try out this game that seemed interesting
(and cheap at $20AUD!). So played that for the next month until
we'd *nearly* finished it, and years later I did the slalom to
get 100%.
Thanks Namco, for creating Alpine Racer. Not so much for
Resident Weevil or Takken though.
GameFAQs derserves my thanks too, for accepting this near-
worthless guide. But 1 guide is better than 0.
================================================================.
| 5:4) Boring, yet Sadly necessary stuff |
'================================================================'
----------------------------------------------------------------
5:4) a. Alpine Racer 3 copyrights
----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright goes to Namco and other companies affiliated with mak-
ing this game. I have to say it, or maybe I don't, but these
companies tend to have their own protections against plagiarism
and piracy. Just don't get on their bad side and if you respect
the game, respect the people you made it.
----------------------------------------------------------------
5:4) b. Health warning
----------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know if this game can cause epileptic fits (maybe Klonoa
can ^_^), so the only advice I can give to sufferers of epileptic
fits is the advice that anyone else can give: Beware!
Another health danger that faces a player of Alpine Racer 3 is
"video game induced fatigue" (woohoo, I coined my own phrase!), a
dangerous condition that arises after a particularly long souj-
ourn giving strenuous concentration to a small square called "the
TV." Symptoms include listlessness, nervousness, frustration,
restlessness and an unwillingness to participate in real winter
sports.
