SSX TRICKY: SHOWOFF GUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather feather7@ix.netcom.com Initial Version Completed: June 18, 2002 FINAL VERSION Completed: July 10, 2002 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST: To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ============================================== SHAMELESS PLUG: For those wondering what JP (the French character) is saying, please see my SSX Tricky: Qu'est-ce qu'il dit? Guide. On GameFAQs (http://www.GameFAQs.com/), this particular guide is listed as 'JP Speech Translations.' ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Tips Circuit Descriptions Garibaldi Snowdream Elysium Alps Mesablanca Merqury City Meltdown (MCM) Tokyo Megaplex Aloha Ice Jam Alaska Pipedream Subjective Section Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz This guide is 35 pages in length in 12-pont single-spaced Courier font in the Macintosh version of Word98. Therefore, printing this guide is likely not a good idea. Besides, if it is printed, the only realistic way to use this guide while playing the game is to have a rally-style 'navigator' reading off the directions as you play. ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. However, due to the extreme length, printing this driving guide may not be such a good idea. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, RedCoupe, ps2replay.com, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, gamespot.com, ps2domain.net, a2zweblinks.com, Games Domain, Gameguru, cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, RobsGaming.com, ps2fantasy.com, gamespot.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Should anyone wish to translate this driving guide into other languages, please contact me for permission(s) and provide me with a copy when complete. Remember: Plagiarism in ANY form is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION My intention in offering this guide is to give newcomers an idea of how to obtain Gold Medals on the various Showoff Mode courses of SSX Tricky. This guide presents the path I take with virtually ALL characters in the game, although my character of specialty is definitely the Japanese trick specialist Kaori :-) Note that for Showoff Mode, Freestyle and BX boards are best. If a character's default board (the first of the two initially-available boards listed for a character) is one of these types, then that character will also have access to Character Ubertricks (such as Kaori's Pirouette Grind). This does not mean that Alpine boards are impossible to use in Showoff Mode or that those characters' Character Ubertricks are worthless; Alpine boards are simply harder to use to perform tricks and Ubertricks. Freestyle boards are easiest for performing tricks, but BX boards are usually also quite good at performing tricks. This guide is simply intended as a reference. It is definitely not law, and almost certainly not the best way to gain maximum points in Showoff Mode at each venue. However, this guide will hopefully be useful to those new to the game; it may even reveal a few shortcuts or non-obvious trick areas which had previously been unnoticed - if so, then this guide has served its purpose :-) ============================================== TIPS For success at certain venues, it is important to know how to grind (ride) the rails, fences, wires, and other extremely narrow objects. Once on a rail or similar object, quickly use the D-pad to turn the rider so that the board is perpendicular to the direction of travel; in other words, the rider is either facing forward or backward in relation to the direction of travel. Then, use the left analog stick (L3 stick) to balance left and right while in motion. Those who are REALLY good at this can benefit tremendously from the high and lengthy overhead rails at Tokyo Megaplex!!! Grinding the many rails at Alaska in Showoff Mode is particularly important to obtaining a Gold Medal score. In general, many rails lead either to good shortcuts or to 3x and 5x multipliers in Showoff Mode (sometimes both). Whenever possible, try to hit the floating bonus stars. Yellow stars are 2x multipliers, orange stars are 3x multipliers, and red stars are 5x multipliers. If you hit several stars at once during a jump, you will be credited with the highest-value star, even if you jump first through a red star and then through an orange or yellow star. However, the stars only multiply the trick/Ubertrick value upon a successful landing; to that end, you can often use the size of your character's shadow upon the ground to determine when to back out of a trick and begin preparing to land. If necessary, use the L3 stick (the left analog stick) to fine- tune the character's position in relation to the slope of the ground in the landing zone; this is especially important after exiting the long icy fan-assisted tunnel at the end of Alaska (Showoff Mode and Race Mode). No matter where you are on the circuit when a trick begins, you do not receive any points for ending tricks and Ubertricks beyond the Finish Line. Therefore, if you attempt tricks close to the Finish Line, make sure you can land them 'legally' in order to receive the appropriate points. The main place where this might be a problem for Ubertricks is at Merqury City Meltdown (MCM), as those who can crash in through the dome with enough speed may find themselves landing beyond the Finish Line before they finish any Ubertricks (or standard tricks). At Tokyo Megaplex, there are A LOT of small air vents all over the circuit, plus the massive air vent just before the Finish Line. A tip to gain a few more points is to flip forward just before an air vent, beginning a trick or Ubertrick while in the air. If performed correctly, the flip will place the character over the air vent high enough for the air vent to blow the character upward before any collision with the ground. This takes plenty of practice and is not very easy to accomplish unless a character has full Trick and Stability stats. There are penalties for repeating tricks and Ubertricks; specifically, each repetition cuts the total points for the trick or Ubertrick by half of what was awarded when it was previously performed. Therefore, while I may continually say 'SHORT Ubertrick' or 'Character Ubertrick' in this guide, it is important to keep 'alternating' tricks by pressing various buttons on the D-pad as the trick is performed, to vary the direction and thus avoid repetition. Another good tactic is to complete the trick or Ubertrick and, if enough airtime remains, add a spin or flip. ============================================== CIRCUIT DESCRIPTIONS This section is designed to give readers an overview of each circuit at a glance, and is lifted almost verbatim from my SSX Tricky: Non-Snowboarders' Guide. This is not a section- by-section detailed description of what to expect; this is rendered somewhat difficult due to the alternate routes available at almost all venues. Note that the descriptions here are primarily for Race Mode; Showoff Mode will also have plenty of manmade jumps, rails, and other things added for bonus and trick purposes. Garibaldi: Now the first venue on the SSX circuit, this brand-new circuit presents plenty of trick and Ubertrick opportunities with its many jumps. The alternate route bypasses almost all of the main circuit, and itself has a number of jumps over nasty gorges and fast-flowing icy rivers. As a Showoff venue, Garibaldi's many jumps and grinds make it FAR too easy to score a Gold Medal here (only 55,000 points are required for the Gold Medal), even if playing SSX Tricky for the first time. As a Race venue, the many jumps allow you to quickly perform six Ubertricks to gain Infinite Boost, which will allow you to easily win a race so long as you can keep from falling repeatedly. Snowdream: The first venue in the original SSX is now the second in SSX Tricky. Located in Japan, this incarnation is a bit different from the original game. The first part of the circuit provides the most opportunities for tricks, but generally not enough airtime for the really spectacular Ubertricks. While the initial jumps are really small, they can still provide an enterprising player to pull off tricks to boost ahead of the pack, or catch up if necessary. Trick specialists such as Kaori can still perform enough Ubertricks early in a race to quickly gain Infinite Boost, which can then be used to essentially coast to victory. Elysium Alps: One of the longer runs of the game, many players will find it difficult to complete Elysium Alps in under five minutes. There are plenty of opportunities for tricks in the initial and final thirds of the circuit, while the middle section depends on your route and just how much forward momentum can be generated; the middle stage's "high road" has gaping jumps over the twisty, icy "low road." The alternate route on the first stage of the circuit is really only for advanced players, although a well-placed "fall" can provide a good opportunity to perform multiple Ubertricks before landing back on the main course. Mesablanca: Snowboarding in the desert!?!?!?!?!?! Overall, Mesablanca has fewer trick opportunities than the preceding venues, so speed is generally a better option here. However, trick specialists can perform enough Ubertricks to gain Infinite Boost by the time they reach the wooden bridge. If you do not have enough forward momentum for the final jump, you will definitely lose if in a close race. Merqury City Meltdown: From the very beginning, this urban setting features split paths which continually cross each other throughout the first half of the circuit, so beware of cross-traffic. Being a city site, there are also plenty of fire hydrants, traffic signal poles, downed lights, buildings, bus shelters, light poles, etc., which will all slow you down - if they do not knock you to the ground. Jumping across the highway is much easier in SSX Tricky than in the original SSX. Because of the tight twists and turns and the many obstacles, it is very easy to find yourself both in the lead and bringing up the rear several times in a race here; use knockouts and shortcuts to your advantage!!! Tokyo Megaplex: This Japanese venue feels very much like being the ball in a pinball machine. The configuration has changed since the original SSX, but is still rather similar. The most impressive additions are the sections of updraft vents; riding one or two of these will thrust you far up into the air, and can give you plenty of time to pull off amazing tricks, and possibly even TWO Ubertricks (including a "signature move"). Even those characters which are not trick specialists can rack up rather high point totals in Showoff, so long as each Checkpoint is reached before time expires. For races, the many suspended twisting grinds and halfpipes can give a tremendous advantage, but require expert usage of the left analog stick. Aloha Ice Jam: If snowboarding in the American Southwest is odd, snowboarding in Hawaii is even stranger. Still, this is a unique circuit, and one of the most difficult on the SSX circuit. The circuit begins with a tight, long, left hand turn with a bone-breaking drop-off to the outside. Once clear of the initial corner, the main section of Aloha Ice Jam features a number of gaps to jump and tight high-speed corners. After another gap, the ice cave section at the end of the circuit has even tighter twists and turns with a few jumps in low-ceiling areas. Once out of the ice cave, icebergs line the path to the Finish Line. Even trick specialists will have a hard time in Showoff here, as the point totals needed for each medal can be rather difficult to achieve due to all the tight twists and turns and the low ceilings. Alaska: This second new venue is by far the most difficult in SSX Tricky. This is due partly to the general lack of trick opportunities, and partly due to the fast, mostly- ice surfaces. Especially hard to master are the ice tunnels at the end of the Alaska venue; if you are not careful, you could very quickly find yourself on the ceiling... and quickly succumbing to gravity if you do not have enough forward momentum. The circuit is generally narrow, tight, and twisty, so the best way to make a pass is probably by using a well-placed stiff-arm; Zoe and Psymon seem especially adept at Knockdowns, although even little Kaori can bring an opponent down to her size. Pipedream: Pipedream is a trick specialist's orgy!!! There are more than enough opportunities to perform tricks here, especially in the various bowls scooped out of the ground. However, the Pipedream Showoff event has a VERY high medal threshold, so always keep an eye on the time. Most importantly, keep track of which direction is downhill; if you spend a lot of time doing tricks in one of the many bowls, you can easily lose your sense of direction, which will be key when you need to reach the next Checkpoint before time expires. The best place to score massive points to attain a Gold Medal is in the two halfpipes; the first is on the leftmost side of the middle section, while the best one is in the center of the circuit just before the Finish Line. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== GARIBALDI Gold Medal: 55,000 points This initial plateau is a prime place to perform several mistys and rodeos. To do this, gain momentum, then suddenly turn uphill and perform the trick. Generally, three of these are required to completely fill the Trick Meter, thus enabling Ubertricks. Once the Trick Meter is full, boost your way toward the initial cliff jump. At the last possible millisecond, boost-jump off the cliff and perform TWO Character Ubertricks; if able to gain enough air on the actual jump itself, there may even be enough time for a quick grab or a few spins before landing. The Gold Medal threshold for Garibaldi is only 55,000 points; it is definitely possible for a character at or near Master Status to gain more than enough points for a Gold Medal upon landing. Continue downhill and turn right along the main course. There is a small rise after the corner, and the rise is good for a boost-jump into a spin or flip. With enough air on the jump, flips and spins can be added. Continue around the icy corners, perhaps taking a few jump- spins, until the course straightens out and takes a strong downhill descent. The next section includes multiple natural jumps with ramps at the top, each leading to floating stars. The easiest of the stars to hit are those on the right side; those on the left require early and perfectly-timed jumps, which is why I prefer those on the right. Boost-jumping off these ramps usually yields enough time to perform two QUICK Ubertricks, or one Character Ubertrick and a QUICK Ubertrick. By the time this section is cleared (indicated with the red glass SSX Tricky panel on the right side while the main course continues downhill), TRICKY should have been spelled, meaning that you will now have Infinite Boost and permanent Ubertrick ability. Unless landing in too poor a position to cross over, take the aforementioned red SSX Tricky panel on the right side. Immediately behind that panel is the beginning of a rail; hop on and ride. Initially, it will appear that the rail disappears/ends after the end of the cliff, but it actually dips steeply downward and then rises back up again; by jumping off the (true) end of the rail, you should be able to hit a floating red star (while performing a grab - there is not enough airtime here for any Ubertricks or truly complicated standard tricks), and then land on a very snowy area beyond the main course (which passes underneath the rail). Turn right, boost-jump off the ramp, perform an Ubertrick, and - if your placement is good - you may be able to hit another floating red star before landing. Depending on where you land from the initial ramp, you may also be able to jump off a second ramp before rejoining the main course. Continue along the main course until the two paths rejoin after a small ice-covered ledge in the center. You will now be in an area with a tall fence on the left and the sheer mountainside on the right. There is enough of a slope here along both sides of the main course to perform a few jump- spins or jump-flips; with enough air, you can even perform grabs and tweaks for a few more points. Do not spend too much time here, as bigger points are ahead!!! Come around the corner and you will see ahead that the course diverges to the right, a rail moves to the right with a floating red star at the top, and a nice ramp heads straight ahead with a floating orange star in the air. I prefer to use the ramp here, and can routinely gain enough air (by boost-jumping) to perform two Character Ubertricks (with Kaori), and STILL have time for a misty or rodeo before landing. On landing, continue along the main course. There will be two natural jumps (some distance apart) over plateaus here, each with yellow and orange floating stars. Hitting the yellow star should be easy; boost-jumping is often enough to hit the orange star. In either case, there should be enough time to perform an Ubertrick in each area. After the second of these jumps, the course becomes icy once more. At the next ramp, perform a short Ubertrick. Then, depending on whether you can land on the raised rail, either grind the rail to the floating orange star, or use one of the natural jumps to the side to boost-jump through a yellow star while performing a SHORT Ubertrick. Upon landing, edge to the left side of the next natural icy jump; a boost-jump will allow a SHORT Ubertrick here; if you manage to land on the short fencing, grind it for a few more points :-) Then edge to the left along the icy area and boost-jump the natural jump on the left side of the two tall cliffs, performing one or perhaps even two SHORT Ubertricks; if possible, land on the rail and grind to the end. By now, the Gold Medal should be well in hand. In this case, follow the main course to the left, then back to the right and over the short icy ledge, then back to the left. Ahead you will see another ramp; a boost-jump off this ramp will allow for perhaps two SHORT Ubertricks, with proper placement allowing the character to hit another floating star. Land on the icy area below. Note that this shortcut (minus the ramp and the floating star) is also great for Race Mode events here, completely bypassing a tricky (no pun intended) part of the course. Continue along the icy course; if possible, edge to the right and grind one or both of the brief rails rising out of the ice. Boost-jump at the natural rise in the course and perform a SHORT Ubertrick. Land on or just beyond the plateau and edge to the right, doing another boost-jump to perform a Character Ubertrick as the main course falls away; be careful with character placement before the jump, however, as the raised cliffs do have a nasty overhang. Nearly finished!!!!! The course takes a final turn to the right below, but the banks on both sides of this area are fairly steep. Boost-jumping here can allow for a few more tricks to be performed - possibly important if chasing after a personal record score for Garibaldi. Finally, take the final turn; I prefer to come in high off the left-side banking to gain more speed for the final natural jump in the course. If you can line things up PERFECTLY and get EXCELLENT speed, you can boost-jump high enough to hit the orange and/or red floating stars while performing a Character Ubertrick and perhaps a few mistys or rodeos before landing just before the Finish Line. If there is enough room and time, do a few more jump-spins and jump- flips here before ending. ============================================== SNOWDREAM Gold Medal: 95,000 points Out of the starting gate, edge right, and grind the rail here; at the end, perform a jump-flip through the floating star, and the Trick Meter should be full upon landing. Ahead, make use of one of the ramps to perform a Character Ubertrick to really start amassing points. Follow along the icy turns until the course straightens out, then boost-jump off the ramp and perform a Character Ubertrick through the floating orange star. Far ahead, boost-jump off the ramp and perform a Character Ubertrick through yet another floating orange star, and land in the deep snow just off the main course. Get back on the main course as quickly as possible. There are two ramps ahead; take the wider ramp on the left, and boost-jump with a Character Ubertrick through the floating snowman. On landing, prepare to boost-jump off the next ramp and perform another Character Ubertrick through the yellow and/or orange floating stars. After the main course turns to the right, there are two natural jumps leading to plateaus; on the right and left side of each plateau are rails leading up to floating stars. Either ride the rails to the stars to perform Ubertricks, or boost-jump off the natural jumps and perform Ubertricks, hopefully launching far enough to hit the floating stars. After this section, the course splits into two main paths (left and right) with a blue SSX Tricky glass panel in the center. Break the blue SSX Tricky glass panel, ride the pipe coming out of the ground, and boost-jump off its end while performing a Character Ubertrick. Unless you jump too far (which is certainly possible here), you should hit a floating red star and may even land on and grind the center fence. Back on the snow, follow the course to the right and boost- jump off the natural jump, performing an Ubertrick. Ahead, boost-jump with a Character Ubetrick off the ramp and land on an icy area. Follow the icy area and boost-jump off yet another ramp (hitting a floating yellow star) with a Character Ubertrick. Continue down the icy ramp and boost- jump off its end with a SHORT Ubertrick, jumping the main course and landing on the raised area on the other side. Keep following this raised area, boost-jumping off ramps with Ubertricks (often hitting floating yellow stars) and jumping the gaps that mark the main course below. Eventually, the 'high road' and 'low road' will join together again with a big jump and several floating stars ahead. Boost-jump here with a Character Ubertrick through the stars (the floating red star can be attained with enough altitude) and land on the main course below. Follow it along as it turns left, then boost-jump with an Ubertrick off the final (very narrow) ramp through another floating yellow star, landing just before the Finish Line. ============================================== ELYSIUM ALPS Gold Medal: 225,000 points A perhaps unconventional way to begin this course is to immediately curve to the right so the character is pointing uphill (toward the big metal poles), then performing a misty; characters can bounce off these poles without losing any points, and can potentially be bounced slightly higher in the air to gain even more points. Upon landing, head back toward the right-side ramp, but approach from the right, jumping off the ramp at an angle and performing a trick (perhaps a misty while holding all four shoulder buttons - at least on the PlayStation2 version of the game) through the floating orange star. Upon landing, you should have a full Trick Meter. Continue onward toward the three moving ramps. To gain maximum altitude off this tall cliff jump, try to arrive at a ramp just as it reaches its maximum height, then boost-jump off the ramp through one of the floating yellow stars, performing up to TWO Character Ubertricks in the long fall back to the ground. On landing, follow the main course to the right, and boost-jump off the center of the next natural jump over a plateau with a SHORT Ubertrick, hopefully coming down early enough to fall through a floating yellow star. Continue on along the main course, AVOIDING the next ramp. If you take this ramp, you will need FLAWLESS timing to keep from colliding with the billboard opposite the ramp. Therefore, keep following along the main course to the first Checkpoint, and boost-jump off the left side of the natural jump there, hopefully passing through the floating yellow star there. Continue along the main course until you come to the red SSX Tricky glass panel. Smash through the panel with a boost- jump and perform up to TWO Character Ubertricks before landing (this is also a great shortcut in Race Mode). Continue along the main course to the blue SSX Tricky glass panel, and smash through with a boost-jump to perform a SHORT Ubertrick. Upon landing, there should be a significant natural jump (a high ledge) should you continue straight ahead; a Character Ubertrick can be performed here with enough forward momentum. Once you land, follow the main course a long distance until you come to the area with the two ramps in front of what seems to be a 'bridge' with grindable rails on either side and floating stars at the top. Bypass the ramps, passing between them, and boost-jump off the lower of the natural sides in the 'bridge,' performing a Character Ubertrick through one of the floating stars and landing just beyond the crest. Perform a flip or spin off the ledge. Now look ahead on the left side for the red SSX Tricky glass panel; slow, then break through it. This leads to the 'old course' from the original SSX, and is much more trick- friendly than the 'new course' which passes through the ice cave. If you can land on the fallen tree after smashing through the glass panel, grind it, perhaps with a flip or spin off the end. Follow the course to the first of two plateaus, and boost-jump off each with a Character Ubertrick. IMMEDIATELY upon landing after the second plateau, edge hard left and jump over the minor rock outcropping. If you continue onward, you will rejoin the 'new course' as it becomes the 'low road;' landing on top of the rock outcropping leads to the 'high road,' where the points can really accumulate. The 'high road' is also an excellent shortcut for Race Mode, as the fewer twists and hairpins makes it a faster route overall. The 'high road' has a total of four gaps. The first three have floating yellow stars, and boost-jumping should make it possible to perform a SHORT Ubertrick at each gap. The fourth gap has a pair of fallen trees overlaying it; grind one of the trees, and jump off the end with a trick, hopefully launching far enough to make use of the floating orange stars on the descent back to the icy main course below. Once the main course has been rejoined, boost-jump off the following ramp with a Character Ubertrick through the floating yellow and/or orange stars; you should land on the raised platform, which means you can perform a spin or flip coming off it to rejoin the main course below. The main course turns to the left here, but to have a chance at a floating red star later, you must go straight ahead through the red SSX Tricky glass panel. Follow along that route, and ahead you will see an opportunity to boost-jump over the main course and over the opposite trees through the floating red star; a successful landing will score BIG points here and will place you in an ice cave. Follow the ice cave along, and at its end, suddenly slow and cut to the right, performing a flip or spin as you come back down to the icy main course. (This is also a prime time-saving shortcut in Race Mode.) Fortunately, the many glass barriers of Race Mode are removed for Showoff Mode, leaving a series of rails running down the center of the icy halfpipe. If possible, grind the rails and hit their floating stars, making sure to jump appropriately for the various gaps. Should you ever miss a rail, make use of the halfpipe and the floating stars along each side to score more points. At the end of the halfpipe section, the main course turns sharply to the left. If you keep hard to the left, you can use the ramp there to clear the fallen trees (which here are an impediment and NOT grindable objects) and land on another set of rails, which can be followed all the way down to the next hairpin turn. If you miss the ramp, jump the fallen trees (again, these are obstacles and NOT grindable objects) and speed along through the distant hairpin turn. Ahead, the path splits into two icy 360-degree turns with blue grindable barriers on either side. I prefer to take the left path, and get onto the left-side blue barrier. This is a difficult trick, but if you can grind it long enough, your character's head will pass through a floating red star. Once this area has been cleared, boost along the run up to the final plateau, and boost-jump - hopefully through a floating yellow star - with a Character Ubertrick. Once on the ground far below, prepare for and make use of one of the three ramps, performing another Ubertrick. If you can land on a rail, grind it; otherwise, boost along the snow toward the opening door, and boost-jump with a jump point still in the snow (just before the silver doorslide area) to perform a final SHORT Ubertrick. Continue on to the Finish Line. Welcome to another Gold Medal :-) ============================================== MESABLANCA Gold Medal: 225,000 points Immediately out of the Starting Gate, prepare for a misty, but DO NOT perform it on the first (blue-pained) rise; hold it and use it on the red-painted rise, passing through the floating yellow star. On landing, follow the main course along and grind the rail that appears out of the ground. However, as soon as you hit the floating yellow star, get off to the left, through the trees to another path. Follow this path along to one of the hardest stars to get - at the jump, boost-jump over the Eddie Billboard and you should HOPEFULLY hit the floating red star (it is easy to overshoot this star... or crash into the top of the billboard). Once back on the ground, there will be a series of plateaus which form good natural jumps. Boost-jump each of these, performing a SHORT Ubertrick each time and hopefully hitting the floating stars (not all the plateaus have floating stars). However, take care about character placement to avoid the rock faces along the main course here. Once past the plateau with the rock ceiling (due to a secret path above - just a hint for Race Mode events), continue along the main course as it turns to the right. Look on the left for the blue SSX Tricky glass panel, but DO NOT break through it; just ahead on the left, grind a rail that comes out of the ground. This rail will lead to a mine cart track, which will take you through a hole in the mountain into the mountain itself. Follow the mine cart rails through a series of drops and keep to the left rail. Eventually, you will be deposited high in the air passing through a floating red star, landing just before a gap. Boost-jump across this gap through a floating yellow star with a SHORT Ubertrick. Follow the main course to the left, then edge right and ride the rail through a floating yellow star. Immediately upon landing, prepare a SHORT Ubertrick, and when the course turns left, keep going straight ahead and use the banking to launch into that SHORT Ubertrick, passing through yet another floating yellow star. On landing, follow the main course around to the next gap, then boost-jump with a SHORT Ubertrick to pass through another floating star before landing on the other side of the gap. TRICKY should not be spelled at the top of the Boost Meter. Follow the course through some S-curves to a section between tall cliffs with two plateaus and a floating yellow star over each. With proper alignment, boost-jump each plateau with a SHORT Ubertrick to hit each star. After the second plateau, follow the course along to a narrow ramp, and perform a SHORT Ubertrick through a yellow floating star. Follow the course around between the tall bankings to the final Checkpoint. The path splits into two here, with a grindable railing coming out of the ground on each side of each path. I prefer the left-side path's left-side railing. Grind this all the way along, passing through floating stars. (Grinding the rails here is a great way to extend a lead or catch the leaders from behind in Race Mode.) Once you come off the long railing, simply follow the course along the rest of the way, but do not forget the gap just before the Finish Line!!! ============================================== MERQURY CITY MELTDOWN (MCM) Gold Medal: 275,000 points Immediately out of the Starting Gates, loop back to the right pointing uphill, and perform a misty; with enough air on the jump, a grab can also be performed. Once landed, loop back around to the left and do it again. From here, head down the main path split to the left, using the various bankings along the way to perform spins and flips until the Trick Meter is full; if you can hop up onto one of the fences, this will award even more points. At the first natural jump (the first crossing of the paths of the main course), boost-jump with a SHORT Ubertrick through a floating yellow star, with just enough time to land successfully if enough air was gained on the boost-jump. Then boost forward to the next natural jump (where the paths cross again) and boost-jump again, this time performing a Character Ubertrick for maximum points; do not worry about hitting any neon signs, as they will fall away harmlessly without hurting the character. Once landed, look ahead for a rail coming out of the ground, and grind that rail over the fencing and back onto the main course. This will drop you off just before a natural jump with a floating orange star. Ubertricks are virtually impossible here, and launching forward too much will result in a collision with the traffic lights or the post upon which they are mounted, so perhaps a quick backflip - just high enough to attain the floating orange star - is good enough here, with a quick grab depending on the air attained in the jump. Shortly afterward, just before the paths converge, is another rail coming out of the ground. Grind it; it will be joined by a rail from the other path split. At the end of the rail, perform a trick with one or two grabs as you jump off the rail, sailing through a floating red star. Once landed, continue straight ahead and instead of following the main course as it turns left, continue toward the fence and launch into a Character Ubertrick as you boost-jump over the fencing; the angle of the banking may send you backward and somewhat to the left, but there is plenty of room for landing here (and the character can bounce of the walls of the buildings without worry). Once safely on the ground, flip or spin through one of the floating yellow stars, then take the next path split to the left. Shortly, there will be a rail coming out of the ground and leading to a floating orange star; grind the rail, and break through the star with a SHORT Ubertrick. Land, continue on, and - just past the first Checkpoint - jump-boost off the natural jump and perform a SHORT Ubertrick (ONLY if using a small and light character, such as Kaori or Mac; bigger, heavier characters will not be able to attain enough air to safely perform any Ubertricks here). Follow the course around to the next jump, but instead of jumping directly from the snow, grind the short pipe coming out of the snow, and then boost-jump with a SHORT Ubertrick through the floating orange star; if possible, land on the next pipe and continue on. The paths cross here, and this is a natural place to boost- jump with a few spins or flips (this is key in Race Mode to avoid collisions with opponents on the other path). Momentarily, the paths cross again, and this is also a natural place to boost-jump with a few spins or flips. Momentarily, the paths cross again, but this time, there are rails to grind; grind the rail coming out of the ground and follow it around to the side of a building; jump and land on the next rail, which will take you to the front of the building. Once landed, look for the next rail coming out of the ground and grind it. This will momentarily take you off the main course and between some tall buildings. If you can position the character just right (especially important with smaller characters), you should be able to hit the floating orange star with the character's head; note that the floating orange star is not exactly above the rail. The rail will soon deposit you back on the main course; a quick jump and spin off the rail will grant a few extra points. SLOW GREATLY before going over the next descent in the hillside. This will help a lot in finding and grinding the next rail. When you see it, grind it; it is short, and there is a gap to the next rail, but if you can hit the next rail, grind it as it follows high above the main course, and boost- jump off its end with a Character Ubertrick as you speed through a floating red star; there may even be time for another trick or a SHORT Ubertrick before landing. By this time, TRICKY should have been spelled, providing Infinite Boost and permanent Ubertrick possibilities. Once landed, the course turns to the right; before it turns again to the left, take the short rail on the left to go through a floating orange star. Once back on the main course, take one of the next rails to again pass through a floating orange star. Continue onward through the tunnel. (Following the tunnel, the main course splits to the right and left, with a pipe going directly ahead. For maximum points, DO NOT use the pipe in Showoff Mode; however, it is a great shortcut - which some of the other characters also use - in Race Mode.) Coming out of the tunnel, follow either path; I prefer the left path. Each has a floating yellow star atop a plateau; boost-jump with a Character Ubertrick to reach it, then continue on to where the paths rejoin below. The next section presents two halfpipes which join into a larger halfpipe, with the outer edges lined with floating stars of various colors. Stay in this area doing Ubertricks and Character Ubertricks to hit as many of the floating stars as possible, until about 25 seconds remains on the timer (lower-left corner of the screen), then hurry on toward the next Checkpoint. With precision, it actually IS possible to hit all the floating stars in the area, but this is a difficult feat to accomplish due to the dual-halfpipe section at the beginning of this area of the venue. Hurry on; if you can grind the pipe in the center, it will save time and grant more points. Shortly after the pipe goes into the ground is a bridge, with a slight rise; boost-jump off the rise with a misty or rodeo, landing on the opposite side of the bridge. Then grind one of the rails around the statue and pass through the floating yellow star. Eventually, you should be deposited just in front of the next Checkpoint. After the Checkpoint, the course turns hard to the right and narrows. Ahead, use the ramp, but boost-jump a little early with a Character Ubertrick to try to hit the floating red star just right. Make your way back down the hillside to the main course below, and move on to the suspension bridge section. There are two large natural jumps on the suspension bridges, and two paths (left and right). Taking either path, boost- jump with an Ubertrick or Character Ubertrick off each jump. The second such jump - on both paths - has both orange and red floating stars; obviously, try to hit the red floating star. Once landed, look ahead to the next jump. Opposite the jump is the 'high road' and an elevated sewer pipe; avoid the sewer pipe to land on the 'high road' (the 'low road' has many fewer opportunities to gain points). Once on the 'high road,' there will be two gaps to jump; the first gap does not have stars, but the second gap DOES have a floating red star. Both gaps can be safely cleared with a boost-jump and an Ubertrick. The landing zone is where the 'low road' and the 'high road' rejoin. Next is another natural jump, this time with a floating red star high overhead; a boost-jump and a Character Ubertrick should be sufficient to attain this star. If you land on any of the following pipes, grind them as they turn with the main course to the right; if not, follow the main course to the right, and at the next plateau, boost-jump with an Ubertrick through the floating yellow star. Continue on, following the course to the left as it turns. Ahead is the final halfpipe area on the left (with its barriers, forcing you to pass through maze-style); DO NOT take the icy subway tunnel to the right (except in Race Mode), as there are no points opportunities in the subway tunnel. In the halfpipe area, try to hit all the floating yellow stars with boost-jumps and SHORT Ubertricks. Once clear of the final halfpipe area, speed down the final hill to the first plateau, and boost-jump with a Character Ubertrick through a floating yellow star. Continue on with flips and spins until you cross the Finish Line :-) ============================================== TOKYO MEGAPLEX Gold Medal: 350,000 points Tokyo Megaplex is different from the other venues, in that the main part of the course is seen three times in a 'single' run. For that reason, the high rails in the main part of the course should only be used once. I will not detail them here, except to say that they are attained by getting on top of the ledge at the top of the massive air vent, and that there are often floating stars of various colors at the breaks between the high rails. In Race Mode, using these high rails is a tremendous time advantage; in Showoff Mode, however, the majority of opportunities for big points are on the ground. Also, there are so many possibilities for attaining big points at Tokyo Megaplex that I am not even going to attempt trying to list all the ways to attain the many floating stars. Attaining 1,000,000 points here is relatively easy (with a character at Master status) due to all the floating stars strewn all over the Tokyo Megaplex venue; many of the floating red stars (the 5x multipliers) can be attained by using the many small air vents. From the beginning, do as at Merqury City Meltdown (MCM) and perform several mistys or rodeos while pointing uphill. After these initial tricks, continue onward with spins and perhaps flips to fill up the Trick Meter. At the initial jump onto the lowest area of the main course, perform a SHORT Ubertrick. If possible, try to position the character to fall over one of the two air vents, raising the character higher into the air to potentially hit floating stars and extending the time in which tricks and Ubertricks can be performed. Once landed, if you have not yet passed the second air vent, try to get over it, and perform a Character Ubertrick and hope to be blown through a floating star. Once landed, hurry down to the massive air vent. On the small platform leading to the massive air vent, boost-jump while performing a Character Ubertrick; IMMEDIATELY upon completion, since you will only be 1/2 or 2/3 up the massive air vent, perform a SHORT Ubertrick, then prepare to land on the metal slides. Flip up onto the top ledge. ONE TIME among the three iterations of the main part of the course, make use of one of the rails leading off the ledge; otherwise, perform an Ubertrick off the ledge and prepare to land below. In the obstacle-laden section below, it is imperative to hit the green lights to lower the next line of obstacles. Also, look for the floating yellow stars just beyond the bankings (usually located over the fencing), and try to hit them with tricks. Once clear of the obstacles, there will be a line of green lights which activate a ramp. ONE TIME through, make use of the ramp to perform a Character Ubertrick and pass through a floating red star in the large hole in the ground. Once in the hole, select a path (left or right), move on to the air vent at the end of the selected path, and perform a Character Ubertrick while being blown upward. If aligned correctly, you will land on one of the high rails; otherwise, you will land just before the lone air vent detailed at the end of the next paragraph. If you did not follow the paragraph above, simply go around the ramp and the hole in the ground past the Checkpoint. Use the air vents to again perform Ubertricks and Character Ubertricks and hopefully be blown through more floating stars. Once past this section, there is another area of green lights which lower obstacles; just beyond this is the landing area just before the lone air vent. Move over the lone air vent (just before the path splits into three) and rise into the air with Ubertricks, hopefully passing through floating stars. Upon landing, move ahead to the green lights, and pass through the door that opens. Inside, boost-jump correctly with a Character Ubertrick to pass through a floating red star. On landing, activate the green lights and pass through the opening door to the next section. Here, more green lights can be activated to set up a ramp to ride the overhead glass ahead, or you can pass by on either side of the ramp; pass by the ramp for the best point opportunities. Get past the circulating obstacles and make use of the various air vents - approaching from the side or from slightly past (doubling back) - to blow yourself upward and hopefully through more floating stars while performing more Ubertricks (often two or three Ubertricks per air vent). Once past the flippers at the end, continue on to the next jump, but SLOW GREATLY before the jump and perform a flip with a few grabs. Once on the ground below (where you were before), use the two air vents there to perform more Ubertricks and Character Ubertricks and try to get blown through more floating stars. After the third iteration of the course has been completed, the massive air vent will be turned off. Pass through the massive air vent and cross the Finish Line. ============================================== ALOHA ICE JAM Gold Medal: 175,000 points Shortly after the Starting Gate, there are two pipes coming out of the ground; take the pipe to the right. Grind this pipe, passing through floating yellow stars, and perform a spin as you are deposited back to the ground in the right half of the snow tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, look on the right side for an elevated pipe to grind over the deep gap (note that there is no such similar pipe from the left path through the tunnel) and jump off its end through a floating orange star while performing flips or spins with grabs. Back on the ground, look ahead for the two pipes coming out of the ground and jump off the banking by the right-side pipe, passing through a yellow floating star while performing a SHORT Ubertrick. Ahead, look for the wires heading off to the right, which leads to a shortcut which is easier than the main path. When deposited from the shortcut, try to perform a quick flip or spin off the nearby ramp. Then, look for the moving obstacle blocking the entrance to a glass-covered mini- tunnel. Once inside the mini-tunnel, a ramp will activate ahead; perform a Character Ubertrick up over a billboard and through a floating red star and land in the running water below entering an ice cave. Inside the ice cave, keep looping back and pointing uphill to do mistys and rodeos; or, use the sides of the cave to do flips and spins. Eventually, move on to the end, but SLOW GREATLY before the end to avoid being bounced off the next wires. Grind the wires across the gap into the tunnel with fans, then SLOW GREATLY AGAIN for the same reason, then use the next wires. Boost-jump off the end and pass through floating stars with a SHORT Ubertrick (avoid hitting the top of the billboard here). With luck, you should also clear the following gap before landing. If you have not cleared the next gap, make sure to jump the gap and land on the icy section. DO NOT go for the pipe to grind on the far left, or the raised tunnel or rails on the right, as these provide precious few possibilities for big points (but they are all good shortcuts to consider for Race Mode). In this icy section, keep trying to move side-to-side, AGAINST the direction of the course, performing tricks and Ubertricks to hit the various floating yellow and orange stars. If you can do this with regularity, you should have attained the Gold Medal by the end of this section where the final Checkpoint is located across a gap. Once past the Checkpoint, continue ahead; DO NOT go hard left through/past the red SSX Tricky glass panel except in Race Mode. Ahead, there are two rails coming out of the ground; use the rail on the left and grind it as it twists through the cave, passing through several floating yellow stars. Just beyond the point where you are deposited from the rail, look for the red SSX Tricky glass panel on the left and break through; continue on to grind the wires and billboard to pass through a floating yellow star and reach a high tunnel. When deposited from the tunnel, look for the center rail and grind it. Once through the floating yellow star, get off the rail and land on the ground, then boost to the final jump and boost-jump with an Ubertrick out onto the floating icebergs. If you are still a bit short of the required 175,000 points for the Gold Medal, use the icebergs to perform spins, flips, mistys, and rodeos. If you are short on points, it should not be by much, and there should be plenty of time left to gain enough points with standard tricks to win the Gold Medal. Cross the Finish Line before time runs out. One note of caution: DO NOT be 'cute' and try jumping into the pots of fire across the Finish Line. Doing so will trap the character in the flames (although the character will not burn, which is such a shame...), but since the character is not touching the ground and cannot bounce out of these pots, the only way out is to restart the console and the game, as the Select button will not work in this situation :-( ============================================== ALASKA Gold Medal: 500,000 points Immediately after the starting timer ends, perform a misty with a grab while falling through the initial floating yellow star. Once on the ice below (with at least 8,000 points), head for the center rail (I find it best to approach it from the left side). Grind the rail and pass through a yellow floating star; you will need to jump to the next rail, and then to another rail, hitting another floating yellow star. Come off the final rail and when the main course makes a quick right-left flick, boost-jump and perform a misty or rodeo off the icy banking of the right-hand flick. Continue on to the next rail, and grind it as long as possible, jumping to a second rail. Back on the ground, when the course turns to the right, continue on straight ahead up the high banking, and boost- jump with a Character Ubertrick; the large semi-transparent ice blocks will bounce you higher, allowing more time for grabs and spins before landing. Once back on the ground, continue along the main path until there is an icy jump on the inside of the main course as it turns to the right. Boost-jump off the ice and perform a SHORT Ubertrick, landing back on the main course. Continue on until there is a rail coming out of the ground. Grind this rail through a floating red star, and jump to another rail. Get back on the ground afterward. Try to follow the next rail and boost-jump to a floating red star high above a gap; if this is not possible, boost-jump over the gap while performing a SHORT Ubertrick and try to hit the floating yellow star. Once across the gap, follow the icy path, and jump the small gap ahead. Then boost-jump the larger gap with a SHORT Ubertrick. Once you land at the base of the billboards, turn right and look for the narrow ramp; boost-jump off the ramp with a Character Ubertrick, hitting a floating orange star. When you land, try to grind one of the two rails coming out of the ground. At the end of the chosen rail, boost-jump with an Ubertrick through a floating red star; land on the next rail if possible and boost-jump with another Ubertrick to the next set of floating stars - otherwise, stay on the ground and follow the moguls. At the base of the moguls is an icy path. Follow this path to the left and it turns to snow; boost-jump with a standard trick and hit a yellow floating star. Now, you should be on an iced-over river; make use of the frozen waves to perform brief spins and flips, and try to hit the low floating yellow star. Enter the ice cave and pass through, using the icy walls to perform flips and spins. At the end of the ice cave, perform a boost-jump and hopefully pass through one of the floating stars on the end of the rails. Then edge to the right and ride the various rails (with have some gaps between them and variously-colored floating stars above them) until you pass the next Checkpoint and huge gap and arrive at the double- halfpipe. Spend a lot of time here in the double-halfpipe, performing Ubertricks and Character Ubertricks. TRICKY should be spelled rather quickly, but keep performing Ubertricks and Character Ubertricks until only about thirty seconds remain. Continue on along either path and boost-jump off the top of the vertical hairpin turn, launching upward through the orange and (hopefully) red floating stars with a Character Ubertrick to gain maximum points. (Note that until these vertical hairpins are mastered, it is quite possible that you will end up going back the way you came and heading back toward the double-halfpipe; this is why it is important to initially leave the halfpipe area with around thirty seconds remaining, but this time will certainly be reduced once the vertical hairpins have been mastered. Also, to the extent possible, try to always use the same hairpin - either the one to the right or the one to the left - in any event at Alaska; the continuity will help greatly.) Upon landing, continue onward with boost, and boost-jump EXACTLY at the center of the next natural jump (located exactly at the Checkpoint signs) while performing another Character Ubertrick; if done correctly, you should land a long distance away on a raised ledge after passing through a floating red star (barely floating above the ledge). Continue on through the brief ice tunnel; do not worry about the stalactites as they break off easily and will not cause any harm. Continue onward straight down the center. Do not try to jump off the ice-covered hills along the way to reach more stars, as this will likely lead you off-line for the floating red star at the end of this area. At the final jump before the big gap, boost-jump with a Character Ubertrick to hit the floating orange and/or red stars just before landing at the top of the opposite cliff. By this time, you should have attained the Gold Medal if all has gone well. (Note that this is a prime shortcut in Race Mode.) Move down the cliff and take the ice tunnel on the left; from this position, it will be difficult to get to the right-side ice tunnel anyhow (the right-side tunnel is also more difficult to follow). After the descent, boost-jump about halfway up the following incline with a Character Ubertrick and pass through a floating yellow star; if you jump much later, you will almost certainly overshoot the star and quite possibly bang your head on the icy ceiling. Continue on, and the two paths will rejoin. Continue ahead over two sets of eight bumps each before reaching an icy jump again; boost-jump with a SHORT Ubertrick through the floating yellow star. Power downhill and look for the rails ahead; grind the rails, jumping rails as necessary. On the final rail of this set, jump up just enough to hit the floating red star, then land back on the rail again. Once off the rail and back on the ice, boost and prepare for THE BIG JUMP. Shortly before the top of this long icy fan- assisted climb, boost-jump and IMMEDIATELY perform a series of two Character Ubertricks as you float through at least one of the three floating stars. Upon successful landing, boost- jump again between the two rails coming out of the ground, and perform one final Character Ubertrick, hopefully passing through the orange floating star far below. Once you land, hurry down the steep slope to the Finish Line. ============================================== PIPEDREAM Gold Medal: 800,000 points Pipedream, located in Single Event, is only available once a character has achieved Master Status in World Circuit. There are trick and Ubertrick possibilities all over this three- tiered venue; however, I use a very particular path (center, left, center) at Pipedream which will be detailed here. Tier One After descending the initial semi-steep slope, begin prewinding the first trick and keep heading straight ahead (not turning or using the rails coming out of the ground). At the very top of the natural jump straight ahead, jump and perform a triple misty or triple rodeo while gliding through the floating orange star, thus amassing a full Trick Meter. Upon landing, veer slightly to the left to get around the hump ahead, and enter the snowy halfpipe. Once in this halfpipe, begin performing Ubertricks (NOT Character Ubertricks - save those for Tiers Two and Three). However, be sure to jump before reaching the top of the halfpipe (the yellow area), or else you will land ON the yellow area and disrupt any rhythm you had created. Continue doing this at least six times - until TRICKY has been spelled - thus gaining Infinite Boost and perpetual Ubertrick possibilities. Here, make your way to the front of Tier One and cross over to the very far left side; DO NOT go past the first Checkpoint yet. Once on the far left side, there should be plenty of time to perform one or two more Uberticks in that much wider halfpipe before thundering toward the first Checkpoint. Tier Two This section is marked by a larger halfpipe on the far left side (where you should be now). After crossing the first Checkpoint, look for the rail coming out of the ground leading down into the halfpipe and grind it; make sure to jump with a flip or a spin to catch the floating yellow star above the rail. The rail will deposit you in the halfpipe. From here, continually boost-jump and perform Character Ubertricks combined with standard Ubertricks and try to hit the floating orange and red stars high above the edges (near the center) of this halfpipe. With about twenty seconds remaining, go to the far left and grind the rail heading toward Tier Three. You will need to edge off to the left as this rail turns, then continue on toward the leftmost Checkpoint sign until you see a rail curving to the right as it comes out of the ground. Grind this rail and pass the second Checkpoint. Tier Three This is the very bottom of the course. Continue grinding the rail, hopefully with the character's head passing through a floating orange star (this may be difficult with a smaller character such as Kaori). The rail will deposit you just before a ramp; boost-jump off the ramp with a Character Ubertrick, and - with correct placement on the ramp - through a floating red star. As soon as you land, cross over to the right and look for the rail along the ground which passes through Luther's legs. Grind that long, winding rail through 720 degrees of rotation before it straightens out; once the rail straightens, boost-jump with a Character Ubertrick to pass through a floating red star as you land inside the largest of the halfpipes, just before the end of the Pipedream venue. By this time, you should have attained the Gold Medal for Pipedream; if not, you will certainly attain it inside this massive halfpipe. Here in this halfpipe, continue boost-jumping with Ubertricks and Character Ubertricks, trying to hit the many floating stars hidden between the various horizontal glass panels. Keep doing this until there are about ten seconds remaining, then land your current trick or Ubertrick (if necessary) to place the character just outside the massive halfpipe. Boost toward the Finish Line to end :-) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SUBJECTIVE SECTION Favorite venues (Showoff): Elysium Alps Garibaldi Merqury City Meltdown Pipedream (available in Freeride and Single Event only) Snowdream Tokyo Megaplex Favorite characters (play): Elise JP Kaori Marisol Moby Psymon Zoe Favorite characters (chatter): Kaori Marisol Psymon Zoe Favorite characters (personalities): Kaori Marisol Moby Psymon Zoe Favorite characters (Ubertricks): Kaori Marisol Psymon Favorite outfits (by character, by order unlocked): Brodi: Yin Yang Elise: Lady Law JP: MC Maitre D Kaori: Super Excellent Marisol: Vintage Rioja Moby: Jones' Tones, Master Psymon: Nightmare, Master Zoe: Rawk On, Naughty Girl, Royale Trinity, Master ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTACT INFORMATION For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving guide, please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2 game guides, please visit FeatherGuides (http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/). The latest version will always be immediately available at FeatherGuides, while other Web sites may lag behind by several days in their regularly-scheduled posting updates. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ======================================================================= Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford ======================================================================= Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are. - Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_ ======================================================================= What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_ =======================================================================