Shutokou Battle FAQ/Walkthrough/Secrets By Felis Concolor (10/18/1999) concolor@cris.com concolor@concentric.net rev 3.0 1. Overview 2. Menu and Interface 3. Car Types 4. Game Play 5. Driving Clubs 6. Tips and Suggestions 7. Secret Cars and Upgrade Parts (TokyoX Specific) 8. Differences between Shutokou/TokyoX 1. Overview Welcome to Shutokou Battle. This racing sim immerses you in the world of late night street racing on Tokyo's famed Shuto, the expressway and business loop that circles the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Tower. The accuracy of the track is exact: For further research check out a street and rail atlas of Japan; the outline is clearly visible and follows the course laid out in exacting detail. The game itself is fairly straightforward; take your 25,000 initial construction points and buy a car, outfit it with engine, transmission, brake, chassis and cosmetic upgrades, then take to the streets and pick a fight. If you're good, you'll win the respect and "money" of a rival. If not, you can always try again later in the night or later in the game if you feel your car is not up to the task. For those willing to hammer away and practice on a few laps that night it is entirely possible to defeat members of such lofty driving clubs as TR Racing, Speed Box and even the highest echelon, Speed Master on your first outing. For the latter I have been extremely lucky with traffic but a win is a win and I will take the credit and the points no matter how it happens; the street is an unforgiving battleground. As you begin to defeat cars, your database fills with info on your fellow rivals. Their car types, names and a little bio on each member become available upon your first victory. If you have challenged and lost or your race ended in a draw the only data you receive is the car type and driver name. Keep at it; one day you will know all by winning everything. As your wins increase, so does your reputation. This changes the rules of the game as you no longer challenge all drivers but are increasingly challenged by other club leaders wanting a piece of you. Stomp on them and the Devas begin asking, "who is this guy?" You can expect some nights to be quite hectic as you shut down several club members followed by their leaders and then battle for your honor against such characters as Death Driver, Midnight Cinderella and the Silver Wolf. Outdrive these loners and you'll earn a congratulations screen and some great closing music by Ziggy. Those who have access to Tokyo Pop or another anime music importer might want to check out the CD advertised in the back of the game flyer; with today's exchange rate it will cost from $29-37 but I feel it is worth every penny. Oh yeah, the order number for the latest Ziggy CD is AICT-1040. 2. Menu and Interface The Main Menu After you press Start to begin the game you are presented with a menu screen. Menu selections are (from left to right): Quick Race: Choose this for practice against an increasingly stronger selection of adversaries. You can choose either the sprint race (good for practicing your Quest Mode battles) or a single lap of the circuit. You are given the choice of using the pre-packaged cars or loading your own from the VMS. As you defeat more cars in the sprint your challenge bar is not replenished; you must stay ahead for the entire battle in order to win. The Time Battle selection on the lower part of the screen is a single lap of the Shuto either clockwise or counterclockwise; whoever crosses the green line at the end first wins. Opponents start out fairly anemic in both and are ratcheted up in speed and handling until you fall. This is where you can unlock the Fairlady Z or Type S30 car (TokyoX only). VS Race: Challenge a friend with their controller and VMS. You can use one of the stock vehicles or load your favorite saved car from Quest Mode. The battle selections are the same as in Quick Race. Quest: The core of the basic game. Selecting this allows you to start up a new quest or load a save that is in progress. This takes you to the Quest Mode menu system. Practice: Build up your skill sets without any rivals on the course. You can choose A or B circuits, traffic or no traffic and your saved cars or the Quick Race cars. Practice can be ended by taking an offramp or pressing Start and using the menu. Options: Miscellaneous settings and replay saves can be found here. In order, clockwise from the bottom left of the screen, are: Key Config: Change your controller settings and default shift and flash buttons. Load Replay: Saved a favorite race on your VMS? Relive the glory here. Save Game File: Save settings to your own or another VMS. Also used to save high scores from the SP and Time Battle games. Load Game File: Load settings from your or a friend's VMS. Sound: Change BGM levels from 0 to 127, select stereo or mono sound playback and test each of the available race and BGM music tracks. The vocal track is not available here; use the default Dreamcast system menu to play that one. Network: If you are already running the Dream Passport software, congratulations. I have been unable to set my own machine up for Internet use so have been unable to further research this area. Below follows a brief description of each menu setting from the Quest Mode menu. In clockwise order from the top right, they are: Tuning: This submenu allows you to purchase parts, adjust settings on your car and change such accessories as Aero parts, Muffler types and custom Wheels. This section will be covered in depth later. Battle: The core of the game. Choose this selector and you will be presented with the A and B courses for your evening cruise. The following screen allows you to turn on the generic car markers (use the triggers to toggle) and select between manual or automatic shift modes with the analog hat. System: Allows you to save or load a game, end the Quest Mode and return to the pening screen (any unsaved data will be lost) and change the key configuration on your controller (switches shifting buttons and the high beam flash button only; all other controls are locked in place). Rival: The logbook. Use this to check up on who you have defeated, who you have met and who remains to be found. When the rival has been defeated at least once the car will appear as a brightly lit model and the biography section will be filled with some data on the driver him/herself. Shop: Buy and sell cars. You are not allowed to sell your driving car; use the garage to change them over. You cannot sell your only car so if you are just a few CPs short of that Skyline or Supra you will have to go back out and earn them on the street that night before parting with your old ride. I tend not to sell any of my purchased cars as it is more fun to upgrade them and compare notes on their unique performance profiles. Garage: Your storage area. Here is where you can change over to a different vehicle in the stable and rename them to suit your tastes. Select the car you want to use or work on and change it with the A button. The Quest Mode menu also displays which day/night it is for you in the game and how many CPs you have in your personal stock. The Tuning Menu Buy Parts: Selecting this takes you to the upgrade purchase section for your selected car. Using the triggers on your controller brings up the data screen overlay, listing your car's critical dimensions, its power and torque ratings, the drive system and final drive ratio. The settings are listed in metric terms, multiply the Torque rating by 6.8 for the equivalent foot-pounds listing. The upgrade choices, listed left to right, are: 1. Engine: This upgrades the heart of your machine and affects acceleration and to a lesser extent top speed. Engine upgrades start at around 10% of your car's purchase price and in some cases can exceed the cost of the car itself. 2. Brakes/Control Arms/Shock Absorbers: This section unlocks greater levels of adjustment on the Settings submenu. Level Two opens up Brake Balance, while Level Three allows you to change Ride Height (setting 4), Jounce and Rebound (5 & 6). 3. Transmission: Your greatest top speed gains occur here. As you upgrade your transmission you are given the ability to modify your shift points (Level Two, setting 7) and Final Drive ratio (Level Three, setting 8). Higher transmission upgrades give you a closer ratio gearbox and your acceleration improves noticeably. 4. Chassis: How stiff your car's subframe is. Cranking this up reduces flex and gives you greater control when your car starts to slide or bumps an obstacle. Settings are not affected by these upgrades although it does give some of the best overall performance gains. Couple chassis upgrades with the higher end wheels for a car that is easy to aim. 5. Muffler: Speed and sound. These upgrades give you a freer flowing exhaust, improving acceleration slightly and top end performance as well as changing your exhaust note. I tend to wait until I can afford the storm drain pipe, then slap it on and crack some windshields. 6. Wheels: Where the rubber meets the road. These items are expensive not just because they look good: They can radically improve your car's performance in the corners. Most cars have two or three different styles for each upgrade level. The breakdown is as follows: The first three wheels in a series are soft compound for the front, hard compound for the rear. The second three wheels in a series are hard compound for the front, soft compound for the rear. The third set of wheels are soft compound front and rear. Each wheel increases diameter by one inch within a set, ergo wheel five would be a +2 wheel with hard compound front and soft compound rear tires. 7. Aero: Looks good, feels great. This submenu is composed of separate sections for each car, some of which will not apply to certain automobiles. Sadly there is no way to check the overall look of several separate pieces before you buy, so page through each one until you figure out what bits will look best for your ride. Use your save feature before trying them out; if you do not like the look, reload the previously saved game. I have not tested this area but the various wings and spoilers do not seem to affect overall performance. 8. Color: Match the hues to your moods. Are you the strong, silent type? Perhaps a bold "ticket me red" scheme is more to your liking? Each color slider has nearly 200 clicks available; if you cannot find the mix you like you probably cannot get it from DuPont either. For metallics slide the adjustment towards the low end of the scale; bright solids can be found from the midpoint upwards. Settings: This submenu is straightforward and uses sliders for settings (press A to lock in the changes) with a default button for use if you really screw things up. The list in order is: 1. Steering Response: Do you want a twitch car or do you prefer larger, more deliberate inputs? Settings range from Slow to Quick. 2. Brake Response: How quickly do you want your brakes to grab? Quick response allows for rapid flicking of the tail during high speed maneuvers but you run the risk of locking up and losing control. These first two settings are the only ones available on a stock car. 3. Brake Balance: Available after level two suspension upgrades, this allows you to change which set of discs engages strongest. Forward bias enables straight stopping while rearward bias allows one to drift through corners with ease. 4. Ride Height: Low to high, this allows you to alter the car's center of gravity. Low cars are more stable but not as responsive during cornering. 5 and 6. Jounce and Rebound: Shock absorber terms that allow you to change your car's behavior on bounces, braking and drifts after Level Three suspension upgrades. 7. Crossmission (Transmission) Shift Points: Lower them for a quicker dash to top gear, raise them for a higher top speed. Appears after Level Two transmission upgrades. 8. Final Gear: Raise it for quicker overall acceleration, lower it for a higher top speed. It is available as part of your third transmission upgrade. Traditionally the terms used reflect the opposite of their settings; "tall gearing" refers to a low number while "short gearing" is a high ratio. Change Parts: If you have upgraded your car or have more than one Aero, Wheel or Muffler unit in your system you can change between them on this menu. Each subsystem you have will be displayed here. Select the item you wish to place on your car and press the A button. 3. Car Types Your limited funds prohibit you from purchasing many of the neatest bits of hardware when you start up the game but do not fret; any car you can afford initially may be upgraded to the point where you can hold off and defeat the first three Devas (although defeating Silver Wolf in the Toyota Corolla can be an exercise in frustration). For first cars I usually purchase the EK9 or S14. These are quite different in their performance and handling profiles and are where most drivers diverge in their styles. A brief description of the cars available for first purchase follows. 25,000 CP and under cars. AE86L: Toyota Corolla (80s variant). Classic starter car. 16,000 CP cost allows for two engine upgrades necessary to challenge the middle ranks. Use your first night's winnings to crank up your engine and transmission once again. AE86T: Toyota Corolla (80s style, pop up headlights). Another favorite. Same price, similar in most areas to AE86L but with slightly higher top speed after upgrades. In the import version of the game (Shutokou Battle) it can be purchased as an experimental car sponsored by the West Japan Industrial Company. Beware; taking that upgrade path means you will be spending much more on the car before maxing it out. S13: Nissan Silvia/240SX. 20,000 CP will give you enough for a single engine upgrade, but I would instead recommend: S14: Same model, this one even newer. Upgrade this to its maximum and you'll have no difficulty taking on the Devas when they appear. 25,000 CP means you'll be flat broke after you purchase it. Both S13 and S14 are RWD and exhibit lift throttle oversteer in addition to kicking out the tail at speed. RPS13: Nissan 240SX. Good looks, delightful balance just like the original. This is another car that leaves you next to nothing. 24,000 CP means you can buy a few cosmetic bits or change the color to your liking before hitting the streets. The learning curve is steep for this car; give it two to three engine upgrades before cranking up the chassis and transmission to match. EK9: Honda Civic. The perennial favorite of the boy racer, this car has an especially tight FWD chassis and can outsprint the Toyota Corolla when maxed out. This car corrects any steering inputs in a matter of milliseconds; pointing it straight or sliding through wide sweepers is especially fun. 20,000 CP gives you enough for one engine upgrade; take three before working on anything else. DC2: Acura Integra. Tight FWD chassis, understeers horribly at speed. Use throttle and brake adjustments to point the nose where you want to go. This car can be developed to take on Silver Wolf before retirement. 25,000 CP. Over 25,000 CP cars SW20: Toyota MR2. The first performance car to prove that mid engine and high reliability are not mutually exclusive items. Balance is neutral with a slight bias towards oversteer. Careful chassis tweaks can keep this one in the game until Zero shows up. The highest club this one appears in is Wind Stars. 30,000 CP. JZA80: Toyota Supra. This car remains loose in its handling all throughout its upgrade cycle; use the chassis mods to unlock its best performance. This car can take you through the end of the Quest; be prepared to rechallenge the Devils once they show up. 45,000 CP. XE10: Toyota Altezza. A mid sized luxury performance sedan that is very good in the midgame. Only the CE9A/CP9A have a tighter initial chassis among the sedans. 35,000 CP. JZX100: Toyota Crown Mark II. This looks to be a very close relative of the Lexus 400 series. Do not let its size fool you; this car has the acceleration curve of an express train. Get up to speed and you'll be leaving many of the wedge cars behind. 33,000 CP. R32: Nissan Skyline (early 90s model). Some people wonder why I am glad that Renault now controls much of Nissan. Knowing that we have been denied their finest performance sedan for nearly thirty years is reason enough for me. If you are having trouble finishing the game with your current supercar, pick up one of these and max it out. If that does not seem like enough, then try: R33: Nissan Skyline (mid 90s model). Slightly higher top speed, same neutral balance. R32 costs 45,000 while R33 tips the scales at 50,000 CPs. Z32: Nissan Z. Abandoning the numeric codes in favor of the letter that made it famous, this car exhibits greater neutral balance than the SW20/MR2. Letting go of the steering wheel or analog hat simply leaves the car drifting in the direction it was pointed. You need to actively point the nose where you want to go; this diminishes with upgraded chassis modifications. 40,000 CP. Y33C/Y33G: Nissan Cedric/Gloria. The big ones. More than a ton and a half of steel, glass and rubber means you can really throw some weight around. Perfect for those who like to get ahead and win through intimidation. 38,000 CPs for both. NA2: Acura NSX. The fastest car in the game; only experts need apply. Getting it up to speed demands absolute precision in traffic sorting and cornering but when you do it right it is wonderful; being in the lead at the start of the long straight spells "it's over" for most pursuers. 95,000 CP. CE9A/CP9A: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III/V. An AWD coupe with a tight chassis. Some drivers will avoid this model as it can be difficult to set up for drift or oversteer. Others enjoy its stability; it is very difficult to screw up with this one. Great for midgame to endgame playing, tweak the transmission for best acceleration and let your rivals figure out how to get past you. CE9A is 35,000 CP, CP9A is 40,000 CP. FC/FD: Mazda RX7 2nd/3rd generation. Although they lost their focus briefly in the mid 80s Mazda returned to the high performance arena with a vengeance in the 90s; an ounce here and an ounce there equals one of the lightest and quickest two seat cars on the road today. Slight oversteer balance is easy to tune; pick up Midnight Cinderella's secret paint job and impress your friends. FC costs 30,000 to start with while FD will set you back 45,000 CP. GC8: Subaru Impreza WRC. Having experienced all of the real world mini-4WD/AWD offerings from Japan (for the domestic market) in the past decade I ask; why bother? Subaru's chassis continues to define the genre and set the standard; if it weren't for those horrible cupholder ergonomics and awful seatbelt/window ledge positioning I would be driving a Forester today. This chassis is for those who like the AWD sedans but desire something a little looser in the corners; setting up drifts in this model is easy. Remove the rear loop spoiler and stick on the flat wing tab for understated elegance. 40,000 CP. GFLF/GFLS: Mitsubishi Eclipse (Tokyo Xtreme Racer only). It must be me; I love the GFLF chassis but find the GFLS's handling to be even less attractive than the styling (and here I thought Honda Quaaludes were soporific). Changing to FWD only serves to hurt this car's reputation. It is all subjective, however; do not be too annoyed with my rant. The GLFS is preferable to the DC2 in overall performance, however; I would rather be stuck in the former than have to find a workable chassis tweak for the Integra once again (two weeks of game time; ouch!). Special Cars: These cars cannot be had until certain Quest Mode points have been reached. After you defeat The Four Devas you will be presented with purchase options for: S15: This is the latest iteration of the S13/S14/240SX line and has several main upgrades greyed out. I assume this is because the parts used are actual aftermarket units and nothing has yet been developed for this car. The major areas (Engine, Suspension, Transmission, Chassis and Wheels) are still available for upgrades as is the color menu. 33,000 CP. AP1: Honda S2000. Apparently Honda will treat us to this beauty in the next model year; go ahead and give your local dealer some grief if you really want one. This car makes you feel like you are a much better driver than you are; drifting is easier in this car than any other. You have to be perfect with it in order to challenge the middle and upper ranks, however; its top speed is quite limited in relation to the larger sedans. 40,000 CP. For the next pair of cars you have to finish the game (defeat the final driver in his Fairlady). After saving, check out the shop; you will be able to purchase: R34: Nissan Skyline GT-R (current model year). This is it; the car that makes it all worthwhile. If you enjoyed the R32 and R33 you'll love how much further the R34 takes them. Maxed out and with a transmission tweaked for acceleration you can pull anyone on the track, except maybe the following model: P930: Porsche 930. This, the ultimate evolution of the famed 911 series never made it out of the 80s. Its legacy can be seen to this day in the many frog faced iterations rolling down the highways. Formidable in stock trim, max it out and it becomes a physical manifestation of the equation "Delta-V". Rear engine rear wheel drive means you really have to lock down the chassis or be slapping the walls on every corner. Upgrading this monster can easily set you back over 400,000 CPs. Only one car costs more to upgrade. The R34 will set you back 55,000 CPs if you pick it up but this pales in comparison to the P930's startup cost; 130,000 CPs! 4. Game Play After you choose your car and outfit it the way you like, you then hit the streets and see how you measure up against the speed kings and queens who prowl the circuit. Yes, there are female drivers in this game. You will have to deal with girls who can outdrive guys when you start to ascend the ranks. Choice of course is limited to a clockwise or counterclockwise circuit; each has a unique flavor and some drivers will find one direction to be their forte. You will need to switch back and forth between sides to optimize your challenges. Some of the drivers you battle will also have weaknesses on certain courses. As you circle the Shuto you will see your car indicated as a blinking yellow square on the overall course map. Other cars to challenge are indicated in blue, red or green squares. Blue squares are car/driver combinations you have not met before, red squares indicate a racer whose status is still undefeated (Lose/Draw on the outcome menu) and green is the all clear light. You have defeated that racer at least once but can still challenge them for more CPs. Often you will find yourself taking someone on a second or third time because the race is on the way to a new rival. The rival's purse is set highest for the first victory; it is reduced to 40% of its original value afterwards. You also receive bonus points for how many ticks are left on your challenge bar at the end of the match (100-1 x modifier, 0 means you have lost) and how many meters you have travelled (1CP/10Meters, 100CP/Kilometer). Challenging other drivers is straightforward. Approach from the rear until the club logo and challenge bars appear at the top of the screen. You will also see a name in hiragana, katakana, kanji and the occasional roman alphabet on the left hand side of the screen (only applies to Shutokou Battle; all names are alphabetic in TokyoX). When you feel it is time, press the B button (default) to flash the driver with your high beams. This challenged, the autopilot takes over and you both activate your hazard lamps to begin the contest. In most cases you will be challenging in the overtaking position. On occasion a fortuitous placement of traffic or freeway dividers can give you the lead when the timer counts down to takeoff. Use these situations wisely; you can often defeat a clearly superior car simply be being in the lead at the start of a favorite section. The victory conditions are simple; stay ahead of your rival for as long as possible, demonstrating your superior driving skills. The further ahead you are the faster your rival's challenge bar drops. This can also be used as a subliminal indication of how hard you need to push things. If the bar is dropping like a stone you might want to take it easy and clean up your line through traffic. If the bar seems like it is not moving at all you'll need to stand on the throttle in order to give yourself some distance and breathing room. When the rival is within several tens of meters you can also hear the hum of his or her engine, another useful indicator. The drivers are programmed with differing skill levels and skill sets. Some are insanely fast on the long sweepers, some are especially adept at weaving through shifting traffic, some can barrel through chicanes and complex passages with ease. A select few can do all of these: Fear them. Races can be won, lost or drawn. Wins are straightforward; you made it, now take the money and pick on somebody else. Losses indicate a need to hone technique or upgrade a car. Draws can be initiated by several events; you can split up where the highway divides between high and low roads, take an offramp accidentally or on purpose. In either case the contest is unresolved and the car's blue square turns to red to remind you of unfinished business. After the race the Results Menu will appear, allowing you to relive the glory (or cringe through the debacle) and analyze your attack, save the race movie to your VMS (expensive, 75 blocks required) or return to the track and harass some more drivers. This also allows you to hook up a VCR and record your victories to show disbelieving friends ("Silver Wolf in a CRX? I'll believe it when I see it."). The menus also allow you to exit the evening with a simple command but I consider this bad form. Use the supplied exits to end the night; this also allows you to practice a bit after challenges and can help maintain the atmosphere created by the game. When you start to pick off the members of a club the word gets back to whoever leads that group and his or her interest rises in you. When you remove the second to last member of the club you will exit the Results Menu to find that this time you are the one being challenged by the club leader in a final reckoning race. It is almost as if they are saying, "alright; you have humiliated every member of my club; let's see how good you really are." Win that race and the Devas become interested in your abilities. The first Deva will challenge you after you defeat two club leaders. This will be your first three race back-to-back stint as you defeat the club member followed directly by the club leader followed by Death Driver himself. Shut him down and you will have more than enough points for at least one high level engine upgrade or possibly a new car. Each successive Deva will appear after two clubs have been defeated. Some nights will see you fending off two Deva attacks if you shut down enough driving clubs that evening. If you are unable to defeat the Deva that night he or she will continue to harass you each following night after any regular or club victory until you slap them hard. Occasionally they will not show up after a battle; it usually means they are one of the red squares on the track waiting for your challenge ("You are not a Jedi yet."). The earliest I have encountered a Deva was night two after closing out Rolling Guy and Curving Edge, the longest was six days as I laboriously worked my way through seven separate clubs, never completely defeating any until that fateful evening. After you race and defeat the fourth Deva the game ends and you are given a victory screen and some great music by Ziggy. After saving your progress you then find out the game was only beginning; you still have to defeat the other club members and leaders. There are also four new super drivers out there, this time called The Four Devils. These drivers show up when the Devas refuse to cruise the Shuto. When they appear it is to say, "alright; let's see how rough you can play." The CP values are quite high; you can purchase most cars on a single victory's points. Take care of these masters and you will receive a second victory celebration and a well deserved rest. The frequency of each Devil's appearance is timed to the defeat of three clubs. 5. Driving Clubs A list of the clubs, their general styles and select members follows: 1. Rolling Guy: These guys are feeble both in cars and mind. With such imaginative names as Rolling Guy 1, Rolling Guy 2, Rolling Guy 3 and so on you should feel ashamed if you ever lose to one of these putzes. Looks like Bob Marley behind the wheel on their logo; perhaps they have been hitting the weed too often? 2. Curving Edge: Better equipment but whoever is behind the wheel is woefully inadequate. Names get better; Shutokou Prince leads this group. 3. SS Limited: Luxury cars with jerks behind the wheels. Names like Heaven's 4 Doors and Black Line (Brakeline? Black Rain? Until they create a katakana 'l' translations will be less than exact) belie their abilities; they have mass and know how to use it. Pass them and it's all over. 4. Elegant Wild: Cars as curvaceous as the name. Deep Green, White Revolution and 300 Mile Red Ruby have decent top speeds; screw up early if at all. 5. Max Racing: SS Limited hopes to one day be first class assholes like these guys. Bloody Rose leads this crew of heavyweights. 6. Diamond Image: A motley crew of basic and second level cars. Lone Wolf, Lightning Foot and Yellow Angel might well be insurmountable for some stock cars. They have decent traffic abilities; mix it up with them on the ramps. 7. Fine Drive: Look at their logo and say, "Club ED". Red Comet leads this large club, driving a car you can't purchase until the first game is finished. Think Elegant Wild with higher top speeds and better traffic sorting. 8. Twister: Good in traffic, great for top speed. Keep them to the twisties and you should not have a problem. Names like Shooting Star and Blue Light are found here. 9. R. Gang: Vintage revolvers for a logo, insanely tall final drive ratios for speed. They are deceptively easy to pull at the start; screw up late in the game and it's all over. Street Dancer and Raindrop are members. 10. Tokio Jungle: These guys know how to keep close by your tail; defeating them usually involves driving past the next rival on the course. MJ6feet6? If that's a height measurement this driver is not only the tallest racer in Japan he's the tallest who can fit into a Honda Civic. Slide Freak drives a second generation turbocharged RK-7 while their leader is simply titled "ii-oh". 11. Top Level: The tree huggers. Lots of AWD Sedans means they can take any line they want. Pass them, then run like hell. 12. Free Way: The name is the game. What would happen if you combined R. Gang's high final drive ratios with real power? The result can reel you in on any long straightaway. Make all your gains in the technical sections and hope to be in the lead by the next corner. Axle Junkie is the most colorful of the bunch while Crystal Nights has a nice front end aero treatment. Stand on it and steer; they're right behind you. 13. Another Star: By the time you meet them you'll say Another Scrub. Names like Blue Speed and Silver Speed will bring back memories of Rolling Guy although Battle Scratch does redeem their ranks somewhat. 14. Speed Box: The most expensive club on a per car basis. Everyone drives Acura NSX vehicles and they know how to use them. Try to set up a lead when you flash to challenge; they're fast and can hurt your challenge bar early and quickly. Burning Red has a nice aero treatment, while Killing Machine keeps his missile looking stock. 15. TR Racing: Their logo has wings and for good reason; these drivers can fly!. No matter how many times I defeat them, neither Lovely Lina nor 180 Master will give me their phone numbers. Street Queen's the hardest of the basic club members while Dancing Chaser drives a Lexus 400-series luxury sedan faster than any male driver. Hey, Evangelion fans; the purple Skyline is driven by Rev Limit Shinji! 16. Cupid Arrows: The all girl kickass team. A name that screams "pansy" with drivers that make grown men cry. This team is ranked below Speed Master, Wind Star and RR yet you need a high level car in order to defeat them. Uniformly nasty, they excel in traffic, corners and straights with their only weakness being a limited top speed. Once you shut them down you know you have reached the big time. Moonlight Child and 246 Heartbreaker are noted traffic sorters. Sonic Runner drives the only Honda S2000 in the game. It's painted blue...perhaps she's a relative of the hedgehog? 17. Wind Star: These fellows do much more justice to the name than the minivan. R Magic, Black Magic and Diamond Dust are worthy opponents with Yellow Flare driving a gorgeous S15. Black Magician's MR2 has a large wing on the nose; one friend cannot help but give a Kevin Cartman "ramp him! ramp him!" whenever he drives by. 18. R. R.: The Rotary Club. Nothing but Mazda RX-7s of second and third generation design. Cornering Artist, Hiroshi and High Speed Star are all highlights. 19. Rings: Win Ugly. These fellows are better at playing in traffic than you are. See the wall, feel the wall, make them eat the wall. While you can get lucky with traffic against Speed Master there is no such out for this club; high level cars are required for the win. 20. Speed Master: The pinnacle. You don't need to be perfect, it just makes winning a lot easier if you are. The leader's name says it all: Iceman. Put the freeze on these after honing your skills to perfection. Maniac Player drives a well done red GC8, while Black Angel has butchered his onyx Supra's lines with one of the larger wings in the game. He could use some style points from First Beat. That's it for the basic drivers. The Devas and Devils are unique in that they are listed with the same club name yet are not displayed subordinate to each other. The Devas 1. Death God Driver/Grim Reaper: The logo speaks louder than words; this fellow is here for your soul. With a level three engine and an upgraded chassis on your basic ride he can be tough but defeatable. Once he has been closed down pour your winnings into one more engine and chassis upgrade before taking on: 2. Midnight Cinderella: Her family name is Hayashibara but this is no Megumi. Her white RX-7 is painted with a wild blue flame job and is quite difficult to get around, possibly because she learned her unique driving style while living in America. EK9 with three engine upgrades can keep ahead briefly; give it four and she is no problem. 3. Silver Wolf/Nocturnal Wolf: Silver Skyline, black heart. This fellow knows the perfect line; too bad if you're trying to take it as well. Work hard on traffic sorting and line changing on sweeping curves and he will fall eventually. 4. Dreaming Apparition/Banshee: Driving a tricked out golden NSX with flames and sporting a logo that features a skull with a manji carved into its forehead this car screams, "run, little one or I will chew you up, spit you out, slurp up the pieces and spit them out again." The final super driver for the first game. The Devils 1. Crimson Demon/Raven Blood: This fellow drives a new R34 Skyline with impressive graphics and numerics printed on the hood, sides and wings. Easily the ugliest driver of the Devils; you should feel no qualms when you slam him into a guardrail, highway divider or other car. 2. Exhaust Eve: Check it out; she's an Office Lady! Piloting a hot pink Toyota Supra with Italian racer style red and green stripes this girl drives as beautifully as her car is brash. Keep her in traffic for the best challenge. 3. ZERO: This driver has been bothering people for over 10 years and it's easy to understand why. A Porsche 930 turbocar is still a formidable foe, despite the last ones being produced before the 80s were over. He's good but perfection can be his undoing; traffic can upset him heavily. 4. The Man With No Name. He drives a car that is already older than most people who will play the game. His logo features a demonic skull munching on an inverted Christian cross with the numerals 666 stamped above. His weapon of choice? A 1972 Datsun Fairlady Z. Be afraid; be very afraid. This driver has been kicking everyone around for well over 10 years and no one has shut him down...until you come along. It is up to you to show him who is the master, once and for all. 6. Basic Tips and Suggestions Construction Points Each driver has a basic purse that is modified according to the victory conditions. The first time you race somebody the bonus modifier is five; you can never receive this bonus again. If you lose or draw the first race the bonus modifier drops immediately to four for the first victory. This means that you win 20% more CPs if the car's light goes straight from blue to green. Any further challenges after the first victory have a bonus modifier of two, just 40% of the original prize purse. You also receive a challenge bar bonus based on the number of percentage points left. If you win a race going away you receive a nice extra; if it was ugly and involved switching the lead several times expect there to be very little as a challenge bonus. You always receive points for the race at a rate of 1CP per 10 meters driven. This has altered my strategy on several occasion as I let more difficult drivers go for a night or two until I knew my upgraded car could finish them off. Upgrades Upgrading your car can make a major difference in how it handles on the course as well as how quickly it responds to your inputs on the controller. Engine, Chassis, Brakes, Transmission and other areas can all make a difference in how the car behaves and balancing them can be crucial to early success. Use your save feature to your advantage. When you have lots of CPs to spend after an evening save the game first, then go shopping and pick up the parts you want to play around with and hit the highway once again. If that setup does not seem right then reload the old save, pick up different equipment and try again. With diligence you can shut down everyone within 25 game days and may even lower that record with a lucky break on the evening's new rivals mix. Challenges You are not required to return to active driving after a victory; the automated driving system takes over after each victory or loss and sends you around at 120Kph (other cars are set at 80) until you activate Free Ride on the menu. Use this to your advantage when you know a heavy challenge is coming (Club Leader, Deva, Devil). Once you approach a favorite section, punch out and let the other car flash you from behind; he's on your turf now. Using this method I have shut down the final Devil in under 30 seconds (right before the southern chicane and he got stuck in traffic during the countdown; yay!). Using the chicane on the southern section of the highway is especially effective as is setting up a challenge right before a lane divider or onramp. Traffic Traffic is not only there as an obstacle, it can be used to your advantage to create impossible lines through difficult sections. Caroming off the side of a large truck can give you an edge on the high speed sweeping curves near the Southeast section of the highway. Dashing in between a crowded pack of cars just in front of a road divider spells "it's over" to any pursuing adversary; they must wait for traffic to clear before giving chase once again. Sometimes you can slow down a foe by pushing a crowded car into their lane during traffic sorting or stop them in their tracks. Braking while taking a line between two cars can also result in the chase driver ramming you from behind, giving you a welcome speed boost while forcing the follower to cycle through the gears once again. Practicing without traffic can be helpful in determining the best racing line but is useless when you are out in the Quest; practice with other cars present as much as possible. Course Selection I have found that alternating between the A and B courses each night gives the largest number of rivals in the mix. Spending several days on one course means you can miss key players to close out clubs on the other circuit. I will also concede the first encounter with Dreaming Apparition if there are a few more rivals on the course, then close them out and take on the final driver. Use your game saves to your advantage here as well; in the early days see if you can get as many "six new driver" nights as possible; this allows you to close out clubs much earlier than if you only find four or fewer new rivals a night. 7. Secret Cars and Upgrade Parts So you have stomped on the various Devas and Devils but you're still wanting more? How about taking some of those hundreds of thousands of spare CPs and buying yourself a new car? How about buying one of the cars you defeated, complete with the same wild paint and graphics? At least three cars are available from the Shop Menu in this manner. You must purchase the exact model of car as the Deva/Devil. You must also enter their exact prefecture on the license plate selection screen and you must enter their logbook location as the license plate number (remember to use a period for the first of the four digits). Death God, Silver Wolf and ZERO are not available in this manner; you can create their standard paint jobs and aero treatments with the regular upgrade menus. Dreaming Apparition/Banshee is not available at all; I believe it has something to do with the car's unique paint (surface graphics must be a subset of the base color). You must also have defeated the drivers in question in order to appropriate their graphics for your use. Crimson Demon's car is not available until the game is completed as the R34 is a final bonus car. To obtain Midnight Cinderella's wild flame paint purchase the FD type car. Enter the Shinogawa prefecture kanji followed by any numbers next to it. It is the very first one highlighted when you go to the prefecture select menu; look for three stacked boxes next to three vertical strokes. You can use any hiragana on the left of the plate, then enter "dot-1-3-5". You will hear a confirming "twang" when you purchase this car, then when you check out your garage the flame job will be there. The base color can be altered for this car; the flames reflect the amount of blue used in the final mix. Crank red all the way up and blue all the way down for a dramatic effect, or work with reds and greens for orange/yellow/gold finishes. Crimson Demon's graphics are only available in yellow on red; don't worry about what color you use for the car's purchase. His car is the type R34, his prefecture is Shushiya (Shushino?) and his plate number should be 138. For the prefecture, count right ten places after Shinogawa; it is the first triple kanji prefecture on the default line. Exhaust Eve is another surface graphic; the underlying paint can be altered to suit your tastes. Again, the stripes reflect the amount of red and green used in the final mix. She hails from the Tama prefecture (I think; kanji used as names can be quite confusing); it is three steps right from the Shinogawa kanji. Look for two stacked katakana "ta" symbols next to a complex form consisting of a "cliff" symbol surrounding two "trees" above the "hand" symbol. Her logbook number is 139 and the car itself is type JZA80. For those seeking a special challenge in the game there is another hidden car, based upon the AE86T. This is the only secret car that can be had from the start of the game. When you select that car for purchase you then select the final prefecture on the default line to head up the license plate and enter "dot-1-0-2" as the license plate number. Congratulations, you now have the experimental Corolla with a sponsor and an insane upgrade path. The regular AE86T has the following upgrade costs: Engine: 2000, 4000, 7000, 11000, 16000 CP Suspension: 3000, 3000, 7000, 10000 CP Drivetrain: 3000, 3000, 6000, 10000 CP Chassis: 1000, 5000, 10000, 16000 CP Total cost for upgrades: 117,000 CP The secret AE86T has the following costs: Engine: 3000, 7000, 12000, 18000, 25000 CP Suspension: 3200, 3200, 7500, 15000 CP Drivetrain: 4000, 4000, 8000, 10000 CP Chassis: 2000, 7000, 13000, 20000 CP Total cost for upgrades: 161,900 CP What does that extra 44,900 CPs get you? The basic Corolla maxes out with 306 horsepower and a curb weight of 864 Kilograms. The secret Corolla has a curb weight of 860 kilograms and total horsepower of 406! In real world terms this psychotic creation could stomp on Vipers, Vettes and anything from across the Atlantic Ocean. Be forewarned; while I have managed to complete the game and the SP Battle modes with this car it is by no means easy. Some cars reward perfection; this car demands it. Its light weight makes for outstanding handling but a single bobble can send you bouncing around the lanes like a pachinko ball. Game saves with this car from Shutokou Battle are compatible with Tokyo Xtreme Racing; pop this car as a surprise the next time you visit a friend with the domestic variant. Taming the secret AE86T After seeing a friend flail about with the overpowered Corolla I decided to add this small section detailing my favorite settings for use of the car. When applied to the West Japan Industrial AE86L it makes the car manageable although its steering is still on the twitch side. The settings are as follows; left means the slider is put all the way to the left, right means it is set all the way to the right. Steering Response: 1-3 right of center Brake Response: 2 left of center Brake Balance: 1 right of center Ride Height: 2 left of center Jounce: Right -3 Rebound: Right -2 Crosmission: Left Final Gear: Left Your MaxSpeed should read 291.77 kph when finished. This setting also works well for the R32/33/34 cars although the Final Gear setting does not have to be set as low. The following section applies only to Tokyo Xtreme Racer; I have been unable to duplicate the feat using Shutokou Battle. It is a legend in its own right, a car spoken of in reverent tones and hushed whispers. It is desired by many but driven by a select few. It is the Fairlady, a special high performance version of the car we know as the 240Z. It is the final Devil, the favorite ride of the ultimate street cowboys and a fitting capstone for one's racing achievements in the game. For weeks I believed the only way to obtain this particular car was to download it from the Genki website, a site my domestic Dreamcast has been denied access to. To put it in Weekly Famitsu terms: Z! Z hoshii!! Z wa doko!? For those not familiar with the language it translates out as "Z! I want the Z! Where is the Z!?" It has been sitting on your disc all along, just waiting for the right combination of conditions to be met before it is enabled. The solution is simple but the execution can be anything but. So sit down, grab a Coke and a Snickers bar and prepare yourself for the final challenge; unlocking the Z. To obtain the Type-S30/Fairlady Z simply choose Quick Race from the opening menu, select SP Battle and load your most powerful, capable car from the VMS. Defeat all 100 foes in SP Battle Mode, exit and save the game file on the Options menu. To ensure keeping your original game data load the existing game file from the Options menu before taking on the SP Battle; I have not tested it for overwrite but do not want to erase anyone's game file on a mistaken assumption. As you progress through the ranks you will initially be challenged in a three- step stagger; an easy rival followed by a mid level rival followed by a tough rival. Once you reach the 70s they are all tough; you will recognize individual foes by their unique paint and aero jobs. The final challengers are from the Deva/Devil ranks. They progress in order: 94. Death God/Grim Reaper 95. Midnight Cinderella 96. Silver Wolf/Nocturnal Wolf 97. Dreaming Apparition/Banshee 98. Exhaust Eve 99. Crimson Demon/Raven Blood 100. ZERO ZERO is listed as challenge 100. Defeating him takes you back to challenge #1 and Rolling Guy 2. You can then end the race, save your game in the option menu and return to the Quest Mode. It's a little bit early but think of this as my holiday season gift to all of you who have followed this FAQ's progress. One final note regarding the S30/Fairlady Z car; it is the single most expensive vehicle to upgrade. The Porsche 930 has an upgrade path of: Engine: 4500, 15000, 50000, 50000, 80000 CP Suspension: 3500, 3500, 8000, 18000 CP Drivetrain: 4000, 4000, 8000, 10000 CP Chassis: 1500, 6000, 18000, 45000 CP For a grand total of 455,000 including the 130,000 CP cost to purchase the car. The S30/Z starts out at a measly 30,000 CP, but its upgrade path is: Engine: 8000, 20000, 60000, 60000, 90000 CP Suspension: 6000, 6000, 16000, 36000 CP Drivetrain: 7000, 7000, 12000, 20000 CP Chassis: 3000, 10000, 24000, 60000 CP For a grand total of 475,000 CP. When you are finished building up the Z's subsystems crank the acceleration and top speed sliders all the way to the left, then giggle as you outpull a maxed Porsche 930. Spring this one on an unwary friend during a VMS challenge; you are guaranteed at least one outraged cry. Secret Upgrade Parts Several cars you will encounter in Shutokou/TokyoX will sport special aero and muffler upgrades that you cannot access initially. The level 7 muffler and type 5 spoiler in the Aero submenu allow you to duplicate the unique look of several driving club cars. They should unlock after final victory in the Quest. If this does not happen keep at it even after the game finishes; I have had the new aero bits unlock after challenging and defeating Crimson Demon/Raven Blood on a post-victory night. 8. Differences between Shutokou and Tokyo Xtreme Racer Shutokou Battle is one of the more popular Dreamcast games currently released. While I do not have any of the domestic sales figures yet it had sold over 150,000 units in Japan as of the latest FAQ revision. I purchased the domestic version with some trepidation, wondering if Crave would perform any savage modifications on the wonderful game engine that Genki had created. Happily all my worst fears proved unfounded, although there are a few notable differences between the two games. The license plate system has been removed from TokyoX; those who read through this trying to figure out how to get the special cars might be saddened to know they cannot activate Midnight Cinderella, Exhaust Eve and Crimson Demon/Raven Blood's graphics in that manner. This might have been done to avoid the confusion associated with the license plate kanji and possible hints and tips; it is difficult even for those fluent with the language to translate kanji used in names. TokyoX gamers have it much easier, however; once the particular Deva or Devil is defeated that particular car (with paint job) is available for purchase as an extended type on the main menu. The cars will be identified with an added letter "D" in the listing; Midnight Cinderella's car can be purchased as TYPE- FDD, Crimson Demon's car can be had as TYPE-R34D and Exhaust Eve's stripes are found as TYPE-JZA80D. Sadly I have found no way to activate the special Corolla in TokyoX; game saves from Shutokou that contain the car are fully compatible with TokyoX so you might want to experiment with a friend who has the import version. Perhaps a game start with "Super Corolla" can be used for those who wish all the cars but prefer to unlock them on their own. The two new car types in TokyoX cannot be ported back to Shutokou; they appear as the TYPE-AP1 when loaded from the VMS. There are several variations in the names of select drivers, the logos for each driving club and the Devas/Devils. The most obvious change from Shutokou Battle to TokyoX is the removal of all Christian images from TR Racing and Noname's graphic. In Shutokou the TR Racing phoenix logo features a cross in the chest of the bird while TokyoX replaces that with a simple oval. In Shutokou, Noname's inverted cross and 666 logo has been replaced in TokyoX with a simple pentagram background for the skull. Several names of car & driver combinations have been slightly altered; Crimson Demon is now Raven Blood, Dreaming Apparition is now Banshee and Silver Wolf is now Nocturnal Wolf. Finally, the Internet/modemplay feature has been removed from TokyoX. As I have never been able to activate the modemplay feature on my import DC I am not entirely certain of what we are missing but I do hope that future iterations of this series will contain modem and Internet support; part of the appeal of this game is to challenge other drivers and show off what you have done to your ride. Revision History 1.0: What, no FAQ for one of the more popular DC games? Let's get something out there. 1.1: Hooked the DC up to the VGA box and computer monitor for better kanji translation; amazing what a difference that makes. No more guesses as to which radical is in use now! Slightly revised the sections and added more menu and submenu coverage. 1.1.1: Spent a few more minutes with the kana books and revised a few names; Deva 3 continues to elude me as to the complete name. Added a few paragraphs here and there for description and clarification. 1.1.2: I stand corrected: For the first time since I started this game I have encountered two Devas in one night. The incorrect paragraph has been edited. 2.0: Whoa; this license plate secret is too big to be part of a minor revision! The new digit celebrates this incredible find. 2.1: I'm huge. The Fairlady Z does indeed exist, it's part of the Dricas network system and you can download the car along with equipment upgrades. This was found while clicking links on the Genki website this weekend; you adventurous types should have no problem finding this stuff with proper browser setup and use. We also translated Deva 3; The Silver Wolf of Darkest Night was a bit too cumbersome for the main text body. 3.0: Swapped VMS units one night to check out hidden AE86T's performance profile. Whoa; how did I ever overlook this discrepancy? Added section detailing major differences between Shutokou and TokyoX and how to obtain the Fairlady. Enjoy! Many thanks go to those who contributed clarifying information regarding special upgrade parts and positive identification of car types. Thanks to Brian Nilsen, Jeff Helmes and Model Grafx magazine for assistance in identifying the various makes and models of cars used in the game.