_______ ____ _____ ____ ____ __ _____ |__ __| / \ | __ \ / \ | __| / \ | __ \ | | | /\ | | |__) | | /\_| | | / /\ \ | |__) | | | | | | | | ___/ | | ___ | |__ | |__| | | _ / | | | | | | | | | ||_ | | __| | __ | | | \ \ | | | \/ | | | | \/ / | |__ | | | | | | \ \ |_| \____/ |_| \___/ |____| |_| |_| |_| \_\ _____ __ _ _ _ _ ___ | __ \ / \ | | | | \ \ / / / _ \ | |__) | / /\ \ | | | | \ \_/ / /_/ \ \ | _ / | |__| | | | | | \ / / / | | \ \ | __ | | | | | | | / / | | \ \ | | | | | |___ | |___ | | / /__ |_| \_\ |_| |_| |_____| |_____| |_| |_____| =============================================================================== Table of Contents =============================================================================== [INTRO] Introduction [QUEST] Frequently Asked Questions [PARTS] Equipment Guide [TRACK] Track Summaries [CHEAT] Cheats and Codes [VERSN] Version History [COPYR] Copyright [CONTC] Contact Information Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the name of the section you're looking for - like [VERSN] for the Version History. =============================================================================== Introduction [INTRO] =============================================================================== As Mark Twain might say, reports of my walkthrough-writing death have been greatly exaggerated. It's hard to believe I went two full months without working on an FAQ (except for a new text dump and a couple of updates). If you've been wondering why I've been doing so little lately, I've been dealing with more pressing real-life issues, uploading my first videos on YouTube, and working on my Super Mario Bros.-style fan games (Marioy 2 and Darunia-Saria 2008). Both are real fun! The latter makes fun of the presidential election in a hilarious but profoundly offensive way. If you're interested, you can download them at www.mfgg.net/?act=resdb¶m=02&c=2&id=16558 and www.fileplanet.com/193519/190000/fileinfo/Darunia-Saria-2008, respectively. Anyway, I'll probably be producing more guides in the next month or two, but I doubt I'll ever be churning out content the way I was in May and August. Top Gear Rally 2 takes a while to get going, but if you can handle the learning curve, it's one of the more complex racing games for the Nintendo 64. The cars are very detailed but often blocky and polygonal, and backgrounds appear blurry. The objects and buildings around the course look pretty good, although they're not particularly detailed. The mud that splashes onto your back bumper when you drive through a bog is a nice touch, as are the mud splatters and cracks that appear on the windshield (although both disappear after a few seconds). Overall, graphics are pretty good for a game of this time. The rock MIDIs that play in the background during races aren't great, but it's better than what you often heard in Nintendo 64 sports games. The music is very quiet, but you can turn it up on the pause menu if you really want to. The music on the menu screen is highly compressed and doesn't sound very good, although listening to "Big bob bam, bo big bang dong" (or something like that) is hilariously awful. The revving of engines and other sound effects are pretty good. Different cars sound different, so that's kind of neat. The controls are identical to those of most racing games, so they shouldn't take long to pick up. The steering and skidding feel pretty realistic. The computer drivers' AI is pretty good; opponents are relatively unpredictable and will frequently make driving errors. As you progress further into the game, you'll unlock more parts and better cars. Some parts are pure upgrades over the old ones; others must be adjusted to accommodate each course. New equipment costs money, so knowing how to manage your money plays almost as big a role in winning as keeping your car on the road. The extremely high frequency of equipment failures, especially for tires, is annoying, even though they affect computer players as much as you. Top Gear Rally 2 is one of the hardest racing games I've ever played. This is no Cruis'n USA cakewalk. You may be playing this game for 15 or 20 hours if you want to unlock all the cars and win trophies in all the races. However, I doubt you'll play it enough to get that far. One more problem is that you have to have a Controller Pak to save game progress unless you're playing on an emulator. Overall, Top Gear Rally 2 is an OK game. It doesn't have all that much replay value, considering that it has just four tracks, but it'll keep you playing for a while. It could've been a lot better than this. One more thing before the guide gets started: I assume you're playing 1-Player Championship Mode for most purposes. =============================================================================== Frequently Asked Questions [QUEST] =============================================================================== Q: What are the controls? A: The controls in Top Gear Rally 2 are similar to those of most racing games: A: Accelerate B: Brake C-Down: E-Brake R: Upshift (only when using a manual transmission) Z: Downshift (only when using a manual transmission) C-Left, C-Right: Change camera angle C-Up: Check rear-view mirror Control Stick: Steer START: Pause game If you don't like these controls for some reason, you can adjust them under the Options menu. Q: What is rally racing? A: Rally racing differs significantly from conventional motorsports. In rally racing, drivers are competing against the clock, not positions on the track. Each car starts about three seconds apart, but the winning driver is not necessarily the first to cross the finish line (like in NASCAR, for example). Instead, the driver with the best time wins. Each race is divided into a specific number of legs (often four). Finishing well in a leg will reward you with Sponsorship Credits and Championship Points. After the final leg, the car with the best cumulative time will receive a gold trophy, and the second- and third-place cars will also get trophies. These are worth a lot of SC and CP. Q: What are Sponsorship Credits and Championship Points? A: Sponsorship Credits means money. Simple as that. You spend Sponsorship Credits when you buy new parts for your car. The more sponsors your team has, the more Sponsorship Credits you'll earn for a good finish. Championship Points are like driver points in NASCAR or Formula One racing. By accumulating them, however, you'll unlock new parts to purchase and be able to access better cars on the Drivers Board (Team Selection) screen. Plus, you'll earn more sponsors for your car. Q: Can I race an event more than once? A: Of course you can! You can run each race as many times as you'd like in an effort to accumulate more money and points. Q: Should I change teams every time a new one becomes available? A: Not every time. When you change teams, you lose 20% of your previously earned Sponsorship Credits and any parts you've purchased. Championship Points will be unaffected. You should make the switch only when the new car will be a significant improvement over your current one. Q: Why are the tracks different? A: There are only four basic track settings in this game, but each leg of every event is very distinct. That's because every leg is constructed of the same obstacles and corners placed in different, unpredictable orders. Some turns may be mirrored or run backwards, for example. Q: What courses can have snowy weather? A: Farmland and Mountain. Rain, fog, and darkness can appear anywhere. Q: Why do my tires blow all the time? A: To some extent, this problem affects all players in this game. Your tires die A LOT. The same goes for computer players, too. Some surfaces, like the gravel road at the mountain courses, will blow a tire every 10 seconds or so. Try using a tire model other than "Stock;" these lines are versatile but have horrible durability. Also, remember that leaving the road reduces tire life, as does turning very sharply. If you hear brakes squealing or a skidding sound, you're probably doing something that's bad for your tires. Q: I lose control after changing my tire. What's wrong? A: If you try to turn too sharply right after a tire change, you'll often lose control or spin out, especially in snow. Steer gently and you'll be OK. Also, if you can, try to avoid changing tires at the bottom of a hill; it's tough to get back up to speed and easy to lose control. Q: What's the difference between the B-button brake and the C-Down "E-brake?" A: The E-brake tends to slow your car a little less abruptly than the conventional brake. Experiment with both brakes and see which works best for your driving style and your car's braking setup. The difference is only marginal. Q: Why does my engine keep overheating? A: This is pretty normal, even though you'll hear an unpleasant sound when your engine becomes too hot. An overheated engine will run approximately 1 MPH slower than a cool one. Let off on the accelerator in turns if you really need to cool your engine, but I wouldn't worry about it. Q: What's the most important part to upgrade? A: Upgrading most parts in this game will provide only a negligible increase in performance or durability. However, equipping the proper tires for the current surface and weather will help immensely. Check the Equipment Guide for more information. Q: Is there any advantage to using a manual transmission? A: Not really. Your acceleration and top speed won't be any better (or worse) with a manual. Using an automatic transmission is recommended, since you won't have as many things to worry about and fiddle with. Select the manual transmission only if you want added challenge - and in this game, there's more than enough challenge to go around. By the way, you can choose between an automatic and manual transmission before each race, and it won't cost any time in the Support Van. Q: What's the best steering sensitivity to use? A: "Loose" requires more effort to turn; settings on the "Tight" end of the graph are more sensitive. This selection should be based purely on personal preference and driving style (and the kind of controller you're using). A tighter-handling car is often preferable if your Nintendo 64 controller is old and worn out (maybe from doing so many "Mini Turbos" in Mario Kart 64!) or if you're at a track that has a lot of sharp turns (especially Mountain and later Jungle courses). If you're playing on an emulator and using a keyboard, you might prefer something on the "Loose end." Also, slower cars will be best off with something that requires more force to steer, and different brake models might work better with different sensitivity levels. Again, your selection won't count against your allotted time in the equipment van. Q: Should I try to block faster opponents? A: While getting bumped from behind by a faster car will give you a nice temporary boost of speed, it'll also cause a bit of damage. Most of the time, it's best to yield to faster traffic. Q: What race is hardest? A: Jaipur Heights in the World Cup class. Most of the races are snowy, and it's hard to keep up with the opponents in the snow, even with a fully-upgraded high-level car and optimal settings. Also, all of the legs in this circuit are extremely long. As a general rule, though, I think Desert courses are the easiest, followed by Mountain, Farmland, and Jungle courses, which are the most challenging. Q: Why do so many parts break in the Tutorial Race? A: You're driving the weakest car in the game with shoddy equipment, so many of your parts will die after one splash of water or a couple of brushes with the wall. Also, you're not very experienced yet, so you'll probably make some mistakes. And most of all, the Tutorial Race runs through one of the most difficult sections of terrain in the game. Q: What good is the ARSG Rally School? A: For one thing, it's a good way to practice traversing unfamiliar obstacles in a controlled environment. Also, if you complete all of the license events, you'll earn a lot of Championship Points without having to do any actual racing. Q: What difference will I notice between the different classes? A: The later cups are generally longer and harder, and you'll be able to earn more Sponsorship Credits and Championship Points in the higher classes. The first two classes, Amateur and Sprint, are simple. National Class introduces your first really bad weather conditions. The World Cup is full of ultra-long events, so setting up your car properly is paramount. The Rally Cup's events aren't quite as long as the World Cup's, but the corners and obstacles are simply nasty. Q: How many teams are available in this game? A: 14. A few things to keep in mind before I list them all: Cars with a high horsepower will be faster at getting off the line. A good handling rating means your car will be easier to handle through turns and won't spin out as much. Top speed is approximate, but it's a useful indicator for comparison purposes. "Wins" is an approximate overall rating for the team's performance. The number of sponsors for a car will increase as you earn more Championship Points. HP Handle Top Speed 1. Sport Serro 83 70 77 2. Twin Racing 113 50 83 3. Midnight Motors 136 40 89 4. Lariat 168 54 92 5. Vortek 192 58 87 6. Tri Lariat 219 64 87 7. Quadra 235 68 95 8. Argon Motors 241 54 97 9. Super Sport Serro 301 72 97 10. Argon Focal 323 85 98 11. Midnight Talon 364 73 101 12. Subaru Impreza 389 76 105 13. Mitsubishi Lancer 401 67 113 14. Toyota Corolla 401 58 115 Q: What's the best car in the game? A: Probably the Toyota Corolla, but you might also want to give the Mitsubishi Lancer a spin. Q: How do I go in reverse? A: From a stopped position, hold Down and the accelerator. You'll never do this unless you get stuck, though. Q: What other notes and tips do you have for this game? A: Here are a few observations and strategies that don't fit anywhere else: * My most important tip of all: Save often! In particular, be sure to keep at least two save files or save states active at all times, and ALWAYS save your game before changing teams or buying an expensive new part for your car. * Between legs of an event, you'll be allotted 10 game seconds for changing parts and equipment. If you go over the time limit, that time will be tacked onto your race time. It's very often advantageous to adjust your tires for the conditions, but you'll usually be assessed the penalty if you try to put in a new gearbox (which could take 15 seconds). * Different navigators have different voices. Some are female or have British accents. * Speaking of navigators, it's a good idea to pay attention to him (or her, if appropriate). Your navigator will always alert you before a dangerous condition or difficult corner. * My favorite camera angle is the one that's most zoomed out; this lets you view more of the track ahead and helps you tell when opposing cars are running closely behind you. Experiment with different camera settings to find the one you like the best. * Remember that you can drive right through another car when it's changing its tire (you'll hear a jack sound when that happens). Keep this in mind on the gravel mountain roads. * You can't buy new parts in the Support Van between legs of a race; only at the start or end of an event. * Remember that it's possible to quit an event in progress (just press B from the main screen). You won't lose any Sponsorship Credits or Championship Points for doing so. * If your tires, brakes, or suspension become damaged, your car will tend to turn toward the side of the part that broke. * Fog and darkness reduce visibility, so you might want to slow down more at corners when racing in such conditions. * By default, the Subaru Impreza is equipped with all-wheel drive (of course!). However, front-wheel drive is usually best in adverse conditions in this game. * Most of the time, the banner in the town in Farmland courses says "Farmer's Market." However, it'll advertise a "Winter Festival" when the weather is snowy. =============================================================================== Equipment Guide [PARTS] =============================================================================== In this section, I explain how modifying each part available in the Support Van will affect your car's performance. I don't list every part available in the game, since different parts are available on different cars, and each upgrade may affect each car differently. For most items, try to maximize horsepower (which makes your car faster) and durability (making a part stronger and more resistant to damage) while minimizing weight (helping your car ascend hills). ---Shocks--- Good suspension will significantly improve performance and handling on some road conditions. Usually the most expensive suspension systems will work best, although certain models perform best only under particular conditions. ---Stabilizer--- The stabilizer isn't immediately available on all cars. A good stabilizer helps your car's handling, although this shouldn't be your most important upgrade, especially for slower cars. ---Muffler--- Better mufflers provide a slight horsepower boost while reducing weight. They're also more durable, so if your muffler keeps dying while driving through the quagmire in the jungle, you'd be wise to buy a better muffler. ---Filter--- This is just like the muffler. ---Radiator--- Another part where upgrades boost HP and durability while reducing weight. A good radiator also makes your engine less prone to overheating. Still, unless you're going to be driving through the bog, it shouldn't be a top priority. ---Intercooler--- You can't buy an intercooler until you have a turbo for your engine. Buying one will boost horsepower but won't make your engine any less prone to overheating. ---Turbo--- The turbocharger, an optional component not always available, can substantially increase horsepower. ---Dump Valves--- As with intercoolers, you can't purchase dump valves without a turbo engine. These tend to provide more of a performance boost than intercooler upgrades. ---Gearbox--- There are three different gearboxes available. Medium gearboxes are the default on all cars and are recommended for most settings. The speed-oriented gearbox is useful mainly at the Mountain course, while the acceleration-based models may be worth a try at Rally Class-level events at the Jungle. New gearboxes are expensive, so I wouldn't buy a new one unless you have a top-level car are sitting on wads of money. Also, it takes a LONG time to change gearboxes between legs of an event. ---Drive Train--- In real life, all-wheel drive often improves handling in inclement weather. In this game, however, front-wheel drive is best on most (but not all) cars. Hint: The more it costs, the better it will be. ---Brakes--- Trust the Midas touch... OK, that was stupid. Improved brakes will provide a slight increase in car control and substantially boost durability. If you select brakes where rear torque is higher than the front, the back of the car tends to slide away from you in turns. Brakes with a higher front braking rating will feel a little more balanced; these models are also, in general, more durable (and expensive). ---Tires--- By far the most important component in the game. If you pick the wrong tires for the road and the current condition, you won't be able to get much performance out of your car. Whenever you change teams, your first priority should be to purchase tires engineered for pavement, rain, dirt, and, in the higher classes, snow. Pick a RoadSlicks or Tarmax model for dry courses with good paved roads, like Mountain or Farmland. In snowy conditions, select ProG IceGrip, SubZero, or Blizzard - whichever available tire has the highest "Snow" rating. On paved wet roads, choose a tire from the RainHydro line. TD2 Stock tires aren't great for much of anything, but they're OK for cash- starved beginners and when racing at Farmland events. Chali TrailBlazer is by far the best option for Jungle and Desert events. ---Computer--- The in-car computer is an optional component that can substantially boost horsepower while adding little weight. It's pretty pricey, though. If your car needs more pep, a computer or a computer upgrade is often the way to go. =============================================================================== Track Summaries [PARTS] =============================================================================== I'm not going to hold your hand through every corner and straightaway like I do in my Formula One guides; instead, I'm going to help familiarize some of the more common and dangerous obstacles found at each type of course. Most of the events that make your navigator say "Caution!" are listed here, plus a few other locations of note. ------Mountain------ *Twin Hairpins* One of the hardest turns in the game appears on some mountain legs. A sharp hairpin is immediately followed by a second. If the first turn is uphill, you won't need to brake until you begin the turn. On downhill hairpins, however, you'll need to brake heavily before the turn, especially if you're driving a fast car. *The Sharp Turnoff* This spot gets a lot of beginners. Watch for the neon arrow sign (the kind you see in construction zones) and prepare to veer off the road onto the gravel path. If the road is downhill, it'll be particularly easy to miss. If you keep going past the sign, you'll slam into a barrier and lose A LOT of time. *The Gravel Road* I hate this spot. No matter how well you drive, it eats up tires rapidly - even with durable models. You'll often lose three or four tires down the longest gravel roads, but at least it affects computer-controlled cars as much as you. *The Creek* The creek crossing isn't very dangerous - as long as you don't hit one of the jagged rocks in the water. If you hit one, you'll usually end up ruining an important part, costing valuable horsepower or handling ability. Also, in snow, it's often hard to tell where the road on the other side is. ------Jungle------ *The Creek* These are similar to the mountain creeks, although the jungle creeks are rockier and will never freeze over in winter. *The Bog* When the road goes into the swamp, you'll usually kill at least a part or two - sometimes something cosmetic, like an on-screen indicator, but very often you'll break a piece of equipment that will affect your performance, like a muffler or radiator. If you regularly lose parts when slogging through the quagmire, you would be wise to buy a more durable version of that part. *S-Turn Cavern* This resembles the S-turn sequence at the Desert course, although this section requires little braking. You can often slide through with little loss of speed if you're a skilled driver with a car that handles well. *Roundabouts* Roundabouts aren't terribly tricky to deal with; it doesn't matter whether you take the left or right fork. Keep in mind that these are usually followed by another roundabout and that tires often seem to die in the vicinity of roundabouts. *City Sharp Turn* Here you must veer from a nice wide city street onto a narrow alley at a sharp 90-degree angle. Brake some as you begin your slide to avoid losing control. It's tough to avoid hitting the wall and sustaining a bit of damage, though. *The Shortcut* Right before a certain tight, sweeping corner, you can quickly veer off through a gap in the fence, saving some valuable time. Watch a computer driver to see how to do this. *Obstructed View Zone* At some jungle legs, you'll pass through a section where the road is obstructed by branches and leaves. They won't slow you down, but they do make it harder to see where you're going. Pay close attention to your navigator and you should be OK. You won't face any sharp turns during this section (fortunately). *The Ancient Temple* As with the church at the farm course, opponents will slow substantially at this turn, which can safely be taken at full speed. I guess they're too busy sightseeing. If you can handle the uneven road, this is a very good place to pass. ------Farmland------ *Overpass* Part of the road goes under a tunnel. This section can be difficult, because usually you're going downhill on a snaking road. Slow down a bit and things should turn out OK, although reckless drivers may smash into the side and lose a lot of time. *Church Corner* A long sweeping curve goes by the church here, often near the beginning of a leg. It's not difficult and requires no braking or deceleration. However, computer cars will brake heavily here, allowing you to pass with ease. Of course, maybe it's because they're just being more pious... *Mill Corner* When you reach the mill, watch out; you'll have to deal with a sharp 90-degree turn. Tap the brakes during the corner to help stay on the road. *Creekside Highway* This is an elevated dirt road along a creek. It's really not too tough, but if you blow a tire or if you're using road tires, your lack of grip might cause you to slide into the water at the cost of a lot of time. ------Desert------ *The S-Turn* This nasty S-shaped turn is flanked by jagged rocks. If you brake heavily enough for the first turn, you'll be able to maintain control and accelerate through the second part of the corner. *The Railroad Crossing* Never try to beat a train. Brake to about 40 MPH before reaching the tracks, or you'll kill multiple tires. *Roundabout* See Jungle. =============================================================================== Cheats and Codes [CHEAT] =============================================================================== Unless otherwise specified, each of the following codes should be entered at the main menu, and all of the directions refer to the Control Pad. Enter a code correctly and the game will tell you. If you don't like what a code does, just enter it a second time to disable it. I should note that the Spinning World code didn't work for me. *Cylinder Tires: C-Up, Z, Right, Down, Right *Giant Car: R, C-Right, R, Left, Up. *Intoxicated AI Cars: C-Right, C-Right, Right, Right, Down *Maximum Championship Points In Support Van: L, C-Up, Left, L, L *No Damage or Failures: L, Z, Start, Up, Up. *No Depth View: Z, C-Right, R, Up, Right *Real Hills: L, Z, Left, Up, Start *Shadow Racer: C-Up, Z, Right, Up, Z *Speed Based Aspect Ratio: Z, C-Left, L, Up, Right *Spinning World: R, C-Right, R, Up, Left *Toxic Waste Dump: C-Right, C-Right, R, L, Up *Upside-Down World: C-Up, Z, Start, Up, and Down *Volcano Valley: C-Left, Z, R, L, Down *High-Res Mode This code makes the graphics look slightly better, but it won't work if you haven't installed the Expansion Pak in the slot on top of your Nintendo 64. From the title screen, press C-Left, C-Left, Left, L, and L before the demo begins. =============================================================================== Version History [VERSN] =============================================================================== 11- 2-08 | 0.1 | 1KB | Started basic framework. 11- 3-08 | 0.15 | 3KB | Did very little. 11- 4-08 | 0.25 | 9KB | Began parts list. 11- 5-08 | 0.3 | 12KB | Worked on parts list. 11- 6-08 | 0.4 | 16KB | Made some general progress. 11- 7-08 | 0.45 | 18KB | Worked on review. 11- 8-08 | 0.55 | 22KB | Made some good progress. 11- 9-08 | 0.6 | 24KB | Did a little. 11-10-08 | 0.7 | 27KB | Did more stuff. 11-11-08 | 0.75 | 28KB | Getting close to completion. 11-12-08 | 0.9 | 32KB | Verified cheats and started proofreading guide. 11-13-08 | 1.0 | 32KB | Finished guide. =============================================================================== Copyright [COPYR] =============================================================================== (c) 2008 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved. All trademarks mentioned in this guide are copyrights of their respective holders. You can print this guide out for your personal use. You can download this guide to your computer for your personal use. You can translate this guide into a foreign language (British, Southern, Australian, and New Yorker are not considered foreign languages) and post the translation on your Web site as long as you ask permission first. You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even a tilde). Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but don't count on there being frequent (if any) updates. You can't post this guide on your Web site and then say you wrote the guide yourself. You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain (or have links to sites that contain) explicit depictions of naked humans (also known as pornography), racism, gambling, or flattery of totalitarian regimes. You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change anything in this guide that took me so many hours to write. If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted inexplicably and you will suffer from constipation for the rest of your life. Heed this warning. =============================================================================== Contact Information [CONTC] =============================================================================== If you have any questions or comments about this guide, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. That's zero-zero-two, by the way. Remember that not all e-mail messages will be read. Please follow these guidelines: Do include "Top Gear Rally 2" in the subject line. Do send polite suggestions for ways to make this walkthrough better. Do tell me about any errors or omissions you find. Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you find in this game that aren't mentioned in my guide.. Do ask any questions you have about Top Gear Rally 2 gameplay. I will respond eventually if you follow all of these rules. Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage, punctuation, and capitalization so that I can understand what you're trying to say. Do use patience. I check my messages rather sporadically. Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violating this rule will result in deletion of the message and permanent constipation. And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Don't forget to buckle up your seat belt when in the car and your helmet when you're on a bicycle or motorcycle. No one's going to read this, anyway. For Jim