F-Zero Maximum Velocity

Grand Prix Guide

Written by Krul ([email protected])

Contents
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1.0 Disclaimer (DSCL)
2.0 Introduction (INTRO)
3.0 What is GP? (GPQ)
3.5 Grand Prix Courses (GPC)
4.0 What car to use? (GPRC)
5.0 Unlockables (UNLK)
6.0 Shortcuts (SCTS)
7.0 Advanced Tactics (ADVT)
8.0 Course Objects (OBJT)
9.0 Contact Information/Future Updates (CTCT)

1.0 
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Disclaimer (DSCL)

I wrote this guide myself, and this guide is written around my own experiences
in the game. You can print this guide off if you wish, but I do not permit 
you to use this document in any way and document it as your own. Ask me if you
wish to publish it, and I will usually agree, as long as it is noted that it 
was not written by you. Also tell me the website, so I can verify you made the
above claim. This will only appear on www.gamefaqs.com, unless I say otherwise.


2.0
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Introduction (INTRO)

Okay, so you've gotten the game and are going through the options. You see 
training, but why would you choose training? You choose Grand Prix. 

After you've lost, you start to wonder why. That is where this guide might
come in handy. This is written about the stages and levels of Grand Prix
(which is shortened to GP for most of the guide). It also explains the 
cars and unlockables achieved by completing GP.

3.0
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What is GP? (GPQ)

Grand Prix is the main racing mode in F-Zero Maximum Velocity. It is available
at the beginning of the game, after you have chosen your name. There is also
Training (Practicing courses), Multipak (2 or more games, in which you choose
the car and course), Singlepak (1 game to share between up to 3 other people,
which you all have the same car, and race on a special course) and 
Championship (explained later).

In Grand Prix, you race with a car against many opponents. The goal is to end 
up in the top 3 after 5 laps of the course. There are 5 courses in each GP 
mode. The modes are:

Pawn, Knight, Bishop and Queen (explained later)

Pawn- A nice introduction to F-Zero. Makes you think the game is easy

Knight- Worst course in my opinion. On Master, they annoy you the most in Knight

Bishop- Pretty hard. A few shortcuts make it a tad easier

Queen- A big letdown to me. Still presents a challenge, but still could have 
been made more difficult.

As you may have noticed, there are different levels of difficulty, and there 
are Beginner, Standard, Expert and Master (explained later). As is obvious,
the later modes mean more difficulty, and the higher the class, the harder
it is to complete.

Beginner- Too easy. They basically let you win. You should have no trouble 
with this level.

Standard- Basically the same thing, except they will have a little spirit to 
catch up to you.

Expert- Uh-oh. This is a big leap. They will catch up to you, better take 
shortcuts.

Master- No ****ing way. This is the stupidest thing you will ever experience
because it is so unfair. They will barge you, overtake you, and you will go
to 5th if you crash into a wall. Not really, but you will lose a lot of 
places. Even when boosting and taking a shortcut that saves you 10 seconds
off a lap, they will easily catch up to you. Not for the light hearted, or
the type of person who throws things when they lose, because that will 
happen a LOT here.


3.5
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Grand Prix Courses (GPC)

Pawn
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Bianca City- Stretch Circuit

Difficulty - 3/10

Easy to handle, a really good introduction to the game.

Stark Farm- First Circuit

Difficulty -  3/10

A couple of turns can annoy you on high difficulties, but not too much to worry
about.

Empyrean Colony- Dash Circuit

Difficulty - 4/10

Going at a high speed going around some corners can be difficult. Still not 
too hard though.

Stark Farm- Second Circuit

Difficulty - 3/10

Lots of slow down areas here. Watch your back, because getting nudged into 
the sludge can really put you in strife.

Cloud Carpet- Long Jump Circuit

Difficulty - 4/10

Hardest in Pawn. The hairpin at the beginning can annoy you a lot, but 
there's still a handy shortcut.

Knight
----------

Tenth Zone East- Snake Circuit

Difficulty - 4/10

Designed to make you think Knight is easy on Master. How wrong they were.

Beacon Port- Crossroad Circuit

Difficulty - 5/10

Not as good as Dash, with harder corners.

Synobazz- Explosive Circuit

Difficulty - 6/10

Ew. Hard to do anything with, and on Master, can make you scream out 
loud.

Ancient Mesa- Split Circuit

Difficulty - 4/10

Jet Vermillion loves this course. Easy going, just watch out for the split,
as you might crash into a wall if your vehicle is not ice friendly.

Stark Farm- Third Circuit

Difficulty - 5/10

Wow, two different paths. Experiment to see which one works for you.

Bishop
----------

Bianca City- Tightrope Circuit

Difficulty - 3/10

Nothing special about this course, nothing at all. Just a track with nothing 
to help or hinder you.

Ancient Mesa- Skating Circuit

Difficulty - 5/10

Harder than the one in Knight, with a couple of annoying ice patches.

Crater Land- Skid Zone Circuit

Difficulty - 4/10

Dash, Dash, Dash. Wow, this is so much fun. I barely ever get back to normal
speed once I hit the first Dash plate.

Cloud Carpet- Icarus Circuit

Difficulty - 4/10

Dash plates and a jump with some ice. Pretty cool. Take the shortcut for 
some time off.

Bianca City- Ultimate Circuit

Difficulty - 7/10

So annoying its not funny. A lot of tricky turns.

Queen
----------

Crater Land- Loop Circuit

Difficulty - 5/10

Pretty straightforward. Just go around the rhombus/rectangle. 
Simple as chocolate pie coated in whipped cream served with strawberry 
ice-cream.

Tenth Zone East- Plummet Circuit

Difficulty - 7/10

Fun fun fun. Not as much fun if you don't take the shortcuts and look at 
the map, only to see you floating in mid air.

Empyrean Colony- Twist Circuit

Difficulty - 8/10

Twists make you turn around 180, so avoid at all costs. These can make or 
break the game. On top of that, the narrow path after the Dash plates is 
an easy target for Master opponents to walk (or drive) all over you.

Fire Field- Land Mine Circuit

Difficulty - 7/10

Ka-Boom Galore. Watch your health, and recover every lap, even if the 
damage taken is little.

Fire Field- Warrior Circuit

Difficulty - 8/10

Bad game, depending on the car. Lots of thing to make your life hell.

Championship
----------

Synobazz- Championship Circuit

Difficulty - 9/10

You've made it to the coolest course in F-Zero racing. A little of 
everything makes it a fun course, but watch the Champion Replay and 
use your amazing racing skill to pick out the things she does wrong. 
Just lap the Ghost once to mock her ;).



4.0
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What car to use? (GPRC)

You start off with 4 cars. As you complete more GP levels, more cars will
be unlocked, until you have all 10 cars. I will introduce each car by:

Name
Max Speed
Max Boost
Boost Time
Body Strength
Turning
Balance
Jump Ability
Comments


Name: Hot Violet
Max Speed: 422
Max Boost: 579
Boost Time: 6
Body Strength: 69
Turning: B
Balance: C
Jump Ability: B

Comments: An average car, good for beginners. Really hard to win with 
later classes though.

Name: Fire Ball
Max Speed: 440
Max Boost: 565
Boost Time: 6.5
Body Strength: 82
Turning: C
Balance: B
Jump Ability: B

Comments: Fast, really fast. I don't mind him, but not so great for 
beginners.

Name: J.B Crystal
Max Speed: 418
Max Boost: 560
Boost Time: 9.5
Body Strength: 63
Turning: C
Balance: A
Jump Ability: C

Comments: Best starter for beginners, the speed is a bit slow, and the
jumping is bad for taking shortcuts.

Name: Wind Walker/Crazy Horse
Max Speed: 428
Max Boost: 585
Boost Time: 5.3
Body Strength: 50
Turning: A
Balance: D
Jump Ability: A

Comments: If you are a beginner, forget about this machine. If you have 
already won a few GP's, and are looking for something better, this is 
for you. I personally started off with this, and it did good for unlocking 
better vehicles. Spastic turning and horrible defense, but a good boost 
and an amazing jump ability.

Name: Sly Joker/Dirty Joker
Max Speed: 436
Max Boost: 591
Boost Time: 3
Body Strength: 75
Turning: C
Balance: A
Jump Ability: C

Comments: Note the resemblance to the J.B Crystal, and yet this is SO much 
better. Better starting speed, better boost (If shorter), but unlike the 
J.B, it fades away really slowly. Not hard to win with.

Name: The Stingray
Max Speed: 460
Max Boost: 525
Boost Time: 12
Body Strength: 85
Turning: C
Balance: C
Jump Ability: A+

Comments: Wow, I love this thing. I don't notice the bad turning, as I spend 
many an hour working with worse machines. Awesome boost time, and the best 
jumping ability in the game.

Name: Silver Thunder
Max Speed: 464
Max Boost: 589
Boost Time: 3.7
Body Strength: 90
Turning: D
Balance: B
Jump Ability: D

Comments: A cool looking tank. A very slow tank at accelerating, but I still 
find uses for it. A quick bump or two and you're in the money. Don't try 
and make a good shortcut though, as it will fail. An alternative Jet Vermillion,
but worse.

Name: Falcon Mk-II
Max Speed: 448
Max Boost: 573
Boost Time: 7.2
Body Strength: 66
Turning: C
Balance: B
Jump Ability: A/B

Comments: The best GP racer in the game. Can do anything you want it to, 
and when you unlock it, you can do Master in all modes and easily come out 
victorious. Watch out for the defense though.

Name: Fighting Comet
Max Speed: 412
Max Boost: 593
Boost Time: 9
Body Strength: 56
Turning: D
Balance: B
Jump Ability: A

Comments: The second best machine in the game. Slow and weak, but if you 
look at the boost, its a bit faster than the Sly Joker, and last for 3 times 
as long! Also, jumping is the second best, only to The Stingray.

Name: Jet Vermillion
Max Speed: 456
Max Boost: 602
Boost Time: 4.2
Body Strength: 100
Turning: E
Balance: B
Jump Ability: D

Comments: The best car in the game. Fast, great boost, great defenses and some 
tricks will easily help you master it. What a shame it's so hard to get 
(the right ways anyway).




5.0 Unlockables (UNLK)
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Master class: Beat Expert mode, and Master will be unlocked.
Queen mode: Beat Expert on Pawn, Knight and Bishop, and Queen will be unlocked 
for you to play.

Championship: Have a record on the first 3 classes (Do them on Beginner to make
it easy)
Sly Joker: Do Pawn, Knight and Bishop on Standard.
The Stingray: Do Pawn, Knight and Bishop on Expert.
Silver Thunder: Do Queen on Expert.
Falcon Mk-II: Do any series on Master.
Fighting Comet: Do all on Master.
Jet Vermillion: 3 ways.

1. Do Championship 255 times (without retiring, completing the WHOLE course 255
times)
2. Do every course on Master with every vehicle. Hard, but it makes you heaps 
better at the game than option 3.
3. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/afzj/vermil/index.html.  Type in your name, it 
gives you a password. Go into GP and press L, R, Start, R, L. Type it in, and 
the JV  is available. Really, do option 2. It might take you a while, but it 
is way more worth it.

6.0
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Shortcuts (SCTS)

Pawn 1

Take the jump while boosting to cut the track a bit. Also go through the dirt 
when boosting to save going around.

Pawn 4

Boost through the giant dirt near the end to help you win.

Pawn 5

Take the jump in the sharp left corner, and you will (Hopefully) land back on 
the track.

Knight 4

Boost through the jump, and take sharp left. With a bit of moving around, you 
should get back on track and save some time.

Knight 5

It is possible with a good jumping car to take the right path, and continue 
jumping so that you end up really far down the LEFT track.

Bishop 4

Take the first jump t save time, and boost before the second jump to save going 
around the hairpin.

Queen 1

Use the Dash Plate to jump over a bit of the track. Good pilots can end up 
landing on the jump before the tar starts.

Queen 2

Oh boy, there's some good ones here. After the first jump, boost and take 
an EXTREME SHARP LEFT to cut from a bit of the small S. Then, immediately 
take a SHARP RIGHT to end up just around the corner from the jump split.

Queen 5

Boost near the fist jump to cut a part and save going through the mines.


7.0
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Advanced Tactics (ADVT)

Blast Turn

The easiest to perform, simply tap the A button a few times to turn the corner 
better than if you held it down.

Rocket start

By pressing A at some time while the READY sign flashes, your vehicle will start
off at a great speed, slow down to about 350, then rev up to  normal speed. 
Press too late, and you will start off on 0. Start too early, and you will 
overheat, leaving you at about 100 for a while.

Hot Violet: On the 3rd flash
Fire Ball: Just before the 3rd flash
J.B Crystal: On the 3rd flash
Wind Walker: Just after the 3rd flash
Sly Joker: Just after the 3rd flash
The Stingray: On the 3rd flash
Silver Thunder: On the 1st flash
Falcon Mk-II: Just after the 3rd flash
Fighting Comet: Just after the 3rd flash
Jet Vermillion: Just before the 1st flash

Long Jump

Really easy, just hold down on a jump to go further and land safely.

Strafing

Hard to master, but easy when you do, hold down a shoulder button and keep it 
down (you're moving diagonally!).The main purpose of this is to shave some time,
and to prepare for a corner, so you can slide.

Sliding

Hard to explain, but hold the OPPOSITE shoulder button when round a corner to 
make yourself straighter. Finish it off by holding the same shoulder button as
the turn.

EG. A 180 degree turn to the left. Hold R while holding left. When about half 
way,switch to L button. When done right, you cut the corner a lot sharper than
before!

Hugging Corners

Slightly stupid to mention, but by taking corners as sharp as possible, it takes
time off your record.

8.0
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Course Objects (OBJT)

Pit Stop

Simple enough, the green strip at the beginning of a course allows you to regain
health. Some are long, and some are short. Make sure you get the most of the pit
 if you are low on health. These appear on all tracks.

Speed Down Area

The brown stuff can stuff you up by slowing you down, and will keep doing so 
until you either reach 255 kilometers (about that), or go out of the stuff. 
This appears on Pawn 1, 2 and 4, Knight 1, 3 and 5, Bishop 4 and 5 and Queen 1 
and 5. Championship too.

Jump Plate

Makes you jump into the air, meaning you can make shortcuts or overtake someone.
Fun to land on other vehicles. Press down to avoid damage and to fly further.
This appears on Pawn 1 and 5, Knight 3, 4 and 5, Bishop 4, Queen 1, 2 and 5,
Championship.

Dash Plate

Makes you reach max speed, then slowly revert back to normal speed. Appears on
Pawn 1, 3 and 5, Knight 2 and 4, Bishop 3 and 4, Queen 1 and 3 and Championship.

Mine

Land on these and you go flying. You also go faster, but unless you can figure 
out how to position yourself correctly, you'll lose speed when you crash into a 
wall. These can appear on Knight 3, Queen 4 and 5, and Championship.

Gravity Strip

These can be found in Queen 2 and 5. These draw your vehicle to the ground when
jumping, and can be quite annoying when taking a shortcut.

Conveyer Belt

The drag you in the direction they are going, to see for yourself do Pawn 1. 
When you see the weird pink thing, drive on it. You will be going at normal 
speed, but going a lot slower. Found on Pawn 1, Bishop 3 and Queen 5.

Bomb/Floating Exploding Thing

This only appears in Grand Prix, on levels Standard and higher, and they act 
like mines. More appear the higher the class and longer the lap eg. Master, Lap 
5 will have the most possible Bombs.

Sand Twists

Found solely on Queen 3, these spin your car around. They can take you to levels
of insanity so far up you will destroy your game. Once you learn the course, 
they are pretty easy to avoid though, so practice makes perfect.

Ice

This crystal white thing on the ground makes your driving insanely slippery, 
and only the Jet Vermillion can really avoid it. Some cars love ice, most don't.

9.0
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Contact Information/Future Updates (CTCT)

My email address is [email protected]. If you need help, add me to MSN, 
and I will try to help you. I don't get around to it much, but I will try to.

Please don't email me about something in the guide, as it is quite annoying to 
answer a question that is already in front of them. If you want to search the 
guide, press Ctrl+F and type in a few keywords. Voila! The answer has magically
appeared.

I am planning to update as soon as I can, maybe add a bit more of the course 
guide, and a few more vehicle facts.

Written by KrulWarrior of GameFAQs