Tokyo Xtreme Racer - Strategy Guide (Page 02)

Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Tokyo Xtreme Racer - Strategy Guide (Page 02).

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.