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TOKYO EXTREME RACER ZERO: GAME GUIDE

By

Wolf Feather/Jamie Stafford
FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM

Version:   FINAL
Completed: October 6, 2001

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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Cars
Input from Others
General Tips
My Cars
Wish List
Contact

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SPACING AND LENGTH
For optimum readability, this driving guide should be
viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier.
Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers
and letters below line up:

1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

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PERMISSIONS
This guide may ONLY be posted on FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com,
PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com,
gamesover.com, InsidePS2Games.com, RedCoupe, CheatPlanet.com,
The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru,
cheatingplanet.com, vgstrategies.com, ps2fantasy.com, and
neoseeker.com.

Permission is granted to download and print one copy for
personal use.

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INTRODUCTION
Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero is an intriguing game - similar to
the PlayStation game Tokyo Highway Battle, but far more
developed and with much more highway to explore.  Also, the
CPU-controlled Rivals are far more challenging and varied,
employing a wider array of tactics in their own attempts to
win each battle.

One of the most interesting aspects of the game (to me) is
that it shows the complexity of the highway system of a major
urban area.  The initial course is especially intriguing in
this respect, and it is rather interesting to compare the
game version of the highway to a map of Tokyo.

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CARS
At the beginning of the game, you will be forced to buy a
car.  The initial car choice is important, as it should be a
vehicle with which you will feel very comfortable
immediately.  Specifically, choose a car type you are already
familiar with from other driving games.  In my case, I am
rather adept with 4WD vehicles in the Gran Turismo series, so
my first cars were 4WD vehicles (TYPE-CE9A and TYPE-CP9A6M).

At the beginning of the game, a fairly powerful Class A car
can beat just about anyone, even without modifications.
However, do not buy the most expensive car you can afford.
Instead, save a little money to buy parts.

NOTE: If you buy a Class A car immediately, you will not be
able to spend money on any significant parts at the same time
due to the high cost of the initially-available cars.  On the
other hand, if you buy a Class B or Class C car, you can
expect to buy a better car relatively soon in the game
because you will not have a powerful-enough vehicle to
compete with the Rivals - this, in essence, is a tremendous
waste of money.  However, if you buy a Class A car at the
beginning, you can take that car A LOT further into the game
before you need to buy a second car.

The first parts you should buy are tires.  ALWAYS buy the
best possible tires you can afford.  Better tires mean more
traction, which means both less wheel spin (resulting in
better acceleration) and better cornering at high speeds.
Even if you are racing a higher-power car, if you have better
tires, you can take advantage of corners to catch up and pass
the Rival.  As you progress through the game, if new sets of
tires are made available to you (by beating certain Rivals),
buy them immediately!!!

Once you have bought a car and made any initial
modifications, go to the Settings screen and make any
adjustments necessary.  Then leave Quest mode (save your
game) and go to Free Run.  Learn the initial course in both
directions, so that you will not have any surprises when you
go back to Quest mode and begin challenging other drivers.
Using Free Run, you will also be able to discern if the
Settings need to be adjusted, and you may begin to notice
which new parts to buy next once you have enough money to do
so.  However, Free Run does not include ANY traffic on the
highway, so if you need to make adjustments to your car,
consider how the changes will affect handling when weaving in
and out of traffic.

When ready, go to Time Attack and complete a few rounds there
on each course.  While you may not necessarily be driving at
top speed in Free Run, you WILL in Time Attack - after all,
that IS the point of Time Attack.  This will allow you to set
a few records to start with, and will give you an idea of how
the car handles at top speed.  Especially note how to best
use the car in cornering.  If you want to tune your car
(especially gear ratios), this is perhaps the best place to
do it.

Now go back to Quest mode and take on a few Rivals!!!  Return
to the Garage when necessary to add parts and change
settings.  Also, periodically (perhaps every 20-30 minutes)
save your game (System menu), just in case the electricity
goes out, little siblings squirt the console with a water
gun, etc.

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INPUT FROM OTHERS
Concerning Wanderers, I have received A LOT of e-mails from
many players.  The following comes from J.D.
(selsduk@aol.com), and is edited only for formatting purposes
and minor language:

   From: SeLsDuk@aol.com
   Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 06:31:04 EDT
   Subject: ABOUT the WANDeRERS
   To: FEATHER7@ix.netcom.com

   Yeah I've been having a BIG <<<deleted for language>>>
   PROB with that.  I've been trying a lot of things but
   sometimes it'll work and sometimes it wont.  Here are my
   suggestions:

   1)  Race a WANDERER with a STOCK CAR.  Sometimes, they'll
   race you and keep on your pace.

   2)  Go in front of the WANDERER to see if they HIGHBEAM.
   If they don't sometimes it means that they don't wanna
   race you if you highbeam them.

   3)  Trial and Error.  This is what me and probably anyone
   else who has been playing TOKYO RACER 2 (DC) or TOKYO
   RACER 0 (PS2).  I raced a couple of KANJO-INNER WANDERERS
   with my PORSCHE 930 TURBO A CLASS CAR 2 951HP seeing that
   they dont wanna race my C CLASS 164 HP car.  Its weird.

I can definitely confirm J.D.'s second point, and his third
point is what most players probably try by defaultŠ which
makes them frustrated, and then they e-mail me!!!  As for the
first point concerning a stock car, how fast can you (the
player) accumulate A LOT of money for stock car and parts???

For specific information on the Wanderers, see "Wanderer's
Requirement(s) FAQ" - translated and written by HIKARU2001,
Wataru, and Reiko - on GameFAQs (and probably also posted
elsewhere).

Also, some advice concerning the pressure-sensitive PS2
DualShock2 controller:

   From: "Scott Edwards" <sje75@hotmail.com>
   To: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM
   Subject: Your tokyo extreme racer FAQ
   Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2001 23:49:29

   Because the X button on the PS2 controller is pressure
   sensitive, you can find yourself losing a lot of your
   acceleration and speed because you can't hold the button
   down that hard constantly.  One option to fix this is to
   go into the settings in the garage and change the
   sensitivity of the accerlation.  Alternatively, if you
   just use a PS1 controller without analog functions, you
   can effectively hold it down ALL THE WAY all the time.

With appropriate modifications, Scott's tip may also be
applicable to other games.  Of course, you may also wish to
make use of the services of Chet (the slightly-insane gaming
coach) from the recent Blockbuster Video advertising
campaign, and specifically work on increasing your thumb
strength and endurance.

Here is some information on a 'child-safety feature:'

   From: "Kyle Morse" <e-mail withheld>
   To: feather7@ix.netcom.com
   Subject: TXRZ Child Safety Feature
   Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 00:59:34 -0400

   Tokyo Extreme Racer: Zero has a child safety feature. You
   know that little sibling, the one that watches you play.
   Well I'm sure you don't want him/her to play while you're
   temporarily gone. You know their going to play any way
   so i have found that if you pause the game in Quest mode,
   then press SELECT,SQUARE,TRIAGLE,AND CIRCLE at the same
   time. This causes the game to lock and the game is unable
   to to be messed with thru the controller. When you come
   back to unlock the game press and hold SELECT, THEN PRESS
   SQUARE, TRIANGLE, AND CIRCLE. Remember don't let the
   rugrats mess up the gig man!

Also, concerning how muffler choice affects horsepower and
torque, Jeremy Jones has made a rather interesting
observation:

   Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:41:11 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Jeremy Jones <picassoman_13@yahoo.com>
   Subject: About your FAQ
   To: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM

   When I first upgraded the car, I thought it was odd
   how the horsepower goes down with certain higher
   mufflers.  But I then noticed another thing, the
   number of engine upgrade corresponds to the number of
   the muffler.  For example: Say I have a level 4
   engine, well, the best bet would be to go with the
   level 4 muffler, not only is the horsepower the
   highest there, but so is the torque.  And if I had a
   level 2 engine, I'd get a level 2 muffler. If you go
   over the number of your engine upgrade, you will (in
   most cases) lose horsepower and torque.  Understand?
   I thought that was interesting that they chose to go
   that way.

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GENERAL TIPS
First, most CPU-controlled Rivals have trouble cornering.
Therefore, it is generally a good idea to tune a car for
quick acceleration and to have the best possible tires.  This
also means that a car tuned in this manner will do fairly
well on the initial course, but - unless you have a car with
a MASSIVE horsepower output - very poorly on long, straight
stretches of highway.  To the extent possible, strategically
pick the starting point for each battle, even if it means
tailing a Rival for several kilometers until you reach a
section with many corners (such as the northern tunnels of
the initial course).  If necessary, return to garage, then
re-enter the competition in or just before an area with a lot
of curves.

In a battle, the car in the lead dictates the direction of
the battle; if you are trailing and take a different route
than the leader at a fork in the highway, the battle ends in
an instant draw.  Very rarely has a CPU-controlled Rival
taken a different route than I took when I was in the lead,
so this can be used to your advantage if you are leading.
Best of all, if one of the forks leads to an area of the
course which you personally prefer due to better performance
AND you are in the lead, take it!!!

Rivals DO occasionally make mistakes: ramming other vehicles,
overcorrecting, hitting toll booth barriers, etc.  Be
constantly aware, and be ready to take advantage of such
situations if you are trailing the Rival.  Especially if you
are approaching the toll booths, don't tail your Rival too
closely - or try to give as wide a berth as possible - in
case she/he suddenly rams a toll booth barrier and bounces
back at you; the same applies for the concrete lane barriers
underneath the bridges in CI Inner/Outer.

Do not be afraid to use 'dirty tactics' (blocking,
sideswiping an opponent into a barrier or the back of another
vehicle) to win.  In some cases, the Rivals will use dirty
tactics to stay ahead of you.  In many cases as you progress
through the game, you will NEED to use dirty tactics to gain
and retain the lead.

Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero is very richly done in terms of the
visuals.  It is quite easy to get lost in the realism of the
game, from the traffic to the airplanes taking off and
landing overhead.  However, DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE
ROAD, ESPECIALLY IN A BATTLE!!!!!

The distant lights along the highway are rather blurry and
can easily trick you as you race along at top speed,
especially in the long, straight sections of highway out
west.  It does help a little to look as far ahead as possible
and note the upcoming corners by the positioning of the
streetlamps, but the red taillights are often too blurry
until you are practically in another vehicle's back bumper.

One of the best sections to master is Yaesu.  The lower,
tunnel section of Yaesu is relatively straight compared to
the upper, open-air section.  However, the open-air section
has a number of tight, two-lane, right-angle corners.
Mastering Yaesu will definitely work to your advantage in
most cases, as Rivals rarely ever go through Yaesu willingly
and generally cannot keep up through its nasty corners.
Further, due to the narrowness of the highway in Yaesu
compared with the tight corners, it will be difficult for a
Rival to pass you if you are in the lead; of course, if you
are trailing the Rival, YOU will have difficulty passing.
Also, Wanderers will occasionally sit at one of the Yaesu on-
ramps and wait for you; look for the stationary blue dot on
the map to find these Wanderers.

The western highways are generally conducive to high-speed
runs, due to long straightaways, multiple and wider lanes
(especially in the tunnels), and generally thinner traffic.
However, at the extremely high top-end speeds which are
usually achieved in this area, even a light brushing with a
barrier or another vehicle can reduce your speed just enough
for you to lose your lead and/or lose all chance of catching
your opponent.

As you unlock new courses, go to Free Run to explore, and use
Time Attack to hone your top-speed skills in these newly-
opened areas.  For the full-circuit Time Attack challenge,
allow at least 30 minutes, especially with a slow Class C
car.

Whenever you encounter and challenge a Wanderer, he/she will
often turn you down, and that can get to be QUITE
frustrating.  The Wanderers will come to challenge you on
their own schedule.  For a few potential tips, see the e-mail
I received from J.D., included in the INPUT FROM OTHERS
section above.  For specific information on each of the
Wanderers, see "Wanderer's Requirement(s) FAQ" - translated
and written by HIKARU2001, Wataru, and Reiko - on GameFAQs
(and likely also posted elsewhere).

Be careful when buying parts if you are concerned about
getting the most horsepower for your money.  I happened to
notice that the most expensive muffler, for example, does NOT
always give the best horsepower.  For example, if there are
six mufflers to choose from, the fourth muffler may give a
better horsepower rating than the sixth and most expensive
muffler.  In this regard, this game is unlike most racing
games which include buying parts for upgrades.  Just
something to keep in mind, especially if you find yourself
racing a car with very similar set-up and abilities to yours.

There ARE cops in this game, located in eight different areas
of the highway circuit (once all highways are opened).  Never
did I actually see the police car; I only heard the sirens as
I sped by a highway on-ramp (where the police were probably
hiding).  You don't actually get pulled over; instead, when
you return to garage to end the night, you are presented with
the "Over Speed Penalty!!" screen, which lists the
infractions and fines incurred in the session, and the
appropriate amount is then deducted from your total remaining
money.  This is so impersonal, and I was REALLY hoping to be
arrested by Miyuki and Natsumi!!!!!

Specific to Speed King, expect to be extremely frustrated for
a while - perhaps even several days.  The best thing to do is
to keep racing Rivals you have already beaten (if necessary)
to gain enough money to sell off all but your cheapest Class
C car (you must always have at least one car in your garage)
to buy a powerful Class A car, plus the parts necessary to
tune it for the section(s) which best suit your driving
style.  Then go back to the highways, race and beat a Rival
again, and try to end that race in an area where you believe
you will have the best chance of success as Speed King
challenges you once again.

Periodically (perhaps every 20-30 minutes) save your game
(System menu), just in case the electricity goes out, little
siblings squirt the console with a water gun, etc.  Also, as
you return to the garage, look to the top of the report
screen to see if you have achieved new parts or new levels of
parts (by beating specific Rivals) and if so, seriously
consider acquiring some upgrades before returning to the
highways.

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MY CARS
These are the cars and settings I have used in the game.

My first car: TYPE-CE9A (Class A, 4WD, 2714lbs, 490HP,
      1997cc)*
   Initial Cost: $14,750
   Steer: +11
   Acceleration: +12
   Braking: +11
   Brake Balance: +7 (biased to the rear)
   Ride Height: -15 front AND rear (lowest possible setting)
   Gear Ratio: Default, except Final set to 2.78
   Spring Rate: -8 front and rear
   Damper: +4 front AND rear
   Turbo Boost: 1.40 (fairly high)

My second car (Class A, acquired after opening the long
      western sections of highway): TYPE-CP9A6M (4WD,
      2797lbs, 561HP, 1997cc)*
   Initial Cost: $28,480
   Steer: +11
   Acceleration: +12
   Braking: +12
   Brake Balance: +8 (biased to the rear)
   Ride Height: -15 front AND rear (lowest possible setting)
   Gear Ratio: Default
   Spring Rate: +5 front, +6 rear
   Damper: -7 front AND rear
   Turbo Boost: 1.39 (fairly high)

My third car (Class A, acquired specifically to beat Speed
      King): TYPE-RPT7 (MR, 2764lbs, 446HP, 3560cc)**
   Initial Cost: $
   Steer: +7
   Acceleration: +12
   Braking: +14
   Brake Balance: +8 (biased to the rear)
   Ride Height: N/A
   Gear Ratio:
      1st  : 3.71
      2nd  : 2.61
      3rd  : 1.93
      4th  : 1.58
      5th  : 1.28
      6th  : 0.96
      Final: 3.03
   Spring Rate: N/A
   Damper: N/A
   Turbo Boost: N/A

My current car (Class A, the Speed King car): TYPE-R34RKK
      (4WD, 3230lbs, 788HP, 2876cc)*
   Initial Cost: $525,500
   Steer: +7
   Acceleration: +12
   Braking: +13
   Brake Balance: +7 (biased to the rear)
   Ride Height: -15 front AND rear (lowest possible setting)
   Gear Ratio:
      1st  : 4.96
      2nd  : 3.29
      3rd  : 2.28
      4th  : 1.87
      5th  : 1.45
      6th  : 1.06
      Final: 2.71
   Spring Rate: +10 front, +11 rear
   Damper: -12 front AND rear
   Turbo Boost: 1.31 (fairly high)

*  Weight, horsepower, and cc based on highest possible
   levels of available parts (except mufflers, where highest
   possible horsepower muffler was selected).

** Weight, horsepower, and cc based on the following parts:
   Engine Level 5; Muffler and Air Cleaner Level 6;
   Transmission Level 3; Clutch and Differential Level 4; and
   Tires, Brakes, and Wheels Level 8.  Also, after several
   days of frustration trying to beat Speed King with a
   number of other cars, I was successful beating Speed King
   the first time I tried with this car.

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WISH LIST
This is what I would like to see added to future incarnations
of the game:

MUCH more traffic on the opposite side of the highway.  It is
rather rare to see a vehicle on the other side of the median
barrier, which is very unrealistic, even in the middle of the
night.  While there is usually a significant difference in
elevation between the two directions of traffic, there are a
few areas where the two directions of traffic are at the same
elevation (especially on the western highways), so there
really SHOULD be more traffic on the other side of the
highway.

More vehicle types please!!!  Add some motorcycles, emergency
vehicles, tour busses, etc.

This is only a minor issue, but allowing racing on more
highways and possibly even some major streets would be a
great addition to the game.  As it is, despite the massive
'world' of Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero, the loading times are
insanely fast (perhaps Genki could teach something to the
developers of CART Fury!?!?!), so the addition of more race-
able territory would not greatly unbalance the loading times,
and definitely WOULD add to the gameplay.

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CONTACT
For rants, raves, etc., contact me at FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM;
also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has
been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small
donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above
e-mail address.  However, due to extremely limited time, I am
relinquishing any further work on this guide to focus on the
newly-released F1 games, and on classwork.

To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2
game guides, visit FeatherGuides at
http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/

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