TOKYO EXTREME RACER 3: GAME GUIDE

by

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

Initial Version Completed: November 30, 2003
Version 1.0 Completed:     November 30, 2003

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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Getting Started
Initial Vehicle Selection
Acquiring & Tuning Parts
Rivals
Strategy
Drivetrains
Braking
Cornering
Diagrams
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

This guide is approximately 35 pages long in the Macintosh
version of Microsoft Word 98 using single-spaced Courier 12
font.

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PERMISSIONS
This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides,
GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, Games Domain, PSXCodez.com,
Cheatcc.com, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com,
GameReactors.com, RedCoupe, InsidePS2Games.com,
CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru,
CheatHeaven, IGN, ComputerUnderground.com,
cheatingplanet.com, RobsGaming.com, neoseeker.com,
ps2fantasy.com, and vgstrategies.com.  Please contact me for
permission to post elsewhere on the Internet.

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

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INTRODUCTION
Two years after the release of the popular illegal-highway-
racing game Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3
appears.  The '3' in the title signifies several things:
First, this is the third game in the series (the original
Tokyo Xtreme Racer was a DreamCast game; TXR0 was the
original appearance of the series on the PlayStation2), it is
released in 2003, and - most importantly - there are now
three cities involved in the game (Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka).

However, one of the best improvements for this game is that
the series now features licensed vehicles.  Before, it was
fairly evident that many of the vehicles were at least 'based
upon' real-world cars; now, many vehicle manufacturers have
granted license to 'truly' use their vehicles in the game.
In terms of gameplay, this does not make a single shred of
difference; however, it is certainly easier to find a
particular vehicle a player wishes to buy, instead of pouring
through a massive codelist of vehicle names as in TXR0.

With the addition of weather (try speeding down a highway at
nearly 200MPH in a heavy rainstorm!!!), Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3
is definitely one of the best racing games in 2003.  Its low
cost (in the States) is also particularly enticing.

The general principles of racing certainly apply in the
highway setting.  However, the addition of slow-moving non-
participant traffic can throw major moving obstacles at just
the wrong moment and location to truly be able to use the
general principles of racing as intended.  Nonetheless, the
final section of this guide addresses general racing
principles - namely proper braking and cornering - to assist
the player.  On-the-fly changes will often need to be made
due to the slower non-participant traffic, which will often
affect braking and cornering.

Part of the information in this guide is taken - with
modifications - from my Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero: Game Guide
and Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero: Getting Started Guide.

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GETTING STARTED
Once past the opening film, the player should go directly to
System.  Here, the game, sound, controller, and other
settings can be adjusted to the player's liking.  Then it is
time to explore.

Those already familiar with Tokyo Xtreme Racer (Zero) may
want to go directly to Tokyo to begin exploring in Free Run
Mode; this will allow for easy comparison between TXR3 and
the previous games in the series.  It is important to spend
plenty of time exploring the highway system of all three
cities, however.  Once a game has begun in Quest Mode, the
player must choose one of the three cities (Tokyo, Nagoya,
and Osaka) as the initial 'base of operations,' and is NOT
permitted to leave that city until all the initial bosses in
the chosen city have been defeated.

While exploring, the player may also want to test out various
cars - primarily cars with different drivetrains.  4WD, FF,
and FR cars all handle and perform somewhat differently, so
experimentation with each type of vehicle in each of the
cities can be of great benefit when truly beginning the game
in Quest Mode.  (4WD uses all four wheels as drive wheels; FF
has the engine in the front of the vehicle, with the front
wheels as the drive wheels; FR vehicles place the engine in
the front of the vehicle but uses the rear wheels for the
drive wheels.)

One final point on exploring is the importance of learning
the highway system in each city.  The player should learn the
intricacies of each city's highway system (the tightest
corners, the locations of interchanges, etc.), and also use
this information combined with personal driving skills to
determine where would be the best place(s) to challenge
rivals once the game truly begins in Quest Mode.  This may
also influence the choice of city as the initial 'base of
operations' in Quest Mode.

Next, the player may want to go into Time Attack Mode.  Here,
the player can race against the clock in the three cities on
a variety of courses.  This will help the player to both
minimize time (which is obviously crucial in races in Quest
Mode) and learn how various vehicles handle at full speed
when 'the pressure is on.'  Later, as the player gains access
to better and faster cars, coming back to Time Attack Mode
and rerunning the various courses will provide faster and
faster times, which can be a nice confidence boost :-)

Finally, it is time to advance to Quest Mode.  This is where
the core of Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 is located.  This is where
legends are made.

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INITIAL VEHICLE SELECTION
Quest Mode begins with a cutscene, then the purchase of a
car.  The player has 40,000CP (the currency used in the game)
to spend initially from among the following sixteen vehicles:

Isuzu Piazza XS                                  19,800CP
Mazda RX-7 Infinity-Z                            32,900CP
Mazda MX-5 Miata RS                              20,000CP
Mazda MX-5 Miata S-Special Type II               14,800CP
Mitsubishi Lancer EX GSR Turbo Intercooler       18,700CP
Mitsubishi FTO GP Ver. R                         30,000CP
Nissan 300ZX 2by2                                26,500CP
Nissan 200SX                                     36,000CP
Nissan 200SX                                     30,500CP
Nissan 180SX Type-X                              30,600CP
Nissan Maxima                                    23,700CP
Subaru Alcyone VR                                14,200CP
Toyota Corolla Levin 3door GT Apex               14,400CP
Toyota Sprinter Trueno 3door GT Apex             14,400CP
Toyota Mark II Grande iR-V                       36,200CP
Toyota Chaser Tourer V                           37,200CP

There are two schools of thought in terms of purchasing an
initial car.  On one hand, the player can buy a 'high-end'
vehicle (the Toyota Chaser Tourer V is the most expensive),
which will tend to have more horsepower ('PS' in this game)
and will perform better in its stock configuration.  On the
other hand, buying a less-expensive vehicle (the Subaru
Alcyone VR is the cheapest) at the beginning of the game will
provide much more cash for purchasing upgrades initially,
thus (theoretically) making a less-expensive car quite
competitive with the initial rivals in the game.

[To provide an idea of what one may expect, I began the game
in Tokyo using the Mitsubishi FTO GP Ver. R.  I was able to
continue using this vehicle - adding parts as I could afford
them and as they were unlocked (by defeating certain rivals,
gangs, wanderers, and bosses) until almost the very end of my
initial run in Tokyo.  I then had enough money to acquire the
Subaru Imprezza WRX STi VersionVI (which I had unlocked
earlier), plus a few additional parts; two wins later, I took
on the final two bosses in Tokyo and won both challenges
relatively easily.  That same car got me through Nagoya with
NO losses, and then through Osaka with only TWO losses (the
second loss fully due to my mismanagement of the turbo
boost).]

Once the player has purchased a starting vehicle, the license
plate can be customized.  There will always be a license
plate at the lower center rear of a given vehicle.  On the
front of a car, however, the player will have several
placement options, including the lack of a license plate at
the front of the vehicle.  Once a vehicle's license plate has
been customized, it cannot be changed; only the placement of
the license plate at the front of the vehicle can be modified
(at whim).

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ACQUIRING & TUNING PARTS
Some upgraded parts are available immediately in the game;
generally, these must be purchased in order to be used.  To
gain access to more parts in the game (as well as to more
vehicles), certain rivals, gangs, wanderers, and bosses must
first be defeated.  Whenever the player leaves the highways
to return to the garage, the nightly/total information screen
will indicate whether any parts or vehicles have been
unlocked.

The following parts can be upgraded/customized in Tokyo
Xtreme Racer 3 by purchasing them (where applicable;
asterisks means that no cost is associated with any
changes/upgrades) in the Tuning Shop:

Power
   Engine (6 levels)
   Muffler (5 levels)
   Cooling (5 levels)
Powertrain
   Transmission (3 levels)
   Clutch (5 levels)
   Suspension (3 levels)
   Brakes (5 levels)
Tire/Wheel
   Wheel Shop (9 manufacturers, 40 choices total)
   Wheel Change (choose from the Wheel Shop purchases)
   Tire (Normal plus 2 other tire compounds available)
Body
   Reinforce (5 levels)
   Weight Down (5 levels)
Aero (number of selections vary; three compound types each)
   Front Bumper
   Hood
   Grill
   Mirror
   Over Fender
   Side Skirt
   Rear Bumper
   Rear Spoiler
Dress Up (number of selections vary)
   Front Light (changes shape/position/color)
   Tail Light (changes color)
   Blinker (changes color)
   Horn
   License Plate* (changes position/presence of front plate)
   Gauges* (change style/color)
   Color Change*
      Body (change colors and reflection)
      Window (change color and transparency)
   Sticker Set* (change or remove gang/wanderer stickers)
   Body Paint* (customize paintjob)

For those parts which involve direct tuning (such as
transmissions), their settings can be adjusted in Car
Setting.  Generally, if a vehicle has only the Normal type of
a tunable part, it cannot be tuned at all, and thus is not
available in Car Setting.

Vehicle tuning is crucial for getting the best performance
from a chosen vehicle.  Even a finely-tuned 'junkyard' car
can be competitive with and perhaps even defeat a racecar
with atrocious tuning.  Certainly, driver skill and strategy
is important in overall performance, but when the player is
challenging someone whose vehicle has very similar
characteristics, proper tuning can give the player the edge.

Tuning is primarily dependent upon the area(s) where the
player prefers to compete.  In closed-circuit, legal,
sanctioned racing (such as F1, CART, NASCAR, World of
Outlaws, etc.), tuning is made 'easier' by the lack of
extraneous traffic.  However, since TXR3 takes place on
public highways with plenty of non-competitor vehicles in the
way (often in or just beyond key corners), the general
principles of legal-racing tuning do not necessarily apply.

In essence, there are two extremes in tuning, based upon the
area(s) where the player prefers to compete.  Using the Tokyo
highway system as an example, the northernmost part of the
Tokyo system (with many tunnels) requires quick acceleration,
strong braking, and rapid steering response.  Steering
response can be adjusted while on the highways by pressing
Pause, selecting Response, and making the appropriate change;
the others must be adjusted in Car Setting in the player's
Garage.  Brake balance can be adjusted by first upgrading the
brakes, then determining how much braking power should be
applied to the front and rear wheels (by axle).  Stronger
acceleration is a result of adjusting the transmission
setting, tuning the desired gear(s) to a lower setting;
moving Final Gear to a lower setting will affect ALL gears in
conjunction with their individual settings.  Lowering the
vehicle's ride height (by upgrading the suspension) will also
provide a slight acceleration/speed advantage by reducing the
amount of aerodynamic friction underneath the vehicle; if
lowered too much, however, the vehicle will bottom out.  If
the car has a rear spoiler, downforce should be raised, as
this will assist in cornering (although top-end speed will be
lowered).

At the other extreme is the lengthy stretch of no-corner or
minor-corner highway, used along the southern edge of much of
the Tokyo highway system.  Here, with the exception of ride
height and braking, everything mentioned above needs to be
reversed: longer gear ratios for higher top-end speed (but
slower acceleration), and lowering or eliminating the
downforce will produce faster speeds (in a section with no
significant corners, this should not be a problem).
Steering/handling can be left alone, but the player must
remember that any sudden movement will both scrub off speed
and greatly increase the chances of overcorrecting and being
involved in an accident; using a slower steering response can
minimize the chances of this occurring in the heat of battle.

Typically, unless the player is involved in a VERY lengthy
battle, there should not really be any 'middle ground'
between these two extremes.

If a vehicle is capable of using turbo boost, it can provide
an edge in either situation.  During battles only, the player
can press the Select button to toggle the turbo boost on and
off.  Using the turbo boost for quick blasts can provide just
enough extra acceleration and speed to gain an edge,
especially in twisty sections of highway.  On the other hand,
using the turbo boost for a longer period of time will cause
the oil and water temperature to rise; if they rise too much,
vehicle performance will degrade, and can only be 'repaired'
by heading back to the Garage to end the night and trying
again the following night (i.e., returning to the highways).

When first starting the game, one of the best parts a player
can upgrade is the tires, to attain more pavement grip to
assist in both acceleration and cornering.  This is done per
axle, and HG and S tires are available.  HG tires provide
more pavement grip than Normal tires.  S tires provide even
greater pavement grip, but their disadvantage is that they
are extremely counterproductive when racing in the rain,
resulting in a lot of sliding when cornering.  Given that wet
conditions automatically amplify every change of motion and
speed, using S tires in the rain gives horsepower, strategy,
and tactics much more prominence than usual.

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RIVALS
The premise of Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 is rather simple:  The
player must locate, challenge, and defeat the illegal highway
racers in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.  Of course, this is
easier said than done.  Obviously, this will be easier at the
beginning of the game, and more difficult as the game
progresses.

Rivals fall into various categories.  The largest category is
that of gang member.  Many illegal highway racers are part of
a racing gang (think of the motorcycle gang rivalry in the
Akira manga and anime).  Gang members will ALWAYS accept a
player's challenge (by flashing the high beam headlights when
directly tailing the rival).  Should the player defeat a gang
member, the player will be rewarded with a meager amount of
money, but certainly not much.  However, defeating all the
members of a given gang will collectively amount to a nice
sum of money overall.  Note that each gang member bears the
emblem of the gang on the car; this emblem is also shown
beside the rival name in a battle/race.

Next above the gang members is the gang leader, who bears the
emblem of the gang as well.  Once all the regular gang
members of a gang have been defeated, the gang leader will
suddenly appear in front of the player, and the ensuing
battle will shortly commence.  Gang leaders award more money
than gang members when defeated, and may also allow access to
more parts and/or cars.

The next category is that of the wanderers.  These are
essentially ronin, lone illegal highway racers with no gang
affiliations or allegiances.  Many wanderers have specific
requirements that a player must first meet before they will
accept a player's challenge to battle; this can range from a
minimum number of miles on the player's car to racing on a
particular day number (such as every eleven days) to a
particular type of car.  Each wanderer has her or his own
emblem.  When defeated, wanderers pay more than gang leaders
and may also provide access to more parts and/or cars.

Above the wanders are the boss gang members.  These rivals
may suddenly appear in front of the player (using the
appropriate challenge signal) at pre-determined times
throughout the game, or their entry onto the highway will be
announced (via a cutscene) and the player must then go find
them and challenge them; this generally coincides with the
number of rivals the player has defeated overall to that
point in the game.  Boss gang members bear the emblem of
their gangs, and also pay nicely when defeated.

Finally, once all regular boss gang members have been
defeated, the boss gang leader will suddenly appear.  Boss
gang leaders pay VERY handsomely when defeated (and may allow
access to more parts and/or cars), but are also often tricky
to defeat.

It is possible for the player to be challenged by several
rivals in a row.  After defeating the last regular gang
member of a gang, the gang leader may appear.  If the gang
leader is defeated on the first attempt, a boss gang member
may appear.  If that person is defeated on the first attempt,
the boss gang leader may appear.  Working swiftly through
this barrage of rivals will result in the player receiving a
MASSIVE amount of money in rather little time :-)

Finally, a player can check which rivals have been defeated
by selecting the Rival menu option in Quest Mode.  From a
rival's information screen, that rival can be challenged in a
direct head-to-head competition.

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STRATEGY
As in all forms of racing, strategy is important, especially
when competing against a vehicle with similar
characteristics.  The following ideas may help the player to
create a personalized strategy for Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3.

Most rivals have trouble cornering - some have EXTREME
difficulty in 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 in each
city, but  unless using a car with a MASSIVE horsepower
output - very poorly on long, straight stretches of highway.
To the extent possible, the player should strategically pick
the starting point for each battle, even if it means tailing
a rival for several kilometers to a section with many corners
(such as the northern tunnels of the initial course in
Tokyo).  If necessary, the player should return to garage,
then re-enter the competition in or just before an area with
a lot of curves.  Unfortunately, Yaesu has been removed in
TXR3; in TXR0, this was a section in Tokyo filled with tight
perpendicular corners where rivals had a VERY hard time
keeping up with the player.

In a battle, the car in the lead dictates the direction of
the battle; if the player is trailing and takes a different
route than the leader at a fork in the highway, the battle
ends in an instant draw.  Very rarely does a rival take a
different route when the player is in the lead, so this can
be used to a great advantage if leading.

Rivals DO occasionally make mistakes: ramming other vehicles,
overcorrecting, hitting toll booth barriers, etc.  The player
must be constantly aware, and always ready to take advantage
of such situations if trailing the rival.  Especially when
approaching the toll booths, it is important to NOT tail the
rival too closely  or at least try to give as wide a berth
as possible  in case she/he suddenly rams a toll booth
barrier and bounces backward; the same applies for the
concrete lane barriers underneath the bridges in CI
Inner/Outer in Tokyo.

The player should not be afraid to use 'dirty tactics'
(blocking, sideswiping an opponent into a barrier or the back
of another vehicle, etc.) to win.  In some cases, the rivals
will use dirty tactics to stay in the lead.  In many cases,
as the player progresses through the game, dirty tactics will
NEED to be used to gain and retain the lead.

The distant lights along the highway are rather blurry and
can easily trick the player's eyes while racing along at top
speed, especially in the long, straight sections of highway.
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 practically in another vehicle¹s back bumper.
Unfortunately, the rainy conditions shorten visibility to
such an extent that the only sure way to safely 'navigate'
the highways is purely by memory.

Periodically (perhaps every 20-30 minutes), the player should
save game progress (in the System menu), just in case the
electricity goes out, little siblings squirt the console with
a water gun, etc.

Maintaining speed through corners can be made a little
easier, although at a risk.  Just before the beginning of a
corner, the player should LIGHTLY brush the outside barrier
(i.e., the left-side barrier of a right hand corner) and then
turn in the direction of the corner just enough to keep the
front corner of the vehicle off the barrier.  The risk in
using this tactic is that every contact with another vehicle
or an immovable object will result in at least minor SP loss.
This cornering tactic will also scrub off speed, but it will
allow the player to enter the corner at full speed and
(usually) exit the corner at a higher speed than when
cornering normally.  A quick blast of turbo boost (if
available) while in the corner itself can help to minimize
the speed loss, while using the turbo boost on corner exit
will help to accelerate more quickly.

Some of the sharper corners on the highways have painted lane
'extensions,' where the highway barrier gives way but the
extra space is painted in a diagonal stripe pattern to try to
keep vehicles in the main lanes.  During a battle, this can
be a prime place to make a pass of either a rival or a non-
participant vehicle.  Also, rivals generally do not make use
of the painted lane 'extensions,' so knowing where these are
located in each city can greatly help in setting up a pass or
extending one's lead.

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DRIVETRAINS
There are four common drivetrains for cars, plus the 'RR'
drivetrain:

4WD: All four wheels are drive wheels.  In many forms of
        auto racing, 4WD vehicles are banned due to the
        inherent advantage of using all four wheels as
        drive wheels (due to the added traction advantage).
FF:  The engine AND the drive wheels are at the front of the
        car.  FF vehicles are fairly easy to drive, but do
        not generally handle high horsepower outputs very
        well.  This type of vehicle tends to understeer.
FR:  The engine is in the front of the vehicle, but the rear
        wheels are the drive wheels.  This type of car has a
        great tendency for oversteering, and throttle
        management is VERY important when exiting corners to
        try to prevent the oversteer condition.  NASCAR uses
        FR vehicles.
MR:  The engine is located between the axles (usually just
        behind the driver), and the rear wheels are the drive
        wheels.  This type of car can be a bit tricky to
        drive.  Typical MR cars are those used in F1, CART,
        and IRL.  In open-wheel cars (such as those in the
        aforementioned racing series), there is extremely
        little material to absorb the shock of a front-end
        collision in an accident, thus providing fairly
        little protection for the driver (especially the
        driver's legs); it is truly amazing that there are
        not more driver injuries in open-wheel cars with
        MR drivetrains due to this 'non-protection' issue.
RR:  Both the engine and the drive wheels are in the rear of
        the car.  These cars are fairly rare

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BRAKING
The first step in driving fast is knowing when, where, and
how much to slow down (braking).  In some games, a brake
controller can be acquired or purchased, allowing the player
to customize the brake strength by axle or by adjusting the
bias of the brakes toward the front or the rear of the car.

The use of a brake controller will affect the braking zone,
as will other factors.  Specifically, the car's speed on
approaching a corner, the drivetrain of the car, the weight
of the car, and even the car's center of gravity can all
affect the braking zone.  Similarly, the driving conditions
will affect the braking zone for each corner (as well as the
car's ability to attain high speeds).

The braking zone will differ somewhat for each car depending
upon its strengths and weaknesses.  It certainly helps for
the player to try a Free Run to learn the highways -
including the braking zones.

When looking for braking zones, try to find a particular
stationary object near the entry of each corner; it helps
tremendously if this object is far enough away from the
circuit that it will not be knocked over or a potential point
of collision during a race, like a specific building
alongside the highway, a bridge, or an overhead sign.  To
begin, try using the brakes when the front of the car is
parallel with the chosen stationary object.  If this does not
slow the car enough before corner entry or if the car slows
too much before reaching the corner, pick another stationary
object on the following lap and try again.

Whenever changes are made to the car - whether to the brake
controller or to other aspects of tuning and/or parts - it
would be a good idea to go back into Free Run mode and check
that the braking zones still hold; if not, adjust as
necessary using the method in the paragraph above.

Cars with a higher horsepower output will inherently attain
faster speeds, and will therefore require a longer braking
zone than cars with a lower horsepower output.  Try using
different vehicles along the same area of a circuit and note
how their braking zones differ.

A final note on braking: To the extent possible, ALWAYS brake
in a straight line.  If braking only occurs when cornering,
the car will likely be carrying too much speed for the
corner, resulting in the car sliding, spinning, and/or
flipping.

If nothing else, players should strive to become of the best
'brakers' they possibly can.  This will essentially force a
player to become a better racer/driver in general once the
player has overcome the urge to constantly run at top speed
at all times with no regard for damages to self or others.
Also, slowing the car appropriately will make other aspects
of racing/driving easier across all racing games, especially
in J-turns, hairpin corners, and chicanes.

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CORNERING
Ideally, the best way to approach a corner is from the
outside of the turn, braking well before entering the corner.
At the apex (the midpoint of the corner), the car should be
right up against the inside edge of the corner.  On corner
exit, the car ideally drifts back to the outside of the
pavement and speeds off down the straightaway.  So, for a
right-hand turn of about ninety degrees, enter the corner
from the left, come to the right to hit the apex, and drift
back to the left on corner exit.  See the Diagrams section at
the end of this guide for a sample standard corner.

For corners that are less than ninety degrees, it may be
possible to just barely tap the brakes - if at all - and be
able to clear such corners successfully.  However, the same
principles of cornering apply: approach from the outside of
the turn, hit the apex, and drift back outside on corner
exit.

For corners more than ninety degrees but well less than 180
degrees, braking will certainly be required.  However, for
these 'J-turns' (primarily some on-/off-ramps), the apex of
the corner is not the midpoint, but a point approximately
two-thirds of the way around the corner.  J-turns require
great familiarity to know when to begin diving toward the
inside of the corner and when to power to the outside on
corner exit.  See the Diagrams section at the end of this
guide for a sample J-turn.

If there are two corners of approximately ninety degrees each
AND both corners turn in the same direction AND there is only
a VERY brief straightaway between the two corners, they may
be able to be treated like an extended hairpin corner.
Sometimes, however, these 'U-turns' have a straightaway
between the corners that is long enough to prohibit a
hairpin-like treatment; in this case, drifting to the outside
on exiting the first of the two corners will automatically
set up the approach to the next turn.  See the Diagrams
section at the end of this guide for a sample U-turn.

However, in illegal street/highway racing, the positioning of
traffic can 'create' the various corners and corner
combinations mentioned here.  For example, weaving in and out
of traffic creates a virtual bus stop chicane (see the
Diagrams section at the end of this guide).  Slowing may be
necessary - it often is - depending on the distance between
the vehicles.  See the Sample Circuit Using Some of the Above
Corner Types Combines in the Diagrams section at the end of
this guide; note that this is a diagram for a very technical
circuit.

One thing which can change the approach to cornering is the
available vision.  Blind and semi-blind corners require
ABSOLUTE knowledge of such corners.  Here is where gamers
have an advantage over real-world drivers:  Gamers can change
their viewpoint (camera position), which can provide a wider,
clearer view of the highway, which can be especially
important when approaching semi-blind corners; real-world
drivers are obviously inhibited by the design of their cars.
Since most of the highway system in Tokyo in particular runs
through tunnels or has tall sound-diffusing barriers on
either side of the pavement, vision is often quite limited
when cornering.

Also important to cornering - especially with long, extended
corners - is the corner¹s radius.  Most corners use an
identical radius throughout their length.  However, some are
increasing-radius corners or decreasing-radius corners.
These corners may require shifting the apex point of a
corner, and almost always result in a change of speed.
Decreasing-radius corners are perhaps the trickiest, because
the angle of the corner becomes sharper, thus generally
requiring more braking as well as more turning of the
steering wheel.  Increasing-radius corners are corners for
which the angle becomes more and more gentle as the corner
progresses; this means that drivers will generally accelerate
more, harder, or faster, but such an extra burst of speed can
backfire and require more braking.  See the Diagrams section
at the end of this guide for sample images of a decreasing-
radius corner and an increasing-radius corner.

One particularly interesting aspect of cornering is one which
I honestly do not know if it works in reality (I am not a
real-world racer, although I would certainly LOVE the chance
to attend a racing school!!!), but which works in numerous
racing/driving games I have played over the years.  This
aspect is to use the accelerator to help with quickly and
safely navigating sharp corners.  This works by first BRAKING
AS USUAL IN ADVANCE OF THE CORNER, then - once in the corner
itself - rapidly pumping the brakes for the duration of the
corner (or at least until well past the apex of the corner).
The action of rapidly pumping the accelerator appears to
cause the drive wheels to catch the pavement just enough to
help stop or slow a sliding car, causing the non-drive wheels
to continue slipping and the entire car to turn just a little
faster.  Using this rapid-pumping technique with the
accelerator does take a little practice initially, and seems
to work best with FR cars; however, once perfected, this
technique can pay dividends.

====================================

DIAGRAMS
This section contains the diagrams referred to earlier in the
guide.

Bus Stop Chicane (Variant I - Wide Chicane):
   *******************           *******************
                      *         *
                       *********

Bus Stop Chicane (Variant II - Narrow Chicane):
   *******************           *******************
                      ***********

Decreasing-radius Corner:
   ->*******************
                          *
                             *
                               *
                                *
                                *
                               *
   <-*************************

Increasing-radius Corner:
   ->**********************
                            *
                             *
                             *
                            *
                          *
   <-*******************

J-turn
   *******************
                      *
                     *
                    *
                   *

Quick-flicks (Variant I - Wide Chicane):
   *************
                *
                 *************

Quick-flicks (Variant II - Narrow Chicane):
   *************
                **************

Standard Corner:
   *******************
                      *
                      *
                      *
                      *
                      *
                      *
                      *
                      *

U-turn:
   ->*****************
                      *
                      *
                      *
   <-*****************

Virtual Bus Stop Chicane:
   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                         Car #1   ->->->->->->   Car #3
   Player Path: ->->->->->->->->->   Car #2   ->->->->->->->
   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

====================================
====================================
====================================

CONTACT
For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc.,
or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving
guide, please 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.

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

====================================
====================================
====================================

=======================================================================
                   Wolf Feather    Jamie Stafford
=======================================================================
Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a
remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are.
                - Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_
=======================================================================
   What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_
=======================================================================