F-Zero: Maximum Velocity A Guide For Mastering the Jet Vermillion Jointly written by Logan West A.K.A. The Shadow A.K.A. ShadowN64 and Richard Huang A.K.A. WhizKid Expressly for Nintendo GameBoy Advance Copyright (c) 2003-2004 by Logan West and Richard Huang TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction (INTRDCTN) 2. Methods of Unlocking (MTHDS) 3. Basic requirements (BSC) 4. Step by step guide (STP) 4a. Start with a Boost! (STRT) 4b. Bump by an Opponenet! (BMP) 4c. Blast Turns (BLST) 4d. Drift or Slide Turns (DRFT) 4e. Strafing (STRFNG) 4f. Japanese Dash Tecnique (JPNS) 5. Miscellaneous Information (MSC) 5a. Fast Laps (FST) 6. Contact Information (CNTCT) 7. Copyright Information (CPYRGHT) 8. Credits (CRDTS) =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction (INTRDCTN) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== ***The Jet Vermilion is abbreviated to "JV" in later context*** Richard Huang contacted me a little while ago in respect to the Jet Vermilion. As might be surmised by looking at the time rankings, there is usually a large gap between the people who use the Jet Vermilion and those who don't. What causes this? Well, to clarify, in the hands of someone who knows how to use it, it can be an incredible machine, by far the best. It has great top speed, and the best boost speed. Most people who try it out for the first time however, throw up their hands in despair after a mere few minutes. "It turns terrible! It starts out slow! I can't use this machine!" These are only a few of the comments that are said despairingly. "Well, you just have to know how to use it!" "I don't care, I'll stick to my Falcon MK II." Or worse yet: "I think MV stinks. I give up." That's not the attitude! You CAN master the Jet Vermilion, it's a piece of cake! Well, okay, maybe a piece of that fruitcake left over from last Christmas but...... If you're truly wanting to learn, if you want to do what it takes to become a Jet Vermilion master, read on. If you could care less, then I personally could care less. The Jet Vermilion is a powerful tool. You must undertake the training in order to learn how to use this tool. Your mission is clear. Go to it. Notes from the co-author, Richard Huang: What motivated me to start this FAQ was in fact of the large gap I noticed between those who mastered the JV and began setting amazing records with it and those who were skilled enough to control the JV but yet lacked the knowledge on the correct usage of the JV. For long, those players were kept in the dark, trying desperately to find a correct way to break this invisible barrier that lies in front. They, after many failures, either finally discovered the correct way to control the JV and began setting furious records with it, or shook their head in dismay and never touch the JV again. And as you may have guessed, the latter is of the majority. This FAQ seeks to guide those players into achieving mastery with the JV and even set some records with it. This FAQ however, does _NOT_ guarantee anything, and whether you'll succeed or not, depends largely on you, my fine readers. =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Methods of Unlocking (MTHDS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== First, let's take a look at the three methods of unlocking this machine, shall we? There are basically three ways to achieve the Jet Vermilion. The first is to play through Synobazz: Championship a million times. Okay, so it's not quite that bad, it's actually only 256, but still, that's er, 1,280 laps around the track. Oh well, you'll be good at Championship, but since you need the Jet Vermilion (abbreviated "JV") to get a good time, you're kind of wasting yourself. The Second method is far easier in my opinion, if you are good at Master Grand Prix that is. If you complete every track in Master, with EVERY vehicle, then you can unlock the JV! Basically, you get a chess piece for beating a Master Grand Prix. If you get all 36 chess pieces, you win the JV! However, since there are four cups, 5 tracks in each cup, 5 laps in each track. Uh, you're playing 1,000 laps. That's not too bad I guess, if you have time to spare. The third (oh boy, how good could this one be?) is the easiest and might be considered "cheating." Go to a Japanese website: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/afzj/vermil/index.html and enter your user name you used to register on Maximum Velocity using the keyboard provided, the keyboard is at the bottom of the screen. Now click the far right button and it will spit out a password for you. Now, on your GBA, go to the Select Vehicle screen in Grand Prix mode, now press the following buttons: L, R, Start, R, L and the password screen will come up. Enter in your password you got off the site and voila! You have the Jet Vermilion! That wasn't so hard now was it?! Thanks to FZeroCentral for this. Obviously, the third method is the easiest way and you can even obtain it at the beginning of the game. However, it is also the worst method. It requires no skill at all, and more often than not, those who choose to use method 3 will curse the JV after many failures and give up. The first method, while being the most demanding, is actually the best one. Throughout the whole course of collecting the 36 chess pieces, you'll gather and hone various essential skills required in order to use the JV effectively, and you will be able to set records with it the instant you acquire the JV. The second method is more of a patience game rather than a challenge, you will probably get very skilled with the Championship circuit, but you will find the JV to be anything but easy to control. So I hear you say "I'm already an expert at this game but I don't have the time to do method 1 or 2!!!". Well, go ahead and use method 3, no one will look down on you, after all, who has the patience to spend a whole month tied to one single game anyway, is Nintendo nuts or something? =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Basic Requirements (BSC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== The Jet Vermilion is obviously not a beginner's machine. You WILL need some basic skills to overcome the mishaps of JV. These skills/requirements include: -The ability to blast turn -The ability to do a lean turn (Holding the corresponding shoulder button with the one on the D-Pad, for example, R shoulder button with right on D-Pad) -The ability to boost effectively (This is vital for setting records with the JV) -The ability to rocket start without "burning out" your engines -The ability to go around hairpins and 180 degree turns without crashing or not more than once into the walls -Every machine except the JV is unlocked (that includes the Fighting Comet) -Some understanding (the more the better) on the concept of "slide turning" and "sliding/strafing" (explained in detail in the next paragraph) Feel the heat yet? Actually, that's just a small fraction of what you have to deal with if you want to make good use of the JV! =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Step By Step Guide (STP) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== So you stare at that "E" on turn performance of JV and wonder "What the heck??? How does this thing turn???" Well, it doesn't, at least not how you think it turns. The JV may have the weakest turn performance, but coupled with the slide turn, it can even the tightest hairpins at optimum speed. Then the second question hits you "But JV's boost time isn't even half as long as FC's, even though JV has a better boost speed, I still don't see how the JV can beat the FC on any given circuit!" The secret lies within the first lap. JV has the third highest normal speed of all, which tops at 456 km per hour, 44 km more than that of FC. This 44 km, if used well, can make a 2 to 7 second difference on the first lap (on circuits with many mines, the difference may further increase to 10 seconds or beyond). The JV's ability to turn on ice and doing mine boosts far exceeds any given machine in the game, giving it two more reasons to be the best machine. So how you can take full advantage of all these merits? You'll have to start out slow and gradually improve your skills until you can overcome all the cons of the JV. There are lots of strategies involved in getting a good time, I suggest starting out slow, first doing the Boost Start combined with the Opponent Bump, then working on your Blast Turns, then your Slide Turns, and finally finishing off with the Strafing. And if you're really ambitious, try the Japanese Dash Technique! Now, let's start out with the most basic skill of all, the Boost Start. <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> 4a. Boost Start (STRT) <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> The boost start is when, a few seconds after the "ready" sign appears on your screen, you press and hold the "A" button (or whatever button your acceleration is set to) and keep it there. What this does is "rev" up your engine, building up energy that is released when the "Go" sign appears. What happens is you get this incredible speed burst that puts you momentarily ahead of your opponents. Careful though! If you do it too early (i.e. holding it down right as the "ready" sign appears or even before) then you'll "burn up" your engines, causing lots of black smoke in the back and you'll be stuck in last place. Now that you know how to do the boost start, you'll need one other technique in order to get off to a grand start, the <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> 4b. Opponent Bump (BMP) <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> I play for all of my times in Training mode. If you select training, select your vehicle, and you'll be given the option to select an opponent. Try using a "Master" opponent, and then pick the Wind Walker Machine. The reason for this is that the Wind Walker has pretty good acceleration, and can catch up to you quickly, which is what you want. Try out your new boost start, then use the L and R buttons to centre your car right in front of that "check" mark that appears when you first start out. That of course is where your opponent is. If you can get him to hit you on your behind, he'll give you a boost, taking your speed up to maximum or near maximum! Hey, I didn't even have to gain momentum! Needless to say, this can take a couple of SECONDS off your first lap time, thereby giving you a couple of seconds difference in your course time, if you finish it. All right, now that you're off to a grand start, you can learn some more techniques. <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> 4c. Blast Turns (BLST) <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> The blast turn is pretty much how it sounds, as you go around a corner, whap that acceleration button a few times in order to turn sharper. It especially works well with other vehicles, but on the Jet Vermilion it will fine too. It's great on ice. <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> 4d. Drift or Slide Turns (DRFT)<-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> Basically, the JV has terrible traction. You want to see how bad? Get on a straight stretch and start weaving back and forth using the D-pad. You'll practically be travelling in a straight line even though you're turning! Well, we can put this to use by sliding around corners. You can set yourself up for a corner by pressing the direction you want to turn, and also pressing the OPPOSITE shoulder button. So if you want to turn left around a big turn, you press Left on the D-pad, and hold down the R-shoulder button. I call this an R- slide. If you want to turn to the right, execute an L-slide. So because the JV is still travelling in the direction it was before (only you're facing to the side now), you can travel down the track, and yet be ready to head the other way after the corner! Pretty slick huh?! It takes a bit of practice to get used to this technique, knowing when to start your slide, what angle to start it on (because you don't go PERFECTLY straight) and lots of other little variables. Once you are basically around the turn and ready to continue, release the R- button (if you were doing an R-slide) and finish it off by grabbing the L button (like you would on a normal turn) and "cut" through the corner. You can take corners pretty sharp using this! <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> 4e. Strafing (STRFNG)<-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> This is a BIG technique and the JV does it well. Basically, after you get your boost and bump at the start, hold down one of the shoulder buttons (it really doesn't matter which one unless you're coming up on a curve) and try to angle yourself so you're going down the track. Hey! You're going down diagonally! Yup, using basic vector analysis, you can understand that your normal speed, combined with your side speed (You're being pulled to the side because you're holding down a shoulder button) combines to give you a slight edge! Now this might not seem especially important but it has several purposes. First, it gives you added speed which over the entire 5 laps can add up to a couple of seconds at least, and Second, it sets you up for some turns, if you're already slightly facing toward a big turn, why then, you're that much closer to making it around! It makes turns easier. For example, if you are coming up on a turn that goes at a ninety degree angle to the right, hold down the L button (I call it an L-strafe), tap Right on the D-pad a little to straighten yourself out, and your nose is pointed to the right, just where you want to turn! Practice this technique on K1 (Knight 1) or B1 (Bishop 1). Those both are pretty straightforward levels, and try switching between strafes. If you're going around a 90 degree right turn, set yourself up by L-strafing, and then once you pass the edge, you turn just a tiny bit and then switch quickly to an R-strafe. You didn't even have to turn much! <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> 4f. Japanese Dash Tecnique (JPNS) <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> The hardest of all to master, I've not even been willing to try! Anyhow, this entails slamming into a wall, letting go of everything except for a shoulder button, trying to steer yourself while going sideways, and praying you hit a zipper! Take Championship for example. If you wanted to dash here, you'd come through all of that ice patch area, and go around the curve until you are facing at approximately a right angle to the stretch where the zippers are leading towards the finish line. Slam into the wall at a slight angle, let go of your acceleration and hold R down (that's the direction you want to go) now if you are able to use the D-pad to angle your car slightly, without bouncing off all of the walls, you should hopefully hit the zipper here. If you're really lucky/good, you can also hit the second zipper! NOTE! You're sliding SIDEWAYS!!!! Hold this for a little while, until after you pass the finish line and then straighten yourself out. I tried a couple of times and pretty much gave it up as a luck thing, which I'm not endowed with :) =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Miscellaneous Information (MSC) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Of course when you're going for fast times you'll want to use your =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= BOOST: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Be warned though that the Jet Vermilion has even WORSE turning when you are going faster, so try to boost on straight areas. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ICE: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Remarkably enough, the JV turns incredibly well on ice. Do NOT use your slide turns here, only strafing and blast turns. A well-executed blast turn can turn you sharply around any corner on ice. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= JUMPS: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= On several levels, it is necessary to use jumpers (Icarus Circuit comes to mind) in order to get a good time. However, because the JV is so HEAVY, it might be helpful to hold back on the D-Pad before you even hit it, this ensures that you get maximum distance in your jump, combined with either an in-air Slide Turn, or just simple strafing (you get more distance because you're going faster) you can easily make this jump (over the last section of the track) on the first lap. If you weren't, you'd have to get a bump from the WW to make it! <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> 5a. Fast Laps (FST) <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------> This is a special technique. Mainly, save up your boost until you are coming up on the finish line for the final lap. NOTE that you can only hold three boosts at a time, yet you get four during each course! How are you going to use all four? Fair enough, just trigger one of your boosts JUST before you cross the finish line for the final lap, that way the boost you get for crossing the finish line the fourth time, fills in that boost that you're using right now, so you practically get four boosts on the final lap! BUT, as you may or may not have noticed, it takes just a little while for your JV to reach its maximum boost speed, so a better alternative to this would be to memorize the approximate location of the start line and boost a bit ahead (when you still can't see the finish line). Boosting when you can see the finish line is already a bit late and you will either end up not getting that precious forth boost or losing that valuable 0.1 second, so, boost EARLY. Anything else? Again, remember that the JV has a third best max speed (right behind the Stingray and the Silver Thunder) and the best Boost speed (though it doesn't last as long as some) which make for a really great ship for fast laps. Use it to its maximum. Master it. You can do it! =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Copyright Information (CPYRGHT) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Author: Logan West- (ShadowN64@yahoo.com) This file is Copyright (c)2004 by Logan West. All rights reserved. This file may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission, except the following sites: GameFAQs.com WOGaming.com NeoSeeker.com GameNotOver.com CheatHappens.com Use of this guide on any other web site (especially Cheatcc.com) or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited and a is violation of copyright. This guide is under NO circumstances allowed to be at Cheatcc.com (Cheat Code Central.com), so hands off Dave (for those of you who might be unfamiliar, Dave has this nasty habit of hosting guides without permission of the authors and then being very reluctant to take them down, even when pestered for months upon months). =============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Contact Information (CNTCT) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== I'd be happy if you wanted to contact me and let me know how you liked the layout of the guide, my writing style, wanted to point out corrections, tell me your scores or strategies etc. etc. However, I will NOT accept mail that has flames, advertisements, get-rich-quick offers and the like. If you want to e-mail me, be nice. Please be clear and concise as well, the game you are playing, the level you are on, and the version of the guide/game (i.e. platform) would all be helpful. And none of this: "plz hjlp me one teh levl were u hav 2 save thjat gy u saw in eht last lvel tjnks" Because other than me having a good laugh, it's no use to me whatsoever. If you have a question to ask, then I would really suggest first going to the GameFAQs.com message board for this game, it would really save me from having to answer a lot of questions (my Hobbit FAQ garnered well over 250 e-mails regarding basic gameplay that I probably shouldn't have received as it was an advanced guide) and it also gives the people on the message board a chance to help out, rather than the author of a guide having to answer all the questions (it can be tiring answering the same questions over and over via e-mail). Okay then, looking forward to hearing from you! The Shadow (ShadowN64@yahoo.com) =============================================================================== 8. Credits (CRDTS) =============================================================================== 1. Thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for saving me. 2. Thanks to ME! (I'm so humble ;)) 3. Thanks to Richard Huang for inspiring this FAQ, co-authoring it, being such a great guy, etc. etc. etc. 4. Thanks to Dave Crawford and FZeroCentral for the competition! 5. Thanks to my parents, 6. Thanks to Silas Verrinder for getting me into F-Zero (I beat all his times :)) 7. Thanks again to Silas for FAQ Writer, it's getting much better! 8. Thank you dear reader!