WAVERACE - BLUE STORM Generalised guide, FAQ and hints and tips! ============================================================================= Version: 1.0 Last Revision: 20th May 2002 Status: Finished Version 1. By David Kamikaze, Copyrighted material 2001. HANDS OFF THIEVES!!! ============================================================================= CONTENTS ***REVISION HISTORY*** 1. Layin' down da LAW! 2. About WaveRace Blue Storm 3. Racers 4. Stunts 5. Game Modes 6. Courses 7. Secrets and other stuff 8. FAQ 9. Credits 10. Contact Me! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ***REVISION HISTORY!*** 14/05/2002- First version. Bite me. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1. LAYIN' DOWN DA LAW! NO-ONE MAY PUT THIS ON THEIR SITE WITHOUT MY DUE PERMISSION! Failure to do so will result in me getting out the chainsaw which I hold so dear and chopping off hands and fingers!!! I have had walkthroughs stolen before, but now I am getting nasty! I used to review games, I was a reporter for a website- I know what I have to do if anyone steals my work. And my friends a solicitor (lawyer to americans!). She informs me that if you value the money you earn, you must not steal other peoples works! Copyright: © Copyright 2001 David Kamikaze. It may not be stolen, altered, or used for any type of profit. It may be reproduced electronically,and printed for PRIVATE, PERSONAL use. It may not be placed on a CD, printed in a magazine or any type of publication. If you would like to add anything to this FAQ, please e-mail me, as well as any questions, comments, or corrections, to the address below. You will be credited! e-mail: webmaster@kamisoft.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2. ABOUT WAVERACE BLUE STORM WaveRace is, without a doubt, already flexing the Gamecube's muscles. I mean, the water is photo-realistic and the way you deal with the realistic water movement plays a major role. I was an ace WaveRace64 player, but Blue Storm forced me to start all over again. The backdrops are superb, the racers are impressively modelled... did I mention the water is brilliant? I did? Oh... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3. RACERS This section is in plain english. No fancy stats, no technical stuff, this is pure english for total beginners or those who find stats give them a headache (Trust me, you're not alone in thinking that!) RYOTA HAYAMI Crew Chief: Jack Handling: Good Speed: Good Strength: Good Stunts: Good Ryota is the all-rounder of the game, he doesn't really excel in any way but is the most balanced racer of them all. I would recommend newcomers choose Ryota, because he won't give you too many problems. DAVID MARINER Crew Chief: Ray Handling: Poor Speed: Excellent Strength: Very Good Stunts: Poor David maybe built like a brick public lavatory, but he happens to be the fastest character in the game. Of course, this is in direct sacrifice to his handling, which is the WORST in the game! Don't use him in Championship mode... AKARI HAYAMI Crew Chief: Kyoko Handling: OK Speed: Poor Strength: Poor Stunts: Excellent Akari is the little cute one, the cute Japanese chick in a very nice swimsuit... since I'm bordering on the indecent here, Akari is the stuntman's choice, but in frantic racing, she's not much cop. NIGEL CARVER Crew Chief: Terrance Handling: Excellent Speed: Good Strength: OK Stunts: Good Nigel has the advantage of having super-responsive and very good handling, but in a way - on water - it can be useless. However, if you can stand the horribly corny Crew Chief with his so-fake British accent, Nigel is a great racer. AYUMI STEWART Crew Chief: Robin Handling: Good Speed: OK Strength: OK Stunts: OK Ayumi is pretty much the other racer I'd recommend for the total beginner, mainly again because she doesn't excel. If you've got to grips with Ryota and are looking for someone a little more challenging, Ayumi is next on your list. ROB HAYWOOD Crew Chief: Doug Handling: OK Speed: Very Good Strength: Excellent Stunts: Poor Rob, in the right hands, is the ultimate racing machine, as he is made to cruise the waves. His strength means little obstacles are no issue, but his stunt ability is non-existant. The pros choice. RICKY WINTERBORN Crew Chief: Russ Handling: Good Speed: Poor Strength: Poor Stunts: Excellent The other stuntmans choice, this guy can do the stunts like he knew them at birth, but in a heated race his lack of speed is a serious issue, though his acceleration surpasses all others. Use on the stunt courses. SERENA DEL MAR Crew Chief: Luis Handling: Very Good Speed: OK Strength: Poor Stunts: Good Serena is the purists choice, being good but not excellent. This makes for a smooth rider, and in the right hands is totally unstoppable. People who have exhausted everyone else will have a field trip with Serena. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4. STUNTS Well, not a lot has changed from the N64 version so theres only a few new little tricks to learn. Mind you, they are tough! This section is split into two sections: AIR STUNTS and FLAT STUNTS. ------ AIR STUNTS ------ Air stunts are done in the air, so you'll be launching from ramps to get these working. SHORT DIVE *Hold L+R in air until you hit the water Your character will do a gentle dive into the water, no big deal. LONG DIVE *Pull BACK, then hit and hold FORWARD Your character does a nose dive into the water, hold forward to stay under the water and boost up that turbo by a max of 3 points! BARREL ROLLS *LEFT - Hit RIGHT, then pull and hold LEFT *RIGHT - Hit LEFT, then pull and hold RIGHT This is an old Waverace favourite, and you should know what it does. A little 360 roll to the left or the right. BACKFLIP *Hit FORWARD, then pull and hold BACK This is the classic and never fails to impress. Backflips ahoy! SUPERMAN *Hold B, then press UP and then DOWN Hold onto the handlebars and let your legs take off! Make sure you got lots of air before attempting this! CAN CAN *LEFT - Hold B, then press RIGHT and pull on LEFT *RIGHT - Hold B, then press LEFT and pull on RIGHT It's just a kick to the left/right. Nothing impressive, but make sure you have lots of air before attempting this! NAC-NAC *Hold B, rotate stick Clockwise. Your character will raise their left arm and right leg. Get lots of air before trying this one. HEEL CLICKER *Hold B, and rotate stick Anticlockwise. Your character will jump and click their heels in front of them. I recommend some serious air before even daring this rather impressive little stunt! ------ FLAT STUNTS ------ These are done on the water. You can continue moving and steering doing these stunts... HANDSTAND *Hit DOWN, then press and hold UP I don't think this needs much explaining (I hope not, anyway!) BACKWARDS *Rotate Control Stick clockwise (Hold DOWN to stay in this position) Ride your jetski backwards... oops!!! SOMERSAULT SIT *Rotate control stick anticlockwise, then hit DOWN (Hold DOWN to hold position) Somersault onto the front of your Jetski, then remain sitting there. BULLET *Hold B, then press Down, then UP. (Hold position by holding UP) Dive onto the front of the Jetski like a... well... bullet. FLIP SUB *Hold B, then rotate control stick clockwise (Hold DOWN to remain in this position) Your character will do a flip and move the nadlebars dead vertical. Note steering is seriously impaired in this position... COWBOY RIDER *Hold B, rotate control stick anticlockwise (Hold position by holding UP) Your character will roll onto the front of the jetski and ride it like a cowboy rides a horse... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 5 - GAME MODES CHAMPIONSHIP The meat of the game, you race against seven opponents and strive for the highest position you can get. To warm you up, you'll do an EXHIBITION race (In Dolphin Park, which you should know your way around if you were smart enough to do the tutorials!). Win, and you move onto the next class... The unique feature is the Weather Forecasts. Depending on weather conditions, you can CHOOSE which courses to race. Of course, this is up to you but it makes for a more strategical element when you want clear skies and small waves for a race... Whwn you win a race, you'll be awarded POINTS - be aware that to progress onto more races you'll need more points... heres the basic ranking. 1st Place: 12 points 2nd Place: 10 points 3rd Place: 8 points 4th Place: 6 points 5th Place: 4 points 6th Place: 3 points 7th Place: 2 points 8th Place: 1 point In each mode you'll open a new track - finish NORMAL and you'll open up Arctic Bay, and each difficulty will add one race extra onto your mind. Which will mean needing more points to win! So be prepared to play dirty... TIME ATTACK Well, it's a time attack, We all know what that means. Race unlocked courses and try to get the best times. It's been done so many times before I don't think it needs me to go overkill on it. STUNT MODE Race on any unlocked track and try to rack up a big score. Drive through hoops to get more points - and cross checkpoints to get extra time. Theres none of that cheating to get high scores in this game! Depending on the difficulty you choose will depend on the weather conditions - rougher weather can mean extra chances for stunts, but also it will give you less time. So be aware and rack up that high score, yeah! MULTIPLAYER Well, theres 4 controller ports on a GameCube. Which means you can get 4 people round a TV and play against one another. It's the mode we all know and love from Nintendo, so there should be no shocks here! You can compete in a race or in Stunt Mode (Which is always good for a laugh!) FREE ROAM Race on unlocked tracks with no boundries. You can get disqualified for going outside the buoy markers though, bit in general it's a nice way to get aquainted with tracks, making your life in Championship that little bit more bearable... TUTORIAL This is where you learn to pull off stunts and get to grips with controls. If you've just booted up WaveRace, go here and get the hang of racing first - again, it makes life in Championship mode so much easier. The rolling demos of the stunts is a great bonus, so you know what you're trying to do first! Unlock Trial and you'll race around Dolphin Park, being able to practice all your new-found skills! OPTIONS Well, duh! Tinker with the game setup. Need any more explanation? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 6 - COURSES Since each championship course is different, I'll do this in stages. First Normal, then Advanced, then Expert - so you can follow through with the races. I will not spoil the races for you, but I will explain what the course is about and what it's like. ==EXHIBITION== This is just one race... to get you in the mood... DOLPHIN PARK My difficulty rating: 0/10 Simple, theres nothing special to tell you, it's very straight forward, the buoys are placed around easily... you really can't lose this race. No seriously, you can't! It's so easy! ==NORMAL== As it implies, it's the normal setting. Don't expect too much from the tracks but be aware that things can get heated out there! LOST TEMPLE LAGOON My difficulty rating: 1/10 This is a simple track, the buoys are placed around nicely and you should have NO problems manouvering around them. It's very straight forward. Best time to use your TURBO is on the big long START/FINISH stretch where theres lots of breathing room. SOUTHERN ISLAND My difficulty rating: 3/10 A little more tricky. On your first lap there is a dock you MUST go around, but then after that you can drive under it and through the buoys quite easily. After Lap One, the tide goes down to expose a big shipwreck, but theres a ramp in front so you can easily jump over it. Tricky, but not challenging really. ASPEN LAKE My difficulty rating: 1/10 This is simply taking the mickey, it's so unbelievably easy that it's almost insulting! The course is straight forward, the waves are small, and the wood planks can be ploughed through. The only small problem is some VERY big rocks, but riding around them is easy as well. OCEAN CITY HARBOUR My difficulty rating: 5/10 By far the hardest track in Normal class, theres a lot of obsticles and many sharp corners to take. Big crates falling, choppy waves, ramps and narrow strips of track make this by far the biggest challenge you'll have faced so far. Learn to do hairpins or you're going to go outside the track. ARCTIC BAY My difficulty rating: 3/10 A nice end track, it's straight-forward and will comprise of elements of each track so far, with the added fun of sliding on ice. Yeah, don't drive around, you'll waste lots of time. Narrow strips of track can be a pain when they get jammed, as can the odd sharp corner. But if you paid attention, you'll find this course a breeze! ==ADVANCED== Passed Normal? Good. Now try the trickier versions of the old courses, plus what is very simply the hardest course in the entire game. Ouch! LOST TEMPLE LAGOON My difficulty rating: 4/10 This is a little harder than in Normal, but theres still loads of room between the buoys. This time you're taking the scenic route - pay attention. When in the small passageway, ram into the wall for a short-cut that can save you valuable seconds when the going gets rough. Otherwise, should be no problems. SOUTHERN ISLAND My difficulty rating: 3/10 It hasn't changed, the buoys are placed a little differently forcing you around some obsticles. The dock will become more available after Lap 1 given good weather, if not use the ramp and perform a short dive underneath the dock for a convenient short-cut. You really should win this one. ASPEN LAKE My difficulty rating: 6/10 Far more tricky than the last time we came here, theres bigger boulders which can cause serious problems. The buoys force you to turn VERY sharply, theres a little shortcut under a little footbridge but thats only open given sunny weather. The old sticks are back but if you're fast enough you can smash right into them. OCEAN CITY HARBOUR My difficulty rating: 2/10 What was the hardest track in Normal is now the easiest here. Large open expanses of water, very smoothly placed buoys, and a REALLY nifty shortcut on Lap 3 - instead of taking the tunnel, use the ramp and skip at least 8 seconds of the course! Even in bad weather, this course is pretty simple and you should have no issues about crossing the finish line first! ARCTIC BAY My difficulty rating: 5/10 Guess what? It's the same track, but this time we're going around the other direction! So same rules apply, the boulders that fall can kick up some big waves so weaker riders should try and take a long-cut. The long open areas and straights are where you should boost - not overly tricky but you do need to remember what gave you problems on the Normal tracks - because the problems will just be doubled here. LA RAZZA CANAL My difficulty rating: 11/10 Be afraid. By far if you get 1st in this course you cannot lose EXPERT mode. The corners are sharp and very unforgiving, despite the odd bistro patio to break through many of the corners can make or break your race. I would recommend you play this in TIME TRIAL, and practice each corner like a religion. It's tough, but practice makes perfect. Otherwise, a few Gondolas you can crash though - no other big deals here. ==EXPERT== Thank god you'll be in the water, no-one can see you sweating. The far more difficult versions of the tracks... well, thats the theory... LOST TEMPLE LAGOON My difficulty rating: 5/10 Umm... didn't we just hit EXPERT? Well, this version has more straights than corners so your only real problem here is to get around the buoys, which are of course tightly placed. Get around the buoys and this is an oddly simple course for such a difficulty level... SOUTHERN ISLAND My difficulty rating: 3/10 Again, we're in EXPERT MODE PEOPLE! This is really a bit of a laugh, the track has changed a bit (We're taking a wide corner!) and, again, the tide gets lower with each lap... oh for crying out loud! Apart from the wide corner it's same old same old. Even the buoys seem to be easily placed here. ASPEN LAKE My difficulty rating: 8/10 Ouch! This course is not nice at all. It's evil. The boulders stick out horribly, the buoys are tightly placed and if it's foggy, your first lap will be hell. Practice in Time Trial first people, please. Theres a small shortcut at the start - to the right of the ramp, drive under the dock for a quick cut again. Learn to race this course before even daring attempt it. You'll be sorry! OCEAN CITY HARBOUR My difficulty rating: 5/10 Well, not a lot has changed but the buoys. The open areas are far less forgiving this time around and theres more ramps, but thats no big shock really. The path through is not that tricky, the falling crates can prove to be mean though, and sometimes the ramps do tend to get in the way... ARCTIC BAY My difficulty rating: 7/10 It's tough, but not super-tough. The path is straightforward with a nice, buoy-free stretch (Thats so nice of them!), as well as a small sheet of ice you can drive through to enter a cave short-cut. Or stop and admire the penguins. This track does have some mean waves at times so be wary of too many sharp turns... LA RAZZA CANAL My difficulty rating: 10/10 Still far from forgiving. This track can force you to slow down to take some corners, so again - practice your corners religiously. That said though, the pile-ups can often give you a good edge by using the other racers to prevent crashing into the walls. Look for a couple of wooden doors on the way around to discover a nice shortcut but one which can be tough to recover from. Practice hard to get the most from here. STRONGWATER KEEP My difficulty rating: 2/10 This is so easy I won't even explain it. There are shortcuts here but you won't really need them. This course is by far the easiest in the game so race and get 1st place with no issues, and finish the game. Well... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 7. SECRETS AND OTHER STUFF ------------------- PASSWORD ENTRY MODE ------------------- To open up the Password section, in the options menu, press and hold X,Z and START all at the same time to open this up. Basically, it's where magazines can give you challenges - they'll start a competition, give you a code and you must complete the challenge and send back the code you get. Theres also other things but thats pretty much what this is about... ------------- OLD CHALLENGE ------------- On the password screen, enter this password: J784WMHF If all of the above steps were performed correctly, the Lost Temple Lagoon track in Normal mode of Time Attack should appear. You can choose any character and customization for the 3 lap race. Note this was a Nintendo competition password, but due date has long gone so just enjoy racing this track. ------------ DOLPHIN MODE ------------ In Password Mode, enter the code: DLPHNMOD This will allow you, in Free Roam, to race on top of the good ol' dolphin! -------------- TSUNAMI CIRCLE -------------- In Dolphin Park in Free Roam, you can see an island in the background. Head towards it, you can see a ring of course markers - thats where you're headed. Use a turbo and you should get to it before getting disqualified for being outside the course. This circle has HUGE waves, you can stay in here for as long as you like, and it is possible to do a double backflip if you catch the waves right. --------------- WEATHER OPTIONS --------------- Win EXPERT mode to unlock all weather options in all courses on Time Trial. ----------- TRIAL MODE ----------- Complete the TUTORIAL to unlock another Tutorial option: Trial. This basically tests out what you've learned. Also a good way to get a feel for the water. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 8. FAQ Please no questions about how tough it is to win. Thats kinda why it's so much fun... Q: The characters are hard to control! What do I do? A. Ride the waves in Free Roam until you're totally comfortable with the feel of racing on water. It's disorientating at first but doesn't take long to get the hang of! Q. I am finding it hard to ride around the buoys. HELP! A. Well, this is where Time Trial is a godsend. Race the tracks beforehand, and race around them for as long as you want, you'll slowly get the hang of the slalom-nature of the racing. Q. Should I learn all the stunts? A. Not really. In stunt mode I find backflips and the more simple stunts tend to rack you up the most points. But if you plan to show off to people, go ahead. Q. I am hopeless at La Razza Canal. Any tips? A. Not any that will be of help. Learn the other tracks off by heart and win those, make sure you cannot be caught up even if you come last in La Razza Canal. It's the way I tend to play it, it just makes things slightly easier. Q. I've not played a stormy track yet. Whats it like? A. Well... stormy. Big waves. Rain. In a championship it's a headache, but I find it's way more fun to use in Multiplayer. Q. Will there be any more WaveRace titles? A. I'm not Nintendo, however Blue Storm is obviously a labour of love and someone enjoyed making it. I'd like to see another WaveRace title. But then, I have to say it's something I doubt'll happen. Not until a new Nintendo console comes out... Q. How do you do double backflips? A. With extreme difficulty. Seriously, theres only two places I find you can do this rather impressive feat - both in stunt mode, both on Ocean City Harbour. Use the boost rings to get up the big ramps, then turbo halfway up to gain serious air. Then go for it. It's very difficult to do though and purely for show-offs. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 9. CREDITS DANIEL & CHRISTOPHER REED Coz they're my brothers and I love them. They inspire me. SANJEET SIRAH An IM buddie, but we've been pals for ages now. He's cool! EWOUD VAN HEEREBEEK Yet another buddie- thanks for making me waste so much time chatting to ya! DANNY KOBALE My friend and webhost- cheers pal! NINTENDO Coz WaveRace rules YOU For reading this guide. ME Coz I wrote it and deserve credit. Oh, bite me. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10. CONTACT ME OK, my e-mail is now at WEBMASTER@KAMISOFT.COM - please don't send mail to my old address as I don't use it anymore. Too much spam. I tend to delete anything I deem as pointless, but to get my attention my website is at www.kamisoft.com - or post in the forums at www.kamisoft.com/ksf Or AIM me at Davidkamikaze - don't IM me for personal use as I tend to be a very busy person. OR... I hang around in the Games Design & Programming board at GameFAQ's. I pass by there daily. Anyway, thanks for reading and sorry if I bored you stupid!