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1. Updates
2. Legal Stuff
3. Rush 2049 from A to Z
4. Tracks
5. Cars and Parts
6. Rush Setup
7. Silver Coin Locations
8. Gold Coin Locations
9. Stunt Mode
10. Battle Mode
11. Obstacle Mode
12. Race Mode Shortcuts
13. General Strategy
14. Cheats
15. Unlocking Extras
16. Questions
17. Credits
18. End
--------------------------- FORMATTING ------------------------------
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===================== > ============================
------------------------ COIN PROGRESS ------------------------------
Race coins - 48/48 silver, 48/48 gold, 96/96 total.
Stunt coins - 32/32 silver, 30/32 gold, 62/64 total.
Total coins - 80/80 silver, 78/80 gold, 158/160 total.
So at the time being, stunt coins are excluded from this FAQ/Walkthrough.
However, once I have gotten all of the stunt coins, they will be included.
Expect to be updated regularly. (BTW, the stunt coins I'm having trouble with
is the one on top of the halfpipe in Track 2 and the one way up in the air on
Track 4. I think I know how to get them, the question is just getting them.)
--------------------------- UPDATES ---------------------------------
December 31, 2001 - Version 1.5 - First version completed, track 6's shortcuts
are included, among other things. In version 2.0 (and hopefully that will be
the final version), I'll have the stunt coins and possibly a high score section
put up. I can't believe it's taken me so long to get this completed, however,
I've been extremely busy with not much time to get much stuff done. Also a few
of the formatting changes to make headings, etc. easier to read, in addition to
an addition of part descriptions, car reviews, and ASCII art track maps and
descriptions.
Coming soon, however, I will have an HTML version of this guide. This will
mean:
- I'll have this guide split up into sections - about 1 page per section or
so.
- There will be some screenshots (that I will take with my Panasonic camcorder
that doubles as a digital camera)
- Some movies, which will serve for the following uses:
o  Strategies for certain tracks.
o  How to get some of the tougher coins.
Because this means that I'm gonna need a lot of Web space, I'm going to start
searching for a server that won't bombard you with ads and gives a lot of space
(because, as we know, videos are very big!) Hopefully guides for games such as
Excitebike 64 and F-1 World Grand Prix will be on the way as well in HTML.
Considering this'll probably be my last update of 2001...Happy New Year!
March 21, 2001 - Version 0.99.5 - Track 5's shortcuts are done, and now for a
version 1 all I need to do is just do Track 6's shortcuts. I was also notified
of a TYPO in this document (gasp, shock...horror!) It turns out that in "Rush
2049 from A to Z", I put down "Unlock in SFR in Rush 2..." when I meant "Unlike
in SFR and Rush 2...". Thanks to madster@canada.com for notifying me of this
error. Also another question.
February 24, 2001 - Version 0.99 - You'd probably think that I'd be done
version 1 by now, but I have completed the descriptions for battle courses 3 to
8 - but shortcuts are yet to be completed. I do have a tip submission, though.
February 13, 2001 - Version 0.98 - Happy premature Valentine's Day.
Descriptions for battle courses 3 to 8 and shortcuts for tracks 5 and 6 are
missing, but that's because I'm in a hurry to get this online. They will appear
in version 1, which should be coming within the next couple of weeks.
======================= > ======================
First of all, under no circumstances can I be held responsible for any of the
following unsolicited or solicited events:
- Damaged Rush 2049 game
- Damaged game(s)
- Damaged Nintendo 64 system
- Damaged system(s)
- Damaged reputation
- Damaged wall(s) or house(s)
- Damaged computer(s)
- Damaged privilege(s)
- Damaged body part(s)
- Damaged city(ies), state(s)/province(s), country(ies), or the whole world
- Damaged...etc.
...that seem to be the source from this FAQ/Walkthrough. I don't intend to
wound everyone within a fifty-mile or eighty-kilometer radius, or farther. If
in any case any of these happen, I sympathize, unless my life is in danger
because of it. But I cannot do anything, it's not my fault, I just wrote this
thing, it's supposed to help you, not hurt you. Not to mention I'd feel guilty
for the rest of my life if something like that happened. Next...
NO PLAGIARISM, PLEASE. Don't get me wrong - I know there are plenty of people
out there who are very good up-and-coming FAQ writers, or writers, period - but
they shouldn't have to rip off other people's work just to get fame themselves.
If you do wish to use this FAQ for information, I'd much prefer that you give
me credit. It's just a lot easier, isn't it? I'll find out anyway if you do rip
me off, too. And I'm pretty sure that there are so many lawyers right here on
planet Earth that are looking for a way out of their mounting bills, so they
can sue your butt off. Then maybe with the extra money the lawyers get, they
can take their family (or themselves) for a vacation that they've been thinking
about for the last three years. You have been warned.
Finally, if you wish to use my FAQ on a web site you must get permission from
me, and that means sending me an e-mail. Now, that means that the FAQ is on
your site. You don't link to it. GameFAQs, which is pretty much the "home" for
all my online video game work, clearly says, "Feel free to link to the HTML
pages, but not directly to the FAQs." Or something like that. But if I do
create an HTML version or create a site where the FAQ is available for linking,
well, sure, why not. But right now that isn't happening. If I do approve it,
you can use it. Oh, and did I mention that if I hear bad things about a
website, I turn them down? I actually did that once. But most of the time I
will say "yes."
Sites that this FAQ is approved to be made available on:
- www.gamefaqs.com
- www.cheatcodes.com
Now that's out of the way, you can finally get to the meat of all this!
================ > ===================
It's pretty sad that Nintendo 64 doesn't have very many games. But Rush 2049 is
absolutely, positively, no doubt about it, the best arcade game to hit the N64
console. Two previous Rush games have ported to Nintendo 64 - San Francisco
Rush and Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA. While SFR had six overblown tracks but
nothing else, and Rush 2 had a total of ten tracks plus a stunt track, SFR 2049
delivers huge in everything that made the previous two games a hit. And it also
flashes forward 49 years into the future.
But let's take a look at it first. The slogan of Rush 2049 is "Adrenaline
cubed". And it's cubed for good reason. There's Race Mode, where you scream
through six futuristic San Francisco tracks. Stunt Mode, where you twist, flip,
and wheelie through four awesome arenas. Then, finally, Battle Mode, where you
do your best to kill other players in 8 killer arenas. (Rated E for Everyone
with animated violence, available for Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Game Boy
Color.)
And 2049 delivers huge in the in-the-future department. Midway left a few
unforgettable landmarks of the City by the Bay where they were, like leaving
the most crooked street in the word, Lombard Street, right where it was and
also leaving the Golden Gate Bridge where it was. Even though the days of fog
are long gone in SF, you can still shroud the city in pea soup through
adjustment. But as for futuristic looking stuff, there are plenty of
futuristic-looking buildings, monorails aplenty, but the dark days of the 20th
century are gone. Ignore big brother and keep your finger on the A button. A
for acceleration.
And what about the hills? They're there, all right, and they still let you fly
through the air, thanks to a lack of gravity. Thanks to wings hidden in the
undercarriage of your car, you can glide in the air and also recover your car
from spins, which can become very helpful.
There's practically one thing that has not changed from previous Rush games:
shortcuts. Yes, look around and you will find very good ways to kick the
competition's butt. Not to mention, hidden around the courses are switches that
open or close doors. (See strategy later.) Even better, there are silver and
gold coins in the streets, waiting for someone to pick them up. First you get a
pile of money, then you get to drive the hot cars. Unlike SFR and Rush 2, cars
can not be driven on only one track if you get a certain number of items on
that certain track. Coin collection is cumulative and it adds up ALL the
tracks.
Even better, there are four new stunt tracks. Plus battle mode. It's just too
much. Rush 2049 took what we wanted from the previous two games and gave even
more. Oh, and one more thing - keep your eyes peeled for green and red arrow
strips on the track. If you approach them head-on, they'll boost your speed to
well over 200 miles per hour in the direction they are pointing. If they're
pointing forwards, great - but beware arrows going in the opposite direction.
They bring you to a dead stop and then send you backwards.
(By the way: Coins are not exclusive to the Nintendo 64/Dreamcast version of
Rush 2049. And neither is the unlocking part. Let me explain. The arcade
version of Rush had coins in their tracks. 100 each track, and once all 100
were collected, they were put back into their original positions, you have to
collect them ten times, then you can't do any more collecting, for a total of
1,000 collectable coins. And that's a feature that you can get with "Team
Rush". By entering a ten-digit number into a keypad, you get all these cool
features. Enter the number on any Rush 2049 machine and you get access to all
your cool stuff, like tracks, cars and their paint job. Awesome. I've never
tried it, but that's what I hear.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Now for my review from the GameFAQs website (extremely condensed, check out the
full review on www.gamefaqs.com):
SCORES
Play Control - 9.0
Front end - 7.0
"Show-offs" - 10.0
Graphics - 7.0
Music - 10.0
Sound - 7.0
Multiplayer - 10.0
Satisfaction - 10.0
Total score - 70.0 / 80.0
Average score - 8.8 / 10.0
Opinion score (without Controller & Expansion Pak) - 5.0
Opinion score (with Controller & Expansion Pak) - 10.0
Opinion score average - 7.5
FINAL SCORE - 8.2 (rounded off to 8)
BUY/RENT - Buy it, on the condition that you get a Controller Pak and Expansion
Pak. You'll be missing out on too much if you don't get one. The whole package
will most likely add up to big bucks (possibly around $100 US or $150 Cdn.), so
if you're really under pressure for money, go for the controller pak at first.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
And finally, the controls (with the default controller setting):
Control Stick - steer, control car while in the air and wings are activated.
A - accelerate.
B - brake.
Z - wings (hold down to keep the wings extended).
- shoot weapon (battle mode only).
C-Up - abort, place car back on track.
- get rid of weapon (battle mode only).
C-Right - nothing.
C-Down - downshift (manual transmission).
C-Left - activate reverse gear.
L - change camera angle (helicopter view, tail view, bumper view, and hood
view)
R - upshift (manual transmission).
Right (control pad) - horn.
Start - pause game.
========================== > ========================
_____________________________________________________________________
Track 1 (Marina) - Track 1 is the easiest track and couldn't be much simpler
than what it is, except if it was an oval. There are plenty of long straights
that allow you to burn it down at almost 200 MPH and gain position in the race.
There are some turns that are sharper than 90 degrees but they are not
difficult to make. The coins in this level will not be difficult to find and
therefore you'll probably clear out this track's coins before any of the other
tracks. The track itself runs along the Marina, goes around the Palace of Fine
Arts, and also Market Street makes the cut (not to mention Coit Tower and the
Embarcadero) and the track has a huge jump that sends you flying over Lombard
Street (but when you are running the track backwards, you skip the Lombard
section of the course and go onto a road that runs parallel to it.)
_
_/ |
_/   |
_/     |
_/       |
_/         |
|       ___|__
3 \______/__2|__\_______ 1
\__________|
4       S
1: The first turn on the circuit may catch you off just a little bit. Stick
right to the left-hand side of the road and as you head onto the Lombard Street
stretch, stay off the right wall.
2: Assuming that you have just a little bit of speed built up, the jump over
Lombard should be pretty easy. The cable car going across the street could ruin
the whole experience, though. Try to aim slightly towards the left to prepare
you for the next turn. If you're running the course backwards, slow down a
little as you turn right and leave Lombard behind.
3: In Rush 2049, the slightest change could send your car well out of control.
As you head onto the Embarcadero, get from the left-hand side of the road to
the right. Just be careful not to go onto the curb - it could easily flip your
car over. Go right next to it, avoid the wall, stick to the left, drift out,
then head down the road.
4: At the final turn, you can build up a good amount of speed for the
start/finish line. Stick right to the inside of the turn, then just drift out
slightly. You'll maintain most of your speed and, assuming your car is almost
completely upgraded, you should hit something like 200 MPH and possibly even
higher.
_____________________________________________________________________
Track 2 (Haight) - Track 2 goes through the Haight Ashbury section of San
Francisco and also goes through Golden Gate Park, Sunset Boulevard, and makes a
brief trip through the Mission District. There are also plenty of straight
stretches for you to blow away the competition, but this time they have turns
so your fast Sunday drive needs to be adjusted once in a while. There are
plenty of turns here but the majority of them are sweeping so you shouldn't
have a hard time taking them - however there are a few turns that are tight.
The coins here are more difficult and four of the gold coins are in secret
areas that are tough to reach. Use the lava lamps to play cheap, and when
you're running side by side bump people into them and send them flipping
through the air.
__
4 _/  \________
/             \
_/            3 |
___/                \
/                     \
|                   2 |
\                     |
\                    |
\________________  /
5   S        1 \/
1: On this ASCII map, this may look completely straight, but as a matter of
fact, it is not. After you get off the start/finish line, the road will start
to wind right, then left, then left again, then right. The differences are not
great, though, until you hit the last turn. Then the road curves sharply left
for section 2.
2: Use this long straight to get ahead on the track. On the right side of the
road, there is an arrow strip going straight ahead, but on the left side of the
road, there is an arrow strip going back towards you. You want to take the
strip to the right if you want to get ahead.
3: Don't be afraid to cut corners a little if you want to get ahead on the
track. This strategy especially works if your alternate route is pavement. In
this section you'll see a telephone booth and a striped arch. Stay to the right
of the telephone booth, then aim straight ahead for the road. It works a lot
better than following the official course, which winds around the arch and
phone booth.
4: As the road ends you'll see arrow lights ahead warning of a sharp turn.
Unfortunately, this is a bit sharper than you think. If you hit the far
retaining wall on the exit ramp, try to hit it parallel to the wall. You'll get
back the speed pretty quickly anyway, as it's a downhill slope.
5: There is one final right-left turn that you can cut (similar to number 3 on
this map). At the exit you'll see lava lamps. If there's another player that's
giving you a hard time, try to run side-by-side with them up the straight, then
shove them into the lava lamp. Unfortunately, they can work against you. Maybe
they'll give you some flipping airtime, or maybe you'll just crash and burn.
_____________________________________________________________________
Track 3 (Civic) - Track 3 winds through various sections of town, but was
especially known in the arcade version - and is known in Rush 2049 console
versions - for the Mount Sutro shortcut (just after the tunnel). This is a
dangerous shortcut that, if you can get to the top, can be a very good
time-saver. The course itself mainly consists of sweeping 90 degree turns and
plenty of shortcuts, not to mention shortcuts that lead to these shortcuts. The
coins in Track 3 are not that difficult, but they might be tough to reach at
some times.
_
4 / |
__/  |
/     |
3 /      | 5
|      |
2 |      |
______/      |
/             | S
|           __/
|           |
\___________/ 1
1: As the course turns right onto a main expressway, you'll notice a narrow
pathway to the right. As you see the road up ahead, get up onto the blue lights
and try not to get right up to the top of the bank. Or, you can just go through
the gas station and onto the side road on the left.
2: It's a simple left-hand turn. Easy enough, right? Problem is, you don't want
to drift too much to the outside of the curve. There's no retaining wall there,
you'll go up the bank and most likely start flipping. Then, some dirt down
below will slow you down by a few miles per hour. The speed loss is not so bad
if you are running the track backwards, however.
3: If you're a real cheap shot, you're going to like this tip. To the right,
there's a huge mountain. To the left, there's an embankment with no guardrail.
If you can push drivers off the track at that point, it will most certainly
help. Take this opportunity while you can, though, as pretty soon there's going
to be a wall to your left.
4: This is what you play Rush for. At this point there is a huge jump. If you
have the Expansion Pak installed, there will be jets flying dangerously close
to your flight path. You might have some pretty close calls. And it's no fun if
they actually hit you. They'll make you blow your cool - and your car.
5: The final straight has a few minor jumps, but enough for you to build up
your speed. On the final lap, if you're going for the lead, you might be able
to squeeze by and win down this final straight, especially in the air when you
really want to use the wings.
_____________________________________________________________________
Track 4 (Metro) - Track 4 is in the same area as Track 1 and on the start
finish straight, you might just catch a glimpse of Lombard Street behind the
cones. There are plenty of cool shortcuts and FIVE GOLD COINS are in the same
area. A good source of money. The track itself consists mainly of sharp
90-degree turns that challenge you to slow down at the curves. There's no
question about it - this is not as easy as it looks!
______________    _______
/              \__/       | 4
/ 5                        |
/                           |
/                            |
/                             |
|                             |
|              _________      |
\             |         |     |
\            |         |     |
\ 6  __     |         |     |
\__/  \    \____     |     | 3
7 |         |    |     |
\         |    |     |
\        |    | 2   |
\     1 |    |     |
\      |    |     |
S \     |    |     |
\___/     \_____/
1: It's the big one! Whether you're going forwards or backwards on the track,
this is a pretty dangerous jump, because you'll be landing quite close to the
next turn and will have to pull the steering wheel full lock if you want to get
around that turn. Ease up on the throttle as you approach the crest of the
hill, then try to land on the downhill side. You'll be able to maintain some
speed.
2: Track 4, it seems, is all about jumps at first, and here's the proof. You
have a huge jump that takes you to a 180 degree turn. Like the first tip on
this track, you'll have to pull the wheel full lock to get around the turn.
There's a ledge to the right, and a building edge juts out and tries to flip
you, so try to stay over the road as you're flying through the air! Don't be
afraid to drift up onto the quarterpipe!
3: This long straight up Fillmore is really going to give you the opportunity
to speed past a few cars. But as you head into the plaza area, as you take the
jump, watch out for the side roads on the left and right. They can make good
shortcuts if you hit them right. If you crash into them, you'll get into
trouble.
4: After you hit some of the highest speeds of the lap on Fillmore you'll have
to turn left. It's a very sharp left, and you should probably tap the brakes to
slow down (don't slam on the brake pedal, the car will just spin), then steer
through the curve and don't be afraid to cut the corner a little. The far wall
can flip you, as a few CPU players might just demonstrate to you.
5: You'll reach another long straight as you exit the tunnel. Unfortunately, it
runs parallel to a subway train. They keep on stopping at different stations,
but as you go onto this road, you can drift up onto the quarterpipe if you have
the space to do so. On the other hand, if the subway train is right there,
you're going to see a lot of cars go up in flames. Slow down and speed past the
burning shells.
6: This is a tough one to get right. Turn left well before the turn. You'll cut
off an extremely sharp turn. The CPU players will take this opportunity, so
don't miss out on it.
7: When you head onto the start/finish straight be careful for three things: a
building as you enter it, the cable car as you go down it, and the left-hand
turn after the start/finish line as you exit it. All can catch you out quite
easily, so make sure you have the B button and the control stick ready for some
evasive action if you need it.
_____________________________________________________________________
Track 5 (Mission) - Track 5 winds through the Mission District and also by Lake
Merced, Candlestick Park, and plenty of other San Francisco landmarks (Track 5
is in the same area as Track 2). Surprisingly enough the turns are not the
hardest in the game and are just like Track 3's - smooth and sweeping. On the
other hand, the coins are murder to get - they're that tough.
__
__________________/  \________
__             6                \
/                                  \
/                                   /
/ 5                                 /
|                                  /
|                                 /
\                                /
\                               |
\                              |
--                            \ 7
\__                          \
\__                        \
\                       |
--                     |
\ 4                  |
_____/                    |
/                          |
\__________________________| 8
3        2      S
|___1____|
1: The area where I have the box that shows a certain part of the start/finish
straight is a bridge that tapers up quite sharply. And that's not all. On
subsequent laps after the opening lap, you'll have to take this bridge after
you come off the final corner. Line up perfectly, as if you misalign, you'll
have enough speed to go over the top of the bridge walls and into the river
that you're crossing over. A major loss of time.
2: At this point in the circuit the track divides into two separate roads. If
you're not travelling backwards, take the right one, as it's less hazardous
(the left one has a building with pillars you can easily get tangled up in). In
addition, you have a jump that you can take there. But stick to the left side
as you're taking this road. When they merge back together, there's a wall right
there to ruin your hard work.
3: The section of the course here is very difficult, and the challenge
multiplies at high speed. Where the "3" is on this ASCII map, the road rises
just a little, but it's enough to get you flying. If you take it at full speed,
you can't gain traction fast enough. By then, you're already flying off onto
the grass, and the tree line border can make your car start to flip.
4: Midway through this corner you may notice the car get a little bit loose as
there is a small elevation change. It's not enough to get you into the air, but
it is enough to get you possibly into the wall. Of course, that doesn't hurt
you. But coming up next is a switch that will bring out a corkscrew. Slam into
it, you die. And you never know when a computer player will just get a couple
of wheels up onto that switch. So get back to the inside (left) as soon as
possible so if you or someone else runs over the switch, you have an escape
route.
5: Every time the track changes direction in this sector there is an elevation
change. I guarantee it. You'll definitely get air. At first, the track curves
right and upwards. Then, it starts to go downhill. That downhill section is the
most difficult, as the chances of you getting into the wall are pretty high.
After the final turn, there's a big jump that brings you to the lake area. It
wouldn't hurt to slow down to prepare for it. You won't get much time after you
land.
6: There are two jumps that, if you were running a motocross race, you could
just go up the first and jump down the second. Unfortunately, it's not that
easy here. Even at low speeds, the jumps will send you flying. At high speeds,
you can multiply that challenge several times over. If that wasn't fun enough,
there's a kink in the circuit that you probably won't get to stay on the
official course for. When you land, you'll probably land on grass. And if you
don't land straight-on, you're going to start spinning. Maybe your car might
even decide to take a few flips if you're unlucky.
7: After the big jump you have a pretty easy drive. That is, until you hit a
certain kink that may get you screwed up. The official course goes 90 degrees
left, then 90 degrees right. Fortunately, you can cut across the different
coloured pavement. No problem, right? There's a building right there, however,
so you want to shave it off as little as you can to get the straightest line.
In addition, you can get tangled up in a pillar that juts out onto the road a
bit.
8: This final turn can get a little tricky. The final jump on the course before
you turn hard right for the finish should be taken around 150 miles per hour.
_____________________________________________________________________
Track 6 (Presidio) - Track 6 goes through the area where Track 1 took place in
the original San Francisco Rush. The track starts just off the Golden Gate
Bridge and then begins to wind through the Presidio, making some brief trips
through the well-lit city - but the turns are extremely tough to make - in both
the city and the forest area. Don't let it fool you, though - the coins are
still there and this track is long - and you know what that means - the coins
aren't going to be a piece of cake to find.
____
/ 4  \
_/   _/
/     |
5 _____/      |
|            |
|            |
|            |
\            | 3
\           |
\_         |
\        \
|         \___
|             \
\    ___ 7    _\
6  \__/   \____/
\ F |
\  |
|  |
\/ 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/
/ 1
*sigh* This ASCII map is horribly inaccurate, but I did my best. Hopefully when
the HTML version appears you'll have a better way to see it.
1: The start line is here in the tunnel. However, this is a semi-closed circuit
and the finish line is not here. From point 1 to point 2 on this map is a
section where you will get to build up speed and enter the regular circuit. Get
this section right and you will hit a very nice speed at point 2.
2: At this point you will hit an intersection. One of the paths will be blocked
off by lighted arrows, but the other will be open. If you are racing this track
forwards, the right path will be open. If you are racing the track backwards,
the left path will be open. Remember this and line up, otherwise you will get
involved in a wreck.
3: The first city section is reasonably difficult. It's very high-speed, and
once you hit the top of the hill you will have the danger of the high-speed
trains to contend with. At approximately 200 MPH - which can only be hit if you
have Super Speed on - you can jump over the tracks that are above the street
and land on the other side and start your ride downhill. Ease up a bit on this
section and try to land between the two high-speed rail tracks.
4: This section of the course is the most hazardous that you will ever find.
The Presidio roads twist and turn, and go up and down. And did we mention the
grass and the unforgiving wall? Take these turns too fast and you could end up
in it. The grass in track 6 is much more of a concern than on other tracks,
because it will definitely have you spinning out. And if you hit the wall, you
may happen to get the underside of the car on the wall and you will blow up.
5: When you come back into the city you already have a challenge. Slow down at
the top of the hill. This move seems self-destructive to your chances of
winning, but so is you blowing up once you hit that retaining wall at high
speed. If you lift off the crest of the hill flat-out, you won't have time to
turn before that wall comes up. Ease off instead and cut through the gas
station at the left.
6: This is a jump where you will actually be hitting air in two parts. The
first is a huge jump, then when you land you might land on the top of another
jump. In some cases, you might be travelling fast enough to take them both. In
any case, be prepared to crank the steering wheel a little bit to the left.
7: As you return to the forest you still have a couple of more problems to
contend with. You travel over a bridge which has blue lighting. It gets a
little narrow here, so be sure to be in control. In addition, it gets slightly
hairy as you cross the finish line to complete one lap. You'll catch just a
little bit of air, so be sure of yourself as you reenter the tunnel to start
your next lap.
Other notes: Your first lap will be longer than your second and succeeding
laps, therefore, your lap time on lap 1 will be longer. In addition to the
small differential with the added time required to accelerate to racing speed
from a standing start at the beginning of the lap, I wouldn't recommend running
a 1 lap race just to set a best time or best average. I wouldn't recommend it
anyway, but especially not on track 6.
==================== > ========================
There are 13 cars in San Francisco Rush 2049, but only six of them are
available when you hit the ignition. You'll have to collect coins lying and
levitating in the streets if you want to see these cool vehicles. So here they
are. They're all the same in stats, assuming that they have the same parts on
them, but they don't quite handle the same. Try them all out to see which one
fits you the best. I've also included a little tidbit about how well it
handles.
Formula 1
Rating: 7/10
Opinion: Tendency to understeer quite a bit.
Rocket ZX
Rating: 7/10
Opinion: Flames coming out of the car can be distracting, car tends to
oversteer.
Magnum
Rating: 8/10
Opinion: Steering is just about right.
Super GT
Rating: 8/10
Opinion: Just about the same as Magnum.
Bruiser
Rating: 8/10
Opinion: Steering is pretty sensitive, it's good for getting into narrow
areas.
8-Ball
Rating: 8/10
Opinion: Not much to say about this car. So-so.
Venom (hidden)
Rating: 5/10
Opinion: You'll have to put a standard frame on for this car to do well. Not a
good thing, even though it looks cool.
Crusher (hidden)
Rating: 4/10
Opinion: Don't use it. It blocks off a lot of your screen and it's impossible
to see much, if anything. Handles the same as Venom.
Euro LX (hidden)
Rating: 8/10
Opinion: Another good car.
Locust LX (hidden)
Rating: 9/10
Opinion: Excellent. Handles just right and works almost perfectly. One of my
top picks.
GX-2 (hidden)
Rating: 7/10
Opinion: Fair.
Mini XS (hidden)
Rating: 9/10
Opinion: Excellent, except it'll get a lot of air time and might be pretty
hard to control.
Panther (hidden)
Rating: 8/10
Opinion: Handles almost the same as all the other cars. It's not really worth
all the money you collected.
But there isn't much difference between the cars. The difference comes when you
start to unlock parts for your vehicles, which come as the game odometer
reaches different milestones. Here's where they all come:
MILES      PART EARNED
100      All Terrain tires
150      Light Alloy frame
200      Sport Auto transmission, Sport Manual transmission
250      5.0 Litre High Performance V6 engine
300      Slick tires
400      Standard Alloy frame
450
500      Pro Auto transmission, Pro Manual transmission, Turbo 400
engine
600      Off Road tires
700      Heavy Alloy frame
800      7.0 Litre V8 engine
1200      6.5 Litre High Performance V8 engine, Pro Slick tires
1600      Turbo 500 engine
2000      8.0 Litre V10 engine
And now, I explain the different sections where you can customize your car, and
the parts that you can get for each one, the mileage at which you get them at,
and my opinion on each of them:
--- TRANSMISSION ---
Automatic (0 miles)
A good transmission to start the game with. You won't have to shift, you'll
just have to drive. You might want to begin the game with this transmission on
you.
Manual (0 miles)
You start off with a manual transmission at the beginning of the game as
well. This is just about as good as Automatic, so if you don't feel confident
in your shifting skills, you might want to stick with the automatic
transmission.
Sport Auto (200 miles)
As soon as you get this transmission, upgrade all your cars to this
transmission, assuming you haven't gotten used to manual shifting yet. You
don't have anything to lose, really. Your car will get faster, though.
Sport Manual (200 miles)
You're going to be using this transmission for the next 300 miles that you
are on the road until you get the Pro transmissions. This is going to give you
the best speed, so try to switch over as soon as you can.
Pro Auto (500 miles)
The best automatic transmission in the game. If you still want to pump your
speed up further, read on...
Pro Manual (500 miles)
Never mind the best automatic/manual transmission, this is the best one you
can get! Learn how to manually shift if you want to win the game! (Note: You
can check out the tips section if you really want to learn how to "switch
gears" from automatic to manual.)
--- HANDLING ---
Normal (0 miles)
This is okay to start the game, but it's not all that precise, because the
car is going to have a big tendency to understeer. If you're going with track 1
or 2, this is okay, but you won't win very many races until you start to get up
with better handling...
Advanced (0 miles)
There are only two cars that you should just stick with this type of handling
for the whole game: Venom and Crusher. Otherwise, you should move on to the
next type of handling.
Extreme (0 miles)
This is excellent. The car goes around the corners just the way you want it,
it handles perfectly. Try to learn this type of handling as soon as possible.
If you're using slicks or pro slicks, however, DO NOT USE THIS TYPE OF
HANDLING! You will not have any control over your car in the turns!
--- ENGINE ---
3.2 Litre HP V6 (0 miles)
Along with the other two starting engines (Turbo 350 and 5.0L V8), they all
pretty much have the same power, and are all pretty humble to drive.
Turbo 350 (0 miles)
Same power, same output, absolutely no difference.
5.0L V8 (0 miles)
Nothing more comes out of this baby than the other two starting engines.
5.0 Litre HP V6 (250 miles)
This is the first engine upgrade you will receive. It's slightly faster, but
it's just a sign of things to come.
Turbo 400 (500 miles)
Your car will get faster. Why not upgrade it? You won't have any problems
with the small speed differential, anyway...
7.0L V8 (800 miles)
Once again, the speed of the car goes up, up, and last but not least, up.
It's not a major upgrade, but why not take advantage of it?
6.5 Litre HP V8 (1200 miles)
More upgrade. Go right to it. 'Nuff said.
Turbo 500 (1600 miles)
Ummm...take the hint.
8.0L V10 (2000 miles)
This is the final upgrade that you will get in the game! Take it immediately
and keep it for the rest of your life! Don't waste your time lolly-gagging
around with the other engines!
--- FRAMES ---
Light (0 miles)
Like all frames, it has its advantages and disadvantages. It's the fastest of
the regular frames, but the problem is you don't have as much control over your
car. In addition, you'll get beaten up quite a bit. Don't use in Battle. But
for the responsible driver, this is one of the best choices. It's a bad choice
on Venom and Crusher, though.
Standard (0 miles)
Well-balanced. It's firm, and reasonably quick. If you have to pick one frame
to stay with for the whole game, I suppose this is it (except for the alloy
frames)
Heavy (0 miles)
Don't use in race mode. Period. Your car will not be hitting it's maximum
performance and you're just wasting time. However, in Battle Mode, this is the
optimum frame.
Light Alloy (150 miles)
The light alloy frame is the same as the light frame. It has no increased
strength, but it does have a speed advantage over the plain light frame.
Standard Alloy (400 miles)
Looking for an all-around frame that has a little bit of extra speed as an
add-on? This is it.
Heavy Alloy (700 miles)
The best for Battle Mode. If you want to use an item such as the battering
ram a lot, get this piece of metal on your car and start wrecking.
--- TIRES ---
Radials (0 miles)
For some reason, I have been using these tires for all the time that I have
played Rush 2049. If you have the speedster and the cheater in you, this is the
optimum tire. It handles well on grass and pavement and you can push it pretty
hard even on Extreme handling. Sure, if you push it hard enough on the grass
you'll spin out, but it's reasonable.
All Terrain Tires (100 miles)
It's okay on the road, but you can take it on the grass and it'll be born to
be there. That's pretty much it. It's a well-balanced tire, but it's not 100%
suited for the road.
Slicks (300 miles)
On the flip side of the coin, you have slicks. They are built on the road,
and grip very easily (they can mess up how your car handles, though, which is
why I don't recommend Extreme handling with these types of tires). Don't take
these on the grass, though.
Off Road Tires (600 miles)
"Because so much is riding on your tires." -- Michelin. Well, there's a lot
under your tires as well, like dirt and grass. This tire is just built to get
in touch with them. You will get very little, if any, advantage, once you get
back on the track, so if you decide to screw around and skower for coins in
Practice mode, and you don't want to waste your time spinning around, be my
guest and use these.
Pro Slicks (1200 miles)
This could push your car to unbelievable speeds, but only if you use them
properly. Even Advanced handling is a gamble if you're using this tires, and
you need a lot of a practice. I only recommend this to the expert racer. Since
it's a risk, I don't use these. And don't even THINK of taking these on the
grass. You will be so doomed if you do.
======================= > =======================
This section details all the options that can be set in each mode. Press A to
select an option and press B to back out of a menu, and use the Control Stick
to change options.
----------------------------- MAIN MENU -----------------------------
Players - Select from 1 to 4 players. This is what the choice is going to be if
you want to get into the game. If you don't have four controllers plugged in,
the game will gray out the appropriate numbers.
Records - Select this option to enter the records area. You can see the totals
for the game, or you can view a specific player's statistics.
Options - Control the options in the game. Most of these options will affect
what you see in the race mode.
Audio - Control your audio setup.
Video - Control your video setup.
--------------------------- OPTIONS MENU ----------------------------
Player Arrows - In ghost mode or any multiplayer mode, player arrows mark the
location of another player or ghost car. They are marked as arrows and show the
location of another player or ghost. If you have it on, you will see someone
coming. But if you don't, well, you're in the dark when it comes to locations -
you'll have to rely on the track map if you have one. You can turn this option
on or off.
Track Map - The track map is located on the right side of the screen and is
only shown in any racing mode. It shows your location on the track and other
players if there are any. If you don't need it, turn it off. But if you do need
it, keep it on. Computer players are identified by gray squares. (Player 1 is
blue, Player 2 is red, Player 3 is yellow, and Player 4 is green when you are
playing in Ghost Mode or Race Mode.)
Radar - The radar is located on the left side of the screen and is only shown
in any racing mode. It shows where other players are and keeps a focus on who
is behind you. If you want to be left in the dark knowing who's behind you, and
give yourself a challenge, you can turn this option off, or keep it on.
Time Elapsed - This is shown below the track map and indicates how much time
has gone by in the race. This is useful to most racers, but if you're not one
of them, you can change this option from on to off, or vice versa.
Time Remaining - If your allotted time limit runs out, your game ends. The time
remaining clock will show how much time you have left. This option can be
changed from on to off or off to on, but the time still counts down anyway. The
time remaining clock is only displayed in ghost mode and stunt mode. (NOTE: you
will get a warning at the 30-second mark, and then that same sound will play
for a five-second warning, then every second after, until time is up. If the
time remaining clock is on, it will begin to flash when there are only five
seconds left.)
Tachometer - If you have a manual transmission on your car, this bar keeps
track of the RPM your car's engine is running at. If you turn this off, you
will have to listen to your engine to decide when to upshift. If you turn it
on, it will be beside the speedometer, and be shown as a bar with a green area
(safe), then a yellow area (caution), then a red area (upshift once the
brighter area reaches this point).
Speedometer - This will show you the speed of your car. Usually racers will
want to know their speed, but if you don't, try turning this option off.
Odometer - This option is shown below the speedometer and shows the distance
you have travelled so far IN THIS RACE, not in the whole game or for the car.
It can be turned either on or off.
Place - This is shown in the top right corner of the screen and shows both your
current position in the race and the lap. The place indicator shows your
position out of how many racers. Try to put a 1 up there as soon as possible.
It also shows the lap you are on and how many laps there are in the race (if
they match, you are on the final lap). If you don't want these, turn this
option off.
Gearshift - If you have a manual transmission on your car, this display shows
what gear your car is currently running in reverse, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th,
indicated by GEAR and then, respectively, R, 1, 2, 3, and 4. This should be
used in conjunction with the tachometer. But if you don't like the gearshift on
your screen, you can turn it off (it will not be there if you have an automatic
transmission on your car.)
Metric - This shows what measurement system you will use, and it applies to the
whole game. If metric is turned on, kilometers per hour is shown as the speed,
kilometers are shown on the odometer, and it applies to records as well. If it
is turned off, miles per hour is shown as the speed, miles are shown on the
odometer, and it applies to records as well. Usually the difference between
using the imperial or metric system in Rush 2049 is what country you're in
(probably either Canada or the United States) and what measurement system
you're used to.
Wrong Way - If you've made a wrong turn, and you're now driving the wrong way
on the track, and this option is on, text will appear on the center of your
screen, which will say, "Wrong Way". If this is turned off, well, you'd better
know the course, because it will not tell you that you are going the wrong way.
Coins - There are silver and gold coins in the tracks, and this will show how
many have been collected out of 8 silver coins and 8 gold coins. Turn it off
for a true arcade feel. Keep it on if you want to know how many coins you have
for that track. The number of coins you have collected for each track is also
accessible from the records screen.
------------------------ AUDIO SETUP MENU ---------------------------
Music Volume - This option has a selection from 0 to 10. The higher the number,
the louder the volume. The number 0 indicates that the music is off/muted.
"Music" is the background music that plays during a race, it is not sound
effects.
Sound Volume - This option has a selection from 0 to 10. The higher the number,
the louder the volume. The number 0 indicates that the sound is off/muted.
Examples of sound effects are: menu navigation sounds, engine, announcer, etc.
Music - This option has a selection from the following selections. When you
select a particular song selection, it will play for every track.
- Default (this plays the respective music for every track, as shown below
beside every music track.)
- Bassy (Track 1, Battle 1 background music)
- Garage (Track 2, Battle 2 background music)
- Night (Track 4, Battle 4 background music)
- Seventies (Track 3, Battle 3 background music)