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Emerald Cup
Track Strategies: Emerald Cup
Number of tickets earned for final rank (depending on difficulty setting):
Rank | Novice | Standard | Expert | Master |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 | 24 | 35 | 46 |
2 | 12 | 17 | 26 | 36 |
3 | 10 | 15 | 24 | 33 |
4-10 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 25 |
11-20 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 22 |
21-30 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
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Track 3.1: Fire Field - Cylinder Knot
Difficulty: **
Staff Ghost Time: 2'40"909 (Black Bull)
Staff Ghost Time: 2'40"909 (Black Bull)
This track's all speed. You race on top of a cylinder pipe, making adjustments only to maintain the best line and hit dash plates. Stay on top for the first plate, then hang left for the next one. As a rule of thumb, try to stay one the inside of the pipe, especially in the knot portion of the track. Not only is the inside the shorter distance, the dash plates tend to be there as well. The last stretch of the course can be challenging as pipes stick out of the cylinder to form obstacles. Avoid them using the shoulder buttons.
The Pit strip is on the right on the flat straight leading to the goal. Don't worry if you're trailing in 5th place or so -- the last stretch is enough to let you catch up with the leader as long as you have a little bit of boost power left. Watch out when jumping off the cylinder. Gravity will make sure that you land on the track, but it can be disorienting when the game suddenly whirls you around.
Track 3.2: Green Planet - Intersection
Difficulty: ***
Staff Ghost Time: 2'24"897 (Mighty Hurricane)
Staff Ghost Time: 2'24"897 (Mighty Hurricane)
There is a dash plate in the middle on the first straight. Hit it, then take a right curve and look for two more in the center of the track. As you head into the pipe, stay on the outside turning inward to maintain your speed. When you're on the later laps, make sure to boost a lot while you're in the glass pipes. You'll replenish your energy soon. After the glass tunnels end, prepare to power-up on the first pit strip, then immediately move up to the ceiling for a dash plate using your shoulder buttons. Hang left and follow the blue line on the wall for another dash plate and pit strip. Be sure to boost here on lap 1 and 2.
As you emerge from the pipes you'll see the track intersecting the course ahead of you. After a slight right turn, look for a dash plate on the right next to a pipe, move over to the left for the next, and continue to slalom around the pipes. Alternatively, if you've got a craft with low grip and good boost, don't go around the pipes. Simply stay right and boost as much as you can, passing all the pipes on the right. The pit strip is right after this corner after all, so you can afford to be low on energy. But be careful, there is a dangerous curve following the slalom section. Hang left after the S-Curve and watch your speed. It's easy to get thrown off to the right and slam into a tree. Immediately after this perilous hop, the pit strip becomes visible on the right, followed by the goal.
Track 3.3: Vegas Palace - Double Branches
Difficulty: ***
Staff Ghost Time: 2'59"117 (Fire Stingray)
Staff Ghost Time: 2'59"117 (Fire Stingray)
This track has plenty of dash plates, but lacks guard rails, so don't over steer. Your best bet is to use the should buttons liberally and correct your course a lot to get all the necessary boosts. The path soon branches. Take the left side on your first lap, as it's got more dash plates. The other path has a pit strip, but you can actually avoid it even on lap 2 and 3 as there are so many dash plates, you almost don't need to boost. Keep an eye on the left side of the track to find a jump plate that lets you hop on top back onto the other track. This gets you two additional dash plates, so you should do it whenever you can.
The road soon splits again in an "8" pattern. Move to the right, then come back around to the left and stay on the inside to replenish your energy. Hit the next series of dash plates by slightly veering to the right, then get ready for another split. Another "8" is ahead. A jump plate lets you hop over a portion of the track if you stick to the left, but it doesn't save you much time. After another split, you'll have the chance to catch a pit strip on the left. If your energy is full as you hit the finish line, take the left branch. If you miss it, stick to the right and drive over the "back-up" pit strip there.
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Track 3.4: Lightning - Half-Pipe
Difficulty: ****
Staff Ghost Time: 2'50"296 (Sonic Phantom)
Staff Ghost Time: 2'50"296 (Sonic Phantom)
Though difficult to maneuver, this half pipe track is actually straightforward. …if you know the track well, that is. Follow the light strip in the middle for two dash plates, then nudge the craft to the right up the banked curve to hit a third one. The next plate is on the left. Get back to the light strip and follow it as it splits off to the left. Take this path for more dash plates. Watch out that you don't fall out of the pipe as the line converges and splits again (once again, stick to the left). Navigate the series of left/right turns with the help of the shoulder triggers.
As you get to the long straight, watch out for the laser contraptions. They cause minimal damage, but it could be enough to blow up your craft if you're "beeping". The pit strip is on the right side just ahead of the finish line. You now have boost power -- but use it wisely. If you go too fast in the curve sections, you get tossed out of the pipe altogether. Wait for the right moment and only boost when you're on a straightway.
Track 3.5: Big Blue - Ordeal
Difficulty: *****
Staff Ghost Time: 2'50"808 (Fire Stingray)
Staff Ghost Time: 2'50"808 (Fire Stingray)
This advanced Big Blue track has more jumps than any other track in the game. Luckily, many of them are just small hops. To minimize airtime, push slightly forward on the stick and always take the shortest route to the next track portion. At the first split, stick left for a shortcut. Don't worry, you don't need a boost to make it -- just don't push the nose down too much. Getting through the angular corner sections of the track is merely a matter of sliding, so use the L and R triggers to get through them. Stay right after the next jump to land on a pit strip.
The most difficult part of the track is the long diagonal jump in the center/west. Steer left as you jump down to make it the next track portion, then correct your trajectory and turn right to straighten yourself. A tricky corner section lies ahead -- use the Z spin to get around it the easy way, or drift like a madman. A pit strip follows on the right, next to ice and dirt strips. Ignore it on your first lap and stay on the left for a dash plate. You'll now head into the tunnel. Two sharp, but long turns are best navigated using the slide or drift turn. When you come back out of the tunnel, watch out for another sharp turn and an extremely narrow track portion right after it. A small hop, and you're back at the finish line.