http://users.bart.nl/~jamin

Carmageddon - Playing Guide

General Driving Advice
The important thing to remember about this game is that when you're cornering you have two brakes: the handbrake and the footbrake. One thing you'll find out pretty sharpish is that if you use the handbrake to take a corner when travelling at 200mph, the chances are you'll die! If, however, you're travelling at 200mph and hit the footbrake, you might just have a chance of surviving. The handbrake, therefore, should be reserved for hard cornering and panic braking used in conjunction with the footbrake.
Wheel-spinning is one of the handiest of all the controls, especially when using the larger, heavier cars. If you hold the handbrake, the wheel-spin, a direction key and the accelerate buttons together then release the handbrake, you'll find you can spin your car round in a circle on the spot. It's especially handy for turning to face an enemy or trying to get out of a tight spot.
If you look at the map before you start racing, you can often work out a quicker route between the checkpoints. The checkpoints still have to be taken in order, but more often than not there is a quicker way of getting between them than the green line indicated on the map.
All races take place over at least two laps, so always try to get round the first couple of laps as quickly as possible, taking out pedestrians that are easily accessible. Then, on your final lap, if you have time... go get 'em. Avoid hunting pedestrians in obscure areas such as hidden mines until you know the general layout of the race, or you could get lost and run out of time.

RACE TACTICS

Maim Street
Start as close to the front of the grid as possible. As soon as you hit the first hill stay close to the left-hand side and, as you get close to the peak, edge across to the right-hand side to avoid hitting the building in flight. Start turning early as you hit the second checkpoint and use a bit of handbrake; the arse of the car should just slide under the checkpoint.
Now you're on the long straight. Once the area starts to look a little more built up, stay on the left-hand side of the road to avoid the parked cars on the right-hand side. Handbrake right for the next checkpoint, and feel free to use the building as a brake to make the corner.
Once you cross the bridge, you'll notice that the route for the track actually turns right. Keep going up to the stadium. Once inside the stadium go to the far-left corner to get the Electro Bastard Ray, kill all the football players with the Bastard Ray and then travel to the opposite corner to get the pedestrian respawn (loads of peds).
On exiting the stadium, hang a left until you meet the road. You should be nearing checkpoint 4 by now. Use a bit of handbrake here to slide in sideways (there are a few policemen standing around). Once through the checkpoint head up the slope, still following the road, and drive around the stadium (you can cut off the entire corner here).
Once you take the right, heading towards checkpoint 5, make sure you don't get distracted by all the nice stuff on your right. Go through the checkpoint and use the handbrake while turning right so that you're facing the correct way when you slam into the wall.
Now you've got a nice long straight with a rather nasty right turn at the end of it leading down a very steep hill. This is where you'll need to use your panic braking (handbrake and footbrake together). Once at the bottom of the hill you have a short straight and then a left turn to get you onto the straight to finish that lap.
Repeat the above until you've completed the race. However, if you find yourself with plenty of time and creds, go for a pleasant drive around the park for some power-up action or some car-crushing carnage with your opponents.

Coastal Carnage
Once again, start as close to the front of the grid as possible (you want to be the first over the hill to get the juicy cows sat at the bottom).
Once up the other side of the hill the road gets a bit winding before the broken bridge, so try not to use the handbrake. When you get to the broken bridge stay on the left-hand side (the third section of the bridge is impossible to get over from the right of the road).
After checkpoint 2 the road pulls to the left - DO NOT USE THE HANDBRAKE, because you will spin out of control. By now you should be coming up on a sharp left turn, and you are again advised not to use the handbrake because you need to maintain as much of your speed as possible to make it through the loop. Once you hit full speed approaching the loop you'll need to start edging the car towards the left to stay on the road (if you have trouble with this, switch to the internal view).
After the loop the road climbs out of the little valley and you should be approaching checkpoint 2. You now have two options:
1) Don't take the turn, go straight on and take out all the cows (ooowww money); or 2) Hang a left and where you can see checkpoint 3 on the map there is a shortcut through the trees.
Yet again you're coming up to a winding bit of road, so avoid the handbrake as much as possible. There's a particularly bad bend just before checkpoint 4, so hit the handbrake, hit the footbrake, hit everything and you might just make it round the corner.For the rest of the track, just try to avoid going flat out. Some of the barriers are out on the right side of the road and if you lose it, you'll have to recover your vehicle from the dark and murky ocean.
Repeat the above until you have completed the race. However, if you have plenty of time and creds on your hands, go for a pleasant drive around the meadows for some power-up action, cow mincing or ball-crushing carnage with your opponents.

Fridge Racer
This is a nice easy track with lots of straights, although at the end of each straight there's a sharp right-angled corner with a slope that's going to cost you time.
Your biggest problem on this track, though, is going to be checkpoint 2, which has a nasty habit of sneaking up on you. By the time you reach it you'll probably be flying through the air without a care in the world until you land in the middle of a minefield (watch those pennies disappear as you try to repair the damage).
The sharp corner between checkpoints 2 and 3 can easily be made with the use of the conveniently placed wall. Handbrake into it and you should be able to drive away facing in the correct direction.
The bend after checkpoint 3 has a small pile of snow right in the corner that you can sometimes get caught on, so when handbraking for this corner try to keep some forward momentum going to avoid it.
The penultimate corner of the lap can all go pear shaped if you're travelling too fast, the main reason for this being that you can just fly straight over the barrier and it can take some time to get back to the track.
Things to look out for on this track are the zero friction ice lake in the lower central part of the map and the sewer system which can be accessed shortly after checkpoint 2. Also, to the right of checkpoint 1 on the map is a place of worship filled with the joys of God - do as you will there, my twisted little minions.

Death Valley
Try to get ahead of all the other cars before you hit the corner at checkpoint 1. This can be a nasty corner if, at the same time, you're trying to argue with one of your opponents. Use the building with your handbrake and you should make this corner with only bodywork damage.
You're now railtracked through the next part of the course until you reach checkpoint 3, with very little direction to go in other than falling down into the lower level. The lower level has lots of power-ups and peds just sitting there waiting to be another notch on your bumper, but unfortunately there are only a few points where you can get back up to the track.
From checkpoints 3 to 4 you have a nice long straight with only a small kink in the middle. Plenty of your adoring public line the streets to see you trail blood in glory.
The rather large scary corner in the top right of the map is a very simple corner, as you can see it coming a mile away. Hit the brakes, cross your fingers and pray, and you should make it easily. Put your pedal to the metal and head back to checkpoint 1.Points of interest: In the centre of the map you will notice a large dark area. This is power-up city; there's so much money floating around this building you'll think you've died and woken up in Fort Knox heaven.

Pit Stop
This track looks a lot easier than it actually is. The small kinks in the middle of the track are panic braking corners, and things can get very hairy if you're travelling too fast.
The track is basically a figure of eight track, and you can travel around it in any direction. The main thing to avoid is the opening in the floor in the warehouse section at checkpoint 1. Fall down here and you're going to be in a world of hurt. However, this extra part of the track is brimming with power-ups and peds.
The right fork near checkpoint 2 has a water section, which can slow you down quite a lot, but you can avoid this section by turning around and going back exactly the way you came.
Points of interest: The aforementioned hole in the ground - fall down it and then watch it on action replay.

Industrial Injury
A fairly basic track with deep exploration undertones. From the start head as fast as possible towards the hard left-hand corner. Use the handbrake to slide into the wall, so that you're facing in the right direction, and speed towards the next left corner. Try not to use the handbrake (the footbrake is ideal), and once round this bend wait until you've cleared the building before heading slightly to the right for checkpoint 2.
The corner before checkpoint 3 can be made with the use of the wall and handbrake again, but once through the checkpoint make sure you're not travelling too fast or you'll fly up and catch the barriers, probably ending up on your roof.
From checkpoints 3 to 4 just drive as fast as you can and, once through the checkpoint, keep travelling in the same direction - the wall will straighten up the car to head for checkpoint 5. Take a sharp left corner and head straight back to checkpoint 1.
Points of interest: At the point where you would usually turn left to go to checkpoint 3, turn right, gain enough speed to jump the barriers and you'll find you can get to the other half of the map with toys and pedestrians to play with. This area also doubles as a wild and wacky industrial stunt track, filled with all variety of jumps and drop-offs (keep an eye out for the corkscrew bridge jump (top James Bond action).

Avenue of Atrocities
The best advice for this track is to go really fast. If anything gets in your way, just turn.
Points of interest: The corners (especially the one before checkpoint 3). There are small ramps leading to things in high places. The monorail. Happy exploring!

Mist Me!
My god, it's foggy and nobody's got their headlights on.
Use the handbrake as little as possible (only for panic braking) because most of the bends in the roads are actually very subtle and if you pull the handbrake, you'll lose the arse end of your car forever.
Just before checkpoint 2 there is a broken bridge, with fork-like teeth on it. If you catch one of the teeth with one of your wheels, you can achieve some interesting stunts, but more often than not you're going to land on your roof (it's fun though!). If you do fall down inside, don't fret, there's a nice little ramp for you to drive out on.
The main thing to be aware of is in the tunnels leading up to checkpoint 4. Try to stay on the left side of the tunnel to collect the power-ups and to avoid driving into the random wall on the right side of the road.
Just after checkpoint 4 there is a bastard of a left turn. Panic braking is a must or you'll be swimming with the fish or parked up in the mariner, with boats and yachts and plenty of happy people lounging around in the sun just waiting to take a closer look at your hood ornament.

Chiller
This is one of the first true night-time tracks in the game and, guess what, nobody's gonna make any allowances.
You start in the raised area in the middle of the track. Do a small jump as soon as you hit the road and prepare for a hard right on checkpoint 1 (panic braking is a must).
You get a short straight and very soon a sharp left sneaks up on you. If you make the sharp left, you get another short straight followed by a sharp right - missing this one puts you in the middle of a minefield.
You then get another rough road surface long straight with a sharp right, so handbrake the car and use the barrier to stop you from making a mess.
Carry on from checkpoint 2 down the straight until a small ramp in the road catches you. Then all of a sudden you'll have a large barrier in your face pointing right. If you hit this barrier, you're airborne, so try to decrease your speed before you hit the first ramp. This should help you maintain control of the car before you get to the barrier. Almost immediately after the ramp you have another sharp left, protected by another barrier. Handbrake into the barrier and you should make it.
You now have a short straight with a right at the end of it protected by a barrier shaped just like a ramp. Hit the barrier and you'll find yourself parking up in the graveyard of the church (not a good idea as the time is ticking away).
Just before checkpoint 4 you have a long straight ending in a harsh right turn - braking is advised. You get a brief straight after checkpoint 4, which leads to a hard left and back on to checkpoint 1.
Points of interest: see Fridge Racer.

Erasing Arizona
It's dark. I want to go home!
You start with a nice straight with only a slight kink in it, running from just to the left of checkpoint 4 towards checkpoint 1. Just as you hit checkpoint 1 you fall to floor level and are confronted by a wall of barriers. Handbrake slide into the barriers and they will save you from the wall. Look for the power-ups behind the barriers.
Unfortunately, the next straight of the track runs through the middle of a minefield. Use caution, the other cars have to drive through it as well.
Turn right at the end of the minefield, up the ramp and through checkpoint 2.
You now have a short straight leading to a harsh right turn. Miss the turn and you end up back at ground level (luckily there's a ramp nearby to crawl out through, but unfortunately it leads to a horrendous detour).
After the previous turn you have a nice long straight through checkpoint 3 and into the hanger building. Warning: drive through the hanger with caution, Òwavy road aheadÓ.
Hang a right just after checkpoint 4 and you're back where you started.
Points of interest: Power-ups in and around and on the hanger. Stick around, drive, shop, kill.

600ft Under
Start just after checkpoint 5 and try to fight your way to the front of the pack avoiding the offending protrusions of rock from the walls.
When you hit the first water section just before checkpoint 1 try to stay on the left-hand side - the water is shallower here so you get less resistance against the car and lose less speed. After checkpoint 1 avoid falling off the right side by sticking close to the left-hand wall.
On the right of checkpoint 1, on your way to checkpoint 3, the road splits into two. Take the right-hand lane to stay on the track. Avoid steel tunnel supports as they can cause untold damage with a single high-speed collision.
As you approach checkpoint 3 you will notice a selection of police peds guarding their position. Feel free to take time out and introduce them to your nice shiny bonnet.
After checkpoint 3 you climb a winding clockwise hill. Try to stay in the middle, as continuous grinding of the side of the car against the walls will eventually damage your side panels.
Once at the top of the hill you reach a gentle right bend. Under checkpoint 4 there is a small ramp. Try to hit the ramp centrally and then try to keep the car in the middle of the mine train tracks.
Follow the tracks until you reach checkpoint 5. Once you pass through the checkpoint, brake like your life depended on it as there is a rather brutal right-hand corner backed up by a huge wooden barrier.
Follow the road back to checkpoint 1.
Points of interest: Where you have to stay on the left side to avoid falling down the gap, fall down the gap to find a whole new playing area with power-ups galore. This new network of mine tunnels should only be taken by the bravest and most experienced of drivers.


SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY
Protect, attack, then speed up is a good rule to stick to.
Your rank increase is generally worked out by your financial status in the game. The more money you earn in a race, the more ranks you will increase.
The best way to spend your money is really up to your style of driving. If you have a tendency to hit walls and buildings, you'd be well advised to buy armour. The more skilled you get at the game and the higher your driving abilities, you might be tempted to power up your engine. Be warned, though; when powering up your engine, the car will behave very differently - it'll almost be like learning to drive a new car. It's well worth it, though, if you can handle it.
If your driving style dictates that you have to smash all the other cars in sight, then you'll probably want to increase your offence. The higher your offence the easier it will be for you to smash, gut and gore your weaker rivals. Although you won't be able to physically see the new improvements to your bumpers, you will notice the difference when you have the ability to destroy an opponent with one hit!


POWER-UPS
There are over 40 different power-ups available during races, some of which are fantastically useful, a few of them are really more like power-downs, and many are just downright silly.
Some of the effects last for the entire race, but most are only active for a limited time (usually 30 seconds). Icons down the left-hand side of the game screen show which power-ups are currently in effect. Those with a time limit display a countdown timer next to the icon.
Some of the more conventional power-ups available are:
¥ Bonus points
¥ Bonus time added to your timer
¥ Turbo boost
¥ Frozen opponents (opponents coast to a halt and don't move off again until the power-up runs out - hit 'em while you can!)
¥ Frozen cops (as above - find a sheer drop to push them over while they can't fight back!)
¥ Acme damage magnifier (increases the damage you do to opponents on impact)
¥ Underwater ability (lets you drive underwater with relative ease)
¥ Freeze timer (very, very, rare!)
¥ Invulnerability (no damage on impact with walls or other cars)
¥ Instant repair (repairs all damage at the moment of collecting the power-up, without charge)
We'll leave you to find out for yourself what the other power-ups do.


GRAND THEFT AUTO
Stealing cars is an integral part of the game and you can't finish the game without doing so.
You can't steal a car until you have reached at least rank 89. There are only certain cars that you can steal, although they range from the hardest car to drive, to the HARDEST car. When you waste a car that is accessible to you, you have a 50% chance of stealing it. The more experienced a driver you become and the higher ranks you achieve, the better the car that you can steal.
The cars you have stolen are then placed in the ÔChoose Car' screen in the ÔStart Game' screen.


CHALLENGES
You may notice occasionally that you get challenged by one of your opponents. What this effectively means is that you trade places with them on the starting grid and then that character will have a certain attraction towards you for the full race. The best advice here is kill or be killed.


BLOKE OR BIRD
When you choose between playing as bloke or bird, you're not only choosing which colour car you drive; the two cars are completely different, especially when it comes to the performance and handling departments.
The Eagle (bloke's car) has the engine mounted in the front of the car and has a higher armour level. The side effects of this are that the car is slower with slightly safer handling. Although it can take a bit more of a pounding.
The Hawk (bird's car) has a rear-mounted engine and less armour. Her car accelerates better and is a little more tail happy than the Eagle, but is a lot more exciting to drive. The major downside is that the lighter armour makes her car more susceptible to damage.