MMM MMM IIIII CCCCC RRRRR OOOOOO MM M M MM III CC RR R OO OO MM M MM III CC RRRR OO OO MM MM III CC RR R OO OO MM MM IIIII CCCCC RR RR OOOOOO MMM MMM AAAAAA NNN NN IIIII AAAAAA CCCCC SSSSS MM M M MM AA AA NN N NN III AA AA CC SS MM M MM AAAAAA NN N NN III AAAAAA CC SSSSS MM MM AA AA NN N NN III AA AA CC SS MM MM AA AA NN NNN IIIII AA AA CCCCC SSSSS Written By: Vincent Lee (GgAgAhC) Email Address: ggagahc@hotmail.com July 25, 2003 Table Of Contents: ------------------ I. Introduction II. Controls III. Story IV. Characters A. V4 B. Maw Maw C. Mesme D. Waldo E. Pyra F. Vortex G. Twister H. Beatbox I. Dynamo J. Roach K. Toxin L. Project X V. Concluding Statement VI. Credits VII. Disclaimer ------------ What's New? ------------ What's new? Well...this FAQ is new!! That's about it! Version 1.0 ----------- The first version...of course, that means that this FAQ is done and up and running. So...yeah...that's it. That's version 1!! ---------------- I. Introduction ---------------- What's Micro Maniacs, you ask? Hmm...that's a good question. Well...not really. Anyway, Micro Maniacs is a racing game made by Codemasters and apparently, FoxKids.com! Ok, I might be wrong. I don't know these kinds of things so you can't blame me (if anyone can confirm or correct, I'd be glad to change this awful intro...haha). Anyway, this guide (or is it a FAQ?) is solely for the many characters of Micro Maniacs. This is my first FAQ so bear with me. If something seems weird or wrong (FAQ speaking, that is), then ignore it because I wouldn't know. ^_^ Well...let's get started! ------------- II. Controls ------------- Up - Steer Your Character Down - Steer Your Character Left - Turn Your Character Clockwise (In Other Words, Steer Your Character) Right - Turn Your Character Counter-Clockwise (In Other Words, Steer Your Character) X - Accelerate Square - Brake Triangle - Jump Circle - Shout, Trigger Special Attacks/Global Power Ups L1 & L2 - Activate And Trigger Special Attacks/Global Power Ups R1 - Jump R2 - Shout ----------- III. Story ----------- *This Was Taken From The Manual!!! Credit Goes To Them, Not Me!!!* The Journal Of Dr. Minimizer To Whom It May Concern: The world as we know it is on the verge of crisis - oil and food shortages abound. Economic chaos looms over the horizon, bringing with it war. However, I have a vision, a vision to save humanity from certain collapse. I will minimize the people of earth to 1/360th of their original size thus creating a world of plenty for all. In order to realize this dream, I must first create a super soldier that can colonize and cultivate the land in readiness for it's future inhabitants. To this end I have enlisted the services of 8 special individuals to take part in an experiment. They will undergo a series of endurance tests so that I may ascertain the best abilities with which to equip my super soldiers. Some may call me mad, perhaps even evil but I hereby swear that I am motivated by the noble urges that prompted Prometheus to risk damnation in an attempt to extend the sphere of human knowledge. Yours, Dr. Minimizer ---------------- IV. Characters ---------------- Ok, now for the characters...err...racers!! In this part, I'll describe the character's moves and maybe a little history. Plus, I might add some things I've noticed about them...oh! And I'll also rate their moves and the characters themselves. 10 is the highest, 1 is the lowest. Got that? Good...but before I start, perhaps I should explain a bit about moves, if you don't already know about them... Each racer has two moves that are only special for themselves. Throughout the racetrack, there will be many Power-Ups to collect. Collect one and you'll get to use your racer's special move!! The max power-ups you can collect are 4. Of course, when you have 4 power-ups, the move becomes more useful. Basically, each move has 4 levels. You start the game with both moves only at level 2. When you play that character through Challenge Mode, you can earn their levels 3 and 4 moves. Of course, you're gonna need to collect 4 power-ups to use your level 4 move and only one for your level 1 move. So...does that make sense? Also, L1 triggers ATTACK 1 and L2 triggers ATTACK 2. Know that! Almost forgot but there's something else I need to explain. Each move...or attack is categorized into three different types of attacks: Targeted Attack, Constant Attack, and Shooting Attack. Targeted Attack: When you activate this attack, you will see a little circle under your character. Now, get close to someone in front (or back...but it's usually front) of you and you'll see some arrows pointing at the person. That means that if you press the L1 or L2 button, your attack will hit him/her. To put it short, a Targeted Attack is an attack that will target someone before you attack. Constant Attack: These attacks, when activated, start immediately. The attack will go on for a certain amount of time, then, when your time is up, the attack ends whether or not you hit anyone. Shooting Attack: When this attack is activated, you'll get a circle under your character. Now, you should also see a...how do I say this? Bolder circle with some lines in them...does that make sense? Well, it's separated. Anyway, each of those separated parts is your ammo. Press the L1 or L2 button and you'll use one ammo to...I don't know...lay a trap or fire a projectile. Now that we've got all that, let's start with the characters!! ------ A. V4 ------ Age: 21 Years Old Weight: 22 Grams Height: 49 Mm I guess you could consider V4 the game's mascot. I'm not quite sure about his history but I think that he was in a motorcycle accident and Dr. Minimizer found him. Then the good ol' doctor combined him with a motorcycle! So, V4 is half human, half motorcycle. Being half motorcycle, I guess you can say he has a slight advantage at speed, right? Well, I can't quite confirm it, but, IMO, I think he does. Attack 1: Plasma Punch (Targeted Attack) I like this move. Basically, press L1 and you'll get that circle under you. Then get close enough to your target and press L1 again and V4 will run up to the target and give him/her a good punch. At level 1 and 2, the punch will only make the target spin a little. However, at level 3 and 4, the attack will kill the target (NOTE: When I say kill, I just mean that the target is out for a while and must start from a previous location...or, if you're playing a VS Mode, that person will be out of the race until everyone else has gotten out). I don't know if it's much help, but the punch will definitely help you get a little bit more distance. If you're V4, you'll definitely want to be using this move most of the time. My Rating: 9/10 Attack 2: Energy Trail (Constant Attack) Press the L2 button and some smoke will be following V4 from behind. If anyone should hit this smoke, then they'll spin around for a while. That's at levels 1, 2, & 3 (I think)!! However, at level 4, the smoke changes into what seems like a beam and enemies are instantly killed when they come in contact with it. The usefulness of this move isn't much. You have to be pretty close for someone to be able to hit it. Plus, it's really easy to dodge. So, unless you're getting them unexpectedly, they're not going to get hit. So, try not to use this move much. Save your power-ups for a punch instead. My Rating: 4/10 Total Rating Of V4: 8/10 V4 is a good racer to use if you're a beginner. His moves require that the targets are close so if you're used to be really ahead or really behind, you shouldn't rely on V4's moves too much. However, still pretty average. ----------- B. Maw Maw ----------- Age: 16 Years Old Weight: 14 Grams Height: 60 Mm This little guy was created by Dr. Minimizer to guard his lab. What else is there to say? I think this guy lacks a little speed but his turning seems to be really good. Just a little note, Maw Maw is the only racer that runs on all fours. Attack 1: Tongue Grab (Shooting Attack) Press the L1 button and you'll get that circle (again). Now, this is a bit like a Constant Attack as well as a Shooting Attack. Basically, you have a time limit of how long you can use it. However, nothing happens when you first press L1 unless you press it again. Once you press it again, Maw Maw will lash out his tongue in front of him. So, it's both, more or less... Anyway, at levels 1 and 2, this move will simply hit the target and kinda just distract him/her for a while. However, at levels 3 and 4, Maw Maw will actually EAT the target, thus killing him/her. However, I've found that at level 4, it takes longer before the target is killed. At a regular Challenge race, that's a good thing, as it will cost the target some time to recover from all the lost time while in Maw Maw's mouth. However, at VS, it's useless to have the target longer. Either way, it still kills them so it's not that bad. My Rating: 8/10 Attack 2: Fireball Fart (Shooting Attack/Constant Attack) Press L2 and you'll get your circle again. Then press it again and Maw Maw will shoot a fireball behind him. The higher the level, the bigger the fireballs! However, at level 4, it's like a flamethrower from behind. Instead of firing fireballs, it turns into a Constant Attack and has flame following Maw Maw (sort of like V4's Energy Trail or Pyra's Flamethrower except behind). This is definitely better than shooting fireballs as when you're shooting fireballs, it's hard to hit. At least with some fire following you, you have a chance of hitting...but only if the enemy is near enough. At levels 3 and 4, the attack kills but at lower levels, it doesn't. I don't recommend this move much. Stick to the tongue. My Rating: 3/10 Total Rating Of Maw Maw: 5/10 Not exactly the best choice for a racer. Like V4, all of Maw Maw's attacks require the target to be close. Plus, they don't always confirm a hit. You can have someone so close but that won't confirm that your tongue will always hit him/her! --------- C. Mesme --------- Age: 13 Years Old Weight: 12 Grams Height: 36 Mm Mesme is an orphan with mysterious powers. Apparently, Mesme is a chronic insomniac, which means she has never gone to sleep. Hmm...I definitely think Mesme is a good character, for beginners and advanced players alike. Attack 1: Nightmare Projection (Targeted Attack) Like all Targeted Attacks, press L1 and a circle will appear underneath the character, this time, that character is Mesme. Aim for the person and press L1 again. Mesme will unleash sort of a mix of a skull and a ghost; I guess you can say... Anyway, once the ghost hits the target, his/her controls will be reversed! Up is down, left is right!! No matter what the level is, this attack will all do the same thing. However, I think the higher the level, the longer the controls will be reversed. Against a smart computer, it's pretty much useless but against a stupid computer or against a human player, it will help out very much. However, some human players are good with reversed controls so don't expect anything from that... Basically, depending on who you use this against, it can be useful, or useless. My Rating: 7/10 Attack 2: Psychic Grab (Targeted Attack) Once again, press L2 and get a circle. Then press it again and your attack will hit the target. This time, I think you have to be a bit closer than most other targeted attacks but I might be wrong. Anyway, once you press L2 the second time, the target will be lifted from the ground immediately and will start to follow you, Mesme. At levels 1 and 2, the target will just follow you for a while and then he/she will be back in action. At levels 3 and 4, the target will follow you but will also die eventually. At level 4, I'm sure it takes longer for the target to die. Didn't I already talk about this? Well, whether or not I did, having someone die longer is sometimes better than having someone die immediately. Why? Well, in Challenge or any race where you have to be first after 3 laps, the target will be out of the race until he/she recovers. But, if the target is following you all this time until he/she dies, then it'll really screw up the target, as he/she will take a bit longer before he/she can control him/herself again. This move is probably a bit more useful than Mesme's first move. However, depending on the target, it can go either way... My Rating: 9/10 Total Rating Of Mesme: 8/10 Definitely good if you know which attack to use at certain times/targets. However, if you have no clue when to use the right move, then stay away from Mesme as you might end up doing a Nightmare Projection at someone who knows how to control their character, whether or not the controls are reversed. Also, since all of Mesme's attacks are targeted, that means you have to be behind a little so you have someone to target. However, if you're really ahead, then her attacks become useless and if you're really behind...well, the attacks are useless. --------- D. Waldo --------- Age: 37 Years Old Weight: 36 Grams Height: 35 Mm The rival of Dr. Minimizer...hmm...this guy tried to create a minimizing ray himself but since he didn't have anyone to test it on, he had to use it on himself. The result? It backfired and now his head is bigger than his body. Well, Dr. Minimizer said that he'd help Waldo with his problem if Waldo would be one of the people to test out his Minimizer Ray... Make sense? Well, it does to me. Anyway, Waldo is an all around character. Having that robot suit, I believe that his pushing power is better. In other words, if two people were running each other at the same speed and Waldo was one of them, he would probably be the one to push the other person. Attack 1: Laser Cannon (Shooting Attack) A great attack!! Press L1 and then you'll be able to shoot lasers for a certain amount of time. At levels 1 and 2, the lasers are blue and you shoot one of them directly in front of you. If they hit, the target will be surrounded by what seems to be a bluish shield...anyway, that just means that he/she is slowed down for a while. However, at levels 3 and 4, the attack is more deadly. The lasers are now red and you shoot four of them at a time. However, they don't shoot directly in front of you. Since there's four, they're shot like...hmm...a wave. One going diagonally left, two going sort of up, and one going diagonally right. So, if someone is directly in front of you, the lasers might not hit. Therefore, it's a bit harder to hit this time but if you do, the target is killed. Neat huh? Well, with an attack this good, there has to be a flaw. And guess what? There is! You see, if the lasers don't hit, they bounce off walls or other solid objects. When they bounce, they might hit YOU!!!! That's never a good thing. Seriously, my cousin has hit himself many times with the level 4 lasers and that usually costs him the race... So, as good as it might be, it's a bit hard to hit and a bit easier to get yourself hit... My Rating: 6/10 Attack 2: Laser Mines (Shooting Attack) Press L2 and then you'll be able to drop some mines behind you. Now, until someone hits those mines, they stay there forever...just so you know. Anyway, at levels 1 and 2, the mines are pretty small and easier to dodge. Plus, they have no radius. However, they still kill the enemy if he/she were to hit the mine. However, at levels 3 and 4, the mines change and are a circle. However, it also has...hmm...I'll call it an infrared beam. So, there's the actual mine, which is a small circle but it has a big radius. If anyone were to get inside that infrared beam, he/she dies. Once again, there's always a problem. What's that, you ask? Well, Waldo, himself, can get killed by his own mines. Therefore, you had better be careful where you put it... My Rating: 7/10 Total Rating Of Waldo: 8/10 As good as his attacks seem, they all have the chance to kill Waldo himself so it's a manner of being good where you shoot or where you place your traps. So, I guess you can consider Waldo for more experienced players as non-experienced players might easily get him/herself killed. However, Waldo is great whether he's behind or ahead. If he's ahead, he can simply put mines everywhere to make sure he stays ahead but if he's behind, he can put mines so that when the ahead people get to that part, they die and give Waldo a chance to catch up. So, from that, you might be able to conclude that his mines are what you should be using most of the time. And...well, it is. -------- E. Pyra -------- Age: 24 Years Old Weight: 18 Grams Height: 49 Mm The lab assistant to Dr. Minimizer...after being in an accident, Dr. Minimizer promised to help cure her if she would help him with his experiment. Wait! What accident? What happened?!? Well, now, instead of hair, she has a fire on her head!! Yup, that's that. Well, you can obviously conclude that because she has a head of fire, all her attacks are fire based. Well, you're right. As for racing, I've noticed that she has some pretty good turning. But, that's just me... Attack 1: Fireball Attack (Shooting Attack) Press L1 and get your little circle. Then press L1 again to start firing some fireballs in front of you. Personally, I've never found this move useful...but that's just me. At levels 1 and 2, the fireballs are really small and they have to hit directly before they can do anything to the target. I'll be honest. I've never hit anyone with this attack at levels 1, 2, and 3 so I don't quite know the effect. However, at level 4, the fireballs are HUGE!! Plus, they just need to hit near the enemy and they'll kill him/her. Plus, if it's not close enough to kill, it'll push the enemy a little to the side so this is a good attack to use if you're on a narrow part of the track. However, if you're ever in range to hit someone with this attack, you might also be in range to hit someone with your flamethrower attack so I don't advise ever using this attack... My Rating: 2/10 Attack 2: Flamethrower (Constant Attack) Press L2 and immediately, Pyra will shoot flames in front of her...like a flamethrower!! Well, at levels 1 and 2, the enemy will only be slowed down a little. However, at level 3, the enemy will be surrounded by fire when hit and he/she will be slowed down a lot longer. But, at level 4, the fire turns a bit red and will instantly kill anyone in its path. So, of course, you should be using it at level 4. Well, this attack should be your main attack if you're using Pyra. First of all, the range of this attack and the range of her first attack are more or less the same but this has the better chance of hitting. Therefore, I advise you always use this attack. My Rating: 9/10 Total Rating Of Pyra: 6/10 If you're ahead, her moves are useless. However, if you're close behind, you can activate your flamethrower and burn everyone to their death!! Well...only if it's at level 4. Anyway, Pyra isn't the best when it comes to anything but offense. So...yeah... ---------- F. Vortex ---------- Age: 19 Years Old Weight: 16 Grams Height: 47 Mm Vortex, who has a white half and a black...or is it blue (?) half (and I'm not talking about race!! I mean color!!), is one of Dr. Minimizer's students. Since she was so interested in black holes, Dr. Minimizer would let her explore it a bit more if she would help him with his experiment. Vortex is probably only the most all around character. She has a defensive move and she has an offensive move. For her, I've never really noticed anything special about how she races. Attack 1: White Hole (Shooting Attack) Unlike most attacks, this is probably one of the only defensive ones. Press L1 and Vortex will immediately be surrounded by a white shield. Now, you can press L1 to enlarge it time to time. When it's enlarged, it will protect her from most attacks. Plus, if your opponent is close to falling down, you can enlarge the shield to push him/her and knock him/her down!!! So, this is both an offensive and defensive move. However, don't expect it to kill anyone. It's more for making sure you're not killed! My Rating: 10/10 Attack 2: Black Hole (Shooting Attack) Press L2 and now you'll get to drop some black holes on the ground as traps! If someone were to get near them, they get sucked in and die!!! It's a fantastic move. The higher the level, the bigger the holes, basically. They all kill, no matter what level. Now, I need someone to confirm this because I'm not too sure, but I think that Vortex cannot be sucked in her own black holes. Once again, I need someone to confirm it, though. Anyway, the bad thing about these traps is they don't last forever. They usually only last for a lap. If no one gets sucked into it, then the holes disappear...So, you'd better hope that someone gets sucked in!! Like I've already said, you don't have to go directly in to them, you just have to get near and you'll be sucked in. So, it's not so easy to dodge...Well, good attack anyway. My Rating: 9/10 Total Rating Of Vortex: 10/10 Definitely one of the best characters to use if you're looking for offense and defense. Vortex can protect herself from harm and, at the same time, harm others. So, what's not to like?? Heck, if I didn't have another favorite character, I would be choosing her most of the time (but I don't). ----------- G. Twister ----------- Age: 23 Years Old Weight: 26 Grams Height: 47 Mm Twister...hehe...he is an insane person. That's all there is. Twister is a good character to use but only if his attacks is at levels 3 or 4. Otherwise, Twister is useless. Nothing else to say... Attack 1: Spinner (Shooting Attack) Press L1, get your circle, then press L1 again and Twister will shoot his yo-yo forward. Now, this attack has very little range so you'll need to be a bit close for it to become effective. At levels 1 and 2, the attack will hit and the target will kinda jump. It's not very useful at that time. However, get to level 4 and the yo-yo will gain spikes!! Now, if you hit the target, the yo-yo will cut off their head!!! Very useful then. My Rating: 6/10 Attack 2: Tornado (Constant Attack) Press L2 and Twister will be inside a...twister! Actually, it's a tornado but I just wanted to say that. Anyway, get near an enemy and they'll get sucked into it and just be slowed down a little. I'm not sure but even at level 4, I think that this attack still doesn't kill. So...go figure. Also, once it's used, it kinda gets a bit confusing because you can't see Twister that well so you might be veered off the track a little bit...Anyway, I don't advise you use this move anyway, whether or not it's at level 4...but, that's just my opinion. My Rating: 2/10 Total Rating Of Twister: 4/10 Personally, I just don't like Twister. His attacks, like I've already said, are only useful at level 4. Even then, only his yo-yo attack is useful. I definitely don't advise using Twister...but, if you must, then always use your yo-yo, not the tornado!!! ----------- H. Beatbox ----------- Age: Unknown Weight: 8 Grams Height: 52 Mm Now Beatbox, he is another all around character with a front attack and a back attack. His origin isn't quite known. I mean, after all, Dr. Minimizer didn't create him. He found him, I think. Anyway, being only about 8 grams, Beatbox is pretty pathetic when trying to push people. So, don't use him in levels like Banzai Bridge because you might not win!!! Attack 1: Sonic Boom (Constant Attack) Press L1 and Beatbox will start firing a wave of "sound" in front of him. Well, this attack is only useful for slowing down an opponent. At levels 1 and 2, it's blue and will slow the enemy down a little bit. At level 4, it's red and will dramatically slow the enemy down. So, basically, it'll never kill. It's more useful for, once again, slowing the enemy down!! My Rating: 8/10 Attack 2: Shatter Notes (Shooting Attack) Press L2, get your circle, then press L2 again to drop a small circle of notes. These notes are traps! At levels 1 and 2, they're blue and don't kill but they slow down the enemy pretty well. At levels 3 and 4, they're red and they actually do kill. This has to be one of the best traps, especially when it's at level 4. Why? Because at level 4, you can put 6 of these!!! They don't go away until they're hit and you have a lot of them to use!!! That's fantastic! However, unfortunately, you can get hit by them yourself so watch out. Either way, though, a fantastic attack! My Rating: 10/10 Total Rating Of Beatbox: 9/10 Like Vortex, I can't recommend any attacks to use because they're both very useful. However, it's the fact that Beatbox stinks at pushing and can get himself killed by his own traps that lowers his score to a 9. Either way, though, I still recommend using him, beginner or not. ---------- I. Dynamo ---------- Age: 18 Years Old Weight: 18 Grams Height: 42 Mm The first secret character you unlock is Dynamo, an alien from the planet Ohm. Dynamo has sort of that robot suit Waldo wears and has light bulb for a head. He was the one that helped Dr. Minimizer with the minimizing ray. Anyway, I definitely think that Dynamo is not for beginners. Since I don't use him much, I can't really notice anything special about him... Attack 1: Arc Bolt (Targeted Attack) Press L1, get your circle, find a target, wait for arrows to appear, press L1 again, shock your opponent. Have you ever been shocked in a level? Hmm...which level shocks you? I know!! With Snail And Pie!! At that level, there is an outlet that shocks you when you get close. However, that kills you. Dynamo's attack doesn't...well, that is, only when it's at level 4. Well, this attack is similar to that outlet shock. When you shock your opponent, they will get slowed down a little. At level 4, though, it will kill the opponent. Nothing really special about this attack, in my opinion. However, this is probably the move to use if you're going to use Dynamo. My Rating: 7/10 Attack 2: Plasma Storm (Constant Attack) I have no clue why they call this a plasma storm...it should be static storm. Anyway, press L2 and a shield of static electricity will surround Dynamo. I can't confirm it (so if you can, please do it!), but I've heard that the shield is sort of like Vortex's shield in that it protects Dynamo from attacks. I don't really know. I haven't used Dynamo enough times to know. Anyway, the only thing that I know that this shield does is that when you get close to an opponent, they will get stuck on your shield. Until your shield disappears, they're stuck there. The higher the level, the bigger the shield. However, it will never kill. So, what's the point, you ask? Well, to kill anyone with this shield, it will require quite some strategy. For example, I remember having someone stuck on the right side of the shield. There was a sort of wall on the right and I got close enough so that the opponent would hit the wall. Well, he did get hit by the wall and was out of my shield. Unfortunately for him, everyone else was ahead so he lost two points for being behind (it was VS mode). So, that's strategy. You might also be able to get the people stuck on your shield to hit a saw or knife that might be on your side. For fun, I like to get everyone stuck on the shield and then jump off the course, bringing everyone with me. It's very funny when one can do it but it's kinda useless since everyone, including the shield's user, is dead. Hahaha...still funny, though. My Rating: 5/10 Total Rating Of Dynamo: 6/10 Not really one of the few people I would recommend to use unless you just wanna have fun. His first attack won't kill until level 4 and his second attack won't kill at any level unless you know how to use it right. So, I guess you could say Dynamo is more for advanced players. --------- J. Roach --------- Age: 14 Years Old Weight: 22 Grams Height: 40 Mm Roach is Dr. Minimizer's nephew but when Dr. Minimizer found Roach torturing spiders, Dr. Minimizer decided to teach Roach a lesson by fusing him with a spider!! Now he half human, half spider!! Well, anyway, Roach are for those players that are always ahead as his only moves are traps. In fact, Roach is my favorite character! I've noticed that Roach has some pretty good pushing power but kinda slower in speed. However, that doesn't matter much. Attack 1: Parasite Missiles (Shooting Attack) Like all other shooting attacks, press L1, get your circle, press L1 again to lay down your traps. Well, this attack will drop some small little ticks on the ground. At levels 1 and 2, they're yellow and they only slow the enemy down a little but at levels 3 and 4, they're red and they will actually kill the enemy. This attack is pretty good as you just need to go by the ticks and they'll track you down. Once they're stuck on you, well, if they're red, they'll start beeping and after a while, they will explode, taking the person down with them. The good thing about this attack is that you can put a lot of them at level 4...6 of them, I think. However, it's also bad because all the ticks track down whoever gets near them. So, you can have about 3 ticks chasing down one person. That's 2 wasted! However, usually, not all the ticks will chase down one person. Anyway, another bad thing is that they can be avoided by jumping, so, if your enemy knows that, don't use this attack. Yet another bad thing is that they will track down Roach himself if he gets near!! So, more bad points than good points, so of course, try not to use this attack too much. My Rating: 5/10 Attack 2: Web Mine (Shooting Attack) Now this is a great attack! In fact, I think this is the best attack that will slow an opponent down!!! Press L2 and then you'll get to place webs on the ground. The higher the level of the attack, the bigger the webs and the more you can place. However, don't expect to put 6...it's more like 3- 4. Well, still, it's a very good attack. When someone gets caught in it, they're stuck!!! Now they must press buttons as fast as they can to get out and catch up!!!! The best thing is that the webs tend to get the person in them stuck for quite a time so you can get quite some distance before they can recover. The bad thing? You can get stuck yourself...so, try not to get stuck and you'll be ok. This attack is best at level 4, of course, because the webs are bigger and the opponent will have a better chance of getting stuck. Overall, I think you should be using this attack most of the time if you're using Roach instead of the Parasite Missiles. Although it won't kill, it will get you enough distance to win anyway. My Rating: 9/10 Total Rating Of Roach: 8/10 Roach is definitely not for beginners. Instead, he's more for advanced players as all his attacks are useful only if he's ahead. So, don't pick him if you're used to being behind!!! Either way, though, he's my favorite character ^_^! Enough said. --------- K. Toxin --------- Age: 28 Years Old Weight: 26 Grams Height: 52 Mm Toxin is a mercenary that was trying to steal Dr. Minimizer's plans for the ray. Now, Dr. Minimizer said he would let Toxin tell anyone about the ray's plans but only after he's been in the experiment... Toxin, well, he's good, but I don't quite recommend him. I've never been him enough times to know his racing traits...so...yeah...I do know that Toxin is all about slowing his opponent down. He's not the one to go killing people. He's the one making them so slow that he can speed by without hassle. Attack 1: Virus Splat (Shooting Attack) Press L1, get your circle, FIRE!!! This attack is sort of like Pyra's Fireball Attack. Pyra fires fireballs in front of her; Toxin fires what seem to be globs of slime! This slime, when they hit the ground, will sort of expand a little but will disappear immediately so that expansion is only for when someone is near, they'll still be affected by the attack. Anyway, I still have no clue what this does but I think it makes the opponent sick and then he/she will start sneezing for a while. That will make him/her slow down for quite a while and it will be hard to control for whoever is controlling him/her. Hmm...well, I don't recommend this attack much but if you're behind, why not use it? My Rating: 6/10 Attack 2: Super Sneeze (Constant Attack) Press L2 and immediately, a trail of well...I think it's sneeze...but whatever it is, it'll follow Toxin. This attack is sort of like V4's Energy Trail. No matter what level it is, though, it will always do the same thing. If an opponent should touch this trail of sneeze, he/she will start sneezing for a certain period of time. Think of it like a behind version, constant Virus Splat. When an opponent is sneezing, they will be slowed down and will be harder to control so it's pretty useful. The higher the level of this attack, the longer the trail will follow and the longer the opponent will start sneezing. This is definitely the move you should be using when you're Toxin. My Rating: 8/10 Total Rating Of Toxin: 7/10 Not exactly my favorite character but still pretty good, nonetheless. Like I've said before, Toxin is all about slowing an opponent down, not killing them. If that's your style, then by all means, choose him. I'm not going to stop you! So...yeah. What else is there to say? ------------- L. Project X ------------- Age: 0 Years Old Weight: 32 Grams Height: 65 Mm The final creation of Dr. Minimizer. Project X is the combination of all the good attributes of everyone after all their racing (or enduring, in their case). You might think that because he's a combination of everyone's good points, he's the best character, right? Well, not in my opinion. Being the 2nd heaviest character, he's good when it comes to pushing. Yeah...umm...well, I don't know whether he's for beginners or the experienced. But, if I had to choose, I'd say he's for the people who aren't beginners but they're not advanced. So, he's in the middle. Attack 1: Helix Ray (Shooting Attack) Personally, I don't exactly consider this a shooting, constant, or target attack but shooting seems to fit it the most. Press L1 and a small target will appear in front of you. This is your target and you only have a few seconds to get the target to hit someone before your laser is fired!! If not, it's a waste! So, get someone in the target and your laser will hit them. Not until it's level 4 will it kill. Nothing special. This is a good attack and probably the attack I recommend if you're choosing Project X. Just make sure you can target correctly! My Rating: 8/10 Attack 2: Atomic Blast (??? Attack) I don't care if someone says it's shooting or targeted or constant but I think it's none of them. Press L2 and everything will start rumbling. Project X will gather energy and then BOOM!!!!!! An explosion will occur around Project X. Anyone near him will get hit but they won't die unless the attack is at level 4. However, it does have some use in the earlier levels. If your opponent is near a falling point, use the move and it'll blast them down the point and outta the race! But a bad thing is that this attack takes some time to use, as Project X needs to gather energy a little while. Also, even at level 4, the enemy has to be pretty close before they'll die. If they're just a little close, that might not be enough to kill them. So, make sure you have someone close by when using this attack. My Rating: 7/10 Total Rating Of Project X: 5/10 Not really my recommendation. His attacks aren't very good and they can be a real waste of power ups if you use them at the wrong time. So, I don't advise you pick Project X. However, if you must pick him, I recommend the Helix Ray instead of the Atomic Blast. ------------------------ V. Concluding Statement ------------------------ Well, that's it!!! That's all the characters! Hopefully, you now have a sense of what to use, when to use it, and things like that. Any suggestions, comments, confirmations, or corrections would be gladly accepted and appreciated. Send them to me through email at: ggagaghc@hotmail.com !!! However, please refrain from flames. I don't want those. Well, C ya! ------------ VI. Credits ------------ CodeMasters - For creating such a cool game!! Gamefaqs - For placing my guide and helping me with so many games!! My Mom - For buying me this game!! My Brother And Two Cousins - For playing this game numerous times with me so I can observe the characters and their traits. Plus, for making me beat the game with every character so that we could play on the secret levels and have an equal chance of winning. PSM - For making me want to get this game! Me, Myself, And I - For writing this!! ---------------- VII. Disclaimer ---------------- This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. Copyright 2003 Vincent Lee