I bet you didn't know that this is possibly the fastest game on the N64...
After seeing a submission for the PSX version of Micro Machines V3 on the workbench by mz, I decided to give it a go on the N64. This is an old favorite of mine which has some fun features like an 8-player "pad share" mode. It also stays true to the "Turbo" moniker as, unlike the original version of V3, the N64 remake includes a "Turbo Level" selection.
The middle choice "Turbo Level 3" is equivalent to the original V3:
Here is "Baguette Balance in 20.74 (note, I could get 19.88 without that last corner skip trick, but I wanted to show how you can trick the game... if I had cut straight across there the game would have blown me up and put me back where I started).
The "Turbo Level 5" is noticeably faster:
Here is a 17.53 second completion
Now for the really interesting part, there is a push-button code for"double speed." Which the game allows for completions in most modes. The code also doubles the computer players' speed and, thus, it is a harder setting:
With this setting, I got the time down to 8.99 seconds... this speed is so fast that it's a bit shocking, IMHO.
Given that the race completions count in "double speed" mode and that it actually makes the game harder, I think that Turbo Level 5, double speed, is probably the best setting to TAS the game at.
Now, there are several choices on
what to TAS in this game, but I think the most entertaining may be single lap completions of every race. The problem there is that the only way to choose 1-lap races (to my knowledge) is through the Time Trials, and not all of the races are available in that mode until you beat the other modes. I will do some investigating. But, just to whet your appetite, the tank in the above TAS is one of the slower vehicles (I believe it is rated ~60 on speed). There are unlockable cars (which you get while opening up all courses) that are much faster (the highest is 110 on speed). I recall unlocking the 100+ vehicles and being frustrated because they were SO fast that I couldn't properly complete a race... I had completely forgotten about that until now, I think this has a LOT of potential :) Can you imagine going nearly twice as fast as the 8.99 lap above? Yeah, this is what TAS is made for.
In the mean time, does anyone know what the best video plugin / settings are for this game? So far Glide64 is the only one that I have found that actually renders the tire tracks, but it doesn't do a very good job at it (they are VERY blocky).
*EDIT* Current Plan:
Note: Before every race I would enter the push-button code for "Double Speed" however, the "Turbo Level" is only available in modes that require 3-lap completions or feature head-to-head type competitions (which, though interesting to TAS, contain way too much "celebration animation" to be entertaining for 43 courses).
Well, after significant investigation and some help from Pierre L'Hoest (of Mario Kart fame) I have developed a plan for a single lap completion of every course! It wasn't easy, because the menu and unlock system is hair-brained, but here it is:
1. Begin game and go to 1 Player mode
2. Choose "Spider" and enter name as "GIVETRAX" (thanks Nahok!) to unlock every course so that I do not have to play 3-lap completions to unlock them.
3. Accept "Spider" as my name and continue
4. Enter "Time Trial Single Race" and "1 Lap" to race
5. Race "SPLASH 'N DASH" (a level that requires two vehicles and which is not available in the mode that allows me to use unlocked vehicles, so I might as well beat it here) and manipulate the finish so that I get the best car I can get (the car I will be using for most every race in another mode).
6. Race "POND LIFE" (a water level which does not allow fast cars and I think it would be better to level up the car I will be using for 30+ levels than a boat that I would use on 2) and manipulate the same car to move it up to Level 2
7. Race "CRASH AND FERN" (also a water level) and manipulate the same car again -> Level 3
8. If I want to level the car up further, I would do FORMULA X,BRAKE-FAST BENDS and POT LUCK (in that order) as these courses all use the very fast "F1" (@Level 1; Top Speed: 109, Accel: 102, Grip: 91, Handling: 62) so I wouldn't gain much from using a faster car to beat them.
9. Exit out of 1 Player mode and go to "Stats" and then choose "Test Drive"
10. Choose "Spider" and then choose the vehicle I have been leveling up (hopefully either the F1 or the Ultra [@Level 1; Top Speed: 110, Accel: 100, Grip: 95, Handling: 58])
11. Pick "1 Lap" to race
12. Complete every course available that was not already completed in 1 Player Time trials
13. Exit out of Test Drive mode and go to "Party Play" and choose "TT Tournament." This is the only mode that allows you to get times in three of the courses; "Toad Rage," "Fast Food," and "School Rulez." However, there is a catch, you can't just choose the courses, you either have to play through several other courses in a set "tournament" to get to them OR, you can get "lucky" and get the courses to appear in through "Random Track Selection."
14. Choose "Random Track Selection" and manipulate the three remaining courses.
15. After each completion, have the second "player" (same controller) quit the race to move on to the next race.
So, there you have it, the game designers didn't make it easy, but it is possible to do 1-lap completions of every course (all 43) right from the beginning! (thanks to a code, some clever planning and a little luck manipulation :)
