Cop Races Walkthrough - Guide for Midnight Club: Street Racing

"This document Copyright 2001 Nathan Norris"

***********************************************************************

    Midnight Club - Cop Races Walkthrough Version 1.1
    By: Minesweeper (Nathan Norris) Email:  [email protected]

***********************************************************************

Last updated:  7/22/01

Table of Contents

1:  Introduction
2:  Revision History
3:  Cop Race Tips
4:  Walkthrough
5:  Thanks
6:  E-mail Policy
7:  Copyright

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1:  Introduction

I know you have been extremely frustrated with these cop car races and you 
are just about ready to cut the disc in half.  But please!  Put down your 
industrial-strength hedge clippers and put the game back in the disc tray.  
I will guide you through these two nauseatingly difficult races and earn you 
the police cars you so rightly deserve!  I will help you sail the stormy sea 
of police and pass through with only your roof missing, and the radiator 
crunched, and doors blasted off, and, and...uhhh, OK you get the picture ;)  
Well, let's move on, shall we?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

2:  Revision History

Version 1.0 2/24/01 - First Edition

***********************************************************************

Version 1.1 7/22/01 - Added a new e-mail policy and a new copyright which 
will be standard on all guides I make from now on.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

3:  Cop Race Tips

I'll skip over all the basics since you must know them well to get this far.

WHAT ARE THE COP RACES?

Well, duhh, they are races where you are swamped with cops.  You must get to 
the other end of the sea of police within a very tight time limit, one that 
leaves little room for error.  Your reward for successfully completing each 
of the two cities' cop races are the three police cars that you see chasing 
you in that particular city.  All the police cars are very fast and easy to 
handle so it would be to your benefit if you took the time to beat these 
insane races.

WHAT CAR SHOULD I USE?

You could try any car, but most of them simply aren't fast enough for these 
races.  Here I will tell you what stats you should have for your car, and 
what cars are recommend.  You should study the cars in the Garage menu while 
reading this section.

Stats recommended for the car:

Top Speed->the meter for the car should extend at least to half of the 
second "e" in the word "Top Speed."  You will need high top speed to save 
time and outrun the police.

Acceleration->the meter should extend at least to all the way past the "t" 
in the word "Acceleration."  You will need it to get to top speed quickly 
and get speed back fast from crashes.

Handling->the meter should extend at least to half of the "n" in the word 
"Handling."  This category isn't very important.  In fact, too much handling 
can be dangerous as you must make precise movements through traffic, and a 
car full up with handling will swerve all over the road at the slightest 
tap.  Cars with low handling won't do that.

Durability->the meter should extend at least to half of the "r" in the word 
"Durability."  This category also isn't important as you won't be allowed to 
crash much if you want to win.

Nitro->you won't need any for most cars, but it is nice to have some along 
in case of trouble.

The best non-police cars to use for both races IMO:

1.  Amata Fiorenza II->this car is FAST!  And it has very good acceleration 
to keep it going fast.  It may not have any nitro, but it doesn't need any 
:) Once I crashed head-on into a wall in New York, and I STILL beat the cop 
race!

2.  Kuruma Faasuto GS->my favorite car to drive in for fun.  It is very fast 
and has excellent acceleration.  It may not have much handling or 
durability, but I don't need much to win :)

3. Amata Crescendo->this car takes a good-sized hit in top speed when you 
change over from the Fiorenza, but it has 15 (!) nitros to make up.  The 
reason I put it down so low is because nitroing a lot can distract you, 
making it more likely to have a wreck.

4.  Amata Fiorenza->virtually identical to the Faasuto GS, but is a bit 
wider making it harder to slip through traffic.

5.  Kuruma Faasuto GR->has slightly less top speed than the GS, but still 
plenty to win.  Also has a bit more acceleration and handling.

6.  Modicum XSV.25->not a lot of top speed, but makes up for it with stellar 
handling and acceleration.  Its small size helps it squeeze through those 
narrow gaps in traffic.  Also includes 5 nitros to help get more speed.

7.  Ascent 470ds->tonza acceleration and top speed, with more than adequate 
handling and durability.  Has 4 nitros to up the speed even more.  The thing 
that is its downfall is that its large size makes navigating traffic 
difficult.

HOW TO DEAL WITH TRAFFIC

These two levels have more traffic than the L.A. freeway at rush hour.  And 
the time limit doesn't give you enough time to have even one pileup.  I will 
show you how to deal with the various arrangements of cars.  Fortunately, 
these races tend to balance out the amount of cars you will have to deal 
with along the way.  For example, on one run there could be one giant gob of 
cars blocking all the lanes at one point for several car lengths, and for 
the rest of the race there will be a relatively clear road, and then the 
second time around there will be reasonably clogged streets all the way 
through.  Don't expect to deal with more than two or three packs every race.

The the most dreaded situation you can get into is having all lanes blocked, 
and unfortunately it happens quite often.  The best thing to do is to try to 
slip between at the painted lines that the CPU cars don't use.  It is 
difficult to do at first, but will become easier with practice.  Master this 
technique and you will dramatically cut seconds off your time.  You could 
also try driving on the sidewalk, but there is a lot of junk typically piled 
up there, so this might cause you to have a wreck and force you to restart.  
If there are empty lanes, obviously you should go for them and drive at top 
speed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

4:  Walkthrough

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Manhattan - Head to Head - Race 10 - I Smell Bacon...
---------------------------------------------------------------------

You begin outside the tunnel at the rounded edge of the city.  When the 
lights go green, quickly accelerate (If you have nitros then use one when 
you reach 30 mph and another at 60 mph) and get into the tunnel on the 
correct side of the road.  I don't care if the wrong side of the road is 
shorter.  Those police cars going the other way will show no mercy.  No, you 
are NOT Nicholas Cage!

OK, you're in the tunnel now.  It will gently curve to the left.  Be careful 
not to hit the Rail of Pain, as I like to call the concrete divider on the 
highway.  Even tapping it could send you flying all over the place thanks to 
the stupid physics model.  Especially don't hit the steel bars coming out of 
the ceiling in the tunnel here or you'll be in a world of hurt, crashing 
into the ceiling and flipping over and lots of other horrible stuff.  After 
a few moments you will arrive at the end of the tunnel.

Right after you pop out of the tunnel, a Police SUV hiding behind the yellow 
barrels on the far right will join the pursuit.  He should never touch you 
at all during this race, but if you crash through the barrels, you'll smack 
right into his butt and probably have to start all over again, so stay away 
from the barrels.

Now that you are on the highway, you will have to put to use all those 
traffic-navigating skills you learned whilst in Career mode.  Swiftly move 
to empty lanes and cut between lanes if they are all occupied.  Use your 
nitros whenever you get an opportunity.  Try very hard not to hit anyone, 
since you can't afford to rear-end too many cops or you will run out of 
time.  And especially try very, very hard not to hit the Rail of Pain, or 
who knows where your car will go.

After a few gentle curves and passing under some bridges, we will arrive at 
the S-curve of Death.  You will very likely crash here many times until you 
get the hang of how to handle it.  Pull to the outside and hit the brake, 
then skid to the left into the curve.  Be sure to perform this manuver 
carefully or you will hit the outside guardrail and plow through some 
streetlights and garbage bags, slowing you down and sending you off-course 
into other traffic.

Speaking of traffic, this is unfortunately a favorite place for the traffic 
to back up towards the end of the second curve.  If this happens, mow down 
everything on the sidewalk to the right and hope you live!

Now, your offramp is right after this curve on the right.  It can be 
sometimes hard to see, meaning rookies to this race may blow right past it 
and be forced to restart.  Stay on the right after the final part of the 
S-curve of Death  and you should see the turnoff.  If there is a car in the 
way, blow right into him for being so foolish to stand in your way!  BTW, 
after you get on the offramp, glance to the timer to see how much time you 
have left.

- If you have 30 seconds or over left, then you are on your way to winning 
the race!
- If you have 29-25 seconds left, you're doing pretty good and have a decent 
chance of winning.
- If you have 24-20 seconds left, time is short and you must move as fast as 
you can to have a prayer of winning.
- If you have under 20 seconds, give up now and restart the race, and this 
time don't waste so much time!

OK, now zip down the grass and hit your handbrake while making a hard left 
under the overpass.  Speed through the tunnel into the city and past two 
intersections.  After the second intersection, look for a glass window on 
the right.  Crash through it and then through a second window on the other 
corner of the building.  You are now on a narrow two-lane road.  Pour on the 
speed while trying not to hit traffic or sidewalk objects and go down the 
road until you come to a place where the street T's.  Hit the hand brake and 
careen left, then right into a broad street with a concrete divider.  The 
finish is just ahead!  Gun it and, who knows, you might just make it!

ALTERNATE WAY TO FINISH

If you do not like the first route, then try this one.  This route can be 
easier or harder than the first one, depending on where all the big gobs of 
traffic are.  Your car must be very fast if you want to try it; you'll most 
likely need something like the Amata Fiorenza II or the Kuruma Faasuto GS.

OK, when the light goes green, instead of going down the tunnel, make a 
sharp left and turn onto a one-lane street on the right just past the brick 
building.  Now zoom away from the street and head for the first checkpoint 
across pavement and grass.  After tagging it, make a sharp left and follow 
the arrow at the top of the screen to an intersection.

Turn onto the offramp on the right immediately past it.  Now you are going 
against traffic!  Look for an empty lane and use it.  If there isn't one, 
just zip between on the painted lines and pray that the other cars don't 
swerve in your path!  After a while, a grassy field on the left will appear. 
  Shortcut across it to avoid traffic problems.  After the grass field, you 
will be going head to head with traffic for awhile.  You'll go down a short 
straightaway, and then the S-curve of Death.  After the s-curve, use the 
turnoff to the left and go down it to a intersection.  Now I will rate your 
performance:

- If you have 30 seconds or over left, then you are on your way to winning 
the race!
- If you have 29-25 seconds left, you're doing pretty good and have a decent 
chance of winning.
- If you have 24-20 seconds left, time is short and you must move as fast as 
you can to have a prayer of winning.
- If you have under 20 seconds, give up now and restart the race, and this 
time don't waste so much time!

At this intersection, try very hard no to overshoot the curve and fly off 
into the grass, or you will have to waste a few seconds going around the 
concrete wall to get back on track, and in this race, you don't ever have a 
few seconds to waste.

Now, after a second intersection, look for a glass window on the right.  
Crash through it and then through a second window on the other corner of the 
building.  You are now on a narrow two-lane road.  Pour on the speed while 
trying not to hit traffic or sidewalk objects and go down the road until you 
come to a place where the street T's.  Hit the hand brake and careen left, 
then right into a broad street with a concrete divider.  The finish is just 
ahead!  Gun it and, who knows, you might just make it!

---------------------------------------------------------------------
London - Head to Head - Race 10 - Yard-o-Rama
---------------------------------------------------------------------

This is most likely the hardest race in the game, probably even harder than 
the New York Championship or the World Champ race.  If you thought the crud 
you took in crowded New York was bad, wait till you get a load of the 
crowded AND narrow streets of London!  You will be under almost constant 
fire from the police in this level.

When the light goes green, zip between the two police cars and watch out for 
the van that may approach from the left to slam you.  Drive until you pass a 
small park to the right and the street after it.  At the next intersection, 
quickly swerve into the street to the right and then quickly swerve out 
again to activate the checkpoint.  Performing this manuver will take 
practice with the handbrake.

Now keep on this street until the street T-s next to a courthouse or 
whatever it is.  Careen left and go down this road.  At the next 
intersection, turn right and cross the bridge.  Blast across the traffic 
circle ahead and stay on this road until you see a small building with a 
pipe sticking out alone on a block to your left.  Burn across the grass on 
the left here and then go right onto a small one-lane street.  When the 
street ends, go into an alley across from it, and then crash through the 
boards blocking a hidden tunnel across from the alley.  Time to rate your 
time:

- If you have 50 seconds or over left, then you are on your way to winning 
the race!
- If you have 49-44 seconds left, you're doing pretty good and have a decent 
chance of winning.
- If you have 43-36 seconds left, time is short and you must move as fast as 
you can to have a prayer of winning.
- If you have under 35 seconds, give up now and restart the race, and this 
time don't waste so much time!


Follow this tunnel, and before you get to the end slow to about 70 mph.  You 
should make a nice smooth jump out onto the street beyond rather than 
flipping over and over if you had just went full blast out the tunnet.  Now 
accelerate hard and crash through the glass.  You now have a choice of 
paths.  You can either crash through the glass a at the other end of this 
hall, or you can use the ramp on the right of the hall near the end of the 
tunnel.  The ramp is faster, but quite risky, while the glass is safer, but 
you have a greater chance of running out of time.  I will describe each 
route separately.

The ramp:  Hit the ramp at over 93 mph to make the jump across the water and 
land on the street across the way.  Burn down the street and go into the 
tunnel marked by the checkpoint.

The glass:  Crash through the glass and swerve right to cross a little 
bridge.  Drive down the street until it ends and turn right, then left into 
the tunnel marked by the checkpoint.

Routes join together here:  I'll rate your performance:

- If you have 25 seconds or over left, then you are on your way to winning 
the race!
- If you have 24-20 seconds left, you're doing pretty good and have a decent 
chance of winning.
- If you have 19-11 seconds left, time is short and you must move as fast as 
you can to have a prayer of winning.
- If you have under 10 seconds, give up now and restart the race, and this 
time don't waste so much time!

Blast through the tunnel as fast as you can to get to the finish at the end 
of it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

5:  Thanks

- Thanks to myself because if it wasn't for me, this FAQ wouldn't exist!
- Thanks to my dad for giving me jobs to do to pay for my Playstation 2  and 
this game!
- Thanks to Rockstar Games!  Nice to know that Japan and England aren't the 
only countries that can make terrific games.
- BIG, Big thanks to GameFaqs, THE best video game site on the net!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

6:  E-mail Policy

I have recieved a lot of stupid e-mail in the past, but now it is starting 
to get ridiculous so I am going to start enforcing what kinds of messages 
will and will not get answered.

Please DO:

- read the whole document before sending a question.  If you have time to 
waste your life away on video games, then you have enough time to scan my 
document for a few minutes for an answer to a problem.

- put the name of the game in the message topic.  It makes it A LOT easier 
for me to pick out which messages are on games and which are not.  Also if 
the name is not there, I might accidentally delete it, thinking it is junk 
mail.

- spell correctly.  I won't be able to help much with your problem if you 
send me something like "Hy mn cn u hlp me wth ths 1 prblm, I cnt bt ths 1 
lvl ok thnks gby."

- send a message in English.  I can barely read Spanish, let alone translate 
Japanese.  You wouldn't believe how many messages I have recieved in some 
foreign languages that I don't even know which continent they are from.

- be polite.  Any mail with excessive flaming will be instantly deleted.

Please DO NOT:

- write the title of the message as "About your walkthrough" or something 
similar to that.

- flame.  I hate flaming.  Especially messages with the f-word or the 
s-word.  These will be instantly deleted.

- send advertisements.  These will be considered junk mail and will be 
deleted instantly.

- ask me something that is already answered in the walkthrough or the 
manual.  C'mon, would you rather spend a few minutes skimming my guide, or 
would you rather spend a few hours, days, or even weeks waiting for me to 
get back to you?

- forget to include the name of the game in the message or on the title.  I 
am not a psychic.  I cannot tell what game you are after if you do not 
include the name in it.

- send me a message in any language other than English.  The only other 
language I can barely understand at all is Spanish, and even then, I can 
hardly form simple sentences.  So don't send the message in any language 
besides English or I simply won't be able to help you.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

7:  Copyright

This guide is the sole property of Nathan Norris, author of this guide.  
Don't rip off this guide in part or whole, or I will be forced to act 
against you.  Don't rip off this guide then alter it to death and claim it 
as your own.  This guide may not be used for ANY profitable reasons 
whatsoever, even if no money is made.

I'm tired of all these websites requesting my guides for their sites, so 
from now on, these are the only sites which may use my guides:

www.gamefaqs.com
www.neoseeker.com
www.gameadvice.com

This makes it very simple for me to keep track of what state each version is 
in each site.  If you find this guide on some other site, and it is 
incomplete, go to www.gamefaqs.com. before requesting help from me.  Since 
gamefaqs.com is the first place I send every piece of my work, they are sure 
to have the most up-to-date version of my guides.

I bid you farewell.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------