Video Game Walkthrough This is a walkthrough for Jaleco's 1994 SNES game "Speed Racer: My Most Dangerous Adventures". Apparently, this was one of the rarer SNES games put out. I had too much free time on my hands, so I wrote this up. The start screen is pictured above. Push start. You'll be taken to a main menu with four other options: "Start Game", "Test Track", "Password", and "Options". The "Test Track" option brings you to a racetrack that you can drive around on all you want to until you feel you have a handle on the buttons and stuff. Select "Start Game" to start a new game. The Buttons This game has two halves: a side-scroller, adventure/platform type half in which you're out of your car moving around, and a third-person perspective racing half in which you're, well, racing (duh). You'll have to master the buttons for both parts in order to be able to beat the game. I've compiled lists of the buttons used in both parts and what they do: Side-Scroller Level Buttons Start -- Pause A Button -- Kick B Button -- Jump X Button -- Punch Y Button -- Does nothing Up -- Looks up Down -- Crouch/Duck (Good defensive move, and it scrolls the screen down slightly so you can see what's below you) Left/Right -- Walk left or right. There are also important button combos for you to know (and they're not like those button combos in Mortal Kombat that never seem to work--at least not for me, anyway): Left/Right + Y -- Run Left/Right + Y + B -- Long Jump (VERY important, as this is the only way you'll get across many gaps and up onto many platforms) Down + A -- Low Kick Left/Right + B -- jump off of a ladder (push the direction you wish to go in FIRST, then hit jump--doesn't work if both are pushed at the same time) To grab things (like ladders, ropes, etc.), just stand under them and jump. You may have to run and jump to get to some of them, but most of them can be reached with a standard jump. -- These are health. VERY important! Try to collect them whenever you can. Racing Buttons Start -- Pause A Button -- Accelerate B Button -- Use your current gadget (see console) X Button -- Brakes Y Button -- Auto Jacks Up -- not used Down -- Changes current gadget Left/Right -- Guides car -- Drive over these and they will increase your turbo boosts. You start off with 5 boosts, but you can hold up to nine. -- Drive over these to remove damage to your car (see damage meter). You will usually find these on tracks with no pit stop (like when you're going across the desert). The Console This sits in the bottom sixth or so of your screen whenever you're in racing mode. It's basically the dashboard panel of your car, and it has all the little gages and stuff on it that tell you what your car's up to. I've made a list here pointing them out: Tachometer (I guess) Speedometer (can be in MPH or KPH--see options menu) Gadget Indicator (for lack of a better term) -- Tells you what gadget you currently have ready. Choose from turbo boosters, sawblades, or grip tires by pushing the "down" button. Damage Meter -- registers damage Odometer -- Why it's over here, I don't know. Measures mileage. Now that you know what everything does, it's time to play the game.^_^ Game Walkthrough In this game, the levels and the races come in pairs. For every race, there is a corresponding level. You must beat the races in order to access the levels. The game starts off with a race. It's in New York, and it's three laps. In this race, you have to compete against the Gang of Assassins. If they bang you up too bad, there's always a pit stop. Keep an eye on your position indicator in the upper left corner of your screen. This is important because you must come in third or higher to advance to the corresponding action level. At the end of the race, you'll be given a password. Write it down, because it's an access code for the action level so you don't have to race again. You'll receive a password at the end of every race you beat, since this game does not have a "save" function. (Note: Each rank (1st, 2nd, 3rd) will get you a different password, but all three passwords will go to the same level.) The action level for this race takes place on a boat crossing the Atlantic in the middle of the night for Cairo. You're on the boat with the Car Acrobatic Team, and overhear them plotting to mess up your car. You start off on the bow of the ship, and you have to make it to the cargo hold at the back of the ship to get to your car while beating up lots of baddies along the way. Watch out for pipes that shoot steam, and rats (they take off more damage than you think they will!^_^) Also keep an eye out for health. Despite the scenario, this level isn't timed. After you get to the cargo hold and find out your car is fine, then it's on to the next race. This one's through the Sahara desert, it's 13 miles long, and it's against Snake Oiler. He doesn't really do much of anything, though. I'd recommend using the grip tires for this race (see gadget indicator). Watch your position, and watch your odometer to see how far you have left to go before the end. Also watch your damage meter and make sure to collect the wrench icons, since there are no pit stops in this race. Beat the race, collect your password, and go on to the next action level. This action level takes place on the streets of Cairo. Your little brother has been kidnapped by (guess who?) the Car Acrobats, and they have taken him and held him captive somewhere underground, in the sewers. You have to scale the terraces and rooftops to get over to the manhole that you have to drop down into, to get to your brother. You MUST know the Long Jump in order to beat this level, as it is the only way to get over the gaps. Keep an eye on your health bar in the upper left corner of your screen (I forgot to mention it before). This level isn't timed, either. After you rescue your little brother, you have to compete in a race on a track that's surrounded by water. The course is 18 miles (watch the odometer!), and you're racing against the Melange. Unfortunately, the guy that pilots the car never makes an appearance (awww...he was my favorite villain!). Anyway, this track is really tough to beat. I had to play it 5 or 6 times before I came in third, but I came up with an interesting technique that might help: Set your gadget indicator to the sawblades, and as soon as the race starts, push B to get them out and buzz the other cars. This will get you into a relatively good position. Hold your positon by keeping the blades out throughout the race to buzz anybody that tries to pass you. I suppose it's a dirty trick, but it helped me beat the race.^_^ After you beat this race, collect your password and advance to the next level. This level takes you from water to fire, as you have to make your way through Kapetapeck's Fire Temple. The level opens with a challenge from Chief Zuma, stating that only those brave enough to make it through the Fire Temple are worthy to race. (Bravery?? What about getting burnt to a crisp??) Be cautious around the guys with spears, since they can throw them. Try to beat them up before they do. Watch for fire jets, and watch your health meter! This level has a lot of very tricky platform jumping. Most of the platforms are on the bottom level of the temple, sitting over pools of hot lava. The first thing you have to do is get to the bottom level. Then jump from platform to platform to work your way over, all the way to the right. Grab the ladder and work your way up another series of platforms (watch the fire jets). Go left, up a ladder, right, up another ladder, over the lava pool (grab the hooks in the ceiling), beat up the guys, and climb the final ladder out of that barbacue. Anyway, once you beat this level you are deemed worthy to race. The race following the Temple level is VERY difficult. It's against Kabala and it goes through the heart of the active Kapetapeckan volcano (you know, just like in "The Fire Race"). Now, if you thought the track surrounded by water was hard to drive, wait until you try to race this track surrounded by lava. Drive in it and you will take LOTS of damage. There are many gaps you have to jump, if you don't want to get burnt to a crisp. Some turns do come up suddenly, and some of the other cars can jostle you off the road (just get those sawblades out!^_^). The race is 10 miles. If you can manage to beat this, then collect your password and get moving!^_^ After you beat that race, you board the Trans-Siberian Express train. As usual, a bunch of guys are up to no good and want to jack your car. This time, though, the guys in question are the Gang of Assassins. You start off on top of the engine and must work your way back to one of the flatbed cars at the end that contains your automobile. Be careful jumping from car to car, as one wrong step means you're history (you're falling off a moving train here, folks). Also note that the level scrolls in the opposite direction: instead of starting from the left and working your way right, you start from the right and work your way left. Anyway, beat that level and go on to the next race. This next race takes place in Tokyo, Japan. It's either 3 or 4 laps, which means that there will be a pit stop for you to go to if you take damage. You're racing the Gang of Assassins again, and you can use the sawblade trick to get yourself ahead if you want, so you can blow this popsicle stand and get to the next level. Don't forget to collect your password. For the next level, you'll be scaling Mount Doom in a blizzard (geez). Captain Terror has swung by your girlfriend's house and taken her hostage, tying her to a stake and holding her atop Mount Doom. You are enlightened ever so delightfully to this fact by way of a ransom note that tells you to drop out of the next race if you ever want to see your girlfriend again. You decide to scale the mountain. You have to start at the bottom right corner and work your way up. There are lots of tiny ledges that you'll have to be careful not to fall off of, and you'll have to perfect your technique for jumping off a ladder, as you will be jumping from one ladder to another often in this level. It takes a while to scale the mountain, and I had to play the level multiple times before I beat it. It's tough. Also, the other thing is that although Captain Terror is the one who kidnapped your girlfriend, you don't fight Car Acrobatic Team members on your way up the mountain. You have to fight these guys in red jumpsuits that sort of look like the Mammoth Car technicians. What's up with that? Anyway, when you finally reach the top of the mountain, you'll find your girlfriend tied to a stake. Man, will she be happy to see you. (What? She's still alive? After sitting atop a mountain in a blizzard for hours, wearing nothing but pedal pushers and a tank top?!) You'll rescue her and go on to the next race. The next race is through the Alps. You're racing against the Car Acrobatic Team, and this is one of those races that has no pit stops. It's 13 miles long and contains lots of hills, which make it hard to see things coming up (like turns). Watch for wrench icons. The ground looks icy, so use your grip tires. This race is tough, and I haven't beaten it yet. Even with the sawblade trick, I still can't get into a good enough position. However, I've heard there's a shortcut that will help you win the race but I don't know where it is. Beat this race like all the others (at least in third) and collect your password. I haven't got a clue what happens after this. I think it would be cool if they had other elements from the show in here, like a race against the Mammoth Car or that race with the pineapples from "The Desperate Racer". I also think it would be cool to have a level where you get to kick the crap out of that orange-haired dude from "Fastest Car On Earth". Anyway, eventually you'll get to go head-to-head with Racer X in a 200 MPH free-for-all race. I don't know what you win, or if there's another level afterwards or what. But the game ends and everybody lives happily ever after. The end.