********************* * S C R E A M E R 2 * ********************* Mini FAQ ver 1.0 Dated 29th March 1997 Written by Edwin Lim (docfreeze@usa.net) Copyright 1997 Edwin Lim. You may duplicate or print as many copies of this document as you like, as long as my name stays in this FAQ and I get informed of any modifications applied to this document. This FAQ is distributed freely and should not be sold for profit. --------- >>What? No table of contents?<< Heh... this the first release of this FAQ, so I'll lay off the petty details and get down to the game! This will come in later versions... only if I do continue to update and release this FAQ, of course. Description Thingys =================== A real rockin' fun game, Screamer 2 improves both visually and in gameplay from its equally-successful predecessor. More noticable improvements are: 1. Even more detailed and eye-catching scenery zip pass as you race across every track. The detail for each track (at HIGH detail) is astounding... but you need real Pentium Power to run it at HIGH detail AND resolution. 2. The crash engine is refined and no longer do you mysteriously bounce off other cars or walls if you hit them... instead you hear a krash (or glass -shattering krang!) when you hit and slowly you have to drag yourself out! 3. Computer AI is smarter and tougher... but they don't cheat like in the previous game where the COM players "warps" forward when reaching the finish line, taking the gold from you. And they don't stick together that much, therefore it's slightly easier to overtake. 4. More realistic engine sounds, sfx and MAJOR PLUS : No more commentary!!! It's bout time they fired that annoying announcer (esp. when he goes, "HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BRAKE?"). 5. More cars! 4 normal cars, plus 4 secret cars. And each car is really cool... Pity that they only brought back the Porsche... I really liked the Diablo (SHADOW) and the Corvette (YANKEE.. New Yorker?)... sigh. The Game stuff ============== * Playing the game = Loads of thingys to say Take note, if you are already into the game and haven't got much trouble with the basics, you might wanna skip this part: Okay, it's a racing game... nothing much to say... just drive and finish the race at the top of the grid. Big deal. Ah... but that's where the hard part is... you see, Screamer 2 is now more like Ridge Racer... you might think you're doing fine on road tracks, wait till you see the other tracks. You really slip and slide in sand and snow (that will take some getting used to) and BIG ADVICE: Get yourself a gamepad! Playing with the keyboard can bring moderate gaming pleasure, but nothing controls better than a gamepad (I used a Gravis Gamepad and also tested with my Thrustmaster T2, though the latter produced less-than-satisfactory results). Start off with one of the slower cars first... get used to the loose control (esp. if you're used to the road-grip in Screamer 1) and after awhile, you can proceed on to the faster cars. I played Screamer 1 like, dozens of times and I was a real fan of it. There are four views, similar to SCREAMER 1 (plus an EXTERNAL for replays) and the cars look much better (Play with 65k colours! Forget 256 colours!). I greatly suggest against driving with the outside view, though it's great in replays. When Screamer 2 was released, I immediately grabbed a copy and tried it. It was frustrating at first with the T2 wheel, coz I used the T2 with Screamer 1 and it rocked. So, giving up on the wheel, I dug out my gamepad from underneath my the closet and tried it. Hey! Now this is entertainment! This is a pure arcade driving sim and it really reminds me of a mix between SEGA RALLY PC, RAGE RACER and of course, SCREAMER 1. So, play it like a console game... get yourself the Gravis GRiP or Gamepad Pro! ;-) Good luck though, League 5 onwards is tough... don't even think on power- sliding too much. Take it easy on the slides and go for more quick good ol' fashioned turns. Formula : Faster recovery over more flashy turns. The Cars stuff ============== * Basic cars avaliable: Name Top Speed Drive Car clone of... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RADIANCE 122mph RWD Porsche 911. (Obviously.. ^_^) SPARK 121mph FWD Mazda RX-7. NEBULA 120mph 4WD Honda NSX. HORIZON 120mph 4WD Toyota Supra. * Some ratings and description of cars stuff: NOTE: These driving reviews are based on STANDARD configurations 1. RADIANCE The fastest of the starting line-up, but sacrifices handling for a better top speed. The tail tends to swing out too much during high speed turns and its turning radius isn't that hot either. Take turns early and don't underestimate even the most gentle of turns. 2. SPARK A close second of the contenders, this baby is smooth on acceleration and has an average handling. Still, taking this car too fast into a turn can cause it to flip out and spin. Hit the brakes and skid into the turn. 3. NEBULA This car and the HORIZON are similar in the sense of controls. But after trying out both for 2 days each, NEBULA seem to have slightly better acceleration, but slacks a little on turning. 4. HORIZON At the bottom of the pack is this sleek vehicle. After the above comparison I'd guess you already know much about this car. What it lacks in top speed and acceleration, it makes up with real good control. --------- * Hidden cars avaliable: This cars are released each time you complete the Championship with the respective teams. Of course, you might wanna cheat... NOTE: These driving reviews are based on STANDARD configurations Name Top Speed Drive Car Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLACK CLAW 131mph RWD Mix between a Hot Rod & a Stock Car. APHRODITE 129mph FWD ItalDesign Cala (also in NFS 2). THUNDER 129mph 4WD Sports truck with a BIG rear engine. HORNET 123mph 4WD Mitsubishi Shogun. 1. BLACK CLAW (Team CONDOR) As its name suggests, this monster is pure power. It is THE fastest car, second to none (if one can consider it a car). Drive it on a straight and all scenery become a blur. But take a turn at THAT speed, and all you see is a brick wall (BANG!). It has the worst turning radius of the pack, and it doesn't take too long to discover that... Power-slides are OK for this rocket on wheels, but take them REAL early! 2. APHRODITE (Team ANGEL) Ah, such a serene name... but underneath this beautiful concept car, hides raw power and surprisingly good handling. This has got to be the car at the top of my list. Though the turning is just average, this baby can take turns better than other vehicles at top speeds. Smooth rides is quite common for this car, but no matter what, steep turns can occasionally give you trouble. 3. THUNDER (Team ZEUS) Thunder should be the word to describe the noise level of this rugged powerhouse. The best thing on driving this truck is the attention! The rumble of its engine revving can be easily be heard from afar. This truck basically has better acceleration than APHRODITE, similar to the comparison between NEBULA and HORIZON. 4. HORNET (Team WASP) Okay, this 4x4 may seem weak (only 123mph? Sucks!) in speed, but like the HORIZON, take a turn with this cosy off-roader and WOW! this truck hugs the turn like no other vehicle! Grip and turn radius is tops for this truck, and the track for it is definately the Colombia Mud Track. Hairpins and chicanes are seldom a problem... but sometimes it does oversteer. The Tracks stuff ================ Okay, this section is still incomplete... I'm looking for people who are willing to help me out! Please mail me with descriptive comments or advice on driving all the tracks! England Terrain: Wet Asphalt and Grass Difficulty: Easy A road track, not too much problems, one lap and I guess you can remember all the turns. Just don't get tricked by the first left hairpin... I still turn too early now and then... darn warning arrows. Look for the helicopter! Egypt Terrain: Sand & Earth Difficulty: Medium I HATE this track! Even now with the HORNET, I still can't drive thru this track without ever hitting a wall... Grrrr... A slippery track, with many bottlenecks and 2 split roads. You have to watch for the tunnel turn (the exit is a bottleneck) plus the entrance to the town (another bottleneck) and also the entrances after the split roads (more bottlenecks). I suggest you take the left side in the first split and the right side in the second split, to minimise the time needed when the roads merge. California Terrain: Asphalt and Dirt Road Difficulty: Medium This is easy, though the number of hairpins put the difficulty of this slightly higher than the England track. Also, be careful of the scenery as it can easily distract you from the sudden turns in this track. Watch out, especially that last dirt road turn in the track. Finland Terrain: Snow and Ice Difficulty: Medium Another slip'n'slide track, this track should be given a Hard rating. Why? Use the RADIANCE or BLACK CLAW here, you'll know why! The icy roads and steep turns (even the gentle turns seem steep!) can often cause you car to oversteer and skid (spinning round and round...). Even HORNET drivers must be cautious of the turns... take them slow! Switzerland Terrain: Asphalt and Cobbles Difficulty: Hard Though it may seem tough during you first say, 10 runs, but after that, this track shouldn't prove too much for you. Just remember to watch for the turns yourself more than waiting for the stupid warning arrow to appear (cos' it always appear late!). Colombia Terrain: Dirt Road and Broken Tracks Difficulty: Hard Hairpin city! I used a HORIZON and THUNDER for this, and the HORIZON won 4 out of 5 times. Hairpins and chicanes pile up and as before, the arrow appears usually after the turn starts, so better memorise the turns! The Tunnel Terrain: Asphalt Difficulty: Hard I wonder why there isn't a Super Hard difficulty (depending on the car you drive) ... I tried this track with many cars, but I'll just write on the APHRODITE and BLACK CLAW. APHRODITE had little trouble with the turns, though the bumpy straights had a habit of tossing my car around and I often underestimated the length of the double hairpin. The BLACK CLAW? Well... simply stated, I'm glad this game is not reality... coz this track tears the BLACK CLAW apart. Most of the time I let my speed stay at 120 to 125 because CLAW's turning is really wide, and so, the hairpins must be taken by powersliding just as you enter it and regaining grip when you exit. Whacking walls and flying across the bumps is quite common. Use the CLAW only if you crave for a challenge. Miscellaneous Thingys ===================== * Car Settings I need help on this... I assume most reading this should know about things like handling, tires type and such. So, I'll just get into the more technical settings (which I took the NASCAR RACING manual as reference): Brakes Harder brakes are often needed if you expect to slow down in the minimal amount of time. More brakes can mean better turning, but also your car seem to accelerate slower... dunno why though... any pointers? Tire Pressure Simply stated, lower pressures mean better grip but reduced speed, while higher pressures mean faster speeds (acceleration) but less grip and maybe increase more shock when you land from jumps. Suspensions Stiffer suspensions (I wonder is this suspensions or shocks?) usually mean the car is more responsive on the side you adjusted, but can cause the driver to overreact and spin the car. Softer suspensions mean the car is less responsive on that side, but provides more body roll, giving you an overall smoother drive. --------- * Replays and Camera Views At least now VIRGIN made the replay more interesting! The new EXTERNAL camera (press F9) for replay mode is much more fun to view your race with, as it switches between many different views (I like the TV view, from the NASCAR and INDYCAR Racing games, esp. when you are flying in the England track) while the race is on. The views keys are: F1 Front of car view F2 In car view F3 Top of car view F4 Chase car view F9 External Camera (REPLAY ONLY) F11 Switch Team (REPLAY ONLY) --------- * Cheaters never prosper... but they survive. Type these at the main menu (after entering your name) to activate them, but no indication is given (Bummer! Where's the "YOU WANNA PLAY DIRTY? THEN LET'S PLAY DIRTY!" speech?). CHMPA Unlocks all championships MRTRK Unlocks all tracks TACAR The BLACK CLAW is avaliable TBCAR The APHRODITE is avaliable TCCAR The HORNET is avaliable TDCAR The THUNDER is avaliable > Any new codes? Please mail me if you do find more! I really hope someone can find codes to activate cute special game changes like in Screamer!!! Mirror Modes, Bunnies and New Funky Sound Effects! And maybe other effects like No Wheels (WIPEOUT!), BIG Wheels, New Colours... (Like the many cool effects found in Whiplash/Fatal Racing from GREMLIN) The Bad-And-Need-Some-Improvements Thingys ========================================== * Some things I just have to gripe about: 1. An Ascii Title Art for this FAQ... Anyone interested? 2. Screamer 2 should have included the Slalom and Cone Attack... I thought they were fun... okay, maybe the Cone Attack occasionally got me fed up. 3. More grip for the Egypt track! Com'on, driving the track feels like I was skating on a layer of ice! 4. Night version of tracks and headlights for cars. 5. Mirror and Backward modes of tracks in Championships. End Credits =========== Okay, nothing much here... credits goes out to my brother who have been trying to get me off this game. He thinks I'm addicted, Ha! Does playing 8 hours straight in a game means you're addicted? Touche. Plus, cheat codes are taken from Lord Soth's PC Games site at HappyPuppy! He got lots of stuff like demos, cheats and walkthrus! (www.happypuppy.com) Everything else is me, I guess... so, if you too want a place here, please send me mail about something you know that I don't! I need lots of track strategies and more explainations on car settings (Plus you own favourite custom settings!). All games mentioned in this FAQ is copyrighted under their respective makers and companies. Most of the views stated here are, as far as possible, in a unbiased manner and my views do not speak for others. --------- Thanks for reading! Edwin Lim aka Doc Freeze Mail to: docfreeze@usa.net Doc Freeze's Street Fighter Domain http://TimesSquare/Arcade/1155/index.html