General Strategies:


The best advanced attacks to use are Ice (L,R,U) Napalm (R,L,U) and
Shield (U,U,R).  Ice is used to stop your opponent and set them up
for another attack, like your special attack.  That's the first basic
combo, since anyone can do it.  Napalm explodes on impact and spreads
fire.  The impact is pretty powerful, plus the flames constantly 
drain a car's energy.  This can be stopped with a dip into water or 
using your Shield.  This stops all damage against you for a few 
seconds.

The Mine (R,L,D) can be useful in tunnels or narrow spaces (Amazon, 
Hong Kong) or in places where you know enemy cars will go (landing
places from warps in Paris and Antarctica).  They are also good for
enemies on your tail.  You can try to drop them near the edges of
cliffs, but enemies probably won't hit them since they disappear
after a while.

Rear Attack (L,R,D) sends your highlited weapon shooting out behind
you.  Unless you have a good homing weapon, you could easily miss.

Jump (U,U,L) is more of a utility than a weapon, although you can get
out of some bad situations with Jump and turbo, since it doesn't cost
as much as Shield.

Invisibility (R,D,L,U) is utterly useless.

Large characters can be easily punished by Napalm shots.  Just stand
right next to them, release the Napalm, and it will hit them on the
way up.

AMBUSH POINTS

There are certain areas where any car can effectively destroy most
opponents with little risk to themselves.  These are ambush points.
Always destroy Spectre first to avoid getting knocked out of
place, and also watch for Warthog and his long range missles.
Generally, cliffs, tunnels, and teleporters are the ideal places.
Specifically:

LOS ANGELES

Useless against the CPU but helpful in 2P battles, you can hide in
smoking buildings and attack while your enemy is puzzled as to where
you are.

MOSCOW

No real good places here

PARIS

There are three good areas in Paris, in order of decreasing help.
First there is the Lourve (the building at the end of the street
facing the Eifel tower).  Enemies will teleport up and drive right
off the edge, making easy targets.  Also, you can do it in the
Eifel Tower before it gets blown to smithereens.  Lastly, use the
very narrow diagonal sidestreets as perfect ambush points.

AMAZONIA

Get some remote bombs and power missles and hide in the tunnel or
a temple with a small opening.  In the tunnel you can drop the
remote at the opening or use mines, and then follow up with Napalm
and missles.  In the temples, set the remote in front of the
entrance and manuver to the side so that the polygons disappear
and you can see outside.  These tactics are perfect against Minion.

NEW YORK

The teleporter that ends up on top of the green glass building is
perfect.  Park yourself so that your back is to a barricade and ice
and ram/ricochet anyone who goes up.  A more risky spot is the
swimming pool.  Drop a remote bomb (from the locker room) right
where the cars fall and blast them with your special.

ANTARCTICA

The epitome of the perfect ambush is the teleport to the small
island.  There you can find ricochet bombs that can be fired on
cars exiting the warp.  One well-positioned bomb will put any car
into the icy ocean.  Plus, the rest of the level will disintigrate
while you wait patiently on the solid island.

HOLLAND

Holland has few places to hide.  You can use the windmills as
bases, but they are quickly demolished by the enemy cars.  You can
use the tall crops if you are using a small vehicle, playing 2P,
and the radars are turned off.

HONG KONG

This level is like a cross between Amazonia and New York.  The
subway tunnels act like the Amazon tunnels, the teleporter in the
temple is like the glass building in NY, and the small sidestreet
next to the harbor can be used as a cliff if you have a pop-up
weapon.

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AXEL

Handling: Intermediate
Armor:    ***
Special:  ***
Speed:    ** - 101 top, 138 turbo

One of the new characters, Axel is the large guy stuck between the
two huge wheels.  He is a good all-around large character.  His
special damages everyone around him plus makes them jump into the
air, somewhat incapacitating them.  Unfortunately his low speed and
large size makes him an easy target.

Strategies as:

1)   If there is a group of cars smashing each other, turbo past them
and release your special attack to damage most of the enemies.  Also
try ramming the center of the pack and then using the special
repeatedly.  The cars won't be able to escape fast enough to avoid
all of the attacks.

2)   When you freeze someone, drive up and stop right next to them.
Use your special to pop them up and strike them with Napalm or press
(R,L,U) if you don't have any.  This can be followed up with a
ricochet bomb, ram, and another freeze for a very damaging push-back
combo.  If you use this on a human, they will probably have enough
time to shield themselves.

3)   Use your special as a substitute for mines.  Wait on an edge in
New York for an enemy to come screaming towards you, activate your
Shield to prevent icing, and use you special as the come towards you.
Try to park in front of a barricade in case the other car uses bombs.
In a tunnel, the bouncing effect causes even more damage.

Strategy against:

In case you didn't notice, every CPU controlled character does
something you would never be able to do.  Axel uses his special attack
multiple times, sometimes 3 or 4.  Keep your distance and use anything
you can that doesn't require you to get close (Ice, Napalm, Homing
Missles).  If you do get trapped, immediately use Shield and turbo
away.

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MR. GRIMM

Handling: Tight
Armor:    *
Special:  *****
Speed:    **** - 124 top, 166 turbo

Mr. Grimm is the small ghoul riding the fast motorcycle.  His special
weapon is probably the most powerful in the game.  It is quite large,
moves fast, and can take off nearly 40-50% of a life bar.  Another
good thing is that it won't remove the ice from a trapped car. 
It doesn't home in on enemies, so make sure you have a clean shot.
Mr. Grimm's downfall is his lack of armor, but a Shield is all you
need.  If you want to beat the game quickly, Mr. Grimm is probably 
your best choice.

Strategies as:

1)   Since the special doesn't free frozen opponents, use it often to
destroy your opponents.  Run away and wait until you get another
special and hunt down your next victim.  He can be very powerful in 
Paris and Hong Kong where you can lose your opponents in the winding
streets.

2)   Similar to mines, you can wait at a warp point (especially in
the Lourve at Paris) and ambush your enemies.  If the Eifel Tower
hasn't fallen, almost nobody can hurt you if you wait on the Lourve's
roof.

Strategy against:

Mr.Grimm is probably the least cheesy of all the CPU characters, but
that still doesn't say much.  NEVER drive behind or head-on when
facing him,  because he can only shoot it straight.  He is so small 
that any car can ram him and cause major damage.  If you can ram his 
side, he can get knocked over.  Follow this with Ice and your choice 
of attacks.

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OUTLAW-2

Handling: Intermediate
Armor:    **
Special:  ***
Speed:    **** - 126 top, 168 turbo

Outlaw-2 is slightly different from the TM1 incarnation.  The taser
special now pops the enemy up in the air and can be used similar to
Axel's special, since it hit one person near the car.  Remember that
it damages when you first hit and when it shuts off.  Outlaw's speed 
makes ramming a breeze, but the bad handling plus the speed make her 
tricky to use on levels like New York.

Strategies as:

1)   Outlaw plays very similar to Axel: you can drive by a group of
cars and use your special or pop someone up and Napalm them or set 
them up for a combo.  Similarly, you can wait by an edge, use the
taser, and the enemy will float right off the edge.

2)   Position yourself next to a building or a wall in the course.
When an enemy comes at you, use the special and the enemy will bounce
along the wall, racking up damage.

Strategy against:

Outlaw tends to be the last person on the course because she is
difficult to approach.  Treat her like Axel and you should be safe.

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MR. SLAM

Handling: Sluggish
Armor:    ****
Special:  *****
Speed:    * - 91 top, 138 turbo

A new character, Mr. Slam is a huge bulldozer with an even larger 
pair of chompers, used for slamming (what else?) your enemy multiple
times.  He's quite powerful since he has a strong special attack and
thick armor.  Unfortunately, he is extremely large and moves slowly,
making him a sitting duck.  

Strategies as:

1)   A great CPU killer is to load up on weapons and grab a car. Use
everything you have (Napalm,Power,Homers) and re-ice or ram and
repeat.  Cars are totally vulnerable when you slam them: they can't
use a Shield and they get turned sideways.  Also try driving against
a wall for more damage.

2)   Mr. Slam can be brutal on the cliff levels.  Even if an enemy
puts up a Shield, you can turbo-ram them right off the edge.  Just
be careful you don't drive off the edge, too.

3)   Nothing is more fun than picking up a vehicle and using it as a
shield!  This is EXTREMELY helpful in Holland.  All you have to do
is pick someone up and the CPU characters will blast the car, trying
to get at you.

Strategy against:

Mr. Slam is one of those characters that just loves to ice you to
death.  Whenever his is far to mid range away, he will continually
shoot ice, missles, and bullets.   Either stay close or stay away.
He shouldn't be too hard to take down with Ice.  Oddly, sometimes
he will ice you and move in for the kill but turn away at the last
moment.  Capitalize on this.

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SHADOW

Handling: Intermediate
Armor:    **
Special:  ****
Speed:    *** - 112 top, 149 turbo

Another newbie, Shadow takes a little bit of practice to use
effectively.  His special attack acts much like a cross between a
ricochet and and a remote bomb: it hugs the ground as it travels
and damages everyone around it when it explodes.  Make sure you never
detonate it too close to yourself.  It is very damaging and useful
for large groups of cars.

Strategies as:

1)   Since the special can't be fired rapidly, you'll need some good
combos.  Try freezing someone, shooting a special quickly followed by
a Napalm blast and some more ice.  Or, begin by freezing and planting
a remote bomb, back off and do the special/Napalm attack.

2)   Since it pops enemies in the air, use it like Axel's and
Outlaw's as a substitute for mine attacks (cliffs and tunnels).
Just remember to stay clear.

3)   Always look for unusual shots, especially in 2P mode.  Since the
attack is small and dark, it can be a deadly surprise in Holland or
dark colored rooftops.

Strategy against:

Like Mr. Grimm, avoid trailing or facing Shadow head-on.  He's too
eager to blast you away.  Going for his side is easy because of his
average speed, handling, and the length of his frame.
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HAMMERHEAD

Handling: Sluggish
Armor:    ***
Special:  ***
Speed:    * - 94 top, 138 turbo

This rather large monster truck has not changed from TM1.  He's still
a great up-close fighter, good for ramming and driving over opponents
with his special.  Since it is automatic, you can't miss, letting you
concentrate on othe attacks.  For such a large vehicle, Hammerhead
has light armor.

Strategies as:

1)   Whenever you drive over an enemy, drop a mine for extra damage.

Strategy against:

Hammerhead is fairly easy to beat.  He seems to have plenty of Power
missles, but is otherwise slow and simple to destroy.  No real
strategies are really needed, just avoid the ice.

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WARTHOG

Handling: Sluggish
Armor:    ****
Special:  ***
Speed:    ** - 100 top, 138 turbo

Warthog is slightly different from TM1: his triple-missle special
turns into fireballs if the missles stay in the air long enough.  His
Armor makes him somewhat difficult to destroy.  His only real problem
is his turning ability.

Strategies as:

1)   Practice using the special to find out the magic range when the
missles turn into powerful fireballs.  Then in battle, ice someone,
back up and shoot Napalm, back up some more and use the special.
Turbo helps in getting to the right distance quickly.

Strategy against:

Because of his good speed and armor, he is sometimes a tough customer
to beat.  Like many other drivers, try not to tail him and especially
avoid head on confrontations.  His speed and armor create the perfect
ramming machine.  He doesn't ice excessively, so you won't need to
worry about that.

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GRASSHOPPER

Handling: Tight
Armor:    *
Special:  **
Speed:    *** - 119 top, 157 turbo

Probably the hardest vehicle to use against the CPU, Grasshopper
looks suspiciously like Pit Viper from TM1, but the special is quite
different.  This is Grasshopper's only strong point: her weak armor
and mediocre speed make her hard to use well.  If anybody can find
some good strategies as her, I'd be open for suggestions!

Strategy as:

Please send me any strategies!

Strategy against:

Grasshopper can be a nightmare if she's right next to you, so keep a
little distance.  If she does her special, drive backwards and hit
her with anyithing.  Napalm usually works well.   Avoid her rear ice
and pummel her whenever she's on the ground.

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THUMPER

Handling: Intermediate
Armor:    **
Special:  ****
Speed:    *** - 110 top, 147 turbo

Thumper is a very strong contender: his speed and special are quite
good and don't seem to have changed from his TM1 version.  If you can
ice an enemy, his special can take off even more energy than Mr.
Grimm's special!  I believe this is caused by the car catching on
fire for extra damage.  Thumper is an excellent CPU killer.

Strategy as:

1)   Thumper's special is quite straight-forward :).  Just ice an
enemy and use your special to eat away their energy bar.

Strategy against:

Whatever you do, do NOT get too close to him or you'll eat flames.
He also loves to use rear Napalm and rear special attacks.  Ice will
stop his flames in no time.

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SPECTRE

Handling: Tight
Armor:    *
Special:  ****
Speed:    **** - 129 top, 171 turbo

I haven't used Spectre very much, but his special missles are very
handy since they pass through obstacles.  His armor is so weak that
you'll need them often to get out of jams.  They also knock a person
slightly backwards, interrupting whatever they were doing.

Strategy as:

Please send me any strategies!

Strategy against:

Spectre is one of the most annoying CPU characters in the game, IMHO.
I ALWAYS take him out first to keep him from disrupting my attacks on
other people.  Since his armor is so weak, any type of frontal
assault will demolish him quickly.

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ROADKILL

Handling: Intermediate
Armor:    **
Special:  ***
Speed:    *** - 117 top, 156 turbo

Roadkill has changed quite a bit from TM1.  His special is now a
boomerang that becomes extremely powerful on it's return trip and can
take about 1/3 off a life bar.  Another good plus is that if the 
boomerang makes its way back to the car, it will go back into the
special move stockpile.  They also seem to regenerate quickly.
Plus he's the only game character who KNOWS he is a game character!

Strategies as:

1)   Above all else, practice using the special on a nice flat course
so you can find out it's range, like with Warthog.  Since you can
fire the boomerangs quickly, you can kill opponents with three well
timed blasts.

2)   I haven't mastered this yet, but you can get the boomerang to
spin around you, making a powerful offensive Shield.  It takes a lot
of practice, but is very useful.

Strategies against:

Roadkill can be the most devastating opponent because he has no
problems with repeatedly freezing you at point blank range.  You
might get lucky and he might turn away like Mr. Slam, 
but don't count on it. Hit and run tactics are very helpful.  

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TWISTER

Handling: Ultra Tight
Armor:    *
Special:  ****
Speed:    ***** - 140 top, 178 turbo

The last new challenger, F-1 type Twister has a *DEVASTATING* 
special
attack, but her armor is so weak that she often takes lots of damage
during it.  This is her only downfall.  That, and open spaces.

Strategies as:

1)   Much like area specials, (Axel, Outlaw) you can use your special
at ambush points for easy kills.  Don't forget to use your shield.

2)   You might think that the enemies swirling above you are getting
plenty of damage, but to maximize this do the special near buildings
and add plenty of Napalm and missles.  Sometimes you can kill enemies
in one special combo!

Strategy against:

Like many opponents, keep your distance.  If you feel lucky, use 
some ice; unfortunately you'll miss often since she's so speedy.
The best times to hit her with ice are when she does her special
(the car gets flipped up and can't move as fast) and after a knock-
back attack (mines, ricochet, remote).

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SWEET TOOTH - (U, L1, Tri, R)

Handling: Sluggish
Armor:    ****
Special:  ***
Speed:    * - 91 top, 138 turbo

Sweet Tooth is the semi-hidden ice-cream truck that sticks out like a
sore thumb.  Anybody who can beat the game with this vehicle deserves
an award.  He's slow, huge, has a weak special, plus you don't get
any passwords (you have to beat the game without continuing!), plus
he seems to roll over excessively when he gets hit.  In addition, 
his special wavers up and down, sometimes allowing small cars to
completely avoid damage.  Only use him if you want a real challenge.

Strategy as:

1)   The only good thing about him is that his special knocks enemies
back a little and it recharges quickly.  Use it to pummel your 
opponent repeatedly.

Strategy against:

Probably #2 in my book of difficult CPU characters, he uses his
special constantly, making him difficult to approach.  Fortunately, 
his big frame makes him an easy target from far away.

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MINION - (L1, U, D, L)

Handling: Intermediate
Armor:    *****
Special:  *****
Speed:    **** - 126 top, 168 turbo

Definitely the strongest contender that can be played without a Game
Shark, Minion is a wonderful vehicle.  He is somewhat different from
other vehicles, but plays like a cross between Warthog and Hammerhead
with some speed added in.  His special is like Warthogs with an ice
attack added on, and he is so large that he can roll over any enemy
with ease.  Plus his special builds up quickly.  You won't be able
to continue with him, and you'll have trouble convincing your friends
to let you play as him, but he is obviously the most powerful car
in the game.

Strategies as:

1)   A simple special combined with a ram should take any car to at
least 50% health or less.  Just don't go after too many cars at once
and you'll be fine.

Strategy against:

Since you face Minion on the Amazonia course, use the ambush points
and remote bombs to their fullest.  Note: Hammerhead can't usually
drive over Minion.  Try Jumping to get on top.