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JET MOTO 2 IN-DEPTH GUIDE -Text Version-
By Rexcor Jungmir
March 23rd, 2024
F O R E W O R D
[The intention of this guide, as mentioned in the title, is to be a complete manual and FAQ listing to explain the riders and tracks, supply strategies in tackling them, and fill out the entire trophy case with correct requirements. Information was taken from duken008's Trophy Case FAQ on GameFAQs, the instruction manual that came with the game, and various clarifications on the Jet Moto Central Discord server. The overall design was also heavily inspired by the guide on Jet Moto 1 by RGibson, which itself is a heavily detailed list of information on the riders, their performance, the tracks, and data on a simulated season. I cannot recommend that guide enough for the first game, even over 20 years after its publishing!
I wish I had made this a lot sooner, because of my love for Jet Moto 2 in all it's hair-tearingly difficult, carbon fiber-covered glory. But life finds a way to get in the way, for better and for worse. To be fair, however, some of these details weren't cleared up until YEARS after the fact, and with so little documentation besides duken008's FAQ from 2004, it's about time this was written. If anything, I want this to help others getinto one of my all-time favorite racing games, but with plenty of the forewarning that unlocking EVERYTHING is a test of mental fortitude and reflexes that's possibly as straining as trying to 100% F-Zero GX without advanced skills. It's definitely possible, but it's a sizable commitment. One final important note is that this guide primarily runs off of information that applies to the original NTSC-U and the NTSC-J releases of the game, known as Jet Moto 2 and Jet Moto '98, respectively. There's a list of differences in the "Riding Mechanics" section below, but most of the guide's info can still apply to Jet Rider 2 (PAL) and Jet Moto 2: Championship Edition. There are also clarifications of very specific changes to tracks where there needs to be. That all being said, I hope you enjoy reading through this as much as I enjoyed typing it all out!]
{VERSION HISTORY}
Jan. 8th, 2024 - 1st Edit: Majority of the guide was written and laid out.
Jan. 14th - 2nd Edit: "General Strategies", "Extra Ways to Play" and "Credits and Honors" added.
Feb. 3rd - 3rd Edit: Work begun on "Your Burial Plots", with a quarter of the tracks done.
Feb. 20th - Final: Further clean-up throughout the guide, and finished writing out the remaining
track guides.
Mar. 23th - CaMacKid had to edit the guide to conform to GameFAQs standards. This took finding time to do so.
========
CONTENTS
========
1.0 - Default Controls and your Heads-Up Display
2.0 - System Settings, Options, and Game Modes
3.0 - Riding Mechanics
4.0 - The Competition
5.0 - General Strategies
6.0 - Your Burial Plots (The Tracks)
7.0 - The Trophy Case
8.0 - Extra Ways to Play
9.0 - Credits and Honors
================================================
1.0 | DEFAULT CONTROLS and your HEADS-UP DISPLAY
================================================
[These controls are based on the original Sony PlayStation's buttons, but can also work for any peripheral you have with a minimum of 14 buttons, if playing on an emulator]
X = Accelerate (In-Game), Confirm Selection (Menus, US/PAL release), Go Back (Menus, JP Release)
▲ = Turbo (In-Game), Go Back (Menus)
O = Magnetic Grapple (In-Game), Confirm Selection (Menus, JP release), Go Back (Menus, US/PAL release)
■ = Brake
D-Pad Left / Right = Turn Left / Right (In-Game), Change Selection Left / Right (Menus)
D-Pad Up / Down = Lean Forward / Back
L1 / R1 = Tight Turn Left / Right
L2 / R2 = Roll Left / Right
START = Pause / Confirm
SELECT = Switch Race View between 3rd Person and 1st Person
[For a fun change of pace, try out the "Crossover" scheme if you're a fan of Twisted Metal, or "Shotgun" as a challenging twist!]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[When in the middle of a race, you'll have a fairly simple, yet useful display on screen. Everything you need to know is at your fingertips]
1.1 / At the top left sits your timer, showing how much has passed down to the first nanosecond. In a regular, non-Practice mode session, when you pass a checkpoint, is your lag time, displaying how far you are behind 1st place, or how far ahead of 2nd place you are if you're the leader. Right next to the lag time will be your current position.
1.2 / Opposite of the timer is the current lap over the total laps in the current run. Underneath that is the minimap. It's a general view of the path along the track along with small colored dots representing every racer. Yours is a giant flashing arrow pointing in your current direction.
1.3 / In the bottom left is your speedometer, ranging from 0 to 120 mph. with a small purple gauge just below for your remaining magnetic grapple energy, which replenishes over time as long as it's not in use. In the center below the needle are light markers for any of the rider medals or the stunt key that you've activated from the Trophy Case (see section 7.0 for more details). All the way at the bottom is your turbo meter. Unlike in Jet Moto 1, this isn't limited to single use instances, but can be bursted as much as you want so long as you have turbo to spare. The meter replenishes at the start of a new lap.
================================================
2.0 | MAIN MENU, SYSTEM SETTINGS, and GAME MODES
================================================
2.1 / After seeing the title cards for the developers, you'll be greeted with the
main screen.
2.1.1 / 1 Player mode lets you tackle the tracks on your own or against the AI. This is also where you can work towards unlockables in the game.
2.1.2 / Head-to-Head mode (2 Player mode in Jet Moto '98) is where you and a friend or rival settle all bets in a duel for hoverbike supremacy. Game
modes in here are largely the same as in 1 Player mode, but progression is not possible.
2.1.3 / Load Game allows you to pick up progress after your last race, should you have a save file from a previous session.
2.1.4 / The Trophy Case is your marker for progression. Everything you unlock will be shown in here, with details displayed after a given point in a full season. More information on this in section 7.0 below.
2.2 / The Options menu has no shortage of functions, though this writer does wish players could toggle the magnetic grapple and turbo functions for single player.
2.2.1 / The difficulty selection ranges from Novice (Green Circle) to Amateur (Blue Square), Professional (Black Diamond), Master (Double Black Diamond) and Insane. Insane is only accessible by winning a full season on Master, and is confirmed by your "Ranking" medal in your Trophy Case being filled out with the SingleTrac logo (more details on the Trophy Case below in section 7.0).
2.2.2 / Laps per race can range from a quick 2 up to a gauntlet of 6.
2.2.3 / You can also turn the HUD on or off, though there's little reason to disengage it at all.
2.2.4 / Auto-Centering is also toggleable (explained more in "RIDING MECHANICS," 3.1).
2.2.5 / There's a section dedicated to the "Head-to-Head" mode, where you can toggle Turbo and Grapple functionality on or off, as well as Handicapping, dictating if the 2nd Place racer will have assistance to catch up to the lead rider.
2.2.6 / As explained in the previous chapter, there are six different control schemes available. You can individually change Player 1 and Player 2's schemes freely.
2.2.7 / Under the "Sound and Music" submenu, you can manually adjust the Music, Sound Effect, and the Overall Volume.
2.2.8 / Lastly but not least, check out the "Credits" to see the names of the folks who put this game together.
2.3 / After you've selected a rider, you'll be given a choice on how you wanna have your fun.
2.3.1 / Full Season is the base platform that leads to everything else. Here, you can unlock more of what Jet Moto 2 has to offer. Play at your own pace, but the fastest way to get everything is to jump in at Master difficulty.
2.3.2 / In the Custom Circuit submenu, you can create your own season out of all the unlocked tracks you have, through two different forms - "Championship", which is a points-based form much like a regular full season, and "Rally", where your placement is based on setting the shortest overall time in a given season.
2.3.3 / Single Track is what it says on the tin. It's a one-make race between you and the AI to test your mettle. Don't be shy, 'cuz they sure won't!
2.3.4 / If nothing else, Practice mode leaves you all by yourself, giving you a chance to learn the ebb and flow of the roads ahead with all the time in the world. This also doubles as a way to do record runs if you want to record your best time.
======================
3.0 | RIDING MECHANICS
======================
[There are some very important aspects to learn involving how the game works before tackling other riders]
3.1 / Despite the game's claims of using its "TruePhysics Design" for inspired riding realism, it doesn't apply too well when the bikes handle almost like slot cars, without much resistance or give. This is mostly in effect by the "auto-centering" function found in the options menu. Turning this on lets your bike grip the ground better when taking turns but reduces your speed, being a noob-friendly option. Turning it off lets your bike lean more naturally into turns like they would in real life, but results in a loss of grip, while taking away the speed penalty. This is only a slight change and may not be noticeable the first time around.
3.2 / There are some key differences between the original "black label" release of JM2 and it's Greatest Hits rerelease known as "Championship Edition".
3.2.1 / Besides the GH version's box mentioning all 10 original tracks already being unlocked, there's also the lack of a full field when you enter a normal race; this was done to allow the game to run at a constant 30 frames per second (a nice touch for a PlayStation game, admittedly - even better when played on a PlayStation 3 console!).
3.2.2 / A side effect of the smaller field of racers (being down from 9 opponents to 4 normally, 3 when racing as Enigma) is that the game becomes marginally easier to play, as advanced strategies become unneeded and, with some basic experience, you can fill out the trophy case without too much pressure.
3.2.3 / Another odd change from the original release is the 50% boost in speed to all bikes. The boost can seem nice at first, but the seams of the decision show themselves soon when comparing the different weight classes; lighter bikes become more viable due to not needing to use turbo as much, middleweight riders attain an almost godlike status with having more stability and maneuverability than the rest of the crowd, and heavyweight rocket wranglers are made somewhat redundant. Arguably, this change still benefits the heavy riders, as the speed increase lets you naturally attain top speed without ever needing to turbo, unless you want that extra kick for accelerating from 0.
3.2.4 / Lastly, you have more grapple energy to spare compared to the original version. It was also originally thought that you had more turbo in addition, but this is confirmed false, as more accurately due to the increase in framerate from 23 to 30 frames per second, the game renders your inputs much better so you spend less turbo.
NOTE: Jet Moto '98 keeps most of the changes from Championship Edition, minus the lack of opponents on the track.
3.3 / Due to mid-air drag causing you to float when using air brakes, it is recommended to tapping the brakes before flying off of a jump to reduce or eliminate the effect of drag that would otherwise cause you to glide in the air for longer than you would want. Other ways to prevent gliding include momentum shifting via pointing your nose down, even through environmental obstacles on the ground that may cause you to catch unnecessary air. Another method of avoiding catching too much drag is by leaning your bike along a ramp, then using turbo to push forward to keep your momentum; this works when riding against most bumps and ramps. Unfortunately, the reason you want to reduce the chances as much as possible is because of how quickly you lose your momentum when you take to the air, even for a moment. If you brake when moving forward or even upward, you'll only glide higher, wasting precious time. Should you find yourself flying high without much choice otherwise, don't brake, since you'll want to keep that mostly forward momentum as much as possible. Air braking only really works in your favor in cases where you'll touch the ground sooner, or you think you'll crash into a wall before you can upright yourself in time. The short explanation - every split second of ground contact counts.
3.4 / Handling your turbo in moderation can make or break a track run. Don't let this get on your nerves, however - it's possible to conserve turbo while getting the most out of it through tapping the Turbo button instead of pressing and holding it through the whole of your available reserves. Tapping the button in very quick succession will jump you to top speed in almost no time, and cover plenty of ground meanwhile. This is ideal for heavyweight bikes who lack the raw acceleration needed to gun it off the starting line, or after a nasty wreck.
3.5 / A funny instance that can happen is getting knocked off your bike after colliding with a wall while utilizing the magnetic grapple. It's not common, but is still likely. It's recommended to disengage the grapple beam and roll your bike to ride along the wall, keeping your rider safe from becoming fresh paint on a rock wall.
3.6 / As previously mentioned, the game features "TruePhysics" design. Although it's not quite as based in reality as the first game, the inspiration still holds plenty of weight in the handling and the bike's reaction to its environment. Your bike will lose grip depending on what it rides on. For example, hard concrete, dirt and rocks provide the best grip. Snow and sand allow for some slide. Lastly, water and ice greatly reduce your grip the most. Keep this in mind when trying to figure out how best to keep your speed up, as it matters whether you'll lightly tap into the turns or whip your bike into a corner hard with the Tight Turn function. As an additional note, maneuvers such as bicycle turns and Scandinavian Flicks can work quite well in some areas. Racing lines matter!
=====================
4.0 | The COMPETITION
=====================
[There's a bevy of riders to choose - ten professional crotch jockeys plus one unlockable speed demon shrouded in mystery. Look carefully to see which one gives you the most dopamine]
LEGEND: Rider Number - Rider Name - Sponsor - Weight Class - Veteran/Rookie Status
Weight: 1-10 (Affects their handling, stability and sense of momentum)
Top Speed: 1-10 (How high their natural maximum speed is)
Acceleration: 1-10 - (How quickly they can kick off the line up to their top speed)
Rider Bio (Their in-game description)
Overview (Some more history as well as their given playstyle)
4.1 / #1 - "LI'L DAVE" KATAYAMA - ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGY - LIGHT - ROOKIE
Weight: 2
Top Speed: 2
Acceleration: 9
"He may be short in height, but he's big on reflexes. In fact, along with Wild Ride, this guy's got the best in the biz. Li'l Dave is wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, so the speculation is that he races just to show off his cat-like reaction times."
On the extreme end of lightweights, his is a true test of skill in how quick you are to utilize his fantastic agility. It's all a matter of having a delicate touch on the directional pad. When even a slight push towards the left or right can cause you to over-adjust, you won't be thinking about the shoulder buttons unless you're on the rough. Turbo should be plentiful until you take on water. Don't swerve too much if you can help it, as it's best to assume you're a moment away from clashing with another racer. Head-on collisions should be avoided at all costs, too. Outside of that, it might help to know that you top out at 100 mph naturally, so if you need that extra twenty, keep your turbo supply up as much as possible. Do that, and you're golden!
.
4.2 / #2 - KARI "WILD RIDE" KELLEY - KAWASAKI JETSKI - LIGHT - VETERAN
Weight: 3
Top Speed: 4
Acceleration: 7.5
"With Wild Ride, it's all about balance. She races hard, so she figures she's entitlesd to party hard. And when she's enticing you to try something dangerous, pretty much all she has to do is give you that look that says 'you probably couldn't handle me even if I gave you the chance' and suddenly you're doing it."
Still one of the finest riders out there, and in a pretty comfortable spot of not being as squirrelly as Li'l Dave, nor as sluggish as Blade at different ranges. Her low stability is still an issue to remember, however, so lean into the bumps at your own risk and do your best to upright yourself quickly. The real trick is keeping yourself straight the whole way through, but Wild Ride won't fail to thrill you if you can manage. Preserve her turbo so you can catch up to the leader if necessary!
4.3 / #3 - JEANINE "BLADE" FLY - ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGY - LIGHT - ROOKIE
Weight: 4
Top Speed: 4.5
Acceleration: 7
"To see her as an executive during the day, you'd think 'Beautiful, but boring.' But what she does at night would probably frighten you to tears. Or at least that's the rumor. Her occasional black eyes and scratches certainly have the water cooler conversations flowing."
The high end of low, I would call this one. This writer considers her a personal favorite when I don't want to sling a heavy bike around. Pulling out a consistent 80mph on average can be nice as long as you can stay on solid ground. Leaning towards the ground like the heavyweights of old will prevent this, but you can't go wrong with running between the divots if it makes things easier. Her bike might not be to everyone's liking, though, as she suffers lag around 30 mph and hits top speed under 110 mph.
4.4 / #4 - OTOMO "THE TECHNICIAN" - AXIOM DESIGN - MEDIUM - VETERAN
Weight: 4.5
Top Speed: 5.5
Acceleration: 6.5
"A true techno-junky. Most of the other racers don't seem to relate to him, because, well, they're human. He seems to prefer his company to be some kind of virtual interface. And the more time he spends with computers, the more he becomes one: cold, emotionless, but with a great memory - for those who've done him wrong."
Maybe it's how inhuman Otomo is, but he's got a good hold on his bike most of the time, especially given that he's on the cusp between light and middleweight classes. He has no fear whether burning through straightaways or tackling corners, so long as you know how to balance the use of tight turning every now and then. You won't rely on it often, but it'll carry you far. His bike reaches about 110 mph without turbo, though his acceleration might leave things to be desired, as what would normally constitute for gear changes is changed for a general lag that's spread out across his entire range of acceleration.
4.5 / #5 - "THE MAX" MARK CORRI - MOUNTAIN DEW - MEDIUM - VETERAN
Weight: 5
Top Speed: 6
Acceleration: 5.5
"Mark Corri is the seasoned vet of Jet Moto Racing. He's largely turned his attention to teaching his old tricks to new dogs. And tricks he has. If you're a young racer who'd like to learn the kind of racing that gets you to the top immediately, The Max is your mentor."
Despite originally being a high-tier rider with great acceleration and decent speed combined with a low-weighted moto, The Max seems to be the absolute "middle of the road" compared to the rest of the pack, and is considered one of two riders to be very well balanced and top-tier for tackling the Jet Moto 2 season. He's got just enough give to slip between obstacles and take hairpins without losing much speed. You might notice some lag around the 30-40mph range when he switches to high gear, but even on water, he doesn't slow down much. A solid choice to start with.
4.6 / #6 - "VAMPEERA" SILVER - DRAGON OPTICAL - MEDIUM - ROOKIE
Weight: 5.5
Top Speed: 7
Acceleration: 5
"A true creature of the night, she has all the classic vampire signs: no one has ever seen her reflection in her rear view mirror (usually no one's close enough, anyway), in a race she has a tendency to go for the jugular, and well, she's just creepy lookin'."
If looks could kill, she wouldn't need to lift a finger, ever. Outside of her "bloodthirst", she has all the makings of a strong competitor. It's been long agreed that she's the best of the best in anyone's hands, without necessarily being broken. Neither beefy nor flimsy, her bike is no slouch on any surface, but it's no guaranteed victory. Yet in the right hands, it's possible to be nigh-untouchable.
4.7 / #7 - DAK "GADGET" HOGAN - AXIOM DESIGN - MEDIUM - ROOKIE
Weight: 6.5
Top Speed: 7
Acceleration: 4.5
"You see a harmless kitchen appliance. Gadget looks at it and sees the opportunity to rip it apart, fling it across his garage, and rebuild it into something only the clinically insane could have thought of. But once you see him puree the competition, you'll see there's method to his madness."
The younger brother of the iconic rider Bomber is something of a shining stone in a dark cave; he glows nicely in the right light, but there's nothing too special about him. There is a meme, however, amongst the denizens of Jet Moto Central due to how much he likes to slip around along the track compared to the other riders. He's got plenty of weight to him, but he can have a tendency to throw it around more than he wants, but he's not at all a bad choice if you know what you're doing. Like Technician, his acceleration causes his lag to be spread out across his entire range of speed, so getting up to top speed naturally can make him be sluggish unnecessarily.
4.8 / #8 - VANESSA STEELE - KAWASAKI JETSKI - HEAVY - ROOKIE
Weight: 8
Top Speed: 7.5
Acceleration: 4
"As a former stuntwoman, she used to make a career faking big explosions, faking bar fights, and faking incredible jumps off buildings for the big screen. Now, thanks to Jet Moto, she gets to do a lot of it for real."
For a heavyweight ride, Steele's bike is surprisingly adept at twisting and spinning. She strikes a strange balance that could almost be considered cheating, if she still wasn't having trouble escaping the starting line without a bit of turbo injection, especially at the 20mph mark when she kicks into high gear. Keep that in mind if you have to start from 0 going uphill or on water, and save some turbo. If you're not interested in learning to maneuver the beasts that The Hun and Bomber are, you can't go wrong with her, but preparation is, as always, key. Her bike, on top of being lighter than expected, has nice acceleration but can stop climbing around 100 mph at times despite hitting near 120 otherwise. Her gear change will still happen around 30 mph.
4.9 / #9 - VLADIMIR "THE HUN" YUROV - DRAGON OPTICAL - HEAVY - ROOKIE
Weight: 9
Top Speed: 8
Acceleration: 3
"To see this guy race, you'd think he had ice water in his veins. And judging by his hobbies, you probably wouldn't be far off. The Hun is a good choice if you're feeling a little ruthless, a little frosty, and very pissed off."
A nice callback to Bomber and Stone's rides from the previous season; great speed and strong stability without needing to ride the shoulder buttons often, and can go toe to toe with the best of 'em. Balancing your turbo is still a must while picking your angle of attack at every turn. He's your man if you want absolute power in the long run while still having the breathing room in your handling; a real beast from the east with few equals. His bike, strangely enough, doesn't switch gears until about 80 mph
4.10 / #10 - DAYNA "BOMBER" HOGAN - MOUNTAIN DEW - HEAVY - VETERAN
Weight: 10
Top Speed: 9.5
Acceleration: 2
"Dayna Hogan's bike just seems to get bigger and bigger. As a master mechanic, she just can't seem to leave it alone. She got her nickname because she handles her big bike in the same way someone flying a bombing raid might: a healthy respect for the power, mixed with a lot of ruthlessness, and no regard for anyone who gets in the way."
Definitely the heftiest runner on the line, and an absolute threat to everyone - even herself. There's very rarely a moment where you won't be using the tight turn function to take corners, or even make minute adjustments to keep straight. That's not to say she can't turn normally at all; far from it, in fact. Unfortunately the more technical nature of Jet Moto 2's tracks puts her at an immediate disadvantage even versus The Hun in case she needs to upright herself for whatever reason. A true master will know to throw her weight around without a care in the world, whether it be against fellow racers or the track itself. Enjoy plowing through all the bumps and dunes and hang wide as much as possible - just the way momma likes it.
4.11 / ? - ENIGMA - SINGLETRAC - MEDIUM - ?
Weight: 6
Top Speed: 10
Acceleration: 10
"There are images seared into the souls of every racer. Ones that wake them in the middle of the night bathed in a pool of their own sweat. The hairpin turns into oblivion, the screaming jumps off the edge of sanity. One person knows what lurks in the dark places of your mind."
So much mystery surrounding this one. Unless you've read through their aftermath screens, you can never be sure, but one thing that's immediately clear is the sheer power underneath the hood of their ride. They even have a unique model and texture that reflects their surroundings! But more importantly, when you step onto the track with them, you might notice how wiry they feel to ride considering how blazingly fast they are no matter where they go. Naturally, the brakes will be your best friend, albeit sparingly. Much like Bomber and Li'l Dave, it takes a decent amount of practice and a delicate touch to be able to handle them if you want good efficiency. Since you can only obtain them by beating a Master difficulty season, track knowledge is a core ingredient to a clean run (see section 6.0 for track details). (The AI will never play Enigma against you)
========================
5.0 | GENERAL STRATEGIES
========================
[Besides the mechanics of the game, it wouldn't hurt to have a basic idea of how the field works based on their individual stats and especially their weight classes]
5.1 / Light weight bikes are great from the start, but can have trouble holding a high top speed for a long period of time. They favor very technical courses on solid ground without too many bumps and hills to climb, but being caught in those isn't a losing battle. Just make sure you can spare your turbo if the ground isn't comfortably flat, and lean gently into the bumps. Taking on other bikes, especially of higher weight classes, is a recipe for disaster. If you're running well on a suicide course, it's a safe bet that you'll be playing chicken with the pack at every blind corner unless you're able to check the minimap quickly. Keep your racing lines tight since you won't want to spin yourself around too much outside of the odd roadblock, but don't be afraid to take wide turns if trouble is ahead. If you're feeling particularly bold, and have some familiarity with your particular weight class or rider, you can knock off riders of other, especially heavier, bikes. This takes some depth to perform (and maybe a little bit of luck), as good momentum through velocity and mass at a good angle will be the only way to successfully disrupt a competitor without reflecting some of that shock to yourself.
5.2 / Middleweight rides have the best of both worlds. They can stick it out when trading elbows with their opponents, and bend enough to recover and avoid becoming a fresh paint job for the track. However they might require some time to master, as you might think they are lighter or heavier than you would initially expect. Four of them are present in the roster, with one extra one hidden down the line. They are fantastic all-rounders if you pick them up.
5.3 / The heavyweight runners take skill to control, as tight turning is a blessing that should be treated as a last resort. A way to save on tight turning with the land rockets is to look ahead at the next corner, then run through it as wide as possible while trying to move towards the apex of the turn without leaning towards it. You'll keep your speed up even though this means taking the longer path around compared to light bikes. If possible, position yourself so that you'll exit the corner without needing to make any sudden and harsh adjustments, which will let your bike recover its top speed better before continuing to the next section. As is in the name, heavy bikes can run through most small obstacles on the tracks without slowing down or losing traction. Leaning won't be necessary for you to stay grounded most of the time.
====================================
6.0 | YOUR BURIAL PLOTS (The TRACKS)
====================================
[The whole of the available races are ten original tracks, plus an additional ten from the original Jet Moto, all waiting for you to conquer them.]
-{ORIGINAL TRACKS}-
6.1 / SLICKROCK GORGE - Novice Difficulty
"Avoid running into sheer cliffs, and watch for whitewater. Just like a fun-filled day exploring one of our national parks."
This is the opener for Jet Moto 2's season, and while there's a lot of corners to cut through, it's more just a theatrical ice breaker before you really cut your teeth on the rest of the circuit. You've got plenty of highs and lows to mess around with, and bumps to run over (or through), and you can feel the difference between solid and loose ground. Enjoy the view as much as you can before it becomes a blur.
Start swinging right immediately, doing a gentle curve. You can use the quarter pipe to support your arc as you move to the next 90 degree turn, which opens to a straightaway with a ridge that rises. You can run wide if you like, but the straight will give you ample time to run by the peak of the corner. Next you'll dip back down towards a 180 degree spin with another quarter pipe bend for support if you don't clutch it tight enough. Directly after is a short but tall hill to climb - make sure you tap the brakes a bit and keep your nose down through it. Pass wide through the first checkpoint.
Following up is a slickrock wall dividing two sets of pools of dirt water; 2 sit on the left and 3 on the right. It's not too difficult to just cut across the pools or run on the edges, but if you're on a lighter ride, you might find it more beneficial to go left of the wall. Whichever side you choose, there will be a short left cut entering into the slot canyonjust past the second checkpoint and surrounding you with more slickrock walls deep in the gorge. Here, it gets a bit bumpy and the path juts left and right, but it won't be long before you're out in the open air.
Left out of the canyon is a runoff where the water picks up speed for you, letting you save on turbo. The speed will lift you off of a waterfall into a wide lake with some rocks peaking up above the water's surface.
EASTER EGG 1: After you fly off the waterfall, turn around and go behind it to see a painting on the rock wall. Nothing familiar, but it's neat to see!
The smaller, thinner rocks can help give you grip along the water for better acceleration, while the larger ones should be treated as obstacles. Carry yourself upward along the river rapids past the third checkpoint, using turbo (if available) to fight against the current, already made difficult by being on water. In between both rapids is another curving rock surface for grip. Once you're over both rapids, run through the fourth checkpoint and hang hard along the bend with some turbo. From here, you'll see a small beach sticking out from underneath the large rock wall facing the next turn; here lies your best chance for grip to re-angle yourself onto the next straight.
EASTER EGG 2: There's a rock that slopes up towards an opening in the canyon wall right after the small beach along the river. Lift your nose and turbo off the rock to catch enough momentum and you'll slide through to see a river right off the marked path. Little is here besides a billboard ad behind where you enter and another set of rocks. Move forward and to the left and you will shoot off from a smaller water runoff towards the final checkpoint. This was probably meant to be a hidden shortcut of sorts, but due to the way drag works in mid-air, it is of little use.
Zip away up the remainder of the river to see the final checkpoint at a beachhead, near the water runoff and by another billboard. Pass right through to meet the base of the final section back on solid ground - a set of dunes that rise back up to the finish line after a 90 degree turn. Snake your way along the dunes or bull your way over each ridge and swing left immediately afterwards to cross the finish line.
6.2 / MELTDOWN - Novice Difficulty
"If suicide tracks can be easy, this is the easiest. Don't be lulled by a false sense of security though. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in a lava flow you can't get out of."
One of the easiest, for sure, but this is a bit tighter compared to most of the other suicide courses of the previous season. The travel distance from end to end is shorter as well, but the variety of environments leaves little room for boredom. Be weary as there are an abundance of blind corners by the volcano, and there's a multitude of surfaces that will trip you up at various points in the race if you're not watching what's right in front of you. After a lap around, however, the path should come clearly.
You start off on top of sand dunes on the beach. Position yourself in or near the center between the dunes for the most flat ground, then start curving right towards the palm trees away from the dunes. Go wide and you should be able to dart through the s-bend before the first checkpoint. If you get caught between the trees, do your best to weave through back into the clearing. When you're done, head up the hill from the right off of the ramp, then cut past the next couple of ramps to reach the hilltop. Here's your easy in for turning into the corner, which then lets you get sights on the bottom of the volcano.
This part gets a bit tricky to find the rhythm of, though the difference is really a matter of split seconds. As you swing along the base, you'll lose your traction severely if only for a moment as you cross the lava flows. Eventually you'll want to spin harder via Tight Turn until you're facing the second checkpoint, at the bend sitting in front of the crater. Note the base of the crater is filled with a small pool of water. If you can, run along the middle of the center where the core of the crater sticks out and swing right around the center with the magnetic grapple, where you'll reface the checkpoint without hanging in the air for too long if done right. If you wanna stay grounded at the chance for holding speed, turbo on the pool's surface while grappling and you should slingshot right around despite going at a wider arc.
Turn left slightly between the volcanic banks and speed down back to the base. Now in reverse order, you'll turn left, watching for your slipping traction as necessary, then boost up back to the grassy hilltop. Be careful in case the competition is nearby at all, as a collision is very likely and can be nasty on higher difficulties. If you're safe, blast down from the inner corner to glide down fast to the base, past the middle checkpoint. Avoid the trees again, running wide if needed and look towards the dunes at the start line. It's a lot more apparent that running down the middle is best from here, unless you have the weight to plow through them.
Past the dunes, you'll finally reach the oceanside, which opens wide to the right and holds a few sand bars in the middle to use as hard ground if needed. Ahead will be the second beach bordered by adverts and housing three ramps. If you angle yourself right and hit the ramp, you can bump yourself into the air slightly while riding fast and swing perfectly along the turn to hit the final checkpoint and already gun back towards the ocean. This turn might take some getting used to, as the ramps can make it awkward to keep yourself grounded and at high speed to begin with. Regardless, run across the waters and start turning back towards the island. The AI like to run around the water wide, using the whole of the track more often than not, whereas they will typically cut corners on the island. Should you come through unscathed, slip between the dunes again and take the finish.
6.3 / AFTERSHOCK - Novice Difficulty
"There has been a major earthquake. Half the west coast is now underwater and you're expected to race through it. Masochists rejoice."
Seeing one's home submerged or torn asunder due to nature's wicked ways is never a joy, but daredevils will find some good in it if they try hard enough. Here is Jet Moto 2's opportunity to see the glass half-full in what would be a tragedy anywhere else, and with a great song to back it up! With concrete, water and even dirt littered around the place, with ways to catch air for fun and to test your suspension, it's the perfect playground for trying new things - all with a beautiful view.
When the "GO" drops, turbo immediately, since you're most likely sitting in the leftover water in the canal. Take the left bank to avoid the bridge supports (if you're playing on 1.0) then lean into the canal exit as you turbo again to fly forward towards the broken freeway platforms. If you land on them, you'll have a head start tackling the airport. If you land on the water instead, you'll still have a chance to turbo forward and make up the distance. If you know you're heading for the water first, don't forget to tilt your nose down to increase falling speed. However you approach, move ahead and watch for the dirt mounds that line the sunken airport. Keep right as much as possible, and if you have the weight for it, bend yourself along the mounds and keep the nose down. You can hit the wings to catch air, which might help if your momentum is strong. Hit the first checkpoint and wave to the satellite dish on the left. It's a fun spot for stunting, but for now, you'll be sliding past it and past the upturned airplanes. Choosing how to exit the airport here is up to you, though I have noticed heavy bikes more easily deal with the freeway than the light bikes, as they hold forward momentum easier in short bursts. The low road works for either spectrum if only because of the fallen freeway ramp that lets you lift onto the dirt hill. Just make sure to hit the brakes before you make it to the second checkpoint, lest you behead yourself on it against your will.
Use the first magnetic grapple to swing right onto main street. You can keep straight for the most direct route through the city, or hang left. The broken streets are virtually the same whichever path you choose. Watch for the trees that line the center of the streets (also only on 1.0, which you can run along the path for a smooth ride if you're playing on a later release) then turn as necessary. Take your time getting used to the choppy concrete, as it will heavily affect your handling and stability and can cause you to change direction if you're not careful. Even just holding your nose down through won't save you entirely, but can still help.
EASTER EGG: At the northwesternmost point of the city slalom, there's a gap in the curve of the trackside adverts. You can pass through and wind around a couple of the billboards to reach the beginning of the canal, a normally unseen part of the track unless you're turned around after falling from the city section. There's one more billboard between you and the rest of the canal run.
Re-enter the canal while swinging from the second grapple post, and you'll face another bridge with support beams, as well as more leftover water. Skid along the sides and stay on solid ground. Just before the canal dips into a drainage ditch outside of town, there's an opening on the right side of the banking that, with plenty of speed, will let you glide over half of the ditch (or the entirety of it on CE). Make sure to not adjust your mid-air positioning so you won't sink too soon! Otherwise you'll be weaving through the flooded buildings, using turbo to kick yourself forward with each turn if needed. Once you're past the ditch, run up to the other side of the canal. One last lean job to avoid the bridge just before the finish line, which will also knock you off if you're not paying attention. If you have good control on your bike staying grounded, you'll have many more smooth laps!
6.4 / ARCTIC BLAST - Amateur Difficulty
"Like the Titanic, you'll be asked to navigate icy arctic waters. Unlike the Titanic, striking a hidden iceberg is the beginning of your problems."
Out into sub-zero temperatures, on the next step up the competitive ladder. The rough ride is only gonna get worse from here on out, as you have to deal with the ocean waves and snow mounts sticking out from the frozen island. You might catch a nice view if you get comfortable, but don't let it suck you in - here is your first taste of crossing gaps and pits where speed is your key to survival.
You'll sit pretty on the waters in a canyon when you start, so boost it as soon as possible, but make sure you hang early enough by the grappling post to face the field of icebergs ahead. Your choice through the field is completely up to you, as there's no definitive "fastest" way forward outside of just running through the centermost line. Be sure to curve as gently between the cool spires as you can, while adjusting your handling approach to the waters all around you.
EASTER EGG: Around Lap 2 and 3, passing through the iceberg field, if you look past the buoys on the right side, you might get a glimpse of a cruise ship out in the distance.
To the left where the ice wall is is an opening that juts upwards with a zig-zag motion, with the first checkpoint gating it off from the field. Zip between the walls and hang further left to a busy water line, the waves hitting leftward against you. If you're quick and flexible enough, you can run over them past the chicane without catching air, then sit yourself on another wave to shoot quickly to the far corner by the second checkpoint. Note that there are two different poles to hang off of on both sides of the corner, which sits in a short U-shape. Wave hello to the rig as you enter it, then spin yourself around to greet the other side.
Here a pumping station sits shoreside to the snowy beach, while you will awkwardly run up and down the diamond-shaped hills on the shore. If you (preferably) want to avoid the rollercoaster ride, slide next to the buoys as close to the pumping station as possible, but don't rub against the track boundary or you might get bogged down too much. Alternatively, you could run up along the far wall away from the station. Either way is a mostly smooth ride, but once you hit the water again, it's best to hit the inside going outside along the straight path. The next set of snowy hills are even bumpier than the first, so don't bother racing on those unless you're in it for stunting. There's a grappling pole here if you're curious, but because of the bumps, it might not be worth swinging from it while floating in the air. Don't forget to turbo your way through the bumps.
Make your way around the wide turn and approach the third checkpoint, which beholds a half-pipe shooting towards the sky, leading to your first set of gaps. Run up the ramp and fly across the first pit. You won't need turbo to make the jump unless you're stuck on the ramp for some reason. If you get cold feet with clearing gaps, just try to look for the outer walls and gun for them to guarantee your safety; just be sure that you're not gonna hit the invisible walls head-on, literally. The first ramp entering the crevasses will let you bend your bike to keep low while reaching the other side, but everything else is sketchy at best without crashing off your bike or losing speed. As you approach each short gap, stick to the quarter-pipe ramps so that you get a slick transition on each landing. The first few places are simple 90-degree turns, but is followed by a U-turn that's easy enough to stay grounded. After another short gap is the final checkpoint, with a lift in the next platform along the path. Notice the time you get in floating through the air when you don't adjust the nose of your bike versus when you do. A simple downward trajectory will help keep you going from one edge to the next when you reach the V-turn. Be extra careful trying to exit to the next platform, as the V-turn's quarter-pipe suddenly cuts off right into the abyss on the left side. There's no shame in braking at the turn to get your bearings before jumping to the final cliff. Stay away from the edge by the abyss as you run towards the canyon, falling down on the water's surface and lastly reaching the finish line to close the lap.
6.5 / HOT SHOT - Amateur Difficulty
"Here, you're a salmon. You have to swim upstream, avoid sharp rocks, and natural predators - all for a chance at a little pleasure. Otherwise, it's severe pain."
The mini-map will tell a slightly different story, but the full map lays it bare that this is one of the most technical courses without having too many gaps or chances to fall off, second or third only to the final two tracks. The fact that it is placed squarely in the center of the Jet Moto 2 season is meant as a warning to what the rest of the season will entail, minus the seventh track. It should be said that there's no shame tackling this solo to practice it before actually racing for bragging rights or gold medals, because going in blind AND trying to keep up with the A.I. is a twofold attack on your psyche. Even the pros have it rough just holding 1st place.
Gas it on the dirt trail and feel out the blind turns (this WILL take some time and reruns). It's an easy left into a hard right, then another easy left right in front of you. Hit the ledge through the first checkpoint and land in the forest. Despite how the loading screen portrays it, the forest does not snake terribly hard, but there is extra room along the sides away from the edges that line the most obvious path straight through it. Stick to the inside line as much as you can, while avoiding the trees and rocks on the ground. The second half of the forest has two trees by the inside line and a rock pile that can throw you off, so going wider through the corner is viable here. More trees await you at the checkpoint, so adjust accordingly and boost it through the hedge bump. (NOTE: On 1.0, there might be more trees sitting around the second half of the forest to get in your way. All other versions cut down a few of the obstacles to spare some of the headache.)
Now entering the bison meadow, it's a straight shot with shallow gaps over running rivers. A couple of trees and smaller rocks sit on the grass through the meadow, but nothing that should realistically get in your way. If you launch yourself with some turbo off the hedge, you can clear the first river. After that, keep your nose down and burst the turbo to cross the water and avoid going airborne too much - it requires a certain rhythm to do so, but it's more than possible with practice. Just remember to adjust your handling accordingly between the stillness of the grass and the force of the water. Past the third checkpoint lies the boardwalk where you can get sights on an active geyser, with a surrounding walkway to boot! Pass it up on the right and cross the rest of the boardwalk that zig-zags outside, complete with two complimentary magnetic poles to help you swing at both apexes.
Enter the mineral pools that sit like stair steps and cascade around each other. Beyond the fourth checkpoint, a bumpy ride becomes smooth when you mix up your nosedives and leans along each step you take. You'll notice this especially when your momentum remains consistent going down towards the bottom. If you feel slow on the way, feel free to pop a bit of turbo to kick yourself forward - you might need it against the A.I. especially.
Through the fifth checkpoint is another smaller geyser, the park ranger's cabin, and most importantly, the entrance to the gravel trail sitting by the gorgeous lake. The whole path equates to the final third of the race, and the most dangerous, but ironically the easiest against the competition. Make sure to tap the brakes on the smooth hills and again before swinging by the grappling poles at the switchbacks (On 1.0, there are rocks sitting by the center of both turns that can throw you off). Up at the peak lies the first turn of the gravel road, where the final checkpoint sits next to another grapple pole (as well as another rock in the road if you're on 1.0). Get a good look at the short gaps as you approach them, then keep a nice cool minimum of 60 mph to fly over them. You shouldn't need to tight turn much through the snaking path, as naturally turning can carry you through for the most part. Watch for the rocks on the road as usual - the first few are nuisances at worst, but the last one at the 270-degree roundabout can send you flying unless you're hanging by the grappling post that sits there. So long as you haven't shot off early, you're home free.
6.6 / THE SHAFT - Amateur Difficulty
"The Shaft. Need we say more? Okay, probably. Look out for fallen support beams, stalactites and stalagmites."
The second half of the season is the second push in a painful gestation in the midst of the whole series. Unfortunately it won't be the last, but going against the brutal competition, this is an echo of strong sentiments that there's little room for error - even more so where a majority of the track focuses on thin, borderless platforms. Often enough, you'll find yourself just a step away from getting shoved out of someone else's way and into the void.
You'll be sat facing the entrance to a smaller tunnel, with a tight right turn within, followed immediately by a hollowed-out cylindrical section. This then opens up again for breathing room in a great cavern, where you drop into a pool of water filled with a couple of stone ramps and some stalagmites peaking through the water. Bend left by the rear-facing ramp and stalagmite near the center and go for the ramp on the other side. From the ramp, face right at an angle until you're almost about to dart into the corner of the rock wall. Make sure to turbo yourself off to glide the whole way forward and you'll end up on the end of the switchbacks already ready to swing through the turnaround. Hang early as you touch the water and grapple as necessary.
Now to climb back up to the cavern. The switchbacks will force you to brake a bit, as well as make use of tight turning with to the small elbow room. Bicycle turning can make the zig-zag easier. Pass the checkpoint and run up the ramp back into the great cavern. Nosedive to reach the other rock ramp and boost off of it across the water, as to avoid gliding halfway through and potentially getting knocked off your bike. Once again, run around near the center just as you did from the opposite end and cross the cylindrical tunnel. Run along the side at a slight elevation in case someone's close to ramming you. In case there's still a crowd coming your way, take the blind corner wide for safety. This will also set yourself up to view the dreadful second half of the track...
...the wooden bridges. Split down the center, the cold comfort comes from the guardrail that prevents you from falling off along the inside, but not the outside. Typically the A.I. and all players will exit the smaller tunnel on their left/your right, so running along the bridge less traveled is an almost guaranteed safe choice. Running this side will also have you skitch along the rocks under the first fallen support beam. Go under the next fallen beam and face the next set of dangers, the metal bridges.
On 1.0, these bridges are suspended realistically by chains hanging from the inky darkness on both sides, and are arguably the hardest section in the whole game. They bend so awkwardly in a mocking attempt to flow from one end to the next, that it's a lose-lose situation between just hopping across them in a straight line at high speed, or taking your time to walk across them safely. The A.I. won't let you go quietly, and the chains might not, either. Your only chance to survive is bursting your turbo as you fly off the edges in a rhythm. Taking the time to study their positions will cut out some of the stress. On Championship Edition and Jet Moto '98, the bridges are properly straightened out and have no chains to physically get in your way, letting you hopscotch across easily and more consistently. The A.I. might still be difficult to avoid considering the lack of barriers.
Reaching the sixth checkpoint is a chicane with quarter pipe cuts in the earth. You can cut across the borderless gaps over each apex and reach the other side easily. When you face the turnaround by the mine, look for the rightmost part of the rock pile and run over it. With some turbo to spare, you can boost yourself over it and get a good spin around the center of the turn.
Now for wrapping up the lap. It's been a mouthful for this track already, but nothing about the Shaft should be understated at all. Make your way back to the chicane and cut the gaps again, as much as you can without missing the ledges and falling off. Pass again under the checkpoint before the metal bridges and do your best to follow the rhythm at which they bend near each other. If you're feeling gutsy, mash Turbo to hold your momentum across the way through, but don't let yourself slip between the sheets. Run under the fifth checkpoint and weave between the beams once again. At face value, the left side is much more open to exit from, and works more often than not, but you can still use the rocks on the right side to lift off facing the lesser used bridge. Just remember to stay by the inside where the rail is, and you can safely cross the finish line.
NOTE FOR THE "Indomitable Spirit": You might notice your neighbors having trouble just attempting to run around the switchbacks themselves if they bump into each other doing the flyover all at the same time. They might slip into an endless cycle of running into each other to finish the section, but due to them being just time trial ghosts from the test phase of development, they don't have any real capacity to get out of each other's way. Knock them around or restart the race to remedy this, though it might take multiple tries.
6.7 / ROLLERCIDE - Professional Difficulty
"This crazy circus course will have you hanging on for dear life. Don't let your finger stray too far from the Grapple button!"
Yeah, it's technically a track under the black diamond banner, but it's dead simple outside of one small section. Even then, it's much more difficult to actually try and fall off unless you get careless with your grapple energy, or you're not adept at keeping your bike upright on the track. The focus will be to stay grounded as much as possible as most of the track is a hilly wooden coaster, but with a gorgeous night view to back it. Your war is with gravity, but you'll find yourself also fighting with slipping between the solid wooden walkways and the shallow slippery railways. Certainly never a dull moment here.
You start in the center tent looking outside at the hills ahead, already in front of a downward slope. There are magnetic poles sitting just underneath the hills on this straight, but you'll want to hang on to them before flying off the arches. Tapping Turbo will also push you forward faster. What I've found, interestingly, is that bending your bike towards the ground can slow you further than just letting your bike fly naturally, though when it comes to air drag, sometimes it's a difference of nickels and dimes. Regardless, when you've touched down again, kick it into gear and repeat the formula at the first hill - grapple before liftoff, turbo off to swing fast, then let go when you've reconnected with the coaster floor. The first hill has two arches with the first checkpoint sitting between them on a flat peak, and both arches have their own magnetic point to swing off of. Throw yourself off the other end and fly down the hill to reach top speed easily, then let centrifugal forces carry you through the second valley. This second hill, unlike the first one, is much smaller, and a bit trickier to swing around efficiently. One way to tackle it is by braking and tilting your nose forward as to touch the surface near the peak, then turboing off the peak back down to sail on the opposite end for big momentum. Part of the trick is making sure you don't knock your head off your shoulders from the low slung second checkpoint, but this really only happens if you swing by the magnetic point under the hill, which would work better if it didn't swing you well above the coaster's surface. The second method, a personal favorite, is to boost up the hill and grapple as normal, then use the air brakes while your momentum is carrying you forward, letting you return to the ground sooner.
Approach the spiral turn at your discretion - going inside forces you over a slight bank that can force you wide unless you hung on the pole sitting in the eye of the spiral. Going wide is a helpful option on return trips if anything, and you can cut the inside sooner with or without some braking. Either way, you'll quickly show up to the second tent, thus the first turnaround. It's a large, perfect 90-degree quarter pipe. The fun (and intended) way to run it is going full blast up it and spinning yourself all around at will in a stunting frenzy. Thankfully, the checkpoint sits on the rideable surface just before you would fly off, so for saving time and breaking the track difficulty versus the A.I., break before crossing over so you'll stop just on the checkpoint, and spin yourself around as you slow to face back to the tent exit.
EASTER EGG: When making a return trip from the quarter pipe turn, you can slip between the two trackside advertisements at a good angle with enough speed, letting you cut the trip down the spiral turn. You won't save much time on it floating in the air, though.
Hoof it back to the spiral turn, going completely wide or entirely tight with liberal use of tight turning to not grind against the railing. To be clear, there's no stopping you from utilizing one of the two grapple poles at the top or bottom of the spire, but if you're not used to gauging your time hanging by magnetic points, you would be best off turning into the bank naturally, whether you're coming up or going down. Watch for the bump in the tracks from the banking!
From this side of the second hill, it's a smaller climb, but still demands that you brake to stay connected to the ground. Tap the brakes enough to not make you trip over your air fins, swing by the grappling point beneath the hill, then boost right off the peak just as before. Ride the tracks down and up again, and boost swing from the first hilltop once more. Follow up again on the other side until you're back in the center tent passing the finish line. Turn as soon as possible so that you caress the inside of the turn and come out at close to top speed, looking at the other exit.
Now for the real twist of this circus act - the corkscrew. You'll be forced, for a moment, to ride upside down going left until you reach the next checkpoint (which was strangely unmarked by the loading screen map). It's imperative to turn in the opposite direction while in the middle of it since the camera won't rotate with you. The easiest path through the corkscrew is in the middle where it doesn't bank too softly or harshly, but don't brake during the segment, since riding upside down requires a consistent amount of momentum to be carried (YEAH, SCIENCE!). Turbo can help with this, but try practicing running it under natural speed so you can get more used to handling your bike upside down.
If you've made it and confirmed it at the checkpoint, hopscotch it across the smaller hills down to the third tent eastward. Feel out the rhythm and turbo from one to the next like riding the ocean waves. Finally slip into the turnaround tent and zip back out through the ring. Hit the bumps once again like they're waves and boost up one side on the back of another, then turn towards the corkscrew. Remember to hold fast going through the center of the tracks. If you still have some turbo left, it might help you to push through the incoming crowd should they draw near, then wrap up the run sliding into the turn within the center tent straight into the finish.
6.8 / KA-MA-TE - Professional Difficulty
"A mystical track from New Zealand that sends you over suspension bridges, across cliffs and into head-on collisions with tiki masks. Fun."
Two-thirds dirt, one-third water, all-encompassing entrapment. If you're not feeling the strangulation of the tight runways, the wider-open sections offer plenty of immovable objects perpendicular to your unstoppable force. The pressure is on you as well as the A.I. to stay ahead and on top by any means necessary. If you can help it, the best way to survive this course is by ignoring your opponents entirely; keeping up will be a problem, but the greatest battle is with the road ahead.
The starting line sits directly in front of a drop in the road, sketchy enough to where boosting off the line could cause you to slip right into the crack in the earth. Best to wait for the rest of the field to plow through, THEN turbo right off the ledge while lifting the nose of your bike. Otherwise, just dip down and ride the floor normally. Take the first turn carefully, not too close to the inner edge or the outer wall - both could get you knocked off. Hop the next gap smoothly and follow it to the first checkpoint around the corner. Drop into the cavernous valley with some wide but sparse pillars holding the ceiling and run in a gentle, long turn until you're in front of the second checkpoint.
Ahead lies the suspension bridge, with no railing whatsoever and small room for error. When you have the angle just right, zip straight across and swing by the first magnetic post by the third checkpoint. Don't go flying into the sign from the lift in the bridge. After that are some crooked juts of earth to hop from. You can very simply skip across them without ever adjusting your angle, rolling to match the surfaces before landing. If you do get shoved a bit to the side and haven't already become one with the pit, make some slight touches to your trajectory to get back to the middle of the juts (the 1st Person view might help with this in a pinch). Keep high on the off-chamber turn, or grapple along it if you find yourself lower than you wanted. After that, just turbo off the drop right after and run across the bridge that crosses over the later section of the track.
Here's the final third of the course, the watery maze. You drop off into a small alcove just before it, gated off by the fifth checkpoint.
EASTER EGG: Here's a very short and awkward shortcut. Just behind the wall to the left of the checkpoint is a grassy ramp sticking out of the water, which can let you up onto the second, smaller suspension bridge. Getting up there requires a bit of turbo and dexterous control of your bike, enough to get a foot up there. It's easiest to pitch yourself back on the ramp aiming for its lowest point, then roll mid-air to reach it. If you haven't fallen off the other side, you can cut past the maze in the beginning and fly over the next checkpoint, but this is the hardest intended shortcut. However, you can find an in-game scanned photo of one of the developers' children just behind the crooked Kawasaki billboard.
The general path forward is obvious, but getting through is entirely up to you. Take care not to smash yourself into a shrub or a rock piercing the water's surface. Later laps should give you a good idea how to get through very quickly, letting you picture a path forward in your head. When you've found the corner, slip past the trees by the sixth checkpoint, sliding on the water by the magnetic post and swinging from it towards the left. Mind the two stone pillars in the middle and run past them on the right, sliding again to turn right, then to the next corner immediately sliding once more by another grappling post to face left in a tight S-turn. The water can help you carry your momentum somewhat if you feel out the groove in the turns on the water. Slip under the bridge from earlier and reconnect with the dirt trail ahead climbing to the sky in another S-shape. Make sure you're facing the finish line before you reach the top and have enough speed, as there's one last gap to cross before getting there.
6.9 / MACH SCHNELL - Professional Difficulty
"Like a good mogul run, you'll have to choose your path wisely. For the path of least resistance is not the most readily apparent."
The final challenge of the regular season, with a large variety of ways to test your mettle as a culmination of everything you've learned. The one thing to worry about less is the lack of surface types, as it's almost entirely powder through the mountains. Watch where you're headed at all times, since there are irrecoverable gaps that you might not notice until it's too late. Thankfully the opposition will have it's own trouble going toe to toe here, so once again, just worry about yourself.
You begin under an archway looking up at the rising path forward. Gun it if you can, but mind the breakaway turn that immediately follows, where you can go flying off if you're not careful. There's a magnetic point to swing from to course correct you, so make use of it if needed. There's also an immediate drop halfway through the first turn, so hanging on will help you from flying off. Slip under the first checkpoint and turn to look up at the mogul field. A bit of turbo to push yourself will do wonders getting topside in record time, but pick your path carefully. There's a smooth line in the middle going up, but if you don't turn off back to the leftmost wall, you'll fall right into the pit just before the next checkpoint. Your safest bet if you're not yet familiar with the ins and outs is to run off the mogul directly in front of the path and boost against the wall. If you can help it, don't carry the speed all the way to the top so that your momentum settles near where the path starts to even out. Then if you have sights on the grappling pole, you can glide and cut the gap to the right side of it. (The gap is much larger than it looks, as if you try to turbo from the middle of the field, you'll be too low to reach the other side).
Pay heed to the caution signs above the adverts and turn left. The hill you're on will start bending down to earth until it drops into a point of no return. Make use of one of the two caution-colored ramps before the bottom to reach the small tunnel, but check your flight angle. Past that is a small valley with another pit dead center with a warning sign marking its appearance, so run either to the left or right banks to stay alive. The path re-converges followed by another sudden drop, but no gap. Afterwards is a short, tight canyon that bends in the shape of a backwards "5," with the curve having an avoidable pit on the inside. It's possible to boost glide it if you're feeling daring, but you'll wanna be focused for the next leg.
The full pipe tunnel is a moderately tricky obstacle that isn't long, but contains an opening in the bottom that requires either a dexterous bike to run around or a turbo boost to move across. Inexperienced riders might have difficulties using the edge of the tunnel to lift off and catch air, but the option exists in case you're out of spare turbo. Following up the tunnel is wide-opn air with nothing but small, jagged "steps" of snow-covered mountain marking a slightly uneven thin path over the white abyss - the stairway in the sky. Take your time hitting each step going down and keep your thumb by the Brakes to keep yourself from going too far. This section more often than not seems to trip up the A.I., giving you the time to catch up if you've had trouble beforehand. You can cut across very short gaps just after the fourth checkpoint in the middle of the stairway, as well as off of the second step that cuts upwards like a ramp, giving you plenty of air to jump to the fifth and final checkpoint in front of the open-ended cave.
The last section is a dead simple straightaway, starting at the top of a bumpy rock wall and sloping forward until it climbs up to the finish line. Intermittent braking can help you while running up, staying grounded and avoiding smashing into the concrete arch before the finish. Don't slam the brakes, however, as there's a gap in front of it. You might have noticed a side path behind the rock wall. It's a somewhat dicey option for climbing up higher to fly over the finish, but requires a decent angle. The arrows pointing to your destination can help give you a good idea where to go.
6.10 / NEBULOUS - Master Difficulty
"This is the kind of course where you'd love to have Dante along for the ride. Travel through Heaven, but be prepared for a little taste of Hell."
The Jet Moto 2 bonus track. A mind-bending concoction of verticality and horizontality as far as the eye can see (or let you). The loading screen won't do you any justice - it's a hilly, twisty onslaught with the only genuine flat section being the starting line. And outside of the start/finish, there are no signs or earthly possessions from top to bottom. The checkpoints are all just clouds of mist in Heaven, or streaks of burning flames in Hell, and even with all the walls to protect you from falling off, there's plenty of gaps and hills to fly from if you aren't careful. But if you've made it this far, you're already a Jet Moto pro in our books.
The opening leg is facing a small gap in front of a short hill climb, with checkpoint #1 sitting at the top. Right after is a sloping run that banks mostly right for #2 and #3, then banking hard right to turn you around to the other side. Do your best to hold straight along the general direction of the course and carefully brake to stay closely grounded. The track snakes up and down for #4, #5 and #6. The banking decreases but carries you almost in a coaster-like fashion before diving down through the ethereal cream-colored clouds. Welcome to...
...HELL. If you can withstand the assault on your eyes from the flashing lightning, nothing can stop you now. First comes the hard banking after #7 as you turn further left along the broken freeway, then transitions into a banked path facing opposite of you. Immediately start rolling to match the track, turboing off the edge from where you were, then follow right to #8 (positioned underneath the start/finish on the map). The track drops off in front of a set of 4 mason bridges perfectly straightened for ease, but all bent in the middle as segmented ramps that connect to one another. Take the casual bull ride across the platforms and land on the upper path as intended. Through #9 and up the broken road, part the smoky darkness of the stormy sky and re-emerge in Heaven.
Run through #10 and hang high through the quarter-pipe bankings going right, then left, then right again, hitting up #11, #12 and #13. Watch as the banks switch up immediately at each break in the path. After passing the thirteenth gate, the road swings upwards, banks to the right a bit, then nosedives after #14 back through the clouds. Slow yourself enough to stay close to the path, braking if needed, then free fall or speed off back down to Hell.
Beneath the transitioning point, the track bends upwards to nearly flatten out moving forward, beyond #15. Follow the track as usual to the right, running underneath the exit ramp from where the ninth checkpoint was past #16 and drop back onto the mason bridges. Seem familiar? It's the same section, approached from a different angle so that the ramps are still flowing upwards to the next section from your view. Be careful falling down here, however, as you will respawn at the checkpoint before the bridges, which will force you to roll; turn a bit to correct this when you drop down and you should be fine. Run up the ramps to the bottom layer and pass through #17. Your final challenge here is the skyward spiral turn of more loosely-connected roads. Make your approach on the broken road as it slowly starts to bank right. Make sure to roll with the track to keep parallel to it, using turbo for extra speed and centrifugal force. If you can keep this up, point your nose forward to aim for the road. And if nothing else, go into first person to make the traversal easier. Once you see the white out, you should launch across the remaining pieces of road and through the final checkpoint and right into the podium.
-{CLASSIC TRACKS}-
6.11 / WILLPOWER - Amateur Difficulty
"Although this is a race, speed is not necessarily your friend. Leading the pack has sent many racers flying into a wall or off a cliff."
An arduous snow course that is more of a true endurance test than anything else. A single lap on average is about 1-1/2 minutes in length, longer than most other races. The ability to control yourself mid-air somewhat and naturally air brake compared to Jet Moto 1 makes things much easier to get risky, but it always pays to pay attention, even here. Besides a couple of tunnels on concrete, there's only packed snow on the way, and wide gaps off of wicked jumps to break up whole sections of the course. Feel free to make use of the wide track at your leisure. You begin below a ski lift by the mountaintop, in front of a slope. Hold your nose down as you start your run, then glide or boost over the first jump. Hold your balance via rolling, pitching and braking as the powder can be choppy. Follow the gentle snaking curves and through the first checkpoint, then the downward tunnel inside of the mountain. Brake a bit as needed at the "SLOW" sign while pitching downward until you pass the second checkpoint and land in a icy valley. Ride the snow as it rises and falls. You can pick out a route going inside and out, from the center to the wall while trying to stay as level with the ground as possible. The uneven snow lends itself to an even bumpier run. When the hills become too steep, you can run directly down them with the help of air braking, or riding at an angle from one side to the next, an optimal strategy that works especially well in Jet Moto 1.
Run through the third checkpoint and leap down to the dip in the road. Through the next checkpoint, make another gap crossing with some turbo and run on the inside of the banking in the snow. You'll leap to another path over a similar gap, dipping down under the fifth checkpoint. When you start climbing again, make your way over towards the right side past the gap. Remember to brake and pitch with the bend of the hill where the sixth checkpoint is. Here, it's easy enough to go from one apex to the next as the path snakes upwards to the right, then to the left. Follow the path of least resistance and elevation until you reach the end of the wide trail.
When you touch down on the lined powder, run up the mountainside under another few small tunnels, then face the switchbacks. Keep going, then turbo off the road evening out, spinning right and swinging by the magnetic pole in mid-air. Alternatively, you can follow the road and swing by the ground after a brake turn, turboing off the line. Repeat the step on the second turn, then run it home up the slope, careful to not slip off the edge, then turn when you're close to the trackside ads.
6.12 / ICE CRUSHER - Professional Difficulty
"Ice Crusher is carved out of a fragmented glacier. It's a test of guts: How fast will you go, how close to the edge will you run? Make sure to keep your nose up!" No matter who you are, no matter how good you are, there is ALWAYS Ice Crusher. There really isn't much to say on this one without you actually being there. It's one big jumbled mess where you can fall off your bike at any moment because you didn't watch where you were going. This track is murder in the original Jet Moto, but here it's somewhat manageable. The key is to run evenly with the shattered platforms, and to not let the icy surfaces get the best of you when speeding along the steps. Optimally, you will want to stay on the left path where the road splits, as the right path is awkward and is too far out, though it isn't impossible to still win running it, but it will take some getting used to. The Left path, though, has plenty of smoother, even and connected surfaces. There are a couple of points where the split re-converges, though utilizing them effectively is questionable, except for the center platform.
6.13 / SNOW BLIND - Amateur Difficulty
"Although this course has the characteristic 'suicide' U-turns at each end, the major danger here is the course itself."
Here's a straightforward track that offers plenty, but in small increments. Although it's a snow-themed track that would have come last in the Jet Moto 1 season, it can be underwhelming here with the extra space you have with the reduced roster, as well as everyone seemingly shrunk in Jet Moto 2 (or are the tracks just bigger?). Even so, caution is required when approaching both turnarounds and the jumps near them. It gets hilly all throughout, so pitching and braking sparingly is once again a must. Just like in Willpower, you'll want to get used to running up the rolling hills in the track to keep your momentum at a more forward rate, rather than going head on to launch yourself too high.
Now at the start, sitting beneath the spectator's observatory, you can turbo right off the bat and start leaning forward to follow the rolling of the snow and right over the first gap. With good speed, you can slip right into the tunnel. Roll on your side or snake your way to the left to stay on even ground, avoiding hitting the checkpoint. Head towards the right on the inside of the bowl turn all the way through, then slowly working your way left, then winding back right over the rise inside the tunnel. Head for the jump while aiming yourself straight ahead. Plow downward through the gap and let yourself glide as far and as fast as possible. Then snake or roll along the next bump in the third tunnel once again and head either towards the left or right side. When you're near the magnetic post, start turning from either side, THEN grapple around to slingshot yourself back down.
Slide on the hill and launch yourself over the gap, watching for oncoming traffic. Hugging the walls is recommended for this, since the A.I. and many players will keep center for the most part. Though this, like other track strategies, is written to give a good idea on how best to approach sections of each course in the fastest and smoothest way possible, you should always go at your own pace first to get comfortable with the track. Onwards, run along the middle or high right side of the bowl turn in case there's more opposition. Otherwise stay low for the shortest path. As you approach the checkpoint before the tunnel, make your way right into it, then pitch downward and turbo into the jump. Reach the center path again and let your engine run under natural power up the hill, continuing to pitch down to keep grounded and tapping the brake as you hit the hard curve by the starting line, then swing yourself along the slope to the right, breaking mid-air when you're hovering just over the lip of the third section.
Boost down the hill and run left up to the fourth checkpoint at an angle, going near the wall at the peak while braking, then turning towards the center to boost again. Bicyle turn towards the edge, or just turbo into the air with grace. If you're not too high, you can connect with the other side early and turbo the rest of the way through. Towards the next turn, take it the same as the first one and start turning before you reach the edge, following the turn by grappling for the slingshot effect. This will work best with turning closer to the post than far, as you might risk hitting the checkpoint by accident.When you're through, turbo off down the line and bicycle turn by the edge to carry yourself forward to the other side of the gap. Run up the hill by the checkpoint again, this time towards the right, then dive down the opposite side. To close off the lap, try to run high again where the jump banks, then exit more towards the center so that you land closest to the ground on the center path.
6.14 / CLIFFDIVER - Professional Difficulty
"This is a winding, treacherous course, arguably one of the toughest on the circuit. Use the grapple posts provided to take on the nasty switchbacks and passing areas."
Here's a playground that holds up in its difficulty, though its challenge has shrunk partially because of the decrease in momentum from the first game, and the margin for error in "falling off" the track is gone. The real action stems from the base of the mountain all the way to the lookout point leading back to the waters by the finish line. If you can keep your acceleration going uphill, and break the air flying down, it'll be a smooth ride through.
Turbo off of the water's edge and let the dirt road do the rest. Hold fast going uphill, nose down, and start turning left gently. The first corner isn't too harsh, but it's followed up by a blind corkscrew reminiscent of Laguna Seca's infamous (albeit more steep) corkscrew. Brake a bit or hold your nose down again to clutch the dirt trail. At the bottom of the hill is another, tighter corner facing Gem Bay. You can follow the rest of the trail on the left side, or cut right through the bay past the moai heads. Which path you'll take is dependent on your weight, but it's a short run through to the base of the mountain.
Hit the small bend under the third checkpoint and start looking up. The first turn is short, but it's most beneficial to hang by the grappling post and leads to a small but wavy straight that gives you time to prepare for the next switchback. Swing around the next post through the 180 degree turn, then turbo through the other side as this straight has a few small humps that will disrupt your grip. Swing again through another hemispherical turn. If you're not confident with managing grapple energy, and find yourself running out of energy sooner than intended, change to tapping your brakes while turning to hold corners better and angle yourself sooner. This is especially helpful after the third turn as the next is almost immediately in front of you while you approach the peak where the fourth checkpoint. You most likely won't need grapple energy for this last turn.
If you have turbo left to spare, launch yourself straight off the edge of the turn and dive towards the other side of the cliffs. Should you not trust it, you're more than welcome to take the path as it is, but the fastest riders fly right through. No pressure, however, as it will take some practice to turn just enough to set the right angle to jump from.
Turn hard into the fifth checkpoint and tap the brakes before reaching the hilltops in the road, then re-engage the gas as you follow the path. Lean into the hills if it suits you further, as the next corner has another hill. The final checkpoint beholds the lookout point, where you re-enter a rough, rock-filled area by the beachside. Go wide by the wall, then gun it to the cliffside exit to fall by the leftmost wall where it'll be a straight shot towards the finish line. Hitting the water might kill your speed, so turbo forward to catch back up.
6.15 / JOYRIDE - Novice Difficulty
"A wide open run. If you get turned around, keep the red buoys on your right. The secret to winning is not necessarily the shortest path, but the rhythm of the waves."
It doesn't get easier than this. Very little in the way of elevation changes and a plentiful mix of concrete, sand and surf to ride on to let you get used to the core surface types (that being hard, soft and loose - puns intended). Plenty of space around to ket your kicks whether for business or pleasure, too, and feel free to ride the waves like they're meant to be, as Jet Moto 2's physics and scale make it much easier.
Cut right through the sand dunes, leaning as necessary, or head right along the water's edge for a straight shot to the first corner. Normally the wide range of the path allows for a sizeable crowd to go as they see fit like it did in Jet Moto 2, but here any angle works. Swing near the grapple post if running close, and ride across the waves as much as possible until you get to the next grapple post. If you prefer a smoother path, keep wide near the sand bars as they'll grant you more grip to keep your speed up. From there, you can avoid the waves for a second until you're near the apex of the third corner and the final grapple post to swing against.
The surf becomes a lot calmer here until you get to the island with the fallen bridge, which makes for a great point to stunt off of, but should otherwise be avoided. Another set of waves curl ahead, next to a small set of sand bars to regain your grip in case things get too slippery for you, but the comfort won't last for long. Past another checkpoint lies the broken freeway, which is a boon for light bikes to avoid the ocean waves, while the heavier riders can cut straight through with a bit of turbo. At the final checkpoint, keep low as the beach digs up above the ground floor of the resort entrance, and belt it out as best you can to the finish line.
6.16 / HAMMERHEAD - Novice Difficulty
"This suicide course can be confusing due to multiple routes across the bridges and water. Just be careful at the turns - that's where Jet Moto racers are likely to collide!"
As with Joyride, remember to keep the red buoys on your right. Otherwise it's still one of the most straightforward tracks available, and the true easiest suicide course. There isn't too much to say, consequentially, but the only checkpoints are the starting line and the turnarounds. The freeway might give you the kick you need if by some strange instance you're out of turbo to spare, but you're better off running by sand bars scattered along the water.
Run for the hills (or in this case, the waves) by hitting the waters early. Make your way towards the first turn near the offramp. Boost yourself off of the sand bar to the left side of the turnaround to get some air and spin yourself around on the right, then sprint across the offramp to run back on the inside of the track. Stay right and hold your nose down through sand bars ahead, passing over the second checkpoint (technically the starting line).
The second half is virtually the same as the first, only instead of sand bars, there's only the waves to get in your way, as well as provide lift to swing around the other turnaround if you're in good position. Feel free to clip yourself onto the second offramp for solid ground, then grapple with the post to hit the final checkpoint and run for the inside of the track once more. Once you're over the waves, it's smooth sailing to the finish line.
6.17 / CYPRESS RUN - Professional Difficulty
"Cypress Run, a congested nightmare, is full of innumerable obstacles within backwater swamps. If the thick reeds in the serpentine cut can't slow you down, the trees and stumps will."
It's a jungle out there, where survival of the fittest is the name of the game thanks to the obstacle course that is this track. The only reprieve you'll have is the very beginning on the small stretch of dirt road. And much like Ice Crusher, it's best seen rather than read about, but I can give you a clearer idea as the race goes on at each section. At the end of the day, however, it's up to you to find out how you want to tackle the track.
Light up your bike off the line and follow the soft turns, minding the puddles of bogwater in between them. Also be careful about cutting the two dirt ramps, since the game doesn't like when you make too drastic of a transition from surface to surface sometimes. Pass the first checkpoint and run towards the covered bridge in the middle of this vein in the course. Watch for the wedges sticking over the water, sporting nice concrete you can catch your grip on if needed, but can throw you off your angle. You can also choose to run right of the bridge where the water's more open, but either way, you'll have to face the swamp gauntlet.
Looking at the bigger picture, the whole field is a mess and a half, and sliding along the water will hamper your reaction time. However, as you look inside, you might find key openings to help you keep your speed up. I've found these spots more on the inside heading right. After this comes a choice of three paths through the reeds. The rightmost path zig-zags a bit despite being on the inside, the middle path is smooth but tight and ends in front of a giant fallen tree, and the leftmost path is the widest, with the only caveat being it's on the outside and you could find yourself running right into the trees without being able to move out of the way. Whatever tickles your fancy, you'll meet with another part of the swamp filled with natural barriers, and inside of it, a smooth path that curves right into the second checkpoint.
You'll run over three wide dirt ramps, which you might be able glide over after hitting the first one. Avoid the trees nearby on the right, then take your pick of the two exits in the reeds from here. On the right is a left turn into a straight that converges with the left exit, which is a very tight chicane, but leads you directly into the most infamous event of the circuit - the serpentine cut. Here, it's a matter of swinging through very sharp corners unlike anything else in the series (besides maybe The Shaft). This requires optimal braking and bicycle turning to make proper use of the grappling posts at each corner from beginning to end, even at the egress past the third checkpoint. You can swing from the last post, but will face the inside of the last vein of the swamp and zig-zag through trees and bushes. Otherwise, go wide by the left side where you'll see a tree right next to the yellow buoys with a bush beside it. Run right of the bush and from your angle you should see a straight path that will lead you into the final checkpoint safely. All that's left is a right turn into another wide ramp before the checkered line.
6.18 / BLACKWATER FALLS - Amateur Difficulty
"Most of this track is inside a quick moving river. Don't get too comfortable, though - it's not called Blackwater Falls for nothing!"
Probably one of the most interesting tracks from the original season, it's an endless series of blind corners almost in tribute to the motocross scene. The descriptor says it's inside of a moving river, but the water is, in fact, still all the way through. It's a good place to practice your bicycle turning and slingshotting utilizing the water's slippery properties with the grapple poles sitting by most of the corners.
You'll begin on a stretch of winding dirt road looking towards a short left turn. It's followed up by an equally short right that then curves back to the left, heading up to the right in a rise on the track. Brake if you don't feel like stunting off of it, then continue down it until the final left turn that breaks off onto the water. Careful if you get close to the fallen trees in the water - trying to ride on the base of them can trip you off your bike, so aim for the thinner portion that's further sunken into the water if you can't avoid it completely. Through the first checkpoint is an island with shrubbery sticking out, forcing you either left or right. Going left will set you up to cross over to the next section easier as it dips down. Flick yourself towards the left with the grapple pole, then gently curve around the stump and tree in the water ahead of you.
EASTER EGG: The plantation house past the second checkpoint (technically right in front of you) was once a shortcut you could run through in the original Jet Moto, busting right through the doors into a very small hallway with a chandelier, then out the other side. On Playstation, it was a nice small cut past the chicane it sat next to, while on the PC release, it's a technically more optimal path forward. The same would be said here if it wasn't boarded up to keep out trespassers and vandals, but at least the grass doesn't slow your bike anymore.
After the checkpoint, wind right in an S-bend, then hang hard left with the grapple and turbo away to the next dip. Snake yourself again without losing too much speed before reaching the next turn, swinging again by the grappling post until you're about to launch off of the waterfall. Try to time yourself flying off towards the right side. If you have the momentum, you might be able to swing right by the corner while falling down. If not, you'll have to turbo to catapult through it. Next you'll start to take it easy going left as it's a wide, moderate turn, with a tight cut on the inside featuring the last magnetic post. Facing the dam, take your pick of the three entrances, but be careful if you head to the right side as there's a giant tree in front of it with another small tree and a stump behind. Zoom past the bog of trees and stumps in the long right turn, then meet with the dirt exit to follow the winding path to the finish, including taking the inside of the banked turn at the end.
6.19 / SUICIDE SWAMP - Amateur Difficulty
"A Jet Moto 'suicide' course, track seems fairly easy. Then you reach the end of
the course, where the U-turns send you racing head-on into the pack!"
Second to Hammerhead, this is the shortest course and is pretty formidable thanks to the mess of foliage in the center of the track, while also having a narrow band of space to pass opponents aside from the first turnaround. Almost every second is a gamble as to whether you'll trade paint with someone, making for one of the most interesting races every time, and all in a tiny convenient package.
The chaos begins on the dirt from the latter half, entering the water and already ready to greet the wood. The most convenient path here is dead center of the road between everything. Launch off of the dirt ramp in front of the covered bridge and head by the chicken coop, preemptively turning into it and turboing with the grappling pole. Bob and weave back through the bridge, then hit up the outside lanes to avoid the crowd. Hang right through the midway and cling to the dirt going left. Keep your nose down through the rough mounds, using Turbo for correction. You can also ride the dirt ramps on both sides to avoid the main road if things get too hot, but by the end, race hard for the ramp in front of the magnetic post. Catch air and swing with the post to angle yourself early for the return trip, but the bowl turn is a fun option to go wide with. All that's left is to push through the middle or fly by the edge of the road to close off the lap.
6.20 / NIGHTMARE - Master Difficulty
"Some people dream about flying, others about falling. Jet Moto racers do both."
The bonus track for the original season. It's basically one big broken freeway with a nice view no matter where you go. It's nowhere as touchy as in the first game, but still demands your attention as there are many chances to fly off from beginning to end. It's also wise to note that much like Willpower, failure to land on the track will result in you waiting to hit the very bottom just to respawn, which can feel like forever. This could be due to them rendering the whole of the map as a safe zone rather than building the out-of-bounds around the rideable track itself. Also note that the smaller platforms around the middle of the track DO NOT count as solid ground to respawn on, so any mistakes you make will set you back to the last bridge you successfully crossed.
From the start make sure you gun it immediately, then keep your nose down for a second. When you see the bridge on the other side from where you are, boost yourself upward to glide to it safely. Ride the banked turn without braking and carry yourself forward up the hill. From the top, you'll meet the first set of smaller platforms that curve towards the other long bridge. Take care to not get eager with turbo and just ride along the steps as close to the center while gently curving with them to safety. When you reach the center bridge, keep your nose down all the way, or slowly curve along the hill so you can stay grounded all the way over. Then run (or swing) for the next, mercifully shorter, set of platforms. You might want to turbo along these so as to not float too long stepping between them and onto the other side. Swing along the 270-degree banked turn, moving gently to get as much speed as you can, and swing or turbo over the gap to the next bridge.
Keep straight even along the bend until you get close to the checkpoint, then lean into the turn, as it will bend downward towards another small gap. Should you run too hard too fast, there's a magnetic post laying at the peak that you can latch onto for safety as long as you're not late to react. Past the gap is the next turn, and with it, a mountain with another checkpoint. Here you cross under where the center bridge and smaller section of platforms were, and can use the magnetic post there to swing again if you're low on gas. Make sure you can swing at the apex of the post's range to gain some momentum if need be.
Now you'll start to snake with the road, running evenly with the banking to hold your speed but close to the inner edges of the s-turn. Afterwards, it's a straight shot along the path's bumps, being sure to stay even with the road and pointing your nose down. End the lap with all you've got, turning with the final banking and touching down before the starting line.
EASTER EGG: More of a factoid, but for fans of Twisted Metal 2, the night sky seen down below is the same texture as was used for the New York stage, leading to a possible theory that this race takes place above the skyscrapers of the Big Apple - y'know, if you have any interest in interconnected worlds.
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7.0 | TROPHY CASE
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[Some things to keep in mind when trying to make progression: switching the base tracks to the hidden playgrounds (i.e. the Jet Moto 1 courses) through the Practice, Single Track or Custom Circuit modes, and activating the Stunt Race key and/or rider medals from the Trophy Case will prevent any and all progression. You also cannot make progress on a previous difficulty level. Outside of that, you can still reduce the number of laps, and even use cheats, and continue making progress]
7.1 / You unlock certain tracks at every difficulty, unlocking more the higher up you go. By default, you start with Slickrock Gorge, Meltdown and Aftershock at Novice ranking. Later, you unlock Arctic Blast, Hot Shot and The Shaft at Amateur. Rollercide, Ka-Ma-Te and Mach Schnell arrive at the Professional ranking. Finally, Nebulous is unlocked as the sole Master ranking track. Note that until you unlock every track, playing on Professional difficulty will only let you run a season on all available tracks.
7.2 / There are "hidden playgrounds" that each of the ten starter riders has, A.K.A. a bonus track originating from Jet Moto 1. Unlocking these tracks requires beating a full season on Master difficulty with each of the riders. Unlocking even one hidden track will grant you the "Rider Mastery" trophy, which is placed to the far right of the case, inscribed with each rider's name on it for each completed rider's season.
Li'l Dave = Willpower
Wild Ride = Ice Crusher
Blade = Snow Blind
Technician = Joyride
The Max = Cliffdiver
Vampeera = Hammerhead
Gadget = Cypress Run
Steele = Blackwater Falls
The Hun = Suicide Swamp
Bomber = Nightmare
7.3 / The "1st Place" ribbon is earned by placing 1st in all available races in a full season on any given difficulty. The ribbon will have the difficulty played displayed underneath the badge, ranging from a green circle, to a blue square, to a black diamond, to the iconic SingleTrac logo. The ribbon is the middle of the 3 large ribbons at the top left of the trophy case.
7.4 / The "Weight Class Mastery" ribbon is awarded from winning a full season with one rider from the light, medium and heavyweight bike classes. Lil' Dave, Wild Ride, and Blade are lightweight riders. Technician, The Max, Vampeera and Gadget are middleweight riders. Steele, The Hun, and Bomber are heavyweight riders. This one sits to the left of the "1st Place" ribbon.
7.5 / The "Game Mastery" ribbon sits to the right of the "1st Place" ribbon and is awarded upon earning all rider medals and unlocking their "hidden playgrounds". This is typically the final addition to your trophy case, or one of the last you'll earn.
7.6 / The "Ranking" pin sits next to the key-shaped hole on the right side of the case, and will be filled after completing a full season on Novice (filling it with a blue square), Amateur (filling in a black diamond), Professional (filling in a double black diamond), and lastly Master (filling it with the SingleTrac logo, which unlocks Insane Difficulty.).
7.7 / The "Stunt Race" key lays dead center of the case. It offers a fun way to spin the main game with mid-race bonuses! Depending on how well you throw out "tricks" (I.E. rolling and spinning mid-air), you'll gain a score that will give you an upgrade that only lasts for a short period of time. Unlocking this key only requires that you complete a full season on Amateur difficulty.
7.7.1 / At a score of 71 or less, your turbo will gain a 25% refill. Between 76 and 110, your turbo will be completely refilled.
7.7.2 / Between 120 and 138, your ground drag will be nonexistent. Between 152 and 187, you'll gain the "Rocket Racer" trait, increasing your overall speed.
7.7.3 / If you manage to pull off a stunt worthy of a score of 200, you'll gain the above 3 traits!
7.8 / The "Direct Play" pin is one of those oddball collectibles in the game, as it can ONLY be unlocked through playing through a single full season on Master difficulty, -from a new save file-. You'll see this sitting at the top of the case in the center, above the "Stunt Race" key. Going for this pin from the get-go will give you a straight shot to unlock all of the base tracks, as well as unlocking Enigma.
7.9 / The "Uninterrupted Season" pin is unlocked via playing through a full season without exiting it at any point (such as saving mid-season and loading back into it). Restarting a race will also disqualify you from earning the pin. It sits in the middle of the three small slots above the "Ranking" pin.
7.10 / The "Indomitable Spirit" pin has multiple colors depending on the difficulty it was unlocked at. Available on Novice (in green, original JM2 only), Amateur (in blue), Professional (in black), Master (in black & white) and Insane (in red). The only way to unlock the pin is to place dead last on all tracks in a full season. The pin sits to the top right, next to the "Uninterrupted Season" pin.
7.11 / The crystal "SingleTrac" trophy sits next to the rider's monument, and is proof of your ability to beat a full season on Insane difficulty.
7.12 / Rider Medals are the individual awards you get from completing, at minimum, a full season on Professional difficulty with each rider. These double as little cheat codes that can further twist the main game in interesting ways. Each rider's medal has a unique function, from applying mechanical changes to how bikes handle, to infinite grapple or turbo reserves, to changing the visual presentation of the game world altogether.
Li'l Dave: Upside Down Cam - Flip your perception, literally.
Wild Ride: Super Brakes - Come to a dead stop almost immediately.
Blade: TV Cam - See things from the perspective of the fans.
Technician: Cyberspace Cam - The world becomes one giant wireframe display, just like the simulations.
The Max: Unlimited Turbo - No refills required.
Vampeera: Super Agility - Flip any bike like it was lighter than air.
Gadget: Unlimited Grapple - Never let go of those posts!
Steele: Remote Control - In a Head-to-Head match, take control of your opponent's bike.
The Hun: Ice Racing - Your bike will slip around a lot across all surfaces.
Bomber: Zero Resistance - Your bike will not be affected by the environment.
7.13 / In the Championship Edition, your Trophy Case is given the "Direct Play" and "Ranking" pin (up to Master) by default on a fresh save. This arguably takes some of the grind out of filling out the case, but still leaves the Rider medals and Enigma as unlockables up to Master difficulty.
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8.0 | EXTRA WAYS to PLAY
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8.1 | Original Seasons
There are a few "official" seasons, i.e. circuits made up of the gamut of tracks in the whole of the Jet Moto series, which the games take you through organically. For example, Jet Moto 2's is as follows:
1. Slickrock Gorge
2. Meltdown
3. Aftershock
4. Arctic Blast
5. Hot Shot
6. The Shaft
7. Rollercide
8. Ka-Ma-Te
9. Mach Schnell
10. Nebulous
Since Jet Moto 1's tracks are unlockable, you can technically play the full season from there. In it's original capacity, the full season follows:
1. Joyride
2. Cliffdiver
3. Hammerhead
4. Cypress Run
5. Blackwater Falls
6. Suicide Swamp
7. Willpower
8. Ice Crusher
9. Snow Blind
10. Nightmare
That original set up is done by the theming, after you unlock every track through repeated seasons in the original game. However, unlike Jet Moto 2's season, it's not balanced towards difficulty. Thus after some deliberation, I've set up a more evenly challenging gauntlet as such:
1. Joyride
2. Hammerhead
3. Snow Blind
4. Blackwater Falls
5. Suicide Swamp
6. Willpower
7. Cypress Run
8. Cliffdiver
9. Ice Crusher
10. Nightmare
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8.2 / Custom Seasons
Years back, I had an idea for "custom seasons" that can be played around with many of the 20 available tracks, with the medals for spice!
8.2.1 / =Atlantic Summer Shred=
(4 laps)
1. Joyride
2. Hammerhead
3. Slickrock Gorge
4. Meltdown
5. Cliffdiver
8.2.2 / =Super Kawasaki Springtime Sessions=
(4 laps)
1. Blackwater Falls
2. Aftershock
3. Cliffdiver
4. Rollercide
5. Hot Shot
8.2.3 / =Winter War with the Dragon=
(4 laps) (EX Version: "Ice Racing" medal required)
1. Snow Blind
2. Arctic Blast
3. Willpower
4. Ice Crusher
5. Mach Schnell
8.2.4 / =Do the Dew Fall Festival=
(4 laps)
1. Cypress Run
2. Suicide Swamp
3. Blackwater Falls
4. The Shaft
5. Ka-Ma-Te
8.2.5 / =Cris-Cross Clash=
(4 laps) (EX: "TV Cam" medal)
1. Hammerhead
2. Meltdown
3. Snow Blind
4. Suicide Swamp
5. Rollercide
6. The Shaft
8.2.6 / =Kari's Wild Sprint=
(2 laps)
1. Cliffdiver
2. Hot Shot
3. Willpower
4. Rollercide
5. Ice Crusher
6. The Shaft
7. Ka-Ma-Te
8. Mach Schnell
9. Nightmare
10. Nebulous
8.2.7 / =Otomo's Simulation=
(3 laps, "Cyberspace Cam" medal)
1. Joyride
2. Meltdown
3. Blackwater Falls
4. Slickrock Gorge
5. Cypress Run
6. Aftershock
7. Rollercide
8. Ka-Ma-Te
9. Willpower
10. The Shaft
8.2.8 =Enigma's Open Enduro=
(6 laps)
1. Cypress Run
2. Willpower
3. Cliffdiver
4. Nightmare
5. Nebulous
8.3 / Another way to play the game after everything's unlocked, is activating the Stunt Race key, as well as Vampeera's "Super Agility" medal and running stunt races. If recorded, you can check out how good yours are versus a friend. This can be played in combination with other alternative playstyles!
8.4 / EXPERT RULESET - In the options menu, set the Auto-Centering to "OFF" and practice without the use of turbo or magnetic grapple (avoiding the O and ▲ buttons)! If you think you're a true champion, try this method out. You might be surprised just how grueling it is to not have the cushion of swinging around tight corners at high speed or boosting yourself to top speed almost immediately.
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9.0 | CREDITS and HONORS
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SingleTrac - The original developers of one of my all-time favorite racing games, among a few other interesting titles they've made.
Sony Computer Entertainment America and the late, great Kelly Flock - Without their approval, this series would never have come to be.
989 Studios - For their assistance in the development of Jet Moto 2, and for spearheading Jet Moto 3 and Twisted Metal III and 4.
Pinnacle Music Group (especially Lance Lenhart, Sam Cardon and Tom Hopkins) - For shaping my music tastes as a kid, and showing me that half of the experience requires a good backing track - even better if you can enjoy it by itself.
RGibson - The creator of the Jet Moto 1 guide of which this one is based off. I doubt you will see this, but if you do, thank you for writing such an awesome guide so long ago. Hope all is well.
Jet Moto Central - For a great community that's bonded over wicked hoverbikes, racing, and appreciation of babes.
Osky/CaMacKid - The founder of Jet Moto Central, an honorable dude, and the guy who reconfirmed the existence of some of the different versions of the "Indomitable Spirit" pin.
TheAsterite - Another member of the Jet Moto Discord server, who upon entering revealed the existence of two more versions of the "Indomitable Spirit" pin for the remaining difficulties, as well as how they're color coordinated.
Azazel/Trolltaco - One of the closest people to me, beyond all words. I can not be any more thankful to have them in my life, let alone for all the help they've given me. Also a hard worker and a fantastic racer. Every race is a joy, even if I can't always keep up!
