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Here are several tips that apply to all styles of game play in Microsoft's Midtown Madness.
OVERALL
- No matter the vehicle, always lay back on the throttle when taking a tight turn. If you don't, your rear end will come swinging around on you.
- Power slides work great in the Ford F-350 truck. When you need to take a ninety-degree turn, don't worry about the brakes. Just turn as quickly as you can and then apply a little opposite lock to help correct for the power slide skid. This is very effective in keeping those pesky cops from following you too easily.
- Learn to use a vehicle that matches your driving style. If you like to hit things (or just can't help it), try the Ford F-350 truck. Once you feel the need for more speed and control, grab the Cadillac or Mustang GT. Once you're completely comfortable and need more speed, go for the Panoz Roadster or GTR-1.
- Since there are no true damage meters, keep an eye out for smoke. White smoke means you're probably about fifty percent damaged. Black smoke means one more good hit and you are out of there.
- Try to use a combination of the handbrake and the accelerator to power skid through turns.
CRUISE
- Use the Cruise mode to try out different paths if stuck on a Checkpoint race.
- My favorite play style in Cruise is to use the bus and play out a scene from the movie Speed. Keep it at fifty-five and try to make it around the city. Harder than it sounds!
- Cruise is the best way to try the handling of the different vehicles before committing yourself to a race.
- Try to discover all the shortcuts not shown on the map. There are several alleyways and river pathways that are essential for winning Checkpoint races. And don't miss our special Shortcuts article in the Game Tips section.
- Find different locales where you can easily lose the cops. When shooting down the narrow confines of the Navy Pier, the cops tend to wreck. If you dart down a narrow alley or the river path alley, the cops nearly always crash when trying to make the turn into the entrance.
- Try to drive on the sidewalks. The pedestrians will always move aside, but do watch out for the trees.
BLITZ
- You can win the first three or four races with the new VW bug, but then you'll want to throw yourself behind the wheel of the Panoz roadster because it has a much higher top-end speed and better acceleration.
- The traffic patterns can vary when restarting a race, so watch out for different moves by the surrounding traffic.
CHECKPOINT
- You do NOT need to go after the checkpoints in order. All you need to do is hit them all.
- The checkpoint does not need to be lit up on your map to get credit for passing through it.
- Try to keep your turns to a minimum so you can keep your speed as fast as possible.
- Soldier Sneaker - Immediately pull a one-eighty to the left as you start out staring at some eighteen-wheelers who would like to make you a hood ornament. Next, use the pathway through the center of the Art Institute and be sure to bear to the left when you exit because of a tree that is standing in your way. Don't stick to the roads; just follow the arrows. After hitting the two checkpoints at Adler Planetarium, cut through Meigs Field so when you zoom out for the next checkpoint, you'll be heading in the right direction.
- Freeway Flyer - If you keep getting trashed in the congestion of other racers making the first turn, hold back just slightly and then turn hard-left up the sidewalk. When everyone turns right, go straight and take the shortcut through the construction yard. Swing across the open area in front of the Sears Tower to take first and to get into the alleyway before the others. Rub your lucky rabbit's foot because when you exit the alley, there may be no traffic or there may be a few buses coming your way. Once you reach the highway, the worst is behind you. Protect your car and watch for any remaining cops.
- Nocturnal Navigator - Go against the flow in this one! Immediately turn around and bear to the left around the next three turns. You'll see you're not the only one doing this. Once you see a mad rush of cars coming at you (these are the remaining racers), get on the left side sidewalk to bypass the tangle of cars. Take the right into the tunnel. Near the end of the tunnel, it will sweep to the left. Slow down and come flying out of the tunnel continuing to the left. Hit your very first right then follow it up with the first left. This way you'll avoid one of the cops on the path. In two checkpoints, you'll see the Mall on the left. Break through the window and head over to the other side. Go left after showering the streets with broken glass from your mall exit. As soon as you hit the next checkpoint, with one of Chicago's finest on your tail, you'll notice you need to be going the other way. The grassy field to your left is a great place to execute a high-speed turn while hopefully avoiding the officer pursuing you. From this point on, it's mainly a matter of protecting your car...and your lead.
- Beat The Bridges - This is one of the trickier ones. You can try to drive flawlessly and maybe use the North River Alleyway to your advantage or another proposal is to hit the checkpoints out of order by going east-west instead of north-south. Once you hit the first five checkpoints, take the next left and hit the alley. When you come out, scream through the checkpoint and go straight across the river. Take your first left and then left again to hit the final checkpoint and have yourself set up for the finish line.
These are some hints on a few of the driving challenges that await you in Midtown Madness.
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