:: Sonic Drift 2 ::
Last update: 05/02/06
:: Quick Jump ::
[Story |
Gameplay Info |
Comparison |
Lost in Translation |
Codes |
Behind the Screens |
Notes |
Miscellanea]
:: Gameplay Info ::
The simple racing mechanics have been left virtually untouched from Sonic Drift 1, so if you don't already have your 101 credit, you may
want to transfer. The main difference in this sequel is the substantial AI tuning - your opponents are significantly
more aggressive this time around, and their vendettas are aided by the newly implemented lag boost, which allows trailing racers to zip ahead faster than the
competition. While this ensures that you're always in the action, it makes it impossible to maintain a lead and reduces the whole formula to pure dumb luck.
This time, the color-coded Item Boxes aren't triggered automatically upon contact, but appear at the top corner of the screen to be spent
at your command. Press Up on the D-pad to launch the stored power-up. Note that you can only hold one item at a time. Flash Stars and Reverse Balls are
triggered automatically upon contact.
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Ring (リング) -- Collect 2 of these (3 if you're Metal Sonic) and press up on the D-pad to perform your character's Special
Power.
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Jump Bane (ジャンプバネ) -- These springs catapult you into the air, which is mostly useless unless there
happens to be a big, fat, road-hogging opponent blocking your path. (Note that springing instantly nullifies any other power-ups that may be in
effect.)
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Dash Box (ダッシュBOX) -- Drive through the red monitor and press Up on the D-pad to dash down the track with a
momentary burst of speed.
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Jump Box (ジャンプBOX) -- Drive through the yellow monitor and press Up on the D-pad to spring through the air for the
same effect as a Jump spring.
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Kirai Box (機雷BOX) -- Drive through the black monitor and press Up on the D-pad to sling a mine onto the track. Any cars that
slam into the mine (yours included) will screech to a complete stop.
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Muteki Box (無敵BOX) -- Drive through the blue monitor and press Up on the D-pad to become temporarily invulnerable to obstacles
(but you can still spin out). The BGM during invincibility is based on the invincibility music from Sonic 3.
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Flash Star (フラッシュスター) -- Drive into a Flash Star and the entire screen momentarily
whites out. (This happens for both players in a versus game, regardless of who hit the star.)
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Reverse Ball (リバースボール) -- Drive into a Reverse Ball and your steering will be momentarily
reversed. Press left to turn right and right to turn left.
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Another 3 characters have been added to the roster for a total of 7 racers. Despite the increase, only 4 partake in the Chaos GP at any
given time: after selecting your character, you can choose your 3 opponents manually or let the computer pick them at random. Each racer, as before, has
his own unique strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities:
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Sonic the Hedgehog (in the Cyclone) -- Sonic has a high max speed, but his cornering ability is poor. His Special Power is a quick burst of
speed (same effect as the Dash boxes).
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Miles "Tails" Prower (in the MTP-02 Whirlwind S7) -- A solid all-round racer with no special strengths or weaknesses. His Special Power is a
flying leap (same effect as the Jump springs).
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Amy Rose (in the Breeze) -- Good acceleration and solid steering, though her max speed is low. She has the ability to toss hearts that
confuse and reduce the speed of opponents.
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Dr. Eggman (in the Egg Typhoon) -- Poor acceleration, but exceptionally good cornering ability. He has the ability to toss mines that halt
and knock a Ring out of whoever runs into them.
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Metal Sonic (in the Blue Devil) -- Like an extreme version of Sonic, Metal has the highest max speed of the bunch, but the worst handling.
His Special Power is a super dash that costs 3 Rings to trigger.
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Fang the Sniper (in the Marvelous Queen) -- Good acceleration and speed, but poor handling. He has the ability to sling oil balls that cause
opponents to spin out.
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Knuckles the Echidna (in the Tempest) -- An all-round solid racer with good cornering and decent speed. His Special Power is a strong punch
that causes a nearby opponent to spin out. If no opponents are within reach, he simply leaps into the air like Tails.
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There are 3 Chaos GP races to participate in, each encompassing 6 different tracks. Points are awarded at the end of each round based on
your finishing position: 3 points for first place, 2 for second, 1 for third, and a hearty helping of jack squat for fourth. The character who has amassed
the most points at the end of all 6 races is the winner. There are three separate tournaments to play (Purple, White, and Blue) for a total of 18 tracks.
Some courses are based on Zones from Sonic 2 and 3, but most are original.
Purple Chaos GP -- Encompasses Emerald Hill 1, Hill Top 1, Dark Valley 1, Casino Night, Desert Road 1, and Iron Ruin. Mines lying around the
track in Emerald Hill explode when hit. During the final lap, they explode automatically. In Hill Top, hit ramps head-on for a flying leap, but try
not to scrape the sides. Motora scutters around the track and robs victims of a Ring. Steer against the winds in Dark Valley or be blown clean off
the track: if that happens, you need to wait for a giant crane to drop you back onto the course, which is a major delay. Bumpers in Casino Night
knock you around a bit, but are mostly harmless. In Desert Road, avoid sand traps which slow you down. If you take the giant dunes at a high enough
speed, you can drive straight up the sides. In Iron Ruin, a mecha vulture looms overhead waiting for a car to land on.
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White Chaos GP -- Encompasses Desert Road 2, Rainy Savanna, Ice Cap, Hill Top 2, Mystic Cave, and Emerald Hill 2. Don't try to steer through
puddles in Rainy Savanna, or you'll spin out. Lightning strikes every few seconds for the same effect as a continuous stream of Flash Stars. Avoid
snow drifts in Ice Cap. Take the ramps at a high enough speed to ride up the sides. Mystic Cave is closed in from all sides, which makes the
stalagmites difficult to avoid. Stop your car over cracks in the ground to fall to the lower level for major shortcuts.
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Blue Chaos GP -- Encompasses Dark Valley 2, Quake Cave, Balloon Panic, Emerald Ocean, Milky Way, and Death Egg. In Quake Cave, the whole
screen shakes periodically as a result of the stage's namesake earthquakes. Watch for falling rocks. Balloon Panic has no Item Boxes, but
color-coded balloons: red temporarily reverses your controls, yellow triggers a momentary white flash, blue causes your car to lose speed, and black
gives you a mine to toss at opponents. Emerald Ocean takes place on the surface of the water, so if you slow down too much, you'll sink. Milky Way,
like Dark Valley, has death drops on either side of the track. Steer carefully in meteor showers. Death Egg is a cornering nightmare.
Earn all 6 Chaos Emeralds in this GP (ie, finish first in all 6 races) to access the hidden Final GP. The Final GP is a one-on-one race in Death Egg
with your character against the "leader" of the opposing side. If you're playing as Sonic, Tails, Amy, or Knuckles, the race is against Eggman. If
you're playing as Eggman, Metal Sonic, or Fang, the race is against Sonic. The BGM is based on the boss music from Sonic 3.
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In addition to the Chaos GP, there's a Free Run mode for honing your skills on any one of the tracks. The three best course times and the
single best lap time are recorded. (To exit the Free Run midway, pause the game and press buttons 1 and 2 simultaneously.) If you happen to have a
so-called Taisen Cable (Gear-to-Gear Cable in the West), a spare Game Gear unit, and an extra copy of the game, you might also engage in a 1-on-1 Versus
match. In the Options menu, you can toggle between Normal and Hard difficulty settings, though the only difference is in the ferocity of your opponents.
Toggle the Enemy option on or off to control the number of obstacles on the course.
:: Lost in Translation ::
The original Sonic Drift was only released in Japan, but the sequel made it overseas to the US and Europe. All three versions are
identical except for the title: in Europe, the game was released as Sonic Drift Racing, though the in-game title screen still reads "Sonic Drift 2". (The
game was sold as "Sonic Drift 2" in the US despite the fact that the original was not released in that market.)
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