Need For Speed Carbon Muscle Car Walkthrough By T.J. (BandGeekOfFW) Table of Contents 1. Version History 2. Game Controls (Nintendo Gamecube) 3. Defining the Muscle Car 4. Muscle Cars in Certain Race Types 5. Story Walkthrough 5a. Kempton (21st Street Crew) 5b. Fortuna (T.F.K.) 5c. Downtown Palmont (Bushido) 5d. Silverton (Stacked Deck) 5e. During and After Career Mode (Minor Crews) 6. Muscle Car Index 7. Playing Tag with the Cops in a Muscle Car 8. Frequently Asked Questions about Muscle Cars 9. Copyright Info Oh, and while I'm at it... Feel free to put this guide up on your site or use it at your will. I don't care if you do it or not. However, if you do use this guide on your site, then PLEASE give credit where credit is due. If you claim this guide as your own on your site, I WILL FIND OUT and take appropriate action. Now, on with the guide. 1. Version History Version 1.2- After about ten emails about the Vauxhall Monaro, I've decided to update Section 6. Version 1.1 - Added a tip given to me by Stewart Pike on drifting. Version 1.0 - First version. Submit update ideas if you want some changes to the email address above. 2. Game Controls (Nintendo Gamecube) If you're a Gamecube player who's new at the game, then you may find this useful. If you're playing any other system, then, sorry, I can't help you (not to say that Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PS2, or PS3 are bad systems, I just own only the Gamecube version.) R Button - Accelerate Makes your car go (duh). It is pressure sensitive, so the harder you press, the more you accelerate. L Button - Brake/Reverse For all stopping power, or for backing up in case of a mistake, press the L Button. Like the R Button, this button is also pressure sensitive. A Button - Handbrake So what's the difference between the regular brake and this? Well, you'll want to use this when you want to slide better (as if you won't in a Muscle Car.) In my opinion, you're better off sticking with the regular brakes. B Button - Nitrous If you bought a nitrous upgrade, then you can use this to accelerate your car faster, and to higher speeds in short stretches. It won't, however, increase your top speed (trust me, I tried it in a Corvette ZO6.) X Button - Speedbreaker Ever want to pull off a fast hairpin? Tired of hitting spike strips all the time? Use the speedbreaker to slow time to make quick, sensitive moves in your car. Y Button - Crew Member Activation If you have a Blocker or a Drafter, use this button to activate them when the bar at the top left corner of your screen is green. I won't explain what each kind of crew member does, you'll learn it after you choose your first car in a tutorial run. C Stick - Shifting Ooh, look at you, you drive a Manual. What's that you say, you don't know how to shift? Simple solution. C Stick up to shift up, and C Stick down to shift Down D Pad - Action Press up on this to enter races that you're on the icon for, or to bring up the world map outside such an icon. There are other actions, too, but this is all you really need to play the game effectively. Control Stick - Steering Turns your car. Pretty simple. Start Button - Pause Pause whether in Free Roam or in a race, and choose any option you want. 3. Defining the Muscle Car Muscle Cars, for the most part, are all American makes, with the exception of the Vauxhall Monaro (Tier 2). They have the best acceleration of all the classes, which makes them fun to drive because you can pretty much go from 0 to 70 in about two or three seconds. The Muscle Cars also reach a decent top speed, making them competitive. On the downside, however, is that Muscle Cars have poor handling and slide often, making them a somewhat advanced level car to drive. It takes some touch to master the steering, but it's really not all that tough to drive, once you get the feel for it. This also makes drifting somewhat tough, too, especially downhill. 4. Muscle Cars in Certain Race Types This is assuming that you know about all of the race types already. Canyon Duel- If you are looking to pass your opponent for the win, this is the car class to do it with. The superb acceleration of the car lets you approach other cars with ease from the get-go. However, if you know you can't pass your opponent, and have to complete the Duel, then your time may get a little hairy due to the awkward turning of the Muscle Car. But it's not completely impossible, because the acceleration of the Muscle Cars allow them to pick up speed quick off the corner. Circuits, Sprints, and Canyon Sprints- Not too hard at all, in general. Just be aware of the turns and make them with as much accuracy as possible. Checkpoints and Canyon Checkpoints- Once again, not bad if you are aware of the turns. If you mess up, you can usually accelerate out of it, use NOS, and still make all of your checkpoints. Speedtraps- You'd think this would be an Exotic-dominated event. After all, they get the highest top speed. But because of the location of some speedtraps after corners, the quick Muscle Car acceleration makes the Muscle Car a great choice for speedtrap races. NOS helps here, too, to get more speed as you approach the speedtrap. Drifts and Canyon Drifts- This could get hairy. The way that Muscle Cars slide makes this event difficult, but the acceleration does help for the speed bonus of points, if you can achieve good steering around the corners. I'll admit that I'm not successful at drift races, having won very few, and none of them Canyon drifts, but it takes practice with any car class to do. Here's a tip provided by Stewart Pike on drifting: "One secret I'm sure other users might know though is when using muscle cars and are on a drift or canyon race, if there back end slids to far and looks like its gonna hit the wall, punch the NOS button and the car should pull away from the wall with ease." 5. Story Walkthrough You'll start with a race against Cross down a canyon. This car is a BMW M3 GTR (Exotic), so drive it like one. Hug the corners and do whatever it takes to stay ahead of Cross. This car has MAD speed, and, admittedly, is probably the best car in the game, if Exotics are your driving style. Then a cutscene will appear, and you'll be able to pick a car class after that. The Muscle Car representative is the Chevrolet Camaro SS, so pick that if you want to go Muscle. You'll get to do a test race to see if that's the car you want, and then learn the basics about teamwork in the game in a tutorial race. Then, you're off to Free Roam. Then you'll end up pursued by the cops as you begin. It shouldn't be too hard. If you have difficulty, refer to section 7 "Playing Tag with the Cops in a Muscle Car" After you escape, you'll earn Neville as a crew member. He's a blocker and a fixer who uses the same types of car as you do. If you chose Muscle, his car is a Chrysler 300C. 5a. Kempton (21st Street Crew) Check out the world map when you first get away from the cops and arrive at the safehouse. Your first area to start will be in the south end of the city, in Kempton. Kempton is broken down into five areas: Morgan Beach to the west, The Projects just northeast of Morgan Beach, Kempton Holdings south of The Projects, Eskuri Plaza east of The Projects, and Newport Industrial Park to the far east. Each area also has a heat level, which tells you how often the cops will break in during the races. Notice that there are only 2 races in Kempton Holdings. I'll specify the reason later. You'll start off with only three races in Morgan Beach. Pick whichever one you want and win it. No matter what, it will be against a minor crew, which is covered in section 5e. When you do, you'll meet Angie, the 21st Street Crew Boss, and you'll be able to race against 21st Street in addition to the other minor crews. 21st Street uses all Muscle Cars, by the way. Keep in mind that you'll own a territory by taking 2 of its 3 races, with the exception of Kempton Holdings, in which you need to take both tracks to earn the territory. In this way, you have some liberty as to what tracks you like to race. The two canyon drifts are somewhat tough to do, so, if you decide to do them, be advised that it may take a while to complete. For all other races, I recommend you find whatever will max out your Camaro SS the quickest. NOS is a great help for checkpoints and speedtraps, and a good support for all other races. Ignore the Ford Mustang GT when you unlock it. It is a Tier 2 car, compared with your Tier 1 Camaro, but it's pretty poor for a Tier 2 and its current lack of add-on performance parts means that your Camaro is the best thing to stay with right now. As you go through Kempton, you'll run into a cutscene where you'll meet a new potential crew member. His name is Sal, and he's a Scout. If you're new at the game and don't know where all the alleys are in the game, then take Sal and he'll show them all to you in midrace. Sal is also a fabricator, meaning you can now autosculpt certain elements of your car for a more personalized look. Once you've conquered every area in Kempton, Angie will come looking for you, and challenge you to a race in Kempton Holdings. She's rather tough in her Tier 2 Dodge Charger R/T, but your best bet is to stick with the Camaro for now. Use nitrous, speedbreaker, and every shortcut you can find to beat Angie around the track. Sometimes she'll wreck and lose several seconds on you, which is convenient, but don't count on it. After you've beaten her in the streets, she'll challenge you to a canyon duel. You'll get a short cutscene about the rules of a canyon duel. Pay attention, because I'm not going to put it here. This is the only boss that I have not been able to pass while on the Duel. Instead, I had to finish both legs and win by shear distance. Your Camaro is the best you have right now, but it's not much good without NOS, which is taken away from you for the duel. Just put your best effort into it, it shouldn't take too much to do. Once you win, 21st Street will be eliminated. You can then draw 2 bonus markers from Angie. Try to get her pink slip, if you can. Her Dodge Charger R/T is one of the best Tier 2 cars available, and it costs $80,000 to get it if you miss it. After you beat Angie, you'll be called over to Footy's Diner. There you will meet Samson, a blocker and former member of the 21st Street Crew. He'll join with your crew and also share a bit of information relevant to the plot line, but I will not spoil that for you. Oh, and by the way, in my opinion, he's a better blocker than Neville. Kempton is now yours! 5b. Fortuna (T.F.K.) Now you'll have a choice on whether to proceed to Fortuna or Downtown Palmont. In Fortuna, you'll find the exotic-loving T.F.K., while Downtown Palmont has the tuner cars of Bushido. In my opinion, it's easier to get started in Fortuna. I've done it both ways now, and starting in Downtown makes it tough because the Muscle Car's handling just can't keep up in the very sharp turns of Downtown unless it has substantial upgrades. Fortuna is just a little easier, though it looks more difficult Fortuna is divided into five areas: Fortuna Heights, South Fortuna, Hills Borough, Palmont University, and Ocean View. Your first races will be in Fortuna Heights, just across the interstate from your first safehouse. After beating the first race, whatever you choose, you'll run into Wolf, the big boss of T.F.K. T.F.K. is all-exotic, so keep that in mind when you race them, and what their strengths are. Chances are when you race cars against T.F.K. that your acceleration in your car will dominate over the acceleration of the exotics, and given that Fortuna doesn't have many straight sections, that gives you an advantage. As you beat through the areas of Fortuna, you'll earn the Vauxhall Monaro, another Tier 2 Muscle car. In all honesty, this car is pretty weak for a Muscle, and you're better off sticking to a Dodge Charger R/T, or, if you didn't get the pink slip, your old Camaro SS. Still, at some point, you'll want to get the Dodge Charger R/T while in Fortuna for its raw power. You should also hit another cutscene just as you are about to take your seventh overall territory, relevant to the storyline that I will not spoil. There will be another one just a bit later, too. Fortuna is also where you'll run into your first regular Drift race at the City Courthouse in Palmont University. This kind of Drift race is easier than the Canyon Drifts, and, while it may be a little difficult with your Charger or Camaro, it will be very easy once you get a Tier 3 Muscle or a Tuner if you really can't wait that long. This is also where you'll hit your first Canyon Sprint at Lofty Heights Downhill in the Hills Borough Area. It's you against 3 others, but it's not that hard at all, because you have NOS and speedbreaker to help you out. Okay, now if you take all five areas, Wolf will seek you out and challenge you to a race. For this race, Wolf will drive an Aston Martin, kinda like a typical James Bond car. It is also Tier 2. Wolf's not that hard to outrace, but be aware that he will take just about every shortcut on the track, so keep your eyes out and take them yourself, and whatever you do, DO NOT miss the shortcut through the park! It is incredible for shaving off time and Wolf usually takes that cut. The canyon duel is probably the easiest of any one that you will do. In fact, all you really have to do is take Wolf in the first left-hand corner and hold the lead. Sound easy? It is. Your car will out-accelerate Wolf's and be able to take him fast! It may take two or three tries, but it's that easy. After you beat Wolf, take two cards from him. At this point, it doesn't matter if you get his car or not, but if you REALLY want it, then go ahead and draw for it. There's not a disadvantage in drawing for it. You'll then be called up to show up at the university, where you'll meet Colin, the former member of T.F.K., who also has an interesting bit of information to give you before joining your crew. He is your first Drafter of the game, which you learned about in the tutorial race. He's also a fabricator that can fabricate everything that Sal can't. Just remember that Colin can't fabricate everything, and it does take Sal to do some stuff. You now own Fortuna! 5c. Downtown Palmont (Bushido) If you beat all of Fortuna before going to Downtown Palmont, you will see that you already have every race in Downtown unlocked. At this rate, you can pick a race and go for it. But, after you beat the first one, you'll be introduced to Kenji and the Tuner Brigade (just kidding.) Actually, his crew is called Bushido. The five areas in downtown are Historic Chinatown, Old Quarter, Billings District, Kings Park, and Mason District. Downtown has some seriously sharp corners, so be very careful with your brakes. This is why you'll have wanted to beat Fortuna first: you'll need the added abilities of the parts you earned to get through here. You'll notice that there are two drift tracks here, and one Canyon Drift. It's your choice on what to do with them. But please take note that there is a Reward Card called Downtown Turf for beating all of Downtown, and that is a piece to the firetruck, so it may be worthwhile to try and beat them now. You'll probably be using NOS quite a bit, so getting Tier 2 Racing Nitrous is a big advantage. Otherwise, good luck beating Downtown Palmont... When you do beat every area, it's time to take on Kenji. Be careful of him and his Mazda RX-7, because he is nearly PERFECT at taking the corners and does not make very many mistakes. The one advantage you have is shear speed, because Kenji's car isn't very fast. Endure the two laps and try to stay ahead of him the entire time. Get up off of the corners as quick as you can to shave off time, too. At least the canyon duel is somewhat easy. Just like with Wolf, you can probably take him at the first corner. What's different is that Kenji's driving skill in a Tuner means that he can take you in a corner if you're not careful. Hold on to the lead when you get it, at all means necessary. Conquering Kenji means you get 2 more reward cards. You know how this works by now. Then you'll be called over to meet Yumi, former Bushido member and now a member of your crew. She is a Scout, like Sal, as well as a Mechanic, meaning she gets you discounts at getting parts and stuff. Check her abilities. Conquering Downtown means you have locked up everything and beaten all three major crews! But wait, Career mode is not over? 5d. Silverton (Stacked Deck) Sure enough, there's one more group to take out. Start by going to Darius after you get his message. You'll see a cutscene there, then unlock Nikki as a driver for your crew. Be ready, because her Ford GT can own out there on the track, in addition to her skills as a Drafter and a Mechanic. By the way, that Ford GT is an Exotic... Now be prepared to take on Darius and his monster crew by the name of Stacked Deck. Why are they called Stacked Deck, you ask? Because they use all types of cars. You'll be up against all three types in mixed races. There are seven areas to Silverton, which looks vaguely like Las Vegas. Those areas are: Starlight Strip, Diamond Hills, Shady Pine, Infinity Park, Silverton Refinery, Canmor Downs, and Neon Mile. This is where it gets HARD and takes a lot of practice, as you'll be racing Tier 3's! Just keep calm, you'll be getting your own soon enough. Worse yet, check a look at the base police heat levels. Several Heat 3's and 4's and...a 5! The sole base 5 in the game belongs to the Neon Mile area, so be ready for a cop chase to break out there at any time. Okay, now every area is difficult, but probably the easiest to start at in your Tier 2 is (gasp!) the Neon Mile. The checkpoint takes a little practice, but it's not all that hard, and the speedtrap isn't that hard, either. Now, for the first time, I'm going to offer you a couple of Tier 3 cars as possibilities for playing through Silverton. One option is the Dodge Viper that you unlock from beating the Neon Mile area. Or, if that's just not your style, you can go to Canmor Downs (southern area of Silverton) after beating the Neon Mile area and unlock the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (which is what I drive). Lastly, you could work hard enough to work your way to the Silverton Refinery (last area in Silverton to get races) and beat the Canyon Duel there to unlock the Dodge Challenger Concept. Just remember that in order to get the car, you have to beat the car, which I believe is driven by none other than Angie from 21st Street. The reward car from the overall Silverton Refinery is the Ford GT, which sadly made its way into the Exotic class. Ignore the Shelby GT 500, as it is probably the saddest Tier 3 in the entire group (which is a shame, because this is a muscle car that defines the muscle car). The Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda isn't much better, so ignore those cars and get one of the three I listed. Once you get your car that you will use in Silverton, then upgrade it with every performance part possible. You will need every advantage possible to get through this tough area. Notice that every part now come in the new Racing setup, instead of just Nitrous. Also note that the race that gives "Turbo-Tier 3 Racing" is really the Racing Supercharger for Tier 3 Muscle Cars. Once you've beaten all seven areas of Silverton, you'll get called out by Kenji, Angie, and Wolf for a little revenge. The first race is a Canyon Sprint. Just be aware of where everyone is, especially Wolf as the race goes on, because he will be fast enough in his Lamborghini to take you down if you're not careful. Make sure to maintain as much speed as possible around sharp corners, but not so much as to wreck yourself and destroy all hopes of winning. These three aren't done yet after beating them in the Canyon. You'll then be sent into a sprint race through Downtown, Fortuna, Kempton, and then a finish in Silverton. This is a very long course, and each of your opponents has their own style of driving the course. Wolf takes all the shortcuts, Kenji drives as perfectly around corners as possible, and Angie just runs as hard as she can all of the time. All I can say is practice. Now, after beating these three, you finally get to take on Darius. Notice his familiar car. It is an Audi LeMans Quattro, meaning it is an Exotic. Darius is very fast in this circuit race, and usually letting him in front of you is an automatic loss, just because of his speed. This took me a while to do, so just keep practicing, and if you're about to lose, restart the race. If you beat Darius on the track, there's just one more score to settle. The last Canyon Duel is up, against Darius, and I'm warning you that he's very fast. However, he's not unbeatable. The only way that I beat him was by passing him in the first corner and holding on for ten seconds. In your Muscle Car, you can easily out-accelerate Darius's Exotic, but holding him off for ten seconds is another story. It took me many tries to do. Just be prepared to hang on. Congratulations on beating Career mode if you got this far. You now have access to five new cars (none of which are Muscle), including the Audi that Darius drove. But, if you're like me and haven't beaten every race yet, then you'll see that the formerly pestilent minor crews have invaded those races you didn't beat. So next is a section on all of them. 5e. During and After Career Mode (Minor Crews) Okay, now there are six minor crews, but chances are you'll only see five of them as a Muscle driver. That will be explained in a minute. Anyway, each subsequent paragraph will cover a minor crew. Starting with Los Colibres, these guys use Muscle Cars, but aren't all that tough to beat if you've put some good stuff into your car. They're scattered all around the city and shouldn't be that hard to beat. The Scorpios, using Tuners, are mostly in Downtown and Kempton. They're not all that tough, though, and a good Muscle will easily run them over. The group Inferno, with their Muscle Cars, are a little better than Los Colibres. If you're racing a Tier 3 car, be ready, because they might pull out a Chevrolet Corvette Z06! They're fast and one of the tougher groups to race against for a minor crew. The Black Hearts and their Exotics are easily annihilated by Muscles. Use your acceleration to trump their speed. Rotor 4's Tuners are better than the Scorpios, but they're still creampuffs. Just be ready, because they drive with that same flawless style that Kenji mastered with Bushido. Lastly is the group you will never race, by the name of the Kings. They start with one territory in Downtown and are annihilated before you ever even get there. I'm not sure what they use, because I haven't ever started with a Tuner before. 6. Muscle Car Index Let's start with the Tier 1's and work our way up. Chevrolet Camaro SS-This classic is a good solid Muscle Car worth driving. It's basically the foundation of a good solid Muscle and drives worthy of my recognition, besides being your starting car. It works well for driving in Kempton. Chrysler 300C-Okay, admittedly I haven't tried the 300C yet, but as a Tier 1, is it really worth it to spend extra money to get this when you have your Chevrolet Camaro already? I would say not. On the the technical side, the 300C is a newer Muscle car with some decent stats. Now, on to the Tier 2's. Ford Mustang GT-It's such a shame that this car was made as weak as it was. The Mustang just doesn't live up to its namesake with the weakest stats of the Tier 2 cars. Don't even consider getting this unless it's for sentimental value. Vauxhall Monaro-Like the Ford Mustang GT, I would pass on this car. It's just not well built enough for playability. It's not even American, so I wouldn't even call this a Muscle Car. This car is an Australian remake of the Pontiac GTO. Dodge Charger SRT8-Another modern Muscle Car, this really isn't bad at all. It's very driveable and the best handling of the Tier 2 Muscles. But, in my opinion, there's something better... Dodge Charger R/T-This is the absolute best Tier 2 Muscle there is. It has some serious acceleration and speed, though its handling could use some work. It's perfect for outrunning your opponents in Fortuna, and, with a little bit of skill, in Downtown Palmont as well. Get it free from Angie if you can, as the cost is $80k. And, finally, the Tier 3's. Shelby GT500-Once again, this car sadly does not live up to its namesake. It's such a shame that a great car like the Shelby GT500 is by far the worst Tier 3 Muscle in the game, and maybe even the worst Tier 3 overall. However, I do keep one in my "My Cars" list for sentimental reasons. Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda-This car, while it is a little better than the Shelby GT500, is still living a life of shame because of its weakness. Another sad error on the part of EA and Need for Speed Carbon. Dodge Viper-Oh, god, this car rocks! Its acceleration is top-of-the-line and not bad in the other departments. Good one, indeed! Chevrolet Corvette Z06-This one is even better, in my opinion. In fact, this is the car that I race with in Career mode. For just a little bit less acceleration than the Dodge Viper, you get higher Top Speed and Handling, making this an actually somewhat steerable Muscle. Dodge Challenger Concept-I haven't tried this car yet, but I've seen it in action, and it is FAST! I'll update this when I try it. Police Interceptor (Bonus)-This police Corvette, while being a reward for beating quite a few tough tasks, is pretty fun for the Quick Race mode. It shows its abilities and is just plain fun to drive. Chevrolet Chevelle SS (Bonus)-Now, this is a car that defines fun when you drive it. If you want to try it before you unlock it (which I haven't unlocked it yet), then get to the gold level cop smashing Challenge Event. For tips on how to do it, see Section 7 of this guide. Try it for yourself, as it's indescribable to drive. Other challenge series events will have you using cars like the Plymouth Road Runner that you normally can't drive in the game. Well, that about wraps up the cars...Hey, wait a minute. Where's the Pontiac GTO? Shame on you, EA, for leaving it out! You can't forget the awesome Pontiac GTO, and not the one from Most Wanted, I mean the oldschool one. Like the Shelby GT500, that car defines Muscle! 7. Playing Tag with the Cops in a Muscle Car Ah, yes, a section all about muscle cars and the cops. Cops are normally behind you, so be careful not to spin yourself out in the Muscle car or you may be spinning right into a Busted and a fine. Remember that Pursuit Breakers are your friend, but your car will slide, so factor that in if you're trying to hit difficult breakers in the middle of a turn or such. As you get to higher heat levels, cops will begin to use roadblocks and spike strips against you. Use your speedbreaker and hit the cars in the back side to get an easy kill and maintain most of your speed. "Tag" them with your car. More tips will be coming soon if I get emails asking for tips. 8. Frequently Asked Questions about Muscle Cars Q: So why should I drive a Muscle anyway? A: In my opinion, they're pretty fun to drive and something unique. Besides, they're American cars, so there's that, too. Q: How do all the car classes stack up in stats against each other? A: I think it's quite a bit like this... Exotic: Tuner: Muscle: Top Speed 1st 3rd 2nd Acceleration 3rd 2nd 1st Handling 2nd 1st 3rd Q: Are Muscles really that good? A: You'll have to discover for yourself, but I'm pretty sure you'll like it if you can control the steering. Q: Okay, what does T.F.K. stand for? A: First off, that has nothing to do with Muscle Cars. Secondly, I'm not sure myself. Q: Uh...I don't like Muscles after starting the game. Can I change what I drive without changing my game progress? A: Yes, just buy a new car that is Exotic or Tuner. You'll still get all the Muscle rewards, though. Q: What if I started with Exotic or Tuner and want to go to Muscle? A: Just go buy a Muscle car. Q: Wow...is it really that easy? A: Yes, it is. 9. Copyright Information This FAQ is copyright (2007) by BandGeekOfFW. Do not try to steal this information and post it on another site without giving me credit for it. And that is all for today.