
************************************
*  EXCITEBIKE 64 FAQ/WALKTHROUGH   *
*  By: superstar64                 *
*  a.k.a.   Jordan Stopciati       *
*    (j_stopciati@hotmail.com)     *
*                                  *
*  VERSION 1.0                     *
************************************

As for updates:
 1.0 - FAQ is completed way ahead of schedule, I should really get it 
uploaded now...version 2.0 will contain track maps and maybe even more 
stuff. But I'll add it if it's backed by popular demand... (July 29, 
2000)
 0.1  Turning the preliminary information into a full-fledged 
FAQ/Walkthrough, which should be done in a few days, if I can squeeze 
out enough time...besides, my braces are getting tightened tomorrow. 
And it's not pretty. (July 26, 2000)
 
-----------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS

-1.0 - Updates
0.0  Legal Stuff
1.0  Formatting
2.0  Game Synopsis
3.x  How to Play
  1  Controls
  2  Riders
  3  Modes
4.0  Season Mode
5.0  Tracks
6.0  Special Tracks
7.0  Track Strategies
8.0  Track Shortcuts
9.0  Big Tips
10.0 - Q&A
11.0  Some More Legal Stuff
12.0  Credits, Self-Promotion, and Everything Else To Close This Off
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
0.0  LEGAL STUFF, UPDATES

Yes, legal stuff. Please read this before you read this FAQ, this will 
express your distribution rights with this document.

First of all, please DO NOT rip off ANY of this document and express it 
as your own. If there is any information you wish to use, please, when 
you write up your stuff, give me credit. You wouldn't want to get your 
stuff ripped off, would you? Think the golden rule. This document is 
COPYRIGHTED! The minute I type something original on this computer, 
it's copyright, and I didn't even fill out a form.

Second, this site is ONLY allowed on www.gamefaqs.com. It is not 
allowed to be put on ANY other site at the time being. However, if you 
ask, I'll let you put it on. Every time I revise the FAQ, I will send 
it to you. (Note: if you find this FAQ on ANY site other than GameFAQs, 
please contact me and I will deal with it personally.)

Third, use this FAQ at your own risk. Most likely, 99.9% of all people 
reading this FAQ will most likely live a normal life and not have any 
of the problems shown below. However, there is a small percentage that 
will have problems. I can not be held responsible for any of the 
following caused by the usage of this document:
 - Nintendo 64 or Excitebike 64 Game Pak damage. The cost of such 
repairs is considered your responsibility.
 - Injury or death sustained while connected with the use of this 
Excitebike 64 FAQ/Walkthrough/Strategy Guide. This includes everything 
from bruises to getting fried.
 - Extreme frustration, resulting from not being able to beat a game.
 - Being grounded or arrested.
 - All other unsolicited events, including severe events.

Therefore, if you have a problem due to this FAQ, don't sue me. There 
is also an extremely, extremely small possibility that you will star in 
a sitcom role about talking animals (0.00001%). But if the latter 
happens, sue anyone you want (but not me).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0  FORMATTING

Yes, formatting. I order these numbers to cometh and line up with these 
asterisks... (P.S. "Cometh" is a sort of Shakespearean way of saying 
"come", don't ask why I'm getting fancy)

1234567890
**********

Do they line up? If they do, then it's okay. But if they don't line up, 
you are going to have a pretty darn bad time reading this. This FAQ is 
written in 72-character format in Word 2000 (rich text file, which cuts 
down file size quite a bit).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2.0  GAME SYNOPSIS

You shouldn't always base whether you're going to buy or rent a game on 
just reviews from web sites, but this is one of the big exceptions. 
Here are some of the quotes I've seen from various reviews:
 "This game could surpass Wave Race 64 as the best racing game ever..."
 "Why yes, this game does kick butt..."
 "Excitebike 64 came out of nowhere..."
Does that tell you anything about this game? If it doesn't, you 
shouldn't be playing games at all. If you see a game that's rated 10 
out of 10 all over the place, don't wait any longer. Beg and grovel to 
be able to go out to Wal-Mart and put down any price for this game. 
Excitebike 64 is one of those few games that are deserving of awesome 
compliments. Let's see what we've got here: six fictional riders, 
twenty tracks (9 outdoor, 11 indoor), a Season mode, plenty of special 
tracks, and even the original Excitebike! Ahhh...the original 
Excitebike  not that I've played it up to now, but when I played it, I 
found it pretty cool. Now here's the scores I give:
 Ten out of ten, A+, five stars, and as for buy/rent: BUY!!!
Get out there, buy this game, then come back and start your engines!

Game Statistics:
 Name: Excitebike 64
 Production: Nintendo
 Developer: Left Field
 Size: 128 megabits (16MB)
 Controller Pak: yes (40 pages for ghost save, 4 for track save)
 Rumble Pak: yes
 Expansion Pak: yes (graphic improvements)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
3.0  HOW TO PLAY

The next section explains the controls, the riders, and modes in the 
game.

3.1 - CONTROLS
 Racing = L = turbo (get some extra speed)
          R = slide, drift, tricks
          Start = pause game
          Control Stick < > = turn
          Control Stick < > + \/ = sharp turn
          Control Stick \/ /\ = adjust angle while in air
          Control Stick \/ + Z or L = pop wheelie
          Control Stick + R = turn in the air
          C /\ = camera angle
          C > = on-screen displays (tap to rid of 1 display at a time)
          C \/ = tricks
          C < = look behind you
          Z = turbo
          B = brake, reverse while stopped
          A = accelerate
 Menus = Control Stick = highlight selections, scroll
         Start = confirm selection
         B = go back to previous menu
         A = confirm selection and move on

3.2 - RIDERS
 "Jumpin'" Jim Rivers
Age: 25   
Hometown: Seattle, WA    
Specialty: Superman: C \/ + 12 to 6 clockwise
Quote: "It's not whether you win or lose, it's about how high you can 
fly!"
Landing: 6/10    Cornering: 6/10    Jumping: 6/10    Turbo: 6/10

Thought: Pretty average rider. Have you noticed that all three 
attributes are six out of ten?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 "Tricky" Ricky Stern
Age: 14   
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA  
Specialty: Kobe 360: C \/ + 6 to 6 clockwise (before getting airborne)
Quote: "Better have extra film in your camera 'cause it's showtime, 
baby!"
Landing: 10/10   Cornering: 8/10    Jumping: 10/10   Turbo: 2/10

Thought: Awesome. Turbo doesn't really matter, because if you're using 
your speed wisely, you can get up to 75 MPH on some courses with this 
rider. Still, I've gotten to 80 with other riders. (My best speed is 
82).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 Sarah "Sugar" Hill
Age: 28
Hometown: Miami, FL
Specialty: Cordova: C \/ + R + 12 to 6 counter clockwise
Quote: "They call me Sugar, but it's winning that's sweet!"
Landing: 8/10    Cornering: 10/10   Jumping: 8/10    Turbo: 4/10

Thought: Her ratings are actually similar to Ricky Stern's. Therefore, 
this makes her also a good choice.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 Bobby "Big Dog" Malone
Age: 16
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Specialty: Lazyboy: C \/ + 12 to 6 counter clockwise
Quote: "The Big Dog's bike is badder than his bark, so I let my riding 
do the talkin'."
Landing: 4/10    Cornering: 4/10    Jumping: 2/10    Turbo: 10/10 

Thought: Not the best rider, but does work for special courses like the 
Hill Climb (see special courses) where landing, cornering, and jumping 
are less of a concern.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 Nigel "The Duke" York
Age: 28
Hometown: London, England
Specialty: Double Can Can: C \/ + R + Right + Left
Quote: "Technique, discipline, and control are the key, and I have all 
three!"
Landing: 2/10    Cornering: 2/10    Jumping: 6/10    Turbo: 10/10

Sort of like Bobby Malone in a way. He's also a good choice for the 
hill climb, but not for the regular courses.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 Vicky "The Vixen" Steele
Age: 19
Hometown: Houston, TX
Specialty: Fender Grab: C \/ + R + 6 to 12 counter clockwise
Quote: "I hope no one gets in my way, 'cause if they do, they're gonna 
be eatin' my exhaust."
Landing: 4/10    Cornering: 6/10    Jumping: 6/10    Turbo: 8/10

She is most likely the best rider. First of all, landing and jumping 
ratings are good enough, second of all, cornering is so-so, and her 
turbo is good. She'll get you through the normal courses and the 
special courses as well.

3.3  MODES

Season: Start with the Novice Season in the Bronze Round and win rounds 
by placing in races and scoring points (1st - 5 points, 2nd - 3 points, 
3rd - 2 points, 4th - 1 point, 5th - 0 points, 6th - 0 points). You 
don't necessarily have to win all five races in the round to win. You 
just need to finish the round with the most points (however, it would 
be good if you could win all the races.)

Exhibition Race: Choose a track from any round that you have unlocked 
in Season Mode and take yourself for a spin on that track. (All indoor 
courses are three laps, all outdoor courses are two laps.) There is 
nothing at stake in this race and you will not earn or lose anything.

Time Trial: It's just you and the track. If you have a Controller Pak, 
you can save your "ghost" (i.e. a replica of your run) to the 
Controller Pak. You need at least 40 pages available, though. Then, if 
you set a top three time or best lap, you can save it to the Game Pak 
for posterity.

Special Tracks: (see later) After you complete some rounds in Season 
Mode, you will unlock special tracks. At first, only the Desert and 
Stunt tracks are available to you.

Options: Set your options in the game: volume, stereo/mono sound, hi-
res (expansion pak only), credits, etc.

Custom Tracks: Create a new track or race on a saved track. You can 
save one track to the Game Pak or save up to sixteen on a Controller 
Pak.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
4.0 - SEASON MODE

This section of the FAQ/Walkthrough (typing all this is getting very 
boring) explains the season mode in detail: everything from the 
tutorial all the way to everything that's unlocked: here we go.

 TUTORIAL (Note: I describe new controls like this: CS - Control Stick 
(L - left, R - right, D - down, U - up), LB (L button), RB (R button) 
and the rest are self-explanatory.

  1a  Acceleration (A), braking (B), turbo (Z), reverse (B stopped)
  1b  Turns (CS L and R), sharp turns (CS L and R + CS D)
  Test 1  Basics. Goal 12 seconds.

  2a  Power slide (CS L and R + RB)
  2b  Brake slide (CS L and R + RB + B)
  Test 2  Turns. Goal 16 seconds.

  3a  Basic jumping and air adjustment (CS U and D)
  3b  Speed adjust on jumps (no new controls)
  Test 3  Jumps. Goal 15.5 seconds.

  4a  Turbo boost over jumps (CS D + Z)
  4b  Air turns (CS L and R + RB)
  4c  Less speed on jumps (no new controls)
  Test 4  Advanced jumps. Goal 21 seconds.

  5  Taking out opponents (clip their front tire with your rear tire, 
but be careful not to hit their rear tire though - you'll see your 
rider wave bye-bye if you do it right)

  FINAL TEST  Goal is 56 seconds.

  Wheelies (Z + CS D)
  Stunts (see "Stunt Course" in "Special Tracks"

  Finish tutorial: unlock NES Excitebike.


 NOVICE DIFFICULTY (80cc)

 (Please note: course descriptions don't come until later. I'm just 
going through the rounds right now. Usually, when you beat a round, you 
will unlock the next round, but any exceptions are shown below the 
corresponding round. You start with the Bronze Round in Novice. Once 
you beat that, you get Silver, beat that, you get Soccer AND Bronze 
Amateur, and so on...)

  Bronze Round
    - Kyoto, Japan (3 laps)
    - Mountain Quarry (2 laps)
    - Houston, TX (3 laps)
    - Lefty's Mill (2 laps)
    - Orlando, FL (3 laps)

  Silver Round
    - Nashville, TN (3 laps)
    - Canyon Chasm (2 laps)
    - Long Island, NY (3 laps)
    - Congo Course (2 laps) 
    - Las Vegas, NV (3 laps)

  Finish Novice: unlock Soccer and Bronze Intermediate.


 INTERMEDIATE DIFFICULTY (125cc)

  (Note: In this difficulty, you're going to see your bike get a little 
faster, if you can get it to that speed, not to mention that the 
computer opponents will get more aggressive.)

   Bronze Round
     - Kyoto, Japan (3 laps)
     - Mountain Quarry (2 laps)
     - Houston, TX (3 laps)
     - Lefty's Mill (2 laps)
     - Orlando, FL (3 laps)

   Silver Round
     - Nashville, TN (3 laps)
     - Canyon Chasm (2 laps) 
     - Long Island, NY (3 laps) 
     - Congo Course (2 laps)
     - Las Vegas, NV (3 laps)

   Gold Round

     - Phoenix, AZ (3 laps)
     - Rainforest Run (2 laps)
     - Madrid, Spain (3 laps)
     - The Gravel Pit (2 laps)
     - Detroit, MI (3 laps)
   
   Finish Intermediate: unlock Hill Climb and Bronze Pro.


 PRO DIFFICULTY (250cc)

  (Note: THINK HARD before you attempt this. Please know that you may 
be angry that you are unable to beat a level. However, that is no 
excuse for having to pay for a dent in a wall, so keep your controller-
throwing incidents to a minimum. Patience will be rewarded, however. I 
have beat it, so why can't you?)

   Bronze Round
     - Kyoto, Japan (3 laps)
     - Mountain Quarry (2 laps)
     - Houston, TX (3 laps)
     - Lefty's Mill (2 laps)
     - Orlando, FL (3 laps)

   Silver Round
     - Nashville, TN (3 laps)
     - Canyon Chasm (2 laps) 
     - Long Island, NY (3 laps)
     - Congo Course (2 laps)
     - Las Vegas, NV (3 laps)

   Gold Round
     - Phoenix, AZ (3 laps)
     - Rainforest Run (2 laps)
     - Madrid, Spain (3 laps)
     - The Gravel Pit (2 laps)
     - Detroit, MI (3 laps)

 (Here's the real tough part. I've got three more rounds to explain, 
but be warned: these are for real professionals only. You should be 
excelling at Excitebike 64 by now.)

   Platinum Round
     - Goldmine Rush (2 laps)
     - Los Angeles, CA (3 laps)
     - Construction Yard (2 laps)
     - Seattle, WA (3 laps)
     - Blizzard Blitz (2 laps)

   Finish Platinum Round, Pro: unlock Challenge Round AND Custom Round 

   Challenge Round
 (Note: This round is a bit different. Instead of being based on a 
points system, it's based on a ladder system. You must place first on 
all five tracks, head to head with another rider, to beat the game. 
Ready? Here we go. Oh, wait. The riders you face will depend on which 
rider you selected at the beginning of the round.)
     - Orlando, FL (1 lap)
     - Phoenix, AZ (1 lap)
     - Las Vegas, NV (1 lap)
     - Nashville, TN (1 lap)
     - Kyoto, Japan (1 lap)

 (Note 2: I'm pretty sure that's the order, but I might have gotten Las 
Vegas and Nashville mixed up. This is coming off the top of my head, so 
bear with me.)

   Finish Challenge Pro: unlock Excite 3-D, three-dimensional version 
of the original Excitebike.

   Custom Round
     - This round is just like the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum 
rounds, with one exception: you must create your own round.
     - The Custom Round is not unlocked until you beat Platinum Pro.
     - When you first go to the round, you must create one. It can be 
anywhere from one to five tracks.
     - Tracks can be repeated, and can have anywhere from one to six 
laps.
     - Press A to add a track, Z to delete one. Press B to get out of 
Edit mode, and then select "Play" to play your round.
     - You don't get anything by winning the round. You do get a pretty 
darn good lasting appeal, though.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5.0 - TRACKS

 Bronze Round
  - Kyoto, Japan: This course is pretty much a square. Since you don't 
really have as much course to use, you're going to have to get ahead 
early. It's also pretty difficult to squeeze by opponents, because it 
can be a bit cramped, especially going into the first corner, so try to 
keep from falling. Other than that, there aren't very many challenges.
  - Mountain Quarry: This will be the first outdoor course you race. 
There are plenty of 135-degree (eg |\, where you're coming up the 
straight line) turns and plenty of jumps. The "whoops" (small jumps) 
are the toughest. It's not easy to land them without losing speed, so 
watch yourself. The turns are pretty easy, so you should be able to 
take them well if you know your power slide.
  - Houston, TX: Houston is a relatively easy track. You will see some 
180-degree turns, but they are gentle, and the only switchback that you 
will see that does have some teeth is the last one. While you're taking 
it, use the R + B brake turn to get through it. Just don't get yourself 
all caught up in the bank. You will lose time if you suddenly get stuck 
in there.
  - Lefty's Mill: From pavement to dirt to logs to practically every 
type of thing you can drive on, Left's Mill is quite a unique course. 
Surprisingly enough, it has very few turns. However, here's the tough 
part. The jumps are difficult, and so are some of the course textures. 
Be careful on the logs, first of all. Hitting them at around 50 MPH or 
so should get you across, no problem. If you start to get down into the 
20 MPH range, you'll have a hard time getting across. 
  - Orlando, FL: There is a horseshoe section of the track, started by 
a left turn and then you go through an uphill left, a level right, and 
a downhill left. It's the toughest part of the course, so you will see 
a couple of blind curves coming up.

 SILVER ROUND
  - Nashville, TN: It's all 90-degree angles, but does it make it easy? 
No. It's sort of like the Orlando course, with some more jumps, so you 
should be careful here. Not to mention at the start you need to use an 
air turn right away before you slam right into the bank and wipe right 
out.
  - Canyon Chasm: This course requires you to ALWAYS land on the bottom 
side of a jump! It works a lot better than trying to go up the hill. It 
doesn't work, which you should know by now. The course can get very 
tricky, because you're going on sand. When you reach the two forks you 
find in the course, take the right one, because it's easier to handle. 
Once you reach the tunnel, hit 70 MPH in the straight section, but stay 
in the middle of the road. Slamming into a beam will only make you very 
frustrated. At the sharp turn, try power sliding through it, then 
quickly aligning and power sliding right to prepare for the next part 
of the course. Finally, there's the canyon, which is wide enough to 
make any sane stuntman think "I'm outta here!" But you have to finish a 
race, so get up to about 65-70 MPH (holding the Control Stick back) and 
you should get across with no problem.
  - Long Island, NY: The start is very tough, because you can't get 
going fast enough to clear the set of small jumps. Since they chew up 
your speed, you'll have to find a way to get enough speed to clear them 
AND try to keep your rivals behind you. There are some turns that look 
like this (see below):

----------\
           -
           \
------     |
|         /
|        /
|       /
|      |

I guess the bad thing about having to work with ASCII is that your 
diagrams all look pathetic. With these turns, you'd want to cut through 
the chicane part of the turn, then power slide through the rest. It 
works. There is a part of the course that goes through a tunnel, but it 
isn't very tough. Just so you know. :)
  - Congo Course: This is probably one of the more interesting courses: 
one of my favorites. Anyway, the jumps will be pretty much the same 
throughout the course, so you shouldn't really have to refine your 
strategy. One big tip: towards the end, once you reach the jungle area, 
stay in control. Keep towards the center, because the beams will take 
you out in a second. As for the final corner, take the right side, but 
take a bit slower. You may be able to speed past a few opponents if 
you're smart.
  - Las Vegas, NV: This course is definitely not easy. If you're in the 
Novice, Amateur, or Pro difficulties, you'll most likely be looking for 
a win on this course to seal the round up. If you make a mistake, 
you're pretty much screwed up. So you should be sure you take the jumps 
right AND watch out for the tire archways. They can take you out in a 
hurry.

 GOLD ROUND
  - Phoenix, AZ: This course is actually not too tough. If you take the 
jumps right, you might have a chance at a win here. The course doesn't 
have too much difficulty, except for some jumps with water, but using 
the turbo boost should get you over. Even the 180-degree switchbacks 
you should be able to take without a problem.
  - Rainforest Run: The start on this course is actually very easy. Hit 
your turbo, stay centered, and you should be able to get this right. 
When you start, take the right route and go over the water. On the 
second lap, take the bridge. Once you go through the castle area, be 
careful through the bridge, because you really don't have much room. 
There shouldn't be much else to say, except you should take your jumps 
wisely. One mistake can really get bog you down, and you might just 
have to surrender your lead. Try to keep in contact with the ground as 
much as you can. The course is very long, so you should keep your 
concentration.
  - Madrid, Spain: Two time-saving tips: First of all, for the split 
section a few corners into the race, where one part of the track has a 
type of jump and another part of the track has another: take the right 
side if you can, because it comes right after a 90 degree right turn. 
Power sliding isn't a good idea there, so try the sharp turn, and 
hopefully it might work. As for the guardrail splits, take the inside 
and get into a slide. Some opponents take the outside, but make sure 
you don't jump right over the guardrail and into the outside lane.
  - The Gravel Pit: What a tough course. Yes, I mean it when I say 
"tough". It may not seem too difficult when you look at the track map, 
but it can turn into murder. First of all, when you reach the winding 
canyon part of the track, it's difficult so try to keep yourself on the 
track. As for other parts of the track, watch that you don't screw up 
on jumps, but there are two pretty darn good shortcuts. After you reach 
the "picturesque jump", where you jump really, REALLY high and you can 
see plenty of the horizon, your speed will be around 75 MPH. Be careful 
though, because you'll need to use the brake slide to get across the 
next bend.
  - Detroit, MI: There are plenty of switchbacks at first, so it's not 
too bad, but all of the skills that you've learned  everything  you 
will have to put to use right here. Once you reach the red tent area, 
know you're approaching a portion of the track where the track narrows 
towards the middle, then widens for the rest of the 180-degree turn. 
Other than that, good luck.

 PLATINUM ROUND
  - Goldmine Rush: The level may not seem so difficult at first, but 
it's actually very difficult. First of all, there is a log across the 
track, so you have to actually go around it. A little farther on, there 
is an area where you can fall off the track (eg no barrier), and even 
farther on the track is very narrow. Just ride wisely and you should be 
fine.
  - Los Angeles, CA: This track is what motocross SHOULD be! It 
contains a heck of a lot of switchbacks and turns, plenty of jumps. But 
you should be able to take the lead if you're smart going into turn 
one, so hope that you can get it all right. All your skills will need 
to be utilized here, so you might want to take a few runs through the 
course before you decide to make the commitment in Season mode.
  - Construction Yard: This is another one of my favorite courses. 
First of all, the first turn is tricky, because you need to stay right 
without getting off course, which slows you down dramatically. Then, 
there's the junction. It crosses over itself twice before the track 
meets again! And it is tough, because there's plenty of water when 
you're in the tunnel part of the track. As you learned in the Mountain 
Quarry, water slows you down, but you can take the jumps and avoid it 
altogether. There are two or three paths to take in the Construction 
Yard at any given time (there is usually one path, but it separates 
quite a bit.)
  - Seattle, WA: This course takes up so much room; it can't fit inside 
the stadium! Literally. After a turn, you'll hit this big jump  and it 
can get a little tricky, because you might have to make an air turn to 
land it. It takes some finesse to land it right. There are plenty of 
switchbacks, jumps, and turns to be found, and towards the end the 
course will run beside the parking lot. Nothing to it  just take two 
jumps at a time.
  - Blizzard Blitz: This is another interesting course, because it 
takes place outside in the winter. First of all, the hardpack is 
actually not a bad texture to race on. But you will find some pretty 
tough jumps. Once you exit the tunnel, hit your turbo because you're 
going right across some ice floes. Then, another bridge: if you hit it 
at 70, you'd better get ready for an air turn. Then comes a tough kink 
where you have to stay in control. Then, there's the snow. It'll slow 
you down, and let me tell you: I hate it. There are two junctions on 
this part of the track, and then finally, the last bridge. Just make 
sure you're lined up right, and then all you have to do is skid across 
the ice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
6.0 - SPECIAL TRACKS

 Desert: This course is probably very unique. It is literally never-
ending and randomly generated, so every race is unique and could call 
for anything. You have to put out campfires (eg. drive over them). Once 
you drive over your goal, a yellow arrow in the bottom left of the 
screen will point you towards your next goal. In essence, it's ten 
different races: from the start to campfire one, from campfire one to 
campfire two, and so on...

 Stunt Course: This small arena contains a bunch of jumps. Time to get 
all crazy with stunts. You have two minutes to rack up a sick score by 
performing stunts (the racers' specialty stunts are shown, and you can 
pull them off by selecting them. By combining multiple tricks, you can 
score big points. Here are the stunts:

  No Hander: C\/ + Down + Up
  Fender Kiss: C\/ + Up + Down
  Nothing: C\/ + R + Down + Up
  Saran Wrap: C\/ + Right + Left
  Bar Hop: C\/ + 6 to 3 counter clockwise
  Nac Nac: C\/ + 9 to 6 counter clockwise
  Heel Clicker: C\/ + 6 to 12 counter clockwise
  Cliff Hanger: C\/ + R + 6 to 12 counter clockwise

 Original Excitebike: Back to 1985, everyone. Unlocked when you 
complete the tutorial, this will give you some time travel back to the 
NES days. My friend remembers playing this game  and he did verify 
that the whole thing was replicated. Let me just give a little look at 
the game:

 START: selection, pause game.
 A: acceleration.
 B: turbo.
 Up/Down (on ground): switch lanes.
 Left (on ground): pop a wheelie.
 Left/Right (in air): adjust bike angle.

The last two are a necessity if you want to get by in the later levels. 
Not to mention that you also have a track editor available to 
you...here's the controls.

 Left/Right: selection of items (A-S).
 B: place item.
 A: move forward.

Select CL to clear something, and END to place the finish line. Then 
select laps (1-9).

What about the modes? Here they are:
 Selection A: All alone on the track, no one with you. Squeeze by the 
third-place time to advance. Here are the times. The best time is sort 
of irreverent, but the third-place time is the time you'll have to do 
better than to advance to the next track. Once you go outside that 
window, it's game over. Pass all five tracks and you win.
     Track     Best      Third
       1     1:16.oo    1:24.oo
       2     1:24.oo    1:32.oo
       3     1:22.oo    1:30.oo
       4     1:12.oo    1:20.oo
       5     1:04.oo    1:12.oo
 Selection B: Nearly the same as Selection A, except there are other 
riders with you. Clip another rider's front tire with your back tire to 
reset your temperature gauge (you can also hit one of the chevrons on 
the track). Just don't hit another rider's back tire.
 Design: Design a track. You can save it to the Game Pak or Controller 
Pak.

That was a long description of the original Excitebike, wasn't it? 
Check out www.gamefaqs.com for FAQs on the game. Last time I checked, 
they had two of them.
  
 Soccer: Unlocked after you beat Novice, this is an awesome multiplayer 
feature. Two or four players can play soccer with a huge soccer field, 
a huge soccer ball, and motorbikes. Just ram the ball to get it going. 
Whoever scores the most goals in two three-minute halves wins. If it's 
a tie after full time, a two-minute overtime period will start...if 
it's still a tie, the game is a draw. If the tie is broken, that team 
wins. No tips, really. Just have fun. Bring Super Smash Bros., Mario 
Party, and/or GoldenEye over and you'll have the perfect multiplayer 
bash.

 Hill Climb: The Hill Climb is unlocked after you beat Intermediate. 
The objective is...to...sweat...and...strain...to...get...up...that... 
steep...hill. It's difficult, and it's divided into three stages. If 
you fall, which can happen, you'll have to go back to the start of the 
stage you were attempting. You start with 2:00.oo on the clock and one 
minute is added after you reach stage two, and another minute after you 
reach stage three. Check www.nintendopower.com for movies on how to 
beat the Hill Climb  it's pretty useful. Other than that, here are 
some tips:
    - Try to avoid the edge. Don't even try flying. Even though you 
might think you can do that, you're going to find out the hard way it's 
not a hot idea. You'll just wipe out.
    - Wheelies and turbo are the key to getting it, especially on the 
first stage. The second stage relies more on skill, and the third is 
practically 95% skill. Bobby Malone, Nigel York, and Vicky Steele are 
all suited to this level.
    - Read the terrain beforehand. Unless you're certain you have 
enough speed to get up a steep ridge, don't try it. Sometimes, speed 
isn't the best idea. Slow but steady (especially in the third and final 
stage) is the way to go.

 Excite 3-D: This level is awesomely cool. Hmmm, "awesomely cool." I 
don't think I've ever used that phrase before. Okay. You have to beat 
the Challenge Round of the Pro difficulty to get this. It isn't easy, 
but the fact that there is only one course stinks. Oh well, you can't 
have everything...anyway, the same rules from NES Excitebike. Avoid 
those oil slicks, and do wheelies (you should know how to do them by 
now). Also a neat feature: tap C-up for an "isometric view". Don't know 
what that means? It's a side view, sort of like in the original 
Excitebike. Explanation done, that's all for special courses.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
7.0 - TRACK STRATEGIES

This section of the FAQ/Walkthrough explains the strategies you should 
use for each of the tracks.

 Bronze Round
   - Kyoto, Japan: The jumps are pretty easy, so you shouldn't have any 
real problems. Just try not to slide into the wall.
   - Mountain Quarry: Always land on the backside of all the jumps. You 
should also use wheelies to go through the water, too. It will slow you 
down to around 25-30 MPH if you decide to plow through it.
   - Houston, TX: At the final jump before the sharp 180-degree 
switchback, try not to go too high: yes, you can crash into the lights 
(!)
   - Lefty's Mill: Keeping your speed up should get you through the 
course easily.
   - Orlando, FL: When the course dips down, keep towards the right 
side. If you stray too far to the left, you'll fall out of the course.

 Silver Round
   - Nashville, TN: Use that Air Turn right away, but look out for the 
double-tiered jump...and be smart on the jumps.
   - Canyon Chasm: Take the inside path on the forks. Landing on the 
downside of jumps is CRITICAL to a win.
   - Long Island, NY: At the start, if you can get away easily, don't 
tilt your bike back too far after the first too jumps. You'll fall on 
the third one. Stay in control at all times.
   - Congo Course: Watch that river. At the final big jump, land on the 
downside of the jump before it and make the air turn to get over the 
river. It's pretty useful. Try to gain position through the jungle area 
and for the final corner.
   - Las Vegas, NV: As long as you don't screw up by burning out your 
turbo, you should be able to get it right.
 
 Gold Round
   - Phoenix, AZ: Take the jumps in a smart way. You should be able to 
get it all to stack up. Just don't make a mistake.
   - Rainforest Run: The course is muddy, so be very, very careful. 
During the first part of the course, the S-curves shouldn't be too bad. 
Remember, S stands for straight. The jumps can really screw you up if 
you make a mistake.
   - Madrid, Spain: Take the right set of jumps on the split section, 
and always use the inside of all the guardrail-split curves.
   - The Gravel Pit: Try jumping off to the side of the big jumps after 
turn one. There is a narrow road there that will lead you back onto the 
main track.
   - Detroit, MI: This course is extremely hard. You will have to stay 
in control at all times so you don't do anything wrong.

 Platinum Round
   - Goldmine Rush: Be careful around the log and the well while you're 
in the ghost town area. Then, watch the cliff while you're in the 
steady right turn, and also watch those two jumps that seem to go over 
bottomless pits. Over this last section, stay in control: it's very 
narrow.
   - Los Angeles, CA: Take the turns as well as you can, and make sure 
you tap in all of your skills.
   - Construction Yard: During the first turn, keep to the right so you 
don't hit an obstacle in the middle of the course. As a matter of fact, 
there's machinery all over, right where you don't want it. Stay in 
control.
   - Seattle, WA: After the first turn, use the air turn to skip the 
second turn and go back on the course. You have to be really smart to 
pull it off. It takes a few tries to master.
   - Blizzard Blitz: Have quite a bit of speed going into the snow 
area. Your speed really gets chewed up. Not to mention you should go 
all out over the ice floes and the bridges.

 Special Tracks
   - Desert: Hit your turbo in the flat areas of the desert. Some of 
the low-turbo riders will not be able to post good times on this 
course, so use a high-turbo rider. When approaching a campfire on a 
hill, approach it slowly, so you don't miss it.
   - Stunt Course: Two minutes to rack up sick points. Get LOTS of 
speed going into big jumps, so you can score big points by linking 
plenty of stunts together. Give yourself enough time to pull it off, 
though. If you aren't able to pull the stunt(s) off before you hit the 
ground, you don't get any points. Just like Rush 2: Extreme Racing 
USA's stunt mode.
   - Original Excitebike: Hit the chevrons to lower your temperature 
gauge instantly (and in Selection B, clip a rider's front tire with 
your rear tire). Also adjust your bike so it matches your landing 
slope. If you screw up, you'll lose time.
   - Soccer: Have fun. Who cares about strategy? You decide.
   - Hill Climb: Try not to keep your front wheel up. Don't even try 
it. If you put on a little more throttle while you're going slow, 
you'll flip. Here's a stage-by-stage guide:
      Stage 1 - Just go all out. I've completed this stage in 12 
seconds. Jam your turbo big-time.
      Stage 2 - In the second stage, go all out at first, then ease up 
on speed. Keep to the right, then cut across to the left (where the 
course "juts" out) and push the control stick forward. Then, hit your 
turbo again and stay to the left. You should get the third stage right.
      Stage 3 - Get some speed up, then over the first jump, get up 
there and stay to the left while keeping the control stick upwards. 
With a bit of help from turbo, you should be able to become king of the 
hill.
   - Excite 3-D: Land on the bottom side of jumps. Also, the same rules 
that applied to the NES Excitebike apply here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
8.0 - TRACK SHORTCUTS, SECRETS, CODES

First, I'll go with codes. I didn't discover these, but some of these 
codes are courtesy of www.n64cc.com, another is from www.ign.com, and 
the last two have been found by "chronoT" at www.gamefaqs.com. Thanks 
to all of the above.

SHOWOFF - Stunt bonus. Temperature gauge resets when you pull off a 
stunt.
BLAHBLAH - Big head mode. Riders have big heads.
INVISRIDER - Invisible rider mode. Riders cannot be seen on their 
bikes.
MIDNIGHT - Night mode. The horizon is made black and visibility is 
reduced.
YADAYADA - Mirror mode. Courses are flip-flopped (mirrored).
TRICKSTER - All stunts. You can perform any rider's specialty and the 
normal stunts.
PATWELLS - Beat This! mode. Makes the game more difficult.
UGLYMUGS - Superimposes a picture of the developers over the rider 
movie during the credits.
PINHEAD - Small head mode. Riders have small heads.

Now, for shortcuts on the courses:
(NOTE: I was not the first one to find these shortcuts, but they do 
exist. Trust me. I went through all of the shortcuts.)

 - Mountain Quarry: On the long straightaway with the big jumps, look 
for a tunnel on the left side. Duck into it. You'll go into a tunnel. 
It's not much, but you get to skip a corner and shave off a little 
time.
 - Lefty's Mill: Once you reach the tabletop jump before the mill, stay 
left and go onto the grass. Then, go up the path. If you have enough 
speed (30 MPH) you'll go off the ramp and onto the roof of the mill. If 
you goof up, you can bail out, because there is a doorway just beyond 
the ramp.
 - Congo Course: When you reach what looks like a junction on the map, 
go through the pile of logs that cover up a hidden road. It is a little 
bit tricky to navigate, but it does save time!
 - The Gravel Pit #1: On the first lap, a ramp will be blocked off 
towards the middle of the course. On the second lap, the barrier will 
be gone. Build your speed up to 60-65 MPH while taking the outside 
track and rocket up to a shortcut!
 - The Gravel Pit #2: Towards the end of the lap, you will see a road 
branch off at the end of the set of whoops. Enter the road, build your 
speed up to 50 MPH, and fly over the set of train tracks. This shortcut 
rejoins the normal track just before the finish line.
 - Construction Yard #1: At the turn just before the fork, you will see 
some pylons on the right, then a narrow branch-off. Take it. You will 
go onto a dirt path, then come back to the normal track. You'll have 
shaved off a few seconds.
 - Construction Yard #2: Once you reach the fork, go straight ahead: 
between the middle and right signs. If you have hit it at around 50 
MPH, you'll go onto a platform. Hit the next jump at 50 MPH or so and 
you'll go onto a road between the first junction and second junction. 
Then, if you hit the next jump on this road at the same speed, you'll 
reach another road. Go onto it and rejoin the race with the 
construction truck ahead. (Thanks to www.nintendo.com)
 - Construction Yard #3a, #3b: Take the right fork where shortcut #2 
for this course starts, then follow it. Once you reach the final 
junction, build up your speed. You'll go onto a beam, and make a left 
to rejoin the track at the set of jumps. If you miss it, you can go 
through the truck (below it).
 - Construction Yard #4: YOU CAN LINK THE ABOVE THREE SHORTCUTS 
TOGETHER!!! Now that's a real deal!
 - Construction Yard #5: Before you reach the underground tunnel, keep 
straight. Go through the jumps, and when you see the Fox Racing sign, 
go through it. It will smash up and you will uncover a secret tunnel...
 - Blizzard Blitz: Before you reach the road inside the tunnel, keep 
right and build your speed up. Jump to a ledge to the right, then 
follow the tunnel. (At the jump, keep right, so you go to the next 
level. You will rejoin the race after the ice floes.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
9.0 - BIG TIPS

Don't try to pull off any Tony Hawk style grinds on the barriers. It 
doesn't count as part of the track. You'll just fall off your bike.

Tip for taking corners smart: Take the brake slide only on the sharp 
180-degree switchbacks where you need to kill your speed. You can also 
do it on the 90-degree turns, but it's not recommended. It all depends 
on the sharpness of the turn.

You can actually hold a wheelie as long as you want. As long as you 
keep the control stick held back halfway, you'll stay on forever. You 
can even make turns! This tip has no use in racing, but it's neat.

Try to keep your bike's temperature in the yellow zone at all times. 
Keeping it in the red is not a good idea, so use your turbo 
judiciously.

More tips to come...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
10.0 - Q&A

Q: When was this game released?
A: Some time in May or June of 2000.

Q: Will I like this game for multiplayer?
A: This probably might be a nominee for the fourth Grand Slam of 
Multiplayer spot (over Mario Party, GoldenEye 007, and Smash Bros.) So, 
yes.

Q: Is this the best motocross game ever?
A: Probably. Look out Jeremy McGrath.

Q: Are there any secret riders or tracks?
A: Not that I know of. But trust me, if it gets found out, it will come 
up here.

Q: Should I buy or rent?
A: Hahahahaha! RTF (Read the FAQ)!

Q: Why do you have so few questions?
A: This FAQ is new. If there is a question that comes up commonly posed 
to me, I will put it up here.

Q: Where can I contact you?
A: Take a look at the top of the FAQ. My e-mail address is there. Just 
look at the final part of this FAQ for what you should send to me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
11.0 - SOME MORE LEGAL STUFF

I'm boring you to death with all the legal talk, right? I have to say 
it! This document is copyrighted and may not be sold, used as your own 
(a.k.a. taking this document and changing the name and e-mail address 
to your own) or anything of the like. If you violate ANY of these, I 
will find out and you can be sued.

You are not allowed to copy this to your hard drive. Period. If you 
need it as reference, print it out. If your dog eats it, well, too bad. 
This FAQ is only for the use of reference and I do not want it to be 
used for any other reason. More stuff can be found in the legal rights 
above.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
12.0 - CREDITS, SELF-PROMOTION...

First, let me just thank the following:

Myself, for taking the time out of summer vacation to write this 
complete FAQ up.
Nintendo and Left Field. I could not possibly have had the opportunity 
to write this up without them. Thank you so much.
Jeff "CJayC" Veasey, the webmaster of GameFAQs.
Anyone else I could have missed.

As for self-promotion, this is my VERY FIRST FAQ TO GO ON THE 
INTERNET!!! What a milestone! However, I have several reviews on the 
GameFAQs website, currently I am going to expand them to contain more 
information for more games (45, as a matter of fact)!

Thanks for reading! Hope it was useful! Bye!

--- This document is copyright (C) 2000 Jordan Stopciati. ---

*** END DOCUMENT ***
