Hotshot Tales, Part 22: The Volcanic Absurdity of the Heated Highway

Hotshot Tales, Part 22: The Volcanic Absurdity of the Heated Highway

Hotshot Racing is known for its retro-themed aesthetic and old-school track design, but one variant - the Heated Highway route on the Coast map - takes the absurdity of its settings to extremes. Although its technical layout makes it one of the most challenging layouts in the base game, it's not the reason I'm mentioning it here. The key feature of this track (for which it is named) is a tunnel running through an active volcano spitting chunks of solidified lava into the air from two pools of magma either side of the actual track. Obviously, such a geologically active region would be very ill-suited to being a racing venue (or even a construction site for road building) in real life, but then again, the game doesn't even pretend to be realistic in any way. As for the sector's layout, it begins with a tight 90-degree left-hander, followed by a short straight that feeds into another sharp 90-degree left as it enters the volcanic tunnel, which is essentially a right-left-right chicane made narrower by artificial bottlenecks at the tunnel's exit.

Above, from top: Heated Highway is the most escapist track configuration in Hotshot Racing due to having a section of track with a volcanic magma pool either side - a geologic feature that would easily preclude any form of road construction nearby in real life.

It is very rare for a car to be launched into the lava pits through a glitch that can cause them to clip through the edges of the track, but even if this occurs, the car will simply respawn back on the track within seconds, as it would when it goes out of bounds elsewhere, instead of being eliminated from the event (which would be too unfair even for CPU-controlled players). So why am I mentioning this lava-sculpted twister of a track again on this blog? A recent nearby volcanic eruption that made the sky slightly dimmer and forced me to take extra precautions to avoid unnecessary exposure made me think of this track (along with its alternate configurations), and how a single eruption could shut down the entire map for racing purposes - and not just for days or weeks, but for a few months on end at the very least. Specifically, if the volcano through which the Heated Highway route runs were to erupt, almost the entirety of its third sector would be completely impassable, thus necessitating a time-consuming excavation and reconstruction procedure after the eruption ends.

Obviously, the fallout from such an eruption wouldn't be limited to the lava flows and ashfall - earthquakes and tsunamis would also ravage huge sections of the map - but the fact that Lucky Mountain Games and Sumo Digital had the audacity to place an active volcano right in the middle of one of the 20 track configurations in Hotshot Racing shows that the racing game genre still deserves to have some element of escapism in it, and this is no exception.

A Lifer's Diary, Part 18: Applying Hotshot Racing Customization Logic to Game of Life Movers

A Lifer's Diary, Part 18: Applying Hotshot Racing Customization Logic to Game of Life Movers

Having played Hotshot Racing for countless hours so far, I decided to extrapolate one of its best aspects - its customization system - to The Game of Life (or specifically, its various video game adaptations) and applying it to its movers (which represent players' locations on the board) to give players more options to express their personalities and individualities further than they otherwise would. So here's a breakdown of what would be in store if such a feature were to be implemented.

Above, from top: Every car in Hotshot Racing can have up to 16 customization slots (not counting palettes, which simply change the foreground, background, and accent colors of the currently applied skin) - having such a wide range of options for these categories would make any video game adaptation of The Game of Life even more attractive to prospective players.

I would suggest carrying over the customization from Hotshot Racing wholesale into a Game of Life adaptation (in video game format) - the only things I would change are replacing the Steering Wheel and Dashboard slots with Interior Color and Interior Pattern slots (if the movers were to also have fully detailed interiors), along with allowing players to specify custom colors for their chosen exterior color palette should none of the presets be to their liking, and adding the option to save specific setups to their profiles for later use if they feel like using it again.

Obviously, for anyone playing a Game of Life video game to even be able to use these items in the first place, they could (and in my opinion, should) be forced to unlock them by buying them with points accumulated from completed games and/or completing specific tasks, as is the case in Hotshot Racing. This would incentivize completionism even further, and would help mitigate the problem of new players getting too carried away with their chosen mover's aesthetics. Players' avatars should also be given customization options as well (something that hasn't happened since Generation III was included in Family Game Night 3), with similar criteria for acquisition. With these features, you could make any future video game adaptation of the Hasbro Game of Life much more compelling by adding some much-needed replay value. For good measure, it could be possible to extend this feature to every version that is simulated in a future video game release, which will definitely come in handy in a compilation featuring at least one previous iteration of The Game of Life alongside the one currently in print.

In short, bringing back more options for avatar customization to any video game adaptation(s) of the Game of Life, in addition to expanding the list of mover customization options, would significantly broaden its appeal, not just to younger players, but also to older ones as well.

Hotshot Tales, Part 21: Shadows of the Patriots

Hotshot Tales, Part 21: Shadows of the Patriots

In my previous post overall, I showed how the '86 Rosso could be given a two- or three-tone livery even after its stock roof was replaced, as follows:

Above, from top: A three-tone livery is possible on the '86 Rosso by choosing a different exterior color for the lower side bodywork (which in the case of this body set, is the Secondary Car slot) and bumpers in addition to specifying a third color for the front lip, and rear valance/side skirts (represented by the Misc. Paint 3 and Misc. Trim 1 areas, respectively) as an accent. If you wish to use a two-tone livery instead, you could use a single color for both the main and lower bodywork (including bumpers) while also applying a different color to the Misc. Paint 3 and Misc. Trim 1 areas; alternatively, extending that color to the lower bodywork places it in a foreground role instead of as an accent.

What intrigued me most about these exterior color areas, however, is that it's also possible to duplicate some of the liveries in Hotshot Racing using Aston's Drift car, the Shadow, and applying Skin 3 (which finishes the middle and/or lower bodywork in contrasting colors when choosing most palettes outside of the Special Set, whose palettes always apply a single color to the entire car), as follows:

Above, from top: Using Skin 3 on Aston's Shadow in Hotshot Racing, it's possible to get a 3-tone livery similar to what I applied to my test build in Automation - with some palettes displaying variations on the theme by changing the order of the colors and/or making some of them brighter or darker. Admittedly, the middle part of the front bumper is color-matched to the car's background color and not the middle horizontal band, but you get the idea. In any case, Alexa's 9th palette (which is one of the defaults for her Speed car, the Mirage) is the closest match, though, When combined with the Shadow's default wheel type (a red 5-spoke design - the Automation build has white ones, although they can be recolored accordingly if desired, unlike the wheels in Hotshot Racing), the similarity becomes even more pronounced.

This is, however, just one example of how Automation allows you to pay tribute to a car/livery combination in Hotshot Racing - but there are many others, and those, too, can be replicated (or at least approximated) using skillful use of body molding, decal, and exterior area color choice manipulation.

On the subject of customization, that topic, in turn, will be the topic for another post in yet another series of mine.

Hotshot Tales, Part 20: Showing No Mercy

Hotshot Tales, Part 20: Showing No Mercy

How would a "mercy rule" for Hotshot Racing (specifically, Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode) affect gameplay? I've been pondering this question for a few years now, so here's how it could be implemented compared to the standard rules for both modes, in which the game will let the last remaining human player continue to drive until they run out of time, complete all laps, or are eliminated. While it gives that player a chance to survive as long as they can, I'll admit that even attempting to do so can be a challenge, especially on the more technical and/or narrower tracks. My proposed "mercy rule" removes that problem completely in two ways, as described below.

The first part of this rule deals with lapped traffic during a Barrel Barrage. In longer races, it is possible for a skilled human player to be the only finisher on the lead lap, if not the only one, period. However, any players who aren't on the lead lap (human or not) can still continue racing if they have time left to do so. Unfortunately, this can potentially result in them being hit, or even eliminated, by barrels placed by anyone who is on the lead lap. To avoid this problem, any players who are lapped should be given a small amount of time (probably 3, 5, or 10 seconds) to get on the lead lap, and will be automatically eliminated unless they do so within that time. This rule won't be implemented in Drive or Explode, in which it is impossible to finish a race a lap down on the leader due to its different rules.

The second part of this rule applies to both Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode, and is much more direct in its approach. With the Mercy Rule on in those modes, if only one human player remains, and there are no bots (CPU-controlled players) left, the game automatically ends, granting an immediate victory to the sole survivor, without allowing them to drive all the way to the full race distance, and preventing them from having to avoid barrels or dropping below the minimum sector speed in Barrel Barrage and Drive or Explode, respectively. However, although it increases your chance of survival in such situations, it also prevents you from being able to humiliate the opposition even further by completing every lap as the last player standing.

If the "mercy rule" were to be implemented for both modes, it would have to be balanced by having the game award additional cash to the player for every lap completed (or at least reached) in those modes regardless of whether or not this rule was toggled on. Turning it on would thus deprive the player of those extra earnings if it were invoked during such a race, making it a matter of balancing risk with reward by giving the player a chance to play it safe and use it, or ignore it and attempt to increase their winnings. In short, it would be useful for less experienced players, but less so for more highly skilled ones, who would rather be brave and leave it off. Regardless, the idea should be something the developers should consider for the sequel - if such a thing were to be made.

Hotshot Tales, Part 19: Four Kills at Surf City

Hotshot Tales, Part 19: Four Kills at Surf City

It's very difficult to get four kills in a single Barrel Barrage race at Surf City (the most difficult track added in the Big Boss Bundle DLC to Hotshot Racing) while also surviving to the very end, especially if the race in question is 7 laps long (the longest possible distance), and even more so if the Expert class (the fastest one available) is chosen, but it can be done, although it takes a lot of skill, luck, and patience - and choosing the right car also helps. For this challenge, I chose Marcus' Carbon (the best Speed-class car, and the best car overall) to give myself the best chance of completing sectors within the notoriously strict time limits this track/class combination has to offer.

It took several hours and dozens of attempts for me to get what I wanted, but eventually I managed to pull it off for the first time in months, if ever. Here's how it happened:

Above, from top: A chronology of kills and the final result from a 7-lap Barrel Barrage at Surf City in which I not only got four kills (one each against Xing, Keiko, Mike, and Alexa), but survived until the very end.

Right from the start, I had to be very aggressive against the opposition (by carefully timing and placing my barrel drops to prevent my opponents from avoiding them), and it paid off. Xing (in a Sentinel) was the first to fall, bowing out after just two laps; on the next lap, I took out Keiko (in a Super F-90) and Mike (in an Athena) within the space of just a few seconds. For the next few laps, I mixed speed with precision, avoiding barrels while meeting the sectors' time limits as the opposition kept dropping like flies, until an opportunity for a fourth kill presented itself on the very last lap. Alexa (in a Stallion) was about to be lapped and at critical damage (20 health or less), having taken care of Viktor (in a Blade) a few laps earlier, so I matched her speed and placed a barrel I held in reserve right in front of her to finish her off. My attempt at a fifth kill was unsuccessful, as the last remaining opponent, Toshiro (in a Wild Line) was eliminated before I could catch up to him, but it didn't matter anyway; all I had to do was get to the finish line in time in one piece, and against all odds, that's exactly what I did.

Above: Some alternate angles of all four my kills in this chaotic 7-lap Barrel Barrage on Expert at Surf City (plus Alexa taking out Viktor) as shown during the replay.

In short, this was one of the most chaotic Barrel Barrages I've had anywhere in a long time, and it goes to show that the perfect storm of circumstances (>2 kills in 7 laps on Expert and completing every lap while also being the last man standing) for a Barrel Barrage on any track is very rare and difficult to achieve, but still possible with the right combination of skill, luck, and patience.

Hotshot Tales, Part 18: The King of the Hotshots

Hotshot Tales, Part 18: The King of the Hotshots

Having already explained the worst car in Hotshot Racing and how you can win a race with it even on the most challenging tracks, I'll now show you the best car the game has to offer. And after two and a half years of experience, I have found the answer: Marcus's Speed-class car, the Carbon, is by far the best car in the game. But the stat sheet only tells part of the story on why this car is overpowered.

Above: The Carbon may be the fastest car in the game (over 220 mph without boosting, and 260 mph when doing so), but stats alone don't tell the whole story.

When I first tried out this car, it wasn't just its speed that shocked me; it was its surprisingly controllable handling (contradicting its low drift stat) that propelled it to the top of my list. Specifically, its body roll in corners is minimal, which gives it a stable feel while drifting. This ensures you'll be less reliant on the Brake Tap Drift technique (which I'd described in the previous post in this series) than you usually would; thus yielding higher cornering speeds; sometimes, you won't even need to brake at all while drifting, allowing you to use just the steering inputs to stay in control. Best of all, you won't even need to downshift at all when entering tight corners.

To prove a point, I tried entering the Carbon in the same type of event (7 laps at Surf City on Expert) that tripped me up so many times in the Eagle. Unsurprisingly, I didn't just win on my first attempt, I did so handily.

Above, from top: Thanks to the Carbon's unparalleled speed and surprisingly good handling, I was able to win this 7-lap race at Surf City on Expert on my first attempt (and by over 12 seconds, to boot!), whereas my first win at the same track over the same distance in the same class using Mike's Eagle was much closer, with a margin of victory measured in tenths of a second at most.

In fact, my extensive testing with the Carbon has confirmed that it is undoubtedly the best car to use on any track across all modes and speed classes. Unsurprisingly, anyone who chooses Marcus in local or online multiplayer is best served with one of these, although there are a few cars that come close to matching its overall effectiveness. Finally, I have found its speed to be a boon in Drive or Explode, where it is necessary to remain above a steadily increasing speed threshold just to avoid elimination, while its handling helps it avoid barrels more easily in Barrel Barrage.

In short, the Carbon isn't just the fastest car in the game, it's also the best one overall, period. It should be your first choice in high-level play (unless an opponent already chose Marcus in a multiplayer match), and if the game had an Ultimate Grand Prix spanning all 20 tracks, it would be the best car for anyone to use in such a long, grueling championship.

Hotshot Tales, Part 17: Not an April Fool's Joke - The Eagle Conquers Surf City!

Hotshot Tales, Part 17: Not an April Fool's Joke - The Eagle Conquers Surf City!

Many players consider winning an Arcade Mode race with the Eagle (Mike's Acceleration-class car) on Surf City in the Expert speed class to be the most difficult task in the game. Why is this? The Eagle is, without doubt, the least effective car in the game; although it has the best Acceleration stat, it has one of the lowest top speeds in the game (only 203 mph) and a very weak Drift stat. Specifically, turning hard on its own is sufficient to initiate a drift - but on anything other than wide, shallow corners, this is generally seen as detrimental. Even worse, continuously holding down the brake button while drifting (a viable technique in some other cars) will cause it to understeer. However, there is one surefire way to keep the Eagle under control in tight corners, such as the tight downhill hairpin at the end of The Marina and the final corner (which is a wider, uphill hairpin) at Surf City.

Above: Mike's Eagle may be the least effective car on paper (despite its class-leading acceleration), but even it can be a race winner on technical tracks if you apply the proper technique.

If you really want to win anything with the Eagle, you'll need to master a secret technique known as the Brake Tap Drift, which involves tapping (rather than holding down) both the brake button and the directional button corresponding to the direction in which you want to turn. This prevents the car's mass from shifting forward, thus counteracting understeer. However, for the tightest corners, you'll also need to downshift from 6th to 5th or even 4th - something only possible when using manual transmission. Even so, without the possibility of engine damage due to over-revving, or even the need to use a clutch pedal, the Downshift Brake Tap (which combines the Brake Tap Drift with downshifting using manual gears), can help the Eagle navigate any hairpin turn without losing too much speed. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended to have at least one nitro boost in your inventory upon exiting such a tight corner; for the fastest exits from these corners, activate it as soon as the car has straightened out sufficiently, and shift up until you reach 6th gear to build up more momentum.

Applying these techniques allowed me to win at Surf City over 7 laps on Expert, but it took me dozens of attempts to do so. Even so, I had to adjust my racing line significantly to avoid going out of control and slamming into a wall. Finally, after an hour or so of finishing no higher than second, I claimed my first win with the Eagle on this event setup.

Above, from top: Winning a 7-lap race at Surf City on Expert using the Eagle required me to adopt a whole new driving style, but after hours of practice, it paid off - and I won by less than a fifth of a second.

In short, the Eagle may be my least favorite car in Hotshot Racing, but even it can become a winner on any track with enough skill and practice.