Micro Machines V3 Codemasters CONTENTS GETTING STARTED 1 GAME CONTOLS 3 LOADING AND SAVING CHARACTERS 4 DRIVING SCHOOL MODE 5 1 PLAYER MODE 6 POWER UPS 9 SCREEN ICONS 10 MULIT-PLAYER MODE 10 TEAMS MODE 13 PARTY PLAY MODE 13 STATS MODE 16 [End of contents page] GETTING STARTED It is advised that you do not insert or remove peripherals or memory cards once the power is turned on. Set up your PlayStation(TM) as described in the PlayStation(TM) Instruction Manual. With the power OFF, open the Disc cover and insert the Micro Machines(R) V3 disc. Insert a memory card into the memory card slot if you wish to load or save information during play. Make sure there are enough free blocks on your memory card before commencing play. Note that you cannot swap memory cards during play and you must leave the memory card in the memory card slot during play. Close the disk cover before turning the power ON. If you do not have a memory card in the PlayStation(TM) before you start play, then you will not be able to save your progress. Before you start the game you will be asked which language you wish to use. The game defaults to English, so use the LEFT or RIGHT directional buttons on the controller, to scroll to the language of your choice, press the X button to select. Note: once you have chosen a language you will have to reset the machine if you wish the alter you choice. Once the title screens have disappeared you are presented with the Game Options menu. You're the little car at the bottom of the screen and you can now decide what option you want to play with. [End of page 1] GAME OPTIONS Here you can choose just what kind of game you wish to play. Press the LEFT or RIGHT directional buttons to highlight your choice of game and press the X button to confirm this. At any time during the setup procedure you can press the TRIANGLE button to step back to the previous menu. If you've been playing for a while and elect not to race again you will be taken back to this screen, however you will now have the added option of: BYPASS Whereby you can skip to the exact same point which you had just left. This is a shortcut so it saves you going through the Game Options system again. [End of page 2] GAME CONTROLS Controlling your vehicle in Micro Machines(R) V3 is easy, but like everything, it takes practice to become an accomplished player. Here are what the buttons do during play (note, the controls change dramatically in Party Play mode, turn to that section for more information): The directional buttons on the joypad steer your vehicle LEFT and RIGHT. X Accelerate Triangle or R1 or L1 Jump Square Brake Circle or R2 Sound your horn if you have one, activate any special weapons or power ups you may have collected. If you are a tank however, you have no horn. Instead you have the ability to fire the gun on top of your turret. If you collect a Special Weapon or a Power Up, then this will override the gun. L2 Discard the Power Up that you are using. [End of Page 3] LOADING AND SAVING CHARACTERS Make sure there are enough free blocks on your memory card before commencing play. When you first start the game, you need to choose which character you would like to be, or you can load a saved character from a memory card. There is a 'Load All' function which will load the first 8 characters from your memory card, or you can choose up to eight previously saved characters from the memory card to join the 'party'. This is done by using the directional buttons to highlight the individual characters. Press the X button and the character will be transferred to the 'Party'. When you have selected all the characters you want, highlight the 'Done' box and press the X button. This will take you back to the 'Choose a Character' screen. Simply find the character you want to race as and press the X button to select them. If you do not wish to load a character from a memory card, use the UP and DOWN directional buttons to select a pre-defined character. Once selected, you can rename the character if you want to. Simply highlight the letters and confirm each letter with the X button. Finally, select and confirm 'OK' in the same way. Now you will be asked if you want to save the character to a memory card. Remember, you cannot save later on so if you want to build this character up for future use, you must save now. You must have a formatted memory card before playing... [End of page 4] ...to utilise this option, with one block free per character that you wish to save. If you have an unformatted memory card present, the game will ask you if you wish to format your memory card and as a bonus will save the currently selected character. If your memory card is full, you will need to delete a block from the memory card or insert a memory card with a free block. Should you wish to delete a character, this must be done from the internal memory card Management Screen. Refer to the PlayStation(TM) manual for more details. You will be asked if you wish to have your character updated when you return to the Game Options. If you choose 'NO' when asked, all the character's records since the last update will be lost. DRIVING SCHOOL MODE Select this option if you are new to Micro Machines(r), or simply wish to brush up on your driving skills. Cherry will take you through a series of lessons explaining how to drive any of the Micro Machines(r) vehicles. Simply follow Cherry's instructions to learn how to drive. Cherry must be satisfied with you ability on each lesson to complete it. This involves meeting the requirement of each one. [End of page 5] 1 PLAYER MODE Note: removing or inserting controllers in this mode will cause the game to pause. Press the START button to continue if this happens. With just one person racing, the following options are available. HEAD TO HEAD Here it's just you versus the computer controlled opponent, racing through a set of tracks which are represented in Groups. There are three groups available at the start, and to progress you must complete all three groups. Then another group of tracks will become available, which you must complete to access the next group. There are six groups in all. Each time you complete a group then you will be awarded a 'prize car'. These cars can be kept when your character is saved, and the more cars you win the better and faster they become. These cars can be used in the Test Drive and Keepsies modes, see these sections for more details. During play you have a set of eight lights at the left side of the screen - half your colour, half the colour of your opponent. The idea is to get all the lights lit as your colour and this is achieved by scoring 'Bonuses'. To win a Bonus, you need to get a lead of the opponent you are racing. If the lead is substantial enough then you will be awarded a Bonus. The distance you need to get ahead is roughly one screens length. [End of page 6] The winner is the first person to turn all the light to their colour. If you make round three laps of the track before all the lights have been changed, the winner id the player with the most lights turned to their colour. In the event of a tie, you will enter a sudden death Play-off whereby the next person to score a Bonus wins the game. If you should lose a race, you lose one of your three lives. Lose all three of your lives and the game is over, so don't make too many mistakes. CHALLENGE In Challenge mode you're racing against four computer controlled opponents in a three lap race. There are a number of tracks grouped together for you to race your way through, with the easiest group at the top of the list. The groups work in exactly the same way as in Head to Head. Finish each race in the top two and you then progress to the next track in the group. However, in order to progress to the next group, you have to come first in the last race of each one. Again, as in Head to Head, you only have three lives to complete the challenge with so be careful. There are Power Ups to collect in this mode, so don't miss 'em! Every time that you come first in a... [End of page 7] ...race you will be awarded a 'Prize Car'. See Head to Head for more details. TIME TRIAL CHALLENGE Things are tough now as it's just you against the clock. It's a case of having to beat the set times on each of the tracks in the group that you've selected. Finish the group having beaten the set times and you can then choose to race another group of tracks. Again, the tracks work in exactly the same way as in Head to Head and Challenge. Fail to beat any of the set times and you lose a life. Lose all three of your lives and it's game over. 'Prize Cars' are won in this option by completing the group, or beating the existing Time Trial Single race record. TIME TRIAL SINGLE RACE You're on your own here as you race against the clock in a one or three lap race. Here's the place to come and test yourself against the current records, or you can simply use it to practice the tracks and, hopefully, become an even better racer! You can win 'Prize Cars' by beating the current record. [End of page 8] POWER UPS In various modes of racing in Micro Machines(R) V3 you'll notice small green parcels littering the course. Collect these parcels and you'll be given a surprise power up. To activate a Power Up use the R2 button or the CIRCLE button. There are loads of Power Ups for you to discover, and the best way to learn them is to experiment! You can only use the Power Ups a set number of times before they are discarded and some of them have a time limit. Once your Power Up is exhausted it pops out of your vehicle and flashes, to indicate that you can't pick it up again until it becomes solid. Other vehicles will be able to pick up the parcel immediately, just as you are able to pick up parcels that come out of other vehicles. Once the parcel has finished flashing it resets itself to its original position. You can only use one Power Up at a time. If you are ever in any doubt as to whether you've collected a Power Up, a small icon next to your lights meter which is on-screen during the race will tell you. You can discard Power Ups before they are fully used up by pressing the L2 button. There are also Global Power Ups. If one of these is collected than it affects all vehicles on the track. They work in exactly the same way as the standard Power Ups but are mullet-coloured. [End of page 9] SCREEN ICONS When choosing which course to race you'll notice there are some small icons in the top right of the screen. These are there to inform you about the currently selected course and they are explained as follows: Bridge Dangerous Drops Frog Animals Bumps Water Ramps Tunnels Experiments Bends Fast Spillage's Ferry Magnets MULTIPLAYER MODE Note: removing or inserting controllers in this mode will cause the game to pause. Press the START button to continue if this happens. In this mode, any number of humans between two and eight (no, not aged two to eight!) can play Micro Machines(R) V3. There are no computer controlled vehicles racing. If you have more than two players racing then you will need a Mullet tap and if the number of racers exceeds five you will need two Mullet taps. Please make sure that a controller is always inserted in Mullet tap controller port 1-A. It is recommended that any additional controllers are inserted sequentially (1-A, 1-B, 1-C etc.). [End of page 10] BONUS POINTS SYSTEM This works in the same way as in 1 Player Head to Head; to score a 'Bonus' you need to get a lead over the opponent you are racing. The length of this lead is roughly one screen's length. Every time you win a bonus, a number of your lights will be lit. The number of lights lit varies depending on how many players are involved in the race. The number of players also affects how many lights you need to have lit to win the race overall. Also, if you do not win the bonus, then you may lose 'lights' depending on your position in that particular bonus. Check the chart below to see how it works in each mullet-player race. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus points awarded in order of position. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Players/Teams 2 1 -1 Players/Teams 3 1 0 -1 Players/Teams 4 2 1 -1 -2 Players 5 2 1 0 -1 -2 Players 6 3 2 1 -1 -2 -3 Players 7 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 Players 8 4 3 2 1 -1 -2 -3 -4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, to win the race you need to be the car that wins the last 'Bonus'. You can't light up all your lights unless you are first in the final 'Bonus'. [End of Page 11] Bear in mind that if you are blown up, you car will not be allowed to join in the race until the bonus has been won. Once it has been decided then all the cars will be reset together and the race will continue. This should teach you all to be a bit more competitive. SINGLE RACE Select the course that you would like to race on. Your choice of Multi Player tracks will increase as you race new courses in the Challenge and these courses are added to your selection. TOURNAMENT Sometimes you might want a longer competition than a Multi Player Single Race. Here you can select a group of courses that you would like to race as a Multi Player Tournament, and you'll race them as a series of Multi Player races. On the right of the screen is the number of races that you need to win to become the overall winner of the tournament. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. of Points awarded in order of finishing position. Players 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 30 0 3 30 15 0 4 or more 30 20 10 0 0 0 0 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [End of page 12] TEAMS MODE When there are four, six or eight players, you can choose to play together in teams. If there are four players you will be split into two teams with each player controlling one vehicle for their team (red or blue). With six players there are there are three teams (red, blue and yellow) and with eight players there are four teams (red, blue, yellow and green). Choose to race in either Tournament or Single Race. In Tournament you select a group of tracks to race and race them one after the other. In Single Race you simply race the track you've chosen. In all cases the gameplay is the same. Your team attempts to reach the edge of the screen ahead of the other teams' vehicles and scores a Bonus to illuminate a light on your meter. Once all of your meter is lit, you team wins the race. Oh yeah, if the other team scores a Bonus you lose lights. Tee hee! Refer to the Bonus Points System. PARTY PLAY MODE When there are loads of you together you can play in any of the following: TIME TRIAL SINGLE RACE Select the number of laps and the track you wish to race on and then everybody taking part races, one after the other, with no computer or... [End of page 13] ...human opponents in an attempt to get the fastest lap time. Quickest one's the winner! You will only need one controller for this option. TIME TRIAL TOURNAMENT Select the Tournament you want to race and then you all play each track individually, one after the other and with no computer of human opponents. Each group requires a certain number of race wins to become the victor. You will only need one controller for this option. KNOCKOUT This is the option to see who is the best of the best. Between four and eight players are involved, racing in the standard knockout competition. If you lose a race you are out! Win all your races to become the Knockout Champion! You can use any controller to select your characters, but you will be asked to specify which two controllers you would like to race with. Actually only two controllers are needed to play any of the knockout races. PLAYER SHARE When there are four of you and only two controllers you can still all play, with two players sharing each controller. This is the same for six players (three controllers) and eight players (four controllers) - for six and eight player share you will need a Multi Tap. Vehicle controls are shown on-screen before the race starts so pay attention to what buttons you should be pressing. [End of page 14] One important thing to note is that the vehicles will automatically accelerate in this mode. KEEPSIES To play in this option, your saved character must have won at least one 'Prize Car'. If you load in a character that has not won any 'Prize Cars', you will not be able to select this character from the 'Choose a character' screen. This is the option in which you can race and win 'Prize Cars' (see 1 Player Mode above) from your friends. Your mates can bring over their saved characters on Memory cards, then load them into this option. You must load your character from the Memory card before you can select which 'Prize Car' you wish to race. Then all you have to do is choose which track to race on. The rules are simple; if you lose the race, the winner gets your car. So make sure you choose your cars wisely and don't loose. However, if your opponent has a version of a car that is better than yours, your car is simply destroyed. Note: If you choose not to update you character, then you will not lose you Prize Cars, or keep the one's you've won! [End of page 15] STATS MODE Come here to find out how your character has performed during their gameplaying lifetime on the following: TEST DRIVE To play this option you saved character must have won at least one 'Prize Car'. If you load in a character that has not won any 'Prize Cars', you will not be able to select this character from the 'Choose a character' screen. Here is where you get the chance to test the 'Prize Cars' that you have won in the keepsies and 1 Player Mode (see above). It works in exactly the same way as the time trial single race. Load up your character and then select the car you would like to test. Choose the track you would like to play on and then you're off! PLAYER RECORDS Load your character from your memory card and see the best times you have on the tracks you've raced on, plus how far you have progressed in the 1 Player Options. TIME TRIAL STATS Of all the characters currently loaded, see who has the best times on the Time Trial Tracks. TEST DRIVE STATS This is the same as Time Trial Stats, but the times are for your 'Prize Cars'. [End of page 16] MICRO MACHINES(R) V3 HALL OF FAME If you have access to the internet and you have a Time Trial or Test Drive time that you want the whole world to see, then visit the Codemasters Web Site at http://www.codemasters.com There you will find the illustrious Micro Machines(R) V3 Hall of Fame where you will be allowed to register your best times. In order to do this you will need the validation code which is shown underneath your time in the Player Record screens of the Stats Mode (we don't want you just making up times do we!) If your time is good enough it will then be displayed with the other best times for all to see - the ultimate Micro Machines(R) V3 achievement! [End of page 17] [End of Manual]