Manual
Manual
1- System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
3- Default Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
4- Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
5- Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
5.1- Sound Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
5.2- Controllers Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
8- Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
A) Basic Configurations
General Settings
5. Particles
Activates / Deactivates
particles such as water, fire, smoke, etc.
6. Animated Textures
Activates / Deactivates
animated textures throughout the game.
7. Reflection
Activates / Deactivates
the sky’s reflection on track surfaces.
Player’s Car Effects
12.Smoke
Activates / Deactivates smoke effects.
13.Sparks
Activates / Deactivates sparks effects.
14.Chrome mapping
Activates / Deactivates reflection effects on the car.
15. Transparency
Activates / Deactivates the transparency of the car windows.
16.Skid marks
Activates / Deactivates skid marks on the road.
17.Nitro effects
Activates / Deactivates the Nitro flame effects.
18.Lighting
Activates / Deactivates car headlights.
19.Reflection
Activates / Deactivates car reflection on the ground.
20.Sparks
Activates / Deactivates sparks effects.
21.Chrome mapping
Activates / Deactivates reflection effects on the car.
22. Transparency
Activates / Deactivates the transparency of the car windows.
23.Nitro effects
Activates / Deactivates the Nitro flame effects.
24.Lighting
Activates / Deactivates opponents car headlights.
25.Reflection
Activates / Deactivates car reflection on the ground.
3- DEFAULT CONTROLS
These are the default controls which are used in a race. To customize your controls, click on the
"OPTIONS" button in the main menu.
2. "ARCADE" Button
Click to go to the Arcade Main Page.
3. "CHAMPIONSHIP" Button.
Click to start a new championship.
5. "OPTIONS" Button
Click to access the Options
(Sound, Controllers) Window.
6. "LINK" Button
Click to play a linked (Null Modem) game.
8. "NETWORK" Button
Click to play a Network
(LAN or TCP/IP) game.
9. "MODEM" Button
Click to play a modem game.
10."QUIT" Button
Click to exit the game.
5- OPTIONS
5.1- SOUND CONFIGURATION
2D Sound Cards
3D Sound Cards
A) Basic Configuration
B) Advanced Configuration
2. "SETTINGS" Button
Click to access the wheel settings window.
3. "TRANSMISSION" Buttons
Click on a button to select the transmission
(Manual/Automatic) to be used in the game.
Congratulations! You have been given the opportunity to race across seven
different famous American landscapes. Discover the hidden shortcuts, avoid
the traps and learn to master the roads! Are you up for the challenge?
California: Long stretches, wide turns, intense sun, beaches, money and
success… not a bad place to begin! So you think you can become a star…
here’s looking at you, kid! But be careful, the streets are full of mysteries!
Mexico: Tight turns, deep cliffs and massive volcanoes await you in Mexico.
The hard-packed surface makes handling difficult. Pay attention to skidding
too deeply into those turns, or you may find yourself plunging off the
deep end!
Nevada: From the great desert spaces to the bright lights of the city, Nevada
is a land full of contrasts. In the city, you must master the handbrake to take
the 90 degree turns. In the desert, do not wander off the road or you’ll waste
time in the sand. If you are a seeker of the Truth, some locals say it's "out
there...". But can you handle it?
Louisiana: Listen to the rhythm of Jazz as you speed through the colorful
bayou landscape of Louisiana in this hard-to-master track! It’s a great place
to practice to become a stunt-man, with cliffs, boats and even a train ride
awaiting brave drivers! Beware! The road is never the same; one minute
you’re driving on asphalt and suddenly the road may turn to hard-packed dirt.
Bel Ray: A nice classic ‘50s model. Easily upgradable because of its
low cost. She has a decent top speed, but poor acceleration and brakes.
The handling is adequate, allowing controlled skids although the frame
is a little heavy.
Orion: Another older model, the Orion has an intermediate top speed with
good acceleration. The handling is decent and enables controlled skids.
But if the driver is not careful, its light weight can cause over-skidding.
Pirate: The second fastest car of the First Car Block. The Pirate has
excellent handling and a powerful engine, but her main weaknesses are
poor acceleration and heavy weight.
Atlantis: This prototype model has tremendous top speed for a car in its
category. This car has excellent brakes but lacks handling and steering.
Lighter and faster than the Pirate, its large frame can be an asset when it’s
time to block other players.
Virtuose: This is the fastest car overall with incredible acceleration, but it
has very poor handling. Unstable, steering is very difficult at high speed. With
its medium quality brakes, it is a car made for the good driver, and can be an
excellent asset for the aspiring champion, when "tamed".
Solaris: A pretty fast car, with excellent acceleration and braking. Very
stable, the Solaris will never skid too much, but this makes steering hard.
Use a good handbrake technique, and the Solaris can be a powerful
weapon on the road.
LA_2000: Probably the best car overall, with excellent acceleration, top
speed, braking and handling. It is harder to make controlled skids with this
car, but with a little practice, this car can get any pilot to the top. Only for
those who can afford it, though.
Your Goal: Beat your opponents and put your foot to the floor when crossing radar zones! To "bust" a
radar, you will have to drive by it at the fastest speed possible. Radar zones are portrayed as police
cars, motorcycles or helicopters.
Track order: The game features six regular tracks: California, Mexico, Louisiana, Canada, Colorado
and Nevada, divided into two different Blocks. To gain access into the Second Block Tracks, you
must be ranked within the first three positions (time-wise) in the First Block Tracks.
Note: It is only possible to save your game in between Blocks.
Busting the Radar and Earning Big Money: Each radar in each track has a minimum speed
requirement. When you pass the radar and beat the indicated minimum speed, you will have
successfully "busted" the radar. Players are rewarded for their time scores with cash prizes,
determined by their race ranking. The chart below indicates the percentage of cash awarded
for each ranking.
4. "RACE INFO"
Information about the last and the next race.
5. "BACK" Button
Click to return to the Main Menu.
9. "MIRROR" Button
Toggles the Mirror mode ON/OFF (only at
the beginning of the championship mode).
13.Assistance Panel
When you own a Road Assistance item,
the icon will be highlighted.
B) The Shop Menu
3. "SCROLL ARROW" Buttons (left and right) 14. "CAR TUNING" Button
Click to browse through the items. Click to see the enhancements
you can do to your car. (see below)
4. "BUY ITEM" Button
Click to buy the displayed item. 15."OK" Button
Click to go back to the Garage.
5. Item Name
6. Item Cost
7. Item Stats
8. Viewport
This is where the selected item
will be displayed.
9. "CARS" Button
Click to see the available cars
(they will appear in the viewport).
i) UPGRADES
When you wanna be the king o' the road, you gotta have some class, don't you think?
Blower: Makes any car look like a high powered dragster. All worthy cars should have them
on their hoods.
Spoiler: Makes your car look like it can fly. And with a little burst of nitro, why not?
Side Exhausts: You like the pleasure of nitro fire spewing out of your tiny exhaust pipe? What
about two more to add to the party? Fire it up!
Fender's Flares: Wanna hide those huge tires of yours? No problemo, but why not hide them
with class. And the paint job? Let us handle that -- we'll make it look like the wings have always
been there.
Spoiler Kit: What about giving your car a real sporty look? This could make a nice radar photo,
don’t you think?
Need a little help to get to the top? Well, you came to the RIGHT place...
The ultimate radar detector! You’ll never miss a radar, whether it’s hidden after a tunnel exit or in a
helicopter. And if you know where they are, you’ll get rich!
How annoying when you can’t see what’s coming at you. Imagine scratching your new paint job on
a wall after a sharp 90 degree turn because you misjudged the angle. Ouch!
It never happens when you have FEELIX. You think you’re fine without it? Guaranteed, you will be
better with it!
BOLDS & BONDS CAR INSURANCE
Have repairs cost you so much that you can't afford the big nitro tank you’d been dreaming of?
Get insurance for the next race. With Bolds & Bonds, your car damage will be repaired at no cost.
Valid for one race only. You're in for the money? We are too!
Preparations
Nitro Tanks
Always useful for busting those tricky radars and "outspeeding" your fellow racers. The worst thing
in this championship is when you run out of nitro and others don't!
Offered in 4 sizes:
Tires
How would you like to stick to the road when making a turn at 150 miles an hour?
2 sizes available.
C) On The Road
8. Laps completed
9. Mirror
11.Speedometer
12.RPM meter
13.Nitro gauge
7.2- ARCADE MODE
The Arcade Mode is indirectly linked to the Championship Mode. Initially, you will have access to
the tracks and cars of the First Championship Block. To access the tracks and cars of the Second
Block you must unlock them in Championship Mode. In this Mode there are no radars, therefore
there is no money to be won. This mode is where you race in the basic arcade-racing style. You
have the option of racing in Single Race and Time Attack Modes.
Racing Modes:
• Single Race
Race against a total of five AI opponents and checkpoints.
• Time Attack
Free Run: Use this option as an opportunity to practice and improve
your driving skills.
Ghost: Race against a ghost car from your previous races.
In Arcade Mode you can select the ambience (Day, Dusk, Rain/Snow) for each track and have the
opportunity to race the tracks in Normal, Reverse or Mirror options. Playing the track in "Mirror"
means that every turn has been inverted. For example, the "big Hollywood right curve up the hill" will
be a "big Hollywood left curve" instead.
ARCADE MENU
13.Scrolling Arrows
Click to browse through the tracks
or ambience choices displayed
in the track viewport.
8- HINTS
Driving Hints
The Cars: Each car behaves uniquely. Some take turns more easily but they may skid more, and
vice-versa. The same applies to braking, handling and acceleration.
Tires: Always check the damage status of your tires. Damaged tires will make you skid more than
newer ones.
Nitro: Use Nitro to get bursts of speed, but note that the car becomes very difficult to handle!
Avoid using nitro when entering a turn.
Handbrake: Allows you to take controlled skids without losing a lot of speed when turning.
Skidding is directly related to the speed at which the car enters a turn.
• Know your car’s behavior! Practice in Time Attack Mode every time you change to a new car or
buy a new upgrade. Be careful about tire damage AND car damage, which will affect the car's
performance. Repair your car whenever possible to maintain the lowest possible damage rate.
• Use the Nitro strategically. Avoid being at the end of a race without Nitro, or it could cost
you victory.
• Combine the use of Nitro with the use of the handbrake. When entering a turn preceding a straight
line, steer a little, synchronize by pressing on the handbrake, then accelerate into the stretch
while using Nitro. Note that this technique is extremely useful when passing through difficult
radar zones at high speed.
• It is possible to achieve impressive skids on large and medium turns by simply pressing the Nitro
approaching the turn, then releasing it when entering the turn.
9- MULTIPLAYER GAMING
Speed Busters: American Highways allows up
to six human players to compete against each
other. It is possible to play the game by Modem,
Link (Null Modem), Local Area Network,
Internet (TCP/IP) and on the Ubi Soft GAME
SERVICE. There are two modes of multiplayer
gaming: Arcade and Championship.
A) Network Game
(Local Network or TCP/IP)
2. "IPX/SPX" Button
Click to select the IPX/SPX protocol.
3. "TCP/IP" Button
Click to select the TCP/IP protocol.
6. "BACK" Button
Click to go back to the Main Menu.
B) Modem Game
3. Address Book
Click on the number you wish to dial
(automatically dials the number).
4. "BACK" Button
Click to go back to the Main Menu.
4. "BACK" Button
Click to go back to the Main Menu.
9.2- MULTIPLAYER GAME MAIN MENU
Only the host player has access to this page, 11.Starting Credits Settings
once the connection mode has been set. The Click on "+" or "-".
only difference between this and the Single
Player Mode is that the Championship Mode is 12."DAMAGE" Buttons
not linear. It is possible to race on any track and Click on "ON" or "OFF"
make as many races as desired. to activate / deactivate damage.
7. "REVERSE" Button
Click to toggle the Reverse mode ON/OFF.
8. "TRACK" Button
Click to display the tracks in the viewport.
9. "AMBIENCE" Button
Click to display the track
ambience choices in the viewport.
10.Session Name
Displays the session name. You can change
the session name from here if you wish to.
B- Championship multiplayer menu
GARAGE
9. Assistance items
All items you own are highlighted.
10.Chat Box
To chat in real-time with the other players.
13."READY" Box.
When a player clicks on the "Ready" button,
the "READY" box will be highlighted.
SHOP
11."PAINTS" Button
Click to see the available
plain color paint job for your car.
12."UPGRADES" Button
Click to see the available parts for your car.
14."ASSISTANCE" Button
Click to see the road assistance items.
C- Arcade Multiplayer Menu
1. Player Name
13."READY" Box
2. Car Viewport When a player clicks on the "READY" button,
the "READY" box will be highlighted.
3. Scrolling Arrows
Click to browse through the cars, skins or 14."GAME SETTINGS" Button
paint jobs displayed in the car viewport. Allows any player to see the game
parameters from the Host player.
4. "CARS" Button Only the Host can make modifications
Click to display the cars by clicking on this button.
in the viewport.
15."READY" Button
5. "SKINS" Button Click to race.
Click to display the skins
for the currently selected car. 16."BACK" Button
Click to exit the session.
6. "PAINTS" Button
Click to display the plain color paint jobs
for the currently selected car.
8. Car Stats
9. Race Settings
Displays the race settings as set by the host.
10.Chat Box
To chat in real-time with the other players.
The Game Service (GS) lets you play Speed Busters: American Highways with other people via the
Internet. It connects you to virtual arenas where other players come to chat and play. Players are
given their own account to identify themselves. Players must have the game on their PC to play on
the Game Service.
Here is a brief description of how to use the Game Service. First, click on the "GAME SERVICE"
button in Speed Busters’ Main Menu and follow these steps:
1. Login
Once you've clicked on the GS button, the GS interface window will open. If it's your first time,
you need to create a new account. When this is done, just login by entering your nickname
and password.
This is where you will choose the server and arena you want to enter. A small colored icon
describes the quality of the connection within the arena. This screen also contains information and
access to other Game Service functions.
To connect to an arena, select your server and your arena. Once you've selected these,
press "CONNECT".
This window provides a graphical representation (icons) of all current sessions, including game and
chat sessions. Once you’ve created a session, its icon will be displayed.
This is the area to create or join existing sessions of Speed Busters. If you want to create a new
game, press "CREATE SESSION". At this point a pop-up window will appear to select your session
type, in this case Speed Busters, and the page with all the game settings information will appear. If
you want to join an existing game, select the session’s icon, click on the "JOIN SESSION" button and
you will enter the game.
Once you've chosen to play Speed Busters, you will enter the "CREATE SESSION" page.
You will:
In the Championship GS mode, the Bel Ray model is the default car when you initially start playing.
It is also possible to save up to 5 cars in your garage. So if you become rich playing Speed Busters,
you can own multiple cars on the Game Service!!
Once you've selected all the parameters, you will go back to Speed Busters’ Network interface.
There, you will also be able to make changes to the game settings.
CREDITS Daniel Perron
Éric Poulin
Producer and Original Concept Jean-Sébastien Morin
Pierre Szalowski Mario Guitar
Mona-Lisa Chanda
Project Manager Yannick Jacques
Stéphanie Poulin
Animation
Lead Game Designer Guillaume Lafrance
Marc Benoit James Humphrey
Lead 3D
Rémi Turcotte
2D/3D Art
Aline Desruisseaux
Adrian Chang
Bruno Serre
Carol Bertrand
Christian Bédard
Christian Sirois
Programmers Engineering
Anthony David Brien Dominique C. Grant
Éric Bégin Mario Brillon
Jean-François Boily
Jean-François Cyr Sound Effects
Jean-François Dubé Antoine Morin
Jocelyn Legault Josué Beaucage
Luc Dion
Martin Guillemette Ubi Music publishing
Stéphane Pelletier Joëlle Caroline
Stephen Mulrooney
QA Team
Menu Programming Team
Andra Gheorghiu Team leader
Aura Mistodie Alexandre Boutin
Carmen Grigorescu
Marius Vilcu Testers
Mircea Dunka Alexandre Raymond
Razvan Jurca Charles Doiron
Silviu Dragomir Daniel Jacques
Eric Martineau
Canadian Studio Manager Eric Millaire
Bertrand Helias Eric Visconti
Jean Francois Boismenu
Worlwide Manager Jean Francois Lanier
Eric Huynh Martin Marcoux
Micheal Mustillo
Sound Michel Bastien
Patrice Larouche
Production Manager Philippe Samson
Didier Lord Sebastien Robillard
Stephan Leary
Sound Designer: Xavier Ovando
Nicholas Duveau Yannick Sochodolsky
Executive Producer
Martin Klein
Original Score
L'Onde de Choc : Dominique et
Sylvain C.Grant
Introduction Movie Machinists
Chris Spears
Director: Ivan Hawkes
Jean-François Pothier Leonard Schmidt
Stylist SoundProducer
Dominique Desrochers Didier Lord
Editing Assistant-Engineering
Éric Drouin Bernard Strobl
Artists Development
Charles Beirnaert Ubi Studios, Ubi R&D,
Gervais Deschênes Michel Guillemot
Guillaume Marcel
Patrick Sirois Publisher
Xavier Le Dantec Ubi Soft, Yves Guillemot
Translation
Coralie Martin