Section Introduction
Below are the two modes found in 1-Player Mode, Circuit Mode and Slalom Mode. The mode itself is explained under the corresponding heading. Each section includes general strategy for the mode, followed by a listing of each course. Course-specific information and strategy is also included.
Circuit Mode
Circuit Mode is your basic racing mode. The player races around a track against other PWCs. There are numerous obstacles, a couple of power-ups and some tight corners, so gameplay isn't too dull. There is a set number of laps that a PWC must complete, depending on the speed division that the player is currently playing at. The track is marked by darker water. You must move around the pylons. If you cut past one, you need to go back and move around it before you can proceed. There is also a lap timer. If you don't complete your current lap before the time runs out, you automatically lose and don't score any points. The position you finish in determines the number of points you earn for that course.
Point scoring is as follows:
| 1st Place | 5 |
| 2nd Place | 3 |
| 3rd Place | 2 |
| 4th Place | 1 |
| Did Not Finish | 0 |
General Strategy
Below are a few general tips that can be applied to Circuit Mode in general.
- Take the inside of corners
Your opponents always swing out before a corner, so if you're on the outside and level with them, you're going to get pushed out even further, whether you like it or not. To prevent this, you should take the inside of the corners when you're level with other PWCs. You'll slide more as you're taking the corner at a tighter angle, but you can cut past them this way.
- Turbo out of tight corners that you slide around in
Sliding is easily one of the biggest problems when racing. To prevent you from sliding, you can turbo out of a corner. This is a bit of a brute force method to stopping yourself from sliding, but it works if you have the extra turbo.
- Aim for the point on the finish line in the last lap that you reach the quickest
A bit of a no-brainer; getting over the finish line as quickly as possible can earn you a few extra milliseconds, which could even mean finishing a place or two higher than normal. Always aim for the point that will be easiest to get to. This may not necessarily be the closest spot, as it may require a slow, tight turn first. Often the quickest way will be going as straight as you can, as quickly as you can.
- Stay in front
Another no-brainer; it's always better to stay in front. That's especially true in this game though as it can be much harder to catch up. The problem is that the other three PWCs can act as barriers which you need to get past. To get back past them, you need to drive around them on straights or take the inside of a corner. Try to limit how much you bump into other PWCs when you're trying to past them as this only slows you down more.
Course Listing
Notes:
- The corner number listed within each strategy section for a course is relative to the Finish Line (ie. the first corner is the first one that you reach when you start at the finish line).
- The strategy for each course is written when completing the course on the lowest speed division possible for the National Series. For this reason, there may be slight discrepencies on strategies between divisions and series, but the vast majority of the content is applied to all possible speed divisions and both series for each course.
Circuit 01: Bahamas
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Strategy: This track is very easy and simple. With only five corners in the enter track, it can be dealt with easily. Slight turbo boosts can be used to get back up to speed after every corner. Slightly longer boosts can be used after the first and before the last corners and the player can boost down the majority of the long stretch that the Finish Line is on. The most difficult corners are those in the top left and right corners of the map screen. If you are having trouble with them, stop accelerating entirely before the corner and accelerate and turbo boost out of it to regain speed.
Circuit 02: Hawaii
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Strategy: Turbo boosts are most effective along the Finish Line stretch and the long stretch after the first corner. It's not recommended that you boost any where else, unless it's to regain speed after a tight corner. The stretch of track after the first corner features a current that pushes against PWCs. There is a jump platform on the left side of the track just before the current to allow you to jump over it.
To get past the current without any trouble, always stay to the left side of the track immediately after the corner, turbo boost before the jump platform and hold the Down button as you jump to maximise jump distance. Also make sure that you're facing directly north when you jump. You should easily clear the current with the one jump. Take the inside of the corner before it as the other boats tend to swing out for it and if you're in their way, you're going to get pushed behind everyone else. Jumping over the current is easily the most vital part of the track and will decide your placing, so make sure you get it right.
Only short boosts should be used at most between the corners from the second corner onwards. Make sure you swing wide before the two very tight corners (corner four and the second last corner) so that you don't have to slow down too much to effectively navigate them. Make sure you stay out in front during the corners and retake first place along the straights if you need.
There is an Octopus at the first corner that you may want to grab. It can be used more effectively on the second turn, when everyone has more turbo so steal. Make sure you're still prepared to jump over the current when you reach it though.
Circuit 03: Corsica
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Strategy: This course features currents that attempt to push PWCs sideways off the track. It also features many short straights with many tight corners, especially at the beginning of the track.
The first four corners and fairly tight and relatively close together, so don't use your turbo too much here, if at all. After the fourth corner is the first current, attempting to push you off of the track to your right. The fastest and most effective way to navigate the current is to drive along the very right edge of the track where there is a slight lull in the current. If you can keep yourself from moving too much to either side (to the right especially as you can be dragged away from the track), you'll navigate it fine. Whatever you do, just stay on the left side of the lull in the current. Boosting through this part can lessen the affects of the curren.
Turbo boosting to regain any lost speed after the first current may be a good idea, and the following straight is long enough to consider boosting there for a bit too. The straight following that should certainly be boosted along, just don't overboost and approach the next corner too quickly. After the next corner is the second set of currents. Drive along the western edge of the track here. It's the same deal as before, don't move off the west edge of the track or you'll lose a lot of time.
After the corner following the second set of currents is the final set. There isn't any nice way to navigate this set. The best thing is to use brute force and turbo boost through this set. It's best to start on the western side of the track so that you won't get pushed off of the track and into the wall before you clear the current. After clearing the last set, continue around the track as normal, turbo boosting as soon as you clear the chicane just before the finish line.
Circuit 04: Rio
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Strategy: A rather interesting course, it's best to get in front before the winding parts up and down each side of the course, especially before the bit winding south. It's all a matter of using small turbo boosts to kickstart your PWC out of corners along the track winding north to get ahead of your opponents and keeping to the inside of corners so that you aren't getting into bumper battles with the other PWCs.
The long horizontal straight on the north side of the track contains a number of jump platforms followed by a bunch of obstacles. After the second jump platform it's best to drive above the track to avoid all the obstacles. Once you clear them, move back onto the track and prepare for the next corner.
Along the track winding south, you just need to be excellent at cornering. This is the easiest place to lose your position, so keep your concentration here. Try to limit how much you slide as that can slow you down immensely. Along the finish line straight is the main time to use your turbo.
If you see a Dolphin at any time during this course, make sure you grab it before your opponents do. It stops you sliding which is the biggest problem in this course, especially during the set of winding corners leading south.
Circuit 05: Sydney
Available in: 650cc, 800cc
Strategy: Take the inside of the first few corners. When you're moving north up the left side of the map, you'll see that there are a number of whirlpools scattered around here. The best thing to do here is to aim at the jump platforms and push Down when you hit them to maximise hang time and the speed of your PWC when you land.
When you reach the top left corner of the course and swing back around, you'll see that there are a couple of current markers on the track that will push you south. You can actually use these for a small speed boost. When you circle back around again, make sure you take the jump platform straight on and are pushing the Down button as you hit the ramp. If you do this, you'll fly over the currents that moving left and land on the track past them.
After swinging back around and moving south down the right side of the map, you'll come upon more currents moving south. Use these to boost your speed, making sure. Up ahead is a number of chicanes. Try and move through them cutting the corners of each and keeping as straight as possible to maximise your speed through here. Don't get too close to any of the whirlpools near the pylons here and if you're near other PWCs, make sure that you don't bump into them, as you may get pushed into the whirlpools.
The best places to boost on this track are the finish line straight and the track on the left and right sides of the map, the less curvy parts of the track.
Circuit 06: Miami
Available in: 650cc, 800cc
Strategy: Don't use the first jump platform of the course as you will overshoot and land past the corner if you do. As soon as you turn the corner, turn directly north to prepare you for the next jump. Use the jump platform to jump over the current. Try and save up turbo boost before the full revolution up ahead. Use the turbo to drift around the corner and to help you accelerate after it.
After the next corner, you'll be moving west along the top of the track. Move to either the south or north edge of the track and use the jump platforms located there to jump over the whirlpools and shallows along the straight. Continue to the end of the straight and use the next set of jump platforms to perform a small jump over the current and immediately turn after you land. Alternatively, you can move straight through the current as it's easy to jump too far.
From there, there's a number of hairpins. Including the first one immediately after the jump over the current, there are four hairpins before you come across any special features on the track, excluding whirlpools. During the second and the fourth, there are whirlpools on the inside of the track, so keep to the outside edge of the corner to dodge it. Following that are shallows and currents pushing south, with two jump platforms on the north and south edge of the track before them. Use the jump platforms to jump over the shallows and to get as far over the currents as possible before you land. Land on the north side of the track so that it takes longer for the current to push you off of the south side of the track. Once you're past the current, corner around the final hairpin, move to the north edge of the track and turbo boost down the straight.
Circuit 07: Fiji
Available in: 800cc
Strategy: Move to the left of the track after the first corner and use the jump platform there to jump over the whirlpools. From there, continue up the left edge, past the rest of the whirlpools along the straight. After the next corner there is a current moving west. Start at the east edge of the track so that you aren't pushed off the west edge. Once you're past the current, continue cornering around the track.
At the north-most part of the track, move up the left side of the track, past the jump platform. Stay to the inside of the next corner to avoid hitting the whirlpool. Move through the next corner. The corner following will contain a current pushing against you. Try and move through the small gap between currents so you can cover more distance before you must move through them. Use your turbo boost to blast through the current here.
Corner through the next few hairpins. Along the long straight between hairpins there are two small jump platforms and a large jump platform. Between the small platforms and and large platform are whirlpools and there are shallows after the large platform. Move between the two small platforms, dodge the whirlpools and then use the large jump platform to jump over the shallows.
Corner the final hairpin, stay to the north edge of the track and move through the current moving south. After the next corner is another current, this time pushing west. Stay to the east side of the track as you move it. Move through the last few corners and over the finish line.
The finish line straight remains the best place to use your turbo. The long vertical straight along the west side of the map and the long straight between hairpins are also good times to use your turbo boost.
Circuit 08: Bali
Available in: 800cc
Strategy: This is a relatively simple track which is surprising, considering that it's the final course for Circuit Mode. It's probably one of the most enjoyable Circuit Mode tracks too.
Once you begin, stay to the south side of the track. Don't use the jump platform and corner around the next corner. Move to the east side of the track. Move past the current on the west side of the track and then use the jump platform on the right side of the track to jump over the remainder of the current. Stay along the right side of the track, using the jump platforms to jump over the rest of the current.
The majority of the rest of the course is just corners without any notable features. By the time you reach this course, you should have no problem with cornering anymore. There is one other section of current during the course. Approach this as you did the others, by moving to the right side of the track so that the west-pushing current won't push you off the track.
This track contains many more straights than all of the other tracks, excluding the first couple. For this reason, using turbo is fine almost anywhere. Use it as needed.
Slalom Mode
In Slalom Mode the player must race other PWCs to checkpoints. There is no set path that you must take, so you're allowed to go for any checkpoint at any time. If you're the first person to make it through a checkpoint, you earn one point. Try and move through as many checkpoints as possible to maximise the number of points that you earn. When all checkpoints have been moved through by at least one PWC, the course ends.
General Strategy
Below are a few general tips that can be applied to Slalom Mode in general.
- Go for the checkpoints that no one else does
Going for the checkpoints that no one else is going for means you can easily get checkpoints and let the others fight between themselves. Even if you are slow, you'll still get some points this way. If you are even slightly slow against your opponents and try to grab all the same checkpoints as them, you're unlikely to get any at all.
- Jump Platforms are often the key to success
Using them to take shortcuts by jumping over buoys is often, although not always, the way to earning more points than your opponents.
- Approach a checkpoint diagonally, so that you can easily react and move through a checkpoint whether it's facing vertically or horizontally
It's hard to commit to memory the direction that every single checkpoint is facing, so it's better to be able to approach every checkpoint the same way and be able to easily move through it no matter which way it's facing. Approaching it diagonally is the best way to do this.
Course Listing
Notes:
- The strategy for each course is written when completing the course on the lowest speed division possible for the National Series. For this reason, there may be slight discrepencies on strategies between divisions and series, but the vast majority of the content is applied to all possible speed divisions and both series for each course.
Circuit 01: Bahamas
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Checkpoints: 08 Points
Strategy: In this course, it's better to try and grab all of the checkpoints on the right side of the map. To maximise your points, skip the first checkpoint, letting the other PWCs to fight over it and skip straight to the second one. You should be well in front of the other PWCs on your side. From there, simply grab the other two checkpoints to your north, then if there are any unclaimed checkpoints left, turbo boost to them and try and claim them before someone else does.
Circuit 02: Hawaii
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Checkpoints: 04 Points
Strategy: As there's only four checkpoints in this simple course, it can be difficult to get any more than two points. It's better to ignore the four jump platforms entirely as you can outrun the other PWCs without them and there isn't a chance that you'll stuff up the jump this way.
To score your two points, aim for one of the bottom corner checkpoints then move north up the side, past the buoys. It's better to accidentally move too far to the side of the map than not enough to get around the buoys. The bottom two checkpoints both face vertically, so you can aim straight for them. The top two checkpoints face horizontally so approach them from the side. Use your turbo at the start to get ahead early and then any time you can after that.
Circuit 03: Corsica
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Checkpoints: 10 Points
Strategy: This is where the courses become confusing. There are a lot of ways to approach this course and making good use of the jump platforms is key here. A good strategy is to make your way up along the right side of the map. As soon as you start, use as much turbo boost as you can to boost ahead and grab the first course to your north-east (it's a horizontal checkpoint, so you need to swing in from the left). After that, swing around and jump east off of the jump platform to the south. Jump over the buoys and immediately grab the horizontal checkpoint there. If you know you won't be able to grab the first checkpoint, skip straight to the second one.
From there, move up the right edge of the map. Grab the checkpoint to your north then drive west and circle around the buoys to your north, swinging back east and grab the checkpoint there. An opponent may have already moved through the next checkpoint, but if not, move through it yourself. From there, collect any checkpoints that are left, using the jump platforms to take shortcuts to get them before others do.
Circuit 04: Rio
Available in: 550cc, 650cc, 800cc
Checkpoints: 12 Points
Strategy: This is a fairly easy and more linear course, although it is still quite maze-like. Most of the jump platforms are useless here, except when you're racing towards the left over checkpoints at the end.
There is a large buoy barrier right at the beginning of the course that must be navigated around. Take the east path around it as the other PWCs take the west path. Circle around it and grab the first checkpoint. From there, move north north-west through the small gap in the buoys and grab the checkpoint there. You should be well ahead of the other PWCs by now. Move east and grab the checkpoint in the buoy gap then move up the right side of the map.
Continue until you reach the next checkpoint and move horizontally through it. Circle around and move back south, following the path made by the buoys. Grab the next checkpoint. Most checkpoints should be grabbed now, so just try to collect any ones that may be left over. Use jump platforms now to take shortcuts to checkpoints.
Circuit 05: Sydney
Available in: 650cc, 800cc
Checkpoints: 16 Points
Strategy: One of the most interesting courses, the Sydney circuit doesn't include any form of obstacles, besides the wall boundaries. It's purely about how quickly you can move from one checkpoint to the next and how well you choose the next checkpoint to grab.
The best thing it so move up the right side of the map collecting all of the checkpoints. This is because two PWCs move up the left side and only one moves up the right side, so you're going to have less of a problem. Move up the right side until you get up near the top where both side are converging on the checkpoints towards the centre. Just before they begin converging is your chance to let them fight over the last few checkpoints at the top and instead move back south, down the centre of the map grabbing the checkpoints that the others missed. You should get quite a few extra this way.
Circuit 06: Miami
Available in: 650cc, 800cc
Checkpoints: 14 Points
Strategy:This track involves a lot of jump platforms, which can be difficult to use effectively, allowing the other PWCs to pretty quickly leave you in their bubbles... so to speak. Luckily, there's a simpler and much easier way that's still quite effective.
At the start of the course, two PWCs will move up the left side and the other will move up the centre, attempting to grab the left side of the centre checkpoints. Stay ahead of this PWC and collect the checkpoints before he does. There are shallows spread out between the checkpoints, so try and navigate them as best you can. Certain lines leading directly north through the left checkpoints won't actually have any shallows on them, so try and pick these paths out. Once he reaches the top of the map, he will move down the left side of the map and try to collect the checkpoints there. Instead of following, circle back around and grab the other three checkpoints down the centre that you missed when you were going up. Make sure you're ahead of the two PWCs coming around from the top-right corner of the map.
Once you've finished collecting all of the checkpoints down the centre, move onto the ones on the left side of the map, starting at the bottom. The PWC trying to collect them shouldn't have collected the last couple so you may be able to beat him to both of him by beginning from the bottom. If you don't get the second one, at least make sure that you get the first one.
Circuit 07: Fiji
Available in: 800cc
Checkpoints: 16 Points
Strategy: The start line and checkpoints in this course are separated by a wall of buoys which must be jumped over by using a jump platform. Make sure you're pushing the Down button when you hit the jump platform to maximise the amount of hang time you get so that you make if over the buoys. Once you're over, it's a race to grab the most checkpoints. There's no terrain around the checkpoints except for the checkpoints themselves and two jump platforms just south of them.
The best way to maximise the number of points that you earn is to simply go for the checkpoints that no one else is. Generally, the PWCs go the left side first, so start in the middle and then work your way right. From there, move up and just collect as many as you can as quickly as possible. If every suddenly congerges on the checkpoints that you're going for, grab the ones you know you'll get then move away from the PWCs and grab the ones that they aren't going for.
Towards the end, when there's only a few checkpoints left, go for the ones closest to you, unless you're sure that someone else will get there first. Try and snatch up any that are left over. If you have good handling skills, you should earn a lot of points here.
Circuit 08: Bali
Available in: 800cc
Checkpoints: 16 Points
National Series Strategy: Although this is the final circuit, which one would expect to be rather difficult, it's actually surprisingly easy. Once the slalom begins, move north-east to the first checkpoint, using turbo boost if you're unsure if you'll get there first. From there, continue east, then turn north up the edge of the map. There are a number of shallows before the first checkpoints along the east edge so be prepared to navigate these. The other PWCs should onloy follow you as far as the first checkpoint up the east edge of the map, after which point they will turn back west, leaving you to easily get a number of checkpoints.
Once you've moved up the entire east edge and you have grabbed the checkpoint in the north-east corner, move south-west to the checkpoint there. Grab it and continue west, following the path that the buoys make, grabbing each of the checkpoints as you go. When you reach a fork, use your best judgement on what to do next. Grab ones closer to your opponents first if you think you can beat them to it, otherwise stick to other checkpoints that are away from the other PWCs. When there are only a couple of checkpoints left, race to the ones that you're more likely to get until all checkpoints are claimed.
World Series Strategy: The strategy's a little different in the World Series version of this course. The other PWC actually follows you up the right side of the map in this track, so it's better to change your strategy slightly. Instead of going up the right side of the map too, it's better to move left, into the gap just south-west of the first checkpoint up the right side once you've collected it. From there, snake north up the course and collect as many checkpoints as possible. Easy.
You are the National-Champ!! Challenge the World-Series!! Press select on the game select screen to change game modes.
