---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GRAN TURISMO 3 A-SPEC ARCADE MODE FAQ v.1.1 Last updated December 5, 2001 for the Playstation2 by Jim Phillips (jimsarcade@yahoo.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unpublished work Copyright 2001 Jim Phillips This document is protected by US Copyright Law, and the Berne Copyright Convention of 1976. It is for private and personal use only--it cannot be reprinted in part or in whole, or reproduced in any way or in any form (written or otherwise). It is a free document that cannot be used in any sort of commercial transaction, including selling it or giving it away as a gift. This FAQ cannot be referenced, altered, or used by anybody (including webmasters, publishers, and magazine staff) without my express written permission. This FAQ was created and is owned by me, Jim Phillips (jimsarcade@yahoo.com). It can be found exclusively at (www.GameFAQs.com). All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged and respected that are not specifically mentioned herein. Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec is (c) Sony and Polyphony Digital 2001. ======== CONTENTS ======== 1. INTRODUCTION 2. AVAILABLE TRACKS 3. SINGLE PLAYER A. Hidden Items B. Cars by Class C. Single Player Strategies 4. TIME ATTACK A. General Time Attack Strategies B. Track-specific Time Attack Strategies 5. FREE RACE 6. 2-PLAYER A. Overview B. Suggested Pairings 7. CLEAR STATUS 8. LOAD GARAGE 9. I.LINK BATTLE 10. REVISION HISTORY 11. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS =============== 1. INTRODUCTION =============== Gran Turismo's Arcade Mode serves two purposes. First, it gives newcomers a chance to get into the game without having to deal with the wealth of options that need to be dealt with in Simulation Mode. This is why many veteran Gran Turismo players just skip Arcade Mode altogether. Second, it gives the game replay value. Cars in the Simulation garage can be used against other players or computer opponents. Besides, in order to achieve a 100% completion score, the Single Player and Time Attack sections must be completed at some point. =================== 2. AVAILABLE TRACKS =================== The following is a list of tracks that can be raced in Arcade mode. Track areas B through F need to be unlocked. (See "Hidden Items" in the SINGLE PLAYER section for details.) Most courses can be raced in reverse: these tracks are signified with a "II" in their titles. Tracks marked with an asterisk (*) are unavailable in Single Player races. Tracks marked with a double-asterisk (**) are unavailable in 2-Player races. All tracks are available in i.Link and Free Race games. Area A: ------- Super Speedway Mid-Field Smokey Mountain Swiss Alps Trial Mountain Mid-Field II Area B: ------- Smokey Mountain II Tokyo Route 246 Grand Valley Laguna Seca Rome Circuit Tahiti Circuit Area C: ------- Swiss Alps II Trial Mountain II Deep Forest Special Stage Route 5 Seattle Circuit Test Course Area D: ------- Tokyo Route 246 II Grand Valley II Rome Circuit II Tahiti Circuit II Tahiti Maze Apricot Hill Area E: ------- Special Stage Route 11 Deep Forest II Special Stage Route 5 II Seattle Circuit II **Cote d'Azur *Complex String Area F: ------- Special Stage Route 5 Wet Apricot Hill II Special Stage Route 11 II Tahiti Maze II Special Stage Route 5 II Wet *Complex String II ================ 3. SINGLE PLAYER ================ Here you have the opportunity to race against five computer opponents (one if you choose a rally track) with skill levels based on your choosing. Every time you win on a track at a certain difficulty level for the first time, your completion percentage, which can be found under "Game Status" in Simulation Mode, will increase 0.189%. (Usually, you will notice a 0.2% increase, but because of rounding, about every nine times it will only increase by 0.1%) Winning multiple races on the same track/difficulty level will not affect your completion percentage. A. Hidden Items =============== TRACKS AND CARS: Initially, 6 tracks and 51 cars are available right out of the box. However, winning races unlocks more tracks and cars that can be used in Arcade Mode. What is unlocked depends on the difficulty level chosen. (See the "Clear Status" section about a problem that can occur when completing these races.) Winning races on the "Easy" level reveals tracks. Races won on the "Normal" and "Hard" levels unlock cars. (See the "Single Player Strategies" section for cars that are recommended to win these races.) The following tables list what can be unlocked: ====================================================================== | Easy Level Objectives | Reward | ====================================================================== | First place on all Group A tracks | Unlock Group B tracks | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group B tracks | Unlock Group C tracks | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group C tracks | Unlock Group D tracks | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group D tracks | Unlock Group E tracks | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group E tracks | Unlock Group F tracks | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group F tracks | Unlock Ending Movie A | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== | Normal Level Objectives | Reward | ====================================================================== | First place on all Group A tracks | Mazda Miata MX-5 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group B tracks | Audi TT 1.8T Quattro | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group C tracks | Mazda RX-8 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group D tracks | Nissan Z Concept | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group E tracks | RUF RGT | | | TVR Tuscan Speed Six | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group F tracks | Dodge Viper GTSR Concept | | | TVR Speed 12 | | | Unlock Ending Movie B | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== | Hard Level Objectives | Reward | ====================================================================== | First place on all Group A tracks | Nissan C-West Razo Silvia | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group B tracks | Lancia Delta Rally Car | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group C tracks | Gillet Vertigo Race Car | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group D tracks | Pagani Zonda Race Car | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group E tracks | Panoz Esperante GTR-1 | | | Nissan R390 GT1 LM Race Car | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | First place on all Group F tracks | Toyota GT-One Race Car | | | Mazda 787B | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DIFFICULTY LEVELS: When choosing to run a Single Player race, three difficulty levels---Easy, Normal and Hard---are offered. However, for those who want to test their skills, there is a hidden Professional level. To access this, press L1 and R1 when you are at the level-select screen. You will notice that the "Hard" changes to "Professional" on that screen. You will race for 10 laps (5 laps on the Rally circuits) against computer opponents that will make few mistakes and will race at full throttle. Unless you have an overpowered car for the class you have chosen (see "Cars by Class" below), do not expect to win many races. Nothing is unlocked for winning at this level. B. Cars by Class ================ While it appears that there are five classes of cars (C, B, A, S, Rally), each class is further subdivided into a total of 10 effective classes. The following lists detail these effective classes. They show what cars the computer will use and what cars you can enter, both from the Arcade and Simulation garages. Cars marked with an asterisk (*) are available in Arcade Mode by default. Cars marked with a double-asterisk (**) are available in Arcade mode but must be unlocked. For rally races, all cars marked with an (r) either already come with, or can be fitted for, dirt racing tires. CLASS C- ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Daihatsu Mira TR-XX Avanzato R Mazda Demio GL-X Mini Cooper 1.3i Suzuki Alto Works Suzuki Sports Limited Toyota Vitz Euro Edition Volkswagen New Beetle 2.0 Allowable Cars -------------- DAIHATSU: Mira TR-XX Avanzato R MAZDA: Demio GL-X MINI: (r) *Cooper 1.3i SUZUKI: (r) *Alto Works Suzuki Sports Limited TOYOTA: (r) Vitz Euro Edition VOLKSWAGEN: (r) New Beetle 2.0 CLASS C+ ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 24V BMW 328ci Chrysler PT Cruiser Daihatsu Storia X4 Honda CR-X Del-Sol SiR Mazda MX-5 Miata Mazda MX-5 Miata LS Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor Peugeot 206 S16 Toyota Altezza RS200 Toyota Celica SS-II (ST202) Toyota MR-S S edition Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex (AE86 Type I) Toyota Vitz RS 1.5 Allowable Cars -------------- ALFA ROMEO: (r) *156 2.5 V6 24V BMW: 328ci CHRYSLER: (r) PT Cruiser DAIHATSU: (r) *Storia X4 HONDA: (r) Accord Euro R (r) CR-X Del-Sol SiR MAZDA: MX-5 Miata (old) **MX-5 Miata (relatively new) MX-5 Miata 1.8 RS *MX-5 Miata LS MERCEDES-BENZ: *SLK 230 Kompressor NISSAN: (r) Silvia K's (S13 1800cc) Silvia Varietta PEUGEOT: (r) *206 S16 TOYOTA: (r) *Altezza RS200 (r) Celica SS-II (r) Celica SS-II (ST202) (r) Lexus IS (r) MR2 G-Limited *MR-S S edition (r) Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex (AE86 Type I) (r) Supra SZ-R (r) *Vitz RS 1.5 VOLKSWAGEN: (r) Lupo Cup Car CLASS B- ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Audi TT 1.8T Quattro Fiat Coupe Turbo Plus Honda Accord Euro-R Honda Civic SiR-II (EG) Honda Civic Type R (EK) Mitsubishi FTO GP Version R Nissan 240SX Fastback Type X Nissan Skyline GTS-t Type M (R32) Opel Speedster Toyota Celica SS-II Allowable Cars -------------- ACURA: 3.2CL Type S (r) Integra Type R (r) RSX Type S AUDI: (r) *TT 1.8T Quattro FIAT: (r) Coupe Turbo Plus HONDA: (r) Civic SiR-II (EG) (r) *Civic Type R (EK) MITSUBISHI: (r) *FTO GP Version R NISSAN: (r) *240SX Fastback Type X (r) 240SX K's Aero (r) *Silvia K's (S13 2000cc) [Simulation model] (r) Skyline GTS-t Type M (R32) OPEL: (r) *Speedster CLASS B+ ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Honda Integra Type R 98 spec Honda S2000 Type V Mazda RX-7 Infini III (FC) Nissan 240SX K's Aero Nissan Silvia K's (S13 2000cc) Nissan Silvia Spec R Aero Renault Clio Sport V6 24V Subaru Legacy B4 Blitzen Subaru Legacy Touring Wagon GT-B Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST205) Toyota MR2 GT-S Allowable Cars -------------- ACURA: NSX (new) CHEVROLET: Camaro Z28 HONDA: *Integra Type R 98 spec S2000 *S2000 Type V MAZDA: RX-7 Infini III (FC) MERCEDES-BENZ: CL600 MITSUBISHI: (r) 3000GT VR-4 (r) 3000GT VR-4 Turbo MUGEN: S2000 NISMO: GT-R LM Road Car (R33) NISSAN: (r) 300ZX TwinTurbo 2 by 2 (r) 300ZX TwinTurbo 2seater *Silvia K's (S13 2000cc) [Arcade model] (r) *Silvia Spec R Aero (r) Skyline GT-R Vspec (R33) (r) Skyline GT-R Vspec II (R32) RENAULT: (r) Clio Sport V6 24V SUBARU: (r) *Legacy B4 Blitzen (r) Legacy B4 RSK (r) Legacy Touring Wagon GT-B TOYOTA: (r) *Celica GT-Four (ST205) (r) MR2 GT-S TRD: (r) Celica TRD Sports M VOLKSWAGEN: (r) New Beetle Cup Car (r) New Beetle Rsi CLASS A- ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Audi S4 Chevrolet Camaro SS Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R Honda NSX Type R Honda NSX Type S Zero Jaguar XKR Coupe Mazda RX-7 Type RS Mazda RX-7 Type RZ Mazda RX-8 Mercedes-Benz CLK55 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Turbo Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo 2seater Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec (R33) Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec II (R32) Nissan Skyline GT-R Vspec II (R34) RUF 3400S Subaru Impreza WRX STi Toyota Supra RZ Allowable Cars -------------- ACURA: NSX (old) ASTON MARTIN: DB7 Vantage Coupe V8 Vantage Vanquish AUDI: (r) S4 CHEVROLET: *Camaro SS Corvette Grand Sport *Corvette Z06 DODGE: Viper GTS FORD: (r) Escort Rally Car (r) Focus Rally Car (r) Mustang SVT Cobra R HONDA: NSX Type R *NSX Type S Zero JAGUAR: XKR Coupe LANCIA: (r) Delta HF Integrale Rally Car LOTUS: (r) Elise 190 Esprit Sport 350 Esprit V8 SE (r) Motor Sport Elise MAZDA: (r) RX-7 Type RS (r) *RX-7 Type RZ (r)**RX-8 MERCEDES-BENZ: CLK55 MITSUBISHI: (r) Lancer Evolution IV GSR (r) Lancer Evolution V GSR (r) Lancer Evolution VI GSR (r) Lancer Evolution VI GSR Tommi Makinen Edition (r) Lancer Evolution VI GSR Tommi Makinen Edition stripe (r) Lancer Evolution VI Rally Car (r) Lancer Evolution VI RS (r) *Lancer Evolution VII GSR (r) Lancer Evolution VII Rally Car Prototype (r) Lancer Evolution VII RS NISMO: (r) 400R (r) Skyline GT-R S-tune (R32) NISSAN: C-West Razo Silvia JGTC [Simulation model] (r) Skyline GT-R Vspec (R34) (r) *Skyline GT-R Vspec II (R34) **Z Concept PEUGEOT: (r) 206 Rally Car RENAULT: (r) Clio Sport Race Car RUF: 3400S [Simulation model] SPOON SPORTS: (r) Civic Type R S2000 S2000 Race Car [Simulation model] SUBARU: (r) Impreza 22B-STi Version (r) Impreza Rally Car (r) Impreza Rally Car prototype (r) Impreza Sedan WRX STi Version VI (r) Impreza Sports Wagon STi (r) Impreza Wagon WRX STi Version VI (r) *Impreza WRX STi TOMMY KAIRA: ZZS TOM'S: (r) X540 Chaser TOYOTA: (r) Celica Rally Car (r) Corolla Rally Car (r) Sprinter Trueno GT-Apex Shigeno Version SuperAutoBacs Apex MR-S [Simulation model] (r) *Supra RZ CLASS A+ ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Lotus Elise 190 Lotus Esprit Sport 350 Lotus Motor Sport Elise Pagani Zonda C12 RUF RGT Tommy Kaira ZZS TVR Griffith 500 TVR Tuscan Speed 6 Allowable Cars -------------- CITROEN: (r) Xsara Rally Car FORD: GT40 MINE'S: (r) Lancer Evolution VI NISMO: (r) Skyline GT-R R-tune (R34) NISSAN: R390 GT1 Road Car PAGANI: Zonda C12 RUF: *3400S [Arcade model] (r)**RGT TVR: Griffith 500 **Tuscan Speed Six CLASS S- ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Ford Escort Rally Car Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Rally Car Nissan C-West Razo Silvia JGTC Peugeot 206 Rally Car Renault Clio Sport Race Car Subaru Impreza Rally Car Toyota Corolla Rally Car Toyota SuperAutoBacs Apex MR-S Allowable Cars -------------- NISSAN: **C-West Razo Silvia JGTC [Arcade model] SPOON SPORTS: *S2000 Race Car [Arcade model] TOYOTA: *SuperAutoBacs Apex MR-S [Arcade model] CLASS S ======= Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Honda Arta NSX JGTC Honda Castrol Mugen NSX JGTC Honda Raybrig NSX JGTC Jaguar XJ220 Race Car Lister Storm V12 Race Car Mercedes-Benz CLK Touring Car (D2 AMG Mercedes) Nissan Calsonic Skyline JGTC Nissan Loctite Zexel GT-R JGTC Nissan Penzoil Nismo GT-R JGTC Opel Astra Touring Car (Opel Team Phoenix) Tickford Falcon XR8 Race Car Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra JGTC Toyota Denso Sard Supra GT JGTC Allowable Cars -------------- DODGE: **Viper GTS-R Concept HONDA: *Arta NSX JGTC *Castrol Mugen NSX JGTC Raybrig NSX JGTC JAGUAR: XJ220 Race Car XJ220 Road Car LISTER: Storm V12 Race Car MERCEDES-BENZ: CLK Touring Car (D2 AMG Mercedes) MINE'S: (r) Skyline GT-R N1 V-Spec (R34) NISSAN: *Calsonic Skyline JGTC *Loctite Zexel GT-R JGTC Penzoil Nismo GT-R JGTC OPEL: (r) *Astra Touring Car (Opel Team Phoenix) (r) Calibra Touring Car PAGANI: Zonda C12S RUF: (r) CTR2 SHELBY: Cobra TICKFORD: (r) Falcon XR8 Race Car TOYOTA: *Castrol Tom's Supra JGTC *Denso Sard Supra GT JGTC CLASS S+ ======== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Chevrolet Camaro Race Car Dodge Viper GTS-R Team Oreca Ford GT40 Race Car Gillet Vertigo Race Car Mazda 787B Nissan R390 GT1 LM Race Car Pagani Zonda Race Car Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Toyota GT-One Race Car Allowable Cars -------------- CHEVROLET: Camaro Race Car *Corvette C5R DODGE: *Viper GTS-R Team Oreca FORD: GT40 Race Car GILLET: **Vertigo Race Car HONDA: S2000 LM Race Car MAZDA: **787B RX-7 LM Race Car MITSUBISHI: (r) FTO LM Race Car NISSAN: **R390 GT1 LM Race Car PAGANI: **Zonda Race Car PANOZ: **Esperante GTR-1 SUBARU: (r) Impreza LM Race Car SUZUKI: (r) Escudo Pikes Peak Version TOMMY KAIRA: ZZII TOYOTA: (r) Altezza LM Race Car **GT-One Race Car GT-One Road Car (TS020) TVR: **Speed 12 -: Diablo GT F686/M F687/S F688/S F090/S F094/H F094/S Rally Class =========== Possible Computer Opponents --------------------------- Citroen Xsara Rally Car Ford Focus Rally Car Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII Rally Car Prototype Subaru Impreza Rally Car Prototype C. Single Player Strategies =========================== The easiest method to win all the road races is to play Simulation Mode until you get a Fantasy car. (The F090/S from the Super Speedway endurance race will probably be your first one.) Use this car to embarrass all the S+ class cars the computer will use. For the rally races, any souped-up 4WD car with dirt tires should do the trick. (A Mitsubishi FTO LM Race Car would be an ideal candidate. The major hurdle of dealing with so much power on dirt is maintaining adequate control. If you can manage that, you will smoke the competition.) However, if you want a relatively fair race and do not have any decent cars in your Simulation garage, try the following recommended Arcade Mode cars from whatever class you are most comfortable with: Class C-: ** to be determined ** Class C+: Toyota Altezza RS200 Class B-: ** to be determined ** Class B+: ** to be determined ** Class A-: ** to be determined ** Class A+: ** to be determined ** Class S-: ** to be determined ** Class S: ** to be determined ** Class S+: Mazda 787B Rally Class: any rally car except the Citroen Xsara ============== 4. TIME ATTACK ============== Basically, this is the same thing as trying to obtain gold medals in the license exams. You have to beat a lap time with a specific car for each track offered in this section. Once you record the fastest time, your completion percentage (shown in Simulation mode) will increase, usually by 0.2%. Obtaining the fastest lap times on all the tracks will earn you a Panoz Esperante GTR-1 for your Simulation garage. A. General Time Attack Strategies ================================= Study the demos. Make sure that the wheel and accelerator/brake pedal icons are enabled in Replay Options. Memorize the timings of steering, accelerator control, and braking. Patience is key. Focus on keeping the ghost in your rear view mirror. If possible, complete an endurance race on a particular track and then go to the equivalent Time Attack track if it exists. After several hours in the endurance races, you should have a good feel for the tracks. It will make studying the demos much easier. While it would appear that the demos show nearly perfect races, they are not. On almost every turn, the demo cars' racing lines are relatively clean but their exit speeds are not optimal. This is extremely important when there is a long stretch of road following the turn. Look for places where you know you can do a better job than the demo. B. Track-specific Time Attack Strategies ======================================== The following strategies highlight turns where you can gain a significant amount of time against that of the demo. Also highlighted are turns that the computer takes almost perfectly. Those turns should be studied and mimicked. Mid-Field Raceway (Lotus Motor Sport Elise) ------------------------------------------- Turn 1: The demo car takes this corner poorly. Brake at the 50m sign and concentrate on exiting the curve without skidding Turn 4: At the first part of a wide S-turn, the demo car brakes awkwardly again, skids unnecessarily and loses time. Just like turn 1, brake at 50m and do not slide coming out. Turn 8: This time the demo shows a good turn here at the sharpest turn on the track. Concentrate on how the brakes are not applied until the car has stop shifting its weight and apply this technique in your run. Trial Mountain (Mazda Miata MX-5 LS) ------------------------------------ Turn 7: This turn comes before the second tunnel. The demo releases the accelerator at just the right time, turns, hits the accelerator again and takes a clean line without any tire squeal. Follow its example. Turn 8: At the next turn after the long straightaway, brake slightly earlier than in the demo. Focus on a smooth exit: you should be at least a car's width away from the rumble strips on your left at the inner-apex of the curve and barely graze the strips on the right as you exit the turn. Turns 10-11: Turn 10 occurs at the top of a small hill. It is a minor turn, but a weight-shift makes it tricky. Make sure that the car has finished shifting its weight, preferably at the top of the hill. Tap the brakes a hair earlier than the demo and focus on exiting the turn without any sliding. Turn 12: This is the last turn before you reach the pit entrance. Again, stay on the far left, brake earlier than in the demo and clear the curve without touching the rumble strips. Tokyo Route 246 (Honda S2000 Type V) ------------------------------------ Turn 1: After the long initial stretch, stay to the far left and brake when you see the red and white Toyota ad barriers (the ones just before the yellow Bosch ads at the end of the straightaway) touch the right edge of the screen. Turn and accelerate hard so that you miss the right barrier and just graze the strips on your left as you exit. Turn 8: The demo car does a good job with this turn. After exiting the minor chicane, brake slightly the moment you see the upcoming right turn. Let go of the brake and hit the accelerator. Do not let off the gas for a moment until... Turn 12: The last turn in this narrow cattle-chute requires careful braking. Brake just enough so that you can exit the turn cleanly. The demo car slides a little, losing some time. Turn 13: Focus on exit speed on this 180-degree turn. Brake slightly later than the demo car; you may wind up taking the turn a hair wider. As you just enter the straightaway, you should be able to beat the demo's exit speed by about 5 mph. This becomes significant considering now long it is to the finish line. Deep Forest (Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II R32) ----------------------------------------------- Turn 1: The demo car needs to keep off the accelerator too long in order to exit this 180-degree turn. Brake when you reach the rumble strips on your right. Take the turn so that your tires graze the strips on your left at the inner-apex of the curve: feathering the gas as necessary. Turns 9-10: Copy the demo as closely as possible exiting the second tunnel. Ease off on the accelerator, make the turn and hit the gas once you are able to take these two turns cleanly as if they were one. Avoid the rocks at the end of turn 10 on your right at all costs. Turn 13: The demo car brakes too late, hurting its exit speed as it exits the last tunnel. Try to hit the brakes about 1-2 tenths of a second before the demo car does. Turn 15: At the last turn of the track, let go of the accelerator at about the same time as shown in the demo, but turn the wheel about one-tenth of a second earlier. Hit the gas when it will help force the car into a straight exit out of this last turn. Precious tenths of seconds can be made up here. Laguna Seca Raceway (Dodge Viper GTS-R Concept) ----------------------------------------------- Turn 1: Follow the demo in this 180-degree turn. Brake when you reach the rumble strips on the left, turn keeping the car riding along the inner edge of the curve, and accelerate as soon as you can safely exit. Remember to get to the left side of the road quickly to prepare for... Turn 2: After exiting the first turn, unlike the demo car, try to graze the strips on the inside of the curve to your left. In some cases, dragging your right tires on the strips while turning can help the car get a better exit angle. Turn 5: On this mild left turn before approaching the corkscrew, try not to throw the car off-balance by having almost the entire car jump over the strips on the left side of the road like the demo car does. You can get away with grazing those strips, which will most likely cause your car to graze the edge of the road on the right as you exit. Turn 6: The infamous corkscrew. By keeping the car at just under 50 mph at the crest, the demo car cannot accelerate until it clears the turn. Get your car down to 35-40 mph at the crest, turn the car so you can exit downhill in a straight line and hit the gas. You will be able to exit the curve at up to 10 mph faster than the demo car. Turn 9: The demo shows a near-perfect line for the final curve of the course. Mimic its actions. With the long straightaway to the finish line, you cannot afford to make a mistake on this turn. Apricot Hill (Toyota Tom's Castrol Supra JGTC) ---------------------------------------------- Turns 1-2: The demo car brakes before the car's weight stops shifting exiting turn 1, resulting in a less-than-ideal entry into the second turn. If you wait for the car to stabilize--it occurs about one-tenth of a second after the demo car braked--you should be able to beat the demo car to the first checkpoint by two to three tenths of a second. Turn 8: While it may appear that the demo car brakes too early at this hairpin curve, it does so to maximize exit speed. Do the same thing. Turn 11: By hitting the accelerator a hair late, the demo wastes about one- tenth of a second in this curve before the chicane. Tap the brake, release, turn, then hit the gas. Just make sure to stay on the left side of the road after you exit to prepare for the upcoming turns. Grand Valley Speedway (Honda Castrol Mugen NSX JGTC) ---------------------------------------------------- Turn 5: The demo car brakes a bit too early in the second hairpin. Brake when your car reaches the rumble strips on your right. Let go of the brakes and turn so your car can make a clean exit with full acceleration. You may need to feather the gas for half a second while turning to get the car pointed in the right direction. Turn 8: The demo shows textbook cornering here in this curve before entering the first tunnel. Stay to the right, hit the brakes, turn and accelerate as you almost touch the strips on the inside of the curve. Turn 9: Coming out of the first tunnel, the demo car does not brake hard enough and must feather the gas to get a clean exit. Hit your brakes a fraction longer than in the demo, then hit the accelerator hard after you turn. Turn 13: This is the exit of the chicane towards the end of the course. The demo car hits the brakes to get a good turning angle. All you need to do is let go of the accelerator to turn, saving valuable time since you will not need to brake for the rest of the course. Swiss Alps (Subaru Impreza Rally Car prototype) ----------------------------------------------- Turn 4: The first part of the wide S-curve before the bridge is the best opportunity to significantly gain on the demo car's time. Simply don't let up on the accelerator through this turn. For all other turns, the demo shows very effective turning strategies. Tahiti Maze (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII Rally Car) ------------------------------------------------------- Turn 8: This is a long left turn between the first two sets of grouped hairpin curves. The demo car lets go of the accelerator before turning, losing valuable time. Just turn slightly earlier than in the demo while turning hard-left. You should not even come close to the right barrier as you exit. Turn 9: The demo car brakes too hard and turns too late entering the second group of hairpins. Keep the nose of the car pointed at the barrier on the inner-apex until you are just about to exit the turn. This will set you up for a faster exit out of the next curve. Turn 15: This is the first turn of the last group of hairpins. The demo brakes at the right time, but is late getting on the accelerator. Mimic the braking action, but this time let go of the brake, turn, and hit the gas hard. Keep the car parallel with the exit lane. Turn 18: This is the demo car's best turn, occurring just before leaving the dirt part of the track. Mimic its braking, turning, and accelerating sequence exactly. Turn 21: Try to avoid skidding at all possible with this wide 180-degree turn on the paved surface. Brake early and feather the accelerator if you feel the car is about to slide. Make sure to exit this curve on the right side of the road: you will not be able to avoid the upcoming left turn's barrier if you do not. Complex String (RUF RGT) ------------------------ Turn 1: Graze the strips of the inner apex of this turn. You can gain 0.5 seconds on the demo time on this one turn alone. _The Mini-Esses_ (turns 2-11): You really don't need to let go of the accelerator at all if you do this perfectly. Remember to start your turn before you reach each curve, usually when you car reaches the rumble strips of the curves. You should be turning into the cones well before you actually approach them. Try to come out of the last curve in a straight line, not turning. You can gain one second or more here. _The Squares_ (turns 13-22): Unlike the mini-esses, do not use the cones as a guide. You will fail even if you do not touch them: the RGT can fit between the curves and the cones. Try not to let you outer-tires touch the strips. Make sure that you accelerate out of each turn, usually before you reach their apexes. Proper exit speed out of the last turn is crucial. You will most likely lose time here if you do not mimic the demo. _The Loops_ (turns 26-32): Just like in the demo, the correct line has your tires graze the inside of the curves at all times. Continually adjust the throttle and steering wheel when necessary to keep that line. Time will be lost, not gained, in this series of turns: follow the demo car's lead. _The Valleys_ (turns 33-39): The demo car takes the first blind curve poorly. Brake just before reaching that curve, turn before hitting the top of the hill, and concentrate on exiting while preventing the car's momentum from forcing the car to skid and drift to the right. This will give you at least 0.5 seconds over the demo. For the rest of the turns in this series, mimic the demo. Turn 40: The hairpin following _The Valleys_ is another place to gain some time on the demo car. Graze the inner apex of the curve for the entire length. Expect to get 0.25-0.50 seconds this way. ============ 5. FREE RACE ============ This part of Arcade mode allows you to race whatever car you like, both from the Arcade and Simulation garages, on whatever track you like, so long as it has been unlocked. (See the SINGLE PLAYER section for details about unlocking cars and tracks.) Here you have the chance to hone your skills on certain tracks without worrying about other cars. You are given a running start. From the second lap on, you race against the ghost of your fastest lap. Unlike Time Attack, your car, not your name, shows up on the leader board. Saving replays is different in this section compared to all the other sections. Instead of saving the replay of the entire time you were driving, you can only save the fastest lap you had during your run. =========== 6. 2-PLAYER =========== A. Overview ----------- You and a human opponent can test your skills in this part of Arcade mode. This part more than any other offers the most replay value for Gran Turismo 3. You and your opponent can use any available car from the Arcade garage (see "Hidden Items" for cars that need to be unlocked) or the Simulation garage. Players can race these cars on any available tracks (see "Available Tracks" for courses that need to be unlocked). Handicaps and laps raced are determined by the settings in "Options." B. Suggested Pairings --------------------- To guarantee completely fair races, you can race against each other with the exact same cars. However, replays are usually more interesting and informative with two different types of cars. The following lists are suggested pairings of cars from which to choose. If one person picks a car from one list, the opponent should choose another one from that list. For now, the pairings are obvious (e.g. the NSX's), but future revisions will expand and/or consolidate the lists after cars have been thoroughly tested. S-class cars will be the focus of this section. If time permits, a study of A-class cars may be done as well. --------------------------------- F094/H F094/S --------------------------------- --------------------------------- Honda Arta NSX JGTC Honda Castrol Mugen NSX JGTC Honda Raybrig NSX JGTC --------------------------------- --------------------------------- Nissan Calsonic Skyline JGTC Nissan Loctite Zexel GT-R JGTC Nissan Penzoil Nismo GT-R JGTC --------------------------------- --------------------------------- Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra JGTC Toyota Denso Sard Supra GT JGTC --------------------------------- ** Expanded list forthcoming ** =============== 7. Clear Status =============== This is a graphical representation of the races you have won and the cars that have been unlocked in the Single Player section. This should be used as a reference when trying to unlock the cars and tracks in Arcade mode. However, you need to be careful if you skip difficulty levels. If you complete a race on "Normal", the screen will show that you have completed both the "Easy" and "Normal" levels for that track. Going straight to "Hard" will cause the screen to indicate that you have completed all of that race's difficulty levels. The following problem can occur: in one area, you complete some tracks on "Normal" and some on "Hard." The screen will indicate that you unlocked the "Normal" level car(s) for that area, but if you go to the Arcade garage, it(they) will not be there. You will have to go back to the track(s) that you did on "Hard" and rerace them on "Normal." To avoid this you should do all the races for each area one difficulty-level at a time. ============== 8. LOAD GARAGE ============== When you first turn on the PS2, the information on memory card #1 is automatically loaded. When you race any track in arcade mode and choose a car from the Simulation garage, the cars on memory card #1 are available to be raced. If you have another memory card with a different collection of cars that you want to use, simply put that card in slot one or two, go to "Load Garage" and select the appropriate card. Only one card's garage can be active at any time: you cannot race cars from card against cars from another. ========= 9. i.LINK ========= i.Link races are similar to 2-player races, except that now up to six players can race against each other at one time. (As an added bonus, an i.Link race is the only way players can compete against each other on the Cote d'Azur circuit.) There are some limitations however: - Only one person per TV/PS2 is allowed to play at one time - Each PS2 must have a copy of GT3 running - Cars from simulation garages cannot be used - Replays cannot be viewed after races Unfortunately, you will not be able to race against four friends on two TV's. (The most probable reason for the limitation to arcade garages is a matter of time. Each memory card would have to be read for all linked machines and all settings would have to be transferred to all the machines: a potentially lengthy process. Memory could also play a factor as well: all of this info could disrupt game performance. These are just theories, though.) For two player i.Link races, you will need to connect one 4-pin to 4-pin i.Link or IEEE1394 (firewire) cable to the port on the front of each PS2. For more than two players, and/or to have one TV act as a "Live Look In" (explained later), you will need a 6-port i.Link/firewire hub and a 4-pin to 6-pin cable for each PS2. The maximum number of players is determined by the default starting gird. Up to six players can race against each other on tarmac tracks. On the wet tracks up to four players can race at one time. Finally, on rally tracks, only two players may race at any given time. The starting grid is determined by the order that each PS2 is connected to the hub. The first person to attach to the hub will get the pole position, and each successive attached PS2 will be one starting place lower. Ideally, all players should have all the tracks and cars unlocked in Arcade mode. If this is not the case, certain players will be limited to what is available on their memory card. If a race is started on an unlocked track, any player who has yet to obtain that track will not be able to join the race. To a lesser extent, the same thing occurs for players who have yet to unlock some of the hidden cars in Arcade mode. While they will still be able to participate in the race (providing they unlocked the selected track) they will only be able to choose the cars from their Arcade garage. As an option, you can set one TV as a "Live Look In" feed. (Unfortunately, this does nothing for the players who are racing, especially since post-race replays are unavailable. However, if there are others who are just watching the races, this is a great feature to get everyone involved.) At the startup screen, simply choose to watch the race instead of participate in it. ==================== 10. REVISION HISTORY ==================== 12/05/2001: _v.1.1_ Updated all cars by class Tested all cars for dirt tires Updated the _Rally Cars_ section Added the Nomad Diablo GT to car list Updated the _i.Link_ section ---------- 09/26/2001: _v.1.0_ First public submission. So many updates, too many to mention. ---------- 08/27/2001: _v.0.1_ Arcade FAQ created. Only minor formatting created. ==================== 11. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ==================== _GameFAQs_ (http://www.gamefaqs.com) for providing THE central location for videogame information. _IGN_ (http://www.ign.com) for their strategy guide. Their car list made it possible for me to know how many cars are actually available and where I could win them. Also, a special thanks for unlocking the Nomad Diablo GT for SharkPort owners (and their friends) everywhere to enjoy! _Gran Turismo Forums_ (http://forum.granturismo.com) for providing a great place to get answers from many experienced GT3 players. Information from a variety of users on that board was invaluable for the i.Link section. _Chris MacDonald (a.k.a. KMegura)_ whose copyright statement I borrowed for the guide. Unpublished work Copyright 2001 Jim Phillips