Jetbike Race Guide - Controls & Rewards

The Jetbike Race is a minigame in Site 32 (2300 A.D.). Doan gives you the Jetbike Key after you bring him the Seed from the food storage; from there, you can race Johnny whenever you pass through the area. First one across the finish line wins. Your score determines what prizes you get.

How to Access

The race becomes available during Beyond the Ruins. After defeating the Guardian and retrieving the Seed, give it to Doan in the Arris Dome. He'll hand over the Jetbike Key. Head to Site 32 - it's the lab connecting the Arris Dome area to Proto Dome.

When you enter Site 32, you'll meet Johnny near the entrance. Talk to him to start a race. You can race as many times as you want; the track stays open for the rest of the game.

Controls

Racing Modes

You start with only Mode 1 available. To unlock Mode 2, you need the Race Log - it's in a chest somewhere in Site 32. Once you have it, talk to Johnny and he'll call in RX-XR, a robot that records your top 3 scores and lets you switch modes.

Mode 1 (Boost Mode). You can use boost to surge ahead. Simpler to win, harder to get high scores. The boost drains quickly and doesn't refill.

Mode 2 (Standard). No boost, but you can rotate the camera with L/R. This is the preferred mode for high scores. Rotating to a front or rear view lets you see both bikes clearly, which makes bumping Johnny much easier.

How Scoring Works

Your score (shown as "WP" for weapon points) increases while you're ahead of Johnny and decreases while you're behind. The "Rest" value shows how much track remains. Cross the finish line first and your score counts; come in second and it doesn't matter how high your score was.

Both bikes accelerate and decelerate automatically in a wave pattern. You can't just hold down a button to go faster. The only way to maintain a lead is positioning - specifically, bumping Johnny to slow him down while you pull ahead.

Strategy

Just want to cross? Stay behind Johnny for most of the race. Near the end, move beside him - you get a slight speed boost when passing. Use that to cross the finish line first. You won't get a high score, but you'll win.

Going for high scores? You need to "rally" - repeatedly bump Johnny to stay ahead. Get in front of him, then position yourself so when you slow down, you'll collide. When you bump him, he'll usually move left or right. Follow him and bump again. Keep this chain going as long as possible.

The direction Johnny moves isn't perfectly consistent, so you'll drop the rally sometimes. That's normal. Scores over 1000 mean you're getting the hang of it. For the Strength Capsule at 1500+, you need to maintain the rally for most of the race.

Rewards

Prizes are based on your final score. Get the Race Log first so RX-XR can track your best runs.

The Jetbike Race is optional, but that Strength Capsule is worth the effort. Check other minigames for more ways to earn permanent stat boosts and rare items.