T A C T I C A L E S P I O N A G E A C T I O N ## ## ### ### ## # ## ### ## ### ### ### # # ### ### ## ## # # ## # # # # ## # # # # # # # # # # # # ##,## ### # # # # # ### # # ### `#, # # # # # ## # #`#`# # # #### # # ## # #### # # `#, # # # # # ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # `# # # # # # # # # # # ### # # # ### ## ### # # # # ### ### ### # ### ### ######################## S U B S T A N C E ######################## for PlayStation2 _____________________________________________________________________________ A Guide to Skateboarding Mode by Richard Arnatt (a.k.a. Guitarfreak86) version 1.00 - last updated March 20, 2004 _____________________________________________________________________________ The text contained within this document is the sole Copyright of Richard "Guitarfreak86" Arnatt. The only sites allowed to host this document are: GameFAQs.com and their affiliates and Imagine Games Network (http://faqs.ign.com/) IF YOU FOUND THIS DOCUMENT ON _ANY_ OTHER SITE, PLEASE CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY VIA THE EMAIL ADDRESS: RICHARD.ARNATT [AT] TALK21.COM COPYRIGHT THEFT IS A CRIME; DON'T ALLOW SUCH CRIMINALS TO PROSPER _____________________________________________________________________________ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ..:: TABLE OF CONTENTS ::.. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- i. Introduction ii. Basic Controls iii. Snake Walkthrough iv. Raiden Walkthrough v. Frequently Asked Questions * * * * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ..:: INTRODUCTION ::.. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Once upon a time, in darkest Tokyo, there was a man who went by the name of Hideo Kojima. The brains behind the ultra-successful Metal Gear and Z.O.E series of games, you would have thought that Kojima-san was a very happy bunny indeed. Sadly, though, there was one thing missing from his life, and that "thing" was a Metal Gear Solid skateboarding spin-off... And if you believe, that, my darlings, you will believe ANYTHING!! Y'see, Konami (the people bankrolling Kojima's projects) just-so-happened to be developing a skateboarding game in the month's leading up to Substance's general release. Those clever Konami execs saw the potential synergetic cash-cow, and decided to milk it a little, and thus the Skateboarding mode included in Metal Gear Solid: Substance was included to whet the appetites of potential Evolution Skateboarding buyers, while serving as a fun little diversion to the Stealthy stylings of the rest of the game. Unsurprisingly, Skateboarding mode bears no resemblance to the standard MGS game-play. The "Big Shell" structure from the Raiden portion of "Sons of Liberty" has been painstakingly recreated using the Evolution Skateboarding graphics engine, only instead of guards, claymore mines and security cameras, you have half-pipes, kickers, grind-rails and death-defying leaps of faith to negotiate. You have the option to play as either Snake or Raiden for a three-minute run around the Big Shell environment, completing challenges (or "Missions", as they are known here) as you go. As a skateboard sim, it holds up quite well. Obviously, it's not in the same league as the likes of Tony Hawk's, but then you were hardly expecting it to be, were you?! The tricks are easy to perform, and there's plenty of tricks to satisfy the appetite of even the most die-hard reader of Thrasher magazine. If you're used to the control scheme of the Tony Hawk's series, you will be on familiar territory, while the "mission" based set-up will also be a welcome similarity for most gamers. All in all, it's a very fun game that will add a few extra hours of enjoyment, plus a fun distraction from the altogether more serious matter disarming a band of nuke-equipped terrorists! Equal parts enjoyable and commercially astute, depending on your angle. Anyway, I've rambled on long enough! I hope you find this guide both fun to read and informative. Later 'gators ;), -Rich * * * * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ..:: BASIC CONTROLS ::.. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Using the aid of ADoomedMarine's rather lovely ASCII PS2 controller, here is a basic overview of the controls when skating around the "Big Shell" complex: (L1) - Nollie --- ,-------- ,------ ,-- (R1) - Special _=====_ (L2)/(R2) Spin/Switch _===/=_ / _____ \ / _____ \ (^) Grind .-'_____`-.--------------------------.-'_____`-. / /Stall ,` | | `. S O N Y .' | --------' D-pad / ___| /|\ |___ \ DualShock 2 / ___| /_\ |___ \ push/ ; | | | ; __ _ ; | _ _,--- (O) Grab turn --+-+-<----+---> | | |__| |_:> | ||_| (_)| | ; |___ | ___| ;SELECT START; |___`-----------([]) Flip |\ | \|/ | / _ ___ _ \ |( X )| / | \ |_____| .','" "', |___| ,'" "',`. |___`-------(X)Ollie | `'-._____.-' / \ANALOG/ \ `-._____.-' | /Crouch | | |------| | | | /\ / \ /\ | | / `.___.' `.___.' \ | | / \ | \ / \ / \________/ \________/ Get Moving! ----------- If you are stationary or moving slowly, holding UP on the d-pad will make Snake or Raiden push off with their back foot. Once you are on the move, you can hold DOWN on the directional button to come to a swift halt. Sometimes, where a precise jump or grind is required, it may be beneficial to stop and then pivot turn to line yourself up, then holding UP to skate in that direction. It's certainly a lot more precise than lining-up on the move, so you should try and learn this skill as quickly as possible. The Ollie --------- To perform tricks, you need to first perform a jumping technique called an "ollie". To perform an ollie, hold down the (X) button to crouch and gain speed, then release the button to jump. You can leap to great heights using the many half-pipes littered around the level by riding up them and releasing (X) at the upper edge - or "lip" - of the ramp. Air Tricks ---------- Once you are aerial, you can perform air tricks such as kickflips, shove-its and indy grabs by pressing a direction on the d-pad, followed by either the (O) or ([]) button. Tony Hawker's take note that pressing the direction and trick button simultaneously will not register, they have to be sequential. If you tap the (L2) or (R2) button in mid-air, you will perform a 180-degree spin, which will multiply your trick score for each successive turn. Grinding -------- Alternatively, for those with a vertigo complex, there are plenty of tricks to be performed at low levels. By holding the Triangle button when jumping onto any ledge or rail, your character will slide along that surface. This technique is called "grinding", and when combined with a series of small ollies and fliptricks, you can score some huge combos over a relatively short length of railing. Also note that you can ollie off a rail at an angle by pressing LEFT or RIGHT on the d-pad as you jump. You can use this technique to hop between rails, for example when attempting Snake's "Hidden" challenge. When grinding, you will need to maintain your balance (displayed on a gauge in the centre of the screen) by tapping left or right on the directional button. If the gauge sways to the one side, press the opposite direction to counter the sway in order to maintain your balance. Make sure you ollie out of your grind before losing balance altogether, otherwise you will fall off and lose any points earned during your combo. Manuals ------- In other skateboarding games, manualing is an essential aspect of scoring highly. However, in this game, it seems to have been tacked on as an after -thought. To perform a manual, you need to press down + Triangle as you land a trick, then keep the Triangle button depressed to stay in your two -wheeled state. You can also nose-manual by pressing up + Triangle as you land. Like grinding, you need to balance using the d-pad, only using UP and DOWN on the controller to counter any trembles in your character's manual. Stalls ------ Tricky to perform, low-scoring and - like the manual tricks - seem to have been added VERY late in the game's production. To perform a stall, ride up any half-pipe so that you are perpendicular to its lip, then press Triangle and any direction to perform a stall trick. Don't bother with these, seriously! They are a total waste of time and effort. Wallride -------- What's that? Another defunct, bolted-on move that serves no purpose in the game?! Surely not! Well, machiavelian melodrama aside, all I can say is that I hope that Konami tidied up the code before releasing the full version of Evolution Skateboarding. A wallride is, as the name suggests, a manoeuvre which allows you to ride along any flat, vertical surface. To perform a wallride jump into a wall at a shallow angle (30 degrees MAX.) and hold Triangle. The wallride generally lasts for about half a second, but it can be aborted early by releasing the Triangle button. Unlike the Tony Hawk's series, it is VERY difficult to in -corporate this technique into a combo, so I would suggest not even making the effort to learn it. In fact, the only reason I mention this here is to avoid angry emails telling me that I missed it out! "Special" Tricks ---------------- As you start racking up the points in Skateboarding mode, you will notice a yellow gauge gradually fill up in the top-right corner of the screen. As a general rule, scoring 1,500 points is sufficient to fill the gauge, at which point your "Stock" value will be increased by one. You can stock a maximum of five special tricks, which are performed by launching high above a half-pipe and double-tapping the (R1) button. Combined with a 540-degree spin, you can score in excess of 10,000 points in a single trick! Nice, eh? ... right then, now that you have learned all the "mad skillz" [do the kids even say that anymore?! I doubt it - Rich ] that you need to get tricky on your board, it's time to take what you know out onto the Big Shell. This is an operation of the most covert nature, so read carefully, young grass -hopper... * * * * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ..:: SNAKE WALKTHROUGH ::.. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Righty-oh! Let's get down to business. You have 6 objectives to accomplish, and only three minutes to get them all done... 1) Score 8,000 points. ** 2) Find the hidden item. **** 3) Grind 150m. * 4) Collect 4 dog tags. ** 5) Destroy all 3 cyphers *** 6) Blow up the plant. ***** The stars next to each objective are a rough guide to the general difficulty of each objective. Out of the two levels, I would say that's Snake's missions are far easier than Raiden's, so I would definitely suggest cutting your teeth on this stage. Spend your first couple of runs familiarising yourself with the layout of the level. In particular, remember the location of the cyphers, and where the staircase is that takes you up onto the heli-pad on top of the strut furthest from your starting point. After you are confident that you know you way around the level fairly well, have a go at beating each of the goals individually. Of course, me being my kind self, I wouldn't DREAM of letting you do anything for yourself, so I've written a walkthrough for you. No, no, please, don't thank me... OBJECTIVE 1 // Score 8,000 points. ---------------------------------- This one's straightforward enough, provided that you have already familiarised yourself with the nuances of the trick system. Your best bet is to make use of the half-pipes surrounding your start point, filling your Special meter with a few tasty grabs, before unleashing a special trick with a couple of taps of (L2) or (R2) to make light of this initial challenge. OBJECTIVE 2 // Find the hidden item. ------------------------------------ From the off, ride down the ramp directly in front of you, then across the bridge (with a rail in the middle if you fancy some trickage.) Head slightly left at the end of the bridge, and either ride past or destroy the patrolling cypher (a floating gun-turret, in case you were wondering.) Continue straight ahead and down a narrow pathway, passing a tall half-pipe to your left. Okey doke, now here comes the tricky part... You will notice that, possibly due to some shoddy building contractors, there is a dirty-great gap in the path ahead. This gap is far too large to traverse with an ollie, so you're going to have to get across by some other means. Say... you don't think that those thin rails connected elaborately to the gantry you're on could sustain your weight, do you?! Well, you'd better hope so, son, 'cause that's what you're gonna do. You'll need to be travelling at a fair pace to pull this off, so you might want to pull some tricks using the conveniently located half-pipe to your left before proceeding. You need to grind on the gantry railing, then craftily hop onto the railing suspended in the middle of the great crevasse beneath you. Grind on this rail for, ooh, I'd say about half a second, before hopping back onto the gantry railing on the other side. This might take you several attempts, depending on your co-ordination. Once you have safely made it across the gargantuan gap, you need to launch off the quarter-pipe directly ahead. By leaping from it, you will launch up into an invisible chamber, where the hidden item is located. OBJECTIVE 3 // Grind 150m. -------------------------- Well, after that rather complicated challenge, this one couldn't be simpler. All you have to do is accumulate 150m worth of grinds across any of the rails or ledges dotted around the level. It's not really worth aiming to beat this task, as you'll probably reach the 150m aggregate during the course of completing the other goals. OBJECTIVE 4 // Collect 4 dog tags. ---------------------------------- Hmm, for some reason, when I do this task, there's a strange suspension of belief. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it might have something to do with having to collect dog tags that are THE SAME SIZE AS SNAKE which are FLOATING IN MID-AIR! Maybe one day I'll figure it out. Anyway, enough innane rambling. As stated above, the dog tags are pretty bloody conspicuous, so you will have no trouble finding them. If I were you, I would probably head straight down the ramp from the start, then grind the rail in the middle of the bridge to collect your first tag . At the end of the bridge section, bear slightly left. Hovering over the lip of half-pipe on the right of this open area is your second tag, so ollie up and grind on the lip of the pipe in front of you to bag another tag. Continue down the same path you took to get the "hidden item" earlier to collect your third tag, which is right on the brink of the giant gap you had to clear earlier. After snaffling yourself three tags, half-turn left and ride back the way you came. Follow the path as it swings to the left (rather than going back over the bridge.) When you reach a dead-end, half-turn left again to face a set of stairs. Ride up the staircase, holding UP so that you continue pushing against gravity, until you reach the top. You will now be positioned upon the heli-pad on top of Strut E. Turn a little to the right to locate the fourth and final dog-tag, which is floating above one of the "H" symbols, next to a Marine's Cypher-T (hovering robot-type- thing.) Snaffle this to complete the mission. Hooray!! OBJECTIVE 5 // Destroy all three cyphers. ----------------------------------------- Presuming you completed the previous "mission", you will have no doubt encountered the three floating sentries, called "cyphers", that can be found in this level. Anyone who has played through the "Sons of Liberty" portion of the game will take great satisfaction from this task, where you have the chance to perform some frontier justice and destroying these Taiwan -manufactured bastards so they can never bother you again :) If you come close to a cypher, it will spot you and emit a loud "alert" sound. If you stay within its range for five seconds, it will open fire on you, costing you valuable seconds, and serving as a major annoyance. By far the best way to wreak havoc with the cyphers is to ollie into them, by heading straight for them and releasing (X) immediately before colliding with it. Time it right, and you'll be gratified by watching the gun-toting nuisance burst into a ball of flames. You _can_ also destroy the cyphers by skating into them, but this is less damaging, and you will need to ride into the 'bot at least twice to eradicate it. From your starting point, turn slightly to your right to spot your first target, which you should promptly crash into to annihilate it. Ride down the ramp in front of you and down onto the connecting bridge. Make your way across the bridge and bear slightly left, towards the area where you found the hidden item earlier. You should see the cypher in front of you, which you can collide with to bust it good and proper. Finally, turn back around and go up the staircase that leads up to the heli -pad. In the same place your found dog tag #4 should be hovering the third and final cypher, which should be promptly destroyed. One challenge left.. what good progress we're making!! OBJECTIVE 6 // Blow up the plant. --------------------------------- Naturally, I left the most difficult challenge until last. This "mission" involves performing a series of actions which result in one of the struts being detonated in spectacular fashion. There are four sets of infra-red sensors positioned around the level, which need to be activated in pairs to set off the explosives positioned on one of the struts. The strut that gets destroyed plays no part in the other tasks in this level, so don't worry about blowing it up before completing some of the other missions on the list. From the start, ride straight forward, down the ramp and onto the strut connecting bridge. About halfway across this bridge, there is a second connecting bridge that leads off to another strut on the left. Ride over this bridge and turn left (woo, NASCAR!) at the end of it. Follow this gantry around as it swings to the right, and grind the railing to clear the gap in the floor beneath you. Once you have reached the other side, ride up the quarter-pipe in front of you to activate the IR sensor. "UNIQUE 1/4" will appear on the screen to let you know that you have completed the first stage of this objective. Once you have landed back on the ground, use the hand-rail to traverse the gap once again, and follow the gantry back around. Keep skating straight ahead and past the connecting bride you used earlier on. Go left around the corner and grind either of the two rails that span the gap in the floor, then round the corner and grind across the gap that follows. At the end of this gantry is another quarter-pipe, which you should assail to set off the second set of sensors. Once you have landed, head back from whence you came, across the two gaps and back to the strut connecting bridge... Oh no!! The floor has disappeared! Nothing to fear though, as you can simply grind along the railing to the side of the gargantuan gap that separates you from the rest of the level. Grind along the side of the bridge, then hop off and land back on the main bridge. Turn left, then ride forward and turn right when you reach the end. You should see a steel quarter-pipe lying between two pillars at the end of this pathway. Catch some "fat air" from this structure to trigger the third sensor. Only one left.. woo! After landing back on good old terra firma, you should be facing towards the steps that lead up to the heli-pad. Promptly skate up this narrow staircase and turn right to spot another quarter-pipe betwixt two pillars. Leap from this ramp for your very own "Kodak Moment" ;) *** ALL MISSIONS COMPLETED *** So, there you go! Snake's portion of the game is complete. Now onto the second level, where Raiden has some of his own challenges to complete * * * * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ..:: RAIDEN WALKTHROUGH ::.. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- And so, with a heavy heart, we leave Snake's missions behind. This time, it is the girly-haired one who you will be guiding around the Big Shell. You will notice that this level is considerably different in its layout to Snake's level, although some of the challenges will feel distinctly similar. Again, you have three minutes to complete them all... 1) Score 8,000 points. ** 2) Find the hidden item. ***** 3) Grind 150 metres. * 4) Collect 4 rations. *** 5) Destroy all 4 cyphers. *** 6) Operate the crane. **** Just like Snake's missions, spend your first couple of runs familiarising yourself with the level. Everything is laid out a lot more logically in this level, so you should not have any trouble squeezing all six objectives into the three minutes allowed to you. What's that..? You want ME to guide you through each objective?! Oddly enough, that's EXACTLY what I'm going to do. What luck, eh... OBJECTIVE 1 // Score 8,000 points. ---------------------------------- Deja vu, anyone? Yep, once again you have to score the not unreasonable amount of 8,000 points. You can do this any way that you want, but a "SPECIAL" trick combined with a 540-degree spin should net more than enough points in about 2 seconds. If you're having trouble pulling that fairly advanced technique off, just pull some grab tricks off any of the multitudes of ramps and quarter-pipes littered about the level. OBJECTIVE 2 // Find the hidden item. ------------------------------------ Eek! This task could have been so straightforward, but those lovely, lovely folks at KCET decided to put a big ol' crate between you and the shiny, shiny hidden item. As a result of this, you'll have to complete the "Operate the crane" task before attempting this. well, go on then, go and read that and then come back here... Done it? Good, 'cause the rest is a cinch. Make your way back up the steps to the Strut E heli-pad, then leap from the half pipe that is no longer obstruct -ed by the crate you just removed. OBJECTIVE 3 // Grind 150 metres. -------------------------------- Identical in every way conceivable to the objective on Snake's level, you simply have to grind a total of 150 metres during the course of your run. This total is more than achievable by using the long, straight hand-rails to your right as you start the level, but you should be able to aggregate the total length required while completing the other objectives. If you can't manage this task, you might as well take the game disc out and use it as a shiny coaster, because it doesn't get any easier than this! OBJECTIVE 4 // Collect 4 rations. --------------------------------- For those of you among us who have never played Metal Gear Solid before, rations are small, beige, cylindrical objects that contain supplies to regenerate your LIFE gauge. Of course, in Skateboarding mode, you don't have a LIFE gauge, but you still have to collect them. Don't ask me why, you just do... From your starting location, turn slightly to the right and grind on the right or center handrail. As you reach the apex of the rail, ollie off to collect the ration hovering above. Immediately after landing, half-turn left and grind back down the rail until you reach the end. There should be a broad, brown ramp directly in front of you, which leads down to a dead-end. In the middle of this area is another ration, which you should snaffle before turning around and heading back up the ramp. Once you have made your way back onto the plateau your run started on, turn sharply to the left until you find yourself riding down a similar, slightly narrower ramp that leads down to the main strut connecting bridge. Ride along the bridge and turn left at the end to face the stairway leading up to the heli-pad platform. As you arrive on the heli-pad, you should see a third ration hovering above a pair of missiles. Don't worry about landing on them; they won't explode ;) Use the ramp at one end of the missiles to launch up and grab the package. After grabbing ration #3, your fourth and final collectible can be found above a quarter-pipe on the far right-hand side of the platform. Simply hit the pipe (as Cypress Hill would say) and blag the last remaining ration. OBJECTIVE 5 // Destroy all 4 uninhabited probes. ------------------------------------------------ Different wording, but the "uninhabited probes" they speak of are simply the gun-mounted cyphers that you had to destroy in Snake's level. Although there is an extra 'bot to destroy in this level, they are all laid out in a helpful fashion, so it should not take any more time to complete this task than it did for Snake. From your start point, turn right and follow the railing as it sweeps round to the left. Before long, you should encounter your first cypher, which you should smash by jumping into it (remember, riding straight into them is less damaging.) After you have done this, make your way down the brown ramp that leads towards the connecting bridge. Skate over the bridge and turn right as you reach the end to find the second probe... you know what to do ;). Immediately afterwards, half-turn left and in the distance you should see yet another remote-controlled miscreant. Trash this and the next cypher over to the right and you will have destroyed them all. Yay! OBJECTIVE 6 // Operate the crane. --------------------------------- And so we reach the final objective in Skateboarding mode. Your "mission" is simple: use the crane structure beside the helipad to pick up the apparatus blocking your path to the hidden item. Actually figuring this out for your -self is moderately difficult, but after you have done so it couldn't be easier! If you fancy trying out this mildly taxing puzzle yourself, kindly skip the next couple of paragraphs... So, for all you lazy people out there, recall the two quarter-pipes (between pillars) that you utilised in Snake's "Blow up the plant" challenge. You need to make your way up the staircase leading to the heli-pad and somehow make the crane's arm swing around and over the object that requires moving. To do this, jump from the quarter-pipe on the right hand side of the heli-pad as you reach the top of the stairs (you will see that there is a silver, metallic throw-switch above it) to trigger the appropriate cut-scene. After watching the crane swivel into position, make your way back down to the lower level, either using the stairs or taking the death-defying "acid drop" approach. In the dead-end opposite the foot of the stairs rests your second switch, so hurl yourself skywards to hit it to complete the mission. *** ALL MISSIONS COMPLETED *** ... and that's all there is to it! Next up, the dreaded move-lists. * * * * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ..:: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ::.. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Here are a handful of the most common queries I have received via e-mail rega -rding this FAQ. If your question isn't answered here or anywhere else, then send it to me at the address stated at the top of the document. Q: I thought at one point you were going to include a "Trick Listings" section? A: Indeed I was, but then I noticed that if you press START to enter the pause menu, you will notice an option labelled "Command List". Highlight it and press (O) to reveal a lovely list detailing all the moves available to your particular character. Q: Are there any secrets or bonus features? A: No. There, that was short!! Q: Any glitches? A: So far I have found two: i) The announcer says "Primo Stool" instead of "Primo Stall". ii) On occasion, if you fall into the sea, you will continue falling forever, requiring you to reset your console. Q: How do I perform tricks like the Airwalk or Front Foot Impossible? A: Hmmm.. The Command List *was* a little unclear on this, but you need to press the corresponding direction, followed by double-tapping the Circle or Square button. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but it shouldn't be too taxing. Q: Whenever I perform a manual/primo/casper trick, it only lasts for a fraction of a second. Why is this? A: Unlike the "Tony Hawk" series, you need to keep holding the Triangle button for the duration of the trick. This caught me out at first too! Q: Haven't I heard the announcer's voice somewhere before? A: Well, well, well... I have to confess that when I first heard the gravelly voice, I too thought it was the voice of Jecht from Final Fantasy X. I e-mailed one of the guys at Konami about this, and I was sad to hear that this was not the case. Q: What ARE the feeding those Pigeons?! They're freakin' HUGE!! A: I have no idea, but I'm guessing they know Barry Bonds ;) * * * * * * _______________________________________________________________________________ (C) 2003 Richard Arnatt. All Rights Reserved. END OF DOCUMENT