Go Faster!

Hit the turbo booster and go! Quantum Redshift would be a fairly simple game if that's all it took to win. Fortunately, there's more to it than that. For this article, I drove my SPARC like a fanatic and figured out some tips that will help you truly master the game. I hope they work for you as well as they did for me.

Learn the track before you push your speed off the scale

Surprise turns send you flying if you don't plan for them. Every time you run into a wall, it slows you down. Find the smoothest path to the finish line. Practice the fundamentals of racing on each track and with each of the different racers.

Each racer handles a little differently

If you keep that in mind, you won't get stuck in patterns and wonder why one thing works for one SPARC but doesn't for another. Also, the racers have a slight advantage when on their home tracks.

Use the L button to power-slide around corners

This too will take practice, so be patient.

Cut corners

You find short cuts all over the place. Take time to explore. Some sneaks slice more off your path than others. For example, there's a small one in Solar City. You'll find it in the forest area near the beginning of the track. Jump off the cliff into the water instead of following the sharp right that the track takes. This leads you straight into the canyon.

In some cases, you need a lighter ship at faster speeds to manage the shortcut. For example, in Silver Rock Canyon, take the loop and turbo once you reach the top of the loop. Your ship will speed up and jump at the end of the loop. Aim carefully and you can zip into a tunnel located high on the cliff. Try this with Kumiko at Master speed or faster.

Not all tracks have shortcuts like this, though. The designers balanced the tracks so that you can win without using the shortcut, so when you find one, it gives you a huge advantage.

Use your turbo to its greatest advantage

The only way to gain an advantage straight out of the gate is to turbo as soon as you cross the start/finish line. If you do this skillfully, you can gain a good lead early in the race. Beware, however, of getting shot when you apply this strategy. The leader of the pack is also the primary target!

Don't spend all your turbo in one place. It took me awhile, but I finally figured out that it was more economical to use short bursts of turbo. Also, quick taps of turbo didn't send me careening out of control as much as full-on presses did. A quick tap lasts a second or less. This takes some practice, but it's worth it. Once you get the technique down, you will find it's easy to win the races with some leftover turbo at the end.

Go after gems only as needed

Unless you need a massive power-up to destroy an enemy or to recharge your shields, don't bother chasing down gems that lie off the track. They don't do you enough good to make it worth your effort and time, unless you find yourself way ahead of the pack and feel confident. If you haven't taken much damage, aim primarily for the reds and blues. If you've taken serious damage, get those yellows!

Shoot as often—and as accurately—as possible

Watch for large, flat areas. They're the best places to deploy your blue weapons, especially at a distance. The weapon becomes less effective the further away your targets are, but you can still slow them down if you can hit them. Also, red weapons will hurt your opponents, but blue weapons inflict more serious damage.

Learn to use the yellow shields

Keep an eye on your opponents and the kinds of gems they pick up. If you know you're passing an enemy who has a red weapon, activate your overshield (Y) as you pass. That way, when the other pilot shoots at you, the weapon won't damage you. Furthermore, a level 2 or 3 overshield may even cause damage back to your attacker.

All right, pilots! Now you know everything I know! Get out there and let's show them how it's done!

By Violet Leigh