ENGLISH MANUAL

ENGLISH MANUAL
Unofficial translation by Anamon
Densha de Go! 2 Kōsoku-hen
Welcome to the unofficial English manual for the Windows version of Densha de Go! 2
Kōsoku-hen. This manual has been translated and adapted from the original Japanese
manual. The focus is kept mostly on translating the game menus for players who cannot
read Japanese, and giving an introduction to the gameplay so you can really start enjoying
the game. Some technical sections like on the installation of the game and the dedicated
controllers have been omitted.
I hope this document will be useful to you, and welcome any comments to
[email protected]
Installation
Due to its age, Densha de Go! 2 is not Unicode-compatible. What this means is that unless
you are running a Japanese installation of Windows, the program will not be able to display
Japanese characters. However, this applies only to the Autorun menu, the installer, and the
uninstaller – it's not a problem in the game itself.
Although it is in some cases possible to just
install and uninstall the game directly, I suggest
you install the Microsoft AppLocale utility to run
the installation and uninstallation programs. This
method is especially useful as it can prevent
some problems involving invalid filenames. You
can find this tool at the Microsoft Download site
(http://download.microsoft.com/) and it is
confirmed to work on Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
Whenever running the „Autorun.exe“ or
„Setup.exe“ programs from the game disc, start
AppLocale instead, browse to the program you
want to start, and let it detect its language (if
it is not detected automatically: Japanese is at
the very bottom of the list.) You are then given
the choice to either start the program in
question, or create a shortcut for it so you won't
have to go through this procedure again.
The buttons of the game's autorun menu are
translated in the picture to the right. The
installation itself is very straight-forward and no
different from any other software installation
with InstallShield, so no translation should be
necessary. The same goes for the uninstallation
procedure.
3
Install
Uninstall
Play
Exit
Quickstart: Keyboard controls
[↑] [↓] master control
The train's „master“ lever controls the power of the engine. At the top, it is in the „Off“
position. Pull it downwards up to position „5“ for maximum acceleration.
[←] [→] brake lever
Use the brake lever to slow down the train. Turn the lever to the right to apply the brakes,
left to release them. The lever has ten positions: brake power increases from „1“ to „8“,
with the emergency brake „E“ at the very right. The leftmost position releases the brakes
completely. The train will not be able to move before you release the brakes.
[SPACE]
Apply the horn. This is required in certain situations, as explained later. Using the horn
excessively in situations where it is not necessary may be penalized!
[ENTER]
Use this to start or continue, particularly in the game menus.
[ESC]
Use to pause or stop the game.
Quickstart: A typical section
This short example of a typical run between two stations should give you a first, general idea
on how a game of the Densha de Go! series is played.
Wait for the yellow light to go on, indicating that the doors are closed and you may now
leave the station. Release the brakes by pressing [←] repeatedly. Once the brakes are
released, pull the acceleration lever all the way down to position 5 by repeatedly pressing
[↓]. Keep adjusting the acceleration to maintain the necessary/allowed speed.
When approaching the next station (watch the timetable at the top of the screen, and the
distance meter at the bottom right) return the acceleration lever to its „Off“ position by
pressing [↑] and start applying the brakes by pressing [→]. Keep adjusting the brakes,
aiming to come to a complete stop precisely at the 0 meter mark of the station, preferrably
at the exact arrival time marked in your schedule. Remember that re-accelerating in a
station is penalized, and so is excessive braking!
Depending on the colour of the clock and the distance meter, you will know whether you
will have to stop at the next station, or just pass it at a certain time.
4
MAIN MENU
At the title screen, in demonstration mode and the main menu, use the cursor keys to
navigate between options, ENTER to accept your choice, and ESC to go back or cancel.
1. Start game
ゲームスタート
2. Game settings
ゲーム設定
3. High scores
スコア表示
4. Exit
終了
Game settings
1) Difficulty
( 難易度 )
The difficulty level mainly
affects how many penalty
points you lose for your
mistakes, how many bonus
points you can win, and how
many you start out with at the
beginning of each round.
イージー
ノーマル
ハード
ベリーハード
Easy
Medium
Hard
Very hard
2) Controller
( コントローラー )
Choose between various control schemes for keyboards, joypads, joysticks, and dedicated
Densha de Go! train controllers. See page 6 for an overview of the different control
schemes.
Information on game settings is continued on page 7.
5
Control schemes
Keyboard 1
キーボード１
Keyboard 2
キーボード２
Keyboard 3
キーボード３
Keyboard 4
キーボード４
Select option
Accept choice
Cancel choice
↑ and ↓
ENTER
ESC
↑ and ↓
ENTER
ESC
↑ and ↓
ENTER
ESC
↑ and ↓
ENTER
ESC
Throttle lever
Brake lever
Sound horn
Pause game
↑ and ↓
← and →
SPACEBAR
ESC
A and Z
← and →
SPACEBAR
ESC
Numbers 1-5
Keypad 0-9
SPACEBAR
ESC
↑ and ↓
↑ and ↓ *
SPACEBAR
ESC
* This control scheme combines throttle and brake levers into one „master control.“
Joypad
ジョイパッド
Joystick
Train controller
ジョイスティック 専用コントローラー
Select option
Accept choice
Cancel choice
Pad up and down
Button A
Button B
Stick up and down
Button A
Button B
Master control
Button A
Button B/C
Throttle lever
Brake lever
Sound horn
Pause game
Pad up and down
Pad left and right
Button B
Keyboard ESC
Y axis
X axis
Button B
Keyboard ESC
Left lever
Right lever
Button B/C
Keyboard ESC
Emergency brake
On keyboard schemes 1, 2, and 4, keeping the brake button pressed will apply the
brakes up to level 8. To apply the emergency brakes, release the button and press
it once more.
Replay
For all control schemes, press R on the keyboard during route selection to switch
to replay mode (see page 17).
6
3) Controller calibration
( 専用コントローラー設定 )
If a controller has been attached and chosen, use this option to calibrate it.
4) Speedometer
( スピードメーター )
Choose one of the four analog and digital speedometers to be displayed during the game.
The last choice (the one without a number) will automatically choose a speedometer
depending on what kind of train you are driving.
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
5) Sound
( サウンド )
Turn the in-game sound on or off.
オン On
オフ Off
6) Return to main menu
( 終了 )
7
Type 4
GAME SCREEN
Throttle lever
From 1 (minimum
throttle) to 5
(maximum throttle)
Arrival time
The time at which you are supposed
to pass or stop at the next station
Current time
Speedometer
Shows the current speed of the train
Penalty timer
If it reaches 0, the game is over
Brake lever
Brake level from 1 to 8 and
E for emergency stop
Distance meter
Shows the distance to the next
station where you have to stop
Above the distance meter, signs
and signals will appear
8
GETTING INTO THE GAME
Route selection
After the Taito logo and choosing to
start the game from the main menu,
the route selection screen appears.
Choose one and press enter to start.
If you do not press a button after the
logo, the game will automatically
enter demo mode.
The routes are listed below. For more
detailed information on the routes,
see page 16.
Hokuetsu Express (easy), HK-100, Naoetsu – Uragawara
Akita Shinkansen „Komachi“ (intermediate), E3 series, Akita – Ōmagari
● Keihin-Tōhoku Rapid Line (intermediate), 209 series, Shinagawa – Ueno
● Hokuetsu Express (advanced), HK-100, Naoetsu – Muikamachi
● Akita Shinkansen „Komachi“ (expert), E3 series, Akita – Ōmagari
● Tōhoku Shinkansen (bonus stage), 200 series, Morioka – Shin-Hanamaki
● Hokuetsu Express (hidden stage), 681 series, Naoetsu – Muikamachi
●
●
Inspection
( 仕業検査 )
Check the throttle and brake levers when prompted to ensure the safety of the train, then
return them to their initial position (emergency brake). This only applies to dedicated
controllers and keyboard setting 3 (press '9' to apply the emergency brakes).
9
DEPARTURE
①
You must not release the brakes before the cab
door signal light goes on. The lamp will turn
yellow when all doors are closed and the train is
ready for departure.
②
The brakes are initially in the emergency brake
position. Before you can depart from a station,
you have to completely release the brakes by
putting the brake lever into the '0' position.
③
If the traffic signal allows you to leave the
station, you may now apply throttle. Put the
throttle lever in its bottom position at notch '5'
to accelerate the train.
④
Once you have reached the desired speed,
return the throttle lever back to its neutral
position for coasting, i.e. keeping the train
moving through inertia. If your speed drops too
much, you will have to apply throttle again.
⑤
When going too fast or approaching the next
station, put the throttle lever back into its
neutral position and start applying the brakes.
Remember that the braking power depends
heavily on the slope of the track and the
weather. For example, rain will negatively affect
your braking power. Also, try not to apply the
emergency brake if it is not absolutely necessary.
The harsh braking could be dangerous to your
passengers.
⑥
Try to stop as close to the orange stop position
marker at the station as possible. Avoid harsh
stops or re-acceleration while approaching a
station. Both result in passenger discomfort and
are penalised.
10
ABOUT SIGNS AND SIGNALS
• Cab signal
Appears only on departure. When it lights up, you can start moving the
train.
• Speed limit
• End of speed limit
These signs are installed along the tracks and denote the
maximum speeds at which you may operate the train in
the respective sections.
• Traffic signals
Traffic lights are installed at fixed intervals
throughout each track. The green signal is
shown when there is no problem and you can
proceed according to the current speed limit.
Yellow signals tell you to slow down. The new
maximum speed overrides the speed limit as
signalled by the trackside signs, and you will
have to meet it before your engine passes the
signal. If you fail to slow down in time, the ATS
(Automatic Train Stop) system will be activated
and you will come to an emergency halt.
• Relay signal
Appears at some distance before a regular traffic signal and shows its state,
allowing you to adjust your speed accordingly beforehand.
A vertical arrangement corresponds to a green signal, a diagonal
arrangement to a slowdown signal, and a vertical arrangement to a red
stop signal.
• Horn signal
Appear at certain positions where you must activate your train's horn signal.
If you fail to do so, you will be punished. At some points, no horn signal is
shown, but you can earn bonus points by sounding it anyway, for example
if there are people near the tracks.
• Slope indicator
Shows the slope of the track section ahead.
From left to right: level, upwards, downwards. Adjust your throttle and brakes
accordingly.
11
BONUS AND PENALTY POINTS
Bonus points
Meeting certain criteria throughout the game, you can gain a number of bonus points. These
points increase your penalty counter and therefore make it easier to finish a stage.
• Good stop
Stop within 0m of the marked stopping position in a station. If you succeed in stopping the
train at the right position, you will earn a 'Good' rating and some bonus points. However,
if you re-accelerated or used your emergency brakes when approaching the station, the
resulting penalty will cancel out any bonus points.
• Great stop
If you stop within 0m of the marked stopping position and are no more than 2 seconds
early or late in relation to your scheduled arrival, you will earn a 'Great' rating and receive
an even higher amount of bonus points.
• Excellent stop
In some cases, you can earn a large number of bonus points if during the evaluation of
your stopping at a station, it turns out that you stopped within 0cm from the marker.
• Pass through
If you pass the stop marker of a station at exactly the
second you were scheduled to pass through, a message
will be displayed and you will earn bonus points. With
each successfull pass in a row, the bonus will increase.
• Changeover section
At certain signalled sections, the track changes from one
electrification system to another. Release your throttle
when passing such a section. If you clear it without any
throttle, you earn bonus points. Applying throttle is not
punished, but coming to a halt within the section is.
• Hidden horn signal situation
In some situations, it might be advisable to sound your
horn, even if no sign prompts you to do so. The amount of
bonus points depends on your timing in these situations.
12
• Bonus game
When achieving specific conditinos
in a round of Densha de GO! 2, you
will be treated to a bonus game. This
is usually upon arriving at certain
stations without having used any
Continues.
In these bonus games, you will control
an EF63 „Hakusan“ engine, trying to
attach it to another combination.
You will have 15 seconds to achieve
this goal with your usual throttle and
brake controls. The lower the impact,
the higher the bonus. You can't lose
any points in a bonus game.
Penalty points
The key to completing a round of Densha de GO! 2 is to reach the final destination without
running out of penalty points. For every mistake, points will be deducted from your account.
●
Ignoring the cab light: moving the train before the cab doors are closed.
●
Ignoring a red light: this will not only deduct points but also automatically stop the train.
●
Ignoring a (yellow) slowdown signal: this will also automatically stop your train.
●
●
●
●
●
Ignoring the horn sign: by not sounding your horn when required to do so, before entering
tunnels and passing some bridges.
Using the emergency brake when there is no emergency: this is dangerous to your
passengers and will be penalised. You will also not get any bonus points for stopping at a
station if you used the emergency brake.
Falling behind schedule: if you fail to pass or stop at the next station in time, 1 or 2 points
will be deducted for each second that you are late, depending on the chosen line.
Overrun: If you stop too far behind the stop marker in a station, you will lose points for
each meter you rolled to far.
Re-accelerating while approaching a station: if you have to apply throttle after having
entered a station at which you will stop, you will lose points during evaluation of the stop.
13
SPECIAL EVENTS
• Rain
If rain starts to fall during your stage, remember that this will affect your acceleration and
braking power.
• Bonus stage
If you drive the Akita Shinkansen Express and
stop at the final station in Ōmagari within 0m,
achieving a 'Good' rating, you will be allowed to
play a bonus stage and drive the Tōhoku
Shinkansen from Morioka to New Hanamaki.
This train is equipped with ATC (Automatic Train
Control). Speed limits are shown not along the
tracks, but in your cockpit (the bottom left corner
of the screen). If you exceed them, the stage will
be over.
• Professional mode
In this mode, the remaining distance to the next
station displayed in the lower right is hidden. To
activate Professional mode, press the Start
button at any time ('Enter' in standard keyboard
configuration) to hide the distance meter. You can
switch off Professional mode at any time by
pressing the same button again. Professional
mode is recommended as an additional challenge
for experienced players, and if you complete a
stage from start to finish without ever disabling
Professional mode, a 'PRO' notation will be
shown along your high score.
ABOUT 'GAME OVER' AND CONTINUES
The game is over if you reach the final destination, or you run out of penalty points. If you
did not manage to finish the stage, you will be allowed to use a Continue.
If you decide to continue the stage, you will reappear at the next station. Otherwise, you will
have to start from the beginning. If you fail a stage before the last station, no Continue will
be available. On the Tōhoku Shinkansen line bonus stage, there are no Continues.
Continuing will reset your score, so you will not achieve as high a score as if you completed
the stage in one try.
14
DRIVER EVALUATION
When you exit a stage, your driving skills will be
evaluated in five categories. The final score is a
number between 0 and 100. The five categories are,
in order:
Timetable adherence
Passenger comfort (no sharp braking)
● Stop position correctness
● Signal obedience
● Passenger safety
●
●
Thanks to CRHdeNOTTEkudasai at the
Densha de Go forums for the translation.
SCORING
Except for the two easiest lines, your performance
will also be rated with a score in kilometers. Your
final score depends on both the actual distance
travelled and your driver's evaluation for each
segment completed.
If you have achieved one of the top 10 scores for a
given route, you will be allowed to enter up to four
letters of your name for the high score table.
Note: When you exit the game, only one high score apart from the highest one will be saved
for each stage.
15
STAGE INFORMATION
Beginner: Hokuetsu Express, HK-100, from Naoetsu to Uragawara
Naoetsu – (Kuroi) – Saigata – Kubiki – (Ōike-Ikoi-no-mori) – Uragawara. Stations in
parantheses are passed through. During this easy stage, advice is displayed for new players.
Intermediate: Akita Shinkansen „Komachi“, E3 series, from Akita to Ōmagari
From Akita to Ōmagari, passing 8 stations but stopping at none of them. Some skill is
required to pass all the stations according to the timetable.
Intermediate: Keihin-Tōhoku Rapid Line, 209 series, from Shinagawa to Ueno
Shinagawa – Tamachi – (Hamamatsuchō – Yūrakuchō – Shimbashi) – Tōkyō – (Kanda) –
Akihabara – (Okachimachi) – Ueno. You drive toward the northern districts of Tōkyō. The 209
series train has the lowers braking power in the game, so you need to plan well ahead.
Advanced: Hokuetsu Express, HK-100, from Naoetsu to Muikamachi
Naoetsu – (Kuroi) – Saigata – Kubiki – (Ōike-Ikoi-no-mori) – Uragawara – (Mushigawa-Ōsugi)
– Ōshima – Tōkamachi – (Shinza – Misashima – Uonuma-Kyūryō) – Muikamachi. A strict
timetable and many stops make this one of the most difficult routes. Watch out for the
crossing spots in the tunnels!
Expert: Akita Shinkansen „Komachi“, E3 series, from Akita to Ōmagari
Similar to the intermediate Akita Shinkansen stage. However, it is more difficult due to
events such as rain or snow. Also, if you succeed at stopping at Ōmagari Station within 0m
from the stop marker, you will be able to play the bonus stage, in which you drive the
Tōhoku Shinkansen (200 series) through one section from Morioka to Shin-Hanamaki.
Hidden stage
Clear all routes (including the bonus stage) to
unlock the hidden Hokuetsu Express stage.
Hokuetsu Express, 681 series, from Naoetsu
to Muikamachi
Higher speeds, less stops, and more difficult
sections are what discern this hardest stage
from the other Hokuetsu Express stages.
16
REPLAY FUNCTION
In Densha de GO! 2, it is possible to save and watch replays of completed stages.
Save replay data
You can save your replay for each stage if you reach
the final destination and did not use any Continues.
No replay will be saved if you quit the stage early. If
a replay already exists, a black screen prompt asks
you whether you would like to discard the recorded
data (default, top option) or replace the existing
replay (bottom option)
Replays are stored in the Replay.dat file in the 'bin'
subfolder of your Densha de GO! 2 installation. It is
small enough to be sent to friends via e-mail!
Note: If you want to improve your chances of
getting to save your replay, play on easy difficulty.
Play back a replay
Press the 'R' key on your keyboard during stage selection in the menu. A red stamp saying
'Autopilot' will be displayed above the train picture of each stage for which replay data is
available. Choose one of the stages as if you wanted to play it, and the replay data will be
played back with the train in 'autopilot' mode. The difficulty setting used during recording
the replay is stored along with it.
Controls during replay playback
While playing back a replay, the game does not accept any train control actions from your
controller. Only the pause menu, which you can call up by pressing 'Esc', is available. It has
two options:
●
●
Resume playback
Stop playback and return to the title screen
17
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Question
Answer
Something is wrong with the on-screen display, the framerate is bad, or
there is something wrong with the sound.
DirectX might not be installed or working properly on your PC. Contact the
manufacturers of your computer, graphics adapter, and soundcard. Ask for
the latest drivers for these devices, and information on how to update them.
Question
Answer
The game does not start correctly, or not at all.
The game will not work if your computer does not meet the minimum
hardware specifications. Please check your computer specifications against
the system requirements (especially regarding video card and VRAM). Also,
the game is not guaranteed to work correctly on laptop computers.
Question
Answer
The game crashes back to the desktop after the Taito logo.
This can be due to issues with soundcard drivers in Windows Me and XP. The
following workaround should alleviate the problem:
• Open the Control Panel and open 'Multimedia' or 'Sounds and Audio
Devices'.
• In the appropriate tab (usually 'Volume') click the 'Advanced...' button to
open the advanced settings window.
• In the 'Performance' tab, turn down the 'Hardware acceleration' slider two
notches to the left.
• Press 'OK' to accept your changes and close the window.
Question
Answer
Does the game really not run on laptop computers?
Due to laptop computers usually being equipped with lower power
processors and graphics cards, as well as power saving and heat issues, some
laptops will not be able to run the game successfully.
Question
Answer
Why does the game not fill my entire LCD screen?
When you start the game, it automatically switches the display resolution to
640x480. Depending on the characteristics of your video card and monitor,
the display might appear small and in the middle of the screen. Contact your
hardware manufacturer to find out whether you can adjust any settings to
avoid this.
Question
Answer
What controllers can be used with the game?
The game works with any basic two-axis two-button controller. The number
of buttons is not an issue for Densha de GO! 2.
18
LIMITATIONS WHEN PLAYING UNDER WINDOWS XP
●
●
Please do not install or uninstall the game using a limited user account.
Please do not start the game when using Fast User Switching.
19
Unofficial English game manual written and created by
Anamon (Daniel Saner), December 2009
[email protected]
The author of this document does not claim any rights to the
products or trademarks mentioned within. Pictures are adapted
from the original Japanese game manual. The translated text was
written for non-commercial purposes and released for free. No
money is to be charged for copies of it.
Densha de Go! is a registered trademark of TAITO Corp.
Densha de Go! for Windows by UNBALANCE Corporation
http://www.taito.co.jp
http://www.unbalance.co.jp