Shanghai Roadster tips for beginners: win your first medals
The quickest way to get better at Shanghai Roadster: hold Go, boost on the straights, let go of the steering in the air, and hold Nitrogen as you come down. Stay in the middle on open stretches. And use Practice to learn a hard stunt before you race it.
Here are the habits that win your first medals, one by one.
1. Keep holding Go
The car is fastest when the motor is always pulling. Every turn in the game is banked (tilted inward), which helps you keep your speed through it. Only brake if you are about to slam into a rail, and do it before the turn, not in the middle.
2. Read the speed board
Before every loop and jump, a board shows the speed you need, like Loop ahead: 60 km/h or more. If it turns orange with a ▲, you are too slow. Hold Go, or tap Nitrogen for a little Boost. More on boards on the stunts page.
3. Boost on straights, not into turns
BOOST is strongest on a long straight, especially right after a turn when you are slower. Let go before the next turn. Boosting into a turn just pushes you into the rail, and the rail takes the speed away again.
4. Hands off the steering in the air
When the car flies, steering doesn't turn it. It makes the car start to roll over. So as soon as you leave a ramp, let go of the steering and get ready to hold Nitrogen.
5. Hold Nitrogen as you come down
In the air the gauge says LAND. Hold Nitrogen as you come down, and the jets turn you level and soften the landing. Aim for Soft landing! A bumpy landing costs you speed.
6. On rocket jumps, wait for the ring
On a rocket jump, a ring on the landing pad tells you when to fire. Pale blue says Wait for the ring… Green says Now! Hold Nitrogen. Hold it until you land. Firing too early wastes gas. Firing late can mean a Crash landing! All about it in rocket jumps and the landing ring.
7. Middle of the track on open stretches
An open stretch has no rails, just a glowing red edge. Line up in the middle before it starts and steer only a little. How to stay on the track has more.
8. Rails are your friends
Touching a gold rail is fine: it rubs off some speed and turns you straight again. Just don't slam into one at a sharp angle at high speed, or you can fly over it.
9. Don't brake and boost at the same time
Nitrogen doesn't work while you brake. If the tip says Nitrogen waits while you brake., let go of Brake.
10. Use Practice for hard bits
If one stunt keeps beating you, choose Practice on that track. There is no clock, so you can take it slowly until it feels easy. Then press Race. See medals, practice and unlocking tracks.
11. Bronze first, gold later
Any medal opens the next track. So get a bronze on every track first and see all eight cities. Then come back for silver and gold with the advanced tips.
12. Check what was left in the tank
The result card shows Nitrogen left. If you finished with a lot left, next time spend more on the straights. If you ran out before the end, save a little for the loops.
13. Get a rocket start
Watch the lamps. Press Nitrogen just as the green one lights and you see Rocket start! Too soon, and the wheels spin: Too early! Wait for green. More on the nitrogen page.
14. Grab crystals, but carefully
A glowing Nitrogen crystal gives you 10 units: Nitrogen crystal! +10. Grab the ones on straights with rails. On an open stretch they sit right by the red edge, so skip them until you feel steady.
Common mistakes and fixes
| Mistake | What you see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too slow into a loop | The board is orange; the car comes off at the top | Hold Go earlier, or hold Nitrogen in the loop |
| Steering in the air | The car rolls and lands crooked | Let go of the steering while you fly |
| Firing too early on a rocket jump | The tank drains before you land | Wait for Now! Hold Nitrogen |
| Boosting into a turn | You hit the rail and slow down | Boost after the turn instead |
| Pressing Nitrogen too soon at the start | Too early! Wait for green. | Wait until the lamp turns green |
| Braking with Nitrogen held | Nitrogen waits while you brake. | Let go of Brake |
| Drifting to the edge of an open stretch | You fell off the track! | Line up in the middle before the open part |
| Running out of time | Time is up | Use more nitrogen on the long straights |
Try another game
Like quick arcade action? Have a look at the Squad Rush guide, or see every game guide on the guides page.
See also
- Advanced tips: how to win gold when bronze is easy.
- Nitrogen: one button, three jobs for how the tank works.
- The FAQ for quick answers.
- Play Shanghai Roadster and try these tips now.
