VIGILANTE 8

MASTER DOCUMENT

First released in Jun 1, 2023

Last updated on Feb 13, 2025

By Knaxul

 

INDEX

Made by Knaxul

INTRODUCTION

RELEASES

VIGILANTE 8 – DEVELOPMENT AND RECEPTION

VIGILANTE 8 – PLOT

VIGILANTE 8: 2ND OFFENSE – DEVELOPMENT AND RECEPTION

VIGILANTE 8: 2ND OFFENSE – PLOT

VIGILANTE 8: ARCADE – DEVELOPMENT AND RECEPTION

VIGILANTE 8: ARCADE – PLOT

LUXOFLUX CORP.

VERSION DIFFERENCES

GAME MODES

STANDARD WEAPONS

WEAPON COMBOS

GAME MECHANICS

POWER-UPS AND PROPULSION MECHANISMS

SALVAGE POINTS AND VEHICLE STATS

CONTROLS

HUD ELEMENTS

CHEATS

STAGES

VIGILANTE 8 STAGES

AIRCRAFT GRAVEYARD - ARIZONA

SKI RESORT - COLORADO

CANYONLANDS - UTAH

GHOST TOWN - NEW MEXICO

CASINO CITY - NEVADA

HOOVER DAM – ARIZONA / NEVADA

OIL FIELDS - NEW MEXICO

VALLEY FARMS - CALIFORNIA

SECRET BASE - NEVADA

SAND FACTORY - UTAH

SUPER DREAMLAND 64

VIGILANTE 8: 2ND OFFENSE STAGES

METEOR CRATER - ARIZONA

LAUNCH SITE - FLORIDA

ALASKAN PIPELINE - ALASKA

GHASTLY BAYOU - LOUISIANA

NUCLEAR PLANT - MINNESOTA

PACIFIC HARBOR - CALIFORNIA

WINTER GAMES - UTAH

STEEL MILL - PENNSYLVANIA

VIGILANTE 8: ARCADE STAGES

QUEST ITEMS

SOUNDTRACK

VIGILANTE 8 SOUNDTRACK

VIGILANTE 8: 2ND OFFENSE SOUNDTRACK

LYRICS

VIGILANTE 8: ARCADE SOUNDTRACK

FACTIONS

VIGILANTES

COYOTES

DRIFTERS

CHARACTERS

CHASSEY BLUE

SLICK CLYDE / LORD CLYDE

SHEILA

JOHN TORQUE

DAVE

DAVE’S CULTSMEN

CONVOY

LOKI

HOUSTON 3 / HOUSTON

BOOGIE

BEEZWAX

MOLO

SID BURN

‘Y’ THE ALIEN / GARBAGE MAN

FLYING ALL-STAR TRIO / TEAM FAST

DALLAS 13

OBAKE

NINA LOCO

ASTRONAUT BOB O.

AGENT R. CHASE

PADRE DESTINO

DUSTY ‘EARTH’

DEVELOPMENT NOTES

TRIVIA

COMMUNITY LINKS

REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION

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Vigilante 8 is a vehicular combat video game series created in 1998 by Luxoflux Corp. It was published by Activision Inc. in the United States and Europe, and later published by Syscom Entertainment Inc. in Japan and other Asian regions. Envisioned as a spinoff of the acclaimed PC title Interstate ‘76 and designed specifically for home consoles, the series features a stronger focus on arcade action gameplay, in contrast with the more simulation-oriented design of its progenitor. Although it has no official connection to the Interstate ‘76 universe, it features many similar themes, such as groups of auto-vigilantes, the 1970s American zeitgeist, and an overarching plot based on the oil crisis of the late 20th century. It was followed by a sequel, Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, in 1999 and a soft reboot, Vigilante 8: Arcade, in 2008.

Fully loaded, fully loco. Blow sh*t up. Serious auto combat.

 

“Oh yeah! A historic moment: Adrian and Peter, proudly standing in front of the seriously damaged School-Bus (or should we call it the “Luxoflux Tour-Bus”?!?!), which pretty much finished its earthly existence with a glorious last appearance in the TV-advert of VIGILANTE 8. (Molo has been taken to a hospital, that’s why you cannot see him in the picture...)”

 

RELEASES

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VIGILANTE 8

 

VIGILANTE 8: 2ND OFFENSE

 

VIGILANTE 8: ARCADE

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

VIGILANTE 8 (1998)

DEVELOPMENT AND RECEPTION

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Developer	Luxoflux
Publisher	Activision Syscom (Japan)
Initial Release date	Sony PlayStation (PSX) Jun 1st, 1998 (US) Jun 26th, 1998 (EU) Nov 12th, 2000 (JP) Nintendo 64 (N64) Mar 17th, 1999 (US) Mar 31st, 1999 (EU) Game Boy Color (GBC) Dec 15th, 1999 (US) Playstation Network (PSN) Apr 11th, 2012 (JP)
Genre	Vehicular combat
Number of players	1-2 (PSX) 1-4 (N64)
Rating	T (Teen)

Vigilante 8 was released for the Sony Playstation in 1998 to great acclaim, rivaling the mainstay Twisted Metal series in terms of sales and popularity in the car combat genre. It wasn’t long before reviews and fans of the genre began to favor the newly arrived Luxoflux title, whose popularity on the PSX gave way for a Nintendo 64 release soon after, as well as a Game Boy Color release by Vatical Entertainment. In Japan, the PSX version was published by Syscom Entertainment under the name ヴィジランテ8 (Vijirante 8).

The title pushed the PSX to its limits, featuring multi-leveled destructible arenas, deformable terrain, an advanced physics model, realistic driving mechanics and a variety of visual effects. The N64 port later included higher resolutions, extra multiplayer modes and an exclusive bonus stage.

The game features thirteen unique playable characters and a selection of vehicles from the 1970s, including muscle cars, trucks, buggies, big rigs and even a school bus, each vehicle stacked with a variety of weapons that were visibly mounted on the chassis. The game sports ten different stages (eleven in the N64 version), as well as singleplayer and multiplayer modes for up to two players on the PSX, and up to four on the N64.

Thanks to outstanding sales numbers, Vigilante 8 earned its place in the Playstation’s Greatest Hits collection - a privilege given to games that sell over 150,000 PSX copies (at the time) - by the end of 1998, being announced by Activision on August 4th, 1999 and later releasing in August 31st, 1999. According to Vigilante 8: Arcade’s website, nearly one million copies were sold by the end of 1998, far surpassing the 150,000 copies mark. The Greatest Hits Collection re-issue (v1.1) features numerous bugfixes found in its initial black disc release (v1.0). Vigilante 8 was also added to the Japanese Playstation The Best collection - a similar line of reprints for top-selling PSX games in Asian regions - on December 2nd, 1999.

According to gamepilgrimage.com, as of 2003, the PSX and N64 versions of Vigilante 8 have sold at least 551,936 and 209,604 copies respectively in US territories.

Prior to its release, Vigilante 8 received numerous iterations via demos and playable alphas, the latter of which play quite differently from the retail version of the game. Alpha versions of the game can be found in the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Demo Disc 09 (SCUS-94216), Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle (SLUS-00254) as well as press kit review/sample discs.

It should be noted that while Vigilante 8 and its predecessor series Interstate ‘76 belong to the car combat genre, both titles have fundamental differences in terms of gameplay, as the former is centered around fast arcade arena combat, while the latter leans towards open-world strategic combat simulation akin to the Mechwarrior series. Although the developers of Interstate ’76 are mentioned in Vigilante 8’s manual, these franchises do not share the same universe and are thus not connected to each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIGILANTE 8

PLOT

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The game takes place in the Western United States during a time of worldwide oil shortage in an alternate 1975. The U.S. – heavily dependent on affordable gasoline – was on the verge of economic breakdown. Strikes, riots and crime were rampant. All available law enforcement was brought into metropolitan areas, leaving the outlands unprotected.

All this was music to the ears of the Oil Monopoly Alliance Regime (OMAR), a foreign multinational oil consortium bound on monopolizing the world oil trade. The U.S. was the last country opposing OMAR’s price fixing schemes, and the vicious conglomerate was prepared to go to great lengths to bring it to its knees.

Enter Sid Burn, the best professional terrorist money could buy. Sid was promised $100 million by OMAR if he managed to push the U.S. economy over the edge. Sid immediately began to organize his troops in remote areas of the Southwest. Known as the “Coyotes,” these motorized gangsters soon became synonymous with vandalism and chaos. They began to target oil refineries as well as vital industrial and commercial installations throughout the region. Small towns and settlements were terrorized.

With no one to turn to for protection, some desperate civilians decided to take the law into their own hands. Led by a trucker named Convoy and referred to simply as “Vigilantes,” this oddball group of volunteers soon became a major hindrance to Sid’s plans.

In the meantime the U.S. government, feeling more vulnerable than ever, was intensifying its research and development on a new military arsenal. The most advanced weaponry, rumored to be based on UFO technology, was located at Site-4 - a secret facility at Papoose Lake, Nevada. This information was not lost on Sid. Hungry for more firepower, the Coyotes organized an ambush on the facility. The robbery went sour when the Vigilantes unexpectedly appeared at the scene. As a result, the world’s most advanced weaponry found its way into the hands of both parties.

The events that followed were no ordinary skirmishes. Auto clashes ensued all over the land, from Colorado’s Rockies to California’s farmlands. To this day the events which took place are only a matter of speculation.

Following the events of the game, the chronological order of the endings is as follows: Molo, Sid Burn, John Torque, Houston 3, Convoy, Sheila, Slick Clyde, Boogie, Chassey Blue, Loki, ‘Y’ the Alien, Dave, Beezwax.

VIGILANTE 8: 2ND OFFENSE

DEVELOPMENT AND RECEPTION

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Developer	Luxoflux
Publisher	Activision Syscom (Japan)
Initial Release date	Sony PlayStation (PSX) Nov 16th, 1999 (US) Dec 31st, 1998 (EU) Feb 24th, 2000 (JP) SEGA Dreamcast (DC) Dec 22nd, 1999 (US) Feb 25th, 2000 (EU) Mar 23rd, 2000 (JP) Nintendo 64 (N64) Feb 1st, 2000 (US) Feb 25th, 2000 (EU)
Genre	Vehicular combat
Number of players	1-2 (PSX) 1-4 (N64 & DC)
Rating	T (Teen)

Following the success of Vigilante 8 as a major entry in the car combat genre, a sequel was greenlit for production, titled Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, and released for the Sony Playstation, SEGA Dreamcast, and Nintendo 64. Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense was announced in 1998, initially under the title “Vigilante 12”, referring to the game’s four additional characters in its initial roster compared to its predecessor’s eight initially available characters. In Japan, the Playstation version was published by Syscom as Vigilante 8: 2nd Battle (ヴィジランテ8 〜セカンドバトル〜, Vijirante 8 〜Sekando Batoru〜). The N64 version of the game had minor production issues during development, having its release date delayed to January, and later February, 2000. A Game Boy Advance port was planned to be developed by studio Classified Games, but was ultimately cancelled.

Strategy guide publishing company Brady Games released an official strategy guide for the game on December 6th, 1999. Written by Bart Farkas, the guide features information about all characters, as well as walkthroughs and cheat codes. Chaos! Comics released a single comic book issue based on the events of the game on December, 1999. The story in the comic differs from that of the original game, being written by Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko and drawn by Ryan Odagawa.

The game features a total of eighteen characters, and new features were introduced. In addition to a new weapon, the Brimstone Burner, all weapons were given a third combo move, as opposed to only two in the original game. Vehicles stats such as acceleration, top speed, armor and avoidance can be upgraded by collecting salvage tokens from destroyed opponents, and when all stats reach their maximum, the upgraded vehicle is given a completely new design. New power-ups that allow vehicles to take to the air, sea and snow were also introduced. PSX and Dreamcast players could also unlock the levels from the original Vigilante 8 by swapping out the disc during gameplay with the original Vigilante 8 disc (PSX) or by inputting a cheat code (DC).

Receiving favorable reviews across all platforms, the game was often described as being an improvement in terms of variety, physics, and gameplay. Certain aspects of the Quest mode, however, were not as warmly received, such as the randomized aspects of quest items that must be found in stages. Despite good reviews, however, it did not outsell its predecessor. In October 2000, Activision declined to comment on a report that it had no plans to continue the series.

Nonetheless, thanks to outstanding sales numbers, Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense earned its place in the Playstation’s Greatest Hits Collection in 2000 for selling over 150,000 PSX copies (at the time). This reprint was released in January 1st, 2000.

According to gamepilgrimage.com, as of 2003, the PSX, N64 and Dreamcast versions of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense have sold at least 201,387, 69,173 and 125,861 copies respectively in US territories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIGILANTE 8: 2ND OFFENSE

PLOT

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The game is set in 1977, two years after the events of the original Vigilante 8.

AFTERMATH: Thanks to the bravery of the Vigilantes, the Coyote terrorist gang that plagued the American Southwest for nearly two years was defeated in the winter of 1975. Following the mysterious disappearance of Coyote leader Sid Burn, the few remaining gangsters disbanded, despite numerous attempts to regroup them by the aspiring Coyote Slick Clyde. OMAR, the multinational oil conglomerate, which secretly bankrolled the Coyotes, was forced to retreat by the valiant efforts of the Vigilantes. Though occasional skirmishes would continue for years to come, the devastated United States was finally on its way to recovery.

CLYDE’S RISE: Nonetheless, Slick’s ruthless ambitions were not lost on OMAR and soon he joined his new masters, muscling in on other oil markets around the world. In the decades that followed, OMAR’s aggressive methods propelled it toward global dominance. Slick himself had proven instrumental in the success of many “acquisitions” and was rapidly climbing OMAR’s ranks. Finally, in 2015, following a violent power struggle, the 70 year-old Slick became the new CEO and was bestowed the title of “Lord Clyde of OMAR”. That year, under Clyde’s leadership, OMAR reached its goal of becoming the only global oil supplier, except for one territory – the United States.

AND FALL: By the following year, Clyde’s health was deteriorating. He knew his time was up, but the prospect of passing on without seeing America crumble became unbearable. To make matters worse, the U.S. government, assisted by the United Nations, initiated serious inquiries into OMAR’s questionable business practices. Suddenly, Clyde’s entire empire was in jeopardy.

BACK TO THE ‘70s: When Clyde learned that researchers at Stanford had conducted the first successful time travel experiment, he immediately dispatched Obake, his most trusted assistant, to steal the device. Clyde was ecstatic. He would travel back to ‘70s America and destroy what was left of it. This way, he could change history and make OMAR reign supreme!

Since the time travel capsules could propel only a limited amount of matter, Clyde selected his best operatives, Obake and Dallas 13, the latest model in OMAR’s line of cybernetic assassins, as his only travel companions. Equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and automotive enhancements, the trio crossed the fabric of time to arrive near Winslow, Arizona, on September 17th, 1977.

Following Sid Burn’s defeat and the disbanding of the Vigilantes, Convoy married ex-Coyote Houston and started a trucking business. This reprieve is short-lived, as he is ambushed by a time-travelling Lord Clyde, and cast off a cliff to his death. Houston survives the fall. After Convoy’s death, Lord Clyde sets out to destroy the American energy industry and change history. Once again, the Vigilantes must take up arms to put an end to his schemes.

Following the events of the game, the chronological order of the endings is as follows: Dallas 13, Houston, Agent R. Chase, Chassey Blue, Lord Clyde, Obake, Astronaut Bob O., Garbage Man, Sheila, Molo, Padre Destino, Team FAST, Nina Loco, John Torque, Convoy.

VIGILANTE 8: ARCADE

DEVELOPMENT AND RECEPTION

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Developer	Isopod Labs
Publisher	Activision
Initial Release date	Xbox 360 Live Arcade (XBLA) Nov 5th, 2008 (all regions)
Genre	Vehicular combat
Number of players	1-4 (Offline) 1-8 (Online)
Rating	T (Teen)

Ten years after the release of the original game, a new installment was announced for the series on February 2008, dubbed Vigilante 8: Arcade. The game was created by an independent studio named Isopod Labs and published by Activision, with Luxoflux having no part in the development of the game. It was released as a digital-only title on the Xbox 360’s Live Arcade store for the price of $4.99 USD or 800 Microsoft Points on November 5th, 2008, with a downloadable content pack following shortly after. Vigilante 8: Arcade is technically regarded as a remake of the original title for the ten-year anniversary of the series, but also contains elements from 2nd Offense. Vigilante 8: Arcade featured online play for up to eight players.

Isopod Labs was formed by three former Luxoflux members - Peter Morawiec, Adrian Stephens and Cary Hara – who were part of the team that made the original Vigilante 8 and its sequel. The studio consisted of six individuals, aided by a number of art contractors. The title’s development was self-funded and self-published. Vigilante 8: Arcade was also initially intended to be released on the Sony Playstation 3, but the port never came to be.

Although most of the featured vehicles were based on the original Vigilante 8, some were based on those from 2nd Offense. Developers Isopod Labs also added slightly modified versions of the low-poly vehicle models from original games as unlockable bonus content upon completion of character Quests. The soundtrack was comprised of remixed versions of the music from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense. J3Concepts also created a custom theme for the original Xbox 360 blades dashboard. The High Octane Pack downloadable add-on was released on Xbox Live marketplace for the price of 320 Microsoft Points on December 3rd 2008, a month after the game’s release. It featured three new characters - Sheila, Houston and Loki - as well as two new levels: Garage and Stunt Track. Certain compromises had to be made at the time, as the developers were unable to fit all the planned DLC content within the initial 150 Mb limit for XBLA games. By the time Microsoft increased the limit to 350 Mb, the studio was too far along the development timeline to make adjustments, deeming the game to be complete.

The game received mixed reviews. While some praised the game’s online multiplayer component and salvage upgrade system, others felt that the vehicle physics were poor. More dedicated fans of the series were largely disappointed, arguing that the simplified physics, mechanics, stages, graphics and characterization of the drivers were a step down from the original games. The lack of terrain deformation in particular was one of the greatest complaints from fans. The game sold over 60,000 copies as of June 2010.

 

VIGILANTE 8: ARCADE

PLOT

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The year is 1975.

Strained by a prolonged oil crisis and subversive new pop culture trends, the US establishment is in the throes of a breakdown. Months of civil unrest have brought law enforcement into the cities, leaving the countryside unprotected against the ‘Coyotes’ – motorized gangs armed with stolen experimental weaponry.

Luckily, a new breed of crime fighter has emerged here – the ‘Vigilantes’. These road warriors vow to restore order on the roads less traveled and to evangelize ‘70s cool along the way.

The character endings in Vigilante 8: Arcade do not seem to follow a specific continuity.
 

LUXOFLUX CORP.

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Luxoflux’s logo from 1997 to 2010.

Originally headquartered in Santa Monica, California (USA), Luxoflux Corp. was founded by Adrian Stephens and Peter Morawiec in January 1997. It was initially intended to be named “Alpha Channel,” but said name was already in use as a registered trademark. Reportedly, the studio’s name was created by “mixing random syllables on a white board”, and was later justified as mixing the latin words “lux” and “flux” to create the meaning “movement of light”.

The studio members’ repertoire include Stunt Island (PC), Comix Zone (SEGA Genesis, PC), Sonic Spinball (SEGA Genesis), Riven: The Sequel to Myst (PC), Treasures of the Deep (Sony Playstation), Formula 1 Championship Edition (Playstation, PC), Interphase (PC, Commodore Amiga) and Periphelion (Commodore Amiga).

From left to right: Edvard Toth, David Goodrich, Jeremy Engleman, Peter Morawiec, Adrian Stephens.

Development on Luxoflux’s first game, Vigilante 8, began in July 1997 and was completed in June 1998 by a small team of only five developers. Vigilante 8’s development was initially planned out to last only six months, but eventually became a twelve-month project. The game’s success warranted a port for the Nintendo 64, and later an outsourced Game Boy Color port by Vatical Entertainment in 1999. Vigilante 8 eventually received a sequel named Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, which began development in November 1998 and was complete by December 1999.

Following the release of 2nd Offense, Luxoflux would later produce a similar game in the vehicular combat genre using Vigilante 8’s engine and Lucasarts’ Star Wars license for the Sony Playstation and the SEGA Dreamcast, titled Star Wars Demolition, in 2000.

Around 2002, the company had a staff of circa thirty developers. Luxoflux and Activision had been collaborating since 1997 and, in October 11th, 2002, Luxoflux was acquired by Activision while developing True Crime: Streets of LA. On February 27th, 2006, through the company website’s jobs page, it was revealed that Luxoflux would no longer develop games for the Playstation 2 and the original Xbox, and that their future titles would be developed exclusively for 7th generation consoles. By 2008, the company had over eighty employees.

Luxoflux studios circa 2006.

The studio’s final game, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen for PC, was released in July 23rd, 2009. On February 11th, 2010, parent company Activision-Blizzard had laid off about 200 employees from multiple development studios, one of them being Luxoflux, which was shut down that same year. At the time, the studio employed about fifty six people, some of which were offered jobs at Treyarch Corp.

The company website was located at www.luxoflux.com.

In 2007, ex-Luxoflux developers Peter Morawiec, Adrian Stephens and Cary Hara founded Isopod Labs, and later developed the title Vigilante 8: Arcade for Xbox Live Arcade in 2008 with only a few consultations from other Luxoflux team members.

 

Vigilante 8’s development team was comprised of five people, in order of recruitment:

· Peter Morawiec (co-founder, president, creative director – Sega/Comix Zone)

· Adrian Stephens (co-founder, chief financial officer, programmer – Sega/Comix Zone)

· Jeremy Engleman (art director – Cyan Productions/Riven: The Sequel to Myst)

· David Goodrich (3D artist, game designer – Black Ops Entertainment/Treasures of the Deep)

· Edvard Toth (artist, 3D CG – Morbid Visions/Perihelion)

Additional help from:

· Jennifer Engleman (additional art)

· Tim Gedemer (sound effects, sound design)

· Jeehun Hwang (PSX soundtrack composer - ingame)

· Bon Harris (PSX soundtrack composer - ingame)

· Arion Salazar (PSX soundtrack composer - cutscenes)

· Howard Drossin (PSX soundtrack composer - cutscenes)

· Alexander Brandon (N64 soundtrack composer)

· Kelly Walker Rogers (soundtrack supervision)

· Adam Morawiec (SyncRo software)

· Pat Roberts (software engineering)

· Mike Slack

Voice acting talent by: Paul Garnica, Qili Mag, Ralph May and Joey Medina.

Cutscene work by Equinoxe Digital Entertainment: Henry Cheng, John Grebas, Anthony Fung, Brian Heins, Aryeh Richmond and Sean Ro.

Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s development saw the addition of ten more members to Luxoflux over time:

· Cary Hara (programmer)

· Justin Rasch (animator, 3D CG, artist)

· Micah A. Linton (3D CG, artist)

· Jeremy Engleman (animator, 3D CG, artist)

· Jing Jia (3D CG, artist)

· Louis Garcia (artist)

· Christian A. Salyer (PSX/DC soundtrack composer)

· Eric Klein (PSX/DC soundtrack composer)

· Javier Marquez (PSX/DC soundtrack composer)

· Daniel Gardopee (N64 soundtrack composer)

Voice acting talent by: J. Barrow, Sam Brown, Annessa Burdow, Martin Chandler, Donna Davis, Jeannie Figueroa, Brandon H., Terry H., David A. Johnston, Reggie Kennedy, Eric Klein, Heather Kram, Raynard McClease, Marci Richards, Christian A. Salyer, Cisco Santacruz, Ruben Sierra and Terrance L. Underwood.

Cutscene work by Burke Studios: Steve Burke, Teod Tomlinson and Dan Burke with additional vehicle modeling by Creat Studio. Storyboarding by Collin Grant (Famous Frames).

Japanese voice acting talent by:

· Hisao Egawa (江川 央生) as Convoy, Boogie, Beezwax, Dusty ‘Earth’ and Astronaut Bob O.

· Mizue Ohtsuka (大塚 瑞恵) as Chassey Blue, Sheila, Houston and Dallas 13.

· Kazuya Nakai (中井 和哉) as Sid Burn, John Torque, Loki, Romey (Team FAST), Lord Clyde and Padre Destino.

· Taiki Matsuno (松野 太紀) as Slick Clyde, Dave, Molo, Tomey (Team FAST), Dave’s Cultsmen and Agent R. Chase.

· Chizu Yonemoto (米本 干珠) as Obake, Leilah (Team FAST), Nina Loco and Garbage Man.

Trivia:

Adrian Stephens hails from the United Kingdom and has been developing videogames since the 1980s, originally for the BBC Micro (Killer Gorilla, MrEe!, Crazy Painter), later becoming the co-founder of “The Assembly Line” game studio in 1990, which developed games for the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga and PC platforms, including Interphase, Xenon II, Stunt Island and many others.

Peter Morawiec hails from Czechoslovakia and is credited with major roles in the development of games such as Comix Zone and Sonic Spinball for the SEGA Genesis.

David Goodrich is known to have worked as part of the Smithsonian’s insect zoo staff, as a Pentagon contractor for the funding and development of the AM General HMMWV “Humvee”, and later as an artist for Treasures of the Deep and 007: Tomorrow Never Dies for the Sony Playstation at Black Ops Entertainment, as well as lead designer, art director and writer for Twisted Metal Small Brawl at Incog Inc. Entertainment.

Edvard Toth hails from Hungaria and is credited for the complete story, design and graphics development of Psygnosis’ Periphelion for the Commodore Amiga, later contributing artwork for Formula 1 Championship Edition and Newman-Haas Racing - two racing games developed by Psygnosis for the Sony Playstation and PC.

Justin Rasch is credited for his work on Survivor for the Nintendo 64 and Spawn for the Game Boy Color at Konami.

Micah A. Linton is credited for his work on Medal of Honor, Small Soldiers, The Lost World, Chaos Island and The Space Bar.

Cary Hara was the lead programmer on “Small Soldiers” by Dreamworks Interactive for the Sony Playstation, and also took lead programming duties on “Maui Mallard” by Disney for the SEGA Genesis.

Luxoflux Corp.’s studio was conveniently located across the street from Activision’s Santa Monica office. “They moved to be closer to us”, quipped one Luxoflux employee.

 

VERSION DIFFERENCES

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Deviations found in different versions of the games are as follows:

 

 

 

GAME MODES

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Quest Mode: In the original Vigilante 8, Quest Mode consists of a specific series of levels for each playable character to beat. To complete each level, the player must destroy all enemy vehicles, as well as achieve a secondary objective of protecting or destroying certain stage elements. Enemy vehicles are automatically chosen, their numbers and threat level increasing in each subsequent level. When all levels are completed, the fate of the player’s character is revealed through an ending cutscene. In addition, successfully completing all objectives will lead to unlocking additional characters and arenas. Failing to fulfill mission objectives in a given stage, the player may re-attempt to do so by replaying it.

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, a tertiary objective is introduced: Quest items such as briefcases, bombs, fuel cans and supply boxes, which must be collected (and occasionally delivered at specific locations) on each stage. Collected items are stored in one of the player’s weapon slots, thus reducing the number of weapons the player may carry from three to two at any given time. Once collected, Quest items cannot be ejected from the player’s vehicle unless the current stage’s objective requires said items to be delivered.

Note: Quest Mode was a late addition in the development of Vigilante 8, added to the game at the behest of Activision as to further increase replayability potential.

Arcade Mode/Free Mission: The player selects an arena, a vehicle, and up to four opponents, all of which may be set to spawn up to three times, increasing the maximum amount of enemies fought in a single session to twelve.

Versus Mode/VS Play: Two players battle it out against one another. The match ends when one player successfully destroys the other. No enemy AI vehicles are present.

Cooperative Mode/Team Play: Two players team up against a group of enemies. The game ends when either player dies. Teammates are displayed as grey dots on the radar.

Survival Mode: The player selects an arena, a vehicle, and four opponents (six randomized opponents in the N64 version), who will respawn indefinitely. The objective is to destroy as many enemies as possible before the player is eliminated. Totaled enemies will eject repair spanner power-ups.

Brawl Mode (N64/Dreamcast only): Four players battle it out against one another. The match ends when only one player is left standing.

Team Mode (N64/Dreamcast only): Three to four players battle it out in two teams. The match ends when one team successfully defeats the other. Players 1 and 2 are Team One, and Players 3 and 4 are Team 2. Teammates are displayed as grey dots on the radar.

Smear Mode (N64/Dreamcast only): One player battles against up to three other players. The match ends when the team successfully destroys the lone player, or vice-versa.

Soft Reset and Quick Replay (PSX only): The player may return to the title screen at any time during gameplay by holding down the Select button, then holding the Start button for three seconds. This combination also resets cheats. The player may also replay their most recent match setup by pressing the Circle button on the main menu (Square button in the Japanese version).

STANDARD WEAPONS

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Found in abundance throughout the stages, the standard weapons are the arsenal used by the factions of Vigilante 8. From homemade rockets to miniaturized cannons to semi-sapient alien energy weapons stolen from Site-4, they are the backbone of the game’s combat and gameplay loop. Each weapon is designed for a different purpose: be it direct or indirect fire, homing or unguided, mastering the armament of Vigilante 8 is paramount if the player is to defeat their opponents and emerge victorious at the end of a match. On top of their regular damage and functionality, standard weapons can also deploy “combos” – unique secret attacks that the player can launch by quickly pressing three different directional buttons followed by the Mosquito machine gun button.

Mosquito Machine Gun: The Mosquito is made in Tijuana, Mexico. It is equally popular with Coyotes, Vigilantes and Drifters for its cheap price and unlimited ammunition. It is equipped in all vehicles by default and cannot be discarded or removed. When the machinegun button is held down for long periods of time, the weapon overheats, leading to a gradual reduction in fire rate. Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO. Fire rate: 720 rounds/min.

In addition to the Mosquito Machine Gun, the player can carry up to three other weapons at a time. If a fourth weapon is picked up, the currently selected weapon is replaced. Standard weapons that get replaced will fall to the ground and can be collected again, but won’t remain available on the ground for long. Special weapons cannot be recovered if replaced by another weapon. Combos can be performed even when the weapon in question is not selected and active.

Note: Early in the development cycle of the original Vigilante 8, vehicles were once capable of carrying up to five weapons simultaneously, including the Mosquito Machinegun, which was displayed on the weapon select HUD. This was later reduced to a maximum of three weapons, as a means of incentivizing players to carefully choose limited arsenal during gameplay.

	Interceptor Missiles: Homing missiles developed at Site-4. This experimental weapon uses a combination of optical and heat-seeking tracking systems. While quite agile, its tracking accuracy is dependent upon the target’s size. Ammo per pickup: 12 missiles. Top speed: 100 mph. Range: 1200 ft.
WEAPON COMBOS
HALO DECOY		AFTERBURNER	MISSILE SWARM (2nd offense only)
↑ ↑ ↓ , Fire Machinegun		↑ ↑ ↑ , Fire Machinegun	↑ ↑ → , Fire Machinegun
Cost: 2 missiles		Cost: 2 missiles	Cost: 2 to 4 missiles
Launches an orange flare off to the right side of the vehicle that flies in circles for a limited time, attracting all enemy homing weapons towards it until it eventually self-destructs or crashes into something. Nina Loco’s Lemming Missile special, Lord Clyde’s Chain Lightning special and Houston’s Tow Twister special are not affected by this combo.		Ignites two missiles without detaching them, resulting in the player’s vehicle being pushed forward in a brief burst of speed. The missiles are strong enough to propel the player even in the air.	Launches up to four missiles towards the target in quick succession.

Trivia: According to Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, the Missile Swarm combo was once named the “Quad Assault” combo.

The “Missile Swarm” combo is renamed to “Patriot” combo in Vigilante 8: Arcade - costing/firing three missiles, the Patriot will pursue incoming enemy projectiles in the same manner as the Bull’s Eye Rockets’ Bastion combo, albeit only when said projectiles are already in the air before the combo is launched.

	Bull’s Eye Rockets: “Homemade” dumb-fire rockets featuring high damage per shot, but limited range and no tracking ability. Ammo per pickup: 10 rockets. Top speed: 120 mph, sustained. Range: 650 ft.
WEAPON COMBOS
ROAD RUNNER		STAMPEDE	BASTION ROCKETS (2nd offense only)
↑ ↓ ↓ , Fire Machinegun		↑ ↓ ↑ , Fire Machinegun	↑ ↓ → , Fire Machinegun
Cost: 2 rockets		Cost: 2 to 5 rockets	Cost: 2 rockets
Fires a green rocket which sticks onto an enemy vehicle’s chassis and pushes them out of control for a limited time. Deals the same damage as a normal rocket upon impact.		Fires up to five rockets in quick succession.	Fires three rockets at once: one red, one white, one blue. When fired, the rockets will immediately intercept any incoming enemy homing projectile and destroy it before it reaches the player. Nina’s Lemming Missile special is not affected by this combo. Despite firing three rockets, the combo only costs two rockets.

Trivia: According to Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, the Bastion Rockets combo was named the “Patriot Rocket” combo.

The Bastion Rockets combo is the only combo that can be performed in quick succession due to an apparent lack of cooldown time compared to other weapon combos. It can also inflict whammies are a much faster rate than any other weapon combo.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade, the “Bastion Rockets” combo is replaced by the “Longhorn” combo - costing two rockets, the Longhorn fires two rockets that split into more rockets upon impact with vehicles or destructible objects, capable of dealing tremendous damage that will instantly destroy any vehicle in the game as the rockets split and detonate repeatedly while passing through them.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade, the Bull’s Eye Rockets pod is mounted on a gimbal that allows it to pivot up and down, granting it limited tracking ability akin to the Bruiser Cannon.

	Sky Hammer Mortar: This experimental, auto-tracking, fire-and-forget weapon was extremely hush-hush, until Sid broke into Site-4 and stole it. Adapted from a recovered UFO, the Sky Hammer fires an explosive charge of semi-intelligent alien matter. The blob is initially fired up to 200 feet into the air, then proceeds to fall down under gravity, tracking its target. While not extremely agile, it is able to adjust the trajectory by altering its organic shape in flight. Ammo per pickup: 10 shells. Caliber: N/A. Range: 1000 ft.
WEAPON COMBOS
TURTLE TURNOVER		CRATER MAKER	TIRE BUSTER (2nd Offense only)
↓ ↓ ↓ , Fire Machinegun		↓ ↓ ↑ , Fire Machinegun	↓ ↓ → , Fire Machinegun
Cost: 2 shells		Cost: 2 to 5 shells	Cost: 2 shells
Launches a green projectile that bounces the target into the air while flipping them upside down. Deals negligible damage.		Combines up to five shells into one powerful orange projectile, capable of creating a crater when crashing down upon terrain. Damage and crater depth varies according to available ammo.	Launches a blue projectile that pops the target’s tires upon impact, severely reducing their speed and agility for a limited time. Deals negligible damage.

Trivia: Early in the development of the original Vigilante 8, the Sky Hammer Mortar was once named the “Mortar Swivel” and was capable of slightly swiveling towards its targets. This was removed as to prevent projectiles from flying in flatter arcs.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade, the “Crater Maker” combo is renamed to “Fire Starter”, as it no longer makes craters on the ground upon impact in that game due to the absence of terrain deformation mechanics. Instead, it sets targets aflame. It is likely a reference to the popular song of the same name, by the British electronic dance music band The Prodigy.

	Roadkill Mines: Surface mines, manufactured specifically for mobile combat situations. Featuring “smart trigger” technology, they can be dropped from moving vehicles at high speed. The mine only detonates upon contact with vehicles. In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, mines pop tires upon detonation, impairing a vehicle’s speed and agility for a limited time. Only six mines, or their combos’ equivalent ammo cost, are permitted to remain on the stage at any given time. Ammo per pickup: 6 mines.
WEAPON COMBOS
BEAR HUG		CACTUS PATCH	HOVER MINES (2nd Offense only)
← → ↓ , Fire Machinegun		← → ↑ , Fire Machinegun	← → → , Fire Machinegun
Cost: 2 mines		Cost: 2 to 6 mines	Cost: 2 mines
Deploys a blue-tipped mine retrofitted with a gravitational force-field device. The Bear Hug is activated automatically when a vehicle is detected in its vicinity, pulling it in. If successfully trapped, the vehicle will be temporarily immobilized by its magnetic force.		Deploys a large red-tipped mine that unfolds into up to six mines in a small area when approached by vehicles.	Deploys a mine retrofitted with a hoverpod device, allowing it to float in the air. The mine will remain stationary until a vehicle enters its detection range. It will then seek the target and detonate on impact. It may also switch targets to the nearest vehicle in its vicinity, including the player.

Trivia: The tire-busting effect of the Roadkill Mines is not present on the Dreamcast version of Vigilante 8: Second Offense.

	Bruiser Cannon: As the world’s smallest auto-targeting artillery cannon, the Bruiser packs quite a punch. Unfortunately, its 360 degree auto-tracking turret is rather slow, thus not very effective while on the move. Ammo per pickup: 12 shells. Caliber: 60 mm. Range: 850 ft. Note: Due to a bug, the Bruiser Cannon does not have a perfect 360° turning radius, as it cannot aim at targets at a very narrow angle directly behind the player. It will instead quickly spin around in the opposite direction to continue its tracking.
WEAPON COMBOS
COW PUNCHER		BUCKSHOT	RICOCHET (2nd Offense only)
↓ ↑ ↓ , Fire Machinegun		↓ ↑ ↑ , Fire Machinegun	↓ ↑ → , Fire Machinegun
Cost: 2 shells		Cost: 2 to 6 shells	Cost: 2 shells
Fires a projectile that violently shoves the target away upon impact. Deals negligible damage.		Fires up to six shells at once, akin to a shotgun. Great finishing move.	Fires a blue shell that bounces upon contact with terrain, buildings and vehicles. When fired at a good angle, it will either bounce between two targets or between the target and the player multiple times, dealing damage to enemies repeatedly.

Trivia: In Vigilante 8: Arcade, the Bruiser Cannon’s turning radius and elevation range are much more restricted compared to its previous iterations. This was likely done for balancing purposes.

	Brimstone Burner (2nd Offense only): Flamethrower weapon. Deals continuous damage at short range, setting targets ablaze. Burning damage will trickle down the target’s health over time for a short duration, but the fire can be put out sooner by driving at high speed with the use of Afterburners or by sinking into water. Continuous use of the flamethrower upon a target will deal base damage independent of the burning effect, thus stacking damage. This weapon is only present in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense. Ammo per pickup: 20 fuel.
WEAPON COMBOS
HOT FOOT (2nd Offense only)		OIL SLICK (2nd Offense only)	FIRE WALL (2nd Offense only)
→ ← ↑, Fire Machinegun		→ ← → , Fire Machinegun	→ ← ↓ , Fire Machinegun
Cost: 10 fuel		Cost: 5 fuel	Cost: 2 to 16 fuel
Launches an orange ball of fire that bounces off the ground once before exploding. Deals area-of-effect damage and slight push-back if the target is near the impact points. Deals instant damage and sets the target ablaze upon direct contact, with no push-back.		Deploys a puddle of tar directly below the player that lingers for a limited time. When a vehicle drives over the puddle, they lose traction for a short time, spinning uncontrollably.	Deploys a wall of fire directly in front of the player that burns for a very short time, setting ablaze any vehicle that passes through it and blocking any projectile that comes in contact with it. The Fire Wall will deal continuous damage on top of the burning damage to any vehicles standing on top of it. The width of the wall is dependent on the amount of ammunition available.

Trivia: According to Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, the Oil Slick combo was named the “Slippery Eel” combo.

Due to a bug in the Dreamcast version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Fire Wall combo can instantly destroy any vehicle when activated at point-blank range.

Weapon Crates: U.S. Army crates stolen from Site-4, containing standard weapons and special weapons. Green crates contain special weapons, while brown crates offer either randomized standard weapons or special weapons upon pickup. Note: Due to a bug, brown weapon crates do not provide Bull’s Eye Rockets in either Vigilante 8 or its sequel. The brown random weapon crates do not make an appearance in Vigilante 8 Arcade.

 

Weapon damage: Although each standard weapon pickup offers a different base amount of ammunition, all weapons deal the same total amount of damage when all shots are spent (ex.: twelve interceptor missiles will deal the same total amount of damage as six mines), with the exception of the Brimstone Burner, which will deal below-average damage when spent immediately, and above-average damage over time when used sparingly (i.e.: waiting for the burning effect to end before attacking once again), to the point of being able to destroy most vehicles on its own. Total damage is consistent across all weapons regardless of damage settings.

Quick weapon combo reference table:

 

GAME MECHANICS

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Difficulty Setting: Sets the difficulty level of AI opponents: Unleaded/87 (Easy), Super Unleaded/89 (Medium), Premium High Octane/92 (Hard). A fourth difficulty level, “Expert”, is also available in the original Vigilante 8, but can only be activated via cheat codes. Differences between difficulty levels are as follows:

Note: The numbers 87 (Regular Gasoline), 89 (Mid-Grade Gasoline) and 92 (Premium Gasoline) refer to the octane rating - a standard measure of a fuel’s ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion chamber without detonating. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating. In broad terms, fuels with a higher octane rating are used in higher-compression gasoline engines, which may yield higher power depending on the engine.

Damage Setting: Sets the damage dealt by weapons, hazards and collisions independent of difficulty setting.

Targeting System: During gameplay, the targeting system is represented by a variety of targeting reticles laid over the opponents on-screen:

·         A green circle with a cross, for homing/tracking weapons;

·         A white circle, for weapons that require manual aiming on the player’s part;

·         A yellow circle with a lightning bolt, representing the Radar Jammer power-up.

By default, the player’s radar is set to auto-targeting mode, and will lock onto the enemy that is directly ahead of the player’s vehicle at all times regardless of distance. This can be overridden at any moment by pressing the Select Target button, which will instead target the closest enemy. Pressing it repeatedly will cycle the targeting radar through all enemies. Once a target is selected, it will remain locked, unless the player switches weapons or the target in question is destroyed, thus returning the radar to auto-targeting mode.

Targeting Leash: The targeting leash is an invisible object which all tracking and homing weapons are drawn to, with the purpose of causing them to hit the vehicle said leash is tied to. Every vehicle has its own targeting leash. When in a stationary position, the targeting leash always stays within a vehicle’s collision box/ingame model. When in motion, the targeting leash stretches a short distance behind the vehicle it is tied to. The Avoidance stat directly influences the length of the targeting leash, and vehicles with high Avoidance are able to “outrun” their own leash, causing weapons that are fired upon them to miss their mark, either crashing upon terrain or other objects instead of the targeted vehicle in question. The Radar Jammer power-up also directly influences the targeting leash mechanic, on top of visibly showing how the leash behaves ingame when active. The targeting leashes of all vehicles possess the same springiness and stretching distance, thus making it nigh hopeless for large vehicles to evade homing weapons.

Note: Original planning for the targeting leash’s design was to have a reticle parameter which could be looser or tighter, as well as a tunable distance from the center of the vehicle. Planned parameters would have allowed the targeting leash to extend behind low-Avoidance vehicles at top speed, thus allowing them to successfully escape enemy fire (though not as easily as vehicles with high Avoidance), as well as tightening the leash spring for high-Avoidance vehicles, balancing out their high mobility.

Radar Jamming: A status effect which eludes homing weapons, causing them to miss their mark. Utilized by the Radar Jammer power-up, the Halo Decoy Interceptor Missile combo and Nina Loco’s Lemming Missiles.

Quick acceleration and torque: Tapping the gas button repeatedly will trigger a brief increase in traction, which allows the player’s vehicle to accelerate and climb over rough terrain quicker than simply holding down the gas button. This mechanic is only effective at low speeds, and tapping the gas button will in fact prevent it from reaching its top speed.

Burnout: First introduced in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the burnout mechanic is triggered by holding down the gas and brake buttons at the same time, causing the vehicle’s wheels to spin at high speed while remaining stationary. While the buttons are held down and the wheels spin faster, the vehicle will begin to bounce and lose grip - a phenomenon known as “wheel hop”. In this state, releasing the brake button will cause the vehicle to shoot forward in a sudden burst of speed, thus performing a peel-out.

Note: The burnout mechanic was originally meant to make its debut in the original Vigilante 8, but was abandoned due to development time constraints.

Whammy System: By firing multiple weapons in quick succession, the player may score whammies – a damage multiplier effect which increases the damage of each subsequent shot. A whammy may be initiated when two different weapons hit an enemy within a short timeframe, granting the player a “2x Whammy” and increasing the damage of the second shot twofold. If the player continues to land more shots just as quickly, the whammy counter will continue to increase, as will the damage of each subsequent shot. 2x Whammy doubles the damage of the second shot, 3x Whammy triples the damage of the third shot, 4x Whammy quadruples the damage of the fourth shot, and so on.

Note: According to the Alpha versions of Vigilante 8, the Whammy system was originally named “Combo Hit”. In the Japanese version of the game, the Whammy mechanic is still named to “Combo Hit (コンボヒット),” and the “Whammy!” message is rewritten to “Combo!”

Weapon Combos: Secret moves for standard weapons that may be performed by the player during gameplay in order to launch attacks that are stronger than normal, or attacks that serve some sort of utility, thus granting experienced player an advantage as well as adding further depth to the combat. In order to perform a combo attack, the player must quickly press three different directional buttons in a specific order and then press the machinegun button. Different standard weapons have different combo input sequences, which can only be used when the player has the necessary weapons equipped. Character special weapons do not have combo moves.

Note: The combo mechanic was inspired by special moves from fighting games such as the Street Fighter franchise.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade, a new mechanic was introduced in order to acclimate new players, where standard weapon combos can be triggered by holding down the assigned button where a weapon is located (either X, Y or B). Doing so will “charge” that specific weapon until a certain combo is highlighted above its icon, and releasing the button will launch the chosen combo. This must be done before the charging timer runs out, or else the combo will be cancelled. This mechanic does not replace the traditional button input combo mechanic from previous installments, as both option are present in the game. This charge-up mechanic was taken directly from Luxoflux’s Star Wars Demolition.

Wrecked State and Totaling: When a vehicle’s health points are depleted, their engine will begin to emit white smoke, indicating that it is wrecked and out of commission. If nothing is done, the vehicle will explode shortly afterwards, ejecting pieces of its body as well as weapons, the latter of which becoming available for pick up for a few seconds before disappearing. In order to total an enemy, the player must either perform a weapon combo attack upon the wrecked target or attack said target with their special weapon, which will cause it to explode in a more violent and extravagant manner. Totaling an enemy vehicle can be done when either the enemy is in a wrecked state or if the player’s attack deals damage that exceeds the amount of remaining health an enemy has. Vigilante 8: Arcade introduced the “Banzai” mechanic, where players that are defeated may attempt to destroy nearby opponents while in a wrecked state by holding the LB and RB buttons, which will cause their vehicle to spontaneously detonate.

Note: The totaling mechanic was inspired by finishing moves from fighting games such as Mortal Kombat’s fatalities.

The white smoke from the wrecked state seems to indicate that a wrecked vehicle has a blown radiator hose leaking coolant onto the hot (and likely seized) engine.

In the Japanese version of the game, the totaling mechanic is renamed to “Super Finish (スーパーフィニッシュ),” and the “enemy TOTALED!” message is rewritten to “enemy SUPER FINISHED!”

Due to a bug, destroyed/totaled enemy vehicle carcasses/remains are affected by ingame elements in strange ways: If launched towards power-up items, the carcass will behave as if said items were solid, impassable objects. Ejected weapons that land on top of a carcass will disappear, likely from the game itself registering said weapons as having been “picked up” by it. Vehicle carcasses will also trigger repair stations in stages.

Engine Stalling: Negative status effect in which a vehicle’s engine is clogged and shut down. Inflicted by standing still inside a shallow body of water, Chassey Blue’s Gridlock special weapon, Slick Clyde’s White Lightning special weapon, Molo’s Smog Check special weapon or certain stage hazards such as the canal waves in Valley Farms and radioactive blasts at Minnesota’s nuclear powerplant. When the engine is clogged, the vehicle is rendered immobile, and the engine is stalled. In order to recover from an engine stall, the player must repeatedly press and hold the gas button with precise timing until the engine roars back to life.

Terrain Effects: Negative status effect that impairs a vehicle’s movement. Naturally, flat surfaces such as roads are the easiest to traverse, but bumpy terrain may not be as forgiving, and can greatly reduce speed when confronted. Furthermore, certain terrain types possess unique properties, such as mud and tar pools, which vehicles may sink into; snow and ice, which will impair turning ability as well as traction; shallow water, which will reduce speed and possibly cause engine stalls; and deep water, into which vehicles may sink and be damaged by, if not equipped with Hydro Floaters.

AI Behavior: AI opponents may behave differently depending on difficulty setting. At low difficulty, only one opponent will attack the player at a time, whereas at high difficulty, more AI opponents will pursue the player at once. AI rate of fire, speed and aggressiveness will increase with difficulty. When low on health, AI opponents will attempt to escape in order to find power-ups such as repair spanners, shields or radar jammers. When unarmed, AI opponents will likewise flee in order to find more weapons before resuming their attack. At high difficulty, AI opponents have the potential to whammy players on occasion, though this is very unlikely to happen as it is not intended.

Physics: The physics engine in Vigilante 8 is a major feature of the franchise, distinguishing it from other titles in the car combat genre for the comparatively higher level of realism. As expected from different vehicle types, larger rides do not possess fast acceleration, but may deal tremendous amounts of ramming damage to smaller vehicles thanks to their weight, the latter of which have the advantage of higher speed and maneuverability. Features such as double-tapping and peeling mechanics, performing 180-degree power slides at high speed with the handbrake button, suspension feedback force from weapon recoil and the overwhelming pushing force caused by large explosions add many layers of complexity to the gameplay, lending to a more authentic experience of driving a vehicle laden with weapons. In addition, smaller details such as flying debris and ejected weapons are also taken into account, causing damage when colliding with vehicles. Some concessions are made for the sake of smoother gameplay, however - should the player find their vehicles upside down, for example, they may flip their vehicle back on its wheels by repeatedly tapping left or repeatedly tapping right on the directional controls.

Damage model: Adding further authenticity to Vigilante 8’s physics, vehicle damage is visibly shown with great detail during combat. Depending on where a vehicle is hit, how often and how much damage is received, vehicle models will gradually deteriorate at the front, along the middle, or at the rear. Although spanner power-ups recover health, they do not undo these visual changes, which will remain until the vehicle is destroyed.

Ramming and collisions: Objects in the environment such as buildings, trees, etc. may be destroyed via ramming, although this is more arduous than simply using weapons. Likewise, ramming objects may cause minimal damage to the vehicle, and if the object in question is explosive, it may severely damage or even destroy vehicles.

Note: Ramming physics were a late addition during development, being coded by Adrian Stephens in the span of a lunch break and subsequently tuned by game designer David Goodrich, who was responsible for the initial suggestion.

Tire-busting: A negative status effect caused by standard Roadkill Mines, the “Tire Buster” Sky Hammer Mortar combo, and the cop car in the Arizona stage. Reduces a vehicle’s speed and agility for a short time. Only present in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

Camera dolly: Allows the player to move the camera viewport around their vehicle, as well as zoom closer or further away. Only works in third person view, and is exclusive to analog controls. The camera orientation can be reset by pressing the Rear View button.

Combat rating & ranks: A final grade given to the player on the results screen at the end of every match in any game mode, from 0% to 100%. A rank is also given in accordance with the player’s combat rating. Coyote ranks, from lowest to highest, are Delinquent, Minor Felon, Thug, Major Con, Most Wanted and Coyote. Vigilante ranks, from lowest to highest, are Civilian, Greenhorn, Good Samaritan, Hero, Urban Legend and Vigilante. In the Japanese version of the game, Coyote ranks are Crazy Man, Wanted Man, Warrior, Killer, Professional and Coyote, while Vigilante ranks are Civilian, Guard Man, Captain, Hero, Legendary Man and Vigilante. The combat rating mechanic is only present in the original Vigilante 8.

Note: ‘Y’ the Alien is given no rank on his result screen, due to being neither a Coyote nor a Vigilante.

Quest Passwords: Shown on the results screen at the end of every successfully completed stage in Quest mode. Used as a legacy progress-saving mechanic for players who do not have Memory Cards or Expansion Paks. Passwords are only present in the original Vigilante 8.

 

POWER-UPS AND PROPULSION MECHANISMS

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Power-ups are items that grant players certain advantages during gameplay:

Shield (Green Diamond): Special force-field projector that protects the user’s vehicle from all sources of damage for a limited time.

Radar Jammer (Yellow Lightning Bolt): Confuses enemy radar tracking by extending the user’s targeting leash for a limited time, thus causing incoming homing weapons to miss their mark.

Weapon Upgrade/Damage Multiplier (Blue X): Doubles the damage dealt by the user’s weapons for a limited time. Only takes effect on weapons that are fired after the power-up is acquired.

Repair (Silver Wrench/Spanner): Restores part of the user’s vehicle health points. Does not fix visual damage.

Propulsion mechanisms are a new addition to the Vigilante 8 series, introduced in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, which grant players certain mobility options:

Hoverpods: Enables the vehicle to hover a few feet off the ground, thus granting it the ability to glide over any terrain. Due to its hovering nature, the resulting loss of traction can cause the vehicle to slide and yaw in mid-air. The Hoverpods do not maintain the vehicle aloft at all times, however, as the vehicle will lose altitude after a few seconds of flight when the gas button is held. To maintain high-altitude flight with the Hoverpods, double tap and then hold the gas button down on the second tap. Repeat this process everytime the vehicle begins to fall.

Hydro Floaters: Transforms the vehicle into a sea-faring vessel, changing the front wheels into flotation devices and the rear wheels into propellers. When the vehicle drives back onto land, the Hydro Floaters will automatically revert to standard wheels.

Skis N’ Treads: Provides tremendous speed and agility advantages on snowy terrain, as it helps vehicles maintain traction on the snow, changing the vehicle’s front wheels into skis, and the rear wheels into oversized, studded wheels.

Note: Propulsion mechanisms can be disabled manually by simultaneously pressing R1 + L1 (PSX), C Left + C Right (N64) or Y + A (DC). When the player takes enough damage while using a propulsion mechanism, the item’s HUD icon will begin to blink, indicating that its “health” is low; and if the player takes further damage, their propulsion mechanism will be forcibly disabled.

 

SALVAGE POINTS AND VEHICLE STATS

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Each vehicle in Vigilante 8 possesses different strengths and shortcomings, depending on their weight, size and speed. These are represented by the following stats:

Top Speed: Dictates the highest speed a vehicle can achieve in a straight line without any external influences (ex.: Afterburners). Represented by a speed gauge.

Acceleration (2nd Offense only): Dictates how quickly a vehicle may reach its top speed. Represented by a right-pointing arrow.

Armor: Dictates how much punishment a vehicle may sustain before being destroyed, as well as how much ramming damage it may inflict upon enemies with its own mass. Represented by a spanner tool. In Vigilante 8: Arcade, Armor is renamed to “Strength”.

Tracking Avoidance: Dictates how far the targeting leash extends behind the vehicle when on the move, and thus how easily the vehicle may evade enemy homing weapons. Represented by a targeting reticle. In Vigilante 8: Arcade, Tracking Avoidance is renamed to “Radar Evasion”.

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, each vehicle has preset values for acceleration, top speed, armor and target avoidance. These are shown in the Vehicle Select screen. However, each vehicle’s default values can be upgraded with salvage points. Yellow salvage tokens are dropped from destroyed enemies, with their worth ranging from two to ten salvage points each. The higher the damage and difficulty settings, the more points are awarded.

Salvage farming: When an enemy is destroyed, only one randomized salvage token is dropped. When an enemy is totaled, three salvage tokens of that vehicle’s highest stat are dropped. Each salvage token is worth 5, 7 and 10 points on easy, medium and hard difficulty levels, respectively.

When picked up, salvage points increase the player’s vehicle stats as soon as the next stage is loaded, in any gamemode, granting immediate improvements during gameplay. When the player obtains 50 points for a specific stat, their vehicle will be given a visual upgrade in the form of custom vehicle parts to denote the increased stat. Such upgrades include wider tires, rear spoilers, antennas, bullbars, futuristic windshield energy barriers, etc.

When the player obtains 100 points in all four stats for a certain vehicle, they are rewarded with a brand new “hot rod” chassis that replaces that vehicle’s default design and upgrades.

Customizing vehicle colors: The player may customize the color of their vehicle and special weapon by pressing the Circle button (PSX), C Down button (N64), or Y button (Dreamcast) at the Vehicle Select screen, and then use the directional controls to change the color and saturation.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade, salvage mechanics have been simplified, with all types of salvage tokens being combined into a single type of token designed as a hexagonal metal nut labeled simply as “Salvage Points”. Only the Strength stat is increased with Salvage Points. The player’s current salvage amount and Strength stat for each vehicle carry over to online multiplayer modes, and can be affected in the same manner as offline modes against AI.

 

CONTROLS

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Playstation

 

 Note: The Playstation versions of Vigilante 8 and its sequel support the Namco NegCon controller, which offers analog steering as well as analog acceleration and braking by nature of being recognized by the game as a steering wheel, albeit at the cost of having four less digital buttons to use in the game’s control mapping options, those being the triggers as well as the I & II two face buttons. When using a NegCon controller, the game will display the model of a racing wheel and pedals in the control options menu.

 

 

Nintendo 64

 

SEGA Dreamcast

 

 Note: Due to the SEGA Dreamcast’s controller lacking buttons when compared to its peers, the player must choose between different button combinations in the settings menu in order to use all of the game’s functions.

 

Gameboy Color

 

HUD ELEMENTS

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Note: In the N64 version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Quest items are shown on the radar as blue dots. It also wrongly marks Bearhug Roadkill Mine and Cactus Patch Roadkill Mine combos in the same manner.

According to early Alpha builds of the original Vigilante 8, the first-person camera mode once featured dashboard and roof instruments similar to those from the its predecessor series Interstate ‘76, but were ultimately discarded as to increase visibility.

In the Japanese versions of both games, the weapon selection buttons and weapon fire buttons are swapped.

CHEATS

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To input cheat codes in Vigilante 8, select “options” at the main menu, then select “game status”, and press the passcode button. The cheat input area will then be revealed.

Note: Although the MONSTER_WHEELS cheat is indeed present in the N64 version of the game, its corresponding code does not activate it due to a bug, thus making the cheat unusable through normal means. The cheat itself, however, can be activated via a Gameshark code.

To input cheat codes in Vigilante 8 2nd Offense, select “options” at the main menu, select “game status”, and press both Toggle Weapon buttons simultaneously. The cheat input area will then be revealed.

Note: If game progress is saved with LLA_DORTOH or LLA_PUENUT enabled, said cheats become permanent in that save file.

Cheat codes that unlock game content only apply to player one.

According to information from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, in order to clear out all cheat codes for the PSX version, the player must enter an incorrect code (i.e. “ZZZZZZZZZZ”) three times. However, no incorrect cheat input is required whatsoever, only the three “accept” button presses.

In the Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, cheats such as LLA_KCOLNU and LLA_DORTOH are “mirrored” back to the correct lettering order – UNLOCK_ALL and HOTROD_ALL. The existence of the cheat code “LLA_PUENUT” (TUNEUP_ALL in the Japanese version) was never revealed to be present in either NTSC-U or PAL versions of the game, but it still is a functional cheat.

Unlocking original Vigilante 8 stages (PSX ONLY):

·         Start a match of any kind;

·         During gameplay, pause the game and open the console’s lid;

·         Swap out the 2nd Offense disc for the original Vigilante 8 disc and close the lid;

·         Wait for the message “V8 Levels Enabled” to appear on the screen;

·         Swap out the original game’s disc for the 2nd Offense disc and return to the main menu.

The original Vigilante 8 stages should then be available for selection at the stage select screen. The Super Dreamland 64 stage is not included as it did not exist until the release of the N64 version of the game, being an exclusive stage for that console.

Note: Resetting the console will undo the unlocking process, requiring the player to perform the disc-swapping in order to unlock the stages every time the game is rebooted. This unlocking process cannot be saved in memory cards.

Vigilante 8 cheats (GBC): To view opponent locations, press Select + A + B during gameplay.

STAGES

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Vigilante 8 stages: Vigilante 8 has a total of ten stages on the Playstation version, and eleven stages on the Nintendo 64 version. The Game Boy Color version features only 5 stages – Valley Farms, Oil Fields, Ski Resort, Hoover Dam and Casino City.

 

 

 

AIRCRAFT GRAVEYARD: A U.S.A.F. repository area for aircraft that are retired from service, located in Yuma Desert, Arizona. Supposedly, the Coyotes are after old military aircraft to further their plans in the region. In addition, being tipped off by Dave, ‘Y’ the Alien discovers that some aliens have crash-landed in Yuma Desert, and finds plenty of alien debris in the repository. An auto battle takes place in the area around 5:40 PM. Note: Early in development, there was a planned final stage for the Vigilante faction named “The Spanish Mission”, which would take place in the Aircraft Graveyard. Their mission objective was to stop a defeated Sid Burn from escaping to Mexico on a bomber plane as it taxis along the runway, fighting off other Coyotes who would attempt to protect the aircraft until take-off. This mission was cut due to time constraints, though leftover code is still present in the game’s files. Despite taking place in the Aircraft Graveyard stage, the Spanish Mission was originally intended to take place in California, Southwest of the Valley Farms stage. Point A: Control radio towers. Drive between the building and the wooden post when the light panel is red to summon a bomber on your currently selected target. After use, the tower will remain unavailable for a short time before another bomber may be summoned. There are two towers on opposite sides of the stage, thus allowing for two bombers to be summoned. Destroying the control towers disables this feature altogether for the remainder of the match.

Point B: Secret areas containing weapons and power-ups. The area to the North is hidden behind an old billboard, which must be destroyed in order to grant passage. The area to the East is located behind a control tower. The area at the center is encircled by rows of aircraft parts and may only be accessed through an entrance guarded by a crusher, and may be exited by two ramps formed from aircraft wings along the circle of debris. Accessing these areas will automatically summon a bomber, which will pursue the intruder in an attempt to damage them with bombs. Point C: Landed bombers. Occasionally, a bomber will arrive from the East, landing upon the runway close to the elevated section of the map. The aircraft will proceed to taxi around the runway in a counter-clockwise direction, before gaining speed and taking off from the other end of the runway. Although the bomber is not aggressive, its propellers are hazardous to nearby vehicles, being capable of dealing heavy damage and violently flinging them away. Destroying the aircraft will likewise cause a dangerous explosion, on top of leaving behind remains, which will explode a second time. The bomber respawns if destroyed. Based on the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Point D: Crushers. Will cause moderate, continuous damage to any vehicle that stays under them, but can be easily destroyed. The first crusher is located near the hangars, surrounded by aircraft parts in a circular area containing power-ups, and will turn to attack any vehicle that attempts entering its range. The second crusher guards the entrance to a secret area, on the opposite side of the map. Based on the 1970 American 599C series of cranes. Point E: Remains of discarded bombers. Found in the upper section of the stage, they are an important source of weapons and power-ups when destroyed. Hangars: Three large buildings found near the landing runways. Their doors can be opened via weapons fire. Trailers: Living spaces found along the outer side of the takeoff runway, near the Northern control tower, and near the bomber carcasses on the upper level of the stage. Chinook helicopters: Twin-bladed helicopter carcasses found between the runways.

 

 

 

SKI RESORT: Busted Hump resort - a fictional resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports located in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado. A hostage situation develops at the resort, leading to tensions between Vigilantes and Coyotes, who have taken over the lodge. ‘Y’ the Alien arrives at this same location in pursuit of Dave’s signal. An auto battle takes place in the area around 10:46 AM. Note: The stage is covered in patches of deep snow which, like the oil puddles of Oil Fields, will cause vehicles to lose traction when traversed. Note: The Ski Resort is the only stage to appear in all Vigilante 8 games. Ski Resort possesses a unique feature compared to other stages in the original Vigilante 8, as the snow covering the entire stage partially impairs vehicle acceleration and traction. Point A: Avalanches. Can be triggered by destroying three large trees (reduced to one in 2nd Offense) along the mountain on their respective sides of the map. Vehicles caught in the rockslide will suffer heavy damage and be dragged to the base of the mountain. Point B: Lift stations. The cable cars can be accessed by opening the metal doors on either one of the buildings at the top and bottom of the mountain. When entered, the cable car will carry vehicles up or down the mountain, picking up weapons and power-ups along the way. Cable cars regenerate after being destroyed, and will continue to function even after the buildings are destroyed. Point C: Snow machines. Will disrupt enemy incoming homing weapons when driven under. Ski Lodge: The building at the lower section of the map, next to the parking lot. Condominiums: Seven buildings located at the lower section of the map, near the lift station. Will explode violently when destroyed.

 

 

 

CANYONLANDS: Sid Burn sends the Coyotes to the area in order to cause havoc by destroying historical Anasazi ruins and local gas stations. Convoy is ambushed by them while on his way to meet John Torque in this area. Aspiring Coyote Molo is chased into the canyons by the fledgling Vigilante Sheila, both of whom engage in battle in hopes of impressing other members of their respective factions. Set in Route 191, near La Sal Junction, Utah. An auto battle takes place in the area around 10:32 AM. Note: Observant players will notice that some terrain textures on the rocky cliffs above and below the Zuni-Vista Motel area depict carvings of a strangely designed circle (likely a representation of the Hoverkeep historical site) and of what appears to be an alien. This easter egg, however, had no relation to ‘Y’ the Alien at first, as the character was a last-minute addition to the roster prior to release. This easter egg, along with the UFO at the Secret Base stage and Dave’s Quest, are the only mentions of the existence of aliens within the game, barring Y’s appearance. Note: Elements from the Canyonlands stage seem to be based on very specific spots from Utah, such as the Hite Crossing Bridge, the Hatch Canyon Wash Bridge and the Butler Wash ruins. Point A: Hoverkeep historical kiva site. A series of low stone walls laid in a circular pattern, surrounding a group of strange floating green lights. If a player maneuvers through the ruins towards the center of the circle while these lights are visible, they will be lifted from the ground and teleported to other areas of the map, acquiring weapons and power-ups along the way. Note: Whether this teleporting phenomenon is borne out of indian magic, alien abduction, or some other origin, remains unknown. Point B: Metal arch bridge. Provides easy access between the higher levels of the map to the East and West. If destroyed, the bridge will crumble into the canyon in such a fashion that it becomes a one-way ramp oriented from the canyons to the Hoverkeep ruin area. However, the destruction of this bridge will also permanently block access from the Hoverkeep area to the canyons, forcing players to take alternate routes in order to traverse the map. Boulders (marked as red arrows): Firing weapons against canyon walls throughout the stage will cause large boulders to be dislodged and tumble down into the map. This hazard is capable of destroying any vehicle instantaneously if it rolls over them, but can also be broken into smaller rocks and ultimately destroyed with any weapon. Anasazi Ruins: Ancient derelict structures, located near the entrance of the metal arch bridge. Gas station: Located in the small town at the higher level of the stage. The gas station building houses a repair wrench powerup.

  

 

 

GHOST TOWN: The abandoned settlement of Mesa Diablo. Sid Burn’s Coyotes establish their hideout in the area, but are eventually found out by the Vigilantes. Located somewhere in Hunters Wash, New Mexico. An auto battle takes place in the area around 7:18 PM. Note: Early in development, this stage was once named “Wild West World”. At some point during development, Luxoflux organized a minor contest in a physical magazine, from which the winner would have their name immortalized in the game itself. A boy by the name of “Mike Good” won the contest, at the time when developer David Goodrich was working on the Ghost Town level. The winner’s name was at first placed on a tombstone somewhere in the Boot Hill cemetery area, but this was ultimately changed and the winner’s name was instead placed on one of the buildings in the town area – Mike Good Hotel. The wooden bridges also featured tunnel-like structures over them, which were removed in the final game. Point A: The train. Travels in a clockwise fashion around the stage, carrying a substantial amount of special weapons in its wagons. Vehicles standing in the tracks ahead of the locomotive will be rammed by it, taking damage. Can be destroyed either with weapons, or by falling into the canyons, should either of the two wooden bridges be destroyed (though if the special weapon crate wagon falls along with it, all the crates will be lost). When destroyed, the train will leave behind remains, which will then explode in a much larger secondary blast. The train will not respawn if destroyed. Point B: The tornado. Found within the ravine between the wooden bridges at the Northern part of the map. Vehicles that stand near the tornado will be struck by flying debris thrown by it, taking moderate damage. Vehicles caught in the tornado will be temporarily lifted off the ground, losing control and becoming vulnerable to enemy attacks. Point C: The indian village. Six tipi huts surround a campfire in the night, but offer no items if destroyed. The campfire itself is a minor hazard, setting ablaze any vehicle that drives over it. Tumbleweeds: Can be found rolling along the ground throughout the stage. Tumbleweeds will stick to any vehicle that comes in contact with them for a short amount of time, greatly reducing speed.

Ghost town: The town itself contains a bank, a salon, a hotel, an engine company building and a train station.

 

 

 

CASINO CITY: Also known as Nugget City, Nevada. A natural extension of Las Vegas, the lure of the lights and riches brings characters from both factions into the city in search of entertainment, leading to a series of open brawls over a variety of reasons unrelated to the ongoing Auto Skirmishes. Taking advantage of the ensuing chaos, Sid Burn attempts a hit on the city’s gas stations. An auto battle takes place in the area around 4:46 AM. Note: Due to the sheer amount of effects and textures present in this stage, Casino City is known for inducing slowdowns during gameplay. Point A: The parking building ramp. Marked with a “Park It” sign, it can be accessed by first opening the door with gunfire, then destroying the glass window obstructing the exit point. Driving up the ramp at high speed will allow vehicles to reach powerups hovering above the street. Making use of afterburners may allow vehicles to jump further, landing atop the Galaxy Hub Hotel & Casino where more items can be found. Point B: Gas stations. Destroying the gas station canopies above the pumps will cause them to fall, turning them into makeshift ramps which grant access to weapons and powerups hovering above the stations themselves. Point C: Swimming pools. The first pool is located behind the Taj Mahaj-esque “Al Hambra” building, while the second pool is located behind the Galaxy Hub Hotel. Vehicles that drive into the swimming pools will have their heat signature hidden from enemy homing weapons, thus making them untargetable, but will also suffer continuous damage from the water clogging their engines.

Note: Despite being a water hazard, the swimming pools do not cause vehicles to stall. Early in development, the pools were slightly deeper. Point D: Manhole covers. Will eject violently upwards with a stream of pressurized steam when driven over, dealing substantial damage to vehicles. Blimp: An airborne vehicle that slowly hovers around the stage. The blimp will occasionally land on the streets below and open its rear door, allowing vehicles to drive into it. When a vehicle successfully drives into the blimp, it will quickly lift off with the vehicle inside, allowing the player to change its direction at will. With skillfull use, the player may fly over buildings where otherwise inaccessible items are located, and eject from the blimp onto the roofs below by pressing the gas button. The blimp is fragile, however, and will easily succumb to enemy fire, exploding violently and forcefully ejecting the player as it crashes into the ground below. Wedding Chapel: A small red-roofed building, located at the intersection at the center of the map, across the street from the Galaxy Hub Hotel.

 

 

 

HOOVER DAM: The concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, at the Arizona-Nevada border. Sid Burn’s Coyotes meet up at the site to set up roadblocks and attempt to destroy the dam’s power stations. An auto battle takes place in the area on a rainy day around 2:12 PM. Point A: The power station. Driving over the bridge in front of the station will activate the large lever at the center, triggering a powerful electric arc which will travel down the canal at the middle of the stage, damaging and knocking any vehicles caught by it into the air. The hazard will still function even after the station itself is destroyed. Point B: The outlet tunnels. Driving into one of the tunnels will teleport vehicles randomly around the stage, as they emerge from one of the other three tunnels. Vehicles that fall into the water at the upriver area will likewise be spat out from one of the tunnels. Point C: Intake penstock towers. Careful maneuvering over the narrow bridges at the upriver area will be rewarded with weapon pickups. The towers can be destroyed by weapons fire as to allow for an easier passage, but may hurl large chunks of concrete at nearby vehicles upon exploding, dealing moderate damage. Point D: Electric transformers. A set of four structures generating high amounts of electricity. Two arcs of electricity flow in a vertical manner across the narrow passage between the transformers, demanding precise timing in order to bypass them unscathed. On the other end of the transformer area are a few power-ups and weapon pickups. Destroying the transformers closest to the electric arcs will permanently deactivate the hazard, though the transformer itself may deal moderate damage when exploding. Point E: Visitor’s center and parking lot. A mostly barren area, though useful for gaining high ground and a good view of the stage. The visitor’s center building houses a spanner power-up, and a special weapon crate hovers just beyond the small cliff next to it.

Point F: Generator turbines. Both the housing and the turbines themselves can be destroyed, dealing heavy damage to nearby vehicles when exploding. The destruction of the housing will grant access to weapon crates and power-ups which hover above the canal between the two generator structures.

 

 

 

OIL FIELDS: Hexagon Petroleum Refinery, located in Antelope Ridge, New Mexico. In a final, daring move, the Coyotes attack the largest oil refinery in the Southwest in an attempt to destroy it, leading to the final confrontation between Sid Burn and Convoy. An auto battle takes place in the area around 7:30 AM. Note: The stage is littered in small oil puddles which, like the deep snow patches in Ski Resort, will cause vehicles to lose traction when traversed. Point A: Horton spheres. Pressure vessels containing compressed gases such as propane, liquefied petroleum gas or liquid-gas butane. When hit by weapons fire, the spheres will be dislodged from their supports and tumble down the hills in random directions, exploding upon contact with vehicles or stray shots and dealing moderate area damage. Point B: Crude oil tanks. Three large depots storing oil, lined with ramps which can lead vehicles to the top of the silos in a circular manner. Careful maneuvering is required to reach the top, where weapon crates and power-ups can be acquired. If the silos are destroyed, the items become inaccessible.

Point C: Oil Refinery. An area rife with structures that contains power-ups and may shield vehicles from incoming fire. When destroyed, some of the structures will explode violently, dealing damage to nearby vehicles. Point D: Flare pipelines. Two lines of pipes dispensing a continuous stream of flames from excess natural gas, which will periodically burn any vehicle that is caught in front of them, dealing quick and tremendous damage. If the mouth of the pipes are destroyed, the stream of fire will fire in short bursts. Maneuvering around the pipelines will lead vehicles to a dirt ramp which points back towards the stage, with weapons and power-ups hovering in the air in front of it. Oil rigs: Wooden smokestack-like flare towers found throughout the stage. Oil pumps: Commonly known as pumpjacks. Found throughout the stage, they mechanically lift oil out of the wells beneath the ground in a vertical motion. When destroyed, the oil wells underneath them will periotically spout flames, dealing heavy damage on contact.

 

 

 

VALLEY FARMS: Premium Fruit Co., located in San Joaquin Valley, California. Sid Burn sends his Coyotes to the farmlands to destroy barns near Tulare. An auto battle takes place in the area around 3:00 PM. Point A: Irrigation building. The cabin located at the Eastern edge of the stage. When destroyed, vehicles can pass through the building, picking up weapons or power-ups hidden within. Destroying any of the water feedback pipes lines along the canals will trigger a massive wave, which will emerge from the irrigation building and travel Westward, creating secondary waves which will travel down all the canals. Vehicles caught by the waves will be violently swept away until they are expelled from the canals with their engines clogged. Point B: Windmill turbines. When destroyed by the player, the propellers will detach from the towers and fly towards the targeted enemy, dealing moderate damage. The propellers can hit vehicles at any location on the stage. Point C: Grain silos. Should their exhaust mechanisms be destroyed, the silos will expand and warp due to increasing pressure from the buildup of combustible grain dust inside, and will eventually explode, dealing heavy damage to nearby vehicles. Located near the barns. Point D: Barns. These structures have two levels, both of which contain weapons and power-ups. In order to access the second level of a barn, the player must first fire upon nearby hay wagons, which will turn into makeshift ramps when destroyed. Then, the player must line up their vehicle with the hay wagon and the barn window above, before accelerating and jumping through the hay wagon, and upwards towards the barn. If done correctly, the player’s vehicle should manage to access the second level of the barn. Some vehicles may require the use of the Afterburner combo to reach the window.

Point E: Orange orchards. An advantageous location for evading incoming fire as well as finding weapons and power-ups. Note: Luxoflux developer David Goodrich reportedly spent a week finding the perfect timing between the destruction animation and sound effects of the oranges falling from their trees when destroyed. Point F: Stone bridges. Small bridges that arch over the water canals. Vehicles that manage to jump over them with enough speed will be rewarded with weapon pickups. Pesticide plane: An old biplane with a blue and yellow livery, found near the barn at the Northeast section of the stage. This biplane was originally meant to be a stage hazard which, upon activation, would taxi down the nearby road, take off and spray pesticide over the orchards at the East side of the stage, damaging and clogging the engines of any vehicle caught in its area of effect, before landing near the barn at the Southeast section of the stage. This feature was cut from the original Vigilante 8, but could be later seen in action at the Farmland stage in Vigilante 8: Arcade. Note: The plane appears to be a Boeing Stearman E75 donning a pre-WWII US Army blue & yellow paint scheme.

   

 

 

SECRET BASE: The Advanced Weapons Research Center, located in Area 51’s Site-4 facility, near Papoose Dry Lake, Nevada. Once hired by OMAR to set in motion the plans to destroy the American oil industry, Sid Burn and his Coyotes first stage an assault on the base, successfully stealing experimental U.S. Army weaponry, which would be later used by both Coyotes and Vigilantes in the Auto Skirmishes. ‘Y’ the Alien raids the facility upon discovering that it was the location where his fellow aliens were kidnapped and dissected. An auto battle takes place around the area at 3:15 PM. The Secret Base level is unlocked once Convoy’s and Sid Burn’s Quests are completed. Note: Site 4 (or S-4) is one of the most infamous locations related to Area 51, said to be located at Papoose Dry Lake, near Nellis Airfroce Base, 15 miles South of A51. It is the place where Bob Lazar claims to have been hired to work for the US government, reverse-engineering extraterrestrial craft for the American government. His claims have inspired a myriad of alien-related fiction in the 1990s, including videogames such as Vigilante 8. Point A: Nuclear missile silos. In order to launch a nuclear missile, the player must first drive through the command center at the North side of the stage from either end of the building, thus activating either of the two missile silos next to it. Then, the player must drive in a circular manner inside the trenches around silos themselves, passing under the warning lights. The launch is confirmed when both lights turn green, as a missile emerges from the silo, flying towards the targeted enemy and dealing tremendous damage upon detonation. Point B: Radar array. A set of three large antennas, which will jam and confuse incoming homing weapons, thus protecting any vehicle that stands underneath them from enemy targeting. If the antennas are destroyed, this feature is permanently disabled. Point C: Laser turret defense system. The turrets guard the entrances to the North section of the stage, and will immediately fire upon any vehicle that comes within range. If destroyed, the laser turrets are permanently disabled. The laser turrets behave in a similar manner as Houston 3’s special weapon, the Super Fantastic Death Ray 3-Ax.

Point D: The stealth jets. Parked just outside the base are three stealth jets, which are indestructible. Destroying the yellow boarding stairs next to the jets will trigger their take off sequence, in which they will slowly taxi down the runway, before turning around and picking up speed for a final liftoff. Any vehicles caught in front of the jets during the takeoff sequence will be rammed for moderate to heavy damage. Any vehicles caught by the flames coming out of the exhaust nozzle of the jets will receive moderate burning damage. Point E: The alien craft. Hidden within one of the hangars is a black-and-silver UFO, surrounded by weapons and power-ups. The saucer can be freely pushed around. If destroyed, it will violently explode, dealing heavy damage to nearby vehicles. Its floating carcass will remain, becoming a unique obstacle that can be used as a shield against incoming fire. Note: This saucer was created specifically as an element in the Secret Base stage. It wasn’t until the final stages of development that Luxoflux developers considered transforming the object into a playable vehicle, leading to the creation of ‘Y’ the Alien. This UFO is considerably larger than Y’s own Luxo Saucer.

 

 

 

SAND FACTORY: Anasazi Sandworx Co., located in Bacon Slab, Utah. While searching for his missing alien comrades, ‘Y’ the Alien detects a strange transmission from Earth, arriving at this precise location in search of the signal’s source. An auto battle takes place in the area around 6:50 PM. The Sand Factory level is unlocked once Dave’s and Molo’s Quests are completed. Note: The Sand Factory stage was originally a testing area during the development of Vigilante 8, being salvaged and turned into a fully-fledged stage shortly before release. Point A: Conveyor belts. There are three sets of conveyor belts in the arena, which can be used as ramps. Vehicles can gain access to them by firing at the buildings located at the base of the structures. Two of the conveyor belts face each other, allowing vehicles to quickly jump over the lower level of the stage and access the opposite side, as well as acquiring power-ups suspended in the air between them. The third ramp allows players to into one of four funnels located atop the factory, much like a redemption game akin to Skee-Ball. A successful landing will be rewarded with weapons or power-ups. Point B: The factory building. Can be accessed by firing upon its doors, and then driven into. Vehicles that enter the factory will be expelled from a chute towards the center of the arena. The second method to achieve entry into the factory is by driving up the ramp that points towards the building, and then falling into one of the funnels on the roof, before being ejected from the chute in the same manner. Point C: The lift. Activates when a vehicle drives near the structure, slowly descending to ground-level, before rising again when a vehicle rests atop it. The lift leads into a higher location on the stage where weapons and power-ups can be found. Point D: Sand piles. Can be gradually destroyed with weapons fire, revealing hidden weapons and power-ups buried beneath them. Point E: Bulk loading silos. Will come crashing down onto the ground when destroyed, dealing high damage to any vehicle standing below them.

  

 

 

SUPER DREAMLAND 64: Once Upon A Time… Note: This secret stage is exclusive to the Nintendo 64 version of the original Vigilante 8, and is not present in any other version of the game or its sequel, 2nd Offense. It is not featured in any character’s Quest. Super Dreamland 64 is unlocked once ‘Y’ the Alien’s Quest is completed. The stage is inspired by the Kirby franchise, being named after the homeland of the eponymous character. Although the stage is said to be set in California, the coordinate indicator on the map screen places it in Colorado, at the same location as the Ski Resort stage. Oddly enough, Super Dreamland 64’s stage file is present in the Dreamcast release of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, renamed to “Dreamland”, but is unused. Spawn points for weapons and propulsion mechanisms are present in the stage, indicating that an attempt was made to include it in the Dreamcast version of the game at some point during development. Point A: Giant mushrooms. When destroyed by weapons fire, the mushroom caps will launch into the sky, before falling down on the vehicle that was being targeted by the player that destroyed it. When destroyed via ramming, they will fall upon the same vehicle that destroyed it. Point B: Cannons. Far too busy sieging the Evil Castle at the center of the stage to pose a threat to nearby vehicles. Point C: Cottages. Will provide power-ups when destroyed.

Point D: Evil Castle. A menacing structure sat atop a hill surrounded by a deep moat. In order to access it, the player must approach the drawbridge and wait for it to be lowered, before driving up the hill in a circular manner as to arrive at the main gate. Entering the castle will teleport the player away, and spit them out of one of the wells found around the stage. Point E: Stone bridges. Advantageous spots for evading incoming fire. Spanner power-ups can be found underneath them. Point F: Wells. Can be entered once destroyed, teleporting players across the map. Vehicles will also emerge from these locations upon falling into the moat or entering the Evil Castle. Rainbows: Will make sporadic appearances around the outer edges of the stage. Vehicles that drive to the end of a rainbow will be rewarded with repairs. Chickens and pigs: Found throughout the stage. May provide power-ups when killed. Knights: There are two types of knights roaming the stage – those guarding the cannons, and a roaming knight armed with a lance who marches around the outer perimeter of the stage. Vehicles that stand in the path of the marching knight will receive noticeable damage. The knights can be killed by weapons fire.

 

 

 

 Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense stages: Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense has a total of 8 stages, none of which none are secret. The Playstation and Dreamcast versions of the game contain the files of the stages from the original Vigilante 8 (sans the N64-exclusive Super Dreamland 64) via disc-swapping and cheat codes, thus raising the total amount of stages to 18. The Nintendo 64 version of the game has no such feature. The Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense features the state of Alaska, next to the map of the U.S. on the stage select screen.

 

 

METEOR CRATER - ARIZONA: Located somewhere along Route 40, near Winslow, Arizona. Lord Clyde arrives from the future in this area on September 17th 1977 to put an end to Convoy’s life and destroy his service station, thus setting in the plot of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense in motion. Note: According to Quest descriptions, the Meteor Crater stage is likely set in or around the Barringer Meteor Crater, near the Navajo Canyon. According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Meteor Crater stage was once named “Route 66.” Point A: The crater. Observation platforms contain special weapon crates and hoverpods, while the center of the crater may offer power-ups. The crater is also home to the giant mutant ant from outer space. In order to release the ant, the player must first destroy the observatory building; shortly after, the sound of a large object falling from the sky will be heard, quickly followed by a powerful impact within the crater which will throw all vehicles into the air. Then, the player must drive to the crater, in which they will find a large meteorite. Destroying the meteorite with weapons fire will break it apart, releasing the ant within. The ant will attack any vehicle that enters the crater, firing lasers from its mouth that deal moderate damage, as well as grabbing and throwing them up into the air. The ant will also sometimes chase its target out of the crater for a set distance, before returning to it. Despite its abilities, the ant is quite fragile, and easily succumbs to weapons fire, as well as vehicles that land upon its head after being tossed upwards by it. The ant respawns indefinitely after the destruction of the observatory, as a new meteorite will fall into the crater as soon as it is killed. Note: The ant was created by Luxoflux developer Edvard Toth, and is likely a reference to the 1954 movie “Them!”. Point B: The meteor observatory. The building has two entrances – one at the front, and one at the side. With enough luck, entering the side entrance will send vehicles to the secret located directly behind the observatory, where special weapon crates and repair power-ups can be found (multiple attempts may be required). The front entrance will send vehicles to the top of the observatory where they will be automatically equipped with hoverwheels, ready to fly away. However, opting to stay atop the observatory tower will allow the player to lead the small meteorite that periodically fall upon the stage to land on targeted enemies instead. However, these meteorites rarely hit with enough accuracy to deal damage if the target is in motion. The observatory tower is rendered permanently inaccessible if the building is destroyed. Note: According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the secret area behind the observatory once contained a “meteorite catapult” structure, which would periodically throw large rocks all over the stage under the guise of real meteorites. Supposedly, vehicles could also be launched by it back into the main stage. Point C: Mine shafts. Located at the North and South, as well as the secret area, the tunnels can quickly teleport vehicles back and forth across the stage.

Point D: The police car. Always found parked near donut shops, the police car will spur into action and chase any vehicle that attacks it with weapons fire, destroys the donut shop or goes over the speed limit within its field of view. When chasing a vehicle, the police car will attempt to ram them, dealing light damage and applying the same impairing effect as the Roadkill Mines or the Tire Buster combo. Destroying the white “Speed Limit 55” signs around the stage will permanently disable the speed limit trigger. The police car can be destroyed, but possesses a very high amount of armor points and, if destroyed with a weapon or whammy that totals, the game will freeze. It is based on the 1974 Chevrolet Bel Air, the 1975 Ford Granada and the 1978 Catalina Heavy Duty Freeway Enforcer. When a donut shop is destroyed, the giant donut sitting atop the building will be dislodged and tumble across the stage, dealing damage to any vehicles it rolls over. Point E: Gas stations. Driving under the canopy area will grant vehicles up to four repair triggers from the station itself. Opening the service area door will reveal a repair power-up. Once destroyed, the gas station will no longer offer any repair services. Point F: The drive-in theater. Destroying the projector screen and the ticket building behind it will create a ramp that can lead vehicles through the opening that is created, rewarding them with a special weapon crate as they fly through the projector. Larger vehicles may require afterburners and/or hoverpods for this stunt.

 

 

 

LAUNCH SITE - FLORIDA: NASA Space Launch Center, located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Astronaut Bob O. supposedly breaks out of his containment at this location, stealing a Moon Trekker on his way out. The compound is heavily guarded by government agents. As of 1977, the Apollo program is still active, with a new mission being prepared by the time the Auto Skirmishes engulf the launch site. Note: The real Apollo program ended in December 19th, 1972, with Apollo 17. Note: According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Launch Site stage once contained a large filming set built as a mockup of the Moon landing that took up the same area as the Shuttle hangar and the Moon Lander pedestal at the Northeast section of the stage, made as a satirical reference to the infamous Moon Landing Hoax. It was designed by Luxoflux developer David Goodrich, but was scrapped prior to release. Point A: The launch pad. The tunnel facing East and West serves as the exit point for vehicles that sink into the water, as well as the outlet for the rocket booster flames when the rocket transport crawler sits atop the platform. The flames deal tremendous damage and pushback to any unsuspecting vehicles that are caught in its area of effect, and will likewise burn vehicles that exit the tunnel after sinking into the water. The tunnel facing South, when displaying green lights, will equip the first vehicle that enters it with a rocket booster, and send it upwards over the platform in a launch sequence; the vehicle in question will then fall back towards the stage moments later, and can be maneuvered through the air while falling to catch any weapons, power-ups and quest items that may appear along the way. Note: The voice that is heard when the rocket tests its engines atop the platform is taken from a recording of Richard O. Covey’s line, “Challenger, go with throttle up”, uttered moments before the disaster of the Challenger Shuttle in 1986. Point B: The command center. Opening the main door and driving into the control room will activate the rocket transport crawler, which will ferry the rocket South towards the launch pad, where it will sit, testing the rocket’s booster engines every few seconds. When sitting atop the platform, the transport crawler is indestructible. Once the transport crawler is positioned, the rocket can be launched by driving into the control room a second time. The transport crawler will then return to its original position once the rocket is launched. A repair power-up can be found within the control room. The transport crawler is based on the 1964 Marion Power Shovel KSC Crawler Transporter. Point C: Wind tunnels. Vehicles that drive close to the entrances facing the road will be forcefully drawn into the tunnels and cast off towards the ocean at the opposite end of the building. Point D: Guard towers. Armed with firepower similar to the Mosquito Machine Gun, the towers will fire upon any vehicle that enters their effective range. Can be destroyed by weapons fire.

Point E: Rocket engines. Will trigger and set ablaze any vehicle that passes in front of them, along the sand between them and the ocean, dealing moderate damage. When their support structures are destroyed, the will spin wildly in the air, violently pushing the first vehicle hit off into the distance, setting them ablaze and sometimes dealing heavy damage. Point F: Electric fences. Will electrocute any vehicle that comes in contact with them, dealing light damage and throwing them upwards into the air. Adjacent islands: Contain weapons and power-ups. Can be accessed either by using Hydro Floaters or by driving along the discreetly hidden sandbank that connects all three islands together. Sharks: Will attack any waterborne vehicle until their Hydro Floaters are disabled, sinking them into the ocean. The sharks are indestructible.

 

 

 

ALASKAN PIPELINE - ALASKA: Hexagon Drilling Co., Valdez Bay, Alaska. The Coyotes booby-trap Hexagon Oil pipelines in an attempt to destroy this major U.S. refinery, leading to the final confrontation between Lord Clyde and Convoy. Note: According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Alaskan Pipeline was originally designed with sandy ground textures, set somewhere in Texas, and named “Oilfields”. Point A: Icebergs and killer whales. Icebergs can be either used as cover or broken down to reveal power-ups, while killer whales will deal damage to any vehicle they encounter. Point B: Crude oil silos. Weapon crates and power-ups can be found atop the tanks. Drifter Quest items can be delivered here. Point C: Oil puddle. Vehicles that drive into the puddle will have their speed impaired while inside it. Firing upon the oil will ignite flames which will chase the nearest vehicle inside the puddle, dealing moderate damage, setting them ablaze and throwing them up in the air. Point D: Oil refinery. The easiest point of entry into the overhead pipelines, which will teleport vehicles to random exits around the stage. Snow terrain: Will negatively affect vehicle speed and traction. Pay attention to ground textures – roads do not limit speed like deep snow does.

 

 

 

GHASTLY BAYOU - LOUISIANA: An abandoned sugar plantation estate, near Bayou Vista, Louisiana. Lord Clyde’s Coyotes have stashed their emergency funds in this area. Note: At some point during development, the Ghastly Bayou stage was going to feature a monster akin to Creature from the Black Lagoon. Point A: The water locks. In order to activate them, the player must maneuver onto metal bridge atop the lock, and fire upon the handwheel at one of the pylons, until the lock reaches its maximum height. This must be performed on both locks on both ends of the North section of the stage, and must be done quickly, lest the locks reset to their lowered position. If done correctly, the water level will rise, flooding most of the stage and sinking vehicles that are not equipped with hydro floaters, as well as allowing alligators to swim further inland over the water to attach vehicles. Point B: The bayou. The water is normally shallow enough for most vehicles to drive through it, though with their top speed impaired. Vehicles that stand still while inside the water will have their engines clogged. Any vehicle found within the water may be attacked by roaming alligators. Alligator traps can be found above some of the willow trees, marked by spinning wisps of light underneath them; should a vehicle or alligator touch these wisps, a wooden cage will fall on top of them, trapping them in place until the cage is destroyed. Alligators can be lured towards the wisps and trapped by the cages upon swimming through them. Some weapons, power-ups and Quest items hover high above the water, and can only be reached when the level is flooded via raising the water locks. Point C: The tombs. The large crypt building may teleport the player to the mansion on the other side of the Southern section of the map when a wisp of light is visible within it, and may likewise be an exit point to any vehicle that enters the mansion teleport wisp. The tombs around it contain vengeful spirits which, when disturbed, will seek out and strike the vehicle that breaks open their resting places. Point D: The mansion. May teleport vehicles that enter it to the graveyard on the other side of the Southern section of the map when a wisp of light is visible within it, and may likewise be an exit point to any vehicle that enters the graveyard teleport wisp. It will also refill one of the vehicle’s three weapons as they are teleported to and from the graveyard. Point E: The sugar mills. The wet marshes will slow down vehicles, leaving them mired in mud. The mills are a reliable source of weapon crates and repair power-ups when destroyed. Alligators: Roaming the bayou at the center of the stage, they will attack any vehicle that drives into the water. When inactive, they will rest upon the banks along the edge of the lake, and will flee when shot. Alligators are indestructible.

 

 

 

NUCLEAR PLANT - MINNESOTA: Pander Island Nuclear Power Plant, Pander Island, Minnesota. Lord Clyde’s Coyotes attempt to sabotage the plant’s reactors in order to destroy the facility, and some Drifters aid them in this endeavor. Note: The Nuclear Plant stage is likely based on the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Nuclear Plant stage was originally located in Wisconsin, and named “Nuclear Power Plant”. The yellow transformers outside the main building resembled the transformers found in the Hoover Dam level from the original Vigilante 8, and did not magnetize nearby vehicles towards them. In addition, one of the entrances into the main building was accessed by a small bridge built over water. Point A: The control room. Found inside the main plant building, the control room contains a few weapons and power-ups. It also contains three computer panels which, when lightly rammed while displaying a specific light in quick succession, will activate either of two features. When all computers are rammed while flashing green lights, they will activate a repair function for the electric turbines at the lower level, which will heal the first vehicle that drives in between them. If all computers are rammed while flashing red lights, the electric arc will be activated instead, shocking any vehicle that drives in between the turbines. Point B: The turbines. Found inside the main plant building, they will either repair or damage vehicles that drive between them, depending on the feature activated by the computers on the higher level (green or red). Special weapon crates and repair power-ups can be found between them. When destroyed, the turbines will explode violently, dealing moderate damage to nearby vehicles. Point C: Nuclear reactors. Careful maneuvering is required in order to acquire the special weapon crates and repair power-ups along the inner edges of the structure. Vehicles that sink into the cooling pools will come out through the tunnels along the Eastern section of the stage. When hit with enough weapons fire, the reactor cores will swell and detonate, dealing tremendous damage and inflicting radioactive damage to all vehicles in a very large radius, as well as causing their engines to stall. The hazardous effects from the explosions will hit at the very start of the explosion animation. Point D: The tunnels and spent coolant pools. Will teleport players to and fro across the stage. The tunnels serve as the exit point for vehicles that sink into water bodies, while the coolant pools will launch vehicles into the air. Large vehicles may have trouble sinking into the pools. Point E: Electric capacitor banks. Vehicles that approach the capacitors will be magnetized towards them and receive shocks which deal light damage and throw them up in the air. Power-ups can be found between the capacitors.

Forklifts: The vehicles transport three drums of radioactive waste along the transit areas around the main building and nuclear reactors, going into and out of tunnels. The forklifts will deal moderate ramming damage to any vehicle that comes in contact with them, and are likely to ram vehicles that emerge from the tunnels. Firing at the forklifts will cause them to drop the drums of radioactive material. The drums will detonate either upon contact with structures, vehicles or weapons fire, or after a set amount of time of being untouched. Based on the 1970 Yale L83 Forklift. Nuclear waste casks: Six white cylindrical tanks located at the Northwest section of the map. Drifter Quest items can be delivered here.

  

 

 

PACIFIC HARBOR - CALIFORNIA: Commercial Seaport of Long Beach, San Pedro, California. Lord Clyde’s Coyotes are discovered to be expecting the arrival of South American contraband at the seaport. Note: According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Pacific Harbor stage was once named “Harbor Level”. The North section of the Pacific Harbor stage once had a second boat housing structure facing across from the main container area, as well as three fuel silos between it and the Western drawbridge. The center area under the large bridge also had a few shipping containers. There was once a water tower atop the Port of Los Angeles warehouse. These elements were cut from the stage prior to release. Point A: The lighthouse. Vehicles that drive into the lighthouse will be teleported to the top of the structure, where they will receive a hover pod power-up as they emerge from it. Maintaining the lift of the hover pods by repeatedly tapping the gas button will allow the player to land upon the warehouse, where special weapon crates and repair power-ups can be found. Large vehicles may require the use of afterburners. Point B: The cranes. Vehicles that sink into water will be dredged out of either of three cranes, depending on where they may sink and current availability of the nearest crane, sometimes receiving weapons or power-ups in the process. The cranes are indestructible. Note: In the Japanese version of 2nd Offense, vehicles will be rescued by random cranes, rather than the one closest to the location where they have sunk. The cranes will also drop the vehicles in a manner where they will be facing away from the cranes themselves, rather than towards them. This change was likely made so that players may more readily fend off enemies lying in wait at the locations where they are dropped. Point C: Municipal Warehouse No. 1. Entering the building from any of its North-facing entrances will either teleport the player out through one of the hatches on the second level, or out through the door facing the ocean, picking up a hydro floater power-up along the way. Point D: The cargo checkpoint. Will repair vehicles that stand under it when green lights are displayed. The repair feature is permanently disabled upon destruction of the checkpoint. Note: According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the cargo checkpoint area once had a small building and fences next to it, which was removed prior to release. Point E: Breakwater. Narrow stone paths extending out of the mainland. Careful maneuvering will reward vehicles with weapons and power-ups sitting atop them.

Point F: Drawbridges. May contain special weapon crates sitting atop them, but will also periodically rise in order to allow passage to the cargo vessel as it navigates through the port, either temporarily closing available paths to the ship loader area or causing vehicles to sink into the water. Cargo trucks: Will cause moderate damage and push vehicles that come in contact with them. Can be forcefully stopped simply by parking in their path as they approach, causing them to slow down each time it rams the player’s vehicle. The trucks are based on the 1972 White Road Commander II.

 

 

 

WINTER GAMES - UTAH: 1978 Olympus Games Resort, Wasatch Range, Utah. Lord Clyde’s Coyotes stage a robbery at the ski resort in order to gather funds for their operations. Note: According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Winter Games stage was once named “Winter Olympics.” All buildings in the Winter Games stage had textures that looked metallic intead of wooden, and all roofs were red. The design of the houses near the lodge was smaller. The podium was located to the right side of the lodge, next to a large flip-score billboard that read “BLAH BLAH BLAH SOON THIS WILL SAY THE CORRECT THING.” These elements were cut from the stage prior to release. Point A: The slalom run. Numerous power-ups can be found along the hill’s descent. A successful run through this event requires the player to zig-zag around either the blue flags or the red flags (not both) as fast as possible, before crossing the finish line. Every flag successfully cleared will result in a bell ringing sound. Clearing the finish line in record time will reward the player with a cheer from the crowd, as well as weapons and power-ups at the podium next to the lodge. Point B: The ski jump. Can be entered through the tower at the higher section of the stage. Vehicles that enter it will be sent down a long ramp and fly off the slope at the very end. Vehicles that achieve a high enough altitude, perform tricks such as spinning in mid-air, and land on their wheels will be rewarded with cheers from the crowd, as well as weapons and power-ups at the podium next to the lodge. Point C: The bobsled slope. Laden with weapon crates and power-ups. Once a vehicle falls into the icy track, its only option is to slide down towards the end, as it is too slippery to climb out of. Vehicles that clear the bobsled track quickly enough will be rewarded with cheers from the crowd as well as weapons and power-ups at the podium next to the lodge.

Point D: The gondola stations. The cable cars can be accessed by destroying the metal doors on either one of the buildings at the top and bottom of the mountain. When entered, the cable car will carry vehicles up or down the mountain, picking up weapons and power-ups along the way. Cable cars regenerate after being destroyed, and will continue to function even after the buildings are destroyed. Drifter Quest items can be delivered here. Point E: Ski lift. Will tow vehicles up the mountain, picking up weapons and power-ups along the way. Useful for vehicles that do not possess Skis ‘N Treads. Point F: The lodge. Vehicles that drive through the entrance at ground level will emerge from the door on the upper level, driving across the veranda and picking up weapons and power-ups that may be found above. Vehicles may likewise drive up the roof of the building in order to seek cover. Power-ups can be found behind the building. Snow terrain: Will negatively affect vehicle speed and traction. Pay attention to ground textures – roads and snow that’s been marked by skis do not limit speed like deep snow does.

  

 

 

STEEL MILL - PENNSYLVANIA: Sunshine Steel Works, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Lord Clyde attempts to scour for funds by assaulting money trains in the area after many defeats at the hands of the Vigilantes. Note: According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Steel Mill stage once featured small stone bridges along the train tracks next to the casting machine and smelting buildings, which could be driven underneath and through. These elements were cut from the stage prior to release. Point A: The train. The freight train moves along a fully operational rail system, and its course can be changed by ramming or firing upon the turnout switches found across the stage. With a few specific route changes, the train can be forced to park at the scrap unloading area under the magnet beams to the East. The direction a turnout switch points towards indicates the path the train will take as it passes by the switch. From its starting position, the train can be parked at the service dock simply by changing the first switch in its current path, then the first switch across the bridge, and finally by destroying the two wagons that block the way to the railroad buffer under the scrap magnet area before the train arrives. The train can be destroyed either with direct fire, or indirectly by destroying the bridges at the North or South ends of the stage, which will cause it to crash and explode, leaving its wagons behind. Point B: The steel casting machine mill building. The building to the North houses a casting machine from which freshly-cut red-hot steel bars emerge periodically, sliding down a ramp towards the cooling bed housing outside. Vehicles that come in contact with the bars will be set ablaze. Firing upon the metal bars will transform them into blobs of molten metal similar to those from the ladle area. Destroying the South building will cease production of the metal bars. Point C: The smelting mill building. The building to the South houses a molten metal ladle as well as three blast furnaces. Vehicles that drive into the smelting area will be targeted by the ladle, which will automatically dispense molten metal from above. Should the ladle miss its mark, the dispensed molten metal will amalgamate into a blob and slowly pursue the nearest vehicle, dealing light damage and setting them ablaze. Vehicles that drive close to the furnaces will be burned by torrents of molten metal that fly out of the tap holes. Point D: The scrap magnets. The smelting building grants access to two scrap magnets, which will grab any vehicle that drives off the building through the opening on the second floor and drag them towards the service dock area, picking up weapons and power-ups along the way. The train can be parked at the service dock. Point E: The tunnels. Will teleport vehicles across the stage when entered, and will also serve as exit points for vehicles that sink into the river. Vehicles may sometimes emerge from the tunnel atop the train or, in some cases, crash headfirst into the oncoming locomotive if they attempt to enter a tunnel at the wrong moment.

Point F: Coal piles and steel rolls. Firing upon the coal piles will ignite flames which will chase the nearest vehicle, dealing moderate damage and setting them ablaze should they be standing on the coal pile, as well as throwing them up in the air. Outside furnaces: Located next to the smelting building, towards the South. Drifter Quest items can be delivered here.

 

 

 

Vigilante 8: Arcade stages: Vigilante 8: Arcade has a total of 7 stages, two of which are DLC – Garage and Stunt Track.

FARMLANDS:

Crop duster plane: Flies around the stage spraying a green substance over the crops, and will damage and stall any vehicles that drive through the cloud. The plane is destructible.

The barn: Effective as means of cover against incoming fire. When destroyed, it will forcibly eject vehicles located inside it before collapsing, creating a ramp that leads to powerups hovering above the entrance.

Crop sprayers: Large structures that pass over patches of land. When a vehicle drives under them, the sprayers will deploy water sprays which will stall and cause damage. Small plants will also sprout from the ground where water is sprayed.

The canal: Lined up with water pumps which, when fired upon with the mosquito machine gun, will spray water into the canal, creating two large waves which will push vehicles out of the canal while clogging their engines. Using any other weapon will destroy the pumps.

Hay bales: Will ignite and roll down the hill when fired upon, damaging anything in their path. The hay bales near the grain silos may sometimes crash into them, creating a chain reaction.

Alien artifacts:

· Crop duster plane that circles the arena.

· In the fence by the apple trees.

· Wind farm near the greenhouses.

· Mailboxes at the start of the level.

HOOVER DAM:

Intake penstock towers: Two walkways extend out over the water, connecting to the penstock towers. Special weapons can be found behind the towers.

Outlet tunnels: Driving into one of the tunnels will teleport vehicles randomly around the stage, as they emerge from one of the other three tunnels. Vehicles that fall into the water at the upriver area will likewise be spat out from one of the tunnels.

Generators: Will detonate when fired upon, sending large chunks of metal in all directions. The blast radius will likewise cause high damage to nearby vehicles.

The power station: Driving between the structures will activate the large lever at the center, triggering a powerful electric arc which will travel down the canal at the middle of the stage, damaging any vehicles caught in the canal. The hazard will still function even after the station itself is destroyed.

Water pipes: Can be activated either by ramming or firing upon the pipes within the tunnels on either side of the canal. When triggered, the pipes will dispense a strong torrent of water towards the furthest end of the tunnel, dealing damage to any vehicles caught within the tunnel itself.

Water spouts: Found alongside the South end of the canal. Will blast any vehicle that drives over them into the air.

Boulders: Will roll down the road at both sides of the level when fired upon.

Alien artifacts:

· Near the tunnel on the right hand side.

· Electric Generators.

· Monument on the walkway.

· At the base of the level, right hand side.

· At the base of the winding road, right hand side.

· Generators beside the tunnels.

· Pylons at the top of the dam.

· Pylons on the “roof” of the tunnel, midway between the ground floor and upper road.

OIL FIELDS:

Crude oil compound: Contains a number of explosive elements which will deal damage when detonated.

Horton spheres: Pressure vessels which storage compressed gases such as propane, liquefied petroleum gas or butane in a liquid gas stage. When hit by weapons fire, the spheres will be dislodged from their supports and tumble down the hills at random directions, exploding upon contact with vehicles or stray shots, dealing moderate area damage.

Oil towers: When destroyed, large gushes of oil will be launched into the air. Which will blast any vehicle that drives over them into the air.

Alien artifacts:

· Pipelines.

· Oil spheres at the top of the ridge.

· Oil towers.

· In the middle of the three oil pumps.

· Portable toilets, near hilltop refinery.

SKI RESORT:

The lodge: Can be entered from any of the three entrances, which will teleport vehicles to the Ski Patrol hut at the top of the hill. There is also a ramp next to the picnic tables which grants access to special weapon pickups hovering above the canopy.

Avalanches: Can be set off by destroying smaller trees. Will damage any vehicles caught in their area of effect.

Ski jump: Can be entered through the tower at the higher section of the stage. Vehicles that enter it will be sent down a long ramp and fly off the slope at the very end.

Ski lift: Will tow vehicles up the mountain, picking up weapons and power-ups along the way.

Snow blowers: Will launch nearby vehicles to the bottom of the hill when approached. Effective for escaping incoming fire.

Alien artifacts:

· Trees on the right hand side.

· Beside the frozen lake, to the left, from the foot of the hill up.

· Fence at the foot of the ski jump.

· Snow Blower, at the right side of the level.

· The orange fence on the road, running left to right across the arena, halfway up the level.

METEOR CRATER

Crater: Breaking the large meteor within the crater will open a portal which, when driven into, will teleport vehicles into space, granting numerous weapons and power-ups, before returning them to the stage.

Mine shafts: Can quickly teleport vehicles back and forth across the stage.

The tornado: Found within the ravine. Vehicles caught in the tornado will be temporarily lifted off the ground, taking damage, losing control and becoming vulnerable to enemy attacks.

Meteor shower: Can be triggered by destroying signs that read “DANGER - RADIOACTIVE AREA - OFF LIMITS” around the stage. Once removed, a series of small meteors will rain down upon the stage, causing a large explosion which will damage nearby vehicles.

The gas station: When destroyed, the canopy will create a ramp that grants access to power-ups hovering in the air.

Alien artifacts:

· In the Meteor itself.

· The trailer at the gas station.

· The train carriage just outside the tunnel.

· In the ravine.

· Trees near the boundary.

· To the right of the tunnel.

· The billboard, near the arena boundary.

· Small building with trailer outside.

· Trees behind the end of the railway track.

· Behind train cab.

· Left “Road Closed” sign.

· Building frame, near “Road Closed” signs.

· Trees just beside the stone bridge, at the edge of the arena.

· Tree just at the exit of the ravine, near the edge of the arena.

· Animal skeleton, low on ground.

STUNT TRACK

Flaming hoops: Will be ignited by vehicles that fly through them, raising a cheer from the audience and granting special weapon pickups.

Oil drums: Will detonate when fired upon, creating large explosions that will damage nearby vehicles.

Fireworks: Can be launched when rammed or fired upon.

Spheres: Can be dislodged with weapons fire and pushed around the stage, dealing minor damage upon impact.

GARAGE

Electrical cords: Will electrocute any vehicle that approaches them. Will remain active even after destruction.

Air vents: Can quickly teleport vehicles to and fro between the different levels of the stage.

Mouse traps: Will flip over any vehicles that drive over them.

 

QUEST ITEMS

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In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s Quest Mode, the player is required to collect specific Quest items (and sometimes deliver them at specific locations) during gameplay in each stage. Quest items cannot be ejected from the player’s vehicle once acquired, occupying a weapon item slot until the end of the current stage unless said stage’s objective demands the items to be delivered. Quest items can be delivered by selecting the items in the occupied weapon slot and pressing the fire button. If required items are not collected or delivered by the time all active enemies are destroyed, the player will be given 30 seconds to complete quest item collection and/or delivery before the stage is completed. The player may replay a completed stage regardless if the objectives are met on the first attempt or not.

The following is an overview of spawn locations for quest items:

 

METEOR CRATER (ARIZONA)

VIGILANTES (briefcases):

· Under observatory balcony (1 or 2 items);

· In the secret area behind the observatory (1 item);

· Between the drive-in theater outdoor screen and concession stand (1 item);

· Behind donut shop atop the cliff (1 item);

No delivery points.

Possible spawns: 5

Amount required: 2

COYOTES (bombs):

· Under observatory balcony (1 or 2 items);

· Behind the donut shop near the highway (1 item);

· In the secret area behind the observatory (1 item);

· Behind the plateau near the drive-in theater (1 item);

· Inside the crater (1 item);

No delivery points.

Possible spawns: 6

Amount required: 3

DRIFTERS (fuel cans):

· Under gas station canopies (1 item);

· Behind the donut shop atop the cliff (1 item);

· Inside the drive-in theater (1 item);

· Between the drive-in theater outdoor screen and concession stand (1 item);

· In the secret area behind the observatory (1 item);

No delivery points.

Possible spawns: 5

Amount required: 2

 

 

 

LAUNCH SITE (FLORIDA)

VIGILANTES (bombs):

· Inside the command center (1 item);

· At the larger adjacent island (up to 3 items);

No delivery points.

Possible spawns: 4

Amount required: 3

COYOTES (fuel cans):

· In the water at the four corners of the stage (up to 4 items);

· Inside the launch pad tunnel (up to 2 items);

· Inside the space shuttle hangar (up to 2 items);

· Behind the signal towers near the launch pad at the edge of the island (1 item);

· At the protrusion of the main island behind the Moon lander pedestal (1 item);

· At the larger adjacent island (up to 3 items);

· At the elevation behind the signal towers (1 item).

No delivery points.

Possible spawns: 12

Amount required: 6

DRIFTERS (supply boxes):

· In the air high above the stage – the player must enter the South-facing tunnel (when the lights are green) and be launched into space in order to acquire the items during re-entry (13 items);

Delivery point: Command Center.

Possible spawns: 13

Amount required: 5

 

 

 

ALASKAN PIPELINE (ALASKA)

VIGILANTES (bombs):

· Under the refinery’s crude oil tank ramp (1 item);

· Atop the refinery’s crude oil tank (1 item);

· Under refinery structures (1 item);

· Underneath pipelines (up to 6 items);

· Around the set of two crude oil tanks (1 item);

· Around the set of four crude oil tanks (up to 3 items);

· In the rival Coyote’s possession (1 item);

Delivery point: Ocean.

Possible spawns: 11

Amount required: 5

COYOTES (fuel cans):

· On the bridge above the set of two crude oil tanks (1 item);

· On the bridges above the set of four crude oil tanks (up to 3 items);

· At the piers (up to 2 items);

· In the ocean (up to 2 items);

Delivery point: Refinery.

Possible spawns: 5

Amount required: 4

DRIFTERS (fuel cans):

· Behind the oil barrel piles (up to 4 items);

· Atop the cliff (up to 2 items);

· On the elevated ground to the North of the refinery (1 item);

Delivery point: Crude oil silos.

Possible spawns: 4

Amount required: 3

 

 

 

GHASTLY BAYOU (LOUISIANA)

VIGILANTES: (briefcases):

· Inside five specific tombs in the cemetery (up to 5 items).

No delivery points.

Possible spawns: 5

Amount required: 2

COYOTES (briefcases):

· On the wooden piers (1 item);

· Above the water in the bayou – player must first flood the stage by raising both water locks at the southern area of the stage, and then quickly acquire hydro floaters in order to reach the item among the willow trees (up to 4 items);

Delivery point: Cemetery.

Possible spawns: 9

Amount required: 5

DRIFTERS (bombs):

· Amidst the sugar plantation crops (up to 2 items);

· Under the arched wooden bridges (up to 2 items);

· On the wooden piers (1 item);

· In the water at the center of the stage (1 item);

· Along the Eastern shore of the swamp between the cemetery and the water lock (usually taken by spawning enemies) (up to 2 items);

· Above the water in the bayou – player must first flood the stage by raising both water locks at the southern area of the stage, and then quickly acquire hydro floaters in order to reach the item among the willow trees (Up to 3 items).

No delivery points.

Possible spawns: 16

Amount required: 6

 

 

 

NUCLEAR PLANT (MINNESOTA)

VIGILANTES (bombs):

· Under the main building’s coolant pipes (up to 3 items);

· Between the electric turbines inside the main building (1 item);

· In the main building’s control room (1 item);

· Along the opposite shore behind the tunnel entrances (2 items).

Delivery point: none.

Possible spawns: 6

Amount required: 3

COYOTES (bombs):

· On the elevated ground around the white nuclear waste silos (3 items);

· Inside the spent coolant pools (1 item);

· On the elevated ground at the edge of the map near the transmission towers (1 item);

· Along the opposite shore behind the tunnel entrances (2 items).

Delivery point: Main building.

Possible spawns: 9

Amount required: 5

DRIFTERS (briefcases):

· Under the main building’s coolant pipes (up to 2 items);

· Between the electric turbines inside the main building (1 item);

· In the main building’s control room (up to 3 items);

Delivery point: White nuclear waste silos.

Possible spawns: 8

Amount required: 4

 

 

 

PACIFIC HARBOR (CALIFORNIA)

VIGILANTES (supply boxes):

· Inside the transit sheds to the North, near the larger container area (1 item);

· Inside the wharf shed next to the larger container area (1 item);

· In the water at the northern section of the map (1 item);

· In the larger container area (up to 4 items);

· In the smaller container area (1 item);

Delivery point: none.

Possible spawns: 9

Amount required: 4

COYOTES (supply boxes):

· Inside the transit sheds to the North, near the larger container area (1 item);

· Inside the wharf shed next to the larger container area (1 item);

· Hovering in front of the second floor exits of the warehouse (player must utilize the warehouse’s entrances or hover pods to reach them) (up to 3 items);

Delivery point: none.

Possible spawns: 7

Amount required: 4

DRIFTERS (supply boxes):

· Inside the transit sheds to the North, near the larger container area (up to 2 item);

· Inside the wharf shed next to the larger container area (1 item);

· In the water at the northern section of the map (1 item);

· In the larger container area (up to 2 items);

· In the smaller container area (up to 2 items);

Delivery point: none.

Possible spawns: 8

Amount required: 3

Creating a roadblock at the bridge: To complete Drifter Quest objective B The player must park their vehicle on the bridge, hold the brakes and block an incoming cargo truck’s path by enduring its ramming hits until it stops moving. Do not fire upon the truck, as it will cause it to glitch through the bridge and drive on the ground below.

 

 

 

WINTER GAMES (UTAH)

VIGILANTES (briefcases):

· In the enemies’ possession (3 items).

Delivery point: Lodge.

Possible spawns: 3

Amount required: 3

COYOTES (briefcases):

· Off the ski jump ramp (1 item);

· At the podium (1 item);

· Behind the lodge (1 item);

· At the announcement stand between the lodge and the cabins (1 item);

· Atop the lodge’s veranda (2 items).

Delivery point: none.

Possible spawns: 6

Amount required: 4

DRIFTERS (supply boxes):

· Under the ski jump (1 item);

· Along the hill near the cable car building (1 item);

· Behind the cabins (1 item);

· Behind the lodge (1 item);

· Off the ski jump ramp (1 item);

· Along the bobsled track (up to 2 items);

· At the announcement stand between the lodge and the cabins (1 item);

· Atop the lodge’s veranda (1 item).

Delivery point: Cable car buildings.

Possible spawns: 9

Amount required: 4

Beat record of each winter sport: To complete Drifter Quest objective B, the player must do the following:

·         Bobsled slope (left side) – Race down the winding slide as fast as possible and cross the finish line.

·         Ski jump – (middle) – Slide down the ramp as fast as possible to jump high and far at the end, landing the vehicle on its wheels. Use the Afterburner weapon combo.

·         Slalom run (left side) - Zig-zag around either the blue flags or the red flags (not both) as fast as possible, before crossing the finish line. Every flag successfully cleared will result in a bell ringing sound.

Successfully clearing the winter sports will reward the player with a cheer from the crowd, as well as weapons and power-ups at the podium next to the lodge.

 

 

 

STEEL MILL (PENNSYLVANIA)

VIGILANTES (supply boxes):

· Inside the freight train’s wagons (up to 3 items);

· At the empty parking area opposite to the smelting buildings (1 item);

· At the second floor of the smelting buildings (1 item);

· At the service dock area (1 item).

Delivery point: none.

Possible spawns: 6

Amount required: 3

COYOTES (briefcases):

· Inside the freight train and its wagons (4 items);

Delivery point: none.

Possible spawns: 4

Amount required: 4

DRIFTERS (fuel cans):

· Along the shore of the river to the Northwest section of the map (2 items);

· Among the coal piles (up to 2 items);

· At the empty parking area opposite to the smelting buildings (1 item);

· At the second floor of the smelting buildings (1 item);

· Near the southern bridge (1 item).

Delivery point: Outdoor furnaces next to the smelting building.

Possible spawns: 10

Amount required: 5

Stop train at service dock: From its starting position, the train can be parked at the service dock simply by changing the first switch in its current path, then the first switch across the bridge, and finally by destroying the two wagons that block the path to the railroad buffer before the train arrives.

SOUNDTRACK

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True to its overarching theme, Vigilante 8’s soundtrack is a testament to all popular music genres of the ‘70s, including Funk, Disco, Punk, Metal, Hard Rock, Symphonic, early Techno, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Stoner Rock and Fandango.

Vigilante 8: There are substantial differences between the soundtracks from the Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions of the game.

The Playstation soundtrack is comprised of CD-quality recordings composed by Jeehun Hwang and Bon Harris, while Howard Drossin, Tim Gedemer and Arion Salazar were responsible for cutscene music.

The Nintendo 64 soundtrack is sequence-based, composed by Alexander Brandon with a 1995 Korg Trinity Synthesizer.

An exclusive promotional disc, The Official Vigilante 8 ‘70s Funk Soundtrack, was released in UK territories in May 31st, 1998, containing the soundtrack of the Playstation version, as well as two extra tracks from Interstate ‘76 without dialogue audio (Vigilante Shuffle and Spineless Funk).

Music disc features: Both Vigilante 8 and 2nd Offense can be used as music CDs. The Redbook soundtracks found within the game discs can be played through the PSX’s own music player at the BIOS screen, or through any device that plays music via Compact Discs. In addition, players may listen to their own music CDs and even music from other PSX games during gameplay by pausing the game, swapping out Vigilante 8’s disc for the desired music disc, and then resuming gameplay once the data is loaded. The player will be required to reinsert Vigilante 8’s disc into the console at the end of the current match in order to quit to the main menu or proceed to the next stage, as more gamedata needs to be retrieved and loaded for the game to continue functioning. The Dreamcast version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense does not have these features, and it is not advisable to attempt these methods with Dreamcast discs.

Playstation tracklist:

Nintendo 64 tracklist:

Prototype soundtrack: Further differences are found in the alpha prototype builds of Vigilante 8. Said compositions, however, are yet to be acquired in their original quality. One confirmed difference on the Playstation compositions is the presence of piano notes on Loki’s theme.

Vigilante 8 2nd Offense: There are substantial differences between the soundtracks Playstation/Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 versions of the game. The Playstation and Dreamcast soundtracks were composed by Christian A. Salyer, Eric Klein and Javier Marquez, while the Nintendo 64 soundtrack was composed by Alexander Brandon and Daniel Gardopee.

Playstation/Dreamcast tracklist:

Note: The track “V8 Stage Theme”, although present in the actual game, is unused.

Numerous changes were made to track titles in the Japanese version of the game:

·         “Return of Houston” was changed to “Human Lady”, alluring to Houston breaking free from OMAR’s cybernetic mind control, thus no longer being only “half-human”.

·         “Dave’s Theme” was changed to “Ode to Dave”, alluring to Dave’s Cultsmen’ infatuation with their idol from the original Vigilante 8.

·         “Gimme Mo’ Torque” was changed to “Black Thunderbolt”, referring to John Torque’s vehicle of choice, though the vehicle itself is colored navy blue with golden trims.

·         “Obsession in D-” was changed to “Program Dallas”, thus making it the theme of Dallas 13 rather than Lord Clyde in the Japanese version.

·         “Stargazers” was changed to “Time Guardian”, likely as a reference to Agent R. Chase.

·         Future Two was changed to “Silent Traveler”, and has no obvious reference to any character from the game.

Nintendo 64 tracklist:

 

Prototype soundtrack: There are further differences in the prototype builds of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense. While the N64 prototype compositions are yet to be found, the Playstation/Dreamcast soundtrack is accessible and displays the following changes:

· Boogie Fever has a slightly faster tempo;

· Return to Houston has much louder synths;

· Rock My Bus has completely different guitar riffs throughout the song;

· Convoy Country features quieter guitars and more prominent cowbells and bass riffs;

· Gimme Mo’ Torque has completely different lyrics, bass riffs and lead singer, being a much more obvious reference to famous funk singer James Brown;

· Obsession In D- has a slightly shorter runtime;

· Future Two has a different intro, in which the reversed sound effect of a person gasping for air inside some sort of small chamber can be heard, possibly alluring to Dallas 13’s human brain trapped inside his robotic cranium;

· Chassey’s Chase, Go Team FAST and V8 Reprise were not yet included in the tracklist.

Lyrics: Some songs from the Playstation/Dreamcast soundtrack include lyrics, alluring to the personalities of the characters the tracks are based on. Transcribed lyrics are as follows:

V8 Theme

Can you dig it?

Vigilante Second Offense!

Vigilante Eight!

Oh yeah!

Oh yeah!

Come on, let’s do it!

Vigilantes!

Dippin’ and dodgin’, swervin’ and curvin’!

Fightin’ for what’s right and tryin’ to stay alive!

Vigilantes!

Come on!

Yeah!

Oh yeah!

Welcome to the West, to the wild, wild West!

Vigilante!

Shut your mouth!

Can you dig it?

Say it!

Vigilantes!

Dippin’ and dodgin’, swervin’ and curvin’!

Fightin’ for what’s right and tryin’ to stay alive!

Vigilantes!

Say it!

Vigilantes!

Dippin’ and dodgin’, swervin’ and curvin’!

Fightin’ for what’s right and tryin’ to stay alive!

Vigilantes!

Yeah!

 

Return to Houston

Return, return

Return to Houston

Houston

This is me

I said it’s time

What you gonna do to get away?

Run? Are you gonna run?

Or are you gonna stay and play?

Come on, make my day!

I’ve gotta return, I’ve gotta return

I’ve gotta return to Houston

Houston, Houston

 

Gimme Mo’ Torque

Oh ye-e-eah!

Oh oh!

Yeah aw yeah!

C’mon baby! (keep it comin’ now)

Oh! (that’s it)

Yeah! (keep it comin’ now)

Oh oh! (don’t stop)

He-ey! Huh!

Hey o-o-oh!

Heeey!

Babe, make this dress swing!

Hey!

(Yeah!)

Oh, oh oh, oh!

(Yeah!)

(Yeah!)

Oh, oh yeah yeah!

(Torque!)

Who’s the man...

(Torque!)

...with the best of plans?

(Torque!)

(Woo!)

Who’s gonna save your life?

(Torque!)

Who fights wrong...

(Torque!)

...in the name of right?

(Torque!)

Let’s shout it out!

(Torque!)

Yeah!

(Yeah!)

Yeah!

(Yeah!)

Ye-e-e-eah!

(Yeah!)

Oh yeah, yeah!

(Torque!)

And there’s no other!

(Torque!)

‘Cause he’s the baddest soul brother!

(Torque!)

 

Gimme Mo’ Torque (Prototype Version)

Hit me two times!

Huh! Watch me!

I got that feelin’!

Huh! Watch me!

Look out! Huh!

Look out! Look out!

Huh! C’mon!

I wanna make ya move fast!

Yeah!

Feelin’ loose!

Huh! Yeah!

Let’s get ready to do my thang!

Take it to the bridge! Yeah!

Band! (What?)

Let’s show ‘em how we do our thang!

What we gon’ do right here,

We gon’ break it down just a little bit!

This is what we gon’ do:

Huh! When I say “gimme mo’,”

I want y’all to say “Torque!”

You with me? (Yeah!)

Let’s show ‘em how funky we can get, huh?

Baby, hook it up!

Gimme mo’! (Torque!)

Gimme mo’! (Torque!)

Gimme mo’! (Torque!)

And gimme mo’! (Torque!)

Say it one mo’ time!

Torque (Torque!)

I like that! Y’all with me? (Yeah!)

A little louder! (Yeah!)

Yeah!

Huh! C’mon!

Feelin’ loose!

Huh! I got that feelin’!

 

Note: The prototype version of Gimme Mo’ Torque references numerous James Brown songs, such as “Hit Me Two Times”, “Watch Me (Super Bad)”, “I got the Feelin’”, “Feelin’ loose (Turn It a Loose)”, “Do My Thang (Get Up Part 1)” and “Take It To The Bridge (Sex Machine)”.

 

Go Team FAST

DY-NO-MITE!

What’s up now?

Aw, Team FAST!

Go Team FAST!

Don’t stop, get down! (Yeah!)

Comin’ at ya!

Go Team FAST!

Check it out!

Wooo! For sure!

Take it!

Go Team FAST!

The team to choose!

We never lose!

We’re back to the boogie!

We got the tools!

Thought you had ‘em? (Nah, not me!)

Go grab ‘em!

Stand back! (When they rush, bust back!)

What’s that?

The team that makes you scream!

Sayin’ what?

Sayin’ dy-no-mite!

That’s right!

Can’t hurt me!

We’re cool cats!

[You] Jive turkeys!

Way too fast!

We blast, crash!

Check this shi-- (sshh!) Yeah!

You watch yo mouth!

Turnin’ a corner and burnin’ out!

Show you why we’re built to last!

All in, together now!

Go Team FAST!

 

Note: Team FAST’s theme song references American R&B band Chic’s famous song, “Le Freak”.

 

OK To Be Loco

Andale, andale!

Hahahaha!

La nina loca!

La nina loca!

Hahahaha!

Nina!

La nina loca!

La nina loca!

Te levanta!

Ay ay ay!

Andale!

La nina loca!

La nina loca!

 

Road to Madness

Agnus Dei...

I believe!

 

Note: Road to Madness’ first verse is a reference to the widely known Roman Catholic liturgical chant, “Lamb of God”.

 

Future Two

People saw!

 

Vigilante 8: Arcade: The soundtrack of Vigilante 8: Arcade is comprised of remixed tracks from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, in which the tracks were spliced into different sequences, adding nothing to the original compositions.

 

FACTIONS

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The Auto Skirmishes, also known as the Coyote Wars, were a series of battles that broke out throughout the United States between 1975 and 1977. While the Coyotes have been in activity since 1973, the first major conflict between the Vigilantes and the Coyotes began in 1975, ending in winter that same year. The second major conflict began on September 17th, 1977 with the death of Convoy, and likely ended at some point between late September and mid-October that year.

The Oil Monopoly Alliance Regime Incorporated, also known as OMAR Inc., is an international oil corporation. It has achieved a near-monopoly in the petroleum market at least as early as 1973, forcing most other major companies out of the industry. It is responsible for leading many countries to bankruptcy with its immoral practices and unfair drum prices. Only the United States of America stands in its way to world domination as the only country in the world that still resists the company’s control. As punishment, the consortium cuts off America’s oil supply, sending the country into socioeconomic chaos. Police and military forces are dispatched to the nation’s major cities, the first to feel the effects of the embargo. In order to topple the American energy market, OMAR recruited international terrorist Sid Burn and his Coyote Cartel for $100 million with the goal of destroying the nation’s energy and oil infrastructure. Its remaining competitors include major energy providers such as Hexagon Petroleum Corp., Sunshine Steel Works, Pander Island NPP, Hoover Powerplant and Uzumi Power, as well as gas station franchises such as Gas Parade, Glyph and Ed’s Rocketfuel.

VIGILANTES: The protagonists of the series, making their debut in the original Vigilante 8. A group of residents from the Southwest formed by a local trucker named Convoy, who band together to preserve law and order in light of chaos gripping the country. There have been nine known Vigilantes throughout the series. The Vigilantes are represented by the color blue.

Members (Vigilante 8):

· Convoy (Leader)

· John Torque (Second-in-command)

· Chassey Blue

· Sheila

· Slick Clyde

· Dave

Members (Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense):

· Convoy (Leader)

· John Torque (Second-in-Command)

· Houston (Coyote-turned-Vigilante; interim leader)

· Sheila

· Flying All-Star Trio

· Dave’s Cultsmen

Members (Vigilante 8: Arcade):

· Convoy (Leader)

· John Torque (Second-in-command)

· Chassey Blue

· Dave

· Sheila (DLC)

Note: Houston is listed as a Drifter in Vigilante 8: Arcade, portrayed in her 2nd Offense name, design and vehicle.

COYOTES: Also known as the Coyote Cartel, they are the main antagonists of the series, making their debut in the original Vigilante 8. A group of mercenaries founded by the Australian terrorist Sid Burn, and recruited by OMAR to carry out their plans of destroying oil installations throughout the Southwest using weaponry stolen from the top secret Site-4 base in Nevada. There have been ten known Coyotes throughout the series. The Coyotes are represented by the color red.

Note: Early in development, the Coyotes were originally known as “The Creepers”, based on Interstate ‘76.

Members (Vigilante 8):

· Sid Burn (Leader)

· Loki

· Houston 3

· Boogie

· Beezwax

· Molo

Members (Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense):

· Lord Clyde (Vigilante-turned-Coyote; leader)

· Obake

· Dallas 13

· Boogie

· Nina Loco

· Molo

Members (Vigilante 8: Arcade):

· Sid Burn (Leader)

· Boogie

· Beezwax

· Molo

Note: Loki is listed as a Drifter in Vigilante 8: Arcade, portrayed with completely different character and vehicle designs.

DRIFTERS: Assorted independent or otherwise neutral characters with various motivations and goals, being neither officially associated with the Vigilantes nor the Coyotes. Although ‘Y’ the Alien may be considered the first Drifter in the original Vigilante 8, the faction makes its official debut in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense. There have been six known Drifters throughout the series. The Drifters are represented by the color green.

Members (Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense):

· Astronaut Bob O.

· Garbage Man (‘Y’ the Alien)

· Agent R. Chase

· Chassey Blue (Vigilante-turned-Drifter)

· Padre Destino

· Dusty Earth

Members (Vigilante 8: Arcade):

· ‘Y’ the Alien

· Loki (DLC)

· Houston (DLC)

Note: Despite Vigilante 8: Arcade technically being a remake of the original Vigilante 8, certain characters are still listed as Drifters, despite the faction being nonexistent in the original game. Drifters in Vigilante 8: Arcade have no Quests of their own and thus serve no purpose in the game’s plot. In the Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Drifters are renamed to “Wanderers”.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade’s files, there is leftover code for an unused vehicle called “2008 Farty Dog” – a vehicle designed after the drawing of a dog with wheels instead of paws, likely from one of the developers’ children. It had low-medium strength, high acceleration, medium-high top speed and low radar evasion. The vehicle uses the same special weapon as Molo. Although the vehicle was unfinished, it was still possible to utilize it in online play.

 

 

CHARACTERS

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There are a total of thirteen characters in the original Vigilante 8, eighteen characters in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense and twelve characters in Vigilante 8: Arcade. Questlines are listed below:

 

Vigilante 8:

Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Vigilante 8: Arcade:

 

 

Chassey Blue (チャシー・ブルー)

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In Vigilante 8:

A beauty queen and a secret government agent from D.C., Chassey joined the Vigilantes as part of her undercover assignment to neutralize Coyotes.

Chassey is an agent sent by the FBI to investigate the auto skirmishes in the Southwest and its possible connections with OMAR.

Top Speed:	llllllllllllllllll (18/20)
Armor:	lllllll (7/20)
Avoidance:	llllllllllll (12/20)

Vehicle: 1967 Rattler - a sports coupé boasting high speed and tracking avoidance, but low armor. Based on the 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé and the 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Mk. III hardtop.

Special weapon: Gridlock - Developed for Chassey by government labs, the Gridlock launches an expanding grid of flares. The flares combust on impact in a gaseous discharge, capable of stalling and damaging almost any engine within the grid area. The weapon comes with 6 charges by default.

Quest:

Ski Resort: FBI agent Chassey Blue is sent to Colorado to resolve a hostage situation: The Coyotes have taken over a ski resort! When the foxy agent arrives, she is greeted with bullets…

Canyonlands: Following the grisly battle, Chassey decides to quit the FBI and head to California for a vacation. Just when she thinks her woes are over, she runs into some Coyotes in Utah…

Casino City: Westward bound, Chassey decides to flaunt her style in Casino City. Little does she know that dance freak Boogie is in town with his posse, attending the Disco Mania Awards…

Valley Farms: Finally, sunny California! Chassey is mesmerized by the beauty of the San Joaquin Valley and its blooming orchards. Suddenly, strange glowing bees attack her car…

Final boss: Beezwax.

Ending: After laying down some heavy justice on the Coyotes, Chassey finally lands in Hollywood, and in front of the cameras. It’s “Chassey Blue” in a theatre near you.

After defeating Sid Burn’s gang with the help of Convoy and the Vigilantes, Chassey decided to pursue a movie career in Hollywood, turning her many feats into blockbusters. Based on a true story.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Chassey Blue was based on the character Jade Champion from Vigilante 8’s predecessor series, Interstate ‘76. The latter was originally meant to star in the game, but was eventually replaced.

Chassey Blue is featured on the menu screen of the N64 version of Vigilante 8.

Chassey Blue was born in 1949.

In the original June 1st 1998 Playstation NTSC-U 1.0 version of Vigilante 8, Chassey Blue is set to spawn at the bottom of the mountain on the Ski Resort stage in Quest Mode. In later releases, however, she is set to spawn near the top of the mountain instead.

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

After quitting the FBI, Chassey turned actress and took Hollywood by storm. She debuted in the spring of 1976 in the true-to-life action romp “Agent Blue: Auto Vigilante”, starring as herself – an undercover FBI agent who cleaned up the Southwest of hordes of motorized gangsters. It was just the kind of film that the country yearned for, and the beautiful Chassey was a natural. The film was an instant hit, making her a major movie star literally overnight.

Chassey went on to make three other films that year, all of them blockbusters. In early 1977, however, she became the central figure in a major controversy. When the tabloids printed doctored photos of Chassey with the President, the studios shut their doors on her just as fast as they opened them, and her Hollywood career was over. Chassey was devastated. Luckily, the doldrums didn’t last long. She was soon contacted by her old supervisor at the FBI, who not only wanted her back, but also offered her a promotion to secret agent. Surprised at the sudden interest and sick of Hollywood, Chassey took the job without hesitation. Her previous experience and unique qualifications made her the perfect, and only candidate for the agency’s latest mission. Suspecting something major at play, the FBI brass wanted Chassey in Arizona to investigate reports of renewed Coyote activity. If only she knew that it was the bureau that blackballed her career in Tinsletown just to get her back on the force…

Sporting a serious makeover and a brand new concept car, Chassey was ready for action. After joining the FBI, the agency wanted Chassey to investigate renewed Coyote activity in Arizona, and its possible connection to local time disparities and abnormal weather patterns.

Chassey Blue is unlocked as a playable character once Bob O.’s, Garbage Man’s and Agent R. Chase’s Quests are completed.

Acceleration:	lllllllllllllllll (388/400)
Top Speed:	llllllllllllllll (372/400)
Armor:	lllll (119/400)
Avoidance:	llllllll (186/400)

 Vehicle: Vertigo - a concept car boasting high speed and acceleration, but low armor. The default model is based on the 1969~1970 Mercedes-Benz C111-I and C111-II. The upgraded hot rod model is likely based on the 1964 GM Firebird III. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front bumper (armor), jet turbine (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Star Power – a specialized miniature satellite that follows Chassey’s vehicle. Upon activation, flies towards the target and casts a powerful, continuous laser beam from above. The weapon comes with 6 charges by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Chassey is still somewhat bitter about her fall from grace in Hollywood. She was a good actress and she deserved better than that! Thankfully, the FBI is giving her a second chance. Being on duty is a nice change of pace, and besides, it ain’t make-believe.

Pacific Harbor: Chassey is getting the hang of things again. It certainly looks like the Coyotes are back – she could’ve sword it was Molo driving the prison bus. How did he get out?! The bureau suspects that someone else is behind these attacks, someone powerful. Chassey is sent to the coast to look for clues…

Alaskan Pipeline: Chassey is intrigued by some of the weaponry wielded by the gangs, and so are her bosses at the FBI. Nonetheless, she’s miffed at the agency for ordering her to battle the Vigilantes. Isn’t it about time somebody realized the Vigilantes are heroes, not criminals!?

Nuclear Powerplant: The Coyotes’ next target is the nation’s pride and joy – the Pander Island Nuclear Plant in Minnesota. Chassey must hurry to save it from utter destruction. Another agent, named Chase, offers his help. The fool is clearly infatuated with her; she might as well take advantage of him – he won’t be the first.

Winter Games: Not bad! Lover-boy did come in handy… she just may keep Chase around. Besides, he is kinda cute, and an impeccable dresser! If only he would stop annoying her with all that time travel nonsense. It is painfully obvious that he’s CIA. Chassey’s next mission is taking her to Utah – let’s have some fun on the slopes…

Ghastly Bayou: The FBI is anxious to determine the source of the weaponry Chassey had found. Chase maintains it is futuristic OMAR technology, brought over by ex-Vigilante Slick Clyde and his henchmen. Who’s going to believe this?! Surprisingly, the bureau isn’t laughing. They want Chassey to track down the OMAR crew immediately. Whatever!

Steel Mill: All this traveling is getting tiresome! Chassey has now been ordered to rush to Pittsburgh in search of Clyde and his weapons. She is getting disillusioned with the agency once again. Are her bosses interested in protecting the civilians and upholding justice, or are they simply after the stupid guns?

Launch Site: Chassey has had enough! If the weapons are more important to the agency than human lives, she’s through. Heck, she’d rather go back to Hollywood! Not so fast… When a report comes in about Cape Canaveral coming under fire, Chassey doesn’t need to be asked twice. OK baby, do it one more time!

Final boss: Obake (Hot Rod).

Ending: It appears that Agent Chase has failed in both his mission and love conquests… Suddenly, Chassey Blue appears at the scene. Has she changed her mind about him? She has indeed – the love is mutual. The two are about to share a passionate kiss… when Chase’s beeper spoils the moment. He is now considered a ChronoPol fugitive! Chase refuses to return to the future and so, the two lovebirds hit the road together – happy trails!

Chassey finds a distraught Agent R. Chase discarding his badge after failing his mission to apprehend Lord Clyde. Casting her own badge to the ground alongside his, Chassey and Agent Chase embrace one another, abandoning their mission. In doing so, Chase is declared AWOL by ChronoPol, and the pair drives off in Chase’s Stinger, being chased by newly-appeared ChronoPol vehicles arriving from the future.

Quotes:

Trivia:

According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Chassey Blue has a pose not seen in the final game.

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Chassey was sent to New Mexico to investigate reports of renewed Coyote activity.

In the Japanese version of the game, the Vertigo’s acceleration is reduced from 388 to 378, its top speed is increased from 372 to 380 and its armor is decreased from 119 to 110 as to increase the chances of top speed salvage tokens to be dropped upon its destruction.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

A stunt-woman and an aspiring actress. Chassey was recruited by the Feds to go undercover with the Vigilantes to gather evidence against Convoy’s rogues. She quickly realized the agency has it all wrong, but she’s been having way too much fun to do anything about it. She’s all for the Vigilante cause… and stardom!

Strength:	Low
Acceleration:	High
Top Speed:	High
Radar Evasion:	Medium-High

Vehicle: 1967 Piranha – a muscle car reminiscent of Jade Champion’s Piranha from Interstate ‘76. Based on the Trans-Am Racing Twins’ 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A and the 1973 Plymouth Barracuda AAR.

Special weapon: Gridlock – launches an expanding grid of flares. The flares combust on impact in a gaseous discharge, capable of stalling, flipping and damaging enemy vehicles. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Hoover Dam (“Burn Baby, Burn!”): Chassey’s mission is off to a fast start. Thanks to some secret intel from HQ, she’s been able to intercept Sid Burn at the Hoover Dam. A rookie agent capturing the most wanted man in the country? Heavens, yes! It would do wonders for her career, not to mention, her rep with the Vigilantes!

Oil Fields (“Mascara”): What a splendid bust! Poor Sid never knew what hit him. Shame… he was kinda cute. What counts is that Chassey’s superiors are overjoyed, and so is Convoy. Her next assignment? A fatso on a bus. Huh? Is this a joke?!

Farmlands (“A Taste of Honey”): Having delivered Molo, Chassey wants out. Babysitting wasn’t in her job description. Besides, the Coyotes are done for and she isn’t going to rat on Convoy. Not so fast, says HQ. A suspect known as Beezwax is reportedly propagating radioactive bees throughout the Southwest. Say again?!

Final boss: Beezwax.

Epilogue: Chassey is fed up – her skin feels all dried out from the exposure! The CB crackles… it’s the Director himself. Congratulations are in order, followed by Chassey’s next order: “Take down the Vigilantes.” Chassey turns off the CB. Sorry can’t do – she’s headed West… to LA-LA land.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Chassey Blue’s favorite eye shadow is Dreamy Star Blue.

Chassey Blue’s avatar was traced from a portrait of Brigitte Bardot. The portrait is also featured in the poster of the 1963 film "Le Mépris" (released in US as "Contempt").

 

 

Slick Clyde / Lord Clyde (スリック・クライド / ロード・クライド)

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In Vigilante 8:

A showoff playboy from Texas, Clyde was on his way to an auto show in Albuquerque when Convoy confiscated his truck and forced him to help the Vigilantes. Now, Clyde wants to be the leader.

Top Speed:	llllllllllllll (14/20)
Armor:	llllllllllll (12/20)
Avoidance:	lllllllll (9/20)

Vehicle: 1970 Clydesdale – an SUV modified for monster truck auto shows, boasting overall balanced stats, but slightly subpar avoidance. Based on the 1974 Dodge Ramcharger, the 1970 Chevrolet Blazer K5 and the 1978 Ford Bronco.

Special weapon: White Lightning – when Slick Clyde originally found this large “rod” at Site-4, he had no idea it was a lightning-inducing apparatus. He just thought it was a cool antenna. The White Lightning can stall cars by frying their electrical systems. When activated, the weapon will hurl an electrical charge up towards the clouds, before casting three lightning bolts down upon the targeted enemy. The weapon’s engine stalling effect will penetrate through the Shield powerup. When not targeting any enemies, the White Lightning will target Clyde’s vehicle. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Oil Fields: Macho Slick was on his way to an Auto Show when the Vigilantes stopped him – his monster truck caught Convoy’s eye! When Torque imposed, Slick had no choice but to join…

Ski Resort: Slick is furious – the Coyotes put some bullet holes in his truck! To top it off, Convoy is sending him all the way to the Rocky Mountains!? That’s too many miles, hick!

Ghost Town: After his exploits in Colorado, Slick becomes known in the media. He doesn’t care about the ‘cause’, but he is beginning to crave the attention. Back to New Mexico!

Aircraft Graveyard: Hotshot Slick has a serious problem with Convoy’s authority. If it wasn’t for that bully Torque, he would overthrow Convoy and become the leader himself! Maybe later…

Final boss: Houston 3.

Ending: Slick Clyde stops at a nearby gas station for quick relief… What’s that?! Looks like Houston’s armband! Let’s try it on… Fits like a glove, hick… Zzzap!! Slick becomes a changed man. Long live OMAR!

Taking a small break at a roadside gas station restroom somewhere in Arizona, Clyde finds Houston 3’s discarded armband inside a sink. As he attaches the device to his arm, electric arcs suddenly emanate from his body. Clyde then walks out of the bathroom, his eyes glowing an ominous red. The scene quickly cuts to the clipping of a newspaper article featuring Clyde along with his quote, “Long live OMAR!”, and the headline “Slick Clyde New Leader of Coyotes”.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Slick Clyde’s White Lightning special weapon is named after the moonshine of the same name, originally made in South Carolina.

Slick Clyde’s outfit is a direct reference to Thomas Magnum from Magnum P.I.

Slick Clyde was born in 1945.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

2017: Lord Clyde of OMAR, also known as Slick Clyde, was the most powerful man of the early 21st century. He was not only the CEO of the largest global corporation controlling all of oil production outside the United States, but also, covertly, the leader of the Coyote Cartel. Of course, Clyde wouldn’t be in charge of his expansive underworld organization if he were a man of principles or integrity. On the contrary, he was the most calculating and ruthless person the world has ever seen!

While Clyde was never a saint, wasn’t always such a monster. His cruelty and blind devotion to the Oil Monopoly Alliance Regime (OMAR) were first triggered by an electronic adornment he had found in an Arizona roadside restroom in 1975. It was Houston’s forlorn armband; one of the first mind-control devices designed by OMAR. Though not entirely functional, it changed his life forever. Now the path of his lifelong quest for supremacy was littered with countless broken lives, bankrupt companies and ruined economies. The United States, however, managed to withstand OMAR’S repeated attempts to monopolize its oil trade, thanks to its early adoption of nuclear power, wind energy and other alternative sources. By the early 21st century, America was stronger than ever and quickly becoming a major threat to OMAR’s dominance.

By 2016, Clyde’s health was deteriorating and it appeared that the world would soon be rid of its tyrant. Clyde, however, was not intent on leaving until his dream of world domination was fulfilled. In his most desperate move yet, he acquired a time-travel device to send himself back to the days when OMAR still had a chance of putting America out of business – the 1970s. First order of business upon arrival – eliminate Convoy, the legendary Vigilante leader who spoiled OMAR’s plans the first time…

2017 Ex-Vigilante Slick Clyde turned OMAR leader. In his most desperate move yet, he acquired a time-travel device to send himself back to the days when OMAR still had a chance of putting America out of business – the ‘70s.

Lord Clyde is unlocked as a playable character once Dallas 13’s, Nina Loco’s and Molo’s quests are completed.

Acceleration:	llllllllllll (270/400)
Top Speed:	lllllllllll (260/400)
Armor:	lllllllllllll (280/400)
Avoidance:	lll (74/400)

Vehicle: Excelsior Stretch Limousine – a limousine boasting average balanced stats, but low avoidance. The default model is based on the 1984 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur. The upgraded hot rod model is based on the 1998 Lincoln Town Car Stretched Limousine. Visual upgrades: Boomerang TV antenna (avoidance), side running board steps (armor), hood blower (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Chain Lightning – a set of two miniaturized tesla coils attached over at the back of the Excelsior Stretch. When activated within its effective range, the weapon will create an electric arc between it and the target, dealing damage as well as slowly lifting them into the air, leaving them unable to escape or use any weapons. If multiple vehicles are nearby, the lightning arc will chain through all of them with the same effect, starting from the targeted enemy. The weapon comes with 2 charges by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: It may seem ironic that Clyde’s life’s work was determined by a piece of OMAR circuitry, but Clyde sure ain’t complaining – selling pricey oil to impoverished nations has made him a fortune. Nonetheless, Clyde isn’t in this for the money, but for the power, the action, the dirty dealings, and above all – he’s out to make history!

Winter Games: The going was good until the CIA started poking their nose into Clyde’s business. Now, they’ve dragged the UN Council into it, jeopardizing everything Clyde has built! The CIA thinks it can put him on trial for crimes against humanity?! Think again! By the time he’s done here, his troubles will be history, ha ha!

Pacific Harbor: Why must Clyde, the richest man of the future, hunt for cash in the ‘70s?! Simply put, the old geezer did not bring enough money along! Why? For one, he was certain that his weaponry would suffice. Second, the time portal doesn’t support a great deal of extra cargo. Third, the local hired guns are sucking him dry!

Alaskan Pipeline: Darn, this mission was supposed to be a no-brainer, but so far, it’s nothing but a headache! To top things off, the CIA has sent one of their smelliest rats to follow Clyde into the ‘70s – Chase! Clyde better make sure the leach doesn’t make it back. In the meantime, let’s blow up the largest US oil refinery, eh?

Nuclear Plant: That should keep Chase busy for a while but Clyde’s troubles have only just begun. Houston reportedly survived his ambush and Dallas appears to be malfunctioning. On top of that, Obake, Clyde’s most trusted soldier, is questioning his motives. The destruction of America’s finest nuclear plant should lift Clyde’s spirits…

Ghastly Bayou: Indeed, you want a job done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. What?!? Houston has defeated Dallas?! Impossible! Clyde needs more manpower – it’s time to round up some extra cash. Obake stashed some loot near the Big Easy. It should be enough to recruit a few good cutthroats…

Launch Site: Is this Clyde’s worst nightmare, or what?! That stunt Houston pulled, using Dallas’ time travel device to bring Convoy back – remarkable! Clever, indeed. Maybe Clyde had underestimated the Vigilantes. A living-breathing Convoy! Shoot! Why are Clyde’s pants wet?! He just may need a fast getaway car…

Steel Mill: Crap! Clyde is doing his best, but the operation is in shambles. Returning to the future, short of accomplishing his mission, is suicide. What can Clyde do? Stay in the ‘70s, score some extra cash, and find a cozy hideaway to plot his return! Provided Chase or Convoy don’t get him first, that is. Thankfully, Obake is still around…

Final boss: Convoy (Hot Rod).

Ending: Clyde awakens in the passenger seat of his limo. Obake is behind the wheel – what a relief… Wait a second! Clyde is baffled – why are they back in 2017, flying toward OMAR’s headquarters? And why is he hand-cuffed? What is going on here, Obake?! It sure looks like… betrayal!!! Obake arms the limo’s weapons, sets the car on auto-pilot, then bails out… Kaboom!! Clyde and his OMAR empire are… HISTORY!

Clyde wakes up handcuffed in the passenger seat of his limousine, and finds Obake next to him, driving the vehicle. He quickly realizes that they are back in the future, and that Obake had betrayed him by returning to 2017. Obake then sets the limo’s autopilot to drive straight into the OMAR’s headquarters with its weapons primed, before bailing out of the vehicle. Clyde screams as his vehicles barrels through the entrance, and dies in the ensuing explosion, which causes a chain reaction that destroys the entire facility, ending OMAR’s reign for good.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

Lord Clyde’s Excelsior Stretch features OMAR Industries’ logo on its window pillar posts to the left and right.

In the Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Excelsior Stretch is instead named “Excelsior Limousine (エクセルシオリムジン)”.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Slick/Lord Clyde does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade, being the only character from the original Vigilante 8 not to make a return in the reboot. This is likely one of the compromises that Isopod Labs had to make during development of the game, as they were unable to fit all the planned DLC content within the initial 150 Mb limit for XBLA games.

 

 

Sheila (シーラ)

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In Vigilante 8:

Convoy’s stubborn 16 year old-niece, Sheila loves all the action. Convoy is furious with her, but she won’t let him send her back home.

Top Speed:	llllllll (8/20)
Armor:	lllll (5/20)
Avoidance:	llllllllllllllllllll (20/20)

Vehicle: 1974 Strider – a dune buggy with orange highlinghts, boasting high avoidance, but low top speed and armor. Likely based on the 1964 Meyers Manx, the 1962 Meyers Tow'dster and a SCORE Class 5 Unlimited Baja Bug modification of the 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.

Special weapon: Tantrum Gun – Sheila loves big guns and this 24mm gatling is as large as her dune buggy can carry. Features an auto-tracking turret. It can knock weapons off of enemies’ cars with sustained fire. The weapon comes with 50 rounds by default.

Quest:

Oil Fields: With a driver’s license hot off the press, Sheila sets out to hook up with her uncle – the famous Convoy. When she stops at a refinery to siphon some gas, Coyotes attack…

Hoover Dam: Sheila finally catches up with her uncle, but Convoy orders her to return home! Sheila refuses, so Convoy sends her to the Hoover Dam, believing it’s safe. He is wrong…

Casino City: Convoy tells Sheila to stay away from Casino City. Right on! Sounds like the perfect reason to go there! Having just kicked some tight Coyote butt, Sheila feels lucky tonight…

Canyonlands: Sheila is sick of being treated like a child! To prove herself once and for all, she decides to hunt down the largest Coyote there is. Alone, she pursues Molo into Utah’s canyons…

Final boss: Molo.

Ending: Despite Sheila’s victory, Uncle Convoy is not a forgiving type. He drives off without her… Resigned and miserable, Sheila walks down a desert highway… Suddenly, a truck pulls up next to her… It’s Convoy – he came around after all! Together, they drive off happily into the sunset…

Sheila follows Convoy to a gas station in Arizona, arriving just in time to watch him drive off without her, before throwing the keys to her Strider on the ground in frustration. Despondent, alone and without any money to refuel her vehicle, Sheila begins her long walk down the desert highway, only to be surprised shortly after by her uncle’s truck as it pulls up behind her. Sheila hops inside and meets her new aunt, Houston, sitting next to Convoy as the three of them drive off into the distance.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Early in development, Sheila’s Strider was once designed with blue fenders and a white and red body featuring a red circle with six spokes on the hood akin to the flag of the Rising Sun. Its original livery was intended to be a reference to stunt performer Evel Knievil. This design was featured in some magazine previews and alpha builds of the game, but was ultimately changed to its final version at some point after April 1998.

Sheila was not originally envisioned as Convoy’s niece – a change that only occurred after the livery of her Strider was changed.

The smiley face on Sheila’s Strider turns into a sad face when damage is incurred to either side of the vehicle.

Sheila was born in 1959.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Despite her defiant nature, the orphan Sheila always looked up to her righteous uncle Convoy. Unfortunately, the old bachelor had been having an incredibly difficult time adopting the brat. To prove her worth, Sheila joined her uncle in battle which infuriated him even more. Only when the Coyote Wars ended did Convoy finally come around. Not only did he marry Houston, his former adversary, but he also embraced Sheila as his own daughter.

Sheila hit it off with Houston immediately. Convoy, however, ruled the household with an iron fist and soon Sheila felt like there was one person too many in the family. She also hated working the pumps at her uncle’s new service station. So, when she turned 18 years old, Convoy packed her bags and put her on a bus to California, sending her out to pursue a higher education.

Sheila felt right at home at UC Berkeley, taking various liberal art classes. She quickly shed her leather garb for tank-top fashion and became heavily involved in multiple pacifistic and environmental causes. However, her academic bliss came to a screeching halt only a few months after entering the university when she received an alarming call from Arizona - it was John Torque. Apparently the Coyotes had resurfaced and were being led by a mysterious new leader. Worst of all, both her uncle and Houston were missing!

Without hesitation, Sheila filled up the tank of her new Baja Wonderwagon and headed for Arizona...

Convoy’s niece put her academic studies on hold when she received an alarming call from John Torque. Apparently, the Coyotes had resurfaced, led by a mysterious new leader, and both her uncle and Houston were missing.

Acceleration:	lllllllllllllll (348/400)
Top Speed:	llllllll (176/400)
Armor:	llll (86/400)
Avoidance:	llllllllllllll (310/400)

Vehicle: Wonderwagon – a Baja buggy boasting high acceleration and avoidance, but low armor. Based on a SCORE Class 5 Unlimited Baja Bug modification of the 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), rear bumper (armor), rear exhausts (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Tantrum Gun – Sheila’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, retaining the features of its original incarnation. Sheila loves big guns and this 24mm gatling is as large as her dune buggy can carry. Features an auto-tracking turret. It can knock weapons off of enemies’ cars with sustained fire. The weapon comes with 50 rounds by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: UC Berkeley was a hip place to study and play, or more like… play, then study. OK, forget study altogether. For better or worse, Sheila had clearly undergone a transformation at the university. Now, summoned by her old buddy Torque, she’s heading back to Arizona. Something’s up with Houston and uncle Convoy…

Ghastly Bayou: Sheila never arrived at Convoy’s service station – she was attacked by some lunatic near the meteor crater! After the battle, Torque met Sheila near Flagstaff. Sheila can’t believe the news – her uncle is dead? She’s devastated. Torque thinks Houston may have survived the attack – Sheila must find her…

Launch Site: Houston is alive – what a relief! It gets better when Houston tells Sheila of her master plan to bring Convoy back. Coolness, sister! Slick Clyde gone bad? Not a surprise really, she never liked the dweeb anyway. Now, Sheila is ready to kick some butt…

Steel Mill: Wow, who is the fireball of a girl in the silver car? Could it be… FBI agent Chassey Blue?! Sheila is impressed – looks like she isn’t the only one to undergo a major makeover. Chassey has definitely taken a turn for the better – the clothes, the hair, the car! She didn’t even bust Sheila for vigilantism – how cool is that?!

Nuclear Plant: It looks like several well-known Coyotes are on the loose, including Molo. To top it off, Sid Burn’s ex-flame Nina is now supplying arms to Clyde. The police remain concentrated in large cities, so the outback is free-for-all. Sounds just like the old days… no biggie!

Winter Games: According to Chassey, Clyde sent his crew to rob the Olympus resort so that he can continue funding his terrorist operations. Since Chassey was ordered to say close to Clyde, she suggested that Sheila take a trip to Utah and protect the resort. No problem! Unfortunately, she arrives too late…

Pacific Harbor: Helping Chassey actually feels like being an agent! Sheila is totally into it – she’s even referring to herself as “Convoy’s Angel”, in memory of her great uncle. Torque thinks she’s gone cuckoo, but Houston likes the moniker. Supposedly, there is some contraband coming into the harbor… Angel is on the case!

Alaskan Pipeline: Chassey can see the crazy kid has potential. She promises to arrange for a scholarship for Sheila in the fabled FBI Academy, provided Sheila can prove she’s serious about it. What a better opportunity to show initiative than to bust the notorious conman Boogie booby-trapping a major U.S. refinery?

Final boss: Boogie (Hot Rod).

Ending: After enrolling in the FBI Academy, Sheila proves to be a natural and graduates in record time… Immediately following her graduation, Sheila is given her first assignment… Looks like Molo is still one of the FBI’s Most Wanted. With Chassey’s blessings, Agent Sheila goes after him…

Not long after the Coyotes’ defeat, Sheila emerges from the FBI Academy on her roller-skates and throws her mortarboard hat up in the air to commemorate her graduation. Now a brand new agent of the Bureau, she opens her case file to find a dossier of Molo, one of the FBI’s Most Wanted, along with a post-it note written by Chassey wishing her good luck on her first mission.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

Early in development, the Wonderwagon was once named the “Wunderwagon”. The vehicle’s name is a reference to German automaker Volkswagen.

Sheila is confirmed to be of Hispanic descent, as shown in one of her select quotes.

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Sheila headed for New Mexico following the call she received from John Torque.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Sheila is a character from the High Octane DLC Pack in Vigilante 8: Arcade, and thus has no Quest of her own.

Strength:	Low
Acceleration:	High
Top Speed:	Low
Radar Evasion:	High

Vehicle: 1970 Strider – A Baja buggy. Based on a Baja Bug modification of the 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. Although it is named after the original Strider, its design is mostly based on the Wonderwagon.

Special weapon: Tantrum Gun - Sheila’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, retaining the features of its original incarnation. Sheila loves big guns and this 24mm gatling is as large as her dune buggy can carry. Features an auto-tracking turret. It can knock weapons off of enemies’ cars with sustained fire. The weapon comes with 30 rounds by default.

Quotes:

 

John Torque (ジョン・トルク)

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In Vigilante 8:

Torque, John Torque. A one-time Vegas hustler, he was recruited by Convoy for the good cause. Now, he’s Convoy’s right-hand man. Vowed never to gamble again.

Top Speed:	lllllllllllll (13/20)
Armor:	llllllllllllll (14/20)
Avoidance:	llllllllll (10/20)

Vehicle: 1969 Jefferson – a pimp mobile boasting balanced stats with no specialty. Based on the 1966 Lincoln Continental.

Special weapon: Bass Quake – Torque bought the best car stereo money could buy and he needed the right speaker box to go with it. This custom-made bad boy has enough bass to ripple the Earth. When activated, the weapon emits a bluish shockwave caused by the extremely loud sound vibrations that expands outwards around the Jefferson, causing damage and pushback to nearby vehicles, as well as destroying nearby objects. The shockwave is quickly followed by a sudden, thunderous quake that ripples out along the ground around the vehicle, throwing vehicles into the air or otherwise disrupting their movement. The weapon cannot be used unless the vehicle’s wheels are in contact with the ground. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: The special weapon is activated from the Jefferson’s targeting leash. If John Torque acquires a Radar Jammer power-up and then activates the Bass Quake while on the move, the weapon will emit its shockwave at the Radar Jammer’s position, rather than the Jefferson’s. This may cause the Jefferson to be caught by the ground quake of its own special weapon. If a Halo Decoy is deployed while the Radar Jammer is active, the special weapon will activate at the Halo Decoy’s location.

Quest:

Casino City: Having just lost all of his ‘bread’ in poker, John Torque is about to blow outta town. Surprisingly, the streets are full of wanna-be tough guys asking for trouble. Dig it!

Valley Farms: Torque is broke. Suddenly, here comes this old timer Convoy, talking ‘bout some ‘Vigilantes’. Torque buys into his ideals and heads West on his first official mission…

Aircraft Graveyard: Torque is no stranger to some serious bruisin’, but these Coyotes are real bad, man! Supposedly, now they are after old military aircraft in Yuma Desert. Yeah, right…

Hoover Dam: Torque skips town for a night of gamblin’ in the City. He is stopped mid-way when Boogie sets up a roadblock at the Hoover Dam. Too bad for Boogie, J.T. don’t dance…

Final boss: Boogie.

Ending: J.T. swore not to gamble again… with HIS money. Good thing had some cash to spare. Torque is feeling lucky tonight, bro! Luckier than Sid, that’s for sure…

After defeating Sid Burn’s gang, John Torque drives off back to the Galaxy Hub Hotel, with a briefcase full of OMAR’s cash, and a tied-and-gagged Sid Burn in the trunk of his Jefferson.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

At some point during development, screenshots in promotional material featuring the Jefferson showed blood splatter over the driver’s door on its “damaged” textures, suggesting that Torque is wounded during battle. This was changed later in development as to appease the game’s age rating.

Early in development, the ‘69 Jefferson’s windows were colored blue.

The ’69 Jefferson’s bullhorns hood ornamment might have been inspired by Boss Hogg’s 1970 Cadillac Coupe De Ville, from the Dukes of Hazzard TV series.

John Torque was based on the character Taurus from Vigilante 8’s predecessor series, Interstate ‘76. The latter was originally meant to star in the game, but was eventually replaced.

John Torque was born in 1949.

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Having acquired Sid Burn’s payoff money, Torque bought himself a new set of tires and some new clothes. He gambled the rest of it away in less than a year. Good thing Sid wasn’t coming back for the cash - Torque made sure of it... though he would never admit to anything.

When the money ran out, J.T. needed a new gig. Unfortunately, the Coyotes were no more and his pal Convoy had become domesticated, which certainly wasn’t Torque’s idea of fun. So, he got himself a bounty hunter license and set his sights on a bad girl named Nina Loco - a notorious weapon smuggler, he was well familiar with from the old days. Now, Uncle Sam had put a serious reward on Nina’s head, which may have had something to do with the fact that Nina acquired most of the classified weaponry originally stolen from Site-4 government labs by Sid.

While on Nina’s trail, Torque decided to pay Convoy, his former mentor, a visit. He was horrified to find Convoy and Houston’s place plundered, and the two lovebirds missing. Without delay, J.T. unearthed a couple of old Mosquito machine guns from Convoy’s backyard and set out on a search for his old friends...

Horrified when he found his friends Convoy and Houston missing, J.T. unearthed a couple of old Mosquitoes from Convoy’s backyard and set out on a search for his friends…

Acceleration:	llllllllllllllllll (400/400)
Top Speed:	lllllllllllllll (344/400)
Armor:	llllllll (182/400)
Avoidance:	llll (104/400)

 Vehicle: Thunderbolt – a muscle car boasting high speed and acceleration, but low avoidance. The default model is based on the 1975 Pontiac Firebird. The upgraded hot rod model is based on the 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front bumper (armor), hood cowl (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Wheel o’ Fortune – a large silver cannon resembling a revolver, whose cartridges have enough stopping power to push vehicles away upon impact, dealing moderate damage. True to John Torque’s gambling nature, the Wheel O’ Fortune has a 1-in-6 chance of firing a stronger projectile (a powershot/silver bullet) which will not only deal more damage and push vehicles further away, but also make Torque’s Thunderbolt reel back from its massive recoil. The weapon comes with 6 rounds by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Does anyone have a problem with John Torque’s latest gig? J.T. has had it with the jokes! Shoot, a bounty hunter is as honest of a job as any, right? Besides, there is some decent bread to be made in capturing wanted crooks, and it’s fun too! Especially when the felon is the foxy Nina Loco…

Ghastly Bayou: What’s going on here?! While tracking Nina in Arizona, Torque gets ambushed by… Boogie!? Looks like Nina busted the dance-freak outta jail! On top of that, Torque finds Convoy’s place ablaze and abandoned. He immediately phones Sheila in California, then sets out after the perpetrators…

Launch Site: First Boogie and now… Molo!? Is it Torque’s worst freaking nightmare, or what?! He sure hopes the Coyotes haven’t caused Convoy or Houston any hurt – he’s got to find his friends fast! Following reports of attacks on civilians by strange flying cars, J.T. continues on to Florida…

Steel Mill: Finally, Torque runs into Houston. She is alive and well, but she tells him that Convoy is… dead?! J.T. can’t believe his mentor is gone. He also has a difficult time grasping Houston’s stories of Slick Clyde traveling through time and all. Good thing has a plan of attack…

Nuclear Plant: Houston asks Torque to follow some suspects to Minnesota. It is unclear whether these crazies are associated with the Coyotes, but it’s obvious that they’re up to no good. When Torque catches up with the gangsters at Pander Island, he finds the place booby-trapped with explosives!

Winter Games: The efforts of the Vigilantes are paying off. Now, Houston is determined to get her hands on one of Clyde’s time-travel gadgets; who knows why? Torque is off to Utah. Supposedly, Nina and gang hit a ski resort and took off with lotsa cash. J.T. would be darned if he didn’t look into it…

Pacific Harbor: Whoa!! Having obtained the time-travel device, Houston rewound time by a few weeks and now it’s back to square one. Only this time, her hubby Convoy is alive! Cool, brother! Now the Coyotes are toast. It’s about time J.T. captured Nina. Not so fast – Torque falls right into Nina’s trap at the Harbor…

Alaskan Pipeline: This Nina girl is a cunning creature – it is the second time she has evaded Torque. Is Nina truly bad, or is she simply trying to survive in this world gone mad? It sure looks like she’s up to her neck in trouble, yet she continues to weave her webs of deception. Is three times a charm?

Final boss: Nina Loco.

Ending: No one outsmarts John Torque more than… twice, not even Nina. It is time for J.T. to collect his bounty! Nina’s bounty or not, Torque has enough cash as it is. Having appropriated Nina’s stash, he’s set for life… Does a beautiful flower such as Nina truly belong behind bars? Decisions, decisions… Nina proposes Torque a deal, which sounds too good to be true. J.T. has always been a risk-taker…

After defeating Lord Clyde’s gang, John Torque pulls over in front of the bail bonds agency where a wanted poster of Nina Loco is displayed, ready to collect his bounty. He glances over at the familiar sight of a briefcase full of money on the passenger’s seat, before walking out of his vehicle. He opens the trunk of his Thunderbolt to check up on the tied up Nina Loco, who’s been successfully captured. Closing the trunk, he gets back in the vehicle and absconds with her.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

John Torque’s design in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense is based on Richard Roundtree’s original black action hero, John Shaft. The line “shut your mouth”, heard in the main theme song of the game, as well as Torque’s own “always bet on black” line are references to the 1971 movie Shaft, which the eponymous character stars in.

The upgraded hot Thunderbolt model retains its rear window louvers in the Dreamcast version of the game.

According to an article on IGN, John Torque is considered an example of positive influence on African-American culture.

The default model of the Thunderbolt is missing the hood decal featured in its concept art, which is only present on the upgraded hot rod model.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

A one-time Vegas hustler, Torque was recruited by Convoy to join the Vigilantes and become his right-hand man. Still suffering from serious gambling withdrawal, the Man takes his frustrations out on the bandidos. As the legend goes, nobody crosses JT and lives.

Strength:	Low-Medium
Acceleration:	Medium
Top Speed:	Medium
Radar Evasion:	Medium-High

Vehicle: 1974 Jefferson – a luxury car boasting balanced stats with no specialty. Based on the 1977 Cadillac Eldorado.

Special weapon: Bass Quake – The Bass Quake returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, though with significant differences. When activated, the weapon emits a bluish shockwave caused by the extremely loud sound vibrations that expands outwards around the Jefferson, causing damage to nearby vehicles and knocking them into the air, as well as destroying nearby objects. Due to the lack of terrain deformation mechanics in the game, the Bass Quake does not create a rippling ground quake when used. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Oil Fields (“Hedging Bets”): As his first assignment, Torque is sent by Convoy to secure the Southern oil fields. Upon arrival, he finds wanna-be Coyote Molo tearing up the place in that monster bus of his. Weighing his chances, JT decides to teach the brat something little about respecting private property…

Ski Resort (“Cold Streak”): Upon securing the oil fields, Torque is asked to assist Dave in clearing the Colorado mountain passes. By the time he arrives, Dave is nowhere to be found. Instead, JT nearly crashes into Coyote honcho Sid Burn zooming down the slopes with one of his cronies!

Hoover Dam (“Snake Eyes”): John is en route to deliver Sid to the authorities. Ironically, the G-Men are all the way in Vegas City – JT’s former gambling spot. Distracted, Torque doesn’t notice Boogie and crew lying in wait at the Hoover Dam. Too bad for Boogie, JT don’t dance!

Final boss: Boogie.

Epilogue: With yet another battle behind him, ‘The Man’ is feeling some fatigue. Perhaps he may be entitled to parlay this victory into a little Vegas vacation? Will he withstand the lure of the game, especially with Boogie’s loot in his trunk? As JT presses the accelerator, he grins…

Quotes:

Trivia:

John Torque’s favorite car accessory is a set of double deck poker cards.

Dave (デイブ)

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In Vigilante 8:

Dave believes aliens are his friends and has been tracking them for years. He joined the Vigilantes in hope of entering Site-4 and seeing some aliens first-hand.

Dave is unlocked as a playable character once Chassey Blue’s and Slick Clyde’s Quests are completed.

Top Speed:	lllllllll (9/20)
Armor:	llllllllllllll (14/20)
Avoidance:	llllllllll (10/20)

Vehicle: 1970 Van – a street van customized with a mural paintjob of outer space, boasting above average armor, but mediocre top speed and avoidance. Based on the 1974 Dodge Tradesman.

Special weapon: Invasion Attack / First & Last Contact – True to his UFO-hunting nature, Dave’s van is equipped with specialized radio equipment capable of casting signals out to space and communicate with extraterrestrial life forms through a radio dish mounted on the roof of his van. When activated, the antenna sends out a signal into space, summoning three small UFOs to attack the targeted enemy. The UFOs descend upon the foe from above, dealing damage to them via ramming impacts for a set amount of time, before returning to space. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Valley Farms: Dave sets out for New Mexico following reports of UFO sightings in that region. Not far into his trip, he gets ambushed by some weapon-wielding dudes! Dave fights back…

Aircraft Graveyard: Lucky for Dave, a tough guy named John Torque shows up and chases the thugs away. Torque invites Dave to join the Vigilantes. Together, they pursue the thugs to Arizona…

Hoover Dam: Dave questions the logic of it all, but decides to stick around. Besides, he was just asked to investigate Coyote activity at the Hoover Dam. Far out!

Ghost Town: When Dave learns that Coyote Loki used to work at Site-4, he decides to track him down! Loki is easy to find, but he sure isn’t interested in talking about aliens. Bummer!

Final boss: Loki.

Ending: After weeks of sending transmissions into space… One of Dave’s signals is answered. Far out! If he wins the next round of checkers, he gets the ship.

After the defeat of Sid Burn’s gang, Dave drives off to resume his alien-hunting endeavors. During one particular night in the middle of the desert, his transmissions are suddenly answered as a large flying saucer casts a bluish light down upon his van. Dave looks up, excited to have finally made contact, as his vehicle is engulfed in a flash of light. The flash soon fades away to show Dave sitting at a table with a grey skinned, green-eyed alien, rocking his own chair with a smug expression after beating the crestfallen extraterrestrial at a game of checkers.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

The original design for Dave’s Invasion was to have the UFOs circle above the target while firing lasers upon them, with the same properties as the special weapons used by Houston 3 and ‘Y’ the Alien, but the concept was scrapped due to time constraints.

The sticker on the back of Dave’s van reads “I ♥ UFO”.

Dave was born in Santa Cruz, California.

Dave bears some resemblance to English singer John Lennon.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Dave does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, but is mentioned in Dave’s Cultists’ bio and Quest, as the Cultsmen are searching for him after his disappearance.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Meet Dave – an adventurous hippie who also happens to be enamored with UFOs. In fact, Dave claims to have been recruited by an extraterrestrial to help locate his ship hijacked from Area 51 by the Coyotes. Until the craft is found, peace will have to wait…

Strength:	Low-Medium
Acceleration:	Medium-High
Top Speed:	Medium
Radar Evasion:	Medium

Vehicle: 1968 GrooVan – a camper van. Based on the 1975 Dodge Santana.

Special weapon: Invasion – Dave’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, albeit with significant differences. When activated, the antenna summons three small UFOs, which will circle above the target while firing lasers upon them for a set amount of time. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Ski Resort (“Trippy Vision”): Per Convoy’s request, Dave is keeping watch over a Colorado ski resort. Or was it that voice in his head again, asking him to come here? No matter, because when some militant beekeeper begins vandalizing the area, the cool dude springs into action just the same…

Oil Fields (“Running on Empty”): With the crazed hick out of the way, Dave travels South in search of Coyotes, UFOs, and some fuel. He’s been having totally tubular visions of a giant meteor in a desert, but where? Hey, a couple of Coyotes are making trouble at the nearby oil fields. Perfect, Dave needed some gas anyway…

Meteor Crater (“Far Out Mission”): Next stop? The meteor crash site in Arizona, dude! Designated off-limits, it’s drawing Dave like a magnet. Here, he finds plenty of Coyotes, including some chubby dude driving a stolen prison bus – hey, are they hiding the UFO inside that bus?

Final boss: Molo.

Epilogue: Yeah, whopping that snotnose sure felt good! But what about the flying saucer? Why is everyone laughing, man? Don’t they realize UFO’s are the real deal? How about the artifacts, eh? Wait… what’s that, dude? Lights… yeah, totally… there are lights in the sky!!

Quotes:

Trivia:

Dave’s favorite food is strongly seasoned soy beans.

Dave’s Groovan may be a reference to the 1975 Dodge Santana from the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

 

Dave’s Cultsmen (カルトメン - Cultmen)

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In Vigilante 8:

Dave’s Cultsmen do not make an appearance in Vigilante 8, though their predecessor Dave is present and possesses the original version of their special weapon.

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

At the end of the Coyote Wars, legends of Dave’s extraterrestrial travels spread quickly among UFO aficionados, alternative religion advocates and other believers. Ham-radio enthusiasts across the nation tuned in every night, scanning airwaves for transmissions from the mythical Dave. Soon, a major industry sprang up to satisfy the craving for Dave memorabilia - “Daveness” T-shirts as well as Dave-branded telescopes, toys and books. “Davemania” was destined to become one of the key cultural phenomena of the era, often credited as one of the key factors in lifting America’s economy out of the recession.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that there were many who took the movement a little too seriously. Take a group of hippies from Dave’s hometown of Santa Cruz, California. Tired of their unfocused existence, they became easily enraptured with Dave’s heroics and decided to seek his guidance. The group’s resident wise guy, Dorkiel, spent countless nights at his ham-radio, awaiting a message from The Man. Finally, Dorkiel emerged from his RV enlightened proclaiming that in order to find the true calling, the group must retrace Dave’s footsteps.

And so, in the summer of 1977, the hippies boarded Dorkiel’s RV and embarked on a spiritual journey across the country’s Southwest. They decided to begin by paying up respects to Convoy – the man who guided Dave during the Coyote Wars…

Dave’s Cultsmen are unlocked as a playable character once Sheila’s, John Torque’s, Team FAST’s, Houston’s and Convoy’s quests are completed.

Acceleration:	lllll (114/400)
Top Speed:	llllllll (176/400)
Armor:	llllllllllllll (304/400)
Avoidance:	llllll (142/400)

Vehicle: Xanadu RV – a motorhome boasting high armor, but otherwise mediocre stats. The default model is based on the 1976 Winnebago Chieftain. The upgraded hot rod model is based on the 1987 Winnebago Chieftain 22RC. Visual upgrades: Log periodic antenna (avoidance), front bars (armor), side exhausts (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Super Saucer Invasion – Dave’s special weapon returns in 2nd Offense, albeit in the hands of the Cultsmen. When activated, the antenna sends out a signal into space, summoning three small UFOs to attack the targeted enemy. The UFOs descend upon the foe from above, dealing damage to them via ramming impacts for a set amount of time, before returning to space. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: The original design for Dave’s Invasion was to have the UFOs circle above the target while firing lasers upon them, with the same properties as the special weapons used by Houston 3 and ‘Y’ the Alien, but the concept was scrapped due to time constraints.

Quest:

Due to development time constraints, Dave’s Cultsmen have no Quest of their own. However, unfinished scripts in the game’s code reveals details of their Questline:

Meteor Crater: Collect 2 briefcases containing enemy documents.

Ghastly Bayou: Collect 2 briefcases of the Coyote stash from the tombs.

Launch Site: Collect 3 bombs in order to disarm the NASA building and Comm Tower.

Steel Mill: Collect 3 supply boxes containing spare parts.

Nuclear Plant: Collect 3 bombs as to disarm plant booby traps.

Winter Games: Collect and deliver 3 briefcases of stolen prize money from Coyotes (impossible to complete due to lack of enemies in the unfinished Quest code).

Pacific Harbor: Collect 4 supply boxes of contraband shipment.

Alaskan Pipeline: Collect and deliver 5 bombs as to dispose of booby traps.

Final boss: Agent R. Chase.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

The Xanadu RV looks significantly different in the Dreamcast version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense compared to the Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions. The writing on the sides of the default Xanadu RV reads “Dave lives!” and the circular plate mounted at the front of the vehicle features the face of an alien. The hot rod version of the vehicle features a prominent graffiti on the side that reads “Silicon”, likely as a reference to Silicon Graphics workstations which were widely used for various applications of 3D computer graphics at the time.

Early in development, the Xanadu RV was once named the “Caravelle RV.”

One of the Cultsmen, donning a brown jacket, has an undershirt with a black-and-white picture of an UFO under a night sky, with the word “believe” written below it.

The youngest of the Cultsmen was born in 1958, while the oldest was born in 1944.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Dave’s Cultsmen do not appear in Vigilante 8: Arcade, though their predecessor, Dave, is present and possesses the originally intended version of his special weapon.

 

 

Convoy (コンボイ)

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In Vigilante 8:

Vigilantes’ righteous leader. Originally a trucker, he decided to take the law into his own hands after being repeatedly ambushed by Coyotes on his transport routes.

Convoy is unlocked as a playable character once Sheila’s and John Torque’s Quests are completed.

Top Speed:	llllllllllll (12/20)
Armor:	lllllllllllllllll (17/20)
Avoidance:	lllll (5/20)

Vehicle: 1972 Moth Truck - a single-axle conventional truck boasting high armor, but low tracking avoidance. Based on the 1970s Mack R600 series.

Special weapon: Steel Belter – A set of tires laden with dynamite. When activated, the tires will tumble and bounce along the ground in pursuit of the targeted enemy and, upon impact, will detonate in a large explosion, dealing high damage and pushing the target away. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Ghost Town: Convoy is determined to send the Coyotes packing. When he finds out about their hideout in New Mexico, he decides to pay Sid a visit. Let’s hope the scumbag is in town.

Canyonlands: Darn, Sid was nowhere to be found and them Coyotes are packing some serious iron!! Convoy sets out for Utah to meet up with Torque. Not far into the canyons, an ambush!

Ski Resort: Torque warns Convoy of Houston 3, a Coyote android programmed to exterminate the Vigilante leader. He urges the old man to go to Colorado, clear out for a while…

Oil Fields: This vacation is over! When Convoy learns of Sid’s plans to destroy the Hexagon Refinery, he sets out immediately. Hopefully, he can put a stop to this madness once and for all…

Final boss: Sid Burn.

Ending: The Coyotes are done for – it’s over. There’s no need to carry weapons any more. For Convoy, it’s time to start enjoying life again. With Houston at his side, he might even start his own trucking business!

After defeating Sid Burn’s gang, Convoy stops at a roadside gas station in Arizona to refuel his truck, ironically, with OMAR’s gas. After detaching the weapons from his vehicle with a crowbar, he opens the door to passenger’s seat to make way for Houston, now free of OMAR’s programming, as she walks out of the station’s store with two drinks. The two of them ride off into the desert to start life together.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

Convoy was based on the character Groove Champion from Vigilante 8’s predecessor series, Interstate ‘76. Coincidentally, Interstate ‘76 also features a character named Convoy, who was Taurus’ partner before Jade Champion, although there is no indication of his character design or vehicle of choice in the game.

Convoy’s name and overall design are likely inspired by the 1978 movie Convoy.

Convoy’s special weapon is a reference to steel belters - a type of tire used in heavy duty trucks, lined with a steel mesh within the rubber coating as to increase durability.

Convoy’s Moth Truck is featured on the menu screen of the Japanese PSX version of Vigilante 8.

Convoy’s defeat quote is likely a reference to the final moments of American gambler, gunfighter and dentist John Henry “Doc” Holliday, who, in his final days at Hotel Glenwood, 1887, was reported to have asked the nurse attending him for a shot of whiskey. After having his request denied, he looked at his bootless feet, amused. The nurses said that his last words were, “This is funny.” Holliday had always expected to be eventually killed in combat rather than on a bed, thus “dying with his boots on”.

Convoy was born in 1923.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

After nearly two years of vigilantism, Convoy was ready to call it quits. With Sid Burn and Beezwax gone, Boogie and Molo locked up and Loki institutionalized, Convoy saw no reason not to. The biggest incentive, though, was his blooming romantic relationship with ex-Coyote, Houston.

Houston managed to rid herself of OMAR’S mind-control implants and with Convoy’s support, she turned herself in to the authorities. Due to her involuntary participation in the events, she was not charged and immediately released. The two settled in Arizona and bought a small trucking operation on Route 40, just outside of Winslow. Soon thereafter, they married. The press ate it up and the news of the famous Vigilante marrying his former arch-enemy quickly made headlines country-wide.

Convoy was aware of Houston’s nightmares and her desire to remember who she truly was; he did his best to help. Whenever Houston traveled, new environments would evoke fragments of her missing memories, so Convoy took her along on his hauls as often as he could. Little did he know that one of their trips would change their destinies forever.

On the evening of September 17, 1977, the two were returning from Gallup, New Mexico. Houston was sound asleep most of the way, but not far from home she began talking in her sleep. As Convoy tried to shake her from her nightmare, she woke up screaming, then froze - her eyes wide open - staring far into the distance. Convoy followed her gaze. Ahead, three unusual vehicles, appearing to float above the road, were on a head-on collision course with their truck. Convoy had never seen anything like them, but he knew immediately that these ‘travelers’ were up to no good. Before he could react, the vehicles opened fire...

Convoy, the newly married Vigilante trucker, and his wife, Houston, were on the road when they spotted three unusual vehicles approaching from the opposite direction. Before Convoy could react, the vehicles opened fire…

Convoy is unlocked as a playable character once Sheila’s, John Torque’s, Team FAST’s and Houston’s Quests are completed.

Acceleration:	ll (50/400)
Top Speed:	llllll (148/400)
Armor:	llllllllllllllllll (400/400)
Avoidance:	lll (62/400)

 Vehicle: Livingston Truck - a tandem-axle conventional truck boasting high armor, but low tracking avoidance. The default model is based on the 1954 Peterbilt 351. The upgraded hot rod model is based on the 1977 GMC General. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front bumper (armor), snorkels (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Rolling Thunder – a set of enhanced air horns mounted atop the Livingston Truck. When activated, the horns blare an extremely loud noise that will damage enemy vehicles, lift them into the air and shove them away with tremendous force. It is also capable of destroying incoming projectiles.

Note: Due to collision bugs, the Rolling Thunder’s pushing force will sometimes fling vehicles away before the damage hitbox fully delivers the damage of the weapon. In contrast, the pushing force may also sometimes fail to push vehicles away, thus making the weapon somewhat unreliable in both damage output and crowd-control function.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Whoat, this ol’ trucker sure ain’t ready for Boot Hill! Considering Clyde had shoved him over the cliff at Navajo Canyon, Convoy was well on his way there. But thanks to Houston, he’s back, alive, and even younger by a few minutes. Time travel, she says… sounds more like a miracle. Nonetheless, there’s work to be done!

Ghastly Bayou: Looks like Houston, Sheila and J.T. have already cleaned up, but Clyde is still on the loose. What a bummer to discover that an old ‘friend’ turned on you – clearly, Slick has always had his own ideas. Vigilante informants claim he’s running low on cash. Convoy decides to put a further squeeze on the creep…

Launch Site: This time around, there are not only the Coyotes to deal with, but also many other drifters. Convoy never understood why the media glamorized the exploits of the gangs. Now, it looks like some gullible fellas got inspired to hit the road, as well. Convoy always tries to reason first, but often he’s left with no choice…

Steel Mill: Convoy is overjoyed – his sweetie Houston finally located her family and re-discovered her forgotten identity – Houston’s true name is Tanyah. Convoy escorted her to Washington for her family reunion, and then continued on to Pennsylvania to track down Molo and Boogie – two notorious Coyotes…

Nuclear Plant: Molo and Boogie are true diehards – Convoy has almost developed a sense of respect for those two. Almost. You squash them, and squash them again, they just keep on coming back. Convoy is certain he hasn’t seen the last of them. Now, he’s off to Minnesota – the Pander Island plant seems to be a real scum magnet.

Winter Games: Looks like Clyde had seriously underestimated what he was going up against. Considering that the creep had complete historical data at his disposal, he should’ve known better. Now Clyde is completely out of cash – and is getting desperate. Good!

Pacific Harbor: Clyde is losing his grip of the situation and the Coyotes are feeling the heat – they are getting sloppy! Looks like both Molo and Nina have plans of their own. Even Obake might soon be turning against Clyde. Convoy has no problems staying on Clyde’s tail – he will simply hunt him down to exhaustion!

Alaskan Pipeline: OK, old-timer, it’s time to wrap it up. Convoy is tired. He’s looking forward to some vacation time with Houston – Tanyah that is. Most of the Vigilantes have already called it quits, leaving it up to Convoy to settle his score with Clyde. Convoy pursued Clyde all the way to Alaska – there is nowhere else to run…

Final boss: Slick Clyde.

Ending: After receiving a postcard from Torque, Convoy and Houston drive down to Mexico… J.T. welcomes his friends with open arms… Convoy and Houston are surprised to find Nina in Torque’s nest. J.T. in love? Life is what YOU make of it… Ol’ Gringo!

After defeating Lord Clyde, Convoy and Houston arrive at a beach bungalow somewhere in Mexico, invited by John Torque to the meeting spot. Houston knocks on the door as the two of them shrug at one another, unsure if they got the right address. Suddenly, the door is flung open to reveal Torque, who surprises the couple with his trademark finger guns and a playful “wassup!”. Joined by Nina Loco, who’s now in a relationship with Torque, the group enjoys a well-deserved vacation at the beach together.

Quotes:

 

Trivia

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Convoy bought his trucking operation on Route 285, just outside of Roswell. He was ambushed and killed by Lord Clyde while returning from Santa Fe on September 3rd 1977, rather than September 17th.

Convoy and his Livingston Truck are featured on the menu screen of the Japanese PSX and Dreamcast versions of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

The number on the bungalow’s door in Convoy’s ending reads “12”, which could be a hint to Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s original title, Vigilante 12.

Convoy appears to be fond of Margarita cocktails.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

A righteous old rancher from New Mexico, Convoy has been trucking along the Southern routes since retiring in 1969. When hostilities erupted throughout the Southwest, he took the law into his own hands, jump-starting the Vigilante movement…

Strength:	High
Acceleration:	Low
Top Speed:	High
Radar Evasion:	Low

Vehicle: 1972 Mammoth Truck – a tandem-axle conventional truck. Based on the 1967 Peterbilt 359.

Special weapon: Rolling Thunder – Despite Vigilante 8: Arcade being a remake of the original Vigilante 8, Convoy retains his special weapon from the sequel, Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense. A set of enhanced air horns mounted about the Mammoth Truck. When activated, the horns blare an extremely loud noise that will damage enemy vehicles, lift them into the air and shove them away with tremendous force.

Quest:

Meteor Crater (“Gas Pains”): Convoy, the working man’s hero, is hot on the trail of Sid Burn, the world’s most notorious terrorist. After hearing about the Coyotes gathering near the meteor crater for a major recruitment drive, Convoy is disappointed to find a lone midget strutting his stuff in the desert…

Farmland (“Diary Diversion”): Upon crushing the little Boog, Convoy hits the Interstate to intercept Sid at the oil fields. Along the way, he responds to a distress call from a local farmer – it appears that some of Sid’s cronies are attempting to help themselves to some milk and honey. Not today!

Oil Fields (“Hell’s Burn”): On the great Southern plains, Convoy finally meets up with Sid face to face. The clever pyromaniac decides to fight fire with fire, recruiting some of the most vile, ruthless truckers and bus drivers money can buy. The heat is on!

Final boss: Sid Burn.

Epilogue: And so, vigilante justice prevails. With Sid Burn’s demise, the remaining Coyotes scatter into the wind. Yet Convoy can’t help but wonder about the greater powers at play. As long as petroleum remains the lifeblood of world’s machines, he knows evil men will vie for its control. But it’s no bother. For when they come again, he will be reasy…

Quotes:

Trivia:

Convoy retired from his unnamed occupation in 1969.

Convoy originates from New Mexico.

Convoy’s favorite phrase is “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Strangely enough, Convoy’s Classic vehicle skin is based on the 1972 Moth Truck, despite the default Mammoth Truck being closer in design to the Livingston Truck.

Convoy’s avatar was traced from a portrait of Sam Elliott in the 1991 movie Conagher.

 

Loki (ロキ)

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In Vigilante 8:

Former military test pilot of a secret craft at Site-4, Loki was released from duty after becoming mentally unstable. He is obsessed with flying and will do anything to pilot one of the “saucers” again.

Top Speed:	llllllll (8/20)
Armor:	llllllllll (10/20)
Avoidance:	lllllllllllllllll (17/20)

Vehicle: 1973 Glenn 4x4 – an army jeep boasting high tracking avoidance, but mediocre top speed and armor. Based on the 1971 Willys M38A1.

Special weapon: Scatter Missiles –A rack of three cruise missiles retrofitted by Loki with cluster-bomb warheads. When activated, a missile will be launched and fly over the targeted enemy. The missile will hover over the target for a randomized amount of time, before breaking off into multiple cluster-bombs, which will land upon the target, dealing high damage. The weapon comes with 3 missiles by default.

Quest:

Hoover Dam: Pilot Loki loved working at Site-4. Then, he went a little crazy and they wouldn’t let him fly again! Desperate, he decided to talk to gangster Sid. They are to meet at the Dam…

Ski Resort: Sid showed up a little late, but Loki did just fine. Sid is impressed. After Loki tells him of the secret arsenal at Site-4, Sid is impressed even more. Loki is in!

Aircraft Graveyard: Loki loves to fly. It gives him a rush, but it’s been weeks since he last sat in the cockpit! So, when he learns of an Air Force junkyard in Arizona, he just can’t resist…

Ghost Town: Crap, these junkers were all kaput! But hear this – supposedly, the very same saucers Loki used to fly at Site-4 were spotted trailing Vigilante hippie Dave! Let’s get him!

Final boss: Dave.

Ending: Loki has finally located an alien saucer… Let’s hope it’s functional… Oh yeah! Looks like he’ll be logging some serious flying time in this baby! Whoops! Loki must’ve forgotten how to use the clutch!

Loki succeeds in locating an alien saucer parked in a small sand pit somewhere in the desert, and runs towards the machine. The pilot’s seat raises him to the cockpit, where he begins fiddling with the controls. The saucer slowly begins to ascend, before plummeting back to the ground shortly after, being completely destroyed in the process. The scene quickly cuts to the clipping of a newspaper article featuring a mugshot of a soot-covered Loki stumbling out of the crash site, and the headline “UFO CRASH! ALIEN ALIVE! Story and Photos page 3”.

According to Convoy’s Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense bio, Loki was institutionalized after these events.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Loki is named after a God from Norse mythology.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Loki does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Second Offense on the account of being “institutionalized”, according to Convoy’s 2nd Offense bio.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Loki is a character from the High Octane DLC Pack in Vigilante 8: Arcade, and thus has no Quest of his own.

Strength:	High
Acceleration:	Medium
Top Speed:	Low-Medium
Radar Evasion:	Low-Medium

Vehicle: 1963 Ground Hog – a 6-wheeled armored car. Based on the 1954 Alvis FV601 Saladin.

Special weapon: Banzai Cannon – a large turret mounted atop the armored car. It fires projectiles that can cause massive explosions upon impact, dealing heavy damage. The weapon comes with 5 shells by default.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Loki has suffered the most drastic changes in terms of character design, vehicle design and special weapon design in Vigilante 8: Arcade. The reason for these changes is unknown.

 

 

Houston 3 / Houston (ヒューストン３ / ヒューストン)

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In Vigilante 8:

OMAR’s scientists turned Houston into a bionic woman against her will. Half human, half machine, she was programmed to aid Sid in his quest for destruction and chaos.

Top Speed:	lllllllllllllllll (17/20)
Armor:	llllllllll (10/20)
Avoidance:	llllllllll (10/20)

Vehicle: 1975 Palamino – a muscle car boasting high top speed, but average tracking avoidance and armor. Based on the 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and the 1975 King Cobra II.

Special weapon: Super Fantastic Death Ray 3-Ax – OMAR’s scientists spared no expense when creating weaponry for the ultimate assassin. This blue laser ray will cut through anything and keep on going. It can knock power-ups off of enemies’ cars with sustained fire. It behaves similarly to ‘Y’ the Alien’s special weapon. The weapon comes with 12 charges by default.

Quest:

Canyonlands: Houston 3 doesn’t remember her true name, or anything else. OMAR scientists erased her memory and programmed her to do just one thing – exterminate the Vigilantes!

Ski Resort: Sid Burn orders Houston to assist him in taking over the Busted Hump Resort. Though something tells her she shouldn’t do it, Houston obeys. Get on with the PROGRAM!

Ghost Town: Sid Burn is scared of Convoy, so he sends Houston to New Mexico to track him down and ice him. Yet, Houston hesitates – she is curious about Convoy. Who is he?

Aircraft Graveyard: Convoy was nowhere to be found, but Vigilante showoff Slick is hot on Houston’s trail. Houston doesn’t want to fight anymore, but the voracious Slick leaves her no choice…

Final boss: Slick Clyde.

Ending: Finally, Houston manages to conquer her evil cybernetic personality… Out with the bionic implants! Houston meets Convoy – the man she’s been admiring all along.

Houston stares into a mirror at a roadside gas station restroom somewhere in Arizona, struggling against OMAR’s programming. She produces a gravity knife from her pocket and takes it to the mind-controlling bracelet on her left forearm, prying it off herself. She emerges from the restroom to meet Convoy, who’s been waiting for her. She drops an OMAR controller chip on the ground in front of him and crushes it with her boot as a statement of her freedom.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Houston 3’s character is likely inspired by action heroines Cleopatra Jones and Jaime Sommers.

Houston 3’s name is sometimes misspelled in the game as “Houston-3”.

Houston 3’s Palamino once featured the number “8” on the side instead of the letter “H”.

The bathroom mirror scene in Houston’s ending is likely a reference to a similar scene in the movie Terminator.

The fictional tire company markings seen on the Palamino’s tires during cutscenes, “Equinoxe”, are a reference to Equinoxe Digital Entertainment, the company responsible for creating the game’s animated cutscenes.

Houston 3 is featured on the menu screen of the western PSX versions of Vigilante 8.

Houston 3 is estimated to have been born around 1950.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

After freeing herself of OMAR’s mind-control device, which ruled her life for over two years, Houston slowly began to find herself. Meeting Convoy marked a new beginning in her life, yet her dark past continued to haunt her. She often experienced nightmares and strange visions. On top of that, her inability to remember anything of her past often spoiled her mood.

Yet, despite her dark moments, Houston was happy. Convoy proved to be a wonderful husband and their trucking business was growing. She often accompanied Convoy on his long trucking trips. It was during one such trip, on September 17, 1977, while asleep in the cab of the moving truck, that she experienced her most disturbing nightmare yet:

Her whole body appeared to be made of metal, feeling ice cold and rigid... She was standing on a massive platform high above a city, in the company of two people - both of them eerily familiar. One of the two, a frightening old man, inserted something into her arm, sending her brain into overdrive. She knew this feeling - bombarded by impulses, forced to follow orders, helpless... She got into a strange car. The others boarded their own vehicles. All three cars lifted off of the platform, then accelerated and flew into the clouds, into a ball of light... When the clouds cleared, far below her, she saw a desert highway... a lone truck... Convoy’s truck. Her brain, as if locked in a loop, was screaming... “DESTROY!” “DESTROY!”

Houston screamed and opened her eyes. She was inside the truck, with Convoy next to her, but this time her nightmare was a reality...

After freeing herself of OMAR’s mind-control device, Houston slowly recovered. She married ex-Vigilante Convoy. However, her dark past continued to haunt her – she still suffers from amnesia and nightmares. She knew OMAR would be back.

Houston is unlocked as a playable character once Sheila’s, John Torque’s and Team FAST’s Quests are completed.

Acceleration:	llllllllllllll (310/400)
Top Speed:	lllllllll (204/400)
Armor:	lllllllllll (256/400)
Avoidance:	lllll (110/400)

Vehicle: Samson Tow Truck – a tow truck boasting high acceleration and average armor, but low tracking avoidance. The default model on the Playstation version is based on the 1971 GMC C-30 and the default model on the Dreamcast version is based on a 1960 Chevrolet C-10 Apache. The upgraded hot rod model in both versions is based on the 1956 Ford F-100. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), bullbars (armor), air filter (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Tow Twister/Tow Hook – a towing crane fitted on the bed of the Samson Tow Truck. When activated, the dangling hook and chain will attempt to reach for the targeted enemy at a limited short range. If the hook successfully attaches on to the target, it will be bound to Houston’s vehicle for a short time, being dragged along behind the truck wherever it goes. Should the truck make enough distance for the hook to actually pull the target along, said target will be dealt damage, which is scaled based on the tow truck’s current speed during movement, as well as how much the chain is stretched to its limit when the target is pushed away from the truck. The weapon comes with 6 charges by default.

Note: Due to a bug, the Tow Twister is capable of attaching and dealing damage to a target even if the latter has an active shield power-up.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Miraculously, Houston survived the vicious attack. She does not remember how she managed to jump out of the falling rig and grab onto a ledge, but then, she doesn’t remember a lot of things. Right now, her heart is filled with grief, because Convoy – her old man – is dead! But why would someone do this?! She must find out…

Ghastly Bayou: These look like Coyote plans, but weren’t the gangstas wiped out two years ago? On top of that, Houston has never seen such hot wheels this side of the Rio! Suddenly, she just knows – they’re the creeps from her nightmares – the old man, the robot, the ninja girl. They are for real – OMAR is back!

Launch Site: En route to Florida, Houston runs into a lawman. A fancy-pants agent named Chase tries to convince her that the OMAR crew traveled here from the future, just like himself. She’s quick to call him bull, but then… that sixth-sense feeling again… it clicks! That old man from her dreams – that face – it’s old Slick!

Steel Mill: They’ve kidnapped her, wiped her memories, screwed with her mind, and now they’ve killed her hubby! But they’ve picked the wrong sister to be messin’ with. It’s time to find them OMAR boys. Houston promises to help Chase track them down…

Nuclear Plant: All these flashbacks and visions are driving Houston crazy! At least she now knows who’s causing them – OMAR robo-killah Dallas 13. She thought that the OMAR armband was the only implant, but it looks like there’s more to it. No matter, these cerebral transmissions might be of some help…

Winter Games: Where are your friends when you need them? It’s about time when old homie Torque shows up. He tells Houston of some stunt crew scouring the country to find her – JT believes these kids may be Houston’s siblings. Could this be true?! Let’s get this OMAR business settled, so she can find out…

Pacific Harbor: Finally, an encounter with Dallas 13. Houston tries to talk to him. After all, she was once just like him – she knows that deep inside that heavy armor is a human soul. She asks Dallas to break free and help her. In response, he tries to break her arm! Houston decides to retreat and rethink her strategy…

Alaskan Pipeline: That stupid tin-man won’t give up! It dawns on Houston that sooner or later she will have to face Dallas. It might as well be sooner – the Coyotes are back in full force and unless Convoy can come back from the dead… Come back?! C’mon girl, why didn’t ya think of it before?! Let’s kick some metal butt!!!

Final boss: Dallas 13.

Ending: Having defeated Dallas 13, Houston removes the time travel device from his car… She sends herself back in time, to the fateful day of September 17, 1977… When Houston finds herself in the cab of Convoy’s truck once again, she knows what to do… Before the Coyotes attack, Houston pulls hard onto the steering wheel, turning Convoy’s truck around… This time, Convoy gets a fair shot at answering Clyde’s threat. He does not hesitate…

Standing over Dallas 13’s destroyed body, Houston raises her head and looks at his vehicle, which is parked nearby. She extracts the time-travel device from its dashboard and sets it on the roof, before inputting the date when she and Convoy were first ambushed – September 17th, 1977. The machine successfully transports her back in time, back to the passenger’s seat of Convoy’s Livingston truck, right as they are being chased by Lord Clyde. Houston quickly yanks on the steering wheel, making Convoy’s truck perform a 180-degree turn right before it falls into the Navajo Canyon. Lord Clyde is flabbergasted at the truck’s sudden reaction and it now faces him directly. Convoy revs his truck and deploys his own weapons, before charging at Lord Clyde, ready for action.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Houston is fond of traveling.

In the Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Samson Tow Truck is instead named “Samson Wrecker (サムソンレッカー)”.

According to information from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, Houston is 29 years old, conflicting with the age listed in her in-game bio.

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Convoy and Houston were ambushed on September 3rd 1977, rather than September 17th.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Houston is a character from the High Octane DLC Pack in Vigilante 8: Arcade, and thus has no Quest of her own.

Strength:	Medium
Acceleration:	Medium
Top Speed:	Medium
Radar Evasion:	Medium-High

Vehicle: 1971 Tow Master – a tow truck. Based on the 1971 Ford F-350 and the 1971 GMC C30.

Special weapon: Tow Hook – Houston’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, albeit with significant differences. A towing armature attacked on the rear of the Tow Master. When activated, the dangling hook and chain will attempt to reach for the targeted enemy at a limited short range. If the hook successfully attaches on to the target, it will flip it in front of the truck, dealing damage. The weapon comes with 4 charges by default.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Although Vigilante 8: Arcade is based on the original game, it utilizes the Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense incarnations of Houston’s character, vehicle and special weapon design.

 

 

Boogie (ブーギー)

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In Vigilante 8:

A die hard dance fan, Boogie is the winner of several disco dancing competitions. When not shaking his booty, Boogie runs dirty jobs for Sid.

Top Speed:	lllllllll (9/20)
Armor:	llllllll (8/20)
Avoidance:	llllllllllllllll (16/20)

Vehicle: 1976 Leprechaun - a subcompact car boasting high tracking avoidance, but low armor. Based on the 1970 AMC Gremlin.

Special weapon: Disco Inferno – Boogie’s own invention. An inflatable disco ball that fires explosive flares. Spin, baby, spin! When activated, the flight case mounted at the back of the Leprechaun produces a large disco ball that fires a torrent of flashing explosive flares at the targeted enemy. When hit, enemies are lifted off the ground and spun around in a clockwise manner with each shot. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Aircraft Graveyard: Jailbird Boogie was strutting his stuff in Phoenix when his old pal Sid called. There is a new job to do, but watch out for the Vigilantes, he said. Vigilantes? Who’s that?!

Valley Farms: Ouch! These Vee-gees are no fun, man! Boogie is full of complaints, so next Sid is sending him to California to blow up some barns. Let’s hope the wimp can candle it…

Casino City: C’mon, the Boogie-man needs a break! Supposedly, there is a disco dance event in Casino City. Yey! Boogie’s been anxious to show off his latest moves, so… get funky!

Hoover Dam: Sid is flaming over Boogie’s lack of discipline. No more dancin’ around! Boogie better take out Vigilante gambler John Torque, or else Sid will char him to the bone! Ooops…

Final boss: John Torque.

Ending: Exhausted, Boogie decides to groove to the nearest disco… What? He certainly didn’t expect an encounter with Johnny Law! Instead of disco, Boogie is now doing the jail house rock.

Following the battle at Hoover Dam against John Torque, Boogie drives off to California, daydreaming about his future stunts on the disco floor. His distraction proves to be a mistake as a police car suddenly appears behind his Leprechaun, forcing him to pull over. The scene quickly cuts to a view of his prisoner dossier, with the word “CONVICTED” being stamped on top of it.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

Boogie was voiced by professional comedian and actor Joey Medina.

Boogie’s design and quotes are inspired by Joe Pesci, specifically his role in Goodfellas.

Boogie’s special weapon quote is a reference to the chorus of the song “Stayin’ Alive”, by the Bee Gees. This reference is anachronistic, however, as the game is set in 1975, two years before the song was released.

According to Chassey Blue’s Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Quest, Boogie is a known conman.

Boogie has been in jail numerous times for past infractions.

In the Game Boy Color version of Vigilante 8, Boogie is shown sporting an afro hairstyle.

According to information from Vigilante 8, Boogie was born in 1952.

Despite the plot of the original Vigilante 8 taking place in 1975, Boogie somehow appears to drive a vehicle model from 1976.

Boogie’s Marathon may be a reference to the 1976 AMC Pacer from the movie "Wayne’s World.

On the Playstation version of Vigilante 8, Boogie’s Marathon has a fully-modeled antenna during gameplay. For unknown reasons, this antenna is not rendered at the character select screen, and is entirely absent from the Nintendo 64 version of the game.

The following is a transcription of Boogie’s dossier, as of his Vigilante 8 ending:

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Disco aficionado and the late Sid Burn’s prime henchman, Boogie had been sentenced to serve 10 years at San Quentin Penitentiary for burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and DUI. Despite agent Blue’s testimony, the court did not find sufficient evidence to support Boogie’s involvement with the Coyotes.

After one year in the can, Boogie had had enough. The prison was substandard not only with regards to his personal sanitary standard, but also his musical taste - the ambient elevator music that was constantly piped through the speakers was truly unbearable. Thank God for a visit from Nina Loco, Sid’s former flame and arms supplier and an all-round bad Mama. Boogie knew Nina was always charmed by his general genteel ways, so it wasn’t surprising that she volunteered to help him break out. Orchestrating Boogie’s jailbreak was second nature for Nina, especially after befriending the prison’s warden at a local saloon. Adding insult to injury, on his way out, Boogie stole the warden’s beloved car - a brand new Marathon.

En-route to Arizona, Nina told Boogie of old Clyde’s paranormal arrival from the future and his efforts to revive the Coyotes. At first, Boogie was miffed at Nina when he learned that Clyde actually paid her to get him out. Nevertheless, he was thrilled to be free again and was anxious to show off for the new Boss and jump back into the fray...

Boogie is unlocked as a playable character once Dallas 13’s, Nina Loco’s, Molo’s, Obake’s and Lord Clyde’s Quests are completed.

Acceleration:	llllllllll (218/400)
Top Speed:	lllll (120/400)
Armor:	lll (74/400)
Avoidance:	llllllllllllllllll (400/400)

 Vehicle: Marathon – a subcompact car boasting high tracking avoidance, but low armor. The default model is based on the 1977 AMC Pacer. The upgraded hot rod model is based on Carl Green’s custom 1977 AMC Pacer Pickup prototype. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front splitter (armor), rear exhausts (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Disco Inferno – Boogie’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, retaining the features of its original incarnation. When activated, the flight case mounted at the back of the Leprechaun produces a large disco ball that fires a torrent of flashing explosive flares at the targeted enemy. When hit, enemies are lifted off the ground and spun around in a clockwise manner with each shot. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Due to development time constraints, Boogie has no Quest of his own. However, unfinished scripts in the game’s code reveals details of his Questline:

Meteor Crater: Locate and collect 3 bombs.

Winter Games: Lift prize money by collecting 4 briefcases.

Pacific Harbor: Steal warehoused shipments by collecting 4 supply boxes.

Alaskan Pipeline: Spill gasoline around the refinery by collecting and delivering 4 fuel cans.

Nuclear Plant: Gather bombs and booby trap main plant by collecting and delivering 5 bombs.

Ghastly Bayou: Move dirty money to large crypt by collecting and delivering 5 briefcases.

Launch Site: Scavenge for Nitrous Oxide by collecting 6 fuel cans.

Steel Mill: Rob train and hide cash near long bridges by collecting and delivering 4 briefcases.

Final boss: Chassey Blue.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Boogie’s special weapon quote is a reference to numerous funk and disco songs of the 1970’s, such as “The Groove Line”, by Heatwave.

Boogie’s age in his Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense bio seems to be in contradiction with the information shown on his dossier in his ending from Vigilante 8.

According to information from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Boogie was born in 1941.

According to information from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, Boogie is 28 years old, conflicting with the age listed in his in-game bio.

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Nina and Boogie were originally en-route to New Mexico to meet with Lord Clyde.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Boogie is a ‘70s Fashionista and the winner of several disco dancing tournaments, all rigged in his favor. When not shaking his booty in nearby dives, this little meanie runs Sid’s dirty jobs all across the desert…

Strength:	Low
Acceleration:	Medium-High
Top Speed:	Medium
Radar Evasion:	Medium-High

Vehicle: 1975 Leprechaun – a modified subcompact car. Based on the 1970 AMC Gremlin.

Special weapon: Disco Inferno – Boogie’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, albeit with a few cosmetic differences. When activated, the antenna mounted at the back of the Leprechaun produces a large disco ball that fires a torrent of flashing explosive flares at the targeted enemy. When hit, enemies are lifted off the ground and spun around in a clockwise manner with each shot. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Hoover Dam (“Maximum Torque”): Boogie is strutting his stuff on the Vegas strip when Sid calls – he’s needed across the state line, in Arizona. Grumbling, Boogie makes his way South, across the Hoover Dam. Hey, is that Vigilante tough guy Torque heading his way? Let’s see if “The Man” can dance?

Ski Resort (“Frozen Assets”): Sounds like Sid got smoked while Boogie was shaking his booty at the dam. He’s being ordered to retreat to higher ground, while the boss works out the next move. Upon arrival, Boogie finds that Chassey woman guarding the lodge. Heck, that won’t do – he ain’t giving up his spot at the fireplace!

Oil Fields (“The Last Dance”): Having gorged himself on roasted marshmallows, the Boog is happy to venture back South. Sounds like the plan to hit the refinery is back on and he wants first dibs. Although he is first to arrive, in his hurry to get there, he didn’t notice Vigilante Dave and crew on his tail. Doh!!

Final boss: Dave.

Epilogue: Boogie gyrates to the beat of ‘Disco Funk’. He is electrified, his pants glittering, his moves perfect, not a beat skipped. He strikes the ‘Night Fever’ pose as the song concludes. The crowd goes wild! He is so in his element. In fact, it feels like a dream…

Quotes:

Trivia:

Boogie’s favorite car accessory is a pair of fuzzy dice.

Boogie’s portrait is likely inspired by Barry Gibb’s visage.

One of Boogie’s defeat quotes is a reference to the 1982 song “You Dropped A Bomb On Me” by The Gap Band.

 

 

Beezwax (ビーズワックス)

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In Vigilante 8:

An enraged Arizona beekeeper. When his bees were mutated by radiation from government nuclear tests, Beezwax joined the Coyotes in revenge.

Top Speed:	lllllll (7/20)
Armor:	llllllllllllllll (16/20)
Avoidance:	lllllllllllllll (15/20)

Vehicle: 1970 Stag Pickup – a pickup truck with an RV mounted at the rear, boasting high armor and tracking avoidance, but low top speed. Based on the 1969 Chevrolet C-10 Cheyenne Camper.

Special weapon: Gamma Swarm – Don’t let Beezwax unleash his mutant killer bees. They will “sting ya real good!” Can you outrun the swarm?! When activated, the large beehive mounted on the right side of the Stag Pickup releases a swarm of radioactive mutant bees, which will seek the targeted enemy. Should the swam reach their intended target, they will begin to juggle it up in the air, dealing continuous damage and leaving the target defenseless, before slowly dissipating and flying away. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: Early in development, Beezwax’s Gamma Swarm had a much higher tick rate compared to any other weapons in the game, allowing the special weapon to cause an incredibly high number of whammies (reportedly up to 23x) upon targets when utilized with other conventional weapons. The tick rate was reduced prior to the final release.

Quest:

Oil Fields: When Beezwax’s farm was polluted with radioactive waste from a nearby government nuclear test site, Beezwax packed up and hit the road in a rage of madness…

Ski Resort: In search of a safe haven for his mutant bees, Beezwax drives to Colorado. When he finds out that his hometown was turned into a fancy ski resort, he goes ballistic!

Casino City: Upon meeting Sid Burn, Beezwax is convinced that Sid is a prophet. Inspired, Beezwax sets out to unleash the wrath of his bees on the sinners of Casino City!

Valley Farms: Set on spreading Sid’s word, Beezwax travels West. When some blonde in a fancy sports car cuts him off near Tulare, he decides to show her the ways of salvation!

Final boss: Chassey Blue.

Ending: Victorious, Beezwax gloats over his stolen cargo of Site-4 warheads. He should’ve known by now that his bees crave anything yellow… Huh!? Let’s hope the warheads aren’t hot… Click! KABOOM!!

Beezwax stops his truck somewhere in the middle of the desert to check up the RV at the back. Opening the door, he is met with the sight of two nuclear warheads stolen from Site-4, and begins to laugh with evil intent, eager to put the WMDs to use. In his maniacal cackling, he fails to notice one of his mutant bees approaching. His laughter stops as he turns to stare at the insect hovering above the warhead, moments before it lands upon it and stings it, triggering a nuclear detonation and killing Beezwax.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Beezwax’s name is a reference to beeswax, or cera alba, a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus Alpis, and used by hive workers to form cells for honey storage and larval/pupal protection within a beehive. It is an edible compound.

Due to the rear-heavy design of Beezwax’s Stag Pickup, the vehicle’s rear suspensions struggle to sustain its weight, leading to a noticeable “sag” that can be seen ingame. This phenomenon has gameplay consequences, as not only is the Stag’s handling stiffer than it should be due to the front wheels being barely able to touch the ground, but the rear end of the vehicle is also prone to hitting bumps more violently than other vehicles, causing severe loss of speed and tipping the vehicle forward in an exaggerated manner. When tapping the gas button to accelerate, the vehicle is also prone do doing wheelies.

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Beezwax does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Second offense on the account of being dead.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

A traveling beekeeper from Arizona, Beezwax would trespass regularly onto military land in search of the finest Saguaro honey. But when his beloved bees mutated as a result of radiation, he joined the Coyotes to get his revenge against the government…

Strength:	Low-Medium
Acceleration:	Medium
Top Speed:	Low-Medium
Radar Evasion:	High

Vehicle: 1965 Stag – a pickup truck with an RV mounted at the rear. Based on the 1971 Ford F-350 and the 1971 GMC C30.

Special weapon: Mutant Swarm – Beezwax’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, albeit with significant differences. When activated, the large beehive mounted on the right side of the Stag Pickup releases a swarm of radioactive mutant bees, which will seek the targeted enemy. Should the swam reach their intended target, they will begin to fly to and fro through it, dealing continuous damage, but will not juggle it in the air. The bee swarm will also damage and destroy buildings upon contact due to their collision physics. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Farmland (“Bee Advised”): On the green California pastures the citrus trees are in bloom and, at this very moment, life seems good to Beezwax. Unfortunately, the wax buildup in his ear drums prevents him from detecting an approaching vehicle, until agent Chassey blue is right on top of him!

Meteor Crater (“Bee Productive”): Beezwax enjoyed unleashing his swarm upon the swarmy G-Girl as his hatred of the government is absolute. After the battle, he transports his hives to Arizona to harvest late season cactus nectar. Here, he encounters some hippie trampling all over the Saguaro fields!

Ski Resort (“Bee Rewarded”): Beezwax determines that his bees are fatigued. What better place to relax than an abandoned ski lodge in the Rockies? Unfortunately, he finds the hideaway occupied by Convoy and gang. There is no turning back – the hive must hibernate!

Final boss: Convoy.

Epilogue: As the spring sun melts the mountain passes, Beezwax travels into the East Sierras, an ancient Indian map in hand. Venturing for days, he suddenly discovers an idyllic valley set deep within massive cliffs – the legendary Honeycomb Meadow, at last!

Quotes:

Trivia:

Beezwax’s favorite drink is fermented Agave juice.

Molo (モロ)

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In Vigilante 8:

An obnoxious kid from New York, Molo was kicked out of school for bad behavior. He stole a school bus and headed West to play bully with the big boys. A wanna-be Coyote.

Molo is unlocked as a playable character once Loki’s and Houston 3’s Quests are completed.

Top Speed:	lllll (5/20)
Armor:	llllllllllllllllllll (20/20)
Avoidance:	llllll (6/20)

Vehicle: 1966 School Bus – a single-axle school bus boasting high armor, but low tracking avoidance and top speed. Based on the 1966 Gillig Transit Coach, the 1978 Crown Supercoach and the 1968 Newell Coach RV. The model featured on the cover art, promotional art and ingame cutscenes is based on the 1997 Blue Bird TC/2000.

Special weapon: Bad Day in L.A. – an upright smoke stack exhaust located at the back of the bus. When activated, the weapon dispenses a cloud of soot that severely damages vehicles that pass through it, as well as clogging their engines. When used for long periods of time, the weapon is capable of totaling any vehicle in only a few seconds due to continuous damage. It does not block incoming enemy projectiles. The weapon comes with 40 charges by default.

Quest:

Oil Fields: Gangster Sid has been Molo’s hero forever. When Molo finally arrives in New Mexico, he can’t wait to meet the Man! But first, Molo must kick some Vigilante butt…

Ghost Town: Molo’s bus is unstoppable! Sid likes the crazy kid, but let’s face it, the Coyotes aren’t the Army. Sid turns him down, but Molo is desperate – he will prove himself!!

Valley Farms: Not bad, but where’s Sid? Supposedly, the leader took off for California. Molo decides to follow. When he finally arrives, the place is crawling with the Vigilantes!

Canyonlands: Hey, who’s this cute chick on Molo’s tail?! Looks like Sheila, Convoy’s niece, wants to play cat and mouse in the canyons. Must be Molo’s lucky day! Sid will be most pleased…

Final boss: Sheila.

Ending: Molo must prove his abilities by completing Coyote initiation tests… The final lap! Molo crosses the finish line to the cheers of his pals! He is officially admitted into the gang. Finally!! Molo’s enthusiasm fades when he’s handed Sid’s first assignment…

After several trials in his desperate quest to join Sid Burn’s Coyote gang, Molo finally achieves his goal, crossing the finish line on time during his final initiation test. The Coyotes congratulate him on his success, and Sid, right after admitting him into the gang, hands him a sponge and bucket. Molo’s first “job” is to wash Sid Burn’s Manta by hand until it its spotless, much to his dismay and amusement of the other Coyotes.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

According to the Vigilante 8 Official Ultimate Strategy Guide and the manual from the Game Boy version, Molo’s special weapon in the original Vigilante 8 was named “Bad Day in L.A.”

The school shown in Vigilante 8’s “School Bus” TV commercial is named “St. Molo’s”.

Molo’s school bus is featured on the menu screen of the Japanese PSX version of Vigilante 8.

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

After the disappearance of Sid Burn, Molo felt lost. He could not believe that the mighty Sid would simply leave him high and dry. Molo crisscrossed the deserts in search for the man, but to no avail. When he finally came upon Sid’s abandoned car in Nevada, he knew Sid was gone for good.

Disillusioned and just plain bored, Molo begun burglarizing gas stations and small trailer parks. It was only a matter of time before the cops picked him up. He was given a severe sentence for his involvement with the Coyotes, but due to his age, he was placed in a juvenile detention camp in Colorado. Within a year, Molo became the undisputed top dog among the delinquents. The place was a haven for ne’er do wells such as himself, but the good times were coming to an end - he was scheduled for transfer to a real slammer in Chico on his upcoming 18th birthday. He became restless.

Eventually the dreaded day was upon Molo. Early in the morning, they put him in chains and sat him between two guards on a heavily armored bus bound for California. The bus ride made it all seem more bearable since Molo loves buses. This one was a full-length, heavy-duty Blue Burro - his favorite.

He was savoring every bump along the way, when somewhere in Utah a white stretch limousine shot past the bus and blocked its path. The rest was a blur of white flashes and screams. Before Molo could manage to put two and two together, the driver and guards were zapped unconscious and Molo was set free of his chains. A rich old fart was offering him freedom in exchange for loyalty - and Molo got to keep the bus! It was a no brainer. Sid who?

Disillusioned after the Coyotes’ defeat, Molo began burglarizing gas stations and trailer parks. He was eventually caught and sent to “Juvie” hall. He rejoined the Coyotes after Clyde busted him out during a prison transport.

Acceleration:	llllll (128/400)
Top Speed:	llll (92/400)
Armor:	llllllllllllllll (352/400)
Avoidance:	lllll (112/400)

 Vehicle: Blue Burro Bus – a tandem-axle prison bus boasting high armor but low top speed. The default model is based on the 1975 Crown Security Supercoach. The upgraded hot rod model is based on the 1936 GM Futurliner. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front bumper and bars (armor), rear wing (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Smog Check – Molo’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, retaining the features of its original incarnation. An upright smoke stack exhaust located at the back of the bus. When activated, the weapon dispenses a cloud of soot that severely damages vehicles that pass through it, as well as clogging their engines. In addition, the smoke is thick enough to destroy incoming enemy projectiles, making it fit for defensive maneuvers. The weapon comes with 40 charges by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Molo is quick to swear his allegiance to the new boss. The teen finds Slick’s return quite wicked, but heck, the man sure has some impressive gadgetry! Not to mention, Molo is ga-ga over his new ride – this baby sure beats a school bus! He can’t wait to take the Burro Bus for a spin…

Winter Games: Molo is thrilled to learn that all hell is breaking loose again. Clyde wants to increase his cash reserves, so he needs Molo to rob a few places. Why waste time on small scores when there’s easy money in Utah, and lots of it? Hey! Old Veegee pals Sheila and Torque are guarding the resort – perfect!

Pacific Harbor: Those two didn’t even know what hit them, he he! Having spent all this time in juvie hall, Molo is having a ball. On Clyde’s orders, he heads out to the harbor to pick up some contraband coming in from South America. Look! There’s Houston in a new truck – doesn’t Clyde have some concerns about her? Not for much longer, he he!

Alaskan Pipeline: Stupid! Houston managed to escape – she always was a tough cookie, even back when she was with Sid. When Clyde learns Houston is on the loose organizing the Vigilantes, he goes berserk and immediately dispatches Dallas to deal with her. In the meantime, Molo is asked to throw his weight around Alaska…

Nuclear Plant: Boom! There goes a refinery, he he! A few more jobs like that and Molo should be Clyde’s top dog in no time. Taking out the Pander Island Plant – America’s pride and joy – will earn him further accolades. Hey, who are those freaks at the Plant – some Coyote wannabes out to beat Molo to it?! No way!

Ghastly Bayou: Upon his return, Molo is baffled to find Clyde running scared. Supposedly, Houston had pulled a fast one on Clyde – she kicked Dallas’ butt, then, using the robot’s time travel device, brought Convoy back from the grave. Big deal! Not to worry, uncle Clyde – Molo will send the old hick back to Hicksville, he he!

Launch Site: Yeah, that Convoy dude should take an early retirement! Poor Clyde – the old Slickster seems to be losing it. Now, he wants Molo to get him some high-octane fuel. Is Clyde planning a getaway? Hey, sounds like a major opportunity up for grabs! Molo is savoring the possibilities…

Steel Mill: Clyde is a goner, but Molo may have to put his world domination plans on hold for a minute – the Veegees and the FBI are seriously hampering his growth! For the last few days, Molo has been constantly on the run. To make matters worse, some stunt bozos keep blinding him with their fireworks! Geez, let’s get some money and run…

Final boss: Team FAST.

Ending: From the looks of it, FBI Agency Chassey Blue is on Molo’s tail… Molo wants Chassey to smell his gas… Hey, Molo’s pipe is plugged! Blam!!! Looks like Molo couldn’t handle the pressure! What? Sheila?! Molo gets busted by a chick – how embarrassing!

Following Lord Clyde’s defeat, Molo is forced to make a run for it, but is easily tracked down by an FBI agent. During a high-speed chase down an interstate in the desert, Molo activates his Smog Check, aiming to shake off his pursuer. As it turned out, the exhaust is plugged by a rollerskate and, unable to dispense any soot, ends up exploding from the pressure buildup, which causes Molo to lose control of his bus. With his knees on the hot asphalt and his hands behind his back, Molo turns around to see the face of the agent who’s just busted him – Sheila.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Molo’s school bus was meant to return in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, but due to radical changes in societal sensibilities following the events of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, his vehicle had to be changed from a school bus to a juvenile detention bus during development, as to prevent further backlash regarding portrayals of school-related violence.

Molo’s Blue Burro Bus’ name is an obvious reference to American bus manufacturer, Blue Bird Corporation.

Molo’s age in his Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense bio seems to be in contradiction with his dossier shown in Sheila’s ending in the same game.

According to Molo’s bio information from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, he was born in 1959.

According to information from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, Molo is 17 years old, conflicting with the age listed in his in-game bio.

The rear license plate on Molo’s bus during his ending cutscene reads “BUSTED”.

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Molo was scheduled to be transferred to San Quentin Penitentiary. One day before Molo’s transfer, an old man arrived at the camp in a white limousine and requested a visit with the kid. Molo knew his salvation had come when the stranger offered to get him out in return for his loyalty - he agreed immediately. Afterwards, the man simply walked into the superintendent’s office and within minutes Molo was leaving the compound in his savior’s limousine.

Due to a bug, the front end of the hot rod version of the Blue Burro Bus does not show its damaged states ingame, despite the meshes existing in the game’s code.

The following is a transcription of Molo’s dossier, as of Sheila’s ending in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

A repeat juvenile offender, Molo hails from Brooklyn, New York. While doing community service, he hijacked a prison transport and headed West to meet his role model – the infamous Sid Burn. Molo is certain he can impress Sid enough to let him join the Coyote gang…

Strength:	Medium-High
Acceleration:	Low-Medium
Top Speed:	Medium
Radar Evasion:	Low-Medium

Vehicle: 1970 Incarcerator – a single-axle prison bus. Likely based on the 1960 GM Suburban Coach and the 1966 Flxible New Look.

Special weapon: Smog Check – Molo’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, albeit with some differences. An upright smoke stack exhaust located at the back of the bus. When activated, the weapon dispenses a cloud of soot that severely damages vehicles that pass through it, as well as clogging their engines. Unlike previous incarnations, the Smog Check in Vigilante 8: Arcade is a tracking weapon, much like the Bruiser Cannon, capable of pointing towards a targeted enemy, although with a limited horizontal range of motion around the rear of the vehicle. It does not block incoming enemy projectiles. The weapon comes with 50 charges by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater (“Initiation”): Eager to prove himself, Molo jumps at the opportunity to engage Vigilantes in combat. Reportedly, UFO-chaser Dave is at the meteor site looking for signs from above. If Molo can bully the hippie into submission, he’s certain to score some brownie points with Sid!

Farmland (“The Big Fish”): Sidney is impressed, indeed. In fact, he not only initiates Molo into the gang, he trusts him with a critical assignment – travel to California to eliminate Convoy. Is Sid using him as bait? Who cares? He’s going to crush the old man!

Oil Fields (“Who’s The Man?”): To Sid’s surprise, Molo and his bus are proving unstoppable. There is only one loose end remaining – John Torque. Convoy’s brutal sidekick is determined to keep the oil refinery humming. Perhaps Molo can distract ‘The Man’ with a little roughhousing?

Final boss: John Torque.

Epilogue: As Molo stares into the flames of JT’s car, his mind is reeling, his ego inflating. Just what makes Sid the world’s baddest mercenary? Hasn’t Molo done all the dirty work?? As Sid’s Manta appears over the horizon, Molo grins and starts the ignition…

Quotes:

Trivia:

Molo’s favorite food is hamburger-chili pizza.

Although Vigilante 8: Arcade is based on the original Vigilante 8, it foregoes Molo’s original 1966 School Bus in favor of his Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense prison bus, likely due to previous societal outcry against portrayals of school-related violence during the development of 2nd Offense.

 

 

Sid Burn (シドバーン)

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In Vigilante 8:

A born arsonist, Sid is the Coyotes’ ruthless leader. He was promised $100 million by a certain foreign oil consortium to destabilize the U.S. economy by wreaking havoc in the Southwest.

Sid Burn is unlocked as a playable character once Boogie’s and Beezwax’s Quests are completed.

Top Speed:	llllllllllllllllllll (20/20)
Armor:	lllllllllll (11/20)
Avoidance:	lllllll (7/20)

Vehicle: 1969 Manta – a sports coupé with a flaming paint job, boasting high top speed but low tracking avoidance. Based on the 1977~1978 Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray and the 1964 Pontiac Banshee.

Special weapon: Breath of Fire – A tracking dual cannon system mounted over the trunk of the Manta. When activated, the cannon fires incendiary projectiles that explode on impact, setting targets ablaze. The weapon’s damage does not stack when fired in quick succession, and only reset the burning time. The weapon comes with 16 shells by default.

Note: According to an Alpha development build of Vigilante 8, the Breath of Fire had a much higher fire rate, as well as a stronger knockback effect.

Quest:

Casino City: Hired-gun Sid Burn was about to retire to Florida when the OMAR boys showed up. $100 Million for doing a little burnin’?! Heck, the beaches and gold will have to wait!

Canyonlands: Sid sent his grunts on a damage run mission to Utah, only to see them return thrashed by Convoy & gang! Looks like Sid will have to visit the place himself…

Hoover Dam: Bloody Vigilantes! Sid ought to send Houston after Convoy – that creep is making him nervous. In the meantime, Sid decides to visit the Hoover Dam and then… burn it down!

Oil Fields: The plan worked! Now, that Convoy is reportedly hiding somewhere in Colorado, Sid decides it is time for the clincher – destroy the largest oil refinery in the Southwest!

Final boss: Convoy.

Ending: Mission complete, mate – it’s payday! All these greenbacks for a job well done. Ooops! Looks like all that cruisin’ left Sid running on fumes. 100 miles – that’s a long way to walk with a heavy suitcase…

After succeeding in destroying a number of energy-related installations throughout the Southwest, Sid Burn watches as a black limousine pulls stops next to his parked vehicle somewhere in the deserts of Nevada. He approaches the vehicle as the window rolls down, and receives a briefcase full of money for his services to OMAR. Satisfied, Sid returns to his Manta and attempts to start the ignition, only to be surprised by the flashing lights on the fuel gauge indicating that the tank is empty. The scene then pans out to reveal a road sign behind the Manta that reads “no gas next 100 miles” – a direct consequence of his actions.

Following these events, Sid Burn was forced to begin a long walk through the desert, briefcase in hand. It is likely that he was eventually found and ambushed by John Torque, captured, and ultimately killed. His Manta is left abandoned in Nevada.

Quotes:

 

Trivia

Sid Burn was based on the character Antonio Malochio from Vigilante 8’s predecessor series, Interstate ‘76. The latter was originally meant to star in the game, but was eventually replaced.

Sid Burn’s bandaged arms and scarred face indicate that he is a burn victim.

According to his online bio, Sid Burn has no qualms about setting other human beings on fire.

Sid Burn’s Manta is featured on the menu screen of the Japanese PSX version of Vigilante 8.

Acccording to John Torque’s bio in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, it is heavily implied that Sid Burn was killed after the events of the original Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Sid Burn does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Second offense on the account of being dead.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Sidney E. Burn is the world’s most notorious auto mercenary, specializing in mayhem and sabotage. While not on the job, he devotes his time to arson – his beloved hobby. Promised $100 million by a certain foreign oil consortium to destabilize the U.S. economy, he’s out to raise some hell, literally!

Strength:	Low
Acceleration:	High
Top Speed:	High
Radar Evasion:	Low-Medium

Vehicle: 1969 Manta – a touring sports coupé with a flaming paint job, boasting high top speed but low tracking avoidance. Based on the 1978 Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray.

Special weapon: Great Balls O’ Fire – Sid Burn’s special weapon suffers drastic changes in Vigilante 8: Arcade. A set of fuel tanks and a flamethrower mounted at the front of the Manta. When activated, the weapon behaves much like a standard flamethrower, spewing a torrent of flames that set vehicles ablaze in front of it. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Quest:

Oil Fields (“Wells Afire”): Sidney is enroute to blow up the Southern oil fields – a major U.S. refinery targeted by his employers. As he arrives, he finds that obnoxious do-gooder Convoy puttering about in his truck. Perfect! Taking out the old geezer is bound to earn Sidney an extra bonus!

Ski Resort (“Snowed In”): Having crushed Convoy, Sid meets up with his cronies to strategize. There, he learns that Vigilante Dave was dispatched to Colorado. Wasn’t Dave the oddball hippie rumored to possess some very powerful alien weaponry? It’s got to be worth a fortune, mate!

Hoover Dam (“Dam, Baby!”): What a waste of time, that Dave. Flying saucers my arse! That van was all radios, antennas and other junk. What’s that? Agent Blue reported cruising the Hoover Dam? Blimey, she’s smoking hot! A perfect opportunity for an introduction, Sidney-style!

Final boss: Chassey Blue.

Epilogue: The feisty Chassey sure put up a fight. Sidney always prided himself knowing what makes women tick. Too bad, he can’t hear the ticking of the incendiary device Chassey planted on his Manta. Unless he finds it quickly, his retirement plans will go up in smoke. Tragic irony or poetic justice?

Quotes:

Trivia:

Sid Burn’s special weapon is a reference to the 1957 song “Great Balls Of Fire”, by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Sid Burn’s favorite phrase is “Me, myself and I.”

 

 

‘Y’ the Alien / Garbage Man (「Y」エイリアン / ゴミオ - Gomio)

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In Vigilante 8:

‘Y’ the Alien came to Earth in search of a missing space patrol. Tipped off by Dave’s transmissions, “Y” believes his friends may be held captive at Site-4. He likes to blast some human butt on occasion…

‘Y’ the Alien is unlocked as a playable character once all character Quests are beaten.

Top Speed:	llllllllllllllllllll (20/20)
Armor:	lllllllllllllll (15/20)
Avoidance:	lllll (5/20)

Vehicle: 1964 Luxo Saucer – a flying saucer with two large exhaust ports on the back, boasting high top speed and armor, but low tracking avoidance.

Special weapon: Blue Laser – a powerful laser cannon mounted at the front of the saucer. The laser ray will cut through anything and keep on going. It can knock power-ups off of enemies’ cars with sustained fire. It behaves similarly to Houston 3’s special weapon. The weapon comes with 12 charges by default.

Quest:

Note: Due to being a last-minute addition to the game prior to release, ‘Y’ the Alien’s Quest is only available on the Nintendo 64 version of Vigilante 8, as its release date was postponed until after the Playstation version was released, allowing for more development time.

Sand Factory: ‘Y’ was combing the galaxies for his long-lost alien friends, when he picked up some strange transmissions from Earth. The signal originated from Utah!

Ski Resort: The [Sand Factory] building was empty and the source of the signal has moved to Colorado! Looks like these humans need to learn some hospitality. ‘Y’ is happy to oblige…

Aircraft Graveyard: ‘Y’ has finally decoded the mysterious transmission. Apparently, some aliens crash-landed in Yuma Desert not long ago. Let’s go and look for clues…

Valley Farms: Looks like the tip was correct – ‘Y’ found plenty of alien debris. Now, he must locate whoever sent these messages to obtain more information. Off to California!

Secret Base: ‘Y’ catches up with Dave at last! Hey, this hairy creep is rather friendly. Dave tells ‘Y’ that the aliens were taken to Site-4 and then… dissected. Revenge!!

Final boss: Boogie.

Ending: ‘Y’ needed some gas before heading back to his home planet… What!?! That creep Loki must’ve been trailing him to steal his ‘ride’! This isn’t an automatic, you inferior life form! @#! Now what’s an alien to do?!?

After enacting revenge for his dissected friends by destroying the Site-4 secret base, ‘Y’ the Alien parks his Luxo Saucer in a small sand pit somewhere in the desert, and walks off in search of gas to fuel it with. Upon his return, he finds Coyote Loki in the cockpit of his ship, fiddling with the controls. He warns the human test pilot to stop, but to no avail, as Loki begins to take off with ‘Y’s ship, only to plummet back into the ground in a thunderous crash, destroying the craft. Left stranded on planet Earth and without options, ‘Y’ is forced to run away and hide before human authorities and news crews arrive on the scene.

Quotes:

Trivia:

The creation of ‘Y’ the Alien as a playable character came about after the completion of the Secret Base stage, near the end of Vigilante 8’s development. His vehicle was based on the flying saucer seen in that stage.

‘Y’ the Alien can technically be considered the first Drifter to make a debut in the Vigilante 8 franchise.

‘Y’ the Alien’s faction name was a completely different string of Unicode symbols in the development builds of Vigilante 8.

‘Y’ the Alien’s name is likely a humorous homophone for “why the Alien?”, referring to Y’s last-minute and seemingly out-of-place addition to the roster of Vigilante 8.

‘Y’ the Alien’s vehicle and special weapon designs are likely based on the Martian War Machines from George Pal’s 1953 cinematic adaptation of War of the Worlds.

The “model year” for ‘Y’ the Alien’s original vehicle, the 1964 Luxo Saucer, is likely a reference to the Lonnie Zamora UFO sighting incident of 1964.

As the only vehicle in the original Vigilante 8 that is capable of flight, the physics of ‘Y’s Luxo Saucer served as the basis for the hoverpod propulsion mechanism in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

‘Y’s Luxo Saucer has a manual transmission, accepts gasoline as a fuel source and, curiously enough, does not stall.

‘Y’s ingame saucer design is wildly different from the one featured in cutscenes. This is likely due to the fact that Equinoxe Digital Entertainment had finished the game’s cutscenes for the PSX before ‘Y’ himself was created by the game’s developers.

In the Playstation version of Vigilante 8, ‘Y’ the alien’s special weapon laser beam has a blue color, whereas in the Nintendo 64 version of the game, it is orange.

‘Y’ the Alien’s character description can be found in the code of Pitfall 3D Beyond the Jungle’s demo (SLUS-00254).

‘Y’ the Alien is the only character in the original Vigilante 8 whose Quest takes place across five different stages, whereas all other characters’ Quests are only four stages long.

‘Y’ the Alien is the only character whose combat rating has no title next to the percentage, unlike Vigilantes and Coyotes.

‘Y’ the Alien cannot be selected as an AI opponent in any game mode.

‘Y’s voice lines in the Japanese version of Vigilante 8 remain the same and unmodified.

‘Y’ the Alien is the only character from the original Vigilante 8 who does not make an appearance in the Game Boy Color version of the game.

‘Y’ the Alien’s character design is an obvious reference to the classic depiction of the “grey alien” urban legend archetype. This, combined with his vehicle design and connection to the Secret Base stage makes ‘Y’ an amalgamation of the four most famous alien-related events of the 20th Century – the Roswell Crash Incident, the Lonnie Zamora Incident, Bob Lazar’s Site 4 claims and the cinematographic debut of the War of the Worlds.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Following the Coyote Wars, many strangers began appearing in the Southwest. Some were simply curious outsiders drawn by media hype. Others, however, were characters of truly dubious origins. Among these drifters was a grungy garbage man, who drove a battered Grubb collection truck.

The Garbage Man was first spotted in 1976, near Indian Springs, Nevada, rummaging through a landfill. Since then, he has been seen as far away as Florida and Oregon. While he didn’t appear to be associated with any official trash company, he often made regular rounds at various locations, though no one knew what he did with the “stolen” refuse.

He clearly had his preferences - ferrous metals and old mechanical parts seemed to be of most interest to the Garbage Man and he seemed to grow increasingly desperate for a quality load. Rumor had it that he would go as far as ambushing travelers at remote tourist stops, where he would compact their entire cars - sometimes even with passengers still inside!

Eventually he was dubbed ‘The Recycler’ - a name, which soon outpaced the ‘boogieman’ as the preferred means of frightening children, and adults alike.

He was first spotted in 1976 near Nevada, rummaging through a landfill. He’s been seen as far as Florida and Oregon but didn’t appear to be associated with any trash company. No one knew what he did with the stolen refuse…

Despite all pretenses, Garbage Man is in fact ‘Y’ the Alien in disguise, as is confirmed in his ending on the Nintendo 64 version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

Acceleration:	llllllll (180/400)
Top Speed:	ll (50/400)
Armor:	lllllllllllllllll (376/400)
Avoidance:	lll (78/400)

Vehicle: Grubb Dual Loader – a waste collection truck boasting high armor, but low top speed and tracking avoidance. The default model is based on the 1976 White Road Xpeditor 2 outfitted with a Bemars/Maxon Top Pack Front Loader. The upgraded hot rod model is designed to have a more alien and insect-like design, and is likely only a modification of the default model. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front bars (armor), side exhausts (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Note: Due to a bug, the hot rod version of the Grubb Dual Loader can’t be reliably hit with either the Mosquito Machine gun nor the Roadkill Mines.

Special weapon: Compactor – a set of hydraulic front-loader forks that behave in two different manners. When activated, the forks are lowered, remaining active for a brief period of time. Should any vehicle come in contact with the front of the truck while the forks are active will be grabbed by it, and rendered defenseless, unable to escape or use any weapons. If the acquired vehicle is small, the compactor will reorient it and insert it into the compactor, where they will be dealt large sums of crushing damage by the hydraulic presses within the truck, before being spat out through the rear chute. Garbage Man’s vehicle will bounce and become rather difficult to control when a vehicle is being crushed by the compactor. If the vehicle is large, the forks orient it sideways and slam it twice against the ground, before hurling it forward. The slamming attack deals more damage than the compactor. Only the initial grab and the slamming attack may total enemies, while the compactor will only reduce their health points to 1 without destroying them. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: Certain vehicles small enough to be compacted, such as the Palomino XIII, will not actually be compacted if they have Sky Hammer Mortars equipped when caught by the Garbage Man’s special weapon, as the mortar launcher increases the overall size of a vehicle’s model. Team FAST’s Dakota Stunt Cycle will be randomly compacted in rare occasions.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: The Garbage Man isn’t used to the ways of the locals – all this hostility and violence have gradually turned him into a savage. Originally, he had traveled here in search of a lost friend, but due to an unforeseen problem, he was forced to stay and blend in. Hopefully not for long…

Pacific Harbor: The Garbage Man has been around a while, but people still puzzle him. Sometimes he tries to help them, but often they turn on him, as if he was some mutant! Granted, the G’Man doesn’t really fit in – he is different. But so what?

Alaskan Pipeline: A lady named Houston offers the Garbage Man several totaled cars in exchange for a little assistance – what a sweet human! Sure, the Garbage Man will gladly escort her up North – the girl looks truly distressed. Suddenly, an unexpected attack!

Nuclear Plant: The refinery was a treasure-trove – all these quality resources! The Garbage Man regrets not traveling to Alaska sooner, but it just never occurred to him to venture this far North. Hey, who are those hooligans bearing down on the G’Man?

Winter Games: There is some ruckus going on in Utah. The Garbage Man has learned to seek out such disturbances as they often bear bountiful amounts of useful salvage. The mechanic at the Olympus resort offers the Garbage Man a few old battery banks, if the G’Man can help him keep the lifts operational. What a precious find!

Ghastly Bayou: Who is this space fanatic following the Garbage Man? Hey look, his rover carries high-absorption solar panels – the G’Man has been looking for those everywhere! Since he’s had quite a bit of luck bartering with the natives lately, the G’Man attempts to negotiate a trade with the astronaut. Bad idea!

Steel Mill: Whoa, the spaceman turned out to be another vicious freak! Is there anything the Garbage Man can offer Bob for these fine panels, or will he have to muscle them out of him? A forceful approach would be easy enough, but for some strange reason, the G’Man seems to like the weirdo…

Launch Site: To get the solar panels, the G’Man decides to draw Bob into a trap. He loads up on bananas and makes his way back to the NASA compound; now heavily guarded by government agents. The astronaut knows he’s wanted there, yet he can’t resist the trashman’s lure. The G’Man hopes the agents will jump Bob – he hopes wrong…

Final boss: Astronaut Bob O.

Ending: ‘Y’ the Alien a.k.a. The Garbage Man makes his way through the deep crevices of the Navajo Canyon… It is here, where he kept his broken flying saucer, until he mustered enough parts to repair it fully… Bobo’s solar panels are the final component – ‘Y’ is finally able to leave this rotten place for ‘home’… Unfortunately, the Alien was unable to shake Bobo – he has no other choice but to take him along… No matter, ‘Y’ can always use some company – it will be a long trim and who likes traveling alone?

After succeeding in tricking Astronaut Bob O. and stealing his Moon Trekker, Garbage Man makes his way to Navajo Canyon, driving through its crevices until he arrives at a certain location within the canyon. He drags the solar panels out of the truck and onto a platform, before being lifted into a flying saucer hidden within the canyon. With his craft fully repaired, Garbage Man discards his human clothing, revealing himself to be ‘Y’ the Alien all along. Fiddling with the controls on the pilot’s seat of his now piecemeal-esque Luxo Saucer, ‘Y’ initiates the take-off sequence, but not before begrudgingly allowing Astronaut Bob O. to come along, having learned to appreciate the chimpanzee’s insistence in following him. The Luxo Saucer roars out of the canyon and flies off into outer space, presumably back to ‘Y’s home planet.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

For unexplained reasons, ‘Y’s voice has seen dramatic changes in pitch and intonation as Garbage Man in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

‘Y’ the Alien’s skin color seems to be pink, but when disguised as The Garbage Man, his hands and feet appear green.

One of Garbage Man’s victory quotes in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense is a reference to “garbage in, garbage out” (GIGO), a concept in computer science where flawed or nonsense (garbage) input data will only produce nonsense output.

One of Garbage Man’s defeat quotes in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense is a reference to the 1977 song “Take This Job and Shove It,” by Johnny Paycheck.

Due to a bug, the hod rod version of the Grubb Dual Loader has a rather unreliable hitbox, allowing it to successfully evade shots from the Mosquito Machinegun as well as drive over Roadkill Mines without triggering them.

Due to a bug, the special weapon for hot rod version of the Grubb Dual Loader will lower to the ground when the vehicle is being controlled by AI opponents, making them unable to use the weapon.

In the Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Garbage Man is renamed to “Gomio”. “Gomi” is Japanese for “garbage”, and the addition of the “o” was likely done to make it sound more like a name.

The embroidery on Garbage Man’s cap reads “Total Waste”.

The embroidery on the Grubb Dual Loader’s mud flaps reads “Roswell Sanitation”, alluring to ‘Y’s extraterrestrial origins as well as the origin of the truck itself.

It is unknown how ‘Y’ managed to recover and hide his broken Luxo Saucer in the interim between Vigilante 8 and its sequel, as it was found and likely seized by the US government following Loki’s ending cutscene in the original game. The look of the craft is very different from that of the original game, either being a redesign or a representation of how different it became after being rebuilt with makeshift parts found on Earth.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

‘Y’ the Alien is a secret character in Vigilante 8: Arcade, and thus has no Quest of his own, and is unlocked once all 100 Alien Artifact items hidden inside destructible objects throughout the stages are found. There are 20 Alien Artifacts per stage.

Strength:	Medium-High
Acceleration:	High
Top Speed:	High
Radar Evasion:	Low

Vehicle: 1964 Saucer – a flying saucer with two large exhaust ports on the back.

Special weapon: Blue Laser – ‘Y’ the Alien’s special weapon returns in Vigilante 8: Arcade, albeit with significant differences. A powerful laser cannon mounted at the front of the saucer, the ray will cut through anything and keep on going. Unlike its original incarnation, the weapon has a much higher fire rate. The weapon comes with 50 charges by default.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

‘Y’ the alien appears to have gotten tanned during his time on planet Earth.

‘Y’ the Alien is shown wearing a green polo shirt, as well as a trucker’s hat, the latter likely being a nod to his design in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

‘Y’ the Alien’s special weapon quote is a reference to "Klaatu barada nikto", a phrase that originated in the 1951 science fiction film “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. The humanoid alien protagonist of the film, Klaatu, instructs Helen Benson that if any harm befalls him, she must utter the phrase to the robot Gort. The Robot Hall of Fame describes the phrase as "one of the most famous commands in science fiction" and Frederick S. Clarke of Cinefantastique called it "the most famous phrase ever spoken by an extraterrestrial."

 

 

 

 

 

Flying All-Star Trio / Team FAST (チーム ファスト)

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In Vigilante 8:

Team FAST does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

In 1973, when Tomey, Romey and Leilah were only 11 years old, their older sister Tanyah disappeared from a Houston gym without a trace. Tanyah was a promising athlete - the family was devastated by her disappearance. Suspecting foul play, the parents decided to send the younger triplets to live with their grandfather in Jersey, at least until Tanyah was found.

Grandpa Joe was a big motorcycle fan and owned an old racing ring just South of Trenton. The kids soon showed a keen aptitude for his hobby and “Team F.A.S.T” was born. With grandpa as their manager, Tomey, Romey and Leilah began touring at the age of 14, and their incredible stunt shows soon captivated audiences nationwide.

One early morning in September of 1977, during a breakfast at Donny’s, Tomey picked up grandpa’s newspaper - the headline read “Vigilante Leader To Wed Former Foe”. The article talked of a woman named Houston, who claimed to have been kidnapped and then brainwashed to work for the Coyote terrorist group. Apparently, the girl suffered from amnesia and was unable to recall any details of the kidnapping or her past. After one quick glance at the photograph, Tomey went pale... Houston was their missing sister Tanyah!

The trio immediately put their tour on hold, kissed grandpa goodbye and headed for Winslow, Arizona - the place mentioned in the paper. They had no idea that the reunion would be such a long time coming...

Tomey, Romey and Leilah began touring at the age of 14 and their incredible stunt shows soon captivated audiences nationwide. In 1977, they set out for the Southwest in search of their missing sister.

Acceleration:	lllllllllllllll (336/400)
Top Speed:	lllllllll (204/400)
Armor:	l (50/400)
Avoidance:	lllllllllllllll (348/400)

Vehicle: Dakota Stunt Cycle – a stunt motorcycle with a sidecar attachment, boasting high acceleration and avoidance, but low armor. The default model is based on the 1972 Harley-Davidson XR-750. The upgraded hot rod model is based on a 1970s Shovelhead Harley-Davidson Chopper design. Visual upgrades: None.

Special weapon: Blazin’ Glory / Soaring Glory – a set of modified fireworks with homing capabilities. When activated, three rockets are launched from the motorcycle’s sidecar in quick succession, flying off towards the targeted enemy, behaving similarly to the Sky Hammer Mortars. Upon impact, the fireworks will deal significant damage, partly due to the fact that each of the rockets can whammy with one another. It can knock power-ups off of enemies’ vehicles at random. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: Due to a bug, Team FAST’s special weapon will sometimes fail to fall down upon the target once launched, and will detonate high up in the air.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: As siblings go, Tomey, Romey and Leilah do not always agree, but there are two things all of them love unanimously – their missing older sister Tanyah and their stunt cycles. So, when Tomey spotted a picture of Tanyah in a paper one fateful morning, the trio hit the road right there and then, without any arguing.

Ghastly Bayou: The local folk sure recognize Tanyah’s picture, though down here she seems to be known as ‘Houston’. In the past two days, the siblings got more leads than they did during the entire year of their milk carton campaign! OK, let’s follow this Boogie dude – looks like he’s one of the gangstas!

Launch Site: Finally, a break! The team runs into a secret agent wannabe named Sheila, who claims to know Houston personally. Sounds like the gangstas killed Houston’s old man, but their sister may be alive! As a matter of fact, Sheila suspects Houston is after the Coyotes for revenge. OK, team – time to join the Vigilantes!

Steel Mill: A black T’bolt joins the battle and helps out the team. It’s Vigilante brother Torque, who is also searching for Houston. Torque is leery of the kids and their missing sister stories – are these brats simply looking to pull a publicity stunt? Nevertheless, he agrees to spread the word. They part ways and the team heads East…

Nuclear Plant: Team FAST continues their search for Houston. Following a lead from a juvenile prison bus driver, they arrive in Eastern Minnesota. Bingo! Among the remnants of battle, the siblings find orange towing gear, matching the make Houston is reportedly driving. Suddenly, some drifters spring a surprise attack!

Winter Games: The tip was a trap! Fortunately, those lunatics were no match for the trio. The fatso in the bus will get it, in his own good time. Right now, the FAST kids are on the trail of the Coyote gangsta leader. Looks like they’ve headed into Utah’s snowy highlands. Hey team – gotta put some chains on them tires!

Pacific Harbor: What a chill! The stunt kids froze their butts off, but they showed the geezer how it’s done in America. They’ve never seen anyone limp so fast – the creep escaped! No matter, the other Veegees will get him. Sheila wants to meet at the coast. When the team arrives at the harbor, they find a lone FBI car overwhelmed by Coyotes…

Alaskan Pipeline: The kids are stunned to discover the identity of the FBI car driver – it’s Sheila! Looks like she’s got a new job and some exciting news – with the help of the agency, Sheila managed to track down Houston! The ‘reunion’ is scheduled at the FBI campus in one week. Sounds like enough time to settle some scores…

Final boss: Molo.

Ending: The siblings are late for the meet – Molo must’ve kept them busy longer than they’d hoped… A few hours later, the trio storm into the FBI campus on their bikes. Finally! Tomey, Romey, Leilah and Tanyah – reunited at last! Tanyah re-discovers her long lost family… The reunion makes headlines nationwide, helping to push demand for Team FAST stunt shows to new heights…

Houston stands in front of the FBI Academy building on a late evening, waiting for someone on Sheila’s suggestion. Suddenly, she is surprised by three stunt bikes as they soar over her head, landing right next to her. She turns to meet her long-lost family – Romey, Tomey and Leilah – exchanging high-fives in a manner only the closest of siblings would do. The scene quickly cuts to the clipping of a newspaper article that reads “SIBLINGS REUNITED – Teens find missing sister.”

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

One of Team FAST’s quotes references 1978 song “Le Freak,” by American R&B band Chic.

Team FAST’s catchphrase, “dy-no-mite,” is a reference to J.J. Walker’s own catchphrase in the American television series “Good Times”. The slang meant that something was amazing.

Team FAST’s character and vehicle design are references to American motorcycle stunt performer Evel Knievil, and were also inspired by the cut Stunt Level from the original Vigilante 8.

When in mid-air, Team FAST’s default rider will perform a “no-footer” motocross stunt, while the hot rod rider will perform a one-handed no-footer.

Early in development, Team FAST’s Dakota Stunt Cycle was initially designed as a squad of three stunt motorcycles, which would drive around stages in unison. Each of the three motorcycles would launch one rocket upon activation of their special weapon, hence why this particular weapon is capable of causing whammies on its own. Due to technological limitations, this vehicle’s design was rebuilt from scratch as a single motorcycle that carries fireworks in a sidecar. Evidence of the original design for the Dakota Stunt Cycle can be seen at the loading screen for the Winter Games stage in Team FAST’s Quest.

Later in development, Team FAST’s special weapon model was once the entire sidecar, rather than just the fireworks within it. Accordingly, once the special weapon was expended, the sidecar would be discarded.

Tomey, Romey and Leilah being sent to their granfather’s house by their parents as a safety measure could be a reference to the popular sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

In the Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, the Dakota Stunt Cycle is instead named “Stunt Bike (スタント バイク)”.

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Team FAST set out for New Mexico in search of their missing sister.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Team FAST does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

 

Dallas 13 (ダラス１３)

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In Vigilante 8:

Dallas 13 does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

2017: The latest and most advanced ‘BioBot’ in OMAR’s long line of cybernetic henchmen. The corporation had been working on the “BioBot” program since the early ‘70s, hoping to invent the perfect company servant - strong, intelligent, unconditionally loyal and emotionless. These programmed soldiers were commonly used by OMAR as sentries, bodyguards, bill collectors, but also, unknown to most, as secret operatives and assassins.

Since sophisticated artificial intelligence was a long way off, OMAR resorted to utilizing a living human body as the basis for each biobot. In the early days, the kidnapped subjects were simply equipped with mind-control electronics, but later OMAR’s scientists began replacing key body organs with artificial enhancements.

Nonetheless, OMAR’s track record in mastering the human mind was spotty at best. The first two biobots, code-named Abdullah and Ifama, went haywire and needed to be terminated. The next attempt, Houston 3, was based on the first ‘imported’ subject. Field-tested during the infamous U.S. operation in 1974, she performed to specifications for nearly two years before going off-line. Much progress had been made since then, but OMAR had yet to produce the perfect model.

Enter Dallas 13 - created specifically for Lord Clyde’s new project, “Mission: Second Offense.” His outer shell was constructed from space-age alloys, while his innards featured the latest nano-technology. Fitted with a human brain from a classified subject of superior IQ, he was also equipped with two next generation processors running in parallel. The biobot’s program consisted of the following primary directives:

> Terminate remaining vigilantes...

> Destroy key U.S. industrial installations...

> Follow Lord Clyde’s orders...

2017: Dallas 13 was the latest and most advanced ‘biobot’ in OMAR’s long line of cybernetic henchmen. Dallas was created specifically for Lord Clyde’s Mission ‘70’s.

Acceleration:	llllllllllllllll (362/400)
Top Speed:	llllllllllllll (316/400)
Armor:	llllllllll (232/400)
Avoidance:	lll (72/400)

Vehicle: Palomino XIII – a futuristic concept car boasting high acceleration and top speed, but low tracking avoidance. The default model is likely based on the 1997 Mercury MC4 and the 1997 Peugeot 605 Nautilus Concept. The upgraded hot rod model is likely based on the 1998 SEAT Bolero 330 BT Concept. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), windshield energy field (armor), rear spoiler (acceleration).

Special weapon: Mega Collider – a large energy cannon mounted on the hood of the Palomino XIII. When activated, it fires a powerful particle beam at incredible range, severely damaging any vehicles that are caught in its firing line, as well as pushing them away on occasion and destroying any destructible objects it passes through. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: Due to a bug in vehicle collisions, Dallas’ special weapon will not push enemies away unless they are hit from the rear.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Dallas is crossing the fabric of time, following his master Lord Clyde, and Clyde’s bodyguard Obake – INITIALIZING… OMAR BIOS 13.02… LOADING ASSASSIN OS VER. WILD BILL… MEMORY CHECKSUM OK >> LOCAL TIME 07:33 AM >> ONLINE AND READY >> DESTROY…

Winter Games: Dallas’ first combat act was less than perfect. He seems to be experiencing some system problems – MEMORY CHECKSUM INVALID… RUNNING SELF DIAGNOSTICS >> MY NAME IS… DARIUS… DARRAS… DALLAS >> MEMORY DATA RECTIFIED >> INITIALIZING NEW MISSION DOWNLOAD…

Pacific Harbor: Clyde learns that Houston may have survived his ambush and is now organizing other Vigilantes together. With OMAR implants still inside her, she’s a loose cannon ready to go off – Clyde can’t allow that. He orders Dallas to track down Houston – COMMAND DOWNLOAD >> MUST TERMINATE VIGILANTE… OUTLAW… HOUSTON…

Alaskan Pipeline: Turns out that Dallas not only failed in his primary task, he didn’t even attempt to pursue Houston. Clyde is fuming – those incompetent engineers will pay dearly! What’s wrong with the robot?! – MY NAME IS DARIUS… ADOPTED BY OMAR IN 2003 >> MANUAL SYSTEM RESET >> MUST FOLLOW CLYDE’S ORDERS!!!

Nuclear Plant: It appears that Clyde managed to hack into Dallas’ computer and disable all links into the robot’s bionic memory, thus preventing any emotional responses. Hah, and the engineers said it couldn’t be done! They will be tortured upon Clyde’s return! Let’s see how the ‘new’ Dallas performs – DESTROY… DESTROY…

Ghastly Bayou: Dallas continues to impress Clyde. By locking onto Houston’s implants, he is able to quickly locate the Vigilante in Louisiana. Dallas is about to choke Houston, when she begins to talk to the robot, confusing him – PAUSE >> MY NAME IS DARIUS – Houston takes advantage of Dallas’ lapse and runs for it…

Launch Site: Darn, the biobot fails again – Clyde is desperate! The time displacement device allowed him to bring only two companions – Dallas must be in top form! He decides to access Dallas’ BIOS and severely overclock the CPU speeds. It’s risky, but it will turn Dallas into the ultimate killing machine – KILL… KILL… KILL…

Steel Mill: Perfection! Dallas’ circuits may be overheating, but his accuracy and performance are exemplary. For the last two days, he’s been pursuing Houston relentlessly and has finally chased her into a dead end at an old steel mill – TARGET ACQUIRED… TERMINATING NOW…

Final boss: Houston.

Ending: Houston is hurt – an easy target for Dallas to terminate… TARGET ACQUIRED… TERMINATING NOW… Unexpectedly, Houston produces a gaping hole in Dallas’ chest with a single blow… ERROR… SHUTDOWN IMMINENT… ALL SYSTEMS DOWN!

After disabling Houston’s truck, Dallas 13 approaches the Vigilante, who is wounded and exhausted, proceeding to attack her. While being beaten by Dallas, Houston’s last moments with Convoy begin to flash in her mind, ending with the moment when they fell into the Navajo Canyon. Enraged, Houston, breaks free of Dallas’ grip before he can execute her with his revolver, before counterattacking with a series of punches and a kick to his chest, strong enough to send him flying to the ground. Landing on his back, Dallas’ once again begins to malfunction, as Houston jumps on top of him, punching through his chest armor and destroying his systems. Dallas succumbs to the damage and goes offline.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

One of Dallas 13’s defeat quotes is a reference to Yosemite Sam’s ranting nature.

Early in development, the Palomino XIII was once named “Corsair.”

Dallas 13’s special weapon and whammy/total quotes may have been mistakenly swapped in the final game.

Dallas 13’s voice is reminiscent of that of Cylon Centurions from the original Battlestar Galactica series.

According to Luxoflux developer David Goodrich, Dallas 13’s real name, Darius, was chosen after one of developer Peter Morawiec’s friends.

Dallas 13’s assassin operational system is named after James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, a folk hero of the American Old West known for his involvement in many famous gunfights, as well as participating in the first one-on-one pistol quick-draw duel in a public place, in the manner later made iconic by dime novels, radio dramas and Western movies. His famous duel took place in 1865, against fellow retired soldier, gambler and one-time friend Davis Tutt, due to disagreements over unpaid gambling debts and mutual affection for the same women. Firing at 50 yards, Tutt missed his shot, but Hickok did not, killing his opponent with a bullet to the heart. Hickok was tried for manslaughter but later acquitted.

There are two possible theories for Darius’ actual age. According to Obake’s bio in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, she was adopted along with Darius by OMAR and placed into Clyde’s service at only 8 years old; as Obake is 19 years old by 2017, they were then likely born in 1998. However, according to Dallas 13’s Quest, Darius was adopted by OMAR in 2003; given that Obake was adopted by OMAR in 2006 at 8 years of age, if one considers that Darius and Obake may have been taken in by OMAR at different points in time, Darius was thus likely born in 1995.

According to Houston’s ending in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Houston herself was able to go back in time by utilizing the time-travel device taken from Dallas 13’s vehicle after his demise. Traveling back to the day she and Convoy were ambushed, she was able to bring Convoy back from the dead and subsequently save him from falling down into the Navajo Canyon. As these events prove that it is indeed possible to bring a person back to life by traveling back in time in the universe of Vigilante 8, it is possible that Dallas 13 may have also been brought back to life. In addition, Dallas’ own Palomino XIII also appears in Houston’s ending after she travels back in time to save Convoy. Following this logic, Dallas 13’s ultimate fate is unknown.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Dallas 13 does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

 

Obake (ゴースト)

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In Vigilante 8:

Obake does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

As a disciple of the Katana School, which was run by her father’s Uzumi Manufacturing Company, Keiko underwent a rigorous education. She excelled in all subjects, only to be occasionally outdone by her classmate and best friend Darius. Keiko especially loved the martial arts; she was so adept at moving stealthily that Darius nicknamed her “Obake” (Ghost).

Obake and Darius were first placed into Clyde’s service when they were only eight years old. Supposedly, Keiko’s father gave the children to OMAR as a token of gratitude. A short letter from her father asked Keiko to respect and obey Lord Clyde as if he were her own father. Afterwards, OMAR acquired the Uzumi Manufacturing Company, and Obake never heard of her family again.

Though Obake always felt out of place in OMAR’s world, she followed her father’s wishes and soon became Clyde’s favorite pupil. She and Darius continued their training, though the focus of their studies changed to offensive combat, surveillance and interrogation, with a heavy dose of nonstop OMAR propaganda. By the time they reached adulthood. Obake and Darius were seasoned OMAR operatives, having never failed a mission.

All this was to change in 2017, when the two were sent to America to steal time propulsion capsules from Stanford University. While they managed to fulfill the objective, the mission went awry due to Darius’ error. As a result, the CIA was on OMAR’s tail, and Clyde was outraged. Soon afterwards, Darius mysteriously disappeared.

In the meantime, Clyde was preparing for an important sabotage mission and requested Obake’s assistance. While her head was still reeling from the earlier events, Obake accompanied her master without question...

Lord Clyde’s favorite pupil, Obake, was adopted and trained as a special operative for the company. She was requested to accompany Clyde on his latest mission to the past.

Obake is unlocked as a playable character once Dallas 13’s, Nina Loco’s, Molo’s and Lord Clyde’s Quests are completed.

Acceleration:	llllllllllllllllll (400/400) lllllllllllllllll (398/400) (JP)
Top Speed:	llllllllllllllllll (400/400)
Armor:	lll (62/400)
Avoidance:	llllllllll (228/400)

Vehicle: Tsunami – a futuristic motorcycle boasting high top speed and acceleration, but low armor. The default model is likely based on Shotaro Kaneda’s red motorcycle from the 1988 anime movie Akira. The upgraded hot rod model bears an original, more organic design, conceptualized by Luxoflux developer Peter Morawiec. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), windshield energy field (armor), side exhausts (acceleration).

Special weapon: Rift Blade – a large serrated blade mounted at the front of the Tsunami. When activated, the Tsunami is accelerated to the speed of light, homing towards the targeted enemy like a giant sword. While in this state, the Tsunami will phase through any destructible object in its way, and will only stop once its maximum range is reached, or upon slicing through the targeted enemy. The weapon has a wide turning radius, and is thus not very maneuverable, requiring careful aiming at close range. The weapon also grants the Tsunami temporary invincibility and intangibility, allowing it to escape some situations that would otherwise leave it vulnerable to enemy attacks, such as engine stalls, busted tires, Bear Hug Mines, Dusty ‘Earth’s Tribal Magic and Houston’s Tow Twister. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: Due to a bug, Obake’s special weapon is the only special weapon in the Vigilante 8 series that is incapable of totaling enemy vehicles.

Due to another bug, it is possible for Obake to be forcefully teleported outside some stages by repeatedly utilizing her special weapon at the edges of the map until her vehicle passes through the invisible walls.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: “We are like ships in the seas of life, propelled by the winds of our destiny” Obake meditates; she is saddened by the disappearance of her best friend and partner, Darius. She knows that she must be strong – she’ll soon depart for Lord Clyde’s most important mission yet…

Winter Games: Obake has seen her own share of covert ops – recon, espionage, sabotage, even elimination – but nothing quite like this. She knows that business is a dirty game, yet somehow, for the first time, she has her doubts. She dismisses it – Lord Clyde must have his reasons for all of this destruction!

Pacific Harbor: At first, Obake doesn’t pay much attention to her new partner Dallas; she doesn’t hold much respect for OMAR’s biobots. It is only on the third day of the mission that she notices his unusual mannerisms. The robot’s action remind Obake of someone… Darius?!? It must be a coincidence…

Alaskan Pipeline: Obake is confused. It seems that her devotion to Lord Clyde is being put to the test. Granted, she was never allowed to learn the inner workings of OMAR, but she also never had a reason to doubt her master. New Coyote recruit Nina seems surprisingly judgmental about Lord Clyde…

Nuclear Plant: The suspicions are driving Obake crazy and are affecting her performance. She has been trained to deal with such situations… “The flow of thought is like water filling up a cup – the cup can always be emptied.” Focus! Lord Clyde sends Obake to Minnesota – she must not fail him!

Ghastly Bayou: Obake is unable to conquer her qualms – these questions must be answered! She hooks into Dallas’ circuits to access his memories. Indeed, Dallas carries Darius’ brain! Lord Clyde had done this to Darius for botching the Stanford mission! Obake is dazed. It takes time for this shocking discovery to sink in…

Launch Site: Obake continues to delve into Darius’ memories. Clearly, Darius knew many details of Clyde’s actions, but had never told her, protecting her. She learns that Clyde had killed her father to destroy the competing Uzumi Power and then doctored her father’s letter!!! Obake must carefully develop a plan of revenge…

Steel Mill: Obake is determined to rid the world of Clyde and his evil oil empire; neither is doing the world any good. Clearly, there are better sources of energy than oil! After this last mission, she will do the deed herself! Unfortunately, some locals are making things complicated. Outta the way!

Final boss: Chassey Blue.

Ending: Obake swiftly carries out her revenge – the destruction of OMAR is complete… Obake’s father had always believed in green energy. Obake vows to keep the dream alive… In only a few years, the resurrected UZUMI POWER becomes a new energy powerhouse… A persistent innovator, Obake continuously finds new ways to provide affordable energy to the world…

Obake rises to her feet to meet the sight of OMAR’s oil empire crumbling before her eyes, as the organization’s headquarters are consumed by flames and explosions triggered by Clyde’s runaway Excelsior crashing into the hangar of the main building. The scene then fades into that of Obake in a press conference, announcing the resurrection of Uzumi Power, a green energy company that once belonged to her father. In time, Obake’s new company grows to become the most popular green energy provider in the world through clean business practices. The scene quickly cuts to a digital tablet displaying a news article featuring Obake that reads “Revolutionary New Power Source Invented”.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

The term “Obake” (お化け) refers to a type of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, it means “a thing that changes,” referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting. The term is often translated as “ghost”, but primarily refers to living things or supernatural beings who have taken on a temporary transformation, being distinct from the spirits of the dead. As a secondary usage, however, the term “obake” can be a synonym for “yūrei,” the ghost of a deceased human being.

Though Obake may be translated as “ghost,” the Japanese version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense translates Obake’s name to “Gōsuto” (ゴースト / Ghost).

In all versions of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Obake’s special weapon quote appears to be different forms of Kiai (気合) - brief shouts that are uttered when performing attacking moves in martial arts such as kendo, as a means to startle an opponent, intimidate, express confidence or express victory.

Obake’s face paint is likely based on kumadori (隈取), stage makeup worn by Japanese actors when performing kabuki plays in the aragoto style.

Curiously, Obake appears to wear platform shoes, footwear that was very popular among young women and disco-goers in the 1970s.

In the intro sequence of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Obake is shown deploying a weapon pod which releases makibishi (撒き菱 or 撒菱), sharp caltrops that were regularly used by ninja in feudal Japan to slow down pursuers, as well as in the defense of samurai fortifications. This weapon is not present in the actual game.

The Tsunami is likely nuclear-powered, as evidenced by the ionizing radiation warning symbol just behind the cockpit.

Early in development, the Tsunami’s rear wheel used to steer the vehicle, rotating left or right as to turn it.

In the Japanese version of the game, the Tsunami’s acceleration stat is reduced from 400 to 398 as to increase the chances of top speed salvage tokens to be dropped upon its destruction.

The lettering on the Tsunami’s tire reads either “Flat-Trac RV” or “Play-Trac RV” – a reference to Pro-Trac RP tires. Curiously, it is equipped with a Cragar wheel, which is meant for cars.

Obake was born in 1998.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Obake does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

 

Nina Loco (ニナ・ロコ)

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In Vigilante 8:

Nina Loco does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Even as a child, Nina could always hold her own among the boys - no one messed with the “Loco” girl. She learned the basics of survival early on. As a teenager, she became the best border guide in the South and could smuggle one or thirty people across the line, either way, every time, as long as she got paid. Often, however, she would take poor country folk to the Promised Land for free. Nina hated having these people’s lives in her hands, so she switched to moving guns - it was easier, more profitable and less emotional.

The oil crisis proved to be a boon for her. The American boys wanted to play gang wars and were willing to buy plenty of Mosquito machine guns at a nice markup. Things began to look even better when Sid Burn, leader of the Coyote gang, offered Nina an exclusive deal. Too bad the other guys finished him off before she got paid. Suddenly, the whole war was over and the gravy train was gone.

No matter, she simply confiscated the stockpile of high-tech weaponry Sid had stolen from some Nevada lab; she knew the booty was worth a fortune. Sure enough, a few months later, a stranger named Clyde approached her with an interesting deal. Clyde would buy the stash for one million dollars if Nina agreed to work for him for one year. It appeared that Clyde wanted to revive the Coyotes and needed someone who could supply his new army with firepower and other services that were right up Nina’s alley. Nina never worked for anyone, let alone a Lord claiming to have arrived from the future, but the money... it could be enough to pack up and move down to the Gulf, like she had always dreamed.

Considering Nina had everyone from the Feds to the Mexican weapons cartel gunning for her, she gladly accepted Clyde’s short term ‘sanctuary’...

A master smuggler and dealmaker, Nina managed to stockpile most of the classified weaponry that was originally stolen from the military by the Coyotes. Wanted by the FBI and Mexican mob, she gladly signed up with Clyde.

Acceleration:	lllllllllllllll (336/400)
Top Speed:	lllllllllll (260/400)
Armor:	lllllllll (206/400)
Avoidance:	llllll (136/400)

         Vehicle: El Guerrero – an utility vehicle boasting high acceleration, but low tracking avoidance. The default model is based on the 1977 Chevrolet El Camino. The upgraded hot rod model is based on a 1986 Choo Choo Customs Chevrolet El Camino SS. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), roll cage (armor), air filter (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Lemming Missiles – a rack of large missiles mounted at the rear of the El Guerrero. When activated, the rack is lifted and a missile is launched, flying towards the targeted enemy much like a Sky Hammer Mortar. When in mid-air, the Lemming Missiles will cause heavy jamming to all tracking/homing weapons being used by vehicles in the stage, including Nina’s, as they will either aim in the wrong direction or chase the Lemming Missiles instead. The Lemming Missiles are not affected by Halo Decoys or the Radar Jammer power-up, making Nina’s special weapon the most reliable in the game. It can only be successfully evaded if the target either hides behind terrain (not including destructible stage elements such as buildings), if the target drives into a teleporting doorway at the right moment, if the target sinks into water at the right moment, or if the target is flying at a high enough altitude with the hoverpod propulsion mechanism to avoid the blast. Upon impact, the Lemming Missile will deal moderate damage, and the force of the blast will push the targeted vehicle away, usually causing momentary loss of control. The weapon comes with 3 missiles by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Nina grew up poor. Fortunes never smile much at folk South of the border. Most learn to cope with what they have, but poverty only strengthened Nina’s desire for the greenback. She has been hustling ever since she can remember, but when Clyde showed up, Nina immediately smelled a motherload…

Winter Games: Sid’s weapons, plus one year in Clyde’s employ for One Million Dollars? Nina could not refuse a deal like that! Of course, she has no idea that the ‘job’ would involve a lot more than a few weapon deliveries. It begins innocently enough – just a small robbery and a little vandalism, Clydes says. Sure, Gringo!

Pacific Harbor: Hey, this warfare feels a little too rough for Nina – she may be Loco, but she ain’t crazy! Selling weapons is one thing, using them is another matter entirely. But… look at all this cash! Does Clyde really need all the briefcases? He won’t miss one if he doesn’t know about it, right?

Alaskan Pipeline: Nina has been on the move most of her life; so far, it has been a lonely road. Thus, she is glad to finally make a friend in Clyde’s assistant, Obake. Nina Likes Obake for her integrity and strength, though Obake’s blind devotion to Clyde puzzles Nina. Doesn’t she see the man is bad to the bone?

Nuclear Plant: Nina begins to regret her involvement with Clyde. All this terrorist crap – it’s a bit much, even for the Loco girl. She doubts whether she can put up with the freak for another eight months to collect her million. Is there another angle here? Hmm, Clyde’s fancy weapons must be worth a bundle…

Ghastly Bayou: It seems like the whole world is constantly on Nina’s tail. Now, the Mexican weapons mob boss, Don Fuego, has put a price on her head for taking over his market! If this wasn’t enough, an obsessive bounty hunter named Torque has been trailing her for days. As soon as she gets her money, she’s outta here!

Launch Site: Unexpectedly, Nina gets caught by Don Fuego’s goons. What rotten luck! She was almost home free, but now, she’ll be put to rest right here in the desert. Wait! Don’t shoot! Would the Don be interested in Clyde’s futuristic weaponry?! Fuego is intrigued – he gives Nina two days to steal Clyde’s guns…

Steel Mill: Clyde has been under pressure lately, so swiping his guns was a cinch, but Nina has no illusions about Fuego letting her off the hook. She just may have to take the initiative… It’s a deadly gamble, but if Torque can back off for a day, Nina’s play just may work out. One last job to do…

Final boss: John Torque.

Ending: Step #1: Deliver Clyde’s guns, along with a remote-controlled bomb, to Don Fuego… Step #2: Collect promised fee from Fuego and hit the road, fast! Step #3: Strike Fuego before he strikes you – blow him up via remote! Step #4: Run for the border… Oops! Nina gets caught by John Torque!

Nina Loco pulls over behind a black limousine in the desert, as dictated by Don Fuego. She pulls a large box of full of weapons out of the bed of her truck and places it inside the limousine’s truck, a red light that reads “ARMED” flashing on the side of the box, as she closes the trunk. Nina then walks to the passenger’s seat, as the window rolls down and a briefcase full of money emerges from it. With the money in hands, Nina gets back in the El Guerrero and the two vehicles drive away in the opposite directions. Once far enough from the limousine, Nina grabs a remote detonator and pushes the button, triggering the bomb hidden inside the weapon crate and destroying the limousine in a large mushroom cloud, presumably killing Don Fuego so that he won’t hunt her down later down the line. Smiling, Nina turns to look forward and suddenly stomps the brakes, her vehicle screeching to a halt in front of a gun-toting John Torque, standing in the middle of the road in front of his Thunderbolt.

Following these events, Nina Loco is captured by John Torque.

Quotes:

Trivia:

Nina Loco has a green tattoo of two snakes on her left leg, another snake on her right arm, and a scorpion around her waist.

Nina Loco is sometimes referred to as Sid Burn’s “ex-flame.”

According to the Dreamcast prototype of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, Nina Loco has a pose not seen in the final game.

Nina Loco’s previous occupation as someone who smuggled people illegally across the border between the US and Mexico has a specific colloquial term used in the Southwest – Coyote.

Nina’s Lemming Missiles bear a resemblance to the Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK surface-to-air missile – more precisely the MIM-23E variant, which features ECCM (electronic counter-countermeasure) capabilities that allow it to resist radar jamming.

Nina Loco was born in 1943.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Nina Loco does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

 

 

Astronaut Bob O. (ボブ・Ｏ)

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In Vigilante 8:

Astronaut Bob O. does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

This strange loner had been seen roaming the countryside, anywhere from Florida to New Mexico. Some said that the first sightings of his lunar rover coincided with the mysterious destruction of NASA’s Space Defense Labs at Cape Canaveral in the fall of 1977. While no one has ever seen the astronaut speak or saw his face, which was always hidden behind a helmet, he was known as “Bob O.” - a name embroidered on his spacesuit nametag.

Bob appeared to favor remote farmer’s markets and gas station marts, and had an obvious weakness for oatmeal and fruit. Always eager to assault the curious onlooker, he quickly became infamous for his anti-social behavior.

When recent auto skirmishes first began in the fall of 1977, Bob’s rover was often reported seen amidst the action. The extent of his involvement, however, was unknown...

No one ever heard the astronaut speak, or saw his face, which was always hidden behind a helmet. He was simply known as Bob O. When new auto skirmishes began in the fall of 1977, Bob’s rover was often reported seen amidst the action.

Acceleration:	llllllllllllll (322/400)
Top Speed:	lll (64/400)
Armor:	llllll (134/400)
Avoidance:	lllllllllllll (308/400)

Vehicle: Moon Trekker – a stolen Moon rover boasting high acceleration and tracking avoidance, but low top speed. Both default and upgraded hot rod models are unique designs made for the game. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front bars (armor), solar panels (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: The Collector – a set of long robotic arms ending in two claws, mounted at the front of the Moon Trekker. When activated, the robotic arms begin to flail incoherently for a set amount of time, slashing through the air. If a vehicle is caught by the robotic arms during its active state, it will be grabbed and held in front of the Moon Trekker, the mechanic claws dealing continuous damage to it, as well as sometimes ripping off any weapon it may possess. When caught by the Collector, vehicles become defenseless and unable to fire weapons or move on their own. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: Due to a bug, the Moon Trekker becomes invincible to damage inflicted by any homing weapons when damaging a vehicle with its special weapon.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Since Bob’s rampage had first begun, he was labeled an animal, freak, lunatic, vandal, and everything in-between. He clearly has developed the reputation of someone with less than desirable qualities. Well sure, but as Bob O. would readily admit, there is a good reason for that…

Pacific Harbor: So, why is Bob O. in such a terrible state of mind? How about a life’s dream shattered? Well, there! To the weak, this would be reason enough to end their life; to the strong, a reason to start over; but Bob O. is a different kind of animal – he just went berserk!

Alaskan Pipeline: Bob O. had been training for a space mission for years. He had undergone countless tests and some very, very unpleasant experiments. They were long, grueling years, but the NASA guys always knew how to keep the aspiring space traveler motivated. And motivated he was…

Nuclear Plant: Then, only days before Bob’s scheduled launch, some motorized gangsters raided the Cape and destroyed most of the NASA compound, including the Prometheus – Bob’s ticket to orbit. No rocket, no launch, no dream. Poof, gone! Fine, but there is no way in heck Bob O. will return to the training labs and his sadist instructors!

Winter Games: Distressed over the events, Bob O. went ape – he bit the ear off one of the instructors and ran for it. On his way out, he stole an experimental Moon Trekker from one of the hangars and has been wanted since. While Bob O. is clearly a felon, his actions can be quite puzzling at times…

Ghastly Bayou: In Louisiana, Bob O. runs into an overzealous garbage man, intent on stripping the solar panels from his rover. The garbage man even tries to distract Bob with a fresh, juicy bunch of bananas – what a devil! Bob isn’t buying it. When the garbage man doesn’t let up, the astronaut gives him a beating…

Steel Mill: The trash man got it good, but continues to follow Bob O. The astronaut don’t mind, truth be told the garbage man intrigues him – there’s something otherworldly about the hobo. Bob has got a nose for things like that. He decides to look further into it…

Launch Site: Bob O. has the garbage man figured out – he is convinced that the hobo is an alien in disguise! And… Bob O. would bet a banana that he has a space craft stashed somewhere too! Who cares about NASA and its new Apollo – forget the orbit! If Bob can hook up with the alien, he will conquer galaxies!

Final boss: Garbage Man.

Ending: The Garbage Man tries to outsmart Bob O. Bad idea – the G’Man bites the dust! Bob O. decides to take a closer look at the trashman… Woah, the Alien is still alive! In a surprise attack, the G’Man hurls Bob to the ground… Ouch!!! When the astronaut comes to his senses a few minutes later, he finds his helmet shattered and his identity revealed! Monkey Bobo is outrages – the Alien is driving away with his solar panels… Not so fast!

Having successfully defeated the Garbage Man, Astronaut Bob O. slowly approaches his opponent’s collapsed body in the middle of the desert. He opens the canopy of his Moon Trekker, Bob O. peeks over the hood, only to find out that the body has vanished. Before he can react, Garbage Man appears from under the Trekker and pulls him down, causing him to faceplant on the hard pavement, breaking his helmet and momentarily losing his consciousness. Seconds later, Bob O. sits up from the ground, his identity revealed to be that of a chimpanzee, as he begins to chase the garbage truck driving away with his Moon Trekker, screeching curses at the Garbage Man.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

Astronaut Bob O.’s character design is inspired by the many different apes that participated in NASA’s space programs throughout the 20th century, particularly the only two chimpanzees who were employed in such programs – Ham and Enos.

One of Astronaut Bob O.’s in-game quotes are references to famous 1970 transmission sent to NASA mission control by astronaut Commander Jim Lovell, following the explosion of an oxygen tank which tore off the side of the spacecraft’s service module midway through the Apollo 13 mission. Although the original sentence was “Houston, we’ve had a problem here,” the sentence was changed to “Houston, we’ve got a problem” as the title of Lawrence Doheny’s 1974 drama movie, and changed to the iconic “Houston, we have a problem” in Ron Howard’s 1995 film Apollo 13.

Astronaut Bob O. uses a device to splice snippets of a NASA flight controller’s recorded voice audio data and piece together various sentences and statements, hinting that he possesses enough intelligence to understand the language despite his inability to vocalize it himself.

Early in development, the Moon Trekker was once named the “Lunar Explorer.” The Moon Trekker also once featured the 1959 NASA “meatball” insignia on the hood, but this was ultimately changed to the 1975 red NASA “worm” logo prior to release.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Astronaut Bob O. does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

 

Agent R. Chase (エージェント・チェイス – Agent Chase)

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In Vigilante 8:

Agent R. Chase does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

2017: One of the CIA’s best detectives, Agent Chase had been following OMAR and its enigmatic leader, Lord Clyde, for years. He was intent on proving that Clyde doubled as the leader of the Coyote Cartel; the only remaining underworld organization. Linked to dozens of terrorist attacks and other criminal activities, Clyde was using the cartel to enforce OMAR’s interests around the world.

Chase had just managed to collect enough evidence to incriminate Clyde when he was approached by the CIA’s ChronoPol division, requesting assistance in an investigation of missing time propulsion capsules from Stanford University. The ChronoPol was established in response to their first successful time travel experiment conducted in 2016, and had been monitoring illegal time-space intrusions ever since. Upon hearing of the incident at Stanford, the agency immediately suspected OMAR’s involvement.

Two days later, ChronoPol’s intelligence detected a temporal time disruption originating at OMAR’s headquarters. Further research determined that three OMAR vehicles, led by Clyde himself, reversed through time-space by an estimated 40 years. Their arrival coordinates were placed near Winslow, Arizona, USA.

Agent Chase immediately volunteered to travel back to 1977, to apprehend Clyde and bring him back to 2017 to be prosecuted. While Chase knew his mission was purely professional, he also secretly hoped to run into Chassey Blue, the favorite actress of his teenage years. Given Chase’s thorough knowledge of the case, ChronoPol approved his mission without delay...

2017: Agent Chase – one of the CIA’s best detectives – had been following OMAR and its enigmatic leader, Lord Clyde, for years. Following the discovery of Clyde’s time warp, Agent Chase volunteered to travel to the ‘70s, to apprehend Clyde and bring him back.

Acceleration:	llllllllllllllll (374/400)
Top Speed:	llllllllllllll (330/400)
Armor:	llll (98/400)
Avoidance:	llllllllll (224/400)

Vehicle: Chrono Stinger – a sports car boasting high acceleration and top speed, but low armor. Based on the 1997 Plymouth Prowler. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), front bumper (armor), side exhausts (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Hard Time – a time-halting device mounted at the front of the vehicle. When activated, the weapon charges a glowing lime-green energy sphere for a fraction of a second before firing. The sphere will fly in a straight line according to the angle the vehicle was in when it was fired, detonating either upon impact with terrain, destructible objects or enemies. If the weapon impacts a vehicle, said vehicle and its immediate vicinity will be frozen in time for eight seconds. If the weapon impacts terrain or destructible objects, the immediate vicinity of the location that was hit will be frozen in time for four seconds. The weapon deals negligible damage, but is nonetheless capable of causing whammies and totaling vehicles. The weapon comes with 1 charge by default.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: ChronoPol Agent Chase is bursting with anticipation. Just a few months ago the idea of time travel was pure fantasy. Now, here he is passing through the fabric of time, destined for the 1970s! With all of the excitement, it is easy for Chase to forget the true nature of his mission: follow and capture Lord Clyde of OMAR!

Pacific Harbor: What a rush! The music, the fashion, the girls, and… the food! These hamburgers prepared from 100% beef are smashing! On top of that, Chase’s pulse doubles when he learns that actress and FBI superstar Chassey Blue is investigating in the area. If he gets to meet her, his childhood dreams will come true!

Alaskan Pipeline: The local gangs are doing some serious damage and Chase’s superiors are livid. If the country goes up in smoke, the consequences could be quite undesirable! Chase is paged with a new directive: proceed to Alaska and prevent the Coyotes from destroying the Hexagon Oil pipeline!

Nuclear Plant: Unexpectedly, Chase runs into Chassey Blue. Wow, she is even more beautiful in person than in his childhood posters! This is LOVE at first sight! Sadly for Chase, the diva does not seem to share his affections… but, she just may accept his help. She asks Chase to assist her in Minnesota…

Winter Games: Chase is certain to impress Chassey with his secret agent charm and skill. During the short time they have been working together, she seems to have grown to tolerate him. Splendid! Together, they’ve tracked Clyde’s sidekicks to a Utah winter resort. What an opportunity for Chase to show off!!

Ghastly Bayou: Chase gets reprimanded by his superiors again! They threaten to replace him with a more capable agent. This is no time for “matters of the heart,” they say. How insensitive! How dare they doubt his dedication and competence – he WILL capture Clyde!

Steel Mill: Our lover-boy is now confused. On one hand, there’s his duty as an agent to fulfill his tasks and return to the boring future. On the other hand, he could stay, marry Chassey, make babies… Whoa, he might be getting ahead of himself! First things first – his mission is still on…

Launch Site: Chase is devastated – he had proposed to Chassey, and she said… “No”. It appears that nothing is going well for the super-agent lately. The ChronoPol bosses have presented him with an ultimatum – if he doesn’t capture Clyde this time, he can kiss his career goodbye!

Final boss: Dave’s Cultists.

Ending: Convoy had allowed Chase to take Clyde back to the future, to face justice there. Smashing! Suddenly, Clyde pulls a fast one and electrocutes Chase with his cane! Not so smashing… In another unexpected turn of events, Clyde gets knocked out by Obake. Smashing! Unfortunately, Obake has her own plans for Clyde which do not include Chase. Not so smashing… Obake takes off with Clyde, leaving Chase high and dry. Real bummer!!!

Chase finally catches up with Clyde, finding him defeated on the ground next to his Excelsior Stretch. He lifts Clyde by the collar of his vest, ready to arrest him, but Clyde surprises him by striking the agent with his electrified cane. With his back on the ground and stunned, he faces the sharp point of Clyde’s cane, who’s ready to kill the agent. Before he has a chance to do so, Clyde is stuck on the back of the head and knocked out by Obake, who inadvertedly saves Chase from certain death. As Obake throws Clyde’s unconscious body over her shoulder and begins to walk away, Chase gets back on his feet and hesitantly attempts to ask her to wait, but is ignored, as Obake drives away in Clyde’s Excelsior, going back to the future.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

Agent R. Chase’s character design is a likely an homage to the fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond, albeit not as competent.

Agent R. Chase first arrived from his time-travel to the past in Minnesota.

Early in development, the ChronoPol identification acronym on the Chrono Stinger once read “CHP” instead of “CP.”

Due to a bug, the hot rod version of the Chrono Stinger is inaccessible to the player in the PAL versions of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

Agent R. Chase was born in 1986.

According to information from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s website, Agent R. Chase is 38 years old, conflicting with the age listed in his in-game bio.

According to the beta script for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, ChronoPol’s intelligence detected a temporal time disruption originating at OMAR’s headquarters on September 3rd, with arrival coordinates placed near Roswell, New Mexico.

Curiously, the Chrono Stinger appears to be retrofitted with a V12 engine despite its inspiration, the Plymouth Prowler, only having a V6 engine out of the factory.

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Agent R. Chase does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

 

Padre Destino (パドレ・デスティーノ)

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In Vigilante 8:

Padre Destino does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Constantly on the move, this traveling preacher was busy spreading his word. He was not singing gospel, however; he was promoting the idea of an impending Armageddon. His prophecy called for an “Event of Annihilation” that would destroy all life in a single moment and mark the arrival of a “New Beginning” for the chosen few who decided to follow him.

The preacher’s origins are unclear, though he was believed to be an erstwhile military man. The Southerners called him Padre Destino. During his sermons, he often referred to his “Tome of Scriptures” - a large red book he never parted with, believed by some to be the source of his madness.

No person would ever buy into Destino’s ramblings, so he wasn’t very successful in his recruiting efforts. This was partly due to his lack of credibility - he simply kept on changing the date of the “Event” each time his prophecy failed to come true. The other reason was that the Padre liked to follow each sermon with a good dose of destruction to celebrate the upcoming miracle, scaring away all potential converts.

Destino was growing increasingly frustrated with his poor recruiting results, but when he noticed the violence around him intensifying, he knew that the end was near. With all of his energy and enthusiasm, he threw himself into the midst of the turmoil...

This traveling preacher was busy spreading the word, however, not by singing gospel. Instead, he was promoting the idea of an impending Armageddon. To this effect, he liked to follow each of his sermons with a good dose of destruction...

Acceleration:	llllllllllllll (322/400)
Top Speed:	lllll (120/400)
Armor:	llllllllllllll (328/400)
Avoidance:	ll (50/400)

Vehicle: Goliath Halftrack – an open-top armored personnel carrier boasting high acceleration and armor, but low top speed and avoidance. Based on the 1941 White M3 Halftrack. Visual upgrades: Military-spec signal jammer (avoidance), side spikes (armor), smokestack exhausts (acceleration), wider tracks and wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Hades Gate – Padre Destino summons demonic elementals, which follow his vehicle around through the air. When activated, one of the entities opens a portal to the underworld, through which the Goliath Halftrack is sent. Moments after, the Halftrack emerges violently from the ground, directly under the targeted enemy. If the attack connects with the target, it will be dealt high damage, will be set ablaze and will be launched into the air due to the ramming impact force of the Halftrack. The surrounding area will also suffer tremors that ripple outwards along the ground, in a similar manner to John Torque’s Bass Quake from the original Vigilante 8. Although Padre Destino’s special weapon is capable of attacking enemies from anywhere on a stage, it is easily avoided, granted the target remains on the move when the special is activated. The weapon comes with 2 to 3 charges by default.

Note: Padre Destino’s special weapon is the only special weapon in the Vigilante 8 series that has a variable number of charges per random weapon crate or special weapon crate, varying between 2 and 3. The reason for this is unknown.

Quest:

Meteor Crater: Padre Destino – the name surely has a prophetic ring to it. The preacher can’t even remember when he adopted the moniker. Actually, he can’t remember much of his existence prior to being the Padre. He may have been in the army once – he still has the pants – but past life does not concern him; the upcoming events do…

Pacific Harbor: What are the upcoming events exactly? Who knows! No one said Padre was a psychic. The preacher does not dwell on specifics, but The Book spells one prophecy clearly – the “fall of Babylon” is near! Magnificent! Padre will need plenty of supplies to wait it out until the “new beginning” arrives…

Alaskan Pipeline: Oh yes, The Book. It is rumored that it was given to the preacher by an old vagrant, and is the source of Padre’s psychosis. Nonsense! Padre maintains that he was given The Book by “Leviathan” himself, to spread its message and draft new believers, voluntarily or by force. Of course, Padre prefers the latter…

Nuclear Plant: Padre and his demonic elementals travel the land in search of new followers and further messages from Leviathan. While camping out in Eastern Minnesota one night, the skies opened with a boom, and someone named Chase emerged; he commands Padre’s assistance. Is Chase Leviathan’s messenger?!

Winter Games: Padre is suspicious. These errands Chase asks of him do not require much destruction, which seems contrary to the ways of the Leviathan. Is Chase an interloper out to silence Padre? Possibly, but the preacher doesn’t give up on potential followers this easy. He will fulfill Chase’s wishes once more…

Ghastly Bayou: Chase turns out to be just another charlatan destined to fry in the depths of “Gehenna” for all eternity! Nonetheless, Padre is baffled. The first moment he has laid eyes on The Book, he became a believer. Then why is it so tough recruiting new devotees? Padre suspects the answer may lie in… more destruction!

Steel Mill: Padre has read and re-read The Book countless times over. It was during one such reading, that the following phrase caught his attention: “The one who commands a pillar of fire, shall command the fall of Babylon…” A pillar of fire!?! It must be the key to the undoing! There ought to be plenty of fire at a steel mill!

Launch Site: Padre sure turned up the heat at the mill, ha ha! He can feel the earth rumble and the winds picking up from the East – the time has come! He shall travel to sunny Florida to witness the coming! But first, Padre ought to dispose of the shaman who has been trailing him for days…

Final boss: Dusty ‘Earth’.

Ending: Padre Destino’s day has come – he summons the Leviathan to show himself! He calls for Leviathan to strike with all his vengeance! The skies above Padre open… … and for the first time, Padre looks into the eye of EVIL! It is a sight unlike any other… … and it burns Padre to the bone. Thou shalt not trust in evil. Ever!

Padre sets up a shrine made out of burning tires and debris and begins to chant, hoping to summon the Armageddon he was promised. After enough chanting, he gazes upon the sky as the clouds begin to part over him, revealing a strange light high above. With an ominous, demonic screech, the light falls from the sky straight towards Padre who, for one brief moment, realizes the error of his ways, before being vaporized by the light, the bloodied enigmatic book being the only thing to survive the blast.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

Padre Destino’s translates to “Father Destiny” in English.

The writings on the sides of the default model of the Goliath Halftrack model read “THE END IS NEAR”. The writings on the plow mounted at the front of the upgraded hot rod model read “Meet Your DOOM!”

Although both Padre Destino and Loki share backgrounds in the military along other design similarities, the characters are confirmed to be unrelated.

Padre Destino was a late addition to the roster of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

The symbol on Padre’s clothing and staff and clothing appears to resemble the symbol of a Slavic pagan deity named Rod.

Early in development, Padre Destino’s special weapon was originally named “Hell’s Gate”.

Padre Destino appears to be wearing a set of Desert Battle Dress Uniform pants – an anachronistic choice, given that the DBDU was first introduced in 1981, four years after the events of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

The demonic entity mentioned in Padre’s Quest, Leviathan, is also the name of a giant biblical beast.

The place of punishment mentioned in Padre’s Quest, Gehenna, was a valley near Jerusalem where, in ancient times, children were burned alive as sacrifices to a malevolent entity named Molech. Outraged by such blatant transgressions, God renamed Gehenna to “the valley of slaughter” where thousands would lose their lives in war, thus associating the term with the concept of hell.

Padre Destino was born in 1911.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Padre Destino does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

 

Dusty ‘Earth’ (ダスティー・アース)

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In Vigilante 8:

Dusty ‘Earth’ does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8.

 

In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

As the chief of the Zuni tribe, Dusty had seen better days. It was 1975; gasoline was expensive and vandals were plundering the countryside. He had heard of the oil crisis, but hoped that it would have little bearing on his tribe. He was wrong.

After gangsters destroyed a nearby ghost town, Dusty tried calling the police in Gallup to stop them. He knew there was trouble when he learned that the sheriff and his deputy were recalled to Albuquerque to help control rioters there. Dusty watched helplessly as the perpetrators burned down the trading post, but when they desecrated the Zuni burial grounds, he just couldn’t stand any longer.

Dusty never had much appreciation for guns, so he decided to call upon the ancestral spirits for help. After three nights of ‘kachina’ trances in his pueblo, a spirit Falcon appeared to him in a vision. The Falcon told him to rest and prepare, as these scuffles were nothing compared to what was yet to come. It warned him of an evil Coyote Demon that was soon to descend upon the land and ravage all that lay in its path. To battle the demon, the Falcon said, Dusty must leave the pueblo and travel to the mountains to learn the shaman ways of his great ancestors.

When Dusty woke up the next morning, his soul was filled with sadness... until he noticed a falcon sitting on the roof of his car. There and then Dusty knew that when the demon arrived, he would be ready to confront it!

Dusty ‘Earth’ is unlocked as a playable character once Astronaut Bob O.’s, Garbage Man’s Agent R. Chase’s, Chassey Blue’s and Padre Destino’s Quests are completed.

Acceleration:	llllllllllllllll (374/400)
Top Speed:	llllllllll (232/400)
Armor:	lllllll (158/400)
Avoidance:	llllllll (190/400)

Vehicle: Wapiti 4WD – a crossover wagon boasting high acceleration. The default model is based on the 1981 AMC Eagle 4WD Wagon. The upgraded hot rod model is based on the 1984 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Visual upgrades: Antenna (avoidance), roof crossbar racks (armor), buffalo skull (acceleration), wider wheels (top speed).

Special weapon: Tribal Magic – Dusty ‘Earth’ summons a magic Prairie Falcon which follows his vehicle around. When activated, the Falcon flies off towards the targeted enemy and, when close enough, swoops down towards it, creating a tornado that will lift the target into the air and spin it around, dealing continuous damage and leaving the target defenseless. The weapon comes with 3 charges by default.

Note: Dusty ‘Earth’s own Wapiti 4WD can be lifted by the tornado caused by his own special weapon, but will receive no damage from it.

Quest:

Due to development time constraints, Dust ‘Earth’ has no Quest of his own. However, unfinished scripts in the game’s code reveals details of his Questline:

Meteor Crater: Obtain extra fuel by collecting 2 fuel cans.

Pacific Harbor: Locate enemy weaponry by collecting 3 supply boxes.

Alaskan Pipeline: Transport excess oil to large silos by collecting and delivering 3 fuel cans.

Nuclear Plant: Stash plant plans into nuclear silo waste casks by collecting and delivering 4 briefcases.

Winter Games: Distribute parts to gondola stations by collecting and delivering 4 supply boxes.

Ghastly Bayou: Locate hidden explosives by collecting 6 bombs (impossible to complete due to lack of enemies in the unfinished Quest code).

Steel Mill: Provide fuel to outside furnaces by collecting and delivering 5 fuel cans.

Launch Site: Bring debris from orbit to NASA building by collecting and delivering 5 supply boxes.

Final boss: Padre Destino.

Quotes:

 

Trivia:

The falcon that guides Dusty ‘Earth’ appears to be a Prairie Falcon, a species found only in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. It is featured in many aspects of Zuni culture.

Dusty ‘Earth’s Prairie Falcon will emit the iconic “eagle scream” sound effect when casting the tornado. This sound effect is incorrect, however - not only because Dusty is aided by a falcon, but also because the eagle scream sound effect is actually the call of a Red-Tailed Hawk.

Early in development, the Wapiti 4WD was once named “Frontier 4WD”.

It is unknown why the addition of a buffalo’s skull to the front of the Wapiti provides it higher acceleration. It could be inferred that it may be imbued with magic or spirits that empower the vehicle in strange ways.

Dusty was born in 1915.

 

In Vigilante 8: Arcade:

Dusty ‘Earth’ does not make an appearance in Vigilante 8: Arcade.

 

DEVELOPMENT NOTES

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Vigilante 8:

The game had the working titles of “Interstate ‘75”, “Interstate ‘80” and “Interstate ‘82”.

The Picard Piranha - Jade Champion’s vehicle of choice in Interstate ‘76 - was one of the first vehicles to be feautred in early builds of the original Vigilante 8, which was originally intended to be a console spinoff series. In Interstate ‘76, Jade Champion is the sister of the protagonist and player character, Groove Champion. The Piranha was eventually cut from the final game, and no characters from Interstate ‘76 remained in Vigilante 8.

Early in development, Vigilante 8 featured a Stunt Track stage which included ramps, flaming hoops, a 360-degree loop amongst other structures, designed to complement Sheila’s original stuntwoman design. However, Luxoflux developers felt that the stage was not in accordance with the overall theme of the game and, combined with an impending deadline, ultimately decided to remove the stage altogether. The Stunt Track stage was originally set in Colorado, Northeast of the Ski Resort stage. Acknowledgements - Peter Morawiec.

Several screenshots from different gaming review articles feature early designs for the HUD in the original Vigilante 8. Notable features included square targeting reticles, which were later changed to a circular design; a speedometer on the bottom left part of the screen, marked in miles-per-hour; a timer on the bottom right part of the screen for completing objectives or for displaying playtime; and a set of six “circles” on the bottom left of the screen to the left of the speedometer, used to hold and store power-ups for later use. These features were removed in order to retain a cleaner HUD. Acknowledgements - Peter Morawiec.

Activision’s QA Department staff Jennifer O’Neil was credited with discovering a minor quirk in the weapons system of the original Vigilante 8, in which the cooldown delay between shots from a specific weapon could be skipped entirely by rapidly cycling through available weapons while firing a shot at a time, allowing players to deliver massive amounts of damage on a quick notice. This oddity was then tweaked by Luxoflux and kept as a permanent addition to the game.

Early in development, Vigilante 8 was to feature two different physics models, arcade and realistic.

The real-time reflection mapping mechanism featured in vehicle windows and ‘Y’ the Alien’s Luxo Saucer were unexpected results of pure experimentation not originally intended for the game, but were ultimately implemented.

Some of the damaged-state textures for vehicles were fashioned from crumpled pieces of paper.

Early in development, the repair wrench/spanner power-up had adouble-ended design, rather than single-ended.

The playable stages in Vigilante 8 are scaled to approximately sixteen square miles.

Early in development, cracks could appear on the player’s windshield when damaged in first-person perspective during gameplay.

At the start of development, most of the Playstation’s libraries were rewritten from scratch to better suit the game’s design, except for the ones for which Sony did not provide information regarding direct hardware access. Much of the development time was spent on perfecting Vigilante 8’s engine and damage model. This allowed the game to run at a stable 30fps in single-player modes before any code optimization was performed. Luxoflux developers did not receive any supporting code or technical assistance whatsoever from Activision’s internal teams.

The graphics engine, instead of drawing in the fundamental landscape features at a given distance (leading to undesirable “pop-up” problems), retains basic landscape features even at great distances, simply adding graphical detail as the landmarks move closer, thus giving the game a “foggy” aspect. This technique is named Level Of Detail, or LOD.

Vigilante 8’s development was inspired by Interstate ‘76, Spy Hunter, Car Wars, Mortal Kombat and Stunt Island. Despite obvious inspirations, Luxoflux had made the conscious decision not to be influenced by the Twisted Metal series, as to avoid claims of copying and plagiarism. None of the developers at Luxoflux had the habit of playing videogames, with the exception of game designer David Goodrich.

The SLOW_MOTION cheat code was once named “SLOW_MOTION_ON”.

Vehicle models are comprised of roughly 140 to 170 polygons.

Originally, the player could engage in battle with up to five enemies at once, but this number was reduced to four in the Playstation version prior to release, likely due to hardware limitations.

According to Activision Producer Murali Tegulapalle, stray shots that impacted the ground caused permanent changes to the terrain, and could cause slight suspension damage to vehicles that drove over them early in development. This feature was eventually removed.

In the words of an Activision associate producer, focus testing revealed that “kids loved the f*cking school bus”.

Luxoflux Corp. comprised of only three members during the early months of development in 1997, later increasing to four developers around May 1998.

Initially, Activision was against the addition of singleplayer missions to Vigilante 8, but eventually reconsidered, requesting Luxoflux to add a Quest mode to the game during development.

Upon receiving the final gold master approved copy of Vigilante 8 at the end of development, Luxoflux’s Activision producer proceeded to carry the disc to a printing factory in the MidWest in a handcuffed briefcase.

The damage model of Vigilante 8 is designed with multiple segments – front, middle and rear – allowing for each segment of a vehicle can be damaged independently and at different degrees.

Early in development, vehicles were capable of losing equipped weapons upon being rammed by opponents, and lost weapons could not be re-acquired by the vehicle that lost them. This feature was cut from the game during development.

While the 1970s theme was inherited from Interstate ‘76, the addition of high-tech weaponry was Luxoflux’s invention, allowing for more spectacular weapon designs and combat mechanics.

Early in development, the results screen included more information about the finished match, such as a percentage meter of “vandalism” indicating how much of the stage in question was destroyed during gameplay, as well as a “damage state” indicating how much damage the player’s vehicle had suffered.

 

Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense:

Early in development, Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense had the internal working title of “Vigilante 9”.

There were up to ten team members during the peak of development for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, a number that was later reduced to eight towards its final release date.

Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense introduced multiple improvements in both technology and features over the original game, including support for water physics and added polygon subdivision (PSX).

Although Luxoflux worked with contractors for music, sound and high-resolution model creation for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense cinematics, the animation of the cinematics themselves were done in-house, unlike the original Vigilante 8. A special focus was given to the introductory cutscene, which aimed to properly set up the game’s story. The lack of voice acting work was deliberate, driving Luxoflux developers to present the story using only visuals and within a limited amount of time. There were only two full-time artists in charge of producing over ten minutes of CGI video.

Online play was considered during the development of the Dreamcast version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense. However, Sega’s Shinobi/Kamui libraries did not support these features to a satisfactory degree.

Luxoflux programmer Peter Morawiec was not directly involved in the implementation of the Dreamcast version of the game. Development issues were encountered due to the console’s constantly evolving libraries.

Luxoflux programmer Cary Hara, who was in charge of the Dreamcast version of the game, optimized the game to support 4 player split-screen. The terrain renderer was written entirely in assembly language. Initially, there were some problems with the definition of arbitrary screen boundaries, but with the help of Sega staff modifying the viewport API, Cary was able to implement the split screen mode properly.

The Nintendo 64 version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense features an elaborate “Demo Mode” at the “Press Start” screen, in which actual in-game assets are loaded as to display real-time battles between AI opponents. This feature was unused in the Playstation and Dreamcast versions of the game in favor of pre-recorded footage of gameplay shown at the “Press Start” screen, though leftover code is still present in those versions and can be reactivated via console memory cheats.

Early in development, vehicles in Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense once featured actual models of Mosquito machineguns attached to their models, much like in the original Vigilante 8. However, they were removed in the final version of the game as to save space for other weapons and prevent overall clutter in certain vehicles, particularly on Team FAST’s Dakota Stunt Cycle, Obake’s Tsunami and Garbage Man’s Grubb Dual Loader, thus requiring cohesion across all vehicles.

The Dreamcast version of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense boasted the SH-4 CPU, which was capable of performing floating point and matrix operations, thus diverting much of the code optimization focus away from transformation and lighting logics. The PowerVR graphics processor with its uniquely architected pipeline also alleviated many bottlenecks found in older videogame consoles while applying features that were likewise unavailable to them.

 

TRIVIA

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Vigilante 8 was originally intended to be a prequel to Interstate ‘76 early in development. This concept was eventually changed to be unrelated to I’76. The general plot in which an evil consortium seeks to crippled the American oil economy has remained consisted throughout development.

Vigilante 8’s title references the eight characters that are available at default, as well as the typical V8 internal combustion engine design, which was popular among American car manufacturers throughout the 20th Century, and most often built for high-performance muscle cars.

A TV commercial was produced in 1999 for both the Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions of the original Vigilante 8. It shows a school bus dropping off children at school, followed by in-game footage of said bus engaging in combat, before returning severely damaged to the students at dismissal time. The advertisement was withdrawn following the Columbine Massacre of 1999, due to sensibilities regarding school-related violence. There are multiple versions of the trailer, one of which is uncensored.

Vigilante 8 was displayed in a public conference on June 1st, 1999, in which US President Bill Clinton held a printed image of the advertisement featuring Molo’s 1966 School Bus. The ad, which read “What kind of psycho drives a school bus into a war zone?”, was used as one of the examples that prompted the American government to examine the marketing of violent media to children. President Clinton cited the ad as having been released right after the 1998 Thurston High School shooting in Springfield, Oregon. Coincidentally, this press conference occurred exactly a year after the game’s initial release.

Both the Vigilante 8 “School Bus” commercial and the Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense “Serious Auto Combat” Dreamcast commercial were made by The Musicland Group Inc.

A TV commercial for the Japanese version of the original Vigilante 8, named “Traffic Jam”, was produced in April 1999 by Hakuhodo Tokyo ad co. for the Japanese publisher of the game, Syscom Entertainment. In it, an unsuspecting Japanese bus driver, stuck in heavy traffic with his yellow bus similar to that of Molo’s, is goaded by multiple Japanese schoolgirls into destroying the vehicles around his bus, as multiple weapons begin to emerge from the vehicle. Ultimately surrendering to the girls’ encouragement, the driver presses a button on a Dualshock controller, setting off the weapons and destroying the vehicle ahead of him as it is engulfed in an explosion. The scene quickly cuts to that of the same bus driver playing Vigilante 8 in the comfort of his home, still wearing his driver’s uniform, as he vocalizes the sounds of the various weapons from the game. Loki’s theme song is used for the ad.

According to Activision’s quarterly fiscal report in June 30th, 1998, console net revenues increased 202.8% over the prior year to $32.4 million as a result of the initial release of Vigilante 8. Chairman and CEO Robert A. Kotick commented that the company was pleased with consumer response to the release of the game, expecting it to be a top-seller for the year.

In total, four buses were used as props in order to promote Vigilante 8 and its sequel, 2nd Offense. The first was used in the original “School Bus” commercial. The second bus was featured at E3 1998 in Atlanta, GA, being a long-nose conventional design in contrast with other rear-engined designs that were used. The third bus was used in the Japanese trailer for the original Vigilante 8, and the fourth was used in the Activision display at E3 1999 for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, embedded into the ground as if it were crashing through the floor.

One of the commercials for the original Vigilante 8 samples the song “Bang On!”, by british band Propellerheads.

With the exception of the Luxo Saucer, all vehicles in the original Vigilante 8 have a distinct 3-speed manual transmission that can be heard during acceleration, which was the standard clutch type for 1970s cars. In Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, however, this audio detail is entirely absent.

Baseball T-shirts were given away at Vigilante 8’s launch day by the U.K. Official Playstation Magazine, as part of a competition package that also included copies of the game itself. The shirts featured the game’s logo emblazoned against a white shirt with red sleeves.

Contest fliers with prize forms were given away as promotional material during Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense’s launch, hosted in issue 25 of the Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine, December 1999. The grand prize for the competition included a professional racecar driving instruction session at Everham/Hawley Racing School located at Irwindale Speedway, with a roundtrip coach airfare for two nights’ accommodation and transfers from airport to hotel and speedway. Runner-up prizes included 25 copies of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense.

Both Vigilante 8 and its sequel, Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, had official strategy guides, written by Bart Farkas of Brady Games.

The original Vigilante 8 was featured in the cover of U.S. The Official Playstaion Magazine Volume 1, Issue 7, April 1998. The magazine features a lengthy review of the game’s Alpha build.

In an interview with Next Generation Gaming Magazine on January 1999, Luxoflux Developer David Goodrich has gone on record as having achieved 138 whammies and 10 totals against 12 buses in singleplayer Arcade Mode, declaring himself the “King of V8”.

There are two easter eggs related to Vigilante 8 in Luxoflux’s own True Crime: New York City. The first is a small bit of text that reads “V8 3??” at the top right corner of a certain whiteboard in the game’s world. The second is an outdoors movie billboard featuring characters from Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense that reads “Vigilante 8 – In theaters everywhere 2004”.

High resolution 3D CGI assets featured in the alternate cover art illustration and promotional material for Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense were made by Sandman Studios.

According to a Vigilante 8 2nd Offense Trailer featured in the Official Playstation Magazine US Demo Disc #24 (SCUS-94432) from September 1999, the road sign shown in the intro sequence once read “Roswell, New Mexico” instead of “Winslow, Arizona”.

Luxoflux developer Peter Morawiec has expressed interest in taking the Vigilante 8 series into a different genre. This, however, never came to pass.

Besides Luxoflux’s own Star Wars: Demolition, another game was also based on Vigilante 8’s engine - The Dukes of Hazzard II: Daisy Dukes It Out, by Sinister Games, 2000.

According to a podcast interview with Dutch magazine KinK, Damon Albarn and Jaime Hewlett from the British virtual band Gorillaz consider Vigilante 8 to be their favorite childhood videogame, having come up with the idea for the band while playing the game together. The music video for the 19-2000 single was also partly inspired by the game.

American professional wrestler Mark Henry has revealed in an interview that Vigilante 8 is one of his favorite childhood games.

The Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense comic produced by Chaos! Comics features conflicting information when compared to the game it is based on:

· The comic introduces a character named Yoshi, an OMAR operative who wears the same outfit and face paint as Obake, and is depicted being the one to jeopardize the mission to steal the time propulsion capsule prototypes from Stanford University instead of Darius. Yoshi is captured by security agents while Obake activates her cloaking device in order to escape with the devices.

· Dallas 13 is introduced as Lord Clyde’s bodyguard, and is addressed by the latter in a manner that suggests that the biobot has been in Clyde’s employ before the Stanford heist, rather than later.

· Convoy and Houston are ambushed “somewhere deep in New Mexico” instead of Winslow, Arizona.

· Houston is shown being thrown out of the truck by Convoy, who saves her life moments before his demise. Houston is then aided by Chassey Blue and Agent R. Chase, who pull her out of the edge of the cliff. Agent Chase is shown to be aware of Houston’s OMAR-given biobot designation, due to his investigation on the Coyote Cartel.

· Dallas 13 and Obake are referred to as Lord Clyde’s lieutenants, rather than bodyguards.

· Nina Loco is hired by Lord Clyde to bust Boogie out of jail in Tucson, Arizona through force by destroying the prison with her El Guerrero, rather than covert means, inadvertedly setting hundreds of other prisoners free. She also provides him the Marathon, hot-wired for his use. Boogie shows interest in Nina Loco, but is rejected.

· Boogie’s character design in the comic depicts the Coyote with brown hair rather than blonde hair, thus being closer to his design in the original Vigilante 8.

· The design of Boogie’s Marathon suffers radical changes, resembling the upgraded hot rod version of Sheila’s Wonderwagon, though with a yellow, black and blue paintjob featuring flames on the hood.

· Boogie is given the mission to destroy the Pacific Harbor in California, but is defeated and arrested by Chassey Blue.

· Chassey Blue is depicted firing a laser weapon similar to that of Houston 3 from the original Vigilante 8, yet designed after her own Gridlock special weapon from the same game.

· Molo is introduced during the fight between Boogie and Chassey Blue, seemingly unaffiliated with any faction, as he is shown openly attacking Boogie.

· It is unclear whether Molo survived the destruction of his Blue Burro Bus, as it explodes upon being attacked by Chassey Blue.

· Lord Clyde is depicted destroying windmills in “The National Park” during his mission in 1977.

· Padre Destino is introduced as an enemy of Chase, rather than a temporary ally.

· It is unclear whether Padre Destino survived the destruction of his Goliath Halftrack, as it explodes upon being attacked by Obake.

· Lord Clyde is shown defeating Chase after disabling the Chrono Stinger with his special weapon, but is knocked out by Obake before he can put an end to the agent.

· Obake reveals that she has always had had doubts about Clyde’s motives (and likely the fate of her father), stating that her trust was betrayed.

· Boarding the Excelsior with the unconscious Clyde, Obake sets the time propulsion capsule to transport the vehicle to January 11th, 2015.

· Houston’s left eye is revealed to be a cybernetic implant, as well as other implants that give her enough strength to lift Dallas 13’s vehicle over her head.

· Convoy faces off against Lord Clyde, Obake and Dallas 13 immediately following Houston’s time travel, in which he successfully destroys all three Coyote vehicles.

 Fonts and typefaces: Designs used in the Vigilante 8 series are listed below.

 

COMMUNITY LINKS

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Vigilante 8 Community

https://discord.gg/SyduT5thtj

 

Speedrun Leaderboards

https://www.speedrun.com/vigilante_8

 

Chassey Blue

https://chasseyblue.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU6gOmVweect5q06WkzAj7Q

 

Ex-Luxoflux developer David Goodrich

https://www.twitch.tv/goodrich_games

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRFrOgzjRhdZVG40oF2UXCQ

 

Dedok179

https://www.youtube.com/@Dedok179

 

ImanCol/Otak Team Productions

https://www.youtube.com/@otakteamproductions9239

 

The Real Down Under

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnm_VbZkHThFDpSCQM4CVLA

 

Rashid

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV6Q68YUPyYm-iIJBTcCQgw

 

Zante/maxionna

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF26XSaqv4MzEsvG_Eebcyw

https://www.twitch.tv/maxionna

 

killzone3363/stefanvranješ

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqvk-s5OaIBVblcQwdaWmow

 

Cuttlas

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuf1uyGx2heCYBOxNV79s7g

 

Axxpym/Salvage Point

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjP-QDweJZHkbmDvjYJB-9Q

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5Puq9CYi7mh97I2JenMUQ

 

DezertCruzer

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1JJ1406tRIXT2Tol7gMlNg

 

ArTuRMV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmn_-BWjuwUM3_wfcFW3xw

 

Elindust

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwZ9MXCZtxEItdOG0t__XQ

 

Chill Uncle Games

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDvO7Lsi8TANE1-6rVps1A

 

2023PerfectDark

https://www.youtube.com/@2023PerfectDark

 

TOOLS:

 

Vigilante 8 3D to TMD by SPOT

http://pscd.ru/forum/index.php?/topic/589-ustroistvo-3d-modelei-v-igre-vigilante-8-psx/?p=6584

 

REFERENCES

BACK TO INDEX

 

COMMUNITY CREDITS

 

German translations – Justin K. / MangaTuner2009

Game asset studies –Dedok179, killzone3363, Chassey Blue

 

 

GUIDES AND MANUALS

 

https://chasseyblue.com/

https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Sony_Playstation//Manual/formated/Vigilante_8_-_1998_-_Activision.pdf (missing pages)

https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_N64//Manual/formated/Vigilante_8_-_1999_-_Activision.pdf

https://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Vigilante-8-Game-Manual.pdf

https://v8.chasseyblue.com/?download=2603

https://v8.chasseyblue.com/?page_id=2393

(Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense PSX manual missing)

https://archive.org/details/vigilante-8-2nd-offense-n64-manual-nus-nvge-usa

https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Sega_Dreamcast//Manual/formated/Vigilante_8-_2nd_Offense_-_2000_-_ATVI_Inc..pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/19990422230413/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/v8strat/quests.html

 

 

 

SERIALS

 

https://archive.is/ZsDad

https://archive.is/djXnA

https://archive.is/7mInM

https://archive.is/mUuCm

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/U/V/SLUS-00510.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/P/V/SLES-01212.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/P/V/SLES-01213.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/P/V/SLES-01214.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/P/V/SLES-01215.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/J/V/SLPS-01703.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/J/V/SLPS-91182.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/J/V/SLPM-86929.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/U/V/SLUS-00868.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/P/V/SLES-02162.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/J/V/SLPS-02615.html

https://psxdatacenter.com/games/J/V/SLPM-86928.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20140804092931/http://sega.jp/dc/000305/

https://web.archive.org/web/20200201225739/https://sega.jp/history/hard/dreamcast/software_l.html#tab01

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/YTodSP2FZQw/m/DrYSVyAiE3IJ

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/-8vDyzzFQf8/m/nkPEc_Pr_iEJ

https://web.archive.org/web/20031126053340/http://www.chipsworld.co.uk/detProd.asp?ProductCode=1195

https://groups.google.com/g/uk.games.video.dreamcast/c/B3Iglum5F4c/m/N-D9RzKGhsoJ

https://web.archive.org/web/20000407114343/http://www.micromania.fr/cgi-micromania/tri3.pl?criteria=DREAMCAS;status=1

https://web.archive.org/web/20010731231717/http://www.futuregamez.net:80/outnow/dc.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20010924210133/http://www.centromail.es/top/ficha.asp?codmail=14289&codprov=

 

 

 

DEVELOPMENT SOURCES

 

https://archive.is/DPHwU

https://archive.is/0BDYd

https://archive.is/YZEO8

https://tcrf.net/Category:Vigilante_8_series

https://web.archive.org/web/20080819222855/http://www.luxoflux.com/home.asp

https://web.archive.org/web/20090221185509/http://www.luxoflux.com/home.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20150627192120/http://art.nukleon.com/game-credits

https://web.archive.org/web/20170429153310/http://www.art.net/~jeremy/digit/postcards_dc/contents.html

https://segaretro.org/Vigilante_8:_Second_Offense

https://www.mobygames.com/game/playstation/vigilante-8/

https://www.mobygames.com/game/vigilante-8-2nd-offense

https://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy-color/vigilante-8_

https://www.mobygames.com/game/xbox360/vigilante-8-arcade

 

 

 

PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

 

https://archive.is/GXGyZ

https://web.archive.org/web/20000309180110fw_/http://www.chaoscomics.com/comicsandstuff/archives/nov99.htm

https://archive.org/details/redump-id-70205

 

 

 

WEBSITES

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20001014040616/http://activision.com/genre.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20000303092509/http://activision.com:80/index.asp

https://web.archive.org/web/20000823033719/http://activision.com/games/v8/

https://web.archive.org/web/20000818042256/http://www.activision.com/games/v8/v8_psx/index.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20000407070140/http://www.activision.com/games/v8/v8_n64/index.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20000818041907/http://www.activision.com/games/v82/flashintro.html

https://web.archive.org/web/19990117015623/http://www.nintendo.com/n64/vigilante8/index.html

https://web.archive.org/web/19991128154051/http://www.nintendo.com/n64/vigilante82/index.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20000409003151/http://www.nintendo.com/gb/vigilante8/index.html

 

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20000618095805/http://sages.ign.com/codes/10/2210.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20000817194345/http://sages.ign.com/codes/8/10066.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20000620154721/http://sages.ign.com/codes/10/11535.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20001011130237/http://sages.ign.com/codes/8/10896.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20001013014340/http://sages.ign.com/codes/9/11945.html

https://web.archive.org/web/19981205120649/http://videogames.com/features/universal/v8strat/

https://web.archive.org/web/19981203090912/http://www.gameguides.com/guides/v8strat/pdf.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20160220203943/http://www.ign.com/games/vigilante-8-second-offense/gba-15276

https://web.archive.org/web/20050520021742/http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/Ps1ussales.htm#v

https://web.archive.org/web/20230731064252/http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/N64ussales.htm#v

https://web.archive.org/web/20231125035215/http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/Dreamcastussales.htm

https://archive.is/OF7lm

https://archive.is/74L5f

https://www.c-span.org/video/?124031-1/media-advertising-youth-violence#

 

 

 

INTERVIEWS

 

https://archive.is/WY0EO

https://archive.is/Zvxyb

https://archive.is/OQHZ7 - Jun 11th, 2008 – “Vigilante 8: Arcade Exposed”

 

 

 

PREVIEWS

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20000901071400/http://ign64.ign.com/previews/10896.html

 

 

 

ARTICLES

 

IGN

https://web.archive.org/web/20010123140600/http://psx.ign.com/news/3187.html – Jul 8th, 1997 – “Interstate PSX”

https://archive.is/eH9W9 – Jul 8th, 1997 – “Interstate PSX”

https://archive.is/B7Gxu – Aug 4th, 1997 – “Activision Readies Twisted Metal Killer”

https://archive.is/Uh8Bg – Sep 19th, 1997 – “Driving Through the 80s”

https://archive.is/mydjz - Feb 23rd, 1998 – “How Much Auto Combat Can You Stand?”

https://archive.is/q3QOK - Feb 23rd, 1998 – “Vigilante 8”

https://web.archive.org/web/19980704235310/http://www.psxnation.com/news/060498b.html - June 4th, 1998 – “Vigilante 8”

https://archive.is/nNnY2 - Aug 10th, 1998 – “Car Carnage”

https://archive.is/CtA0b - Sep 28th, 1998 – “Vigilante 8 Hi-Res and Co-Op”

https://archive.is/CWdNp - Nov 19th, 1998 – “Off The Record”

https://web.archive.org/web/20131223085828/http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/12/25/the-best-games-of-1998 - Dec 24th, 1998 – “The Best Games of 1998”

https://archive.is/td7Hz - Jan 7th, 1999 – “Vigilante 8 Box Art”

https://archive.is/69Zch - Jan 22nd, 1999 – “Vigilante 8 Sequel Confirmed”

https://archive.is/TJRQT - Feb 12th, 1999 – “Now Playing Vol. 5”

https://web.archive.org/web/19990221151709/http://ign64.ign.com/previews/10066.html - Feb 18th, 1999 – “Vigilante 8 Rocks Into Stores”

https://archive.is/HV6bO - Mar 12th, 1999 – “Now Playing Vol. 8”

https://archive.is/9Neqb - Mar 23rd, 1999 – “V8 2 Details Emerge”

https://archive.is/POpWh - Mar 29th, 1999 – “Supporting Vigilantes”

https://archive.is/JocBo - Aug 3rd, 1999 – “Activision Scores With Three Hits”

https://archive.is/zwVCd - Aug 25th, 1999 – “Vigilante 8”

https://archive.is/Cbv3s - August 31st, 1999 – “Greatest Hits: The Complete List”

https://archive.is/ppn7u - Nov 4th, 1999 – “The Push to Get Even Again”

https://web.archive.org/web/20000301211148/http://dreamcast.ign.com/previews/11945.html - Nov 16th, 1999 – “Vigilante 8: Second Offense”

https://web.archive.org/web/19991013022729/http://psx.ign.com/previews/11535.html - Oct 1st, 1999 – “Vigilante 8: Second Offense”

https://archive.is/K7gCe - Dec 1st, 1999 – “PlayStation Library Increases by Three”

https://archive.is/XLGyb - Dec 6th, 1999 – “Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Delayed”

https://archive.is/Rzfqd - Dec 7th, 1999 – “The V8: Second Offense Cross-Platform Giveaway”

https://web.archive.org/web/20000901071400/http://ign64.ign.com/previews/10896.html - Jan 6th, 2000 – “Vigilante 8: Second Offense”

https://archive.is/ObIH7 - Jan 18th, 2000 – “Unlock Original Tracks in Second Offense”

https://archive.is/Mblya - Jan 18th, 2000 – “Attention Game Boy Programmers”

https://archive.is/CQVn7 - Feb 2nd, 2000 – “Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Guide Now Available”

https://archive.is/2CJA6 - Feb 2nd, 2000 – “Vigilante 8: Second Offense Guide Online”

https://archive.is/lw7Bd - Feb 29th, 2000 – “Three for 64”

https://archive.is/PU8gO - Oct 11th, 2000 – “Vigilante 8 May Die”

https://archive.is/ZSquO - Apr 10th, 2007 – “Two From Luxoflux”

https://archive.is/Sdxpp - Feb 14th, 2008 – “Vigilante 8: Arcade Announced for XBLA”

https://archive.is/B12Nr - Jul 10th, 2008 – “Vigilante 8: Arcade Hands-on”

https://archive.is/duc2a - Nov 3rd, 2008 – “Vigilante 8: Arcade on XBLA This Week”

https://archive.is/NnUhJ - Nov 5th, 2008 – “Activision Publishing Vigilante 8: Arcade”

https://archive.is/3s2j7 - Nov 5th, 2008 – “Live Marketplace Today: 11/05/08”

https://archive.is/B1luD - Nov 26th, 2008 – “Xbox Live Game of the Month: November 2008”

https://archive.is/YwxQs - Dec 4th, 2008 – “More Arenas for Vigilante 8”

https://archive.is/nZL0x - Dec 5th, 2008 – “On the DLC: Music, Music, and More Music Edition”

 

EGM

https://www.retromags.com/files/file/3733-electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-105-april-1998 – Vigilante 8 (PSX)

https://www.retromags.com/files/file/3727-electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-102-january-1998 – Vigilante 8 (PSX)

 

Engadget

https://archive.is/nEOFO – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA)

https://archive.is/1AGaw – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA)

 

GamePro

https://www.retromags.com/files/file/2841-gamepro-issue-112-january-1998/ – Vigilante 8 (PSX)

 

Gamespot

https://archive.is/6eiyn – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA)

https://web.archive.org/web/20000521185146/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/99_12/28_vg_dcvig/index.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC)

 

Kotaku

https://archive.is/dX8vd – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA)

https://archive.is/5Lkdi – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA)

 

OPM

https://archive.org/details/official-u.-s.-play-station-magazine-volume-1-issue-07-april-1998/page/n41/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX)

 

The Bitbag

https://web.archive.org/web/20080222143253/http://www.thebitbag.com/2008/02/14/vigilante-8-arcade-comes-to-xbox-live-arcade/ – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA)

 

 

 

REVIEWS

 

GameRankings Aggregator

https://web.archive.org/web/20190501111113/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/199193-vigilante-8/index.html – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 86%

https://web.archive.org/web/20190512173645/https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/199192-vigilante-8/index.html – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 83%

https://web.archive.org/web/20190522224540/https://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/199191-vigilante-8/index.html – Vigilante 8 (GBC) – 53%

https://web.archive.org/web/20190501111201/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/199196-vigilante-8-2nd-offense/index.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 82%

https://web.archive.org/web/20190512173659/https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/199195-vigilante-8-2nd-offense/index.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 73%

https://web.archive.org/web/20190505061555/https://www.gamerankings.com/dreamcast/199194-vigilante-8-2nd-offense/index.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 79%

 

Allgame

https://web.archive.org/web/20141114121100/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11649&tab=review – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20141114222903/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18957&tab=review – Vigilante 8 (GBC) – 3/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20141114143000/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=19641&tab=review – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 4/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20141114141354/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=19910&tab=review – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 4.5/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20141114143543/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18938&tab=review – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 4.5/5 stars

 

Absolute Playstation

https://archive.is/LTIA1 – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 90%

https://archive.is/z2pZK – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 81%

 

Cheat Code Central

https://archive.is/NIw0v – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 2.7/5

 

CVG

https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_200_1998-07_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n65/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5 stars

 

Consoles Plus

https://archive.is/nnZ3N – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 85/100

 

Cybergames

https://web.archive.org/web/20000816072256/http://www.dvd-spin.com/cg/revs/ps_v8.htm – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 9/10 stars

 

Daily Radar

https://web.archive.org/web/20001218111500/http://www.dailyradar.com/reviews/game_review_559.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 75/100

 

EGM

(Electronic Gaming Monthly staff, Ziff Davis, Scan yet to be found) – Vigilante 8 (PSX) - 7.875/10

https://archive.is/pX19x – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 8.5/10

(Electronic Gaming Monthly staff, Ziff Davis, Scan yet to be found) – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) - 7.875/10

 

Electric Playground

https://web.archive.org/web/20010210004143/www.elecplay.com/review_1837.html - Jan 11th, 2000 – Vigilante 8 (GBC) – 5.3/10

 

Eurogamer

https://archive.is/lUtIY – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 5/10

 

Famitsu

https://archive.is/9XQYA – Vigilante 8 (PSX) - 28/40

https://archive.is/J0KRj – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 29/40

https://archive.is/E6aSc – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 25/40

 

Futuregamez

https://web.archive.org/web/20011007030658/http://www.futuregamez.net/dcgames/v82nd/review.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 79%

 

Game Informer

https://web.archive.org/web/19990930135321/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=jul98&doc=vigi8 – Vigilante 8 (PSX) - 7.5/10

https://web.archive.org/web/20001206233200/http://www.gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=3089 – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 8.5/10

https://www.retromags.com/magazines/usa/game-informer/game-informer-issue-81/ – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 7.75/10

https://www.retromags.com/magazines/usa/game-informer/game-informer-issue-81/ – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 8/10

https://web.archive.org/web/20001022010702/http://www.gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=3375 – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 8/10

 

GameFan

https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_6_Issue_08/page/n17/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 93%

https://web.archive.org/web/20000613211750/http://www.gamefan.com/repre.asp?g=637&t=r – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – (G.N.) 92%

https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_04/page/n15/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 85%

https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_04/page/n25/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (N64) – (S.T.) 92%

https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_8_Issue_02/page/n13/mode/2up – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 74%

https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_8_Issue_02/page/n39/mode/2up – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 74%

https://web.archive.org/web/20000620172006/http://www.gamefan.com/repre.asp?g=1368&t=r – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 85%

 

GamePro

https://web.archive.org/web/20050116185734/http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/315.shtml – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5 stars

https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_109_August_1998/page/n101/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20050209084203/http://gamepro.com/nintendo/n64/games/reviews/82.shtml – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 4.5/5 stars

https://archive.is/oOjgs – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 4.5/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20050209103951/http://gamepro.com/nintendo/n64/games/reviews/4568.shtml – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20050207173252/http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/3649.shtml – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 3.5/5 stars

https://web.archive.org/web/20090117002926/http://gparcade.blogfaction.com/article/105730/vigialnte-8-arcade-review/ – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 3.5/10

 

GameRevolution

https://web.archive.org/web/19980613160458/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/sony/action/vigilante.htm – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – A-

https://web.archive.org/web/20000616000116/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/n64/action/vigilante_8.htm – Vigilante 8 (N64) – B+

https://web.archive.org/web/20000614204602/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/sony/action/vigilante_8_2nd_offense.htm – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – B+

https://web.archive.org/web/20000816000031/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/n64/action/vigilante_8_second_offense.htm – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – B

https://web.archive.org/web/20000229094312/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/dreamcast/action/vigilante_8_2nd_offense.htm – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – B+

 

Gamespot

https://archive.is/Uuzq9 – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 8/10

https://archive.is/HFUet – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 7.9/10

https://archive.is/h2zO7 – Vigilante 8 (GBC) – 7.1/10

https://archive.is/KJqD5 – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 7.5/10

https://archive.is/yXqr6 – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 7.7/10

https://archive.is/cz3yV – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 7.7/10

https://archive.is/J2aMy – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 4.5/10

 

Game Genie

https://archive.is/osqxA – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 4/5

 

GameSpy

https://web.archive.org/web/20090125100815/http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/vigilante8/ – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 7.5/10

 

Gamezilla

https://web.archive.org/web/20020202044600/gamezilla.com/console/reviews/v/vigilante8n64.asp – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 88/100

 

Gaming Nexus

https://archive.is/NpAu9 – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 2.5/10

 

Gaming Age

https://web.archive.org/web/20050416062146/http://www.gaming-age.com/reviews/archive/old_reviews/ga2/n64/v8.shtml – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – C+

 

Gaming Target

https://archive.is/xvS6n – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 8.5/10

 

Happy Puppy

https://web.archive.org/web/20000711075255/http://www.happypuppy.com/n64/reviews/vigilante8-n64-2.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 7/10

 

Hyper

https://archive.org/details/hyper-058/page/60/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 88%

https://archive.is/v3po7 – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 89%

 

IGN

https://web.archive.org/web/19991003035945/http://psx.ign.com/reviews/2210.html - Jun 4th, 1998 – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 8/10

https://archive.is/4QRzN - Jun 4th, 1998 – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 8/10

https://archive.is/6l6XU - Mar 19th, 1999 – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 8.2/10

https://archive.is/l7L2z - Jan 11th, 2000 – Vigilante 8 (GBC) – 6/10

https://archive.is/BOV4X - Dec 15th, 1999 – Vigilante 8: Second Offense (PSX) – 8.2/10

https://archive.is/nYHC9 - Dec 23rd, 1999 - Vigilante 8: Second Offense (DC) – 8.6/10

https://archive.is/2IZL8 - Feb 1st, 2000 – Vigilante 8: Second Offense (N64) – 8/10

https://archive.is/FHoLZ - Nov 5th, 2008 – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 7.3/10

 

JeuxVideo

https://archive.is/XcKrV – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 18/20

https://archive.is/0fq4I – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 16/20

https://archive.is/K2IMi – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 16/20

https://archive.is/3EJfU – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 9/20

 

Just Games Retro

https://archive.is/d1OqE – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5

https://archive.is/DiSPs – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 4/5

 

M! Games

https://archive.org/details/MANiAC.N057.1998.07/page/n89/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 78%

 

Metacritic

https://archive.is/4pywe - Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) - 58/100

 

N64 Magazine

https://www.nintendomags.com/magazines/n64-magazine/issue28/ – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 74%

https://www.nintendomags.com/magazines/n64-magazine/issue40/ – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 61%

 

Next Generation

https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_45/page/n131/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5 stars

https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_53/page/n93/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 4/5 stars

https://archive.org/details/NextGen63Mar2000/page/n89/mode/2up – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 2/5 stars

 

Nintendo Magazine

https://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=160&num=3102 – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 9.2/10

 

Nintendo Power

https://archive.is/kn7xF – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 7.9/10

https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-130-march-2000/page/n133/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (GBC) – 7/10

 

Nintendojo

http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20061114015311/http://www.nintendojo.com/reviews/GBC/view_item.php?1076100637 – Vigilante 8 (GBC) – 3.7/10

 

Nintendo 64ever Aggregator

https://www.nintendo64ever.com/Tests-Nintendo-64-Game,365,Vigilante-8,1.html – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 84%

https://www.nintendo64ever.com/Tests-Nintendo-64-Game,366,Vigilante-8-Second-Offense,1.html – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (N64) – 76%

 

ONM

https://archive.org/details/nintendo-official-magazine-uk-80-may-1999/page/18/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 83%

 

OPM (US)

https://www.retromags.com/files/file/5097-official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-010-july-1998/ – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4/5 stars

https://archive.org/details/Official_U.S._Playstation_Magazine_Issue_29_February_2000/page/n87/mode/2up – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 3/5

 

OPM (UK)

https://archive.org/details/Official_UK_Playstation_Magazine_Issue_055_2000-02_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n121/mode/2up – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PSX) – 6/10

 

OXM (US)

https://web.archive.org/web/20081108100040/http://www.oxmonline.com/article/reviews/xbox-live-arcade/s-z/vigilante-8-arcade – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 6/10

 

OXM (UK)

https://web.archive.org/web/20090107232759/http://www.oxm.co.uk/article.php?id=6875 – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 6/10

 

PLAY

https://archive.org/details/play-036/page/n39/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 94%

 

Playdevil

https://web.archive.org/web/20090122232117/http://playdevil.com/reviews/XBLA/v/Vigilante_8_Arcade/Vigilante_8_Arcade.shtml – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 70/100

 

Planet Dreamcast

https://web.archive.org/web/20090123161527/http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/vigilante8/ – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 7.5/10

 

PSM

https://ia903200.us.archive.org/26/items/psm-11-july-1998/PSM%2011%20July%201998.pdf – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 4.5/5

 

PSX Extreme

https://web.archive.org/web/20010619194959/http://www.psxextreme.com/scripts/reviews/review.asp?revID=60&letter=V – Vigilante 8 (PSX) – 7.4/10

 

Shin Force

https://archive.is/HmOxH – Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (DC) – 8.6/10

 

TalkXbox

https://web.archive.org/web/20081216160941/http://www.talkxbox.com/review1290.html – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 65/100, 30/100 (Users)

 

TeamXbox

https://web.archive.org/web/20130720173658/http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1614/Vigilante-8-Arcade/p1/ – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – 6.1/10

 

Total N64

https://archive.org/details/total-n-64-28/page/n81/mode/2up – Vigilante 8 (N64) – 85%

 

1UP.com

https://archive.ph/20130116210145/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3171283&p=4 – Vigilante 8: Arcade (XBLA) – C