Toys in the Hood 1 is a standard track created by Acclaim Studios London. It is the first track in the game. It sets the racers in suburbia, starting at a construction site and taking the players around residential buildings. The racing line and track layout is known to be very open and wide.
As the first track in the game, it is easy to navigate through, making it a good place to race on for beginners. This track is included in demos of all the game's ports, except the Rolling Demo.
Course Layout[]
Racers start on the edge of the construction site. Ahead is a T-intersection, at which racers will have to turn right. A smooth left bend follows, which leads to an acute right turn. A long straight ensues, before leading to another T-intersection. Here the vehicles will have to turn left.
A right turn follows, which then leads to another long straight before another right turn. What follows is a curvy bend; racers have an option to cut corners using the curbs. Following another right turn will lead into a loop, arriving back at the second T-intersection.
There, competitors will drive back to the starting line in reverse, but instead will have to enter the construction pipe that lies on the left side on the first T-intersection. The construction pipe is dark and narrow compared to the rest of the track. The pipe eventually ends, leading to the construction site. Racers must climb the steep ravine back onto the road, which leads back to the starting line, completing the lap.
Hazards/Obstacles[]
There is a basketball at the end of the main straightway that bounces out into the road on the first lap. While not as heavy as a Ball Bearing, it can still spin the car out and cause it to lose speed. There are also some traffic cones scattered around the streets that get in the way when making shortcuts on the corners. The construction pipe is also narrow, which promotes a lot of carnage there. Finally, because various portions of the track are shared between both directions, the player will also have to be wary of oncoming opponents, as bumping into them will cause a loss of speed and time for both parties, and this is exacerbated in Simulation mode. This scenario is especially apparent after the starting line in subsequent laps for those leading, and conversely just before the construction pipe for those trailing.
Strategies[]
The sidewalks are a great way to cut corners. Most of them have inclined entrances, which allows vehicles to drive onto them. However, vehicles will gain a slight amount of air time, which can potentially cause time to be lost in the long run if performed frequently.
There is also a shortcut consisting of a narrow route right after the first long bend, which ends adjacent to the red parked car on the main straightaway. The shortcut however, is ineffective, due to the wide open nature of the track; the speed reached in the shortcut is much lower than the speed reached on the normal route. It is better to take the sidewalk cuts.
As mentioned before, the construction pipe is small and narrow. This makes trap items such as the Clone Pick Up or Oil Slick much more effective, so it is advised to place it in this section. Alternatively, placing these items just before or right after the tunnel is a good idea.
Finally, more powerful and high accelerating cars such as Adeon or SNW 35 can drive right up above the construction ravine near the end of the track instead of going around it.
Star Locations[]
The Global Pulse is found above the parked car on the main straightway. There is a ramp leaning against the back of the car; line up and hit it full speed (on a rookie car) to nab it. Higher-rank cars will need to reduce speed near the top, or else they will fly clear over it. The Global Pulse is located on top of the red car with a ramp behind.
In the PlayStation version, the star is not airborne, lying on the top of the car instead. This makes it easier to grab as the vehicles do not have to exit the ramp at a particular speed.Trivia[]
- The name of the track is a pun on the 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood.
- In CGW / PC Gamer demos and dev, this track doesn't have ramps, and contains more pickups on sidewalks and different AI Nodes.