Free Rider 2

Free Rider 2 is an online flash-based game created by a developer known only as "Pete", in which the player must create/draw his or her own tracks. The player has the opportunity to add scenery, obstacles goals, and then finally choose a vehicle. Free Rider 2 is the sequel to the previous game - Free Rider. Changes include a curve-drawing tool, multiple vehicles, and a grid tool which greatly simplifies the track creation process.
Similarities between Free Rider 2 and the internet physics toy Line Rider have often been drawn, however, a key difference is that Free Rider 2 enables the player to move the vehicle independently.
Vehicles
Officially, there are 7 vehicles in Free Rider 2. Efforts have been made to edit the source code in order to add additional vehicles; so far, they have yielded only a rudimentary skateboard, which may be tested on Trackmill.com.
The original 7 vehicles are the BMX bike, Mountain Bike, Blob, Balloon, Unicycle, Truck and the Helicopter.
* BMX Bike
It is the most commonly used vehicle, most likely because it is the default vehicle. It is very sturdy, but its inflexibility makes it harder to control, especially immediately after jumps.
* Mountain Bike
Another commonly used vehicle. Very similar to the BMX bike except that it is able to climb steeper inclines and negotiate rougher terrain. It is also more elastic. However, it doesn't survive long falls as well as the BMX.
* Balloon
The Balloon is unique in that it can only move forward, up, and down. Lines can only be safely touched with the basket.
* Unicycle
The Unicycle is the only vehicle in FR2 that moves with the weight of the rider on top of it. To ride forward on the Unicycle, one must first lean forward slightly, then counteract the forward fall by leaning back, but just enough so that the Unicycle still is oriented forward. The unique physics of the Unicycle make it one of the hardest vehicles to control.
* Blob(???)
The "Blob" is a squarish black object more commonly known as "the Blob". A unique feature of the Blob is that it contracts when "Z" is pressed. The contracted version of the Blob is the fastest vehicle in FR2. The Blob cannot die, except by touching bombs. It is also prone to several glitches.
* Helicopter
The Helicopter is one of two FR2 vehicles that can fly. Usually it is preferred over the Balloon, because it is faster, easier to control, and can fly both to the right and the left.
* Truck
The truck is exceptionally tough: like the Blob, it cannot die except by touching bombs. Like the BMX, it is so rigid that it can be hard to control on bumpy terrain.
Tracks
Free Rider 2 tracks generally fall into one of several categories, of which only a few major ones are described here.
* Northshore:
Named for the mountain biking mecca in British Columbia, a Northshore track consists of a series of wooden ramps and jumps, each jump falling almost perfectly into the next. Northshores are one of the hardest track styles to build and can be one of the most fun to play if done correctly.
* Trial:
Trials test one's technical skill, and consist of a series of obstacles to overcome with the chosen vehicle. They are most commonly done using the grid tool and can take hundreds of tries to complete due to their difficulty.
* Auto:
An "auto" is a track which requires no action by the player at all, similar to Line Rider. Autos can be built easily by using the Pause button.
* Skatepark:
The skatepark is usually done with the grid tool, and often doesn't have detail. However, very good skateparks are done using both. Common scenery effects in skatepark tracks include 3D effects and graffiti.
Free Rider 2 Track Databases
Trackmill.com
Trackmill is a fledgling Free Rider 2 site created in November 2008. Some unique features of Trackmill's Free Rider 2 database include high scores lists for each track and a fullscreen version of Free Rider 2. The site also features a discussion forum.
Free Rider Tracks
Freerider-tracks.com is a wetpaint wiki site created in 2007 by Alarocca, but the current administrator is Wild-Kat, accompanied by a group of moderators. The site is growing community of Free Rider players that share track codes. The site is known to be especially flexible, as users can edit and customize their own profiles, however, since a weakness of wikis is that users are only able to share their tracks by using the code, track theft has been a major problem.
The Free Rider Tracks Database
Created by Maxime. After shutting down for sometime, the FR2DB, as it is also called, was reopened in May 2008, this time with forums in which users could share their tracks. Recent updates have enabled users to create a list of favorite Free Rider 2 tracks and "feature" them. Track-building contests are held on a regular basis. The FR2DB was the origin of some Free Rider 2 toys such as a . As of Feb. 3, 2009, the Free Rider Tracks Database contained approximately 175,000 Free Rider tracks.
Codes
Once a player has created a track, they can 'save' the level. Once they save it, they will be given a track code. This code can be loaded again at another time, enabling the user to play levels which they have already created.
Codes are created for people to find other's tracks all around the world.
Often shared in forums and databases (databases are the most secure place to share a Free Rider 2 track as the code cannot be used by other players)
The Creator
The maker of Free Rider 2 is simply known as "Pete". He posted some preview videos of Free Rider 2 on YouTube, and worked as a moderator at OneMoreLevel Forums, but not much else is known about him. He is also the creator of the original Free Rider game.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu