Under the microscope: Highway 2000 & Tokyo Xtreme Racer

Long lost cheat codes for Genki racing games

In this edition:

• I found a previously unreported cheat code for Highway 2000, the Genki racing game for Saturn.

• …and an additional cheat code for Wangan Dead Heat, the original Japanese version of Highway 2000.

• I also found a new cheat code for Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Genki’s first driving game for Dreamcast.

Details on the codes and the reverse engineering are below!

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Highway 2000 (Saturn)

When you’re playing in time trial mode, the number of seconds remaining is stored at 06053e5c (NTSC-U version). You can locate this using Cheat Engine or similar to find steadily decreasing values.

There’s a function at 0600e202 that has a section like this (pseudo-Python adapted from Ghidra’s decompilation):

if game_type_06055ba8 != GAME_TYPE_TWO_PLAYERS:
    if flag_06053e64 == 0:
        print_number_060118e0(second_remaining_06053e5c, ...)
    else:
        print_string_06011c4a("FREE", ...)

That is, if we’re in one of the timed game types, print the number of seconds remaining unless the flag at 06053e64 is set. Tracing the writes to that flag leads to the function at 06025e86, which runs while the title screen is being shown.

The function checks controller 2’s input against the list of buttons at 0604a8e4. The first sequence it checks is this one:

(Controller 2) A, Y, A, C, Y, C, B, B

This activates FREE mode! You don’t have a countdown clock during races when this cheat mode is active:

The same function checks another sequence, but nothing happens if it’s entered:

(Controler 2) R, Up, Down, L, Up, Down, X, C

…at least in the NTSC-U and PAL versions. In the NTSC-J version (Wangan Dead Heat) this cheat unlocks MOVIE mode, which was removed in the English language versions.

This has videos of the companion women that you’re supposed to impress with your driving skills.

The same code works on the Wangan Dead Heat + Real Arrange update as well:

I checked to see if there was a way to unlock the extra vehicles, but it doesn’t seem like there is — alas.

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Tokyo Xtreme Racer (Dreamcast)

Action Replay / GameShark code repositories are a nice source of information. GameHacking.org tells me that for “infinite cash” in Tokyo Xtreme Racer to write to the address at 8C1518CE.

Tracing references to that address in Ghidra led me to the function at 8c021980, which runs at the Quest Mode screen. It checks whether your button presses match the sequence at 8c07852c.

That sequence corresponds to:

Up, Right, Down, Left, 
Up, Left, Down, Right, 
X, Y, X, Y,
L, R, L, R

After you enter it, you’ll have 1,000,000 CP — whatever units those are.

This cheat doesn’t work in the NTSC-J version, but it works in both the NTSC-U and PAL versions.

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Outro

For more cheat code discoveries, see my archive. For more articles about games developed by Genki, see:

• Hang-On GP

• Tokyo Highway Battle

Logo by Ashlyn Anstee