Neighborhood Battle (also known as Hood Battle in the Dreamcast version, N'Hood Battle in the Nintendo 64 port, and Battle Track 1 in its .inf file) is a battle track created by Acclaim Studios London.
The track is the battle variant of Toys in the Hood 1. The arena takes place on the loop after the second T-intersection of the track. However, unlike the standard counterpart, the battle variant now has a detailed environment inside the loop, consisting of a concrete soccer field and a playground.
Course Layout[]
Combatants start on the center of the soccer field. On top of the goal posts are Pickups, where drivers can climb the back of the posts to grab it. Towards the right of a starting point is a wooden-built playground. On the playground, there are many entry ramps that combatants can utilize to climb onto the structure. There is also a park consisting of many undulating hills with a white pillar-like ramp, as well as a fallen tree trunk that acts as a tunnel for RC cars on that area. The soccer field, playground, and park areas are partially enclosed by rectangular brick walls.
Outside of the leisure-zone loop is its perimeter, which is the same path used in Toys in the Hood 1. The rest of the track is blocked off by a large wall, enclosing racers to only roam around in the loop section. This perimeter path is not available in the Nintendo 64 version due to technical limitations.
Hazards/Obstacles[]
The perimeter outside the loop in Neighborhood Battle is notable for having less obstacles than its counterpart, objects such as the wooden plank ramp and the larger car are not present. Inside the recreation zone however, is much more detailed and complex in terms of hazards and obstacles.
In comparison with the zone sections, combatants must be aware of the large, bumpy hills in the park zone. Combined with its grassy terrain, one must be cautious not to lose grip especially when traversing through those hills. The playground area has obstructing objects, such as the sprinkler system and the large trees that could cause problems if one was to collide against it. The soccer area is surrounded by curbs, limiting the ways combatants can exit the area. This is also true for the entry points into the recreation zone. Finally, the brick walls can act as a hazard for those who frequently roam from one section to another, becoming a problem for those evading when they have the Star.
Overall, Neighborhood Battle is relatively easier than the other battle tracks thanks to its non-clustered layout and wide, open environment suitable for those trying out Battle Tag for the first time.
Strategies[]
Thanks to its combination of its detailed environment and the simplistic racing path from Toys in the Hood 1, Neighborhood Battle welcomes vehicles of any archetype although vehicles with excellent handling and acceleration such as Adeon are recommended for this game mode.
The fallen tree trunk in particular is a decent place to hide with the Star as it obstructs the vehicle from others. Eventually however, opponents will find out due to the arrow pointing at the vehicle with the star, as well as causing the one who has it to emit a faint light. One can also hide in the edge of the map, in particular beside the houses as those places are are less likely for others to roam around. It is also recommended to stray around the top of the playground, as it will take a while for others to climb up when the one with the star can simply drop down. Finally, driving around the perimeter of the arena to evade is a decent strategy for vehicles not suited to the more complex environment inside the loop, such as Cougar.
Star Locations[]
There are nine possible locations of the Star. As the path around the park is not present in the Nintendo 64 port, stars 7, 8, and 9 do not exist in that version.
Trivia[]
- Neighborhood Battle has the highest amount of possible star locations of any battle track, with a total of 9 stars.
Gallery[]
