Maps, graphs and diagrams that I created to accompany some of my strategies for Tips & Tricks magazine. The images that appear here are reduced in resolution from their original magazine publication size. For selected maps I have also included sketches that were made in the course of completing the final product.

My initial sketch used in the construction of the final map below. A small multiple in the lower right corner traces out the optimal route in blue.

The final version for my Crazy Taxi 3 strategy that appeared in Tips & Tricks magazine. The typography and art style carefully mimics that of the actual game. Numbers mark the speediest order in which to visit each location in order to sucessfully complete one of the more difficult mini-games.

The first rough sketch of the highways in Tokyo Extreme Racer, giving a general overview of where each major route starts and ends.

A more complete and detailed sketch from which the final work was made. Every single exit, landmark and location in the game is called out.

The finished map of the entire world of Tokyo Xtreme Racer, published with my strategy in Tips & Tricks. Only in-game elements were used for reference and for the previous sketches.

This map illustrates a complete topology of the plant episode of Metal Gear Solid 2. Each area is represented by a box, and adjacent areas are connected. The smaller text in each box which is normally readable at the published 8.5"x11" magazine page size marks the locations of dog tags for each difficulty level.

The initial sketch I used while writing the strategy and to take notes from while playing the game.

An excerpt from my strategy guide for Metal Gear Solid 2 detailing some of the initial areas of the game, based on the Trial Edition version. Numbered items call out specific points of explanation. Open doors are marked blue, closed ones are red. Color gradients denote stairways or elevation changes.

For my strategy of the recent re-make of Spy Hunter, I designed this graph to illustrate the benefits of using Turbo continuously instead of in intermittent bursts. I sampled the data myself by capturing video and recording the current speed at regular time intervals. This graph plots the speed of the player accelerating from 0 mph for 16 seconds.

These acceleration graphs illustrate the differences in speed and acceleration between the different Interceptor forms in Spy Hunter. Maximums are called out in each case. In both this and the above graph, the uneven grid in the background is an artifact which resulted from the resolution being too fine for the printer.

A rendering of the world map from my Final Fantasy VIII strategy. A painted 2D map was used as reference and also for the texture of land masses. The land was extruded above the deliberately softened sea in order to further emphazise contrast.