Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory/M-04

You get the Baja Truck for completing this level on a new game. This is a very straightforward mission with no big surprises. You take one vehicle up to your warehouse in the hills and then take the Baja Truck on a two-delivery, fairly linear run. The only thing to watch out for on this mission is the second pickup with the Baja, where you'll have to wait for the loot to land before grabbing it. In a new game, the easiest vehicle to start off with is the D-5 Hondo, because you'll be going over some rough terrain and up a large slope with falling boulders. Use a durable climber if you have access to more vehicles, such as the Sahara Special or the Grenadier.

Walkthrough
Start out by crossing the river in front of you towards the first pickup. At the pickup, there are some guys standing around and a small drop off (in terrain, not for the loot) so be careful through here if you're in a lighter vehicle. Take a right and go along the road through the gap in the fence. You'll see some cops over there and a couple large explosions atop the hill across the river. Make your way across the water and try not to get swiped by the cops on the other side. Either pick your way through the falling boulders, which is a good way to lose your pursuers, or go above them. When you get to the top of the slope, head down into the gully where the drop off point is, dodging any trees in the way.

From here you'll be transferred to the Baja Truck to complete the mission. You're going to have to backtrack right back up the hill you just came down and down the other side and across the river that's now filled with boulders. On your way over the first hill you'll see a helicopter with an item for you to deliver. Start turning left to go down the hill before you even pick it up, because a cop across the way would like to drive right down your throat if you don't. When you start going down the other side of the hill, there's an annoying cop trying to get in your way as you descend. Try and angle as far to the right as possible instead of heading directly downhill for two reasons. First, it's easier to avoid the cop on this side, and second you may witness a huge explosion with the carcass of a large law enforcement vehicle soaring into the sky. That would be an enemy cop who just ran into the train because he made a beeline for you, and you kept the train in between him and you, causing a nasty collision.

It's slow going across the river, especially if the cop is dogging you the whole time. Avoid running into any boulders while you're down there too. It's tempting to follow your arrow down to the left side of the bridge the train tracks go over, but there are two cops there who are waiting for you to slow down in the stream. Go across the bridge and try not to hit the train if it's there at the same time. On the other side of the bridge turn to face the delivery point and head straight up the hill for it. After dropping off the contraband, you'll see a plane flying out in the distance. He'll drop a small yellow parachute which will eventually land atop a nearby knoll. Head to the left, leading the parachute by quite a bit, and try to kill some time without getting slammed while you do so.

Ideally you'll want to come over the hill from the opposite direction that the item floated in from, because you'll be going this way to deliver it. From here you'll be swamped with guys, including a cop who you'll quickly be overtaking as you approach the minefield. He likes to turn into you when you pull alongside him, so brake quickly $($$)$ and cut across his tracks when he flies ahead. Pick your way through the minefield and head down the wash from two missions ago. There's another cop in here you'll need to juke, and when you exit the wash bear right and then back left around the trees into the courtyard for the drop off.

Best time
Keep in mind that although you have two separate countdowns for each stage of the mission, your time at the end reflects your time to completion for the entire course, minus the cutscenes where you're changing vehicles. So you'll still want to complete the part before getting the Baja Truck as quickly as possible. For the first play through, the Super Buggy is the faster choice, only because the super boost makes up for its poor climbing. If it's available, you'll want to use the ATV Monster, of course.

Whichever you're using, start off by boosting across the river, then heading to the first pickup. Use another boost on the road to where you cross the river. Boost again when you get in the river to cut between the cops, who will attempt to execute a classic pincer movement to hem you in. Once it runs out, boost up the slope at an angle between the two groups of falling boulders. When you've leveled out your heading in the direction the arrow is pointing, use your last boost to get the rest of the way up the hill and closer to the drop off. Don't hit any trees on your way in.

The rest is exactly the same as the regular walkthrough, only without any mistakes. Don't get bumped by the cop at the first pickup, and don't get hit by the blasts as you go down the hill. Avoid the cop on the slope and the boulders in the river on your way to the bridge. The train runs from the beginning of the mission and throughout the vehicle change cutscene as well. If you get up to the warehouse in 28 seconds or less and you skip the cutscenes, you'll be too far in front of the train for it to stop the cop across the river. You can either spend a couple extra seconds watching the cutscene to allow the train to catch up, or just just angle far enough down the slope that you can drive across the small island in the middle. If you can get to the island, the cop will slow down enough when he hits the water to allow you to escape.

Either way, just get over the bridge without taking a hit from the cop or the train. From there, make your delivery and turn quickly to the left so you fly off into the depression surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped hill. There are ATV riders all over this part of the level, so just try to maintain control if they hit you. Go over the right side of the hill in front of you, and then turn right when you get behind the pickup hill. Launch off the hilltop and snag the contraband while it's still on its way down. Use a juke instead of braking to throw off the cop in front of you on your way to the minefield, and of course don't hit anything. If you already had the Baja's bombs unlocked you shouldn't need to use them, and it may even slow you down if they go off too close to you.