Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory/M-02

The second mission uses a slightly different method of offering you item pickup locations. On this level a helicopter is roaming around the area, intermittently settling for a short time and dropping an item. This requires you to chase after the helicopter and get to the cargo before it's picked back up and moved to another location. There are only five locations that the chopper cycles through, but it is extremely frustrating to have the item disappear right before you get to it. You may also have to kill some time around the next pickup point while you wait for the chopper to get there and release its cargo. Don't be discouraged if you miss a pickup though, because you get a very generous six minute time limit on this level. Because the route will change based on circumstance, the only walkthrough will be for the best time where it is assumed you get each piece of contraband on the first try.

General Tips
Something to watch out for here are hidden walls, which are only slightly lighter in color than the surrounding desert landscape and don't have much of a visible profile at only a few feet high. Despite their diminutive stature, they are more than enough to bring every single vehicle to a dead stop and even blow up some of the lighter vehicles if you're going fast enough. Since they are hard to spot, you'll have to be familiar with the area in which you'll find them, which is right around all the buildings at the start of the level. Another trap on this level is the minefield by the train tracks. If you manage to get the first item before the chopper leaves, you'll have a direct route through these mines to the first delivery point. If they explode near you, you'll take some damage or be blown into the air depending on your proximity and the weight of your vehicle. This area of the map also contains a good amount of moving, non-combatant vehicles, as well as men and stationary, rusted out tanks. The last drop off point is slightly difficult also, due to being nestled amid a maze of large, stone outcroppings.

On the first play through of this level, you may have more success with the D-5 Hondo, due solely to its durability in comparison with the Super Buggy. If you find yourself getting nailed by cops a lot or going over mines quite a bit, the Hondo will take more of a beating and lessen the chance of you getting arrested. Choosing from any vehicle, you'll want to go with whichever car best fits your play style. The Grenadier will give you a lot of protection while still maintaining good speed and handling. If getting hit and maintaining control aren't worries for you, either of the vehicles with speed boost will help you get to those item pickups on time, and even the Du Monde is usable with the wide open spaces.

Best time
With all the straightaways on this level, you'll need the fastest vehicle you have, which, with its speed burst, is the ATV Monster. There is really no reason to use anything else, as the terrain is very even for the most part and no other car will give you the quick turn radius of the ATV. Keep in mind that this route can become obsolete as soon as you miss one pickup or slow down too much. Only the fastest route is given here.

Pickup 1
Getting in and out of the first pick up may be the most challenging part of this level. Bear to the right of a direct approach to the cargo, which you'll be facing, so you don't run into the low wall directly in front of you. This requires you to take a small jump into the courtyard where the chopper is hovering, and upon landing you'll need to make an immediate left between two buildings. This part is hard to get perfect, because the ATV bounces around so much off of even the slightest jump. When you've mastered picking up the loot and making it out of the courtyard without crunching any walls, turn slightly to the right in the direction of your arrow. You'll want to stay just to the left of both trees, which will put you right into a long wash leading to the minefield. This route is the most direct and you can avoid the small walls scattered around because you'll be going parallel with them. There is a cop in here who wants to drive over your face, so drift in either direction and pull the other way as he approaches. At the end of the wash go slightly left, which should aim you between two of the mines that will go off. There is an ATV rider to your right who will sometimes side swipe you if you're not careful. Stay slightly to the right of a true heading to the delivery point, because there is a flatbed sitting in front of it that you'll need to get around. Cut your left turn as close as you can get it to just miss the truck while drifting through the drop off zone.

Pickup 2
Coming all the way around after the first drop off, you'll see the helicopter off to your left. Lead him a little bit as you make your way to the next pickup, and when you see you're coming up on a cop in a Baja Truck, hit your boost to beat him to the item. Beware of this guy, as if you don't get past him he's very good at swerving into you, pushing you way off course. As you pick up the cargo, make a left turn, but don't cut it too sharply, because there will be an explosion between you and the next delivery point. As you head for it, bear to the right of the tree in the distance. As you come up to it, you'll see a break in the low wall that provides a lip off of which to jump. Avoid making any last minute direction changes as you're going off the jump, because you're going to need a smooth landing to set you up for the next jump which follows immediately after. Upon landing the second jump, race to the drop off and avoid smacking into the non-combatant car coming down the road from the left.

Pickup 3
This is the first time you'll want to really ignore the what the arrow is telling you. Staying on the right side of the two rusted out tanks, boost over the train tracks near where they go up over a small bridge. This will put you on a heading which is farther to the right than what your directional arrow indicates. In doing so, you'll be skirting around the right side of the minefield, a bunch of hills and the bulk of the cops. It's also a more direct route to where the pickup is going to be. You'll go over a slight rise, and when confronted with a big hill, go around the right side of it. There should be a cop on the other side, so avoid him and cut left around the next hill. If you didn't lose any speed, you should be on top of the contraband right as it's spawned. Make a hard left around the tree and get some air off the hill there. You'll want to jump in the direction slightly left of where your arrow is pointing. If you get a smooth landing, it should be no problem to head around the left side of the next hill and onto the road where you can spend a boost getting to the delivery point and turning left.

Pickup 4
Don't boost to the last pickup, or you'll get there before the chopper drops the cargo. He'll be coming in from the left, so lead him a little bit and follow him down the road. You should be in good position to snap up the contraband as soon as it drops. Make a sweeping left until you're turned all the way around to where the arrow is pointing. Be aware that this takes you right through the minefield, so you'll need to experiment with the path that goes between two mines. If there is any hesitation at this point, all the cops that were chasing you from the last pickup will be ready to pounce. There's a long straightaway to the last delivery location, so use your remaining two boosts here to put some distance between you and your pursuers. Eventually you go flying off the edge of a ravine with tracks going down the center. When you land, head straight over to the drop off point. The easiest entrance is to ride the slight rise on the left, bypassing some of the stone structures and allowing you to smoothly pass to the right of the one in front of the drop off zone.