The upgrade system in Star Wars Episode I: Racer is quite complex and can be used to make speedruns faster. It allows to incorporate different routes into the runs, the faster a route is, the more luck you need.

The stats of a podracer:

• Traction
• Turning
• Acceleration
• Top Speed (the stat you want to upgrade in a run)
• Air Brake
• Cooling
• Repair

You start out with a default set of parts, that can be replaced by better ones. Additionally, you will start out with a single droid so you can repair one part.

Damaging and repairing parts

After a new race is over, parts will randomly become damaged. Damaged parts will reduce your stats, in the worst case you will have worse stats than with a lower leveled part. There are some rules to this:

• The default parts never get damaged
• Parts can only be damaged when finishing a race for the first time
• Each droid you own will prevent one part from being damaged
• Droids will repair damaged parts after a race if they have no damage to prevent

Buying and unlocking parts

Watto's shop offers parts for each stat at the full price in perfect condition. The available parts depend on the number of completed races:

0 races: All level 2 parts 2 races: Level 3 (Tra, Tur, Top, Rep) 4 races: Level 3 (Acc, Air) Level 4 (Rep) 6 races: Level 3 (Coo) Level 4 (Tra, Tur, Air) 8 races: Level 4 (Acc, Top, Coo) Level 5 (Rep) 10 races: Level 5 (Tra, Acc, Air, Coo) 12 races: Level 5 (Tur, Top) Level 6 (Acc, Rep) 14 races: Level 6 (Tra, Air, Coo) 16 races: Level 6 (Tur, Top) (races of the invitational circuit don't count towards this number!)

The price that you pay for a part is not the actual price of the part. Instead, the game subtracts the value of your current part from the price. Let's use the most basic speed upgrade as an example:

Current part: Plug2 thrust coil (value: 1000) New part: Plug3 thrust coil (price: 2400) 2400-1000=1400

If you have 1400, you can buy it.

The junkyard

Now this is where things get interesting. The junkyard will offer one part for each stat, the part themselves and their condition are completely random. There are only two rules to the randomness:

• The parts will never be in a perfect or very bad condition (red HP)
• Going to the vehicle select screen resets the inventory

The cool thing about this is, that you can get ANY part, even if you haven't unlocked it in the shop yet. If you get lucky, you can get a level 6 part for less than a new level 4 part! This is where the routing starts...

Routing

The ideal route for any category would be to get the best possible part as early as possible. In some cases, this would require perfect RNG and make the run very reset-heavy. You can reduce the RNG by incorporating selling parts into the route. For example:

• Buy a damaged level 2 part in the junkyard after the first race
• Do the second race to get it repaired
• The value of the repaired part will be higher than what you paid, so you can barely afford a level 4 upgrade

Now that's all you need to know about the upgrading system. Find the ideal route for you to go fast, and may the force be with you!