Hoverboards are anti-gravity boards used in sport across the Solana Galaxy in Ratchet & Clank and Ratchet & Clank (2016 game). They are used by many racers, and Ratchet acquired his own board, the Z3000 Deluxe Hoverboard, a device that performed too well to be store-bought. He used it to compete in hoverboard racing on planet Rilgar and Kalebo III. In the re-imagined release, Ratchet's hoverboard is instead named the McMarx 4000 Hoverboard.
Skidd holding his hoverboard.
Ratchet was given an autographed hoverboard by Skidd McMarx, one of the best pro hoverboards, after helping him reach his ship by clearing the sandsharks on planet Aridia. He then competed in the hoverboard race in Blackwater City on planet Rilgar, taking Skidd's place, and also in the race on Kalebo III to win the Hologuise from Wendell Lumos, the Gadgetron CEO.
In the original Ratchet & Clank, winning the Rilgar race earned him the Platinum Zoomerator, an add-on that uses quantum technology to convert Ratchet's performed tricks to boosts[2] (an ability available by default in the-reimagined release). Showing this item to Skidd's agent, Don Wonderstar, on Aridia also granted Ratchet the Sonic Summoner. Ratchet also volunteered to be a star advertising a Hoverboard XZ88 for Gadgetron.
Use[]
The player can use a hoverboard when entering hoverboard races. The hoverboard continually hovers forward, and Ratchet can jump with 
and steer. Hovering past green targets on the ground allows Ratchet to boost speed.
The player can perform tricks in the air, which grants boosts. In the original Ratchet & Clank, this is done by pressing one of four trick buttons: 
, 
, 
or 
in mid-air, and the 
stick can be moved in any direction to also perform a flip for a greater boost. In the re-imagined release, tricks are performed simply by pressing 
or moving 
in any direction in mid-air, and if the landing is straight, the boost gauge will be filled depending on how many tricks were performed. The boost meter can be used by holding the boost button (
in the original Ratchet & Clank, or in the re-imagining) for a speed boost. The original Ratchet & Clank requires the Platinum Zoomerator to be won on Rilgar before it can be used.
In Kalebo III, in the original release, Ratchet can pick up rockets and fire them at other racers with .
Tricks[]
In the original release of Ratchet & Clank, there are specific tricks that can be performed using a combination of , , , or , and a different number of flips, when performing tricks in mid-air. Each trick has a name and associated points, which will appear after landing successfully.
The points for each trick diminish each time the trick is used, and the fourth time a trick is used, the points awarded will be the minimum number of points possible when that trick is performed again during that race.
The following are basic tricks that are performed by pressing a single trick button while moving the stick. Unlike more complicated tricks with flips, their points do not diminish on use.
| Name | Buttons | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Scratcher |
|
10 per flip |
| Crunchy |
|
10 per flip |
| Gonzo |
|
10 per flip |
| Tip Tweak |
|
10 per flip |
The following tricks are performed by combining the buttons, but only performing a single flip in the air.
| Name | Buttons | Points (1st use) | Points (2nd use) | Points (3rd use) | Points (4th use) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber's Crack | ++
|
215 | 107 | 71 | 53 |
| Blair Air | ++
|
235 | 117 | 78 | 58 |
| Call Me Sally | ++
|
200 | 100 | 66 | 50 |
| Sand Shark | ++
|
225 | 112 | 75 | 56 |
| The Commando | +++
|
300 | 150 | 100 | 75 |
The following tricks are performed by combining the buttons with two-three flips in the air.
| Name | Buttons | Points (1st use) | Points (2nd use) | Points (3rd use) | Points (4th use) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snagglebeast | ++
|
350 | 175 | 116 | 87 |
| Do The Robot | ++
|
400 | 200 | 133 | 100 |
| Double Darla | ++
|
325 | 162 | 108 | 81 |
| Cracker Jak | ++
|
375 | 187 | 125 | 93 |
| Revolverator | +++
|
500 | 250 | 166 | 125 |
The following tricks are performed by combining the tricks with four or more flips in the air:
| Name | Buttons | Points (1st use) | Points (2nd use) | Points (3rd use) | Points (4th use) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Al | ++
|
550 | 275 | 183 | 137 |
| Quarktastic | ++
|
600 | 300 | 200 | 150 |
| Chomper | ++
|
525 | 262 | 175 | 131 |
| Drek's Revenge | ++
|
575 | 287 | 191 | 143 |
| Twisty McMarx | +++
|
650 | 325 | 216 | 162 |
Behind the scenes[]
The Z3000 Deluxe Hoverboard is the first item acquired in Ratchet & Clank.
_concept_art.png "Hoverboard from R&C (2002) concept art.png (2.23 MB)")
_concept_art.png "Hoverboard from R&C (2016) concept art.png (1.6 MB)")
In Size Matters, the similar Skyboard is introduced and used to race and win prizes. It allows the user to fly in the air rather than simply hover above the ground.