Travel to the hoverboard event is an optional mission in Ratchet & Clank taking place in Blackwater City on planet Rilgar. After Ratchet and Clank rescued Skidd McMarx and his agent Don Wonderstar on Aridia, the two asked him to travel to Blackwater City to compete in the hoverboard race on Skidd's behalf, to which Ratchet and Clank obliged. Though the mission is optional, it is the main objective on the planet upon landing, as suggested in the start menu.
Walkthrough[]
Though this is an optional mission, is it advised to complete it before leaving Rilgar, as competing in the hoverboard races is an opportunity to earn a lot of bolts for new weapons that could help with more difficult missions. Complete it either before or after "Search the sewers".
Unlike "Search the sewers", this mission involves much more combat as you find your way to the hoverboard event. Upon landing, visit the Gadgetron vendor, and you will be able to acquire two new weapons. One is the Groovitron, which costs 8,000 bolts and temporarily disables enemies by forcing them to dance and leaving them vulnerable to attack. The other is the Pixelizer, which costs 15,000 bolts. It is a shotgun-like weapon that morphs enemies into pixelated versions after firing. The Pixelizer is the most useful weapon, but is likely unaffordable at this stage. Luckily, after completing the mission and competing in hoverboard races, you will earn a significant number of bolts, enough to afford it. For now, purchase either the Groovitron or Mr. Zurkon if you have not already bought it, as either will help with this mission.
From the starting island, take the path on right from the vendor and take the Swingshot up to a locked glass door, using the OmniWrench to open it by hitting the green button. In here are a group of extermibots, which fire green blasts of gas at medium range that explode when they hit, or kick any target in melee range. These are robots that fight off the amoeboids, but do not distinguish between Ratchet and the amoeboids and so pose a threat. They are best defeated with the Combuster or Fusion Grenade. Defeat them and move onwards across the ship to the next small island, open the door by standing on the button and fight the extermibots and amoeboids. Amoeboids are green enemies attacking in melee range, which are durable due to their ability to split into two smaller amoeboids after the first are killed. Defeat them with either the Pyrocitor or Proton Drum and move on.
Stand on the green button to activate the bridge to the next area with extermibots. Defeat them and take the elevator to the next area. You can wait a little for the extermibots to kill amoeboids (allowing extermibots to kill 35 amoeboids total throughout the level will earn you a trophy), before going in yourself and clearing up the remaining enemies. After this, move orange forcefields stopping more amoeboids and extermibots will deactivate, so retreat and let them kill each other before cleaning up the remaining enemies. Travel right through the area that the extermibots came from, and latch onto the versa-target to travel to a small platform. Landing here will hit a green button causing an orange forcefield to your left to deactivate. Use the next versa-target to travel to the Downtown District in Blackwater City.
Make sure to use the vendor here to refill ammo. As before, allow the extermibots and amoeboids to kill each other for a while, and then land to defeat the remaining enemies. You will also find a large extermitank here, which similarly fires blasts of gas that explode. Destroy it using the Fusion Grenade or Combuster. After all enemies are defeated, two buttons will turn green, one to the right and one in front of the orange forcefield blocking the elevator to the next area. Hitting the one on the right will cause a series of versa-targets to appear in the air, which can be taken upwards to a stack of crates and some Raritanium. Hitting the one next to the forcefield blocking the elevator deactivates it. Destroy the extermibots then the elevator down to the next area.
This area leads to a cavern. Travel through it to reach a large, round area, with a ditch below containing extermibots. Rather than descending down, travel around the outside and hit the green switch. This will cause the forcefields around to deactivate, revealing amoeboids. Allow the extermibots and amoeboids to fight each other, and then drop down to kill the remaining enemies. There are three cavern paths here, but one to the left of a glowing blue ladder will lead to an elevator up to the final area.
The final area is a series of cages surrounded by orange forcefields, with buttons to deactivate them. Stand on the first button to deactivate the forcefield to the right, traveling through to deactivate the next. Repeat this process, deactivating forcefields revealing a path forward, killing enemies on the way, until you eventually exit. Destroy the extermitank here, and the extermibots and amoeboids that arrive. Before you leave, return to the series of cages, and on the far right is a button that will open more forcefields. Create another path through, revealing more areas with crates, until the final forcefield surrounding a cage with a gold bolt is visible but inaccessible. Leave the cages, but before the exit, you will find a small, glowing blue tower, with a ledge halfway up. Climb on this ledge with the Helipack, then climb to the top, and from here, use the Helipack to boost to the top of the cages. Follow them around to reach the cage on the far right at the end, drop down to obtain the gold bolt, and stand on the green button to deactivate the forcefields and allow you to leave
Leave to the end of the area, through a building in the wide open door, and take an elevator up to a wide open area, where the hoverboard race is located. Speak to the woman in the center, Starlene, to commence "Win the hoverboard race". In the surrounding area, ensure to break crates for bolts and to stand on the green button to deactivate a forcefield.