Deep below the surface of the Earth, caverns filled with magma churn and groan under extreme heat. And you, well, you have an air conditioned vehicle and are getting ready to race through it all! Smash and Dash 3: The Magma Chambers is a physics-heavy stunt racing game that requires a lot of precision, experience, and trial-and-error. You’ll use blinding speed to clear tough jumps, collecting coins, rocket boost fuel, and time bonuses as you go. It’s a maddeningly intense arcade game, but if you use our tips and tricks below, you can save yourself some sweat and get right to the finish line!
Basics
To move your vehicle in Smash and Dash 3, simply use the up and down arrow keys to increase or decrease speed. Everything takes place on a 2D plane, so forward and backward are all you have to worry about. Use the left and right arrow keys to steady your cart. Tapping these keys is usually best, as you’ll make constant adjustments to your position to ensure a proper landing. And trust us, you’ll be making loads of blind landings over the course of the game.
Learning to use the rocket boost is key to mastering Smash and Dash 3. Tap the shift key to unleash a burst of flames. Depending on which rocket you have attached and which wings you’ve chosen, you’ll fly through the air at a different velocity. Most jumps in the game require you to gain serious ground while in the air, so each time you launch skyward, tilt your cart backwards just a bit and fire your rockets, pushing you up and forwards as efficiently as possible.
You’ll also do a bit of shooting in Smash and Dash 3. Tap the spacebar to fire your equipped gun, destroying crates that get in your way.
Smash and Dash 3 is about trial-and-error, failure, and replaying levels over and over again until you master them. It takes time, but eventually you’ll learn how to navigate the game’s tricky jumps, at which point the difficulty ramps up and the challenge begins all over again!
Upgrades
Earning points in Smash and Dash 3 unlocks a few upgrades from the equipment screen available from the menu. You can outfit your cart with different guns, boosters, and wings, each providing an advantage over previous upgrades. The defaults are pretty standard, but the locked items below give you a serious advantage.
- The Destroyer – Four times the destructive power of the default gun, this thing mows down anything in its path. You’ll unlock the Destroyer when you score 8,000 points.
- The Double Banger – Shoots twice as many gunge balls that do twice as much damage as the default gun. You’ll unlock this weapon at 1,800 points.
- The First Class Rocket - Uses twice as much rocket fuel, but you’ll soar through the air as if it were butter. Which is gross, but functional! Four times as fast as the jet booster, and it unlocks at 10,000 points.
- The Big Boys – Longer, more stylish wings for your cart that allow you to fly four times as far. Use with the First Class Rocket for extra airtime. You’ll unlock these puppies at 5,000 points.
General Tips
- Don’t give up! Smash and Dash 3 reward persistence. In order to beat even the easiest level, you’ll crash and burn a dozen or more times. Stick with it, keep trying, and eventually you’ll taste sweet victory!
- To get the most out of your rocket boosters, use them like actual rockets, not as speed enhancers. Tilt your vehicle whenever you become airborne to maximize vertical and forward momentum.
- Landing incorrectly can be a disaster. After reaching the apex of your jump, tap the left and right arrow keys to even your cart out. Don’t overcompensate in either direction, as it only takes a few degrees of rotation to crash.
- Sometimes, when you fall from a jump, you can save yourself. Fire your rocket booster and lean your cart to move straight up in the air. If you aren’t too far down, sometimes you can climb back on the track and keep racing. You’ll lose quite a bit of time, however, so it’s generally a good idea just to restart the level by pressing the R key.
- Need some extra points to unlock something? Try replaying a level! Even if you don’t make it to the end, if you can beat your previous score your points will be saved.
- The two keys you’ll use most: R and Q. R restarts the level, while Q returns you to the menu. You’ll use them often because you’ll fail often. It’s just part of the game! Restarting a level is the best resort when you get stuck or fall into a pit. Use Q when you need to return to the equip screen to change up your rockets or wings.
- Time is also your enemy in this game, and if you stop for even just a moment you risk losing the race. Never stop pushing yourself forward and collect every timer power-up you see to ensure victory.
- You don’t always have to keep the “best” combination of wings and rocket boosters to make it through each level. Sometimes it helps to downgrade one or the other to make controlling your jumps easier. You won’t gain as much height or distance, but you won’t have to tap the arrow keys as frantically, either, and slight mistakes in trajectory won’t be as detrimental.
- Fall down just before the finish line? Don’t hit the R key just yet! Sometimes, your cart will keep moving after it’s left the screen. Let your momentum carry as long as there’s time left to race. You never know, you might just finish the level!
