Air Race Speed Trophy Guide & Road Map

Air Race Speed
Air Race Speed Trophy Guide

Estimated trophy difficulty: 3/10 (Poll)
Offline trophies: 41 (30, 6, 4, 1)
Online trophies:
Approximate amount of time to platinum: 10+ Hours (Depending on Skill) (Poll)
Minimum number of playthroughs: 1 + Level Select
Number of missable trophies: 0
Glitched trophies: 1 - Up to the Challenge (See trophy for details)
Does difficulty affect trophies?: No difficulty settings
Do trophies stack?: Yes, there are 3 options available: US, Japanese and Chinese stacks
Do cheat codes disable trophies?: No cheat codes

Start your engines and get ready to race through this fast-paced, high flying, jet-powered game! You'll pilot 9 different ships through 36 levels full of twists, turns, obstacles and more! Beat the Gold time in the 24 Time-Trial levels, survive the longest in 3 Marathon levels and test your speed and accuracy in 9 Ring Collecting levels. This game has smooth controls enabling you to take on any and all challenges it throws at you!

Step 1: Play through all 36 levels without worrying about completing the Gold Star times.

Just have fun with this step! The levels are short and fast so it won't take you too long to get through them all. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the controls so when you go back to clean-up the trophies, it will be a much smoother process. After this step you will earn:

Bonus Knight
Bonus King
Bronze master
TIER 1 master
TIER 2 master
TIER 3 master
Marathon

Step 2: Replay the levels to earn the Gold Star time.

Replay any level you did not get the Gold Star time in and get that done here. You will need to get Gold in every level except for 1 (doesn't matter which one). You will earn all the remaining Bronze and Silver Stars in the process. After this step, you will earn:

Wealthy garage
Legend
Bronze master
Silver master
Gold digger
Greedy!

Step 3: Miscellaneous trophy clean-up.

This will be a clean-up step for you to go back and earn any miscellaneous objective trophy you may have not already earned and also get the Time/Distance/Crash accumulation trophies. For Up to the Challenge, complete all the levels in one sitting to avoid a possible glitch with the trophy (see actual trophy for details). After this step, you will earn:

Up to the challenge
So close...
Finger stuck on nitro
Crash proof
Flight lover
Super captain
Captain
Gold is not enough
Ultramarathon
Bad luck
Obsession
Serial crasher
Crash maniac
Crash collector
Experienced pilot
Tough
Can't touch this
Crush
Frigate bird
Hipster
Unbreakable
Nitro maniac
Haphephobia
Flight addict
Ain't nobody got time for lap
Flight maniac
Expert
The Neverending Story
Air Ace!

[PST Would Like to Thank Velvet for this Roadmap]

Air Ace!

Earn all trophies and become the supreme champion of Air Race Speed!
Earn all of the other trophies listed below for the Platinum!
Up to the challenge

Complete all non-bonus levels with the jet Fatboy
The Fatboy jet is the last jet you unlock in the game. You'll need 70 stars in total to be able to use it. Once it has been unlocked, you'll need to complete the 24 non-bonus levels for this trophy. These are the first 8 levels of each tier (except for the Bonus tier). You do not need to get Gold, you just need to complete them.

After you have completed the 24th level, the trophy will unlock.

Some people have noted that the trophy did NOT unlock after they completed the 24th level. A few have reported that going back and completing one level again has unlocked the trophy while others have reported they needed to go back and play through all the levels in one sitting for the trophy to unlock. Due to this, it is highly recommended to do the latter of the two and play all the levels in one go.
So close...

Crash after completing 99% of any level.
In the top right corner of the screen, you will find your level completion percentage (above your speed). You'll need to race through a course until you reach 99% and then crash so your jet explodes.

This can be done on Level 2 of Tier 1. It's a two lap course, but the finish line is in an open room. On your second lap, when you enter this room, steer your jet either hard left or hard right so you fly into a wall and explode. The percentage completion will be between 99.3-99.9% doing this. As soon as your jet explodes, the trophy will unlock.
Wealthy garage

Unlock all the jets
There are 9 jets in total to unlock in the game. The first one (Fall Leaf) is unlocked from the start and you need to collect stars (by completing levels) to unlock the remaining 8. They will unlock when you earn 4, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 (this unlocks the Fatboy jet). You do not need to purchase anything. They will become available automatically once your have the required # of stars.

This will unlock as you go for Legend. There are a total of 108 Stars available to collect; 36 Bronze, 36 Silver and 36 Gold. Earning a Gold star will automatically earn you the Bronze and Silver for each level. You'll need 35 Gold stars for Legend, requiring you to earn a minimum of 105 Stars, well over the required 70 for the Fatboy jet.
Bonus knight

Complete one bonus level
There are 12 Bonus levels available to get this trophy on; the Marathon level at the bottom of each of their first 3 Tiers and all 9 levels in the Bonus Tier. You will need to get at least Bronze on any of these to unlock this trophy.
If you're doing all the levels in order, you will get this after getting at least Bronze on the Marathon level of Tier 1 (the last/9th level). Completing this will also unlock TIER 1 master.

This trophy will also unlock as you go for Bonus King.
Bonus king

Complete all bonus levels
As stated above, there are a total of 12 Bonus levels you will need to complete to get this trophy; 1 in each of the first 3 Tiers and 9 in the final Bonus tier. The levels in the first 3 Tiers are Marathons where you will have to survive for a certain number of laps. The levels in the Bonus tier are all ring collecting levels (you'll need to collect all the rings in a certain amount of time). You do not need to get Gold on these for this trophy, but you will need to get at least Bronze.

Once you have completed the 12th and final Bonus level, the trophy will unlock.
Finger stuck on nitro

Complete one level (min 2 laps) with the nitro constantly running and without crashing.
This will unlock Crash Proof if you have not already unlocked that trophy.

The earliest you can do this is Level 2 of Tier 1, but it is recommended you do it on Level 3 of Tier 1 as there are far less obstacles to get through. Use the FALL LEAF jet since it is the slowest in the game.

You'll need to complete the entire level without letting go of Nitro () and without crashing. You can graze the walls, you just can't explode. You do not need to be the Gold Star time for this trophy, you just need to complete the level.

Once you have completed the level without letting go of Nitro and without crashing, the trophy will unlock.

See the video provided for Expert for a reference for this level.
Crash proof

Complete one level (of min 2 laps) without crashing
This will unlock as you go for Finger stuck on nitro as both trophies require you to complete a level without crashing.

The earliest you can do this is Level 2 of Tier 2 since it's the first level with 2 laps, but Level 3 of Tier 1 is the recommended level since there are far less obstacles to get through. You can hit the walls if need be, you just can't explode. You do not need to hold down the Nitro button for this trophy nor do you have to beat the gold time. You can take as long as you need to.

Once you have completed the lap without crashing (exploding), the trophy will unlock.
Legend

Win 35 gold stars!
There are a total of 36 Gold Stars to earn in the game; 24 from Race Levels and 12 from Bonus Levels. You will need to beat the Gold time on all except for 1.

You will be using the FATBOY jet for most of the Gold times through the race levels as it is the fastest ship with the best handling.

When in a race, there are different paths you can choose on some of the levels - a Blue path and a Red path. The Blue paths are easier to navigate, but take longer to complete. The Red paths are more difficult to navigate, but are much quicker to complete. If you're having trouble beating the Gold Star time on a level, look out for these as it can easily cut off 3-5 seconds from your finishing time.

The 9th level of the first 3 Tiers are all Marathon Bonus levels. You'll need to survive to a certain distance for the Stars. Unfortunately, you do not get to choose your ship with these. As you progress through the levels, you will complete "stages". With each stage completed, the course will alter slightly in regards to the obstacles you need to clear. Your ship will also get progressively faster with each new Stage. There is no brake in the Marathon levels so the speed you are going is the speed you are stuck with. You can crash (explode) up to 3 times before you have to start over.

You'll need to make it to the following stages in these 3 Levels:
- Level 9 Tier 1: Stage 5 - 15.91 mi
- Level 9 Tier 2: Stage 5 - 15.91 mi
- Level 9 Tier 3: Stage 14 - 23.86 (Note if going for Gold on this level, you will also unlock Marathon and Ultra Marathon)
The final Tier will have the remaining 9 Bonus Levels. These are all Ring collecting levels where you'll have to navigate your ship through a given # of rings within a certain time. You do not get to choose your ship for these either, but you are given back your Nitro and braking abilities. You will, for the most part be holding down Nitro the entire time and braking only when you need to make a sharp turn.

The rings will be Orange except for the one that you currently need to go through, which will be Blue. They must be done in order. If you crash or miss a ring, you'll have to start over. The first few levels will be short, but the later levels will be longer with increased difficulty. These may take a few tries to beat the Gold time.

Once you have earned your 35th Gold Star, the trophy will unlock.
Bronze master

Win 24 bronze stars.
You will earn all of these as you go for the 35 Gold Stars for Legend (see trophy description for details).
Silver master

Win 24 silver stars.
You will earn all of these as you go for the 35 Gold Stars for Legend (see trophy description for details).
TIER 1 master

Complete all the levels of TIER 1
There are 9 levels for Tier 1; 8 Races and 1 Marathon. You do not need to get the Gold stars for this trophy, you just need to get at least Bronze. Once you have earned at least 1 star in each of the levels, the trophy will unlock.
TIER 2 master

Complete all the levels of TIER 2
There are 9 levels for Tier 2; 8 Races and 1 Marathon. You do not need to get the Gold stars for this trophy, you just need to get at least Bronze. Once you have earned at least 1 star in each of the levels, the trophy will unlock.
TIER 3 master

Complete all the levels of TIER 3
There are 9 levels for Tier 3; 8 Races and 1 Marathon. You do not need to get the Gold stars for this trophy, you just need to get at least Bronze. Once you have earned at least 1 star in each of the levels, the trophy will unlock.
Flight maniac

Fly more than 2500 Mi overall.
This will most likely be one of the last trophies you unlock. All levels count towards the accumulation for this trophy and you can check your progress in the Main Menu under the "TROPHIES" section. If you have earned all the other trophies and still have this one left, replay the Level 9 of Tier 3 marathon level over and over again until you have reached 2500 mi. The trophy will unlock as soon as you hit 2500.
Flight lover

Fly more than 250 Mi overall.
This will unlock as you go for Flight Maniac (see trophy description for details).
Super captain

Fly more than 10 hours overall.
Do this trophy last. The glitch for Up to the Challenge may require you to complete all the levels more than once. Just in case, make sure you get that trophy beforehand so all the time it takes to get is counted towards this one.

All levels count towards the accumulation for this trophy. If you have earned all other trophies, replay Level 1 of Tier 1 over and over again. Do not use Nitro and just let your jet glide through the level. If you crash, just hit to restart the level.

You can check your progress on this trophy in the Main Menu under the "TROPHIES" option.
Captain

Fly more than 5 hours overall.
This will unlock as you go for Super Captain (See trophy description for details).
Expert

Complete any level 30 seconds faster than the gold star time objective.
The first level you can do this on is Level 3 of Tier 1. You’ll need the Fatboy jet to complete it in time. The Gold time is 1:37:00 so you’ll need to get a maximum of 1:07:00 for the trophy. This level is also the easiest because there is only 1 obstacle in the way and the tunnels are easily to navigate. Holding down the Nitro () is recommended. Refer to the video below for reference.

Tips in case you can’t watch the video:
- The only obstacle in the way is the initial spinning bar at the beginning
- When you get to the room where you have to make the U-turn, make it as soon as you can – don’t wait until you are past the center column.
- In the tunnel section, go straight and take the last RIGHT turn. Take the next LEFT tunnel and you’ll be done with this section.
(apologies in advance for the horrible video quality - you should get the gist from it though)
Gold is not enough

Complete any level 10 seconds faster than the gold star time objective.
You will get this as you go for Expert, but if doing it separately, you can do this on the Level 1 of Tier 1 with the Raptor jet (unlocked after earning 10 stars). You’ll need to complete the level and have at least a 10 second gap between your time and the Gold Star time. This level has a 0:40 Gold Time so you’ll need to finish in 30 seconds or less.

Hold down Nitro () through the entire lap. Taking the red path is about 2-3 seconds quicker, but will have two added obstacles to get through. Either path will work, though. See video provided for Expert for reference.
Ultramarathon

Pass at least 10 stages of any endless level.
This will unlock as you go for The Neverending Story (See trophy description for more details and what level this can be done on).
Marathon

Pass at least 5 stages of any endless level.
This will unlock as you go for Ultramarathon and The Neverending Story (See The Neverending Story trophy description for more details and what level this can be done on).
The Neverending Story

Pass at least 20 stages of any endless level.
The endless levels are the last level of each of the 3 Tiers. They are also called the Marathon levels. You'll need to get to AND complete Stage 20 of any of the 3 available levels. It is recommended you do this on the third one - Level 9 of Tier 3. The Stages are much shorter in comparison to the other 2 so getting to level 20 will go by much faster.

Level/Trophy tip courtesy of Shadiochao:

Take the left path whenever possible on the tier 3 endless level, and try to stay closer to the bottom of the tunnel rather than the top. I found that strategy to be pretty manageable.

As long as you don't accidentally go down any right paths, the only obstacle that should cause any problems is the crescent opening on the right side.

This strategy has been tested and works!!
Flight addict

Fly more than 1000 Mi overall.
This will unlock as you go for Flight maniac (See trophy description for details).
Gold digger

Win 12 gold stars.
This will unlock as you go for Legend (See trophy description for details).
Greedy!

Win 24 gold stars.
This will also unlock as you go for Legend (See trophy description for details).
Bad luck

Miss the gold star objective of any level by 0.50 seconds.
This can be done on Level 1 of Tier 1 using the FALL LEAF jet. You'll need to miss the Gold Star time by no more than .5 seconds. When you're going through the level, keep an eye on the time (upper left hand corner of the screen). You'll want to hit Nitro periodically throughout the level and be at around 30 seconds when you reach the second open room, right before the finish line. If you're going to fast, hit to brake and slow yourself down. You'll need to time it right so you cross the finish line JUST after the timer hits 0:40:00. Crossing anywhere between 0:40:01 - 0:40:50 will unlock the trophy.
Obsession

Restart the same level 30 times.
You can do this on any level (Race or Bonus) and will take you about 3 minutes to do (if that). When you start the level, keep crashing and exploding so you get the "continue" screen and hit to restart the level.

Alternatively, you can just hit the button and choose the restart option from the menu OR finish the level and just hit to restart it. All three restart options will count towards this trophy.

Do this 30 times for any level and the trophy will unlock.
Serial crasher

Crash 100 times overall.
This will unlock as you go for Crash maniac (See trophy description for details).
Crash maniac

Crash 1000 times overall.
This will most likely be one of the last trophies you unlock, depending on how well you did while going for the 35 Gold Stars for Legend. You can check your progress in the Main Menu under the "Trophies" option. If you have not earned this by the time you have all the Gold Stars, start up Level 6 of Tier 1 and select any ship (though the Fatboy is recommended). When the level starts, don't touch anything and your ship will crash into a wall within a few seconds. Hit to continue. Rinse and repeat until you have accumulated 1000 crashes.
Crash collector

Crash 500 times overall.
This will unlock as you go for Crash maniac (See trophy description for details).
Experienced pilot

Fly more than 2 hours overall.
This will unlock as you go for Super Captain (See trophy description for details).
Ain't nobody got time for lap

Complete one full lap with the nitro constantly running and without crashing.
To use Nitro, you need to hold down .

You'll need to complete a full lap without letting go of and without crashing. This is easiest done on Level 1 of Tier 1 as the course itself is only 1 lap with very minimal obstacles in the way. It is recommended you use the Fall Leaf jet as is it the slowest ship available, allowing you to maneuver more easily through the course. Hitting a wall will have no effect unless you explode while doing so. Once you cross the finish line, the trophy will unlock.
You can get this trophy at the same time as Tough as they both require you to complete a level without crashing.

This will also unlock Frigate Bird if you do not already have it.
Tough

Complete one full lap without crashing.
As with Ain't nobody got time for lap and Can't touch this, it is easiest to do this on Level 1 of Tier 1 (using the Fall Leaf jet) as there are minimal obstacles in the way. You do not, however, need to use Nitro or complete the level for this trophy. You can hit the walls, you just can't explode. Once you cross the finish line, the trophy will unlock.
Can't touch this

Complete one full level without touching any wall.
As with the Ain't nobody got time for lap and Tough, it is easiest to do this on Level 1 of Tier 1 with the Fall Leaf jet. You'll need to go through the entire level without hitting any of the walls. You'll know when you hit one as sparks will fly out from wherever the contact was made.

You do not need to use Nitro () for this trophy and not doing so will make this trophy much easier to do. As such, it does not matter if you get the Bronze, Silver or Gold time trophy. You just need to complete the course.
Haphephobia

Complete 5 full levels without touching any wall.
It is recommended you do this on the first 5 Levels of Tier 1. You do not need to beat the Gold Star time for this. You just need to complete the levels without touching any walls. Use the FALL LEAF jet without hitting Nitro. The levels will be slow and steady, but you should be able to get through them without hitting anything.

Once you have completed the 5th level, the trophy will unlock.

It has been tested and confirmed that you can use the Bonus Levels for this trophy. This is much easier as it is harder to actually hit the walls in the bonus levels since they are so open. If you're having trouble with the regular race levels, try these instead. Thanks to arrow for the confirmation on this!
Crush

Complete the same level 10 times.
This can easily be done on Level 1 of Tier 1. The level is only one lap and can be completed in about 30 seconds. You can crash, hit walls, use Nitro or not... doesn't matter. You just need to get to the finish line 10 times (it does not have to be in a row). After you complete the level, just hit to restart and complete it 9 more times. After the 10th completion, the trophy will unlock.
Frigate bird

Fly 15 seconds with the nitro constantly running and without crashing.
This will unlock as you go for Ain't nobody got time for lap. See that trophy description for details.
Hipster

Fly more than 20 seconds wrong way
This can be done on Level 1 of Tier 1 using the FALL LEAF jet. When you get to the first open room, hit to brake and make a hard U-turn to go back into the tunnel you just came out of. Don't hit Nitro and just cruise back through the tunnel for 20 seconds. The trophy will unlock right before you hit the Spinning X obstacle.
Unbreakable

Complete 10 non-bonus levels without crashing!
The non-bonus levels are the first 8 levels of each of the first 3 Tiers. You'll need to complete any 10 without crashing (exploding) a single time. You can hit the walls if you need to, you just can't explode. You do not need to beat the Gold time for this so lay off the Nitro and just cruise through the levels. All 8 in Tier 1 and the first 2 levels in Tier 2 will work just fine for this.

They do not need to be done consecutively.

Once you have completed the 10th level, the trophy will unlock.
Nitro maniac

Complete 10 different levels with the nitro constantly running and without crashing.
This is easiest done on the first 10 Race levels of the game (Levels 1-8 of Tier 1 and Levels 1-2 of Tier 2) using the Fall Leaf jet. You'll need to hold down Nitro with without letting go for the entirety of the level. You can hit the walls, you just can't explode. You do not need to get the Gold time for these, but if holding down Nitro the entire time, you most likely will.

Once you have completed the 10th level, the trophy will unlock.