Every guide on this site starts on a real copy of Downhill Domination running on original PlayStation 2 hardware. Rider claims are tested across full careers in the relevant disciplines, because a stat only matters if you can feel it on the mountain, in the event type where it is supposed to matter.
Unlock steps are earned, not copied. If a guide says a rider, bike or level comes from a mode, someone here finished that mode with the stated requirements and watched the unlock arrive. Course claims come from slow exploration rides followed by race pace verification, and cheat codes are entered and confirmed on original hardware before they are listed.
Facts about the game's release, developers, riders and soundtrack are checked against primary and period sources, including the original manual and 2003 coverage, before they are written up. When fan sources disagree, as they do about some code variants, we say so plainly and explain what we verified ourselves.
We correct mistakes openly and quickly. If a guide is wrong, a reader email with evidence beats our pride every time, and the fix goes into the text rather than a footnote nobody reads.