Submission #5385: Evil_3D, WST & Zurggriff's Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog 2 "ring attack" in 45:01.63

Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Knuckles Ring Attack by Evil_3D, WST and Zurggriff

Role of the Authors

• Evil_3D: Project founder, Author, TASer, Route planner.
• WST: TASer, Co-Author, Movie editor (crucial), adviser.
• Zurggriff: Taser, Co-Author, Optimizer, God.

Game info

Emulator and tools Used

• Gens Re-Recording 11b + Camera hack + Solidity and Terrain dysplay
• Sonic TAS tools + Frame Advance

Game Objectives

• Collect the maximum number of rings possible as Knuckles
• Contains speed entertainment/trade-off
• Aims for fastest in-game time, then fastest real time
• Abuses programing errors
• No deaths
• "Perfect Bonus" (if possible)
• Heavy glitch abuse
• Manipulates Luck and enemies

Why we pick this goal?

• Curious fact: the lightning shield does not exist in this game.

Time table and statistic

What rings didn't get?

• We collected 5163 out of 5174 rings as Knuckles in this game (99%). The difference of 11 rings consists of the following:

• 1 Ring stuck inside a column in Aquatic Ruin 2 that only 2P Tails out of camera can pick up.
• 10 Rings inside the walls of Casino Night 2 which are impossible to collect.

• There is currently no known ways for Knuckles, Sonic or Tails to get any of these rings in Casino Night.

Why did we choose Knuckles?

• His gameplay is interesting and is a treasure hunter.

Suggested screenshots

• Frame 56143, 125914, 127637, 128901

Knuckles TAS tips

• Wall climbing: Starting on the wall use (A^)(<)(<)(<)(A)(A)()...repeat. This is nearly always the fastest way to climb single walls
• Braking on objects: (B)(<)(<)(<>)(<v)(vA) (6 frames), is the fastest way to braking on Objects if you don't have "128, 256, 384, 512, etc." speed.

Stage by Stage comments - Evil_3D

Emerald Hill 1

• 0:16/1423 - Falling in the invisible object at the correct vertical speed I do not brake with the terrain and I can continue without stopping

• 0:17/1468 - With the correct possition you I can roll and break this monitors.

• 0:27/2084 - Zurggriff managed the "run up the slope" and "monitor madness" tricks to save time like in the any% run

• 0:49/3391 - Is possible boosting up to 4342 the speed here.

Emerald Hill 2

• 0:02/5692 - Pushing me with the Masher (badnik) I can grab the rings in the sky in frame 5740 at once

• 0:07/6013 - Glide glitch through the bridge I can grab the rings down faster.

• 0:29/7317 - Same as EHZ 1 if I fall at the correct vertical speed I don't gain the 15 frames penalisation here

• 0:46/8342 - Is possible grab all the rings with one fall and precise jump.

Chemical Plant 1

• 0:14/12931 - Here are the first monitors.

• 0:40/14504 - This is a secret place, in Sonic 2 have 2 ring and 1 invulnerability monitors but in Knuckles version only have 2 ring monitors

• 0:43/14660 - Glide through the pipe cover save some frames.

• 1:01/15768 - Glide through this object can zip to the next area and grab the rings at frame 15889 faster.

• 1:28/17341 - This is the second Knuckles only monitor, but Sonic and Tails can arrive here jumping, but in Sonic 2 this monitor does not exist.

• 1:41/18154 - Thanks to I arrives just in time in this pipe, the right way is shorter.

• 1:52/18800 - Here is the third and last Knuckles only ring monitor.

• 1:55/18996 - Glide through this object saves a lot of time and I can grab the rings down faster.

Chemical Plant 2

• 0:11/21366 - Waiting for the time to reach 12 secs, took the left path which is faster instead of the upper one first.

• 0:21/21955 - Thanks to a precise jump I can grab all the rings above

• 0:52/23816 - This jump is for manipulate the time for take the upper path in the tube at 0:53.

• 1:18/25389 - Enter in rolling state for manipulate the camera, If I continued running I would not be able to grab 1 ring in the spiral

• 1:19/25456 - Another precise jump like at frame 21955

• 1:31/26168 - Luckily, this object was well synchronized and I did not waste time waiting for, so I glide through him

• 1:37/26540 - Originally I glide through this bridge but Editing the movie for whatever reason now the bridge is down

• 1:51/27384 - With a precise glide glitch I enter in the terrain and breack the monitors faster, Sadly I can't zip from here, the wall is very small.

Aquatic Ruin 1

• 0:05/30328 - Spindash a little late to avoid the arrow and don't take damage.

• 0:27/31665 - Spindash in this position to prevent the column falling and blocking me.

• 0:49/32981 - Taking these rings benefited me in the end.

• 0:59/33561 - Enjoy the power of the speed shoes.

• 1:16/34570 - This guy can manipulates the luck too.

• 1:18/34691 - Keep running here is more faster than touch the red spring.

Aquatic Ruin 2

• 0:02/36393 - With the proper speed and position is possible run in this columns.

• 0:13/37047 - Very useful jump to go to the another spiral

• 0:31/38145 - Jumping in this spring to the upper path saves a lot of time

• 0:52/39420 - Touching the monitor to drop it and breaking it with a spindash saves a lot of time, but I need to take an air bubble later.

• 1:03/40050 - Waiting the air bubble for to not drown.

• 1:14/40703 - This is the first unreachable ring that I mentioned before.

• 1:42/42373 - Cool sync sfx-music

• 2:04/43746 - Same as Emerald Hill trick, If you roll+jump 1 frame before the ground you gain an extra speed boost, perfect to jump directly to robotnik.

• 2:07/43901 - Small pause for load the boss quickly.

• 2:16/44440 - If you hit Robotnik in a precise frame the explosion sequence is skipped, in the capsule loads before.

Casino Night 1

• 0:11/46558 - This position is necessary to cross the flipper at frame 46698.

• 0:18/46988 - glide through this objects saves a lot of time.

• 0:48/48780 - With jumping in the flipper here can do a perfect frame jump in 48817 and climb the wall.

• 1:11/50183 - glide here and fall in the monitor at 50259 saves time.

• 1:29/51262 - This is a serie of precise jumps to cross the springs at 51419 and save time.

• 2:05/53405 - For some reason if you touch the ceiling here you don't enter in rolling state and you can backtrack to the other pinball area.

Casino Night 2

• 0:05/55812 - Using the red spring to run and jump in frame 55838, later gliding and broken the speed shoes monitor in frame 55966, I get the sufficient heigh to grab the unreachable rings in the sky at frame 56141, This only works as Knuckles.

• 0:39/57834 - Spindash thought this object saves time.

• 0:56/58849 - Same as frame 57834, saves a lot of time.

• 1:23/60481 - Unespected spindash.

• 1:40/61475 - gliding is useful here... and funny

• 2:20/63861 - Using this flipper to get the rings above and use perfect positions at frame 63940 to fall with a high speed and grab the last rings and go to the boss zone faster.

Hilltop 1

• 0:07/66872 - Spindash before the ball fall don't lose the dash state when jump.

• 0:52/69601 - Enter in the terrain here to save time.

Hilltop 2

• 0:19/73178 - With the perfect position I can destroy the badnik at frame 73220 without taking damage.

• 0:31/73879 - Spindash through the doors here I can backtrack and going to the upper path and collect all rings in this zone.

• 0:53/75239 - Same trick as HTZ 1

Mystic Cave 1

• 0:25/83389 - Rolling to not get damage from the badnik.

• 0:32/83824 - Knuckles don't have the enough jump heigh to go up there but spindash through the bridge at frame 84707 I can go to this section.

• 0:52/85037 - This glide-fall is necessary to get a good Y-subpixel position, this is necessary to jump and maintain the speed in +3030, this is crucial for grab the next 3 rings above the box and the jump at fram 85144.

Mystic Cave 2

• 0:06/88132 - Spindash through the bridge like in the first zone, I use this trick in the course of the level to save time.

• 0:20/88970 - The speed shoes are essentials for the route.

• 1:16/92346 - Here is where the trick begins, I need to wait the flasher enter in the ceiling because this enemy has a preprogrammed route and cannot be manipulated, is for that I need to wait, if you don't want to wait skip to 2:05/95240.

Oil Ocean 1

• 0:26/100844 - First Knuckles ring monitor.

• 0:38/101553 - Spindash before fall to the oil saves time.

• 0:44/101899 - This ring monitor can respawn endlessly, but it is very trivial to break it for 9 minutes.

• 0:54/102470 - Second Knuckles ring monitor.

• 0:58/102760 - Third Knuckles ring monitor.

• 1:24/104310 - Jump here and use the Aquis (Badnik) lower to get the fourth Knuckles ring monitor faster at 104573.

• 1:49/105811 - Fast climbing to avoid the fan and gliding directly to the canyon.

• 2:04/106709 - Glide through the spike and zip to the next area saves a lot of time.

Oil Ocean 2

• 1:30/113929 - This group of rings are difficult to grab with the speed glitch and keep it activated, but Zurggriff did it without any problem and I was able to continue the zone with the glitch activated.

• 1:37/114347 - This jump is not really necessary, is more for speed/fun and activated the look at the sky.

Metropolis 1

• 0:33/118447 - Camera trick to pass through the door up there.

• 0:54/119714 - Spindash through the bolt and glide clip in the movement spiral saves a lot of time instead of climbing.

• 1:24/121510 - Secret place :P

Metropolis 2

• 0:09/124025 - I decided to collect these rings on the ramp to manipulate the Slicer (badnik) above in the frame 124264, if I jump to the springs before time I receive damage from this enemy.

• 0:19/124577 - Glide through the bolt and fall directly in the upper path, take invulnerability monitor and activate the slope glitch at frame 124990.

• 0:36/125641 - With this position and slope glitch is possible grab the unreachable rings in the middle of the zone at frame 126107.

• 0:52/126568 - The same trick why I leave 1 ring before.

• 1:04/127323 - This is the way to collect the third group of rings at frame 128110.

• 1:38/129363 - Inside this wall are the last group of rings, so perfect bonus is possible now.

Metropolis 3

Sky Chase

Wing Fortress

• 0:21/152171 - Waiting this object and spindash is faster.

• 0:43/153489 - Break this monitor is faster than climbing for him later.

• 1:03/154706 - This precise jump saves time.

• 1:05/154809 - Hidden ring monitor.

• 1:11/155167 - Another hidden ring monitor :P

• 1:32/156457 - Look down and jump I can pass through the wall and save time.

Stage comments by WST

Emerald Hill Zone 1

Hilltop Zone 2

Possible Improvements (Most remarked by Zurggriff and WST)

• CPZ2: Climbing will be better.
• CPZ2: 24791 - spindash through the pipe maybe saves some frames.
• CPZ2: 26640 - A jump around here going straight up gives Knuckles a huge speed boost upon exiting the water.
• ARZ2: 40388 - Maybe jumping around here allows Knuckles to glide to the crumble platform.
• CNZ2: I forgot pressing [^] when climbing the elevators, this maybe saves some frames.
• HTZ1: 69730 - It is possible to spindash and jump to around this location earlier without being crushed.
• HTZ1: 70505 - It is faster to stop on the quarter-pipe and spindash from there, immediately followed by a jump.
• HTZ2: 79441 - It is faster to climb this wall rather than using the spring.
• MTZ3: 138200 - roll+jump to touch the red spring earlier can save ~11 frames.
• In some stages the capsule is hit one frame late.

Special thanks

• Theyogwog: For inspire me on making this ring-attack.

• WST: For learn me how to TASing and help.

• Marzojr: For his useful Sonic TAS Tools.

• Zurggriff: For his awesome optimization level and help.

• Kiske/Tee-N-Tee: For the previous Any% run.

• Felipe: For his old "Perfec Bonus" run.

• Okral: For his glitch videos.

• Joshep: For his support.

• The Sonic Center: For his detailed Sonic 2 maps.

• Everyone in the S2K thread, for his help, tips and support.

• TAS Videos: For let me sharing my work.

Sorry if my English is a little bad.