Regarding that new route i suggested, going straight down to X-Ray and Maridia after WS, i did some calculations and it can't be faster. If my calculations are correct, If cpadolf, in his run, have been taken that route, but not counting the optimizations using the new equipments, the run would have been around 20 seconds slower. I don't think the new equipments would save that much only in the Brinstar clean up.
Edit: Btw, nice idea abou the Wallcrawler stuff, hero. If it works, you could get a damage that sends you to the bottom of the area, where there is a red pirate.
Also, very nice Pink Brinstar smv, cpadolf!
Edit 2: Cp, it's possible to activate the gate shooting up very close to the wall, so what about shooting up before walljumping, or shoot up earlier after a walljump?
Edit 3: This idea was posted by Quietus on m2k2 for realtime runners some time ago, and it could be tested to see if it saves any frame, given that health management won't be a problem in WS, it could be useful. After collecting the Missile pack in the far left of the ship (Crateria area, the Missile below a Super Missile block and right above the door to WS lake), go up as usuall, but before entering the ball hole, charge a shinespark, then enter the hole, and shinespark right after leaving the small passage, going over the small lakes in the next room. I did a small test and the spark fades right when Samus unmorph, but it was not optimized, mainly the bomb to push Samus out of the hole, so i'd say it's possible even if it's not worth. Problem is you loose the oportunity to collect some drops for the Brinstar clean up, but judging the recent strategies and discoveries, it might not be hard to refill some drops later. Also, regarding the door you're going through with the shinespark, it's possible to open it from above it shooting with the wave beam as shown in
this smv.
Btw, why the f*ck there's a noise of the door opening when i shoot it again, if it's already openned???
Edit 4: It might be just equally fast anyway, but, when going for the last Reserve Tank in Northwest of bubble room, it's possible to jump a little bit over the cacti, shoot a Super in the door and damage boost on the cacti to land in the very ledge close to the door. Problem is you loose a Super drop, but it might be not that bad as you still have some rooms left to try and get other drops anyway. Also, if it's possible to open the green door without delaying Samus when you land in the ledge instead of shooting the super over the cacti, it could be faster because you could turn Samus back to the door with a spin jump before the damage boost instead of waiting for the turn around animation.
Edit 5: Oh man, that idea hero posted about getting a Shinespark from Ridley should be tested to see if it really works or not. If Ridley really give Samus a free shinespark, i have an interesting idea.
Edit 6: Btw, hero, that wallcrawler strat works very nicely! Only problem is it seems you have to unmorph to make him catch Samus, unless there's a way to delay samus in the small passage a little bit till the wallcrawler catch her.
Anyway, i did just a test to see if it would work or not and it worked. Take a look:
Not Optimized smv
