A complete guide to Super Metroid speedrunning - User contributions [en]

Reserve Tank

2023-07-30T22:57:46Z

BoatsandJoes:

{{Item info
|title=Reserve Tank
|image=Reserver.png
|location=[[List of Reserve Tanks]]
|effect=Gives reserve energy
}}

'''Reserve Tanks''' give Samus a pool of reserve energy. Each Reserve Tank increases this pool by 100 energy. Acquiring energy drops while at full main (or [[Energy Tank]]) energy will add energy to this pool.

Energy can be recovered from the Reserve Tanks either automatically when Samus's energy reaches zero, or manually from the Inventory Screen. All energy in the reserves will be used in auto mode. When using manual mode from the pause screen, you can save the rest of your reserves for later by pushing up on the dpad during the refill.

Although the automatic refill from Reserve Tanks will interrupt gameplay, certain objects such as particles from [[Charge Beam Combos]] are not interrupted by this pause (although they will not interact with objects until the Reserve Tank interruption is over), nor is the in-game timer.

Reserve Tanks can be manually [[Pause Abuse|abused with pausing]] to lengthen Samus's lifespan during perilous "hell runs", such as those performed in a [[RBO|Reverse Boss Order]] run.

{{#ev:youtube|gHaEljO16js}}

Manual reserve tank activation can also be useful in heated rooms due to heat damage still being applied during the reserve refill process. As a result, a full reserve tank will only give you about 75hp if it fills automatically while taking heat damage.

Damage will also accumulate while going down an elevator, but will not affect reserve health. As a result, many RBO runners will aim to take the Lower Norfair elevator while low on hp with the reserves set to automatic. Once they hit the bottom, the reserves will trigger, giving them enough time to set up for a Crystal Flash afterwards. The same is also true of getting grabbed by Ridley at the end of the fight, giving them time to pick up drops, then the E-tank.

== See also ==

* [[Energy Tank]]
* [[G-Mode]]
* [[R-Mode]]

{{Items}}
[[Category:Item]]

Short Charge

2023-07-10T05:43:50Z

BoatsandJoes: /* Stutter Step */

'''Short charging''' is the manipulation of the way the [[Speed Booster]] functions to attain [[Blue Suit Glitch|blue suit]] in a shorter distance than normal, or compared to [[Quick charging|quick charging]].

== Speed Boost Counter ==
The speed boost counter will increment if dash is held while Samus's legs are in the following position (typically referred to as the "magic frame"):

[[File:MagicFrame.png]]

When the counter reaches "4", you will attain blue suit.

The speed boost counter is separate from momentum. For every frame you are on the ground while holding dash and a direction, your momentum will increase. The goal of short charging is to increment the counter to 4 while having Samus gather less momentum: traveling a shorter distance than usual. This can be accomplished either via "Tapping", or "Stutter Step + Tapping".

== Tapping ==
Tap dash only when the magic frame is happening (see [[Short Charge#Timing|Timing]]). If executed correctly, your speed counter will increase at the usual speed, but your momentum will increase much slower because it is only increasing while you are holding dash.

To be explicit, the sequence for humans should be:
* Press dash
* As short of a time you are comfortable with
* Magic frame happens
* As short of a time you are comfortable with
* Release dash

You can, in places with enough room, tap dash for the first few magic frames, and then tap and hold dash for the remaining ones. [[Quick charging|Quick charging]] is the easiest version of this idea: just one tap and hold.

When tapping, you can hold the taps for a smidge longer to make sure that you hit the magic frame.

Longer taps and/or fewer taps make the short charge easier.
More taps and/or shorter taps cause Samus to more forward less, letting her charge shinespark in smaller spaces. They also increases the difficulty of the short charge, so you only need to do them when you don't have room for an easier one.

== Stutter Step ==
This is a second way to reduce the distance Samus travels, in addition to tapping.
Before the magic frame, you can release forward for a brief moment to reduce Samus' speed without interrupting her running animation.

For a human, that looks like this:
* Hold forward
* Release forward for as short a time as you physically can
* Hold forward
* Magic frame happens

Releasing forward for too long will restart Samus' running animation and set the speed boost counter to 0. This also happens if you release forward too early, before she's built up enough momentum. Try to release at or after halfway to the magic frame.

Usually a human will do just one stutter step, before the first magic frame. One stutter greatly reduces the distance traveled, and the player is free to focus on tapping for the rest of the short charge.

== Notation ==

Sometimes players talk to each other about what kind of short charge they're doing in a particular room.

If you tap dash for the first two magic frames and then tap and hold for the 3rd + 4th, that's known as a "3 tap". If you also stutter step at the beginning, that's called a "stutter 3 tap" or "stutter 3".

A "1 tap" is sometimes called [[Quick charging|quick charging]].

== Timing ==

Assuming the speed boost counter increments each time, the first 4 magic frames happen when this many 60ths of a second have passed since Samus started moving: 25, 50, 70, 85. In other words, the gap between taps starts at a bit less than half a second, then drops to 1/3rd of a second on the third magic frame and 1/4th of a second on the fourth.

The change in timing as the speed boost counter increments is part of why a 2 tap is significantly easier than a 3 tap (slight timing difference) or 4 tap (substantial timing difference). It's often easier to add a stutter than to add more taps.
Since the time between the third and fourth magic frames is so short anyway, you also save very little space with a 4 tap compared to a 3 tap. But maybe a 4 tap isn't that tricky for you: use your judgement!

For musicians: short charge can be achieved using a tempo between 153-160bpm, by pressing forward at the start of the bar, and tapping dash on each successive beat. For example: 1. hold forward 2. tap dash 3. hold dash (2 tap) or 1. hold forward 2. tap dash 3. tap dash 4. hold dash (3 tap). Pressing down at the first beat of the next bar will charge a shinespark. See the tutorial by Truemoss for further details.

4 tap rhythm:

{{#ev:youtube|JwJc2wT4VUc}}

An example of a "stutter 3" short charge:

{{#ev:youtube|mVwgAgbUXUg}}

An example of a short charge being performed to swiftly obtain the [[Missile]] pack in [[Main Street]]:

{{#ev:youtube|2YMcKrONGFA}}

== Pixel Values ==

Here, some pixel values are provided for short charging on NTSC. These assume perfect taps. Values are given in pixel.subpixel, and it is the space from start to charging a spark. Slightly less space would work, as Samus "slides" into the wall as she crouches.

* No short charge: 501.08192 (about 31.3 tiles)
* 1-tap (quick charge): 351.00000 (about 21.9 tiles)
* 2-tap: 272.16384 (about 17 tiles)
* 3-tap: 236.40960 (about 14.8 tiles)
* 4-tap: 225.45056 (about 14.1 tiles)

Stuttering is a lot more complicated to discuss. For simplicity, only the best patterns with no dash button use are considered. The values here assume a perfect 4-tap afterwards.

To specify the pattern that gives this value, something like 9_14_ is stated. This means press forward for 9 frames, release for one frame, forward for 14 frames, release for one frame, and then the next frame is the first magic frame.

* Single stutter: 199.16384 (about 12.45 tiles) [Pattern: 11_13, or any longer initial walk up to 24_]
* Double stutter: 175.00000 (about 10.94 tiles) [Pattern: 9_14_]
* Triple stutter: 167.57344 (about 10.49 tiles) [Patterns: 5_7_10_, 6_7_9_]
* Quadruple stutter: 165.28672 (about 10.34 tiles) [Patterns: 3_4_5_9_, 3_5_4_9_, 4_4_4_9_]
* Quintuple stutter: 165.16384 (about 10.33 tiles) [Patterns: 3_4_4_3_6_, 3_4_3_3_7_, 3_3_3_4_7_, 2_3_4_4_7_]

Any higher-order stutter is less optimal, although may provide more consistent short charges so shouldn't be discarded.

Note these stutter patterns were found by exhaustive search. Conclusions about stuttering from this are:
* It is always best to release forward for the shortest amount of time possible (every additional frame of forward release adds another pixel);
* It is best for your last stutter to happen just before the magic frame (although this makes it harder to tap);
* Your initial walk should be shorter than following runs, except for a single stutter where it just needs to be long enough;
* Your last walk should be longer than previous ones, except for a single stutter again.

The last two pieces of advice are about optimal stutters: Usually, it is easier to evenly space stutters.

Finally, to complete distances, here are TAS patterns:
* Cpadolf's old TAS pattern: 164.12288 (about 10.262 tiles)
* sniq's new TAS pattern: 164.08192 (about 10.258 tiles)
* sniq's moonwalk TAS pattern: 162.28672 (about 10.152 tiles) [Note this requires being able to moonwalk backwards for a frame at the start, so might be misleading given how distance was measured.]

== Tutorials ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtEH1sP2HW4 Kojakt] - A Stutter 3-Tap Explanation.
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/48762519 Sweetnumb] - Stutter short charge tutorial
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/49551262 Dbx] - Super Short Charge tutorial
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/31745081 Charles_Black] - Short Charging with stutters and without
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/187292725 TrueMoss] - Short Charge tutorial
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJHzCjxjV8 Oatsngoats] - Short Charge/Stuttering tutorial

== See also ==

* [[Quick charge]]
* [[Shinespark]]
* [[General Movement]]

== External links ==

* [http://www.twitch.tv/danstwitch/c/3091392 Danstwitch's demonstration]
* [http://tasvideos.org/GameResources/SNES/SuperMetroid.html#ChargingShinesparkInShorterDistance TASVideos description]

Short Charge

2023-07-10T05:06:47Z

BoatsandJoes: Moved some stuff around in a way that's more clear to me. Hopefully someone finds it helpful.

'''Short charging''' is the manipulation of the way the [[Speed Booster]] functions to attain [[Blue Suit Glitch|blue suit]] in a shorter distance than normal, or compared to [[Quick charging|quick charging]].

== Speed Boost Counter ==
The speed boost counter will increment if dash is held while Samus's legs are in the following position (typically referred to as the "magic frame"):

[[File:MagicFrame.png]]

When the counter reaches "4", you will attain blue suit.

The speed boost counter is separate from momentum. For every frame you are on the ground while holding dash and a direction, your momentum will increase. The goal of short charging is to increment the counter to 4 while having Samus gather less momentum: traveling a shorter distance than usual. This can be accomplished either via "Tapping", or "Stutter Step + Tapping".

== Tapping ==
Tap dash only when the magic frame is happening (see [[Short Charge#Timing|Timing]]). If executed correctly, your speed counter will increase at the usual speed, but your momentum will increase much slower because it is only increasing while you are holding dash.

To be explicit, the sequence for humans should be:
* Press dash
* As short of a time you are comfortable with
* Magic frame happens
* As short of a time you are comfortable with
* Release dash

You can, in places with enough room, tap dash for the first few magic frames, and then tap and hold dash for the remaining ones. [[Quick charging|Quick charging]] is the easiest version of this idea: just one tap and hold.

When tapping, you can hold the taps for a smidge longer to make sure that you hit the magic frame.

Longer taps and/or fewer taps make the short charge easier.
More taps and/or shorter taps cause Samus to more forward less, letting her charge shinespark in smaller spaces. They also increases the difficulty of the short charge, so you only need to do them when you don't have room for an easier one.

== Stutter Step ==
This is a second way to reduce the distance Samus travels, in addition to tapping.
Before the magic frame, you can release forward for a brief moment to reduce Samus' speed without interrupting her running animation.

For a human, that looks like this:
* Hold forward
* Release forward for as short a time as you physically can
* Hold forward
* Magic frame happens

Releasing forward for too long will restart Samus' running animation and set the speed counter to 0. This also happens if you release forward too early, before she's built up enough momentum.

Usually a human will do just one stutter step, before the first magic frame. One stutter greatly reduces the distance traveled, and the player is free to focus on tapping for the rest of the short charge.

== Notation ==

Sometimes players talk to each other about what kind of short charge they're doing in a particular room.

If you tap dash for the first two magic frames and then tap and hold for the 3rd + 4th, that's known as a "3 tap". If you also stutter step at the beginning, that's called a "stutter 3 tap" or "stutter 3".

A "1 tap" is sometimes called [[Quick charging|quick charging]].

== Timing ==

Assuming the speed boost counter increments each time, the first 4 magic frames happen when this many 60ths of a second have passed since Samus started moving: 25, 50, 70, 85. In other words, the gap between taps starts at a bit less than half a second, then drops to 1/3rd of a second on the third magic frame and 1/4th of a second on the fourth.

The change in timing as the speed boost counter increments is part of why a 2 tap is significantly easier than a 3 tap (slight timing difference) or 4 tap (substantial timing difference). It's often easier to add a stutter than to add more taps.
Since the time between the third and fourth magic frames is so short anyway, you also save very little space with a 4 tap compared to a 3 tap. But maybe a 4 tap isn't that tricky for you: use your judgement!

For musicians: short charge can be achieved using a tempo between 153-160bpm, by pressing forward at the start of the bar, and tapping dash on each successive beat. For example: 1. hold forward 2. tap dash 3. hold dash (2 tap) or 1. hold forward 2. tap dash 3. tap dash 4. hold dash (3 tap). Pressing down at the first beat of the next bar will charge a shinespark. See the tutorial by Truemoss for further details.

4 tap rhythm:

{{#ev:youtube|JwJc2wT4VUc}}

An example of a "stutter 3" short charge:

{{#ev:youtube|mVwgAgbUXUg}}

An example of a short charge being performed to swiftly obtain the [[Missile]] pack in [[Main Street]]:

{{#ev:youtube|2YMcKrONGFA}}

== Pixel Values ==

Here, some pixel values are provided for short charging on NTSC. These assume perfect taps. Values are given in pixel.subpixel, and it is the space from start to charging a spark. Slightly less space would work, as Samus "slides" into the wall as she crouches.

* No short charge: 501.08192 (about 31.3 tiles)
* 1-tap (quick charge): 351.00000 (about 21.9 tiles)
* 2-tap: 272.16384 (about 17 tiles)
* 3-tap: 236.40960 (about 14.8 tiles)
* 4-tap: 225.45056 (about 14.1 tiles)

Stuttering is a lot more complicated to discuss. For simplicity, only the best patterns with no dash button use are considered. The values here assume a perfect 4-tap afterwards.

To specify the pattern that gives this value, something like 9_14_ is stated. This means press forward for 9 frames, release for one frame, forward for 14 frames, release for one frame, and then the next frame is the first magic frame.

* Single stutter: 199.16384 (about 12.45 tiles) [Pattern: 11_13, or any longer initial walk up to 24_]
* Double stutter: 175.00000 (about 10.94 tiles) [Pattern: 9_14_]
* Triple stutter: 167.57344 (about 10.49 tiles) [Patterns: 5_7_10_, 6_7_9_]
* Quadruple stutter: 165.28672 (about 10.34 tiles) [Patterns: 3_4_5_9_, 3_5_4_9_, 4_4_4_9_]
* Quintuple stutter: 165.16384 (about 10.33 tiles) [Patterns: 3_4_4_3_6_, 3_4_3_3_7_, 3_3_3_4_7_, 2_3_4_4_7_]

Any higher-order stutter is less optimal, although may provide more consistent short charges so shouldn't be discarded.

Note these stutter patterns were found by exhaustive search. Conclusions about stuttering from this are:
* It is always best to release forward for the shortest amount of time possible (every additional frame of forward release adds another pixel);
* It is best for your last stutter to happen just before the magic frame (although this makes it harder to tap);
* Your initial walk should be shorter than following runs, except for a single stutter where it just needs to be long enough;
* Your last walk should be longer than previous ones, except for a single stutter again.

The last two pieces of advice are about optimal stutters: Usually, it is easier to evenly space stutters.

Finally, to complete distances, here are TAS patterns:
* Cpadolf's old TAS pattern: 164.12288 (about 10.262 tiles)
* sniq's new TAS pattern: 164.08192 (about 10.258 tiles)
* sniq's moonwalk TAS pattern: 162.28672 (about 10.152 tiles) [Note this requires being able to moonwalk backwards for a frame at the start, so might be misleading given how distance was measured.]

== Tutorials ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtEH1sP2HW4 Kojakt] - A Stutter 3-Tap Explanation.
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/48762519 Sweetnumb] - Stutter short charge tutorial
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/49551262 Dbx] - Super Short Charge tutorial
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/31745081 Charles_Black] - Short Charging with stutters and without
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/187292725 TrueMoss] - Short Charge tutorial
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJHzCjxjV8 Oatsngoats] - Short Charge/Stuttering tutorial

== See also ==

* [[Quick charge]]
* [[Shinespark]]
* [[General Movement]]

== External links ==

* [http://www.twitch.tv/danstwitch/c/3091392 Danstwitch's demonstration]
* [http://tasvideos.org/GameResources/SNES/SuperMetroid.html#ChargingShinesparkInShorterDistance TASVideos description]

Short Charge

2021-06-19T18:40:29Z

BoatsandJoes: /* Tutorials */ Removed dead link (ShinyZeni removed all highlights from his twitch channel to avoid copyright concerns, and this video was not copied to youtube)

Metroid

2020-11-17T21:23:38Z

BoatsandJoes: Added info.

{{Enemy info
|image=metroid.gif
|damage=120/60/30
|health=500
|width=10
|height=10
|freeze=Yes
|nothing=4
|energy=10
|bigenergy=20
|missile=36
|supers=20
|pb=12
|invitems=1
|items=Beams, Bombs, Power Bombs (half damage)
|dx=1
|xsupers=1
}}

Metroids are best killed using ice beam and super missiles/missiles, but can also be killed with power bombs. Grouping them together can save ammo.

If a Metroid touches Samus, it will latch on and start doing damage over time. It can be detached with a bomb, but they will latch right back on again. If Samus is moving over the bomb in morph ball form when the bomb goes off, the Metroid will end up a little farther away and give Samus enough time to unmorph and freeze them. Alternatively, Samus can place 3 power bombs to kill the Metroid. These will not detach the Metroid, but the Metroid will stop damaging Samus during the explosions. Exiting and re-entering the room will also detach the Metroid, but this is obviously slow.

Damage boosting

2020-11-17T21:11:54Z

BoatsandJoes: Added more info from Gala's damage boost tutorial.

'''Damage boosting''' allows you to progress through some areas more quickly. The only real requirement to it is that you have enough energy to survive the boost you are trying to perform.

Colliding with some kind of [[Damage Sources|damage source]] (enemy, spike, electricity, et cetera) will initiate a knockback (unless Samus is in an uninterruptible animation: see [[Kagoing]]). During the knockback, you can initiate a damage boost by pressing the directional pad opposite Samus's facing direction while holding jump. Samus will perform a backflip animation and travel some extra distance opposite the direction she is facing. Damage boosts cannot be performed while morphed.

The timing window in which to perform a damage boost is dependent on the damage source. Spikes and spike-like sources such as electricity provide 10 knockback frames, enemies provide 5 knockback frames, and enemy projectiles provide 4 knockback frames.

If you are not holding left or right on the directional pad when when Samus makes contact with the damage source, the initial knockback will launch Samus backwards and upwards. If you are holding forwards (the same direction Samus is facing) on the directional pad when she makes contact with the damage source, she will instead be knocked backwards and downwards. You can use these trajectories to launch Samus higher or lower during the damage boost, especially if you initiate the damage boost a little late (letting more of the initial knockback play out).

Saving time with most damage boosts requires Samus to travel in one direction and turn around before making contact with the damage source, in order to damage boost in the direction of travel. Turning around during a [[spinjump]] is instant. Turning around while not in a spin jump takes 8 frames, so you must turn around a little earlier when not in a spinjump.

After the damage boost has been initiated, you can make it propel you even further by continuing to hold the direction you want to travel.

There are other variables that affect the damage boost, such as how you collide with the damage source and whether you have [[Speed Booster]].

Arguably the first damage boost a runner should learn is the one on the way out of [[Kraid Eye Door Room]], because it doesn't require a mid-air turnaround to save time.
== See also ==

* [[Damage Sources]]
* [[Kagoing]]

== External links ==

* [http://tasvideos.org/GameResources/SNES/SuperMetroid.html#EnemyKnockback TASVideos description]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VijzQPTj_yM Tutorial by Galamoz]