Speedrunning, the art of finishing the game as quickly as possible, is the main modus operandi of the gaming world. The gamers’ main aim is to complete a level in the least possible time, often due to the use of non-standard and hidden tricks in which they can save several seconds. Many strategies are no more secrets, however, some of the most absurd and unexpected have been devised by speedrunners. These incredible techniques may sound weird, but they still work.
Let me share some really funky yet successful speedrun strategies with you.
1. The Backwards Jump: Defying Gravity
The “backward jump” is the most absurd speedrun strategy that I have ever heard of. Quite often, in games where the rapid movement is the most vital part of the speedrun, players come up with this brilliant workaround to be able to jump over certain sections, activate the skips, or get even to the out-of-boundaries areas. With the backward jump, it is easy to see that the movement seems to be impossible, but if you do the reverse jump or even use the odd set of actions, gamers could punish to the wall or come around the landmark with no obstacles in the way.
A case in point is present in the Super Mario 64 speeding world, where the players employing the back-jump technique jump over the boundaries, preventing the game from being completed, which saves time. The same physical laws are observed in other games where the game's laws of physics are seemingly out of control, and this leads to the emergence of unintended but efficient paths to solve the problems.
2. The Bitsky Wall Climb
Sometimes, the best way to solve a difficult stretch of the game is not by walking on the ground but up on the wall. The Bitsky Wall Climb is one of the funny strategies which speedrunners cannot believe to be real and are left in the dark as to why developers put it in the game. The specified mechanics acknowledge that players can, using a glitch that makes the game jump forward, climb the wall with no obviously evident path to reach some places typically blocked. Crazy as it sounds, this is the best practice for these games, and players can save some time with this method. This might look like a joking mount, but in reality, it is a treasure trove for the one who would like to narrow down the time of completing the game in this manner.
3. The "Invisible Wall" Strategy
In several games, a situation exists whereby a player figures out how to use invisible walls to their advantage. The ultimate end goal of scredrey is not just to find the quickest way but also includes exploitation of the games physics and limitations. The speedrunning community, on the other hand, have employed invisible barriers to for example "bounce" themselves off the path, in order to get, keep or increase their speed or to avoid obstacles. A perfect example of the Ninja's Path technique is the path and bouncing off an almost invisible wall, reaching the right speed at the right angle. It is the kind of strategy that usually raises eyebrows and makes players wonder if it is real, but, in fact, it does work.
4. The "Jump Cancel" Trick
Time is the master of speedrunning. The new game limit cancelation trick is quit the craze these days where all you have to do is stop the jump animation at a certain moment to prevent the game from losing momentum. The problem of some runners is throat the actual trick has been known for a longtime but the combination of speed up coming from inhibition of lag and increase of speed has been a game changer in many runners. A simple example is when the player just presses a button at the exact moment of jump animation. For some players, this could mean the difference between being first or second place which may only take seconds.
5. The No-Clip Glitch: Out of Bounds
One more strategy that may seem crazy but has been proved to be very effective is the old no-clip glitch. They change the actual physics engine of the game to achieve their purpose, since the speedrunners' task is to teleport themselves from an area of the game that they are not intended to be in. This no-clip bug is actually a very difficult procedure and it is no wonder that players need to execute the glitch at the instance where the messing up of the game occurs. Games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Half-Life have no-clipped for players to go around several levels of the game. This is a very uncommon method but it has gained acceptance in many speedrunning classifications.
6. Teleportation Tricks
Many games, especially those with large open worlds, have fast travel options, but in the speedrun world, there is usually also a way to perform “teleports” that are not elicited by the game's built-in mechanics. Speedrunners have discovered ways to teleport across the map by exploiting specific game features like loading zones, glitches, or even timing windows. These teleportation tricks can result in jumping from one area to another in an instant. It is quite a surprising move but still very beneficial for players embarking on long trails. They could avoid whole areas, the use of which costs them too much time, otherwise.
7. The "Ninja's Path" Shortcut in Action
Ninja Gaiden contains an obstacle known as “Ninja’s Pathf”. This strategy involves skipping over large sections of the game’s levels by using a series of jumps and precise movements that trigger a sequence of events not intended by the developers. It's a very risky and very prizeful plan. An error during the attempt could be fatal. But for those who can pull it off, it saves a ton of time and has become a crucial part of the game’s speedrunning strategy.
Conclusion
Speedrunning, a game world filled with strange yet unseen and hidden techniques, might be a strange one, but the weirdest tactics are usually the most beneficial. From jumps that go forward and hit the back to the invisible wall tricks and even through walls, these strategies may seem baffling, but they do work. Whether it’s the mastering of Bitsky Wall Climb or the guiding of the players to the invisible way, the strategies have contributed to the breaking of the bounds of what is possible in gaming.
Speedrunning is the art form in which the importance of every second counts, and these idiosyncratic strategies bestow a wonderful insight into the creativity and expertise a speedrunner possesses. Thus, the next time you see a speedrun, try to reserve a short time to get to know these quirky tricks that are instrumental in making the whole thing happen.