PR2 Speedrunning Guide

[Master Raiden]

Using Items

Items can be a powerful asset in speedrunning if used correctly. In this section, I am going to explain how you can extract the maximum benefit from the various items available.

Speed Burst
The Speed Burst doubles your speed and acceleration for 5 glorious seconds. It is often better to use Speed Bursts as early as possible to increase your acceleration to top speed, and when your speed is highest, such as after bumping a Happy Block.

Note that changes to your speed and acceleration stats will not take effect if a Speed Burst is active at the time of change. They will be applied when the Speed Burst ends.

Super Jump
The Super Jump propels you upwards with a single explosion of thrust. Surprisingly, it is more powerful than a regular super jump. While a regular super jump can take you about 13.3 blocks high, using a Super Jump item while standing on the ground can take you about 14.5 blocks high (with 1.0 gravity).

This is because the Super Jump item increases your upwards speed by 26 pixels/frame whereas a regular super jump sets your speed to 24 pixels/frame (equivalent to 100 speed + speed burst).

You can combine the power of the super jump item with a regular jump to gain some extra height. Maximum height and upwards speed can be achieved by jumping and using the item at the same time.

Using the Super Jump item with a fully charged super jump can make you soar, but only if you use the item at the right moment. Given that the speed limit in PR2 is 28 pixels/frame, you will gain the most benefit from the Super Jump if your upward speed is 2 pixels/frame or less. Using a Super Jump item when you are already ascending quickly means you will not be utilizing the full power of the item.

With the right timing, you should be able to jump a whopping 32 blocks high!

Teleport
The teleport takes you 4 blocks to the right or left, depending on the direction you are facing.
You can teleport into water, safety nets and vanish blocks when they have vanished completely.

Its benefits are highly dependent on the level. Try to use it for skipping sections that cause you to slow down, or altering your trajectory to help you retain speed and save some time.

Teleport - Example

First Frontier by Twilan (5738275)
I use a Teleport to move myself to the right more quickly so that I can carry my upwards speed from one shaft to the other.

Sword
Using a Sword gives you a slight speed boost in the direction you are facing and helps accelerate you to top speed more quickly. Because of this, it is often a good idea to use a Sword immediately after changing direction or accelerating from a standstill.

The Sword can also be used to clear Bricks, Mines, Crumble Blocks and Vanish Blocks within 2 blocks of you.

After swinging your Sword, you must wait about 0.8 seconds (22 frames) before you can use it again.

Sword - Example

Wonderland by Levente77 (6260593)
The Sword is used to damage the crumbles block in addition to boosting the player's speed on the arrow blocks so that the crumble blocks can be broken instantly without any loss of speed.

Laser Gun
The Laser Gun also gives you a speed boost, only more powerful. It is also more effective than the Sword at helping you accelerate to top speed. However, it requires firing the laser in the opposite direction of travel.

The Laser Gun can clear Bricks, Mines, Crumble Blocks and Vanish Blocks up to 98 blocks away.
Lasers can also pass through water and safety nets.

After firing a laser, you must wait about 0.8 seconds (22 frames) before you can fire another one.

Laser Gun - Example

[Expert] Volcanic Inferno by Pounce (5396064)
I use the Laser Gun to give me the boost in speed I need to go over the mines. This allows me to save a bit of time as I skip what is probably the most frustrating part of the level – falling between the mines.

Ice Wave
The Ice Wave can be used to freeze a large number of blocks in the direction you are facing, up to 16 blocks away. When frozen, blocks allow you to retain your speed for a longer period of time, making places after a high speed section the ideal place to freeze. Examples of this are crawl spaces and blocks that follow arrow blocks.

Left and Right Arrow Blocks accelerate you much more quickly when frozen, so it can be beneficial to freeze them too.

The Ice Wave also unlocks a lot of potential new routes by allowing you to stand on blocks that you may otherwise not be able to. It can also buy you some valuable time on Vanish Blocks and Push Blocks which you can use to your advantage.

Frozen blocks remain frozen for about 5.4 seconds. The Ice Wave cannot re-freeze blocks that are already frozen.

Jetpack
The Jetpack increases your upwards speed, allowing you to jump higher, jump faster and hover in the air. It has enough fuel to propel you for about 7.4 seconds (200 frames).

Alone, it is not particularly effective at helping you scale blocks. It can only carry you upwards at a speed of 5 pixels/frame (with 1.0 gravity, equivalent to 30 speed). Combine the use of the Jetpack with a jump to fly upwards more quickly. You can maximize your upwards speed by using the Jetpack while jumping at the same time.

Jetpack Jumping Tips

Timing the use of the Jetpack with the exact moment you jump requires some precision. Using the Jetpack too early can either lift you into the air and prevent you from jumping, or alter your trajectory too much which may ruin your flow. Using it too late can cost you time, especially if you have a huge wall to scale.

Here are a some things you can do to make sure your Jetpack is providing you with thrust the moment you are jumping.

1. Start using your jetpack before you land
This will ensure that your Jetpack is active when you perform your jump. While it sacrifices a little bit of jetpack fuel, it means you will not be required to time your Jetpack use to the millisecond to achieve a perfect jetpack jump.

2. Fall faster
The faster you are falling, the more vertical room for error you will have. This means you can afford to use the jetpack well before you land on the block.

The images below depict the trajectory of a high speed fall (left) and a low speed fall (right). The green line illustrates the difference in height between the two extremes that still allow you to land on the block.
The room for error is much less in a low speed fall which means you will require more precision when applying your Jetpack or you may risk missing the block entirely.

          

Falling faster also means you will experience a smaller relative change in your falling speed when you use your Jetpack. For example, losing 1 pixel/frame of falling speed is a lot less significant if you are falling at 25 pixels/frame than if you were falling at 2 pixels/frame. This makes it easier to anticipate your position as you approach the block which can help you make more precise landings.

Jetpack - Example

Ice Land by justinbob100 (6115141)
I maximize my falling speed on the approach to the first block to make it easier for me to land on the right edge of it, giving me a trajectory where I can ascend with greater speed.

During the ascent, I tap the spacebar to slow myself down slightly to avoid hitting the nets. Ideally, I would have done a slightly smaller jump off the first block so that this deceleration wouldn't be necessary. Notice that my upwards speed drops significantly as I approach the top. This would not have happened if I were to keep my upwards speed more constant.

To perform my second jump, I make use of the gap between the ice blocks. To maximize my upwards speed, I begin using the Jetpack while I am still crossing the gap so that as I jump off the next ice block, my Jetpack is already providing the thrust I need to jump as quickly as possible.

Conserving the Jetpack's fuel can allow you to fly higher and hover for longer. This can be done by tapping the spacebar quickly. As long as you don't lose too much upwards speed when you release the spacebar, you should be able to go higher and further with the same amount of Jetpack fuel.

Mine
Although it was originally intended as a weapon to harm your opponents, the Mine can actually be used to help you shave time off your runs. Apart from glitching through blocks, you can use Mine's powerful explosion to propel yourself in any direction.
It takes about 1.4 seconds for a placed Mine to become active.

Landing on top of a Mine will launch you 19 blocks high.
Running into a Mine will launch you 8 blocks to the side and 11 blocks up.

The exact direction you are launched in depends on the pixel of the Mine that you made contact with.
Landing perfectly on top of a Mine will propel you directly upwards.
Landing on a Mine, but slightly to the right will launch you upwards and to the right by a small amount.

Note that the direction you are thrown will differ based on how you are rotated.

Mine - Example

[Expert] Volcanic Inferno by Pounce (5396064)
This genius shortcut utilizes a Mine to launch the player above the wall of vanish blocks, saving them a huge chunk of time.