*Last updated 3/30/2018

When looking at the control scheme, Sarge's Heros should in theory be a very, very basic and easy speedgame. When you also take into account that things like crouch, prone and even aiming down sights are very slow/ don't let you move, you would think it would simplify things even more. Sarge's hero's in fact actually has a deep level of game play relative to how limited the move set is, mostly in part to it's poor and janky mechanics. The first part of this guide will go over controls.

Jumping: At the time of writing this guide, it is believed that jumping saves a small increment of time each time you do it, and doing as many jumps as possible in combinations with good lines can be the x-factor you need in any given IL. We also believe that you have to gain momentum before another jump would actually be save time, and jumping too fast after your first one will actually lose more time than you gained on the initial jump. The bench mark I use is not jumping until I have taken two steps (Or if jumping sooner will help me avoid something such as a bullet, execute a grabless, etc.)

Strafing: Strafing can be very useful, but is very situational and very often is actually slower. The trade off you have with strafing is it allows you to develop consistent set-ups, and occasionally get a better line than when using the control stick on it's own. A great example of this being faster is after exiting the first cut scene in the Riff Mission and strafing towards the group of guards and lever. Strafing is also a good tool to set-up for lever execution if you don't feel comfortable going for a slightly better line, perfect for consistency in RTA.

Now we will talk about the basics techniques that will set you up to start getting decent to good times on the leaderboards.

Lines: Lines are far and away the most important thing to keep in mind in any given level. Remember, this game is really basic outside of the few advanced techniques it actually has, which makes it all the more important to recognize at any given time if you are taking good lines or not. Since the in-game timer is used on our leaderboards, every little thing matters. Use your tool set to determine what lines are the best. Sometimes just turning a corner really well is all you need, other times you might need a situational strafe, or even positioning yourself in a certain angle so you can jump and be able to make a sharp turn around a corner at the end of your jump. Some situations could even call for taking a wider turn in a certain spot to save even more time than normal on a different turn. The best frame of reference is obviously the top runs of any given IL, but there is likely always room for improvement. Grinding through trial and error is really the only true way to grasp the concept.

Lever Pulls: Levers don't appear in many levels, but they will make or break your runs if you cannot pull them upon approach. This is because they are inserted in levels where you mostly urgently need to open them for your safety, as well as the safety of the AI you are escorting. The jumping button and Lever pull button are both the same, so a very common mistake is to jump over the levers. One important thing to keep in mind is that you have to have your stick set to true neutral before you can pull the lever, otherwise it will register you as still running and you will jump right over it. Another important thing is that the better you are aligned straight with the lever, the better chance you will have of puling it. I believe there is a tiny amount of leeway, but generally if you aren't straight on there is no hope and you have to readjust to open it, a 2-3 second time loss if you manage make a good recovery, or a reset at the higher level of play.

Aiming down sights after jumping: This in no way is a tool to make you go faster, but rather as a way to essentially give you a camera toggle. This can greatly help out with your lines. I can attest, because once this start was discovered, I was able to easily get a 0:40 bathroom almost immediately after grinding hours for it without this tech.

This last section will go over the advanced tech found in Sarges Heros.

Grabless: This refers to jumps made that don't grab a ledge, mostly on places where you are originally designed to grab to get on top. One of the easiest grablesses you actually can't grab at all, but is found at the very beginning of Attack, the very first level in the game. If you jump at just the right time, you can get on top of the roof of the first building you see as you walk out of your spawn, which will give you a slightly better line. This strat will make the difference between a 1:01 or a 1:02 on a perfect run. Another example of this tech can be seen in Thick mission where you jump onto a toy block, and jump at a certain angle off the block onto a planter, which gives you just enough height to make the jump without a ledge grab, and can be done without stopping if done optimally. There are many instances where there are grablesses in levels that are on slower routes such as in spy blue, but spy blue also includes a grabless that is probably the easiest one to execute in the fastest route. There are likely more undiscovered grablesses at this point that could actually make an IL faster, so keep that in mind.

Zips/Boosts: Zips and boosts are the same thing. (I call them boosts in this game lmao.) The most common and most useful type of boost in this game is "Tank Boosting". This cane be done by jumping into a tank, and what ever direction you are closest to, you will be pushed in that direction. The idea is to hit the part of the tank that is closest to the direction you want to go, and you will get a small boost in that direction. This can also be done an any other enemy on a smaller scale, meaning you don't go as far, and it is also harder to execute. Besides enemies, you can also get a boost somewhere in between that of a smaller enemy on hill slopes. It is also possible to boost if you jump up and hit a tree and hit it at the same time where you are more outside of it's hit box than in it but still touching it. Tree Boosts have the worst risk reward ratio and as of right now aren't consistent, but would be a game changer if they were.

Extended Hit Box Lever Pulls: Generally speaking, you have to be straight on top of a lever to be able to pull it, but the straighter you are, the more leeway you will have when it comes to how far away you can be from left to right when pulling a lever. This cannot effect distance backwards unfortunately. This tech also saves little to no time, but can be worth the risk in certain situations, as it also isn't too difficult to pull off if you are at the point where you consistently are hitting your lever pulls without strafing.

This guide will be updated as more strats and tech are found, but this should set you up with everything you need to know about the N64/Dreamcast version of Sarge's Heros.