This guide is to focus on the best setup to run CTR and not necessarily strats and speed tech. Please check this guide by Pull (it's a little outdated but the fundamentals are the same): CTR Guide

[center]Choice of Console[/center]

CTR was released on the original Playstation, and therefore can also be played on Playstation 2 due to it's backwards compatibility. PS2's also came with a "Fast Disc Speed" option which can be turned on when booting your console, before a disc has been read. It therefore goes without saying that the PS2 is the optimal choice over a PS1.

Due to the competitive nature of CTR, the console model you use is also very important. As with disc-based speedrunning, no two consoles will ever run the exact same but there are certain models which yield the best results:

PS2 "Fat" models

PS2 Fats were the first release of the console, and earned their name due to their bulky size. These are consoles with the model numbers SCPH-30XXX, 39XXX and 50XXX. The first two digits show the model type, and the three numbers depict region (for example SCPH-39001 is NTSC-U America and SCPH-39003 would be a PAL-UK)

For playing CTR, these PS2 models have the least amount of lag. Although it's not completely understood why, they are the optimal version to use for speedrunning. The best suggestion is the older the better, so try and pick up either a 30k or a 39k console if you can.

One additional thing to note is you need to take caution when using a Fat console in a different region. European sockets output a voltage of 230-240v, and if you plug an NTSC console straight into this you will damage it. Fat PS2 consoles do not have a built in voltage converter so you will need to buy one separately.

PS2 "Slimline" models

These consoles have the model numbers SCPH-70XXX, 75XXX, 77XXX, 79XXX and 90XXX. Although generally more common to find and cheaper to ship, these consoles lag much more than their Fat counterparts. During comparisons of people's runs it's found that a 90k console in particular can lose over 20 seconds due to lag. You can still be competitive with a slim console but you'll be playing with a handicap.

Another thing to note with Slim consoles, notably the NTSC-U 90k models, is that the game can sometimes crash during loads. It's strongly advised to not use this model for speedrunning CTR.

[center]Region Differences[/center]

CTR has three versions which can be played - PAL and NTSC-U/J:

PAL

• European version
• Runs at 25FPS
• Lower hops and jumps - froggy reaches a height of 23 on flat ground
• Faster SGs
• Features the language glitch by pressing triangle on the language selection screen (no language will be selected)

For a Warpless speedrun, PAL is considered the much harder version to play. The lower jump height means SGs are less consistent, despite being faster on this version.

Language glitch allows for PAL to still be competitive. This skips the Komodo Jo cutscene at the end of Hub 3, and also skips every time Aku/Uka says the voice-line "Congratulations, you win a trophy". These time saves make up for the lower frame-rate which loses pockets of time all across the run.

NTSC-U

• American version
• Runs at 30FPS
• Slightly higher hops and jumps - froggy reaches a height of 26 on flat ground
• Only one language hence no language glitch

Despite the slower SGs, the higher froggys allows for NTSC to keep speed from SGs consistently longer. Over a speedrun this is important in playing consistently well, and therefore NTSC is seen as the "easier" version.

There's no language glitch so all the cutscenes play out, however, you can use the pause glitch (demonstrated here). Each pause glitch saves around 1-2s depending on how quick you unpause and begin movement.

NTSC-J

• Japanese version
• Almost the same as NTSC-U, despite the language difference
• The cutscenes on the J version are over a minute longer than NTSC-U, which makes this version the slowest for Any% Warpless speedruns.

[center]Conclusion[/center]

The best set up to play CTR would be a Fat PS2, models 30k or 39k and using "Fast Disc Speed". Loads are generally consistent but reducing the lag is a priority.

The choice of region is down to your personal preference, however it is generally recommended to play on NTSC-U. Fortunately you can play either PAL or NTSC-U and perform at a top level.