Any% Speedrun Guide

I plan on actually doing a video guide to this at some point in the future, but for now here is something for anyone interested in trying to run this mess of a game.

**Basics**

Normally, the object of every level is to get to a boss, which starts a timer. You can, with many hits, actually defeat this boss, though it is not in fact required. The objective after this is to get back to the entrance of the level before the timer expires. The in-game story is that this timer is for a bomb that blows up the stage and the boss. Note that you do in fact die if you do not get back to the beginning of the stage before the timer expires, although the time given is so great you would almost have to do this intentionally. In some (but not all) of the stages, a key must be acquired in order to get to the area where the boss resides. In order to get to the final stage, one must beat the other four non-practice stages. These can be completed in any order. Then when you return to the stage select after beating the fourth, a special code must be entered to access the final stage, which is B+Select+Start+Up. The actual process in which the code is obtained is ridiculously obscure, and explained in detail here: https://tcrf.net/X-Men_(NES)



**Strategy**

The speedrun strategy for this game essentially takes advantage of the fact that Nightcrawler’s teleportation ability was approximated in this game by allowing him to walk through walls at a cost of health. This allows you to walk through any key-required doors to boss areas, skipping significant portions of each stage. Nightcrawler also happens to have the highest running speed (Storm and Iceman can fly faster though) but lowest health of all the X-Men in the game. So the stages are effectively a balance of running through as many walls a possible, while not burning through his health by doing this or getting hit. However, since you have two characters in each stage, and no other characters can walk through walls, the other character must be intentionally killed. The AI for the other character is also useless, a frequently just standing still and attacking side to side repeatedly, so keeping the other character alive even temporarily is a time loss.

I have routed the stages in this game primarily to help intentionally kill the other character in the most efficient and fastest manner possible at the start of each stage. I also have routed to account for minimizing interaction with the stage and character select menus as much as possible, as the select button is extremely sensitive in these menus and will double or triple press even on short taps at times. 

**Stage Guides:**

**Stage 1 – Subterranean Confrontation**

This stage is typically the hardest, because the enemies here do more damage than in any other level. I choose Nightcrawler first, followed by Cyclops. Once the stage starts, walk Nightcrawler over slightly to the right, then press select and switch to Cyclops. There should be a couple of skeleton enemies near him, simply run into them as fast as possible, and try to pin yourself between two of them if you can. Cyclops should hopefully die quickly and before Nightcrawler takes significant damage. Afterwards, run straight ahead, avoiding enemies as necessary, and take the door on the right.

Next room is easy, simply run ahead until lined up with the door in the top left corner, then run left to the door. In the next room, there are a couple of routes. The safer route is to run to the left until you are in about the left 1/3 of the screen. You then go straight forward until you see a door in the middle of the screen, then run right into it. The second route, which is slightly faster, is to briefly run straight ahead, then turn left after the floor trap tiles, and run to the middle of the screen. You then simply run straight ahead through the damage tiles to the door. Note that on this route though, a skeleton can spawn right in front of you as you move forward, which is difficult to avoid and will cause significant damage or death.

In the following room, simply run straight ahead. There should be some enemies that spawn to your right that can rarely turn to the left towards you, so be prepared to either dodge left or attack them. After the enemies there will be some damage tiles to the right. Turn right briefly after passing them, then run straight ahead again to the door. In the next room simply run left through the wall to the door, taking care to dodge if enemies spawn near the wall. In the following room, just run straight down, taking care to dodge or attack enemies if they get in front of you. The door will be at the bottom in the middle of the screen. In the next room, you will need to run through the wall and not the flames in the middle. Ideally you want to run through closer to the right 1/3 of the screen. Most importantly though is to cross in a place to avoid the snake enemies, as they can pin you against the wall when you come through and kill you near instantly. The door will be in the bottom right side, and as long as you have not taken significant hits, you can run through the damage tiles to save time.

In the room with the mice, run straight down and through the wall. Take care to avoid or kill the mice, especially when coming through the wall. This is a good room to try to take out enemies if you have taken hits to try to get a health drop. Take the door in the bottom left. On the following screen, as long as you have not taken hits, you can simply run straight up to the next door through the damage tiles. If health is a concern, run right, up, then left. The next screen is the boss room. Run through the wall ahead, again avoiding the flames in the middle. The boss, Sabretooth, will be at the bottom. All enemies on the screen will be destroyed when you get to the area where the boss spawns, however, they will not spawn until any drops are collected. If a S powerup drops, this will prevent the boss from spawning for a few more seconds after collected (these normally freeze all enemies and prevent new spawns.) Sabretooth moves quickly and jumps around, so be careful to avoid him and exit through the door at the bottom. You will come back out in the first room of the stage. Watch as a skeleton can spawn right as you come through the door. If you happen to have picked up health in the boss room or the room with the mice, you can run down straight through the wall to the exit. Otherwise, try to stay to the left side and avoid the trap tiles and enemies. Once you finish the level, a message screen will appear, simply press A or B to clear it.



**Stage 2 – Future City Street Fight**

Very lightly tap select once to pick the stage, then mash start until the level starts. You should have Wolverine as first character, and Nightcrawler as second. Ideally you should have one of the wheel enemies spawn ahead of you. If so, simply run into it with Wolverine, and if possible try to have it pin you against the wall. If they do not spawn, the tank enemies are the next best option. They do have some knockback though, so if you can manage to get one to pin you against one of the turrets that pop out of the ground that is your best bet. At any rate, once Wolverine is dead, stay towards the right side and run up to the door in the top right.

In the next room, simply run to the door in the bottom left through the walls, avoiding the round blob enemies if possible. These enemies do little damage and are destroyed even if they hit you, so are a good option if Nightcrawler took hits to get health drops. If you do not need the health, avoid them though as they cause knockback. In the following room, basically just run straight up to the door in the top left, again trying to avoid the round blob enemies unless you need a health drop. Next room is another easy one, simply run down and to the right to the door.

In the following room, run to the left and then up through the wall ahead. Do NOT run through the opening/closing gate that comes up, but go through the wall to the left of it. The door WILL kill you, even if walking through as Nightcrawler. Continue ahead until you see a door on the left, and take it. In the next screen, run straight down through the wall past the gate. The boss is at the very bottom of this screen, so just keep going down, staying mostly to the left side, avoiding enemies when necessary. If you have the health you can run through some of the small walls that stick out instead of running around them to save time. The boss area has a gate in front, again just run through the wall to the left. The door to escape the boss room is in the bottom left, be careful as he can spawn next to it sometimes. The door will take you back to the first screen, just run straight down back to the beginning of the stage.

**Stage 3 – Battle Through A Living Starship**

Tap select four times on the stage select screen to pick this level, then mash start until the level starts. You will have Nightcrawler as first character and Iceman as second. Immediately switch to Iceman, then hold B to fly and move to the damage tiles on the right side of the screen. Walk back and forth over these tiles, and try to run into the enemies if they come nearby. Once Iceman is dead, run straight ahead on either the left or right of the damage tiles in the middle to the exit in the middle of the top of the room. In the next room, head towards the top right corner to the door. In the following room, run to the left side then go up. There is a thin wall here with a small gap in the middle. I would advise NOT going through the gap. If you go through the gap while it is lit up, you will die. It is safer to just run through the wall to the left of the gap. Take the first door you see in the middle of the screen.

On the next screen, run straight through the rocks in front of you, taking care to avoid coming out into a enemy or you will be pinned. Continue going up through the walls when necessary, taking care to watch for enemies. You will eventually get to the boss area, but just continue going up past her to the door in the middle at the top. You will come back out in the first room of the stage. If your health is good, you can simply run straight down through the damage tiles to the start. If not, run to the left or right side of them.



**Stage 4 – Search & Destroy The Robofactory**

Tap select 3 times to pick this level, then mash start until the stage begins. You will have Nightcrawler as first character and Colossus as second. I usually move Nightcrawler down just a bit, then switch to Colossus. There is a black damage tile just ahead of where Colossus starts, simply run back and forth across it and he will be quickly destroyed. Once you gain control of Nightcrawler, run up. You will come to a gap with a flame that alternates on and off, simply run through the wall to the right of it. You will need to continue up for some time, staying towards the right side and avoiding enemies and damage tiles, until you get to the second door on the right side. This will be shortly after the floor changes back to blue again. Go through the door.

In this room, run straight down, going through walls when necessary and avoiding the snake enemies. You will pass through two walls that have two smaller sections on the middle/left side (these normally open when you have the key.) After the second of these walls, make your way to the left 1/3 of the screen and continue down. Juggernaut will be at the bottom of this room, the door to escape is on the bottom left. Be careful because he can spawn near the door, and also shoot projectiles. The door will take you to a new room, just run down through any walls in the way, and once you get to the bottom, go to the right to the door. You will then come back to the first screen of the stage near the first door on the right. You will need to immediately move to the left after coming through the door, as where it spawns you at the game considers Nightcrawler to be inside of a wall and will drain health if you do not move. Go down through the first screen, taking care to run through the wall again when you get to the gap with the flames, until you get back to the beginning.



**Final Stage**

Once you clear the message for the previous stage, hold down B, UP, and Select, then press Start. Then mash start until the level starts. You will begin with Nightcrawler as first character and Storm as second. Switch to Storm, and walk into the enemies ahead. If possible, try to pin yourself between them. Once Storm dies, run ahead and to the second door on the right. In the following screen, simply run straight up until you get to the top, then go to the door on the left. On the next screen, again simply run straight up and go through the first door on the right. For the next screen, simply run to the right and straight down to the door. As soon as the next screen opens, press left to go back through the door to exit the boss room. You do not want to stay in the room with Magneto, as he can kill you and prevent you from moving. After coming back out of Magneto’s room, run straight up and left back to the door. Run straight down on the following screen and go through the door on the right. On the next screen, run straight down again back to the door you came in through. Finally, back on the first screen, run slightly to the left and straight down to the beginning of the stage. Enjoy the incredible ending.

TooOrange

The Uncanny X-Men

Nintendo Entertainment System

omqwat

joeymittens

Grayskull83

Overswarm

USA / NTSC

X-Men

Marvel