Optimal Path Run - credit to TascoDLX

HOW SEWER SHARK WORKS

There are 6 checkpoints in the game where you are graded on your performance. Contrary to popular belief, the game does not consider your score. Instead it checks the percentage of enemies you shot, not counting the bats (just pretend they don't exist). Your result (and thus the scene you are given) corresponds to your grade level:

A = 86% or higher
B = 67% to 85%
C = 33% to 66%
D = lower than 33%
(A grade of C or D may result in a game over, notably at the end of the Dogmeat & Ratbreath segments.)

The object of the run is to manipulate your grade at each of the checkpoints. This route aims for the following grades:

Dogmeat 1: A
Dogmeat 2: A
Ratbreath 1: B*
Ratbreath 2: A
Exterminator: C
Beachbum: B

*Ratbreath 1 is a special case where the scene is skipped completely if you get a B or a D. These scenes are stored on the disc, but they don't play for whatever reason. The check occurs ~40 seconds before Ratbreath 2. You can see the comm light flash but the game just instantly breaks into the next section. So, with all that in mind...


HOW TO SPEEDRUN SEWER SHARK

While the jump routes are generally random, the enemy placements are not. This is because rats, scorps, and moles are all baked into the video stream. The enemies you encounter may vary a small bit depending on your jump route, but note that all paths quickly converge back into a main line in a seamless way, so only a few enemies may differ.

This means you can memorize patterns in order to rack up a high hit percentage as needed. Mind you, it's not always that simple due to hit detection error and jump route variance, but that will get you most of the way there. For Dogmeat (A|A), you want to hit as many enemies as you can. For Exterminator (C), you only want to hit between 20 and 30 approx. For Beachbum (B), you want to hit between 35 and 45 approx. (or miss between 10 to 20) before the Chainsaw Line. Ratbreath, however, is a bit more complicated.

For Ratbreath (B|A), you need to miss at least 12 enemies before check #1, BUT you cannot miss more than 13 before check #2. To do this, you need to keep count of the enemies you miss. This can be tricky because a couple enemies are bugged so it can be hard to tell if you hit them OR they don't count at all if you miss them. You just have to get used to it and come up with a solid gameplan. But it really helps if you can hit all the enemies after check #1 consistently.

That's about all there is. With a little practice, it's not terribly difficult outside of Ratbreath. If you remember the recharge station order (RLLLRRL), you don't really have to worry about energy levels. There's an easy method to get through Chainsaw Line, and Zerk Attack is pretty trivial. I'm not too concerned about the actual time of this run, but I would be interested if any routing improvements could be made. Perhaps I missed something? Nevertheless, there still could be more Sewer Shark coming down the tube.

Turn & Burn!
@TascoDLX

Special Thanks to TascoDLX for figuring all of this out and allowing me to post it here for future runners!  -MP

Recharge Stations

Recharge stations appear in the following routes (in order): Right, Left, Left, Left, Right, Right, Left. Remembering these will especially help in the later levels when the bird thing blocks your view  of the indicator.

Nome	Autore
Optimal Path Run - credit to TascoDLX	Muten_Pizza 2 years ago
Recharge Stations	Muten_Pizza 2 years ago