Hi everyone,
As a moderator and long-time runner of Soar Jetman, I'd like to clarify the current standing of the Any% category and specifically address the warp discovered and used by Zericc a couples of years ago.
This warp occurs in Stage 1 and triggers two warp holes, allowing the game to skip directly past Planet 7 - saving a significant amount of time. This discovery is impressive and, by definition, fits within the scope of Any% (beating the game as fast as possible using in-game mechanics).
Concern about consistency
However, this particular warp has the following characteristics:
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It has only been achieved a couple of times, live, by Zericc
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Despite years of effort, neither myself, Ktwo or any other runner has been able to replicate it (I am sure there is a TAS about this somewhere)
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The exact conditions that cause the warp are still not understood or documented.
Given this, we've been cautious about setting it as the "new standard" route for Any% without further testing or verification.
Intent and Approach
I want to be clear: My intention has never been to discredit anyone or invalidate hard work. I have deep respect for anyone who invests time into this game and contributes new strategies. However, as a moderator, I have a responsibility to ensure that routes listed on the leaderboard reflect:
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Techniques that are verifiable
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Strategies that are replicable by others in the community
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Categories that promote fair and consistent competition
A call for collaboration
If anyone - including Zerricc - can provide:
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A repeat of the warp live or in a recorded run
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A clear explanation or setup
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A succesful TAS showcasing the warp
We are absolutely open to revisiting how it is represented on the leaderboard. This is not about excluding breakthroughs, but preserving clarity for runners now and in the future.
I understand emotions can run high in tight-knit speedrunning communities. If I've come across as pushy, I sincerely apologize. My goal has only ever been to help the community grow with transparency, fairness and mutual respect.
Thank you for everyone who continues to support and explore this awesome and weird little NES title. I look forward to any discoveries, discussions, or collaborations going forward.
and specifically address the warp discovered and used by Zericc a couples of years ago
It has only been achieved a couple of times, live, by Zericc
Despite years of effort, neither myself, Ktwo or any other runner has been able to replicate it (I am sure there is a TAS about this somewhere)
What do you mean by this? Zericc didn't discover it, Ktwo posted about the world 8 warp back in 2019, stating that he'd gotten it at least twice and you replied stating that you already knew about it since someone else (Sqeurc) had gotten it, too. IIRC, this forum thread is why Zericc already knew about it the first time he got the skip:
https://www.speedrun.com/solar_jetman/forums/2c2yo
Am I missing something here? I get that no one's worked out a setup for the warp and that it's unknown why it happens, but the way you've worded this implies that only Zericc ever got it, which is untrue.
