I understand that the mods are working on the new categories and leaderboards for the Plus update. But I've just wanted to talk about suggestions for the current categories of the game. I know I mentioned this in the discord but I wanna talk about it here too. I'll start with facts first.

Beat The Game rules are: Timing is done by real time, and begins when you select your file, and ends when In-Game timer freezes after defeating the Titanic Monarch 2 boss. You may start from a file with save data already, as long as it has no emeralds, you start at Green Hill 1, and you complete all stages in order.

All Emeralds rules are: Timing is done by real time, and begins when you select your file, and ends after delivering the last hit on the Egg Reverie boss (prior to the cutscene starting). You may start from a file with save data already, as long as it has no emeralds, you start at Green Hill 1, and you complete all stages in order.

From what I've heard and seen, All emeralds is "technically" faster than no emeralds. And ive been told that they are roughly the same. It makes sense because the high speed cap and invulnerability and quick boss kills compensate for how much time it takes to grab the chaos emeralds rather than using normal IL strats.

I'll use Sonic and Tails leaderboards as an example. As of now, WR for both beat the game and all emeralds has the same exact video collecting the emeralds. Now according to the ruleset, yes he Beat the game from starting at Green Hill and after the Titanic Monarch Act 2 boss.

Beat the game leaderboards has a second place runner who did not collect the emeralds but still would compete with the WR runner who collected all emeralds. Essentially, that makes all of the emerald runners for the All Emeralds Category have the option to submit their same video in beat the game if they really wanted to. The reason why I'm saying this is all emeralds seems to be a hanging category while the emerald runners can just submit inside of the beat the game. Sonic & Tails and solo Sonic only have those categories but Tails and Knuckles dont have that.

I have suggestions/options but dont take these to heart as they are only suggestions:

1. Separate no emeralds completely as a category while keeping all emeralds category as an individual. Dont have emerald runners compete with no emerald runners in the same category. Like the common any% and 100%.

or

2. Take away all emeralds as a category and merge them together like Routes. Tails and Knuckles leaderboards have this.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O2A0Zwb-ta91mVZcKpz_GUfOArLMlmI6/view?usp=sharing

I made a clip of it with my gamepad input display. Feel free to watch the youtube video and slow it down, or download it and play it frame by frame.

How can you beat the spiked ball race in lava reef act 1?

1. You should flame dash above the rock in the corridor. Don't ever make contact with it. If you try to run/land on it, your momentum will be stopped abruptly.

2. When you hit the wall spring, you should still be holding right. This is to make sure sonic does not face left which is obviously the wrong direction to ascend the elevator. (if you slow the video down, you can see that he faces left at the first moment he touches the wall spring).

3. Right after you hit the spring while facing right, you need to let go of any directional input. This is because the game only allows spin dashing starting from the neutral state.

4. Then once sonic lands on the elevator, hold down and MASH spin dash. Its recommended that you use at least two jump buttons for this. The total of button inputs during the spin dash / ascension should be 16 times.

I personally suggest for newcomers to speedrunning this game / level, you should NOT try this for two reasons. First you need to practice on keeping fire shield for the whole stage. Second it can get a little janky sometimes. For now, just hide on the elevator while the spike ball runs its course. Then ascend once you are safe.

Once you learn how to do it, then its pretty easy.

Edit: Its under guides

The link below leads to a clip of passing the first flamethrower in Flying Battery Act 1 with sonic. Its not easy at all and requires very precise timing/inputs. However you can download the video and play it frame by frame so you can see the inputs used in each frame.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AzAejxCVmEhNSzT7HY2T3OCMVYFWbrFy/view?usp=sharing

Edit: If you loop jump at the beginning, you will get the best of the flamethrower pass. If you don't loop jump and just run through normally, it is still possible to bypass the flamethrower. However you are better off hitting the wall at the left instead of trying to passing under the wall. Youre gonna get hit doing by the flame if you try to just go under the wall. This is due to the cycle of the flamethrower. Alternatively, you could just get hit by the flamethower. But if you are trying to catch certain cycles for the rest of the stage, you need to be knockbacked at the left angle. If you get knockbacked right, then you are not going to have a good time optimizing the stage.

This video is meant to show the timing and buttons for that skip. Its a very difficult skip to do if you dont know the timing