The video is no longer on youtube, do you run through all 18 levels or does any% use passcodes or any level warping?

Hey guys ^_^ I've decided I want to try to do the any% (ACE) and all instruments run but after browsing the forums here I have a couple of Qs!

1. My save menu doesn't open in any of the emulators, I'm doing A+B+S+s but I'm literally not opening the menu, is there an option that I'm missing somewhere?

2. In the all-instruments run, in a couple of places, the fire rod is used quickly before screen transitions - is there a reason and can someone explain this for me? I can't find any guides.

3. Is there a discord for the game? I'd love to get to know the community a little and learn the game properly as making notes about the screen warps from the videos is very tedious :P