Any%

Route for any% is very simple as you want to do the minimum amount of levels needed to get 165 diamonds, which is the amount needed to unlock the final level.

Current route gets 166 diamonds by the penultimate level, so there is room for slight variation. I think not going for a perfect rescue (maybe on Mysterious) might be the best plan of action as it saves more accumulative time than just ignoring one diamond.

The special scientists do not contribute to perfect rescue, so they can be ignored as they merely serve as a distraction in this category

On the final level, there isn't a reason to pick up any diamonds and you can freely shoot targets if they're too far away, provided that you manage your lives in the bottom right.

Other than that, the run is pretty simple and fun. I use a few tricks to get through some of the trickier sections but otherwise it's just solid play, movement and boss fights (of which the most rng-centric is the last). Hopefully someone else picks this up at somepoint in the future.

Ultimate any%

Episode 1 (79-84)
(y) Into The Abyss - 16
Infestation - 17
The Volcano - 15
Rivers of Fire - 15
(45) Gaseous Exposure - 16

Episode 2 (75-80)
(y) Cool Down - 14
Treading Carefully - 17
Trespassers Prohibited - 15
Boom Town - 14 [SKIP]
(100) Ice Burn - 15

Episode 3 (66-71)
(y) Mysterious - 14
Beyond Repair - 13 [SKIP]
Lost Treasure - 11 [SKIP]
Critical Mass - 17
(155) Furthest Depths - 11

Episode 4 (85-90)
(y) Indigestion - 20
If You Want To Make An Omelette - 15 [SKIP]
Feeling Bubbly - 17
Project Peristalsis - 15
(225) Parasite Evil - 18

Episode 5 (77-82)
(y) Safety First - 16
Know Your Alien Fluid - 15
Freezer Burn - 15
Geothermal Activity - 14

(310) Need a Vacation? - 17

Episode 6 (78-83)
(y) Can't Take My Eyes Off You - 15
Carry The Torch - 12 [SKIP]
Cold Quiet - 15
Reactive Relics - 16 [AUTOSCROLLER]
(395) Survivalist - 20 [NO DIAMONDS]

460 Total - 490 with Perfect Rescue

25 levels, 4 No rescues. or Missed diamonds

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Differences between Shooter and Ultimate:

Pros:
+Spin dash, haven't explored it enough
+Movement is faster (when moving in direction of stick/cursor)
+Lower diamond caps for Episodes 1-3

Cons:
-Boss health increased across the board, makes quick-kills and boss fights in general much slower
-Door Cutscene skips no-longer possible
-200 Points needed for 1UP instead of 100, makes avoiding perfect rescues a bit harder.

Notes:
1) Cutscene skipping is still possible, just temperamental. Score Attack Mode enables constant skips, but the time loss would be significant, and it is too slow to enable/disable just to skip an entry
2) Fast starts are still possible on KB+M (Select the level and hit enter/spacebar to skip the travel time)
3) You can Spin dash through the gate on Parasite Evil if you time it right [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/499062994]

Name	Author
Any%	Fleete 6 years ago
Ultimate any%	Fleete 5 years ago