Of note for anyone wanting to fully optimise a run in any category:
The boxing glove traps in the game are not random, but instead operate in a fixed order from when you first load the game. The order they cycle through is as follows:
- Lift
- Room with book
- Room with scissors
- Room with pound coin
- Room with triangle key
- Room with door handle
- Room with joystick 8 ) Room with a library ticket (then goes back to 2) in the sequence)
Rather than resetting each time you quit a run, the sequence will continue across each attempt. So for example, if you start a run of the game, set off the first two punches and then go back to the title screen, the first punch you encounter in your next run will not be in position 1) but will instead be position 3). This sequence will not reset unless you reload the whole game.
To ensure the fastest possible run, you should ensure that you play a game first in which you trigger the first six punches, quit to the menu, and then start your run attempts. This will ensure that the punch is set to the right hand door in the joystick room, which is not a door that needs to be used at all in an Any% run. Therefore, this means you can do the run without any punches whatsoever.
For a 100% run, you will need to use this door once to get the Cooking Bowl. However, if you are carrying the nearby Towel item, this will stop the punch from happening.
(Thanks to crem for digging out this information.)
