RTA Guide/Crackslide
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Discovered in 2025 by Crackhex and FramePerfection,[1][2] this strategy allows Mario to bypass the 30 star door without doing the SBLJ. It involves using C^ hyperspeed to build enough speed to clip through the 30 star door. DDD skip can not be performed using Crackslide, as it does not build enough speed.
Approach
Performing Crackslide can be broken down into modular sections, where you can choose different options based on your preferences and it won't affect the later parts too much.
The easiest (but often slowest) combination of strategies are:
| Section | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Setting Mario's z-position | Double ledge grab right pillar (easier) |
| Starting the C^ slide | Backflip (full setup) |
| Exiting the slide | B-pressless |
| Passing the door | Buffer kick |
Setting Mario's z-position
In order to get enough speed during the C^ slide, we need to set Mario's z-position quite precisely. It should be between 1560 and 1563 (non-inclusive) to do the B-press exit strategy, and between 1560 and 1560.9 to do the B-pressless strategy. The B-pressless strategy requires a more precise z-position, but overall it is still easier and thus recommended for beginners.
During practice, we can use the Usamune Practice ROM to see Mario's z-position. Navigate to HUD -> MEMORY -> SLOT5 -> press A -> Change X to O.
Double ledge grab right pillar
This setup is compatible with the backflip C^ setups.
Easier
On entering the basement, press C-Left, C-Left, R to point the camera at the right pillar. Do a single jump and ledge grab the right side of the pillar. Spam C-Left, tap C-Down once, get up from the ledge grab, and continue spamming C-Left until the camera gets stuck against the wall. Single jump and gently tap left, so that Mario ledge grabs the right side of the pillar.
Harder
On entering the basement, press C-Left, C-Left, R to point the camera at the right pillar. Do a single jump and ledge grab the right side of the pillar. Get up from the ledge grab, single jump and gently tap left, so that Mario ledge grabs the left side of the pillar.
Double ledge grab left pillar
This setup is compatible with the rollout or the double jump C^ setups.
From the door, jump and switch to Mario cam, press C-Right just before ledge grabbing the pillar, and aim to grab the pillar closer to its right edge. After a quick get-up, jump and gently press right so Mario ledge grabs the right side of the pillar. Let the camera snap behind Mario, then get up. The gentle right input ensures that Mario's z-position is close to 1560, which guarantees that the B-pressless exit method will work.
Texture
We can also line up Mario's z-position with a texture on the pillar. Aim to have Mario's pant leg just barely touching the white line.
Starting the C^ slide
We now need to begin the C^ slide. There are a number of methods to do this, that yield different frame windows to do the C^ input. Generally, we aim to press C^ on the first walking frame after landing on the fence.
Common issues:
- Sliding off the rail into the lower area = C^ too early
- Standing still for a bit and then falling off = C^ too late
- Build up speed for a bit but fall off early = Wrong z-position
Backflip
These setups begin from a ledge grab at the right pillar.
Full setup
Yields a 2 frame C^ window. Very safe.
Get up from the ledge grab, backflip, then punch twice. Then tap Z (not hold), press up on the stick, then press A to backflip. Tapping Z allows you to buffer the up input.
Quick setup
Yields a 1 frame C^ window, but is a bit faster than the full setup.
Tap Z to cancel the ledge grab. Then tap Z (not hold), press up on the stick, then press A to backflip. Tapping Z allows you to buffer the up input.
Rollout
Get up from the ledge grab in Lakitu cam. Fall off the pillar with a low stick magnitude down. Dive and rollout when you fall off the pillar and switch to full stick magnitude down.
Double jump
Requires a 1 frame long A-press on the double jump. Gives 3 frames to C^ if double jump is on first possible frame, otherwise 2 frames if double jump is on frames 2, 3 or 4.
Get up from the ledge grab in Lakitu cam. Buffer down during the get up. Fall off the pillar and do a 1 frame long double jump when landing.
Exiting the slide
Once Mario is in the slide building up speed, we can either time a B-press to exit with a better position and give Mario the opportunity to skip the door text box, or we can allow the slide to end automatically without pressing B. Timing the B-press can be precise, so the B-pressless setup is recommended for beginners.
B-pressless
B-pressless is only possible if Mario's z-position is between 1560 and 1561 (non-inclusive), and disallows Mario from skipping the door text box, so is slower, but it removes one of the harder parts of the trick in timing the B-press.
Once Mario is in the C^ slide animation, snap the camera behind Mario in Mario cam, if it isn't already, then go into Lakitu cam. Hold right and Mario will eventually launch to the pillar. Once Mario is in the air, swap to holding up-left and Mario will slide towards the 30 star door.
Alternatively, you can press R, then C-Down, then C-Left and hold up-right. This means you don't need to switch from right to up-left while in the air. However, this requires a marginally more precise z-position (high 1560.9xx won't work), and can be notch dependant. Try to make sure not to be holding more towards right than up.
B-press
To gain more control over Mario's trajectory, you can press B to cancel the C^ slide early. This allows Mario to go straight to the door, and even skip the text box.
Timing the B-press
The B-press needs to be in an approximately 15 frame window, about 3.5 seconds after starting the C^ slide. Typically, we aim for 186-213 speed.
There are multiple ways to time the B-press.
- Rotating the camera consistently until it lands in a specific spot.
- Listening to Mario's sliding sound.
- Looking at your Livesplit timer.
- Beat counting with the background music.
If you are doing the double jump setup, count 12.5 beats, or just over 3 bars, from when you get up from the second ledge grab.
Exit setup
Go into Mario cam, rotate the camera directly behind Mario with C-Left, and hold up-right. When you have enough speed, press B, and rotate from up-right to up.
<TODO: add vid>
Passing the door
There are three ways to get through the door. Buffer kick, text skip, and launch. The B-pressless strategy is only compatible with the buffer kick strategy.
Buffer kick
After you arrive at the door and interact with it, scroll through the text, Continue holding A after the final text box, hold the stick away from the door (usually down-down-right), then press B as soon as Mario is able to move to buffer kick through the door. You can add in a C-Left to make the stick angle down-right notch.
Text skip
Hold A as you are exiting from the slide. As you arrive at the door, and just before you would interact with the door, press B to do a buffer kick.