RTA Guide/70 Star: Difference between revisions

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The goal of 70 star is to beat the game without any segment skips.
The goal of the '''70 Star''' category is to beat the game as fast as possible without circumventing any castle door or star requirement or using any form of [[Backwards Long Jump|BLJ]] or [[RTA Guide/MIPS Clip|MIPS Clip]].
==Category Rules==
*All forms of [[BLJ]] are banned.
*All forms of [[RTA Guide/MIPS Clip|MIPS Clip]] are banned.
*Circumventing any castle door or star requirement via any other method is banned.
==Recommended Routes==
It is recommended, regardless of your skill level, to do some variant of the [[RTA Guide/70 Star#HMC Late (Standard Route)|HMC Late]] route, which involves initially skipping HMC during basement and returning to it later as part of collecting the second MIPS star. The [[RTA Guide/70 Star#HMC Early (Alternative)|HMC Early]] routes are those that do HMC on the first (and only) trip to the basement, and so do not collect the second MIPS star.


== Rules ==
There are three options that are usually taken in this (HMC Late) route. They are independent, but in practice usually implemented in order of increasing skill level.
* Any form of BLJ is not allowed
*'''Beginner''': No TTC100 + CCM18 + No Island Hop
* MIPS Clip is not allowed
**This is the most basic route, though it is still possible to replace stars with slower and easier ones, as outlined in [[RTA Guide/70 Star#General Route Variations|General Route Variations]].


== HMC Late - Easy (CCM 18) ==
* '''Intermediate''': TTC100 + CCM18 + No Island Hop
**This is the de-facto standard route, most similar to [[RTA Guide/120 Star|120 Star]]. It replaces [[RTA Guide/Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins|Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins]] with the 100 coin star in [[RTA Guide/TTC 100 Coins#With Stomp on the Thwomp|Stomp on the Thwomp (+ 100 Coins)]], and is worth considering when reaching a level of consistency with the latter. This route is more consistent and typically done in races by advanced-level runners.
*'''Advanced''': TTC100 + CCM17 + No Island Hop
**This route moves the CCM 100 coin star into [[RTA Guide/CCM 100 Coins#With Slip Slidin' Away|Slip Slidin' Away (+ 100 Coins)]], and then replaces [[RTA Guide/CCM 100 Coins#With Big Penguin Race|Big Penguin Race]] with [[RTA Guide/Pyramid Puzzle|Pyramid Puzzle]]. This means it requires doing [[RTA Guide/Inside the Ancient Pyramid#Pillarless|pillarless]] twice to save time, making it much more inconsistent. This route entails leaving Cool, Cool Mountain with 17 stars collected rather than 18, hence the name.
*'''Expert''': TTC100 + CCM17 + Island Hop
**[[RTA Guide/Shoot to the Island in the Sky|Shoot to the Island in the Sky]] typically requires wing cap and so must be done after its unlock in [[RTA Guide/Tower of the Wing Cap|Tower of the Wing Cap]]. At top level, a hard trick known as [[RTA Guide/Shoot to the Island in the Sky#Island Hop|Island Hop]] can be done to finish the level without the wing cap, and so it's moved to the start of the run, with the other Bob-omb Battlefield star. This skips backtracking to Bob-omb Battlefield later on and so saves time on castle movement. Overall, it's about 5–6s faster than the advanced route.
These options will be flagged in the next section, which details the standard (HMC Late) route.
==HMC Late (Standard Route)==
===Route Variations ===
This route has three standard options, ordered by increasing skill level at which they are typically taken:
*'''No TTC100''' vs '''With TTC100'''
*'''CCM18''' vs '''CCM17'''
*'''No Island Hop''' vs '''With Island Hop'''
These are explained in the previous section.
===Route===
The square brackets "'''[option]'''" below show parts of the route that are only done on the specified route option (from the list above).
 
==== Lobby====
#[[RTA Guide/Lakitu Skip|Lakitu Skip]]
# Bob-omb Battlefield
# Bob-omb Battlefield
#* [[Behind Chain Chomp's Gate]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Shoot to the Island in the Sky#Island Hop|Shoot to the Island in the Sky (Island Hop)]] '''[With Island Hop]'''
# 1st Slide
#*[[RTA Guide/Behind Chain Chomp's Gate|Behind Chain Chomp's Gate]]
#* [[The Princess's Secret Slide#First Star | The Princess's Secret Slide (First Star)]]
#1st Slide
# [[Whomp's Fortress]] (every star)
#*[[RTA Guide/The Princess's Secret Slide#First Star Tutorial|The Princess's Secret Slide (first star)]]
# Castle Stars
#[[RTA Guide/Whomp's Fortress|Whomp's Fortress (all stars)]]
#* [[The Princess's Secret Slide#Second Star | The Princess's Secret Slide (Second Star)]]
#Castle Stars
#* [[Tower of the Wing Cap]]
#*[[RTA Guide/The Princess's Secret Slide#Second Star|The Princess's Secret Slide (second star)]]
# [[Bowser in the Dark World#Red Coin Star | Bowser in the Dark World (Reds)]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Tower of the Wing Cap|Tower of the Wing Cap]]
# Bob-omb Battlefield
#Bowser in the Dark World
#* [[Shoot to the Island in the Sky]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Bowser in the Dark World#Red Coin Star|Bowser in the Dark World (Reds)]]
# Cool Cool Mountain
#*[[RTA Guide/Bowser Battles#Bowser in the Dark World|Bowser Battle 1]]
#* [[Wall Kicks Will Work]]
#Bob-omb Battlefield
#* [[Li'l Penguin Lost]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Shoot to the Island in the Sky|Shoot to the Island in the Sky]] [[RTA Guide/Shoot to the Island in the Sky|'''[No Island Hop]''']]
#* [[Slip Slidin' Away#Standalone | Slip Slidin' Away]]
#Cool, Cool Mountain
#* [[Big Penguin Race#With 100 Coins | Big Penguin Race + 100 Coins]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Wall Kicks Will Work|Wall Kicks Will Work]]
# Big Boo's Haunt
#*[[RTA Guide/Li'l Penguin Lost|Li'l Penguin Lost]]
#* [[Big Boo's Balcony]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Slip Slidin' Away|Slip Slidin' Away]] '''[CCM18]'''
#* [[Secret of the Haunted Books]]
#*[[RTA Guide/CCM 100 Coins#With Big Penguin Race|Big Penguin Race + 100 Coins]] '''[CCM18]'''
# [[MIPS#Entering Basement | MIPS]]
#*[[RTA Guide/CCM 100 Coins#With Slip Slidin' Away|Slip Slidin' Away + 100 Coins]] '''[CCM17]'''
# Shifting Sand Land
#Big Boo's Haunt
#* [[Inside the Ancient Pyramid]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Big Boo's Balcony|Big Boo's Balcony]]
#* [[In the Talons of the Big Bird]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Secret of the Haunted Books|Secret of the Haunted Books]]
#* [[Shining atop the Pyramid]]
====Basement====
# Lethal Lava Land
#[[RTA Guide/MIPS#Entering Basement|MIPS (first star)]]
#* [[Red-Hot Log Rolling ]]
#Shifting Sand Land
#* [[8-Coin Puzzle with 15 Pieces]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Pyramid Puzzle|Pyramid Puzzle]] '''[CCM17]'''
#* [[Boil the Big Bully]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Inside the Ancient Pyramid|Inside the Ancient Pyramid]]
#* [[Bully the Bullies]]
#*[[RTA Guide/In the Talons of the Big Bird|In the Talons of the Big Bird]]
#* [[Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano#Standalone | Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Shining Atop the Pyramid|Shining Atop the Pyramid]]
#* [[Elevator Tour in the Volcano]]
#Lethal Lava Land
# Dire Dire Docks
#*[[RTA Guide/Red-Hot Log Rolling|Red-Hot Log Rolling]]
#* [[Chests in the Current]]
#*[[RTA Guide/8-Coin Puzzle with 15 Pieces|8-Coin Puzzle with 15 Pieces]]
#* [[Board Bowser's Sub]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Boil the Big Bully|Boil the Big Bully]]
#* [[The Manta Ray's Reward]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Bully the Bullies|Bully the Bullies]]
# [[Bowser in the Fire Sea#Red Coin Star | Bowser in the Fire Sea (Reds)]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano|Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano]]
# Wet Dry World
#*[[RTA Guide/Elevator Tour in the Volcano|Elevator Tour in the Volcano]]
#* [[Secrets in the Shallows & Sky#With 100 Coins | Secrets in the Shallows & Sky + 100 Coins]]
#Dire, Dire Docks
#* [[Express Elevator--Hurry Up!]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Chests in the Current|Chests in the Current]]
#* [[Shocking Arrow Lifts!]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Board Bowser's Sub|Board Bowser's Sub]]
#* [[Top o' the Town]]
#*[[RTA Guide/The Manta Ray's Reward|The Manta Ray's Reward]]
# Tiny Huge Island
# Bowser in the Fire Sea
#* [[Five Itty Bitty Secrets]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Bowser in the Fire Sea#Reds|Bowser in the Fire Sea (Reds)]]
#* [[Pluck the Piranha Flower]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Bowser Battles#Bowser in the Fire Sea|Bowser Battle 2]]
#* [[The Tip Top of the Huge Island]]
====Upstairs====
# [[Upstairs Toad| Upstairs Toad (near TTM)]]
#Wet-Dry World
# Tall Tall Mountain
#*[[RTA Guide/WDW 100 Coins + Secrets in the Shallows & Sky|Secrets in the Shallows & Sky + 100 Coins]]
#* [[Scale the Mountain]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Express Elevator--Hurry Up!|Express Elevator--Hurry Up!]]
#* [[Breathtaking View from Bridge]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Shocking Arrow Lifts!|Shocking Arrow Lifts!]]
#* [[Blast to the Lonely Mushroom]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Top o' the Town|Top o' the Town]]
#* [[Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins#Standalone | Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins]]
#Tiny-Huge Island
#* [[Mysterious Mountainside]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Five Itty Bitty Secrets|Five Itty Bitty Secrets]]
# Snowman's Land
#*[[RTA Guide/Pluck the Piranha Flower|Pluck the Piranha Flower]]
#* [[Snowman's Big Head]]
#*[[RTA Guide/The Tip Top of the Huge Island|The Tip Top of the Huge Island]]
#* [[In the Deep Freeze]]
#[[RTA Guide/Upstairs Toad|Upstairs Toad (near TTM)]]
#* [[Whirl from the Freezing Pond]]
#Tall, Tall Mountain
#* [[Chill with the Bully]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Scale the Mountain|Scale the Mountain]]
#* Enter Snowman's Land and exit course.  Then head to basement for MIPS 2.
#*[[RTA Guide/Breathtaking View from Bridge|Breathtaking View from Bridge]]
# [[MIPS#Entering Basement | MIPS]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Blast to the Lonely Mushroom|Blast to the Lonely Mushroom]]
#* Go to HMC after MIPS, and get the Toad star before entering HMC
#*[[RTA Guide/Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins|Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins]]
# [[HMC Toad#For 70 Star | HMC Toad]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Mysterious Mountainside|Mysterious Mountainside]]
# Hazy Maze Cave
#Snowman's Land
#* [[Swimming Beast in the Cavern]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Snowman's Big Head|Snowman's Big Head]]
#* [[Metal Head Mario Can Move!]]
#*[[RTA Guide/In the Deep Freeze|In the Deep Freeze]]
#* [[A-maze-ing Emergency Exit]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Whirl from the Freezing Pond|Whirl from the Freezing Pond]]
#* [[Watch for Rolling Rocks]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Chill with the Bully|Chill with the Bully]]
#*Enter HMC and exit course, then head to tippy.
#*[[RTA Guide/Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins|Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins]] '''[No TTC100]'''
# Rainbow Ride
#*Re-enter Snowman's Land and exit via the pause menu. Then, head to basement for the second MIPS star.
#* [[Cruiser Crossing the Rainbow]]
====Basement 2 ====
#* [[Tricky Triangles!]]
#[[RTA Guide/MIPS#Entering Basement|MIPS (second star)]]
#* [[Coins Amassed in a Maze]]
#*Go to HMC after MIPS, and get the Toad star before entering HMC.
#* [[Swingin' in the Breeze]]
#[[RTA Guide/HMC Toad#For 70 Star and 16 Star No LBLJ|HMC Toad]]
# [[Tippy Toad#After RR| Tippy Toad (near TTC)]]
#Hazy Maze Cave
# [[Tick Tock Clock]] (every star)
#*[[RTA Guide/Swimming Beast in the Cavern|Swimming Beast in the Cavern]]
# [[Bowser in the Sky#No Reds | Bowser in the Sky (No Reds)]]
#*[[RTA Guide/Metal-Head Mario Can Move!|Metal-Head Mario Can Move!]]
 
#*[[RTA Guide/A-Maze-ing Emergency Exit|A-Maze-ing Emergency Exit]]
== HMC Late - Advanced (CCM 17) ==
#*[[RTA Guide/Watch for Rolling Rocks|Watch for Rolling Rocks]]
In CCM, rather than doing 100 coin with the penguin race, do [[Slip Slidin' Away#With 100 Coins | Slip Slidin' Away + 100 Coins]].  Then replace the penguin race star with [[Pyramid Puzzle#Pyramid Puzzle Standalone | Pyramid Puzzle ]].  This way you'll have 30 stars when finishing LLL, which allows you to enter DDD past the 30 star door.
#*Re-enter Hazy Maze Cave and exit via the pause menu. Then, head to tippy.
 
====Tippy====
== HMC Early ==
#Rainbow Ride
The easiest HMC early route does HMC after LLL instead of after SL.  The differences between this route and the HMC Late - Easy route above are as follows.
#*[[RTA Guide/Cruiser Crossing the Rainbow|Cruiser Crossing the Rainbow]]
* After LLL go directly to HMC.  Get all of the HMC stars, then HMC toad, and then proceed to DDD as normal.
#*[[RTA Guide/Tricky Triangles!|Tricky Triangles!]]
* In SL, you'll have to get [[Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins#Standalone | Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins]] to replace MIPS2.  Once finished with SL, go to tippy as normal instead of exiting course.
#*[[RTA Guide/Coins Amassed in a Maze|Coins Amassed in a Maze]]
 
#*[[RTA Guide/Swingin' in the Breeze|Swingin' in the Breeze]]
The route above is the most common, but a few modifications can be made to make the route faster, easier or more consistent.
#[[RTA Guide/Tippy Toad#For 70 Star|Tippy Toad (near TTC)]]
 
#[[RTA Guide/Tick Tock Clock|Tick Tock Clock]]
=== Beginner ===
#*[[RTA Guide/TTC 100 Coins#With Stomp on the Thwomp|Stomp on the Thwomp + 100 Coins]] '''[With TTC100]'''
One way to make the Main Route easier is to substitute the TTC 100 Coin star with either [[Navigating the Toxic Maze]] or [[Wiggler's Red Coins#Standalone | Wiggler's Red Coins]].  Instead of [[Stomp on the Thwomp#With 100 Coins | Stomp on the Thomp + 100 Coins]] you will need to do [[Stomp on the Thwomp#Standalone | Stomp on the Thwomp]].  As a rule of thumb, if you cannot do TTC 100 in less than 1:10 this route will be faster for you than the Main Route.
#*[[RTA Guide/Stomp on the Thwomp|Stomp on the Thwomp]] '''[No TTC100]'''
 
#*[[RTA Guide/Roll into the Cage|Roll into the Cage]]
=== Intermediate ===
#*[[RTA Guide/The Pit and the Pendulums|The Pit and the Pendulums]]
A few slightly faster alternatives exist to the Main Route listed above where instead of [[Big Penguin Race#With 100 Coins | Big Penguin Race + 100 Coins]] and [[Slip Slidin' Away]] you can do any of the following combinations
#*[[RTA Guide/Get a Hand|Get a Hand]]
* [[Slip Slidin' Away#With 100 Coins | Slip Slidin' Away + 100 Coins]] and [[Navigating the Toxic Maze]] (approximately same time as HMC Late Easy)
#*[[RTA Guide/Timed Jumps on Moving Bars|Timed Jumps on Moving Bars]]
* [[Slip Slidin' Away#With 100 Coins | Slip Slidin' Away + 100 Coins]] and [[Wiggler's Red Coins#Standalone | Wiggler's Red Coins]] (saves approximately 2-3 seconds)
#*[[RTA Guide/Stop Time for Red Coins|Stop Time for Red Coins]]
 
#Bowser in the Sky
=== Advanced ===
#*[[RTA Guide/Bowser in the Sky#No Reds|Bowser in the Sky (No Reds)]]
Rather than doing [[Shoot to the Island in the Sky]] after Dark World Reds, you can save time by getting this star without the wingcap in the first split by doing [[Shoot to the Island in the Sky#Island Hop| Island Hop]]. This saves approximately 6-7 seconds in castle movement as you only have to enter Bob-omb Battlefield once.
#*[[RTA Guide/Bowser Battles#Bowser in the Sky|Bowser Battle 3]]
 
==HMC Early (Alternative)==
Additionally, like the Intermediate routes, you can substitute [[Big Penguin Race#With 100 Coins | Big Penguin Race + 100 Coins]]  with the following stars to save more time:
The HMC Early routes do not make a second trip to the basement in order to get the second MIPS star, and thus do HMC along with the rest of the basement. Optimally, these routes are comparable to the standard HMC late route, however they are generally considered harder to optimize. They may be preferable in some situations, since they allow more flexibility in routing from not being bound as tightly to the 30 star door requirement before DDD.
* [[Slip Slidin' Away]], [[Wiggler's Red Coins#Standalone | Wiggler's Red Coins]] and [[Pyramid Puzzle#Pyramid Puzzle Standalone | Pyramid Puzzle ]] (saves approximately 3-4 seconds)
===Differences from HMC Late===
* [[Slip Slidin' Away#With 100 Coins | Slip Slidin' Away + 100 Coins]] and [[Pyramid Puzzle#Pyramid Puzzle Standalone | Pyramid Puzzle ]] (saves approximately 4-5 seconds)
The differences between this route and the standard [[#HMC Late (CCM 18)|HMC Late]] route are as follows:
 
*After LLL, go directly to HMC. Get all of the HMC stars, then HMC Toad, and then proceed to DDD as normal.
These routes require doing Pillarless twice in the run.
*In SL, you'll have to get [[RTA Guide/Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins|Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins]] to replace the second MIPS star. Once finished with SL, go to Tippy as normal instead of exiting the course.
== Route Chart ==
The route above is the most common HMC early route, but a few modifications can be made to make the route faster and/or more consistent.
{{70 Routes-versions}}
===Replacing CCM100===
Since meeting the 30 star door requirement is not an issue with HMC Early, you are allowed more flexibility in early-game routing. Typically, people will replace [[RTA Guide/CCM 100 Coins #With Big Penguin Race|Big Penguin Race + 100 Coins]] and [[RTA Guide/Slip Slidin' Away|Slip Slidin' Away]] with [[RTA Guide/CCM 100 Coins #With Slip Slidin' Away|Slip Slidin' Away + 100 Coins]] and one alternative star. Also, since SL Reds already replaces the second MIPS star, you will need to add in another alternative star if you decide to skip TTC100.
*Easy/Slowest: [[RTA Guide/Navigating the Toxic Maze|Navigating the Toxic Maze]] without BLJ
*Intermediate: [[RTA Guide/Wiggler's Red Coins|Wiggler's Red Coins]]
*Hard/Fastest: [[RTA Guide/Pyramid Puzzle|Pyramid Puzzle]]
==General Route Variations==
The following route variations apply to both the HMC early and HMC late routes.
===Star Substitutions===
Hard stars can be substituted for easier and slower ones. The most common substitution is [[RTA Guide/TTC 100 Coins#With Stomp on the Thwomp|Stomp on the Thwomp + 100 Coins]], replacing it with [[RTA Guide/Stomp on the Thwomp|Stomp on the Thwomp]] on its own along with an additional alternative star from the list below. Another common substitution is [[RTA Guide/Cruiser Crossing the Rainbow|Cruiser Crossing the Rainbow]] for another star from the list.
*Easy: [[RTA Guide/Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins|Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins]] ''(if HMC Late, else this is already in the route)''
*Easy: [[RTA Guide/Navigating the Toxic Maze|Navigating the Toxic Maze]] (no BLJ)
*Intermediate: [[RTA Guide/Wiggler's Red Coins|Wiggler's Red Coins]]
*Hard: [[RTA Guide/Pyramid Puzzle|Pyramid Puzzle]]
===Island Hop===
See [[RTA Guide/70 Star#Recommended Routes|the expert route]] for an explanation.
{{RTA Guide Nav}}
[[Category:RTA Categories]]

Latest revision as of 09:33, 25 January 2024

The goal of the 70 Star category is to beat the game as fast as possible without circumventing any castle door or star requirement or using any form of BLJ or MIPS Clip.

Category Rules

  • All forms of BLJ are banned.
  • All forms of MIPS Clip are banned.
  • Circumventing any castle door or star requirement via any other method is banned.

Recommended Routes

It is recommended, regardless of your skill level, to do some variant of the HMC Late route, which involves initially skipping HMC during basement and returning to it later as part of collecting the second MIPS star. The HMC Early routes are those that do HMC on the first (and only) trip to the basement, and so do not collect the second MIPS star.

There are three options that are usually taken in this (HMC Late) route. They are independent, but in practice usually implemented in order of increasing skill level.

  • Beginner: No TTC100 + CCM18 + No Island Hop
    • This is the most basic route, though it is still possible to replace stars with slower and easier ones, as outlined in General Route Variations.
  • Intermediate: TTC100 + CCM18 + No Island Hop
  • Advanced: TTC100 + CCM17 + No Island Hop
  • Expert: TTC100 + CCM17 + Island Hop
    • Shoot to the Island in the Sky typically requires wing cap and so must be done after its unlock in Tower of the Wing Cap. At top level, a hard trick known as Island Hop can be done to finish the level without the wing cap, and so it's moved to the start of the run, with the other Bob-omb Battlefield star. This skips backtracking to Bob-omb Battlefield later on and so saves time on castle movement. Overall, it's about 5–6s faster than the advanced route.

These options will be flagged in the next section, which details the standard (HMC Late) route.

HMC Late (Standard Route)

Route Variations

This route has three standard options, ordered by increasing skill level at which they are typically taken:

  • No TTC100 vs With TTC100
  • CCM18 vs CCM17
  • No Island Hop vs With Island Hop

These are explained in the previous section.

Route

The square brackets "[option]" below show parts of the route that are only done on the specified route option (from the list above).

Lobby

  1. Lakitu Skip
  2. Bob-omb Battlefield
  3. 1st Slide
  4. Whomp's Fortress (all stars)
  5. Castle Stars
  6. Bowser in the Dark World
  7. Bob-omb Battlefield
  8. Cool, Cool Mountain
  9. Big Boo's Haunt

Basement

  1. MIPS (first star)
  2. Shifting Sand Land
  3. Lethal Lava Land
  4. Dire, Dire Docks
  5. Bowser in the Fire Sea

Upstairs

  1. Wet-Dry World
  2. Tiny-Huge Island
  3. Upstairs Toad (near TTM)
  4. Tall, Tall Mountain
  5. Snowman's Land

Basement 2

  1. MIPS (second star)
    • Go to HMC after MIPS, and get the Toad star before entering HMC.
  2. HMC Toad
  3. Hazy Maze Cave

Tippy

  1. Rainbow Ride
  2. Tippy Toad (near TTC)
  3. Tick Tock Clock
  4. Bowser in the Sky

HMC Early (Alternative)

The HMC Early routes do not make a second trip to the basement in order to get the second MIPS star, and thus do HMC along with the rest of the basement. Optimally, these routes are comparable to the standard HMC late route, however they are generally considered harder to optimize. They may be preferable in some situations, since they allow more flexibility in routing from not being bound as tightly to the 30 star door requirement before DDD.

Differences from HMC Late

The differences between this route and the standard HMC Late route are as follows:

  • After LLL, go directly to HMC. Get all of the HMC stars, then HMC Toad, and then proceed to DDD as normal.
  • In SL, you'll have to get Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins to replace the second MIPS star. Once finished with SL, go to Tippy as normal instead of exiting the course.

The route above is the most common HMC early route, but a few modifications can be made to make the route faster and/or more consistent.

Replacing CCM100

Since meeting the 30 star door requirement is not an issue with HMC Early, you are allowed more flexibility in early-game routing. Typically, people will replace Big Penguin Race + 100 Coins and Slip Slidin' Away with Slip Slidin' Away + 100 Coins and one alternative star. Also, since SL Reds already replaces the second MIPS star, you will need to add in another alternative star if you decide to skip TTC100.

General Route Variations

The following route variations apply to both the HMC early and HMC late routes.

Star Substitutions

Hard stars can be substituted for easier and slower ones. The most common substitution is Stomp on the Thwomp + 100 Coins, replacing it with Stomp on the Thwomp on its own along with an additional alternative star from the list below. Another common substitution is Cruiser Crossing the Rainbow for another star from the list.

Island Hop

See the expert route for an explanation.