Current Fastest Time

21:34 by __sdfg

Route

The stage order in the SDA run is given below. There is very little randomness in the game, so the path used by the SDA run to get through each stage can be used as a starting point when planning a run. Because of that, this page focuses on things that might not be obvious from watching the video.

Be sure to read the quizzes page to learn how to answer the information booth questions efficiently.

San Francisco (1-1)

The Koopa on the first street has the long post-stomp animation. It is possible to hit that Koopa while running, collect the artifact, and line up to cross the street well before that animation completes. There is no need to slow when hitting that Koopa.

Nairobi (1-3)

To line up the bounce across the two Koopas near Nairobi National Park, run to the right and jump just after you start moving. You cannot use a buffered jump unless you intentionally waste time earlier in the level (don't do that). Release Y just before hitting the first Koopa so you bounce off of it at walking speed.

Beijing (1-4)

Nothing of note here.

Moscow (1-2)

It is recommended to turn to the left just before stomping the Koopa with the last artifact. If you bounce to the right off that Koopa and hit the Koopa just to the right of it, for some reason, you cannot pick up the artifact immediately. In that case, you either have to jump an extra time before picking up the artifact or wait a bit before picking it up. Bouncing to the left avoids this because there's no Koopa over there.

The SDA run does not turn around before stomping the last Koopa, but in that run, Luigi just barely misses the other Koopa. It's obviously possible to do that, but it's much less consistent than bouncing to the left.

Rome (1-5)

If you are too slow getting to the Sistine Chapel in this route, the NPC who passes by there will steal your A-button focus. Don't take too long getting to the Sistine Chapel.

Paris (2-1)

Falling onto the Koopa at the beginning of the stage while walking requires holding Y for between 1 and 4 frames as you move to the right. If you hold Y longer than that, you will hit the Koopa while running. If you don't hold Y at all, you won't hit the Koopa at all. Hitting the Koopa while running only costs about 20 frames versus walking, so it's better to err on that side than it is to miss the Koopa entirely. Note that there is a delay between when the Plumber's Toolbox closes and when you start moving.

When coming back from Notre Dame de Paris, the Koopa on that street often prevents you from crossing to the next street. If you can get a low enough jump that you don't have to pause your forward movement for very long, the fastest solution is probably to stomp the Koopa on the way back. A more consistent alternative is to run over to the far street crossing, where the Koopa is less likely to block you.

Buenos Aires (2-4)

If you get through the beginning of the stage quickly enough, you can hit the Koopa near the Teatro Colón by simply running off the right side of the pipe. It's easier to do that than it is to try to get a low enough jump to hit the Koopa at walking speed without losing time versus just running off.

Mexico City (2-2)

The SDA run hits the Koopa at the beginning of the stage and leaves the artifact because it prevents the Koopa from walking to the far right of the street while Luigi goes through the rest of the level. The artifact can then be collected on the way to returning it. The SDA run bounces backward off the Koopa because the pipe on the neighboring street provides the fastest path to the street with the second Koopa.

Given where the SDA run hits the Koopa with the last artifact, it is faster to take the pipe on the left over to the National Palace than it is to run all the way over there.

Sydney (2-3)

The Koopa near the Taronga Zoo can block you if you take the right street crossing back to the road with the entrance. Fortunately, if you get through the level quickly enough, the Koopa with the last artifact will be on the left of the crossing when you get back there anyway, so there's no issue with avoiding the blocking Koopa by taking the left crossing.

Athens (2-5)

The Koopa with the last artifact will jump to the right if you get through the first part of the level too slowly.

With this route, it is very difficult to avoid being blocked by the Koopa on the way back from clearing out the information booths.

Cairo (3-2)

If you run off the pipe at the beginning too early, you may hit the other Koopa instead of the one with the artifact... or miss both of them entirely. Jumping onto the Koopa with the artifact is tricky because the Koopas tend to pass by each other while you're lining up your jump. This is why the SDA run waits a little and then runs off.

New York (3-5)

The Koopa at the beginning of the level has the same timing as the one at the beginning of Paris.

Because the street crossing animation is so slow, it is faster to take the pipe out of the street by Rockefeller Center than it is to cross the street directly.

The NPC near the Empire State Building can block you from talking to the curator there. Because of this, the SDA run goes past the information booth and then turns around.

When going from the last pipe to the last street crossing, the Koopa can sometimes block you. If you set up your jump right, you can hit that Koopa on the way to the street crossing and avoid having to wait for it or go to the far crossing.

Tokyo (3-3)

To hit the Koopa with the first artifact, you need to line up your jump so Yoshi's feet pass the left side of the pipe rather than the top. Buffering a jump out of the street crossing does not seem to get you far enough to the right to hit that Koopa.

Rio de Janeiro (3-4)

Assuming you don't lose any time before then, when you come out of the pipe on the street with the two information booths, the Koopa carrying the spotlight for the Christ the Redeemer statue will be just to the right of the pipe. You want that Koopa to keep traveling to the left so that when you come back to collect the spotlight after returning the seashell, it will be close to the street crossing. Therefore, you should jump out of the pipe rather than falling to the right. If you fall to the right, you will hit the Koopa and either have to make a long walk back to pick up the spotlight or pick it up early and juggle artifacts in the Plumber's Toolbox.

If you hit the Koopa carrying the seashell too late, it will be passing by another Koopa at the time and you'll hit the other Koopa instead. Try not to do that.

London (3-1)

When you cross the street just after the series of pipes at the beginning of the level, the Koopa with the next artifact you want will be passing by. You want the Koopa to be close enough to the street crossing that it "jumps" to the left of the crossing (this happens when a Koopa is right by where you arrive after crossing the street). That way, you will be able to jump to the left to stomp it. This requires wasting a few frames on the way there. If you are "too fast," the Koopa will be just to your right after you cross the street and you'll actually lose time overall.