Shortcuts - Hang Tough on Hang Castle
Submitted by SpinDashMaster
Here's some pretty neat tricks I discovered while I TAed this level. You guys might want to put them to your advantage.
First is the castle's front door. The only enemy that needs to be killed yo open it is the one in back. Fastest way to kill it is with a lucky Rocket Accel. If you want a surefire way, get Knuckles to punch him, swap back to Sonic, and blast your way to the gravity switch.
Next to think about is everytime you hit a gravity switch. Note that the camera angle it immediately gives you will not reflect your current controls. It's actually based on what the camera would face after the fall. You'll have to memorize which way the camera points after each gravity flip, so that you can apply the proper direction by assuming that camera angle. That should clip a good bit of time off.
Here's the first big cut: just before the first checkpoint, there's a triple springboard. Jump off the side from there and land underneath. HELLO Gravity Switch!
Next major cut is to speed down the rail as Sonic, then swap to Tails and hit jump to "long jump" your way over to the light dash switch. This switch must be pressed in order to open the door in front of Checkpoint 1.
Use Tails to cross the twin platforms faster than riding on one and waiting to jump. Assuming you've run well, you should get to the gravity switch after that in about 53 seconds.
When you go through the open door, Rocket Accel past everything in the room, then swap to Knuckles and punch the gong to fly atop the tower. You should be here by 1:00.
Swap to Sonic, homing attack the guard ledge on the right to gain a little speed, then jump off to the front-right and homing attack forward. You'll land past Checkpoint 2.
After you hit the second speed booster from there, swap to Tails. Once the road curves right, jump off and head right. Look for the stone tower and align yourself with it as you fall. With some luck, you'll hit the gravity switch there at about 1:20. If needed, though, you can catch yourself by flying as you near the switch.
REMAIN IN FLY FORMATION. When Tails hits the speed ramp and lands on the rail, immediately jump off, hold forward, and work your way around the pillar in front of you. You should land near the locked gravity switch.
By now, you should have a full TB gauge. Land as Sonic, run inward a bit, and let one out on this group of crooks to unlock the case. You should hit this switch before 1:40.
Homing attack to go forward, and as you approach the edge of the invisible path, swap to Tails and jump over the gap without flying.
Fly up to grab the handle and open the door. This ought to be done by 1:53. Rocket Accel through the next room, and have Tails carry you up t the ledge. As soon as you land, Rocket Accel again once and swap to Knuckles. Fire Dunk the Witch Bot, and swap back to Sonic. Rocket Accel through Checkpoint 3. Make sure you got here before 2:03.
Rocket Accel again to get behind the tower, have Tails Thundershoot the two Silver bots guarding the switch, then have Knuckles Dunk them out. Swap to Tails and get ready.
When you hit this next switch, hold Up the entire time. As you fall, you'll see a window to climb in. Just after you fall past it, fly up and continue to hold Up until you're just barely in.
As you land, swap to Knuckles. The auto-kill should take out the two bots guarding the case here. Swap back to Tails, hit the switch, and have your Camera button ready.
As you're landing, turn the camera so that you're facing the twin boxes blocking the switch. Take the boxes out, pull the handle, turn the camera to the line of rings, swap to Sonic, and light dash across.
When you land in this sector, let off a TB if you have one. If not, have Knuckles dunk that witch to open the door. Rocket Accel your way up to the case, swap to Tails, jump over the case and head straight. Do a small jump and thundershoot without moving left or right. You'll nail the target switch with a TB fill as reward. Swap to Sonic, turn around and homing attack the gravity switch. When you land, swap to Tails and repeat the thundershoot process. Quickly swap back to Sonic and do a tornado as fast as you can. By the time it finishes, the pole will be ready and Sonic will swing up.
As you land from there, swap to knuckles, Dunk the door open, and land inside. Swap to Sonic, Rocket Accel to the end of the room, and let off another TB. Homing attack the rail on he path ahead, and grind your way to the final stretch: the downward wall run.
This last part is more simple than it seems. All you have to do is Rocket Accel every chance you get. Hit speed boosters where you can. You can ignore the spike balls if you use Rocket Accel to slide under them. Don't hit that Rocket Accel button near any rings or while caught in the air. Don't jump.
With this method, I attained 3:33:94 with one major mistake. Maybe you can be the first to sub 3:30 this one? :o
First is the castle's front door. The only enemy that needs to be killed yo open it is the one in back. Fastest way to kill it is with a lucky Rocket Accel. If you want a surefire way, get Knuckles to punch him, swap back to Sonic, and blast your way to the gravity switch.
Next to think about is everytime you hit a gravity switch. Note that the camera angle it immediately gives you will not reflect your current controls. It's actually based on what the camera would face after the fall. You'll have to memorize which way the camera points after each gravity flip, so that you can apply the proper direction by assuming that camera angle. That should clip a good bit of time off.
Here's the first big cut: just before the first checkpoint, there's a triple springboard. Jump off the side from there and land underneath. HELLO Gravity Switch!
Next major cut is to speed down the rail as Sonic, then swap to Tails and hit jump to "long jump" your way over to the light dash switch. This switch must be pressed in order to open the door in front of Checkpoint 1.
Use Tails to cross the twin platforms faster than riding on one and waiting to jump. Assuming you've run well, you should get to the gravity switch after that in about 53 seconds.
When you go through the open door, Rocket Accel past everything in the room, then swap to Knuckles and punch the gong to fly atop the tower. You should be here by 1:00.
Swap to Sonic, homing attack the guard ledge on the right to gain a little speed, then jump off to the front-right and homing attack forward. You'll land past Checkpoint 2.
After you hit the second speed booster from there, swap to Tails. Once the road curves right, jump off and head right. Look for the stone tower and align yourself with it as you fall. With some luck, you'll hit the gravity switch there at about 1:20. If needed, though, you can catch yourself by flying as you near the switch.
REMAIN IN FLY FORMATION. When Tails hits the speed ramp and lands on the rail, immediately jump off, hold forward, and work your way around the pillar in front of you. You should land near the locked gravity switch.
By now, you should have a full TB gauge. Land as Sonic, run inward a bit, and let one out on this group of crooks to unlock the case. You should hit this switch before 1:40.
Homing attack to go forward, and as you approach the edge of the invisible path, swap to Tails and jump over the gap without flying.
Fly up to grab the handle and open the door. This ought to be done by 1:53. Rocket Accel through the next room, and have Tails carry you up t the ledge. As soon as you land, Rocket Accel again once and swap to Knuckles. Fire Dunk the Witch Bot, and swap back to Sonic. Rocket Accel through Checkpoint 3. Make sure you got here before 2:03.
Rocket Accel again to get behind the tower, have Tails Thundershoot the two Silver bots guarding the switch, then have Knuckles Dunk them out. Swap to Tails and get ready.
When you hit this next switch, hold Up the entire time. As you fall, you'll see a window to climb in. Just after you fall past it, fly up and continue to hold Up until you're just barely in.
As you land, swap to Knuckles. The auto-kill should take out the two bots guarding the case here. Swap back to Tails, hit the switch, and have your Camera button ready.
As you're landing, turn the camera so that you're facing the twin boxes blocking the switch. Take the boxes out, pull the handle, turn the camera to the line of rings, swap to Sonic, and light dash across.
When you land in this sector, let off a TB if you have one. If not, have Knuckles dunk that witch to open the door. Rocket Accel your way up to the case, swap to Tails, jump over the case and head straight. Do a small jump and thundershoot without moving left or right. You'll nail the target switch with a TB fill as reward. Swap to Sonic, turn around and homing attack the gravity switch. When you land, swap to Tails and repeat the thundershoot process. Quickly swap back to Sonic and do a tornado as fast as you can. By the time it finishes, the pole will be ready and Sonic will swing up.
As you land from there, swap to knuckles, Dunk the door open, and land inside. Swap to Sonic, Rocket Accel to the end of the room, and let off another TB. Homing attack the rail on he path ahead, and grind your way to the final stretch: the downward wall run.
This last part is more simple than it seems. All you have to do is Rocket Accel every chance you get. Hit speed boosters where you can. You can ignore the spike balls if you use Rocket Accel to slide under them. Don't hit that Rocket Accel button near any rings or while caught in the air. Don't jump.
With this method, I attained 3:33:94 with one major mistake. Maybe you can be the first to sub 3:30 this one? :o
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