How to beat SketchFighter 4000 Alpha in the fastest possible way
by Zacha Pedro

General tips:
	- Ignore and do not kill enemies, except when absolutely necessary. You wouldn't believe the time you save this way! Even enemies that may dangerously pursue you, like flickers, can be left in the dust, and once they're far enough offscreen the culling rules mean they don't move anymore.
	- Notice that when you die, you start from the last save with the elapsed time at that point, the end result is that if you only kill a boss after the, say, twentieth attempt, only the time of the last attempt is recorded. So don't hesitate to die and start over if the battle lasts too long.
	- It's useless to explore everything, go right to the goal.
	- only go somewhere if you really need to do so, and try to collect multiple journeys into one.
	- no need to wait for a (mini-)boss to finish exploding, as soon as you've got it go directly fetch the bonus it was keeping, and pick up the life and missiles it left on the way back.
	- Do not underestimate the capability of missiles to shorten a fight
	- You should already know very well the complete scenario so that you have a basic idea of what you need to do each time, the walkthrough below does not detail everything and assumes you already know everything and have beaten the game a few times (sorry, but I don't think you're going to be able to break the record on your first completion of the game). However, the walkthrough still contains a few tips that are generally useful, but in particular for beating the game in the fastest possible time.
	- Know you colors (reminder: yellow->red->blue->green->yellow->...), your weapons (reminder: pellets->beam->wave->homing->pellets->...), and your keys (change color, weapon, fire, fire with missile) perfectly, it's necessary as there's nothing worse than finding yourself before a door/switch which is not of your current weapon color, and lose valuable seconds firing a missile by mistake, then changing weapon by mistake, then only change color but make a mistake in the chosen color and have to cycle through them one more time before selecting the right one and at last opening the door! In fact the best is to think in advance of the color (and the weapon type if needed) which will be required for the next door/the next switch, and change in advance while you go towards it, and fire from afar to open it, this way you don't even slow down!
	- Try not to save too often, by going out of your way to save you can easily waste time, you should therefore only save from time to time and try not to die (and if you do, well, start over from the last save).
	- Since they can shorten fights, missiles are going to be used often, therefore you should plan on stocking them up from time to time (but in a fast way, of course). One tip: if your shields are full (i.e. at either 100%, 200% or 300%), all the pickups that will show up from boxes will be missiles, so whenever your shields are full (after a save point for instance), try not to hit walls (even 1% of lost life means life bonus will show up) when you stock up, or if you're not full, don't destroy all boxes but only a few until there are enough life pickups to be full again, take them, then only destroy all the others so that you maximise your odds to get a maximum of missiles.


Walkthrough:
The parts [between braces] are optional for the completion of the game, so you can skip them if you're not looking for the best time with 100% items. However, it's not necessarily a good idea to take none of this optional stuff, as they can be a great help to save time afterwards. It's difficult to know what to take for the best time, but one more missile pack can't harm; conversely a few optional stuff (like the super wave) take up way to much time to be picked up to ever hope compensate the time lost with their efficiency afterwards. For everything else, it's up to you, perhaps your (lack of) skills won't allow you to make do without certain things; for instance xander for his best times was taking the super shield and one more missile pack from the optional stuff, but recently for his last best times it looks like he did without the super shields; as for me one optional missile pack is enough.



	* Wasteland *

The beginning is linear, just go to the boss. There is no particular method to beat it fastly, just aim right. Once it's killed, go to the Volcano.


	* Volcano *

Go the way to the east to hit the red switch; the mines will slow down your pace (don't even think about going through without destroying them! You'd better know how to aim), no need to go in the lower mines part, one the mines dealt with go right through the lava particles zone (perhaps paying a bit attention if you're in hard mode) and trigger the switch, then go back to the beginning of the level and go to the part you've just unlocked to the northwest.

Go directly to the giant crab. There, the way isn't very fast, and I'm sure that others, more daredevil than I am, will attempt to go head first in close combat, but for me  prefer to stay in the entrance and fire from afar (aiming its head, of course) with the pellets, it allows to avoid being caught by surprise by the boss shooting, advancing, or waving its claw, which are most of the time lethal (either by sudden death from crushing, or by contacts so often repeated over a short time that you're not going to be much better than dead, if you aren't dead already).

Now that you've spanked the boss, [at this point you have the possibility of killing a miniboss for the (mini-)beam, if you're looking for a 100% record you might as well fetch it now (the fact you now have missiles will allow you to kill it much faster; having the mini beam before the Crab Bos is strictly speaking useless), as this weapon is mightily useful and allows to kill faster, especially as it propagates instantly. This miniboss has an invisible turret on its back which tries to aim (slowly) towards the player, but with missiles you're going to kill this bug so fast it doesn't matter anyway.

Once you've sent this miniboss back to meet its ancestors,] go back to the beginning (and save along the way, doesn't cost a lot, it's on the way) and go back to the Wasteland.


	* Wasteland (2) *

Go north and then to the part not yet explored by destroying the rocks with your missiles. There, follow the bottom wall (better avoid the flickers) to the east and disable the first gate (a pellet shot form afar should allow you to hit the switch without even really entering the room), then keep going and disable the second gate, then go back to cross the gates. Go to the Factory


	* Factory *

Go east then south to open the gate, then go back to see the boss. It is not hard, but its shots are definitely dangerous (especially in hard mode, two and you're dead) which means it is not reasonable to stay close and fire with the beam, so you'd better fire from a little more distance with the pellets, an stay ready to avoid in case of shots coming to you. Try to send missiles as well, but aim well, you only have 5... Once this boss been sent back to its mother crying, exit from the corridor leading to it return to the Wasteland.


	* Wasteland (3) *

Only follow the south wall to go back as fast as possible to the Volcano.


	* Volcano (2) *

Go the the way to the east as if you wanted to hit the switch like a the beginning, but turn to the south before the mines, to the zone with lava particles. Ignore the blobs and take the road to the west. Save just after the alien fighter if necessary, then go on this way ignoring these enemies (going to the north subroad allows to avoid them and go faster). There we find the tank boss. [Here the beam is going to be useful.] Go around it and fire to its sensitive point, not from too close to it so that you're not surprised by mines being laid, and fire missiles to quicken the process. Once you've make short work of this boss go back to the big lava particles zone and keep going to the east and go through the blue door, then go to the Factory.


	* Factory (2) *

Go through the gate triggered by the red switch, but don't go after the moving block to the south, instead go north to the Wasteland. Indeed you need to go to the Racetrack.


	* Wasteland (4) *

Follow the south wall but go north when you meet the double yellow door (or maybe cut through the flickers going around the rocks), and enter the corridor leading to the Racetrack.


	* Racetrack *

Save then enter the race. Ideally one would win the race AND take the super pellets in the same lap, but I've never suceeded and it's probably impossible. [So better make two laps, the first to win the race.] Now make a lap to take the super pellets (tip: use the beam or a missile to destroy the south turret while rushing to it, and stay at the point it was while the mines explode). Once the super pellets [and the shield] fetched, go back from where you came.


	* Wasteland (5) *

Follow the way from Wasteland (4) in reverse to go back to the Factory.


	* Factory (3) *

Go past the moving block and keep going, towards the Ice Caves.


	* Ice Caves *

Take the southernmost way to the east to disable the switch, then go north then east to go through the gate you just opened. Then go south to enter the frozen corridors maze (don't take the missile pack unless you have a pressing need, you'll always be able to fetch it later while triggering the blue snowflakes and save time). I assume you know the way (tip: I always go through the south way which is faster and where you're less prone to get lost). [As you're at it, take the super beam, might as well take it now before the boss, moreover it will be useful against the Forest boss and you won't go back here before fighting it.] Turn the boss into crushed ice (just fire as much as you whil it goes towards you, including with missiles, and pay attention not be crushed) and go back by the way you came.


	* Factory (4) *

Go to the northeast behind the green door. Make short work of the Guardian, then go north to hit the green switch and the blue switch that can only be reached with the super pellets, and take the star, then exit. Go back to the beginning of the Factory and go east to the Forest.


	* Forest *

Go directly north to disable the red switch, then go back. Enter the "Forest maze" by the closest entryway (just north at the flickers), then follow the left wall to end up on the race start. Go to it. Yes, it's intended, so that:
- first, go to the boss faster
- second, prepare the way for the actual race just in case (get rid of a few enemies as you're at it)
So, handle the boss while the race time elapses, you'll reach the race goal too late but that's unimportant. Turn the heart of the forest into kindling; for this the super beam is very useful thanks to its instantaneous propagation and its range which allow to fully take advantage of the windows of vulnerability, but you can also make do without it; also try to fire a few missiles at the right time. Once the boss dealt with, go back to the race goal/start, be told that you didn't make it in time, then start it over and complete it in the required time, it's very feasible even when having to avoid the enemies on the way, of course you need to know well the path. Once back to the goal, take the star of course, exit from the "Forest maze" from where you entered it, and use the passage to the west towards the Wasteland.


	* Wasteland (6) *

Be careful, this part is difficult when you don't have the homing shots (which is the case here). Unfortunately, it would require more journeys to be made to go there only after having fetched the homing shots, if ever they are fetched at all in the first place, which would degrade the time. Here it's best to use the super pellets, with their good range and ability to bounce they allow to attack while being safe behind a corner. Don't forget to trigger the yellow switch with the wave, and exit to the remainder of the Wasteland. There, take the star freed by the aforementioned yellow switch. Then go to the Factory.


	* Factory (5) *

Go to the Forest, but along the way take the third ship from the miniboss which keeps it.


	* Forest (2) *

Go to the race way, then go north in the middle to take the bonus ([homing shots and] star), then go back then southeast to go to go to the area behind the force field, and hit the red switch in it. Go back while following the south wall to exit the "Forest maze", then follow the south path to the east to go to the Ice Caves.


	* Ice Caves (2) *

Disable the gate (don't forget the first snowflake!), then go back to the place where you disabled the blue switch for the second snowflake. Go back [and go behind the green door, rush through everything and destroy the miniboss, go back with the super shields] and go south. First disable the last snowflake (and take the missiles as you're at it), then go fecth the star now freed, lastly go where the boss was and trigger the blue switch only reachable with the wave gun. Exit and go the the Factory, but before you do take the star freed by the aforementioned blue switch.


	* Factory (6) *

Trigger the blue switch only reachable by wave, located in the area behind the arena where the Guardian was. Exit and go to the Wasteland.


	* Wasteland (7) *

Go to the Volcano [while taking the missile pack behind the door controlled by the yellow wave switch, then the missile pack behind the blue door, along the way].


	* Volcano (3) *

Go where the crab boss was and disable the protection, then go to fetch the star behind the green door and the corridor full of lava blobs. Then go back to the beginning [and fetch the last missile pack,] and go south to the lava particles area. Trigger the green switch (behind the red door) with the wave gun, then go take the things kept by the skull turrets [(beware: taking the super wave can be an important time expenditure)]. The go to the Factory by the direct way.


	* Factory (7) *

Go to the Wasteland subarea.


	* Wasteland (8) *

Go take the star behind the green door and the load of explosive boxes.


	* Factory (8) *

Go west then south to hit the blue switch, then go to the moving blocks area take the last star in the depths. Now go to the End Zone.


	* End Zone *

[First take the super homing gun.] Now good luck. A few tricks as I'm at it: use the super homing or maybe the super beam to destroy the clone (failing that super pellets), and a few missiles if you have more than necessary, then once it's dealt with switch to the blue super wave gun (failing that, ordinary wave gun). Indeed the enemies will be created in groups next to you, and the (super) wave gun is best suited for this cases of mass destruction at short range, the blue color will be useful as lava blobs are often created. Try to destroy the created enemies before the next wave, but do not hesitate to flee a bit if you can't handle the situation anymore, you'll always be able to go back to take care of them later (most of them are slow and won't be able to follow); NEVER let yourself be surrounded by enemies. Once the enemies have been dealt with and the Pen has shown up, handle it, aim correcty at the right moments and he's toast.