Pacifist analysis
Definition
Least number of killed enemies:
In order to obtain an as canonical and objective definition that fits to the game and its structure, the following analysis will refer to a definition of when an enemy is killed(*) and as how many kills an enemy kill counts by means of actions by Samus or the player that extends from the logic that the grey in-game enemy kill-count shells use via memory watching each of the in total 32 healthpoints tracking slots for enemies. The objective is to beat the game while minimizing the number of healthpoint slots (which will be corresponding to enemies and their parts) that are reduced by any means from a value above 0 to 0 during the playthrough.
The following analysis is meant to cover NTSC aswell as PAL, for the general surrounding ruleset given by
- No Out of Bounds
- No Spazer+Plasma
- No GT Code
- No Savestation G-Mode Memory Corruption
(*) Note that just hurting enemies will be ignored in this analysis as long as it doesn't lead to reducing the number of healthpoints of an enemy slot to 0.
As sidenote, freezing an enemy by a shot means that this shot did not reduce the amount of healthpoints that the enemy had before being frozen.
Information and clarification based on RAM Watch tests on the number of enemy slots that corresponds to enemies when they are killed:
Cacattack Spikes don't count as killed enemies.
Kagos each count as 1 killed enemy (their bugs don't count as killed enemies).
Green KiHunters show up as 2 parts with HP but one can kill them such that only one HP part vanishes with value 0.
Red KiHunters show up as 2 parts with HP but one can kill them such that only one HP part vanishes with value 0.
Wrecked Ship KiHunters show up as 2 parts with HP but one can kill them such that only one HP part vanishes with value 0.
Mini Kraid spikes don't count as killed enemies.
Evirs each count as 1 killed enemy [but consist of 3 parts each].
Gerutas show up as 2 parts with HP but one can kill them such that only one HP part vanishes with value 0.
Squeepts show up as 2 parts with HP but one can kill them such that only one HP part vanishes with value 0.
Seahorse show up as 2 parts with HP but one can kill them such that only one HP part vanishes with value 0.
Boulders don't count as killed if they break themselves.
Magdollite firespits don't count as killed enemies.
Skrees don't count as killed enemies when digging into ground (and their rocks don't count as killed enemies).
Metaskrees don't count as killed when digging into ground (and their rocks don't count as killed enemies).
Ninja Pirates count as 1 killed enemy each.
Rinkas count as 1 killed enemy each time {they don't count towards kill count shells like some mini-/bosses}.
Zebetites actually count as 2 killed enemies each.
1st Tourian Escape room gates count as 1 killed enemy each.
Ceres Ridley apparently has no HP that can be reduced.
Bomb Torizo counts as 1 killed enemy (eggs don't count as killed enemies).
Spore Spawn counts as 1 killed enemy (spores don't count as killed enemies).
Kraid doesn't count as killed enemy [but 6 enemies die in total after the fight] (Kraid's hand counts as 1 killed enemy; the 3 spike-platforms count as 1 killed enemies each at the end; both rock types don't count as killed enemies; both fingernails count as 1 killed enemy each at the end, and in the new room state they are in the bottom and can be killed).
Phantoon counts as 1 killed enemy [and has 4 parts of which only 1 goes to 0 HP] (flames don't count as killed enemies).
Botwoon counts as 1 killed enemy.
Crocomire actually doesn't count as killed enemy (spit doesn't count as killed enemy; tongue counts as 1 killed enemy if one uses many powerbombs).
Golden Torizo counts as 1 killed enemy (eggs don't count as killed enemies, birds don't count as killed enemies).
Draygon counts as 1 killed enemy (goo doesn't count as killed enemy).
Ridley counts as 1 killed enemy but spawns 12 further enemy parts with 0x80 HP that rapidly automatically die as Ridley explosions [which makes for 13 killed enemies here in total for the Ridley fight].
Mother Brain (phase 1 counts as 1 killed enemy but alongside it 3 Rinkas die, phase 2 counts as 1 killed enemy but the Big Metroid actually counts as 1 killed enemy, phase 3 counts as 1 killed enemy).
Pacifist-Max%(92%)
List of all items that cannot be obtained:
- Missile in Wrecked Ship next to Attic
- Pink Brinstar E-Tank
- upper Red Brinstar powerbomb
- Kraid E-Tank
- Highjump
- Missile near Highjump
- E-Tank near Highjump
- Plasma
All other items can be obtained for a playthrough, so the maximum is 92%.
Sidenotes for specifics on the collection of some items: The items past Crocomire can be collected since Crocomire going by definition doesn't count towards killed enemies. And Golden Torizo's Super Missile can be collected after Spacejump using R-Mode and a Crystal Flash (or refilling health from GT's eggs) and clipping back up to the left door with a forced standing pose when Reserves trigger in R-Mode. The E-Tank in the fireflea room in Lower Norfair can be obtained by bombjumping and rolling over the Fune. For X-Ray one can get the Beetom in Red Tower attached to Samus and get rid of it further down to not have to kill it with a powerbomb for the yellow shell in the room, and on the way back one can X-Ray-Climb in Red Tower to avoid killing the Beetom. For Waterway E-Tank, one can get rid of the speed blocks in multiple steps with echoes and release the enemies or freeze them to avoid killing them. Gravity can be obtained by getting stuck deep in the Wrecked Ship entrance door in the ocean room and then X-Ray-Climb up to skip the Attic room.
Pacifist-Low%
List of generally required items:
Ball, 1.Missile, Bombs, Varia, Ice,...
Low% route & item-combination for TAS: (...)
