10 Missile Zebetite Kill
It is possible to kill all Zebetites except the first using precisely 10 missiles.
Zebetites have exactly 1000 health, and missiles deal 100 damage. Usually, Zebetites gain health for every frame they are on screen. Thus, one would initially expect this is impossible: Even if the Zebetites are manipulated to be on screen for as little as possible, they will still be on screen for some finite amount of time. However, Zebetites do not gain health for 5 frames after damage has been dealt. Thus, if a Zebetite is moved on screen for fewer than 5 frames, its health will never increase.
Therefore, by carefully manipulating the screen position, it is possible to: (1) Fire a missile while the Zebetite is off-screen, (2) move the Zebetite on screen for fewer than five frames while the missile hits; (3) repeat with remaining missiles.
Contents
Current best RTA setup
The current best RTA method for this is the following:
This involves the following steps:
(1) Initially setup the camera to be as far away from the Zebetite as possible.
(2) Moonwalk back to the correct pixel.
(3) Moonwalk back one additional frame: If Samus does not move, good; if Samus moves, then walk (or roll) back right and start over. The goal is to get onto the back half of this pixel, so in step (2) when nearing the pixel you should attempt very small moonwalk movements.
(4) While facing right, crouch, turn-around, jump, and turn-around in the air.
(5) Repeat step (4) two more times.
(6) While facing right, crouch, turn around.
(7) Fire a missile, jump, and turn-around: There is a five frame window for this turn-around. If successful, you should hear the Zebetite get hit.
(8) Repeat steps (1) - (7) for all remaining missiles.
Since this is about very precise camera manipulation, any other movement (other than vertical movement, like jumping or morphing, or movement you can undo, like turning around) will mess up the setup. If the Zebetite has not been moved on screen, you can move back to the right and start over at step (1).
In particular, getting hit (by Rinkas or turret shots) will very frequently jolt the camera left and back very quickly: This will usually move the Zebetite on screen briefly, and thus will usually ruin the attempt. Thus, this entire very slow method has to be done basically without getting hit by any Rinkas or turret shots.
It should be noted there is a faster setup, without the dancing in steps (4)-(5). It requires moonwalking back to the correct pixel (a different pixel than what one ends up on after dancing). The issue is that you must be on the front half of the pixel, which is harder to recognize. The above method was developed to maximize the frame window for firing the missile while also allowing for all cues to be entirely visual.
Double kill
The above setup works on all Zebetites.
However, the second and third Zebetite can be double killed. This is accomplished by hitting the second Zebetite after it has died, but before it has exploded. What you hit the Zebetite with can be any projectile: In particular, it can be a beamshot.
Thus, while killing the second Zebetite, you should repeat the setup for an eleventh shot of a beamshot. This will then kill both Zebetite 2 and 3.
First Zebetite
The first Zebetite cannot be moved off screen, so cannot be killed in 10 missiles.
First and last shot of the kill
In theory, the first and last shot would not need the full setup.
For the first shot, it doesn't matter if the Zebetite is on screen beforehand. Thus, in theory, one can fire the missile with it on screen, and then quickly move it off screen. A setup would have to be developed.
For the last shot, it doesn't matter if the Zebetite is on screen afterwards. Thus, in theory, one can fire the shot with it off screen, and then just run to put it on screen as the shot would hit. It was attempted to find a good setup for this with a beamshot (for the double kill), and it seemed to fail more often than the complete setup. However, this could simply be due to improper timing.
13%: The major consequence
The major consequence of this method is that 13% with (Charge, X-Ray) as a base is possible. The above clip is of a segmented run for 13%, confirming this to be the case.
This 13% category requires L+R.
This could also lower the percent of any low% category allowing L+R, e.g., low% RBO.
Minor Consequences
If L+R is not allowed, this opens up a couple new 14% categories. These are:
- GravPb: (Charge, Gravity, Power Bomb). Use a Puyo to get a power bomb drop while CF clipping to Botwoon. Use this method to get past Zebetites.
- xGravity: (Charge, X-Ray, Gravity). Use R-Mode for pre-Botwoon. Use Gravity for the rest of Maridia. Use this method to get past Zebetites.
- xGrapple: (Charge, X-Ray, Grapple). Copy the 13% method, but use Grapple in Mt. Everest and Halfie Climb Room.
- xBoots: (Charge, X-Ray, Hi-Jump Boots). Copy the 13% method, but use underwater wall jumps instead of L+R.
- xSpring [PAL]: (Charge, X-Ray, Spring Ball). Copy the 13% method, but use mid-air spring ball jumps to climb Halfie Climb Room. Getting to Spring Ball under these conditions requires G-moding from Aqueduct. Getting to Aqueduct requires crossing Mt Everest. To Jesuswalk Mt Everest on NTSC requires L+R. Thus, this category is PAL-only.
- Gravboots [PAL]: (Charge, Gravity, Hi-Jump Boots). There is a PAL-only method to get past pre-Botwoon with Gravity, Hi-Jump Boots, and a Reserve Tank. This is used there. Gravity is used for the rest of Maridia. The above method is used for the Zebetites.