Max% GT Code
 World Record Holder:
susreime
WORLD RECORD RECORDING
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Category Details
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Introduction
The goal of Max% GT Code is to finish with the maximum item percentage shown on the credits screen. The rules are: GT Code is allowed, no out of bounds, no glitched beams. The maximum possible percentage is 135%.
Max% GT Code does not require the player to manually collect all of the items in the game. In fact, during the early part of the run it is crucial that the player must not collect certain items. The player should perform the GT code while having the minimum number of e-tanks, reserve tanks, and ammo packs. This will leave the maximum number of these items to be collected after the GT code, which is essential for 135%.
This category is similar to GT Classic and uses many of the same tricks.
The Max% GT Code leaderboard can be found here: https://www.speedrun.com/super_metroid_category_extensions#Max_GT-Code
Why is 135% the max?
After GT Code, the player will have 53% items. Then go collect 45 missiles, 9 supers, 9 PBs, 14 e-tanks, 4 reserves, and 1 screw attack. This adds up to 53+45+9+9+14+4+1 = 135%.
There are two important things to note:
1.) GT Code doesn't add 100/20/20 ammo capacity to your inventory - it replaces whatever you already had. If you have 5/5/5 ammo when you do the GT Code, then now you have 100/20/20. If you have 30/15/15 ammo when you do the GT Code, then you'll still wind up with 100/20/20. The same is also true for e-tanks and reserves (this is important). This means that to get the most out of GT Code, you want to enter it with 5/5/5 ammo and NO e-tanks/reserves. This leaves the maximum number of these items still remaining on Zebes for you to go pick up after GT Code.
2.) E-tanks, reserves, and ammo packs count the number that you have when item percentage is determined. On the other hand, major items like Gravity Suit and Plasma Beam are either yes or no; you either have it or you don't. Getting a major item like this before or after GT Code will have no effect on your final item percentage, because either way you will have exactly 1 of that item at the end of the game. This means you never need to pick up items that are out of the way like Spring Ball, X-ray, etc.
Route considerations
Entering GT Code with 5/5/5 ammo and 0/0 e-tanks/reserves raises the question of how you are going to get through the Lava Dive Room to enter Lower Norfair. If you pick up 1 e-tank to perform a lava dive, then you won't get 135% at the end of the game (see notes 1 and 2 above). Instead, this category picks up Gravity Suit to perform a gravity jump.
Getting to Gravity Suit is interesting, because you don't want to get the moat missile before GT Code. Also, you need to get across the spikes in the bowling room with 0 e-tanks. Theoretically, you could horizontal bomb jump near the ceiling of the moat and bowling room. A more common method is to pick up Speed Booster to shinespark over the moat. Since the player will have 0 e-tanks, Varia Suit is collected to survive the heated rooms on the way to Speed Booster. With the protection from Varia, the player can also survive jumping across the bowling room spikes. Remember, getting these major items before GT Code will have no effect on the item percentage at the end of the game.
The route can be summarized as:
- Defeat Kraid and collect Varia Suit, Speed Booster, and (optionally) Hi Jump Boots.
- Defeat Phantoon and get Gravity Suit.
- Gravity jump into Lower Norfair. At this point, the player should have 5/5/5 ammo and NO e-tanks or reserves.
- Perform the GT Code. From this point on, collect all e-tanks, reserves, and ammo packs. Pick up Screw Attack.
- Defeat Ridley.
- The only remaining major boss to defeat is Draygon. Collect all e-tanks, reserves, and ammo packs in the game. Major items can be skipped.
- Enter Tourian and finish the game.
Other remarks
- GT Code doesn't grant Screw Attack, so the player must pick it up.
- Prior to entering GT Code, the player can optionally get major items like Spazer or Wave to assist with the 0 e-tank Phantoon fight. After GT Code, picking up major items has no effect (besides Screw Attack).
- At the end of the game, ammo counts should be 325/65/65. The player should have 21 e-tanks and 7 reserves.
- In 2015, eternisedDragon7 did a noteworthy (and impressive) run in which GT Code was performed with the minimum number of major items. This required bomb jumping over the moat missiles and bowling room. After GT Code, all remaining items were manually collected, including major items already granted by GT Code. This run finished with 135% despite the extra effort involved, thereby showing that 135% is the maximum.
