Blazing through the Bunker at "Ludicrous Speed"... |
4/17/24
Bunker 2 Mission - KEYCARD A
MARKED MAN Altered the intro camera to take a look at our guard. |
GoldenEye Homework...
Studying the Bunker 2 mission to learn exactly what's going on.Wanted to figure out the timing of the guard carrying KEYCARD A, to find the optimal point to intercept him and get his access key.
Also altered the intro text to clearly mark this guy... Obtaining his card is the quickest way out of the building. |
Various playthrus, therefore the guard's face is different.
When the mission starts, the guard begins in the dark "maze" near the drone guns. He begins his patrol, soon walking into the brightly-lit hallway...
Looking down the hall... At the very end are the stairs leading to the "big Control Room". Ideally, Bond will ambush this guy somewhere in this short stretch, just second later... |
More exploration with the Bond Invisible Cheat turned ON.
Can see exactly where the guard with Keycard A makes his turn away from the main hallway - And why it's so important to get him running at just the right moment.
Bond Invisible. Playing "Super-Spy": Doing some reconnaissance before playing the mission... |
Once he gets past the next set of doors, it can be difficult to make enough noise (without rousing too many other guards).
Alert him too soon and he'll run back towards the start of the mission, which is even worse.
Bunker Busters...
Bunker 2 on Agent difficulty is a fun, fast-paced mission. Save the girl, grab the tape, swipe a key - And get the hell out of there. |
Absolutely had to watch the video to see how someone could complete GoldenEye's Bunker 2 in 20 seconds... (The 9th stage of the game)
Exploiting a "glitch" to clip through the jail cell door (saving valuable seconds instead of using the Watch Magnet to obtain the key).
Thought I knew all of the game's little tricks...
Was previously unaware that a player could force their way out the door.
Apparently the method involves "strafing while aiming".
Also unsure exactly when that trick was discovered...
(Definitely waste a good five seconds selecting the watch magnet and grabbing the key)
A total of sixteen players share the GoldenEye World Record for a 16 second speedrun through Bunker 2
(first set by Carl-Magnus Wall in 2021).
Every few years, someone seems to set a new, previously unfathomable time...
Clearing the level in 15 seconds seems downright impossible - But someone's bound to do it someday.
Back in 1998, the GoldenEye World Record for Bunker 2 was 34 seconds (held by Glen McDiarmid).
It was reduced to 27 seconds (by Patrick Wessels).
https://wrs.the-elite.net/goldeneye/recordlevel.php?level=9
The GoldenEye and Perfect Dark World Record Database
Normally, speedrunners will keep besting one another by a second or two.
The fact that the quickest time jumps 7 whole seconds - I'm going to speculate that's when the glitch was first exploited.
As for the glitch itself - Still can't pull it off, and many players can't.
After escaping from the jail cell with Natalya, one of the patrolling guards has the key to escape - Unlike the random Dr. Doak variable in the Facility, this guard is on a set path. Depending how you play the game will dictate where you encounter the Klobb-wielding key carrier.
Definitely don't wanna backtrack on a speedrun.
The crucial guard who carries Keycard A. Make just enough noise and he'll abandon his patrol - So you can ambush him in the hallway. |
(May also encounter the guard with Keycard B, normally found patrolling near the start of the level. KEYCARD B grants access to documents required only on higher difficulty levels)
My own best time for the Bunker stands at 37 seconds on console (45 seconds on the PC ROM).
It's quite a thing to finish with your fastest time ever... Being simultaneously satisfied - AND well aware of the segments of that particular run where you could have saved even more time.
In the 2 seconds it takes to fly across the room while strafing, this guard is often too busy swatting flies (or scratching his ass) to even muster a shot. (It's been a long, boring shift) |
ANOTHER FUN CHALLENGE: Attempting to complete BOTH Bunker missions (Bunker 1 & Bunker 2) with a combined time of less than a minute. Still gotta save three seconds somewhere, off either mission...
Been trying to reduce the time by a second or two every day... Few weeks ago, was 20 seconds away from the goal. Now down to the last few seconds, and it's getting really tight - Need a bit of luck - In Bunker 1, Sometimes the Special Forces guys totally block the door, other times they scatter.
Also gonna have to get shot in the back several times to save those couple seconds...
4/16/24
Let There Be Guards...
Whenever Bond finishes a mission, the game automatically "removes all
guards from level" before the cutscene kicks in. (So the guards won't
still be randomly attacking our hero as he exits in style) |
Was curious to see what it looked like if all guards were NOT removed from the level.
Here in Bunker 1, deleted that one small instruction (ROM Modification).
In the Facility, Ourumov's troops keep firing away as Bond calmly makes his exit.
Calm and collected, Bond doesn't even flinch as he get shots... (Fortunately, the bullet missed all vital organs) |
Barely a Flesh Wound...
4/15/24
Boom Box...
4/10/24
Fun Run...
Bond bolts out of the Bunker... |
The levels in GoldenEye 007 also offer a wide variety for potential speedruns.
With the black-clad Janus Special Forces troops, the "Bunker 1" mission is more exciting than Runway. |
Inspired to return to the Satellite Control Bunker (aka. Bunker 1, the game's fifth mission) after reading a few thoughts by Wouter Jansen (who set a good number of records for both GoldenEye and Perfect Dark back in the day).
(Other missions around the 20-second mark include Runway, Frigate and Bunker 2. Can barely mix up a vodka martini in that timeframe...)
Wouter Jansen also commented that it's required to take damage in order to set a world record...
It seems absurd at first - But Bond getting "pushed" by enemy bullets saves approximately .25 second (provided the hits send you in the direction you're heading).
His 17-second tear through Bunker 1 (Agent difficulty) in 2003 stood for a decade and a half.
(Others would tie the record... Eventually, Karl Jobst accomplished the feat of 16 seconds in 2018).
While I'll never take my speedruns to the extreme, can always pick up a few tips and tricks to up your own game - And to get into the mindset of what it takes to go for the gold.
World Records
GoldenEye 007 - Bunker 1
16 seconds
(fifteen players sharing the record)
https://wrs.the-elite.net/goldeneye/rankings.php
https://wrs.the-elite.net/goldeneye/recordlevel.php?level=5
Not one bullet fired during the mission. (MI6 is definitely cutting their budget these days) |
Spontaneously picked up the controller and beat my previous best time by 2 whole seconds on the first attempt. Although I'm not a speedrunner, could maybe hit 22 seconds, eventually...
(Never thought I'd try to deliberately get shot in the back, but Bond flies down the stairs or hallway much quicker that way...)
My own best time for Bunker 1 on Agent is 25 seconds on the console (29 seconds on the ROM).
Relatively happy with it - But definitely room for improvement, considering the best players can finish the mission in practically half that time...
Will anyone ever hit 15 seconds???
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