copy of big story tutorial

Introduction:

Hello and welcome to a guide on speedrunning Big the Cat’s story in Sonic Adventure DX! I will do my best to make this as thorough and effective as possible. If for any reason you have more questions, please do not hesitate to shoot me an email at Risuruuu@gmail.com. I promise I don’t bite.

I am by no means a perfect Big runner, but I have spent many hours catching our pollywog pal and hope to help you on your journey as well. My goal is that after reviewing this guide, you should be able to complete a run in under 8 minutes IGT and RTA.

I will do my best to use the non-controller-specific language associated with button inputs since I understand we all may have different controller preferences when running this game.

Please use the Outline feature on the left hand side of this document to navigate around various sections.


Notes:

06/08/2021 - Text information complete. Working to add photos/gifs to sections.

Video Tutorial Link: [TBA]

Movement and Controls:

On ground -
Big moves the fastest by hopping.
There does not seem to be a “best” way to hop. Frequent short hops or chained long hops (holding the jump button longer) seem to result in roughly the same speed
In water -
Assuming Big is not completely submerged in the water (Ex. if you fall into Twinkle Park) use long hops to cover more distance as you work to get out of the water. (See Enter Ice Cap and Enter Emerald Coast for examples)


If Big has acquired the Life Belt, he will float at the surface if the body of water would completely submerge him. Do not jump if you are floating. The downward force will cause Big to sink deeper into the water, and then you will lose time returning to the surface. Swimming is safest and fastest.
There is a strange bug that occurs when Big is floating in the water while approaching a ledge. If you are the right distance away, you can actually jump out of the water from the surface and then hop onto the ledge. Be careful, because if you are too far away, the jump button will actually cause Big to sink into the water instead. (See Enter Ice Cap and Hot Shelter for these examples)


Ladders -
Big has the fastest ladder climbing speed of any character. You can climb ladders without worrying about losing much time.


Uphill slopes + Stairs -
Big also has some good uphill movement and travels quickly up stairs. It is not advised to hop while moving on these, as you’ll often end up being pushed backwards and lose your forward momentum. Just walk up these normally and you should be fine

Downward slopes + Stairs
If you are traveling down a slope or set of stairs, do jump as this will project you further and faster than if you walked down them normally.

Fishing:


You must press and hold the DOWN input on the analogue stick to land a hit before reeling in Froggy
If you do not do this, Froggy will nibble on the line and then swim away. Do not let this happen to you. Do not let this be your legacy.
Once you see “HIT” appear on the screen, you can stop holding the down input.

Cast as short a line as possible
The less line you have to reel in, the faster you will get Froggy

If you make a mistake in your cast:
Holding both camera buttons simultaneously will instantly bring Big’s line back in and you will not have to wait to reel it in.

Use a slow reel in (action buttons) to attract Froggy
These buttons will cause the line to be brought in slowly, so you won’t lose as much distance from Froggy as you try to attract him. Lightly tapping the Jump button (fast reel) may also be appropriate in some situations. You’ll get a better feel for this as you do more runs.

Froggy always spawns in the same locations
Froggy will always be in the same place for every stage.
He may be closer or further from the surface, however. This is entirely RNG dependent and can’t really be controlled


Whether Froggy puts up a fight or not is basically RNG dependent.
Froggy may be difficult to reel in and cause a lot of high values on the tension gauge (bottom right corner of the screen). Casting a short line will help prevent this, but it is sometimes inevitable.


If you’re worried about your line breaking, carefully tap the Jump button to allow the line to get some slack while still trying to bring Froggy in.

The Instant-Catch / Insta-Frog Glitch:
There is a one to two frame window in which you can reel Froggy (or any fish for that matter) in instantaneously. This occurs on the same frame(s) where Froggy first interacts with the line. If you manage to get this frame and hold the camera buttons (usually L+R Triggers) simultaneously, you can instantly catch Froggy
There is no consistent set-up for this
This glitch is most useful in Twinkle Park and potentially Emerald Coast, where Froggy is a decent distance away from Big during the early parts of the stage, but can be done anywhere..
Attempting this glitch too much can actually throw off Froggy’s AI and swim cycle, so it is advised to try it once and if you fail, do not go for it again.
Restarting the stage will revert everything back to “normal”
A safe strategy is to hold ONE camera button as Froggy approaches the line and then tap the other one as Froggy begins to interact with the lure.
Still be prepared to tap the down input as you can potentially save the catch even if the glitch fails.

End of Stages:
Press the Action button after catching Froggy to skip the “victory” animation.
Big likes to show off his catches. This wastes time. I typically hold the A button and tap the X button steadily with my thumb as the results start popping up. This will also skip past the results screen. I believe you can hold this button as well and get the same results.


Action Stages:

Big’s story is best done using Auto-Camera.

Big’s story is also not available from the beginning, so you will need to download a set of save files that have his story unlocked. This can be found here (direct download via SRC page thanks to Gpro)

Twinkle Park:

Enter Stage: (Average time: 40 seconds)
Skip 2 Cutscenes
Hop directly backwards towards the sewer entrance
Try to make as straight a line as possible and hug the left-hand wall to reduce distance
Skip 1 cutscene
Lift car and enter sewer
I like to hold down on my control stick (about 7 o’clock position) during the cutscene skip so that Big directly approaches the car.
Once hitting the action button to pick up the car, Big will automatically enter the sewer (no inputs required)
Hop through the sewer
I do one long hop to get onto the small platform in the middle and then short hops to navigate the tunnel.
Try not to hit any walls. That will slow you down and may get Big stuck for a moment. If you’re doing this for the first time, expect it to be a bit rough.
Long hop onto the tall box to gain more height
Hop over the fence and towards the elevator
Enter elevator
Walk through the bridge
This bridge is very small and Big’s hitbox is very big. Do not hop in the bridge. You will get stuck and lose time getting Big back on track.
Smooth movement will be needed to get Big through here… smoothly. Practice makes perfect
I personally do one short hop immediately after leaving the elevator and then I walk through the bridge.
You can also get a free hop when you’re above the “Twinkle Park” sign since it has a raised ceiling.
Enter the door into the Twinkle Park Lobby
Aim for the dead center of the door so that Big does not get himself stuck in the collision areas
Walk through the lobby to the door across from you (Not Twinkle Circuit)
Enter Twinkle Park

Catching Froggy: (Average Time: 20-30 seconds)
Froggy is located at the far end of the pool towards the stairs
Hop towards the pool across from you
Generally, be as far as where the stairs start
Get close to the edge of the pool
Cast a line into the water
Ideally, it should be no longer than 10m
Carefully reel Froggy in.

Ice Cap:

Enter Stage: (Average time: 90 seconds)
Leave through the door
You can hop once or twice but it's a short distance.
Skip 1 cutscene
The Ice Key scene can be shortened a bit by hitting start to skip the “cutscene”
You will spawn outside of Twinkle Park and be forced to see Cream fly by
Hold forward on the control stick and hop around the Twinkle Park elevator
Head towards the Ice Key
You can hop onto the ledge on the side of the pool but be mindful of your camera and the collision of the wall on the right hand side. It’s easy to get a little stuck.
If you do this, you can do a long hop to the Ice Key
An easier method is to do a long jump into the pool, do long jumps towards the sloped edge of the pool and then do another long jump onto the platform with the ice key.
When you approach the key, make sure your directional input is neutral or else when pressing the action button, Big will try to cast his line instead of picking up the key.
With the key in hand, head towards the train station.
Long hop into the pool and do long hops towards the stairs to get out onto the streets
Watch out for a black car that may get in your way. If you are ahead of the car (it is still to your left), you’re at a good pace. If the car has passed you, you’re a bit behind. This doesn’t kill the run, though.
Hop towards the stairs to the train station
Walk up the stairs to enter
Hop to the left hand staircase leading to the train
You can hop over the two NPCs and land on the staircase, then walk up them
Just before the top of the stairs, you can also jump over the fence and enter the train.
The cutscene showing the broken rock that leads to Angel Island does not play for some reason.
Jump off the landing and go towards Ice Cap
Be careful jumping onto the rocks leading up to the pathway. Big can land at an awkward angle which can get you stuck or severely slow you down.
To avoid this, practice jumping on the lowest side of the rock to the right of the bigger boulder and jump to the edge of the rock that is connected to the tunnel entrance. There is an invisible surface in between the 1st rock and the boulder that will help keep your momentum.
Walk up the pathway to the wind tunnel… thing and jump in
You can hop towards the Ice Cap door
When you get to the keyhole, Throw the key in
The animation used when Big sets an object down is very slow.
I like to jump at the keyhole and throw the key down. This kind of helps to reduce the distance the key has to float to the keyhole.
Wait for the Ice Door to open
Walk into the entrance (you can also do long hops here and it doesn’t seem to make a difference on time)
Obtain the Life Belt
Swag points if you hold an action button right as you land on the belt to make Big glide across the water. Save’s no time though.
Skip the cutscene with Tikal telling you about it
Hop into the pool
While you’re under the water, swim towards the other end of the pool
As you return to the surface, you can jump out of the water and onto the ground on the other side.
Hop towards the ladder
Climb the ladder
You can jump when you’re halfway up the ladder to hit the stage trigger a bit faster
Enter Ice Cap

Catching Froggy: (Avg Time = 30 seconds)
Froggy is located in the water underneath the cracked patch of ice at the beginning of the stage.
You have two ways to break the ice
1) Pick up the boulder and throw it at the ice
2) Hop to the ice patch and jump on it
If you do this method, aim to jump on it around the outside of the patch so that Big does not fall into the water. The Life Belt makes you float, but Big will sink a large distance before floating back to the surface due to the downward speed of the jump.
If you do end up falling in the water, as Big is rising up, start tapping the jump button until you are about to reach the surface to avoid Big going back down into the water. (very useful for Emerald Coast and Hot Shelter as well)
You can cast your line on the ground towards the right hand side of the stage (relative to how you entered)
It’s okay if you cast slightly onto the ground of the other side as your lure may clip through the ground and into the water. It will be obvious if you miss this.
If you can quickly and carefully get into the water and cast in the same general location as mentioned above. This will result in a shorter line and a faster capture.
Line should ideally be between 5m and 7m
F R O G

Emerald Coast:

Enter Stage: (Avg Time = 60 seconds)
Cross the pool again in the same way as before to leave the Ice Cap area
Make your way back towards the train
You can do long hops down the slope leading out of the Ice area to pick up a little extra speed
Be mindful of your camera as you can get some funky angles
When you leave the area, skip 1 cutscene
Turn around and hop your way back to the train.
I hold the left camera button to swing the camera behind Big and hop away
Hop on the downward slope for some extra speed
The terrain is odd here, alternating in directions, so make your path and hop as you see fit.
Approach the staircase
Walk up the stairs
You can go halfway up and then jump to the steps on the next landing, making a straight path
Refrag Skip:
If you jump towards the first landing near the explorer NPC, Big will gain a little extra height and immediately jump onto the landing. This is a pretty easy skip to pull off. If you miss it on the first go, however, it’s advised to just continue and take the stairs.
It’s recommended to do 1 hop before the hop to the ledge to ensure Big has enough momentum to clip
Enter the train
Hop off the landing and then leave through the front door to Station Square
Skip cutscene
Hop to the door towards Emerald Coast
Walk through the hotel lobby to Emerald Coast
When the door opens, hop across the pool to the stage entrance.
If you fall in the pool, one long hop should get you out.
Enter Emerald Coast

Catching Froggy: (Avg time = 30-40 seconds)
Froggy is located towards the center of the pool. You will have to swim into the water to get close
I typically swim out and to the left side of the large pillar in the pool. There’s a small spot that has tiny bubbles coming out of the water and I use that as kind of a reference point
Cast a short line in Froggy’s general direction and pray
Froggy has a small swimming radius here that is also near other fish, so it’s very easy to attract things you don’t want.
The faster you set up in your position and cast the line, the faster Froggy will come towards you. If you are pressing the action button to lure in Froggy when it is directly behind him, you’ll lose time to Froggy trying to turn around. That’s why it is best to either set up and cast as fast as possible, or adjust your position according to where Froggy is facing.
Reel in the frog


Hot Shelter:

Enter Stage: (Avg Time = 15 seconds)
Skip 3 cutscenes
Spawn on Egg Carrier
When this cutscene shows, I hold both camera buttons simultaneously to lock the camera behind Big so that I can make a straight dash forward towards the Hot Shelter entrance
Hop down the stairs and towards the door
Jump on the switch opening the door to the stage
Try looking at Big’s shadow when he jumps. When the shadow is directly over the switch, you can be sure it’ll open once you land.
Enter Hot Shelter

Catching Froggy: (Avg time = 60 seconds)
Froggy will spawn in the very last room after you flip a switch and fill the room with water
This stage has the most movement and platforming necessary out of everything else so far, so get ready.
When the elevator reaches the bottom and the door opens, carefully hop out.
Hop towards the door
Again, aim for the center of it so you don’t get snagged on the collision as the door opens.
As the door opens, you can move back to get a running start
Hop through the door and carefully hug the inner wall
I use the left camera button to help here.
Take the speed shoes capsule
You can walk (run) normally for now until the timer on the shoes wear off.
Jump onto the platform in the water with the Kiki
By jumping towards the left hand side of the Kiki, you can avoid hitting it (which knocks you back into the water and stuns you temporarily)
If you successfully land on the platform without taking damage, hop onto the other side of the pool.
You may not have enough momentum to carry you to the other side in one go. Aim for the ladder as a recovery method because if you don’t make it, Big will at least grab onto the ladder and you won’t lose time sinking to the bottom of the pool.
IF YOU FALL IN:
Utilize the Life Belt and swim close to, but not onto the ladder.
Big, if close enough to the ledge, can sometimes just hop out of the water and get back onto ground in this pool.
Alternatively, rise to the surface, grab onto the ladder from there and then jump off of it moving up on the analogue stick, bringing you to the other side of the pool.
THE KIKI HIT YOU BUT YOU’RE NOT IN THE WATER:
While still on the platform, use damage boosting to quickly jump as far as you can to the other side of the pool
You may fall into the water. If that happens, follow the suggestions listed above.
Continue to run towards the door if you still have the speed shoes.
Bounce into the door to get it to slowly open
Aim for the center as best as you can.
As the door opens, you can move back to get a running start (you’re going to jump again)
There are orange lines on the flooring. I tend to start a little behind the one right before the door, center myself, and then run through it into the other room.
Be careful with your directional input here. If you even graze the wall of the door, you will lose all of your momentum
Jump from the ledge as far as you can towards the center platform of the room
Ideally, you want to land on the first ledge after the steps
If you land on one of the steps, do a long jump to get yourself onto the platform
Jump up to the very center platform where the switch is located
Skip cutscene
Jump in and hit the switch
As water begins to fill the area, jump off of the platform back towards the steps and walk/swim/float ever so slightly towards the floodgate
While the area is filling up, a small batch of bubbles will form. Use this as a reference point as to where to stop so you can prepare to cast your line.
You can cast while the water is still rising
Aim toward the floodgate ever-so-slightly in front of you and angled a little bit towards the middle platform
Once the pool is filled, Froggy will suddenly spawn
C a  t c h  F r o g

Chaos 6:

Enter Boss: (Avg Time = 70 seconds)
Skip 2 cutscenes
Hop across the bridge towards the altar
Walk uphill towards Tikal
Skip cutscene once you reach her
Skip cutscene returning to Egg Carrier
Skip through announcement about the monorail
Hop down towards the monorail call button and press it
Wait for the monorail to arrive
You can move during this scene if you call the monorail and also interact with the monitor that is nearby. This doesn’t save much, if any time, since you still have to wait for the monorail, but it makes for some swag points.
Enter the monorail
Hop forwards towards the yellow lift that will take you to the Chaos 6 boss area
Ride the lift
Hop off and move towards the boss area
You can hop off early before the lift takes you to the very top.

Changing the camera angle isn’t too necessary. You can usually just hold the down input and get yourself there
Head towards the spring and jump on it
Hop to the center of the platform for a cutscene
Skip the cutscene

Catching Froggy:
As the boss intro plays, keep an eye on where Froggy is located inside Chaos.
This will help you with casting in a moment
Run towards the side of the arena
Most runners go right, but there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with going to the left
As Chaos approaches you, ready your rod and aim towards Froggy
You can land a HIT when the target icon appears on Chaos
So long as the lure hits the target, the game will count that as capturing Froggy
The camera will not change to show the lure
Distance does not seem to be much of an issue, but the closer you are to Chaos, the more accurate your casting will be
It is possible to throw your line and land a HIT in the same frame that the targeting box appears. There’s no particular “Setup” for this, but with some practice, you can get a feel for it.
THIS IS NOT TIME

Tornado:
(Avg Time = 10 seconds)
Skip cutscene
When you regain control, run to the Tornado
You can try to get a hop or two in to save a miniscule amount of time
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