Bloo Kid 2: A Comprehensive Guide

*The Prerequisite*
	This isn't my usual kind of content (anymore, at least)... I've kind of run myself out of 2-dimensional platforming content for the most part, with the occasional Celeste being an exception due to the complex movement mechanics. Normally, the way 2-dimensional platforming speed-games work is that they're massively more optimize-able than a 3-dimensional game with the same complexity. It takes a lot for a 2-dimensional game to pique my interest; such as complex movement mechanics, or in Bloo Kid 2's case, complex game mechanics. In this "guide" or whatever you want to call it, I'll be touching on nearly everything I know about the game, when it comes to why it's a beautiful game to how the speedrun of it works.

*Quick F.A.Q.*
	To start, I've been asked a lot of questions about very basic things outside of the game, and I'll answer those first.
1. I am not using mic because I recently moved and things are still a bit out of order, even when it comes to privacy.
2. I am not typing in chat during runs because the game freezes when it is not the active window.
3. Analog and the jump button are all that needs to be seen. Other than menuing (start and B), there are no other necessary inputs.

Play the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/379640/
Speedrun leaderboards: http://www.speedrun.com/blookid2/
Time Attack leaderboards: http://www.cyberscore.me.uk/game/2238

*The Basics*
	Bloo Kid 2 is a 2-dimensional platformer available on Steam, 3DSVC, Android, and iOS. You will only see the Steam version on my stream.
	Bloo Kid can move left and right, drop through platforms, jump, double jump, and swim. In various levels, there are fire potions that can be collected that boost the player speed for 20 seconds. They are almost always worth the detour. When Bloo Kid is airborne, his movement is slightly faster than walking speed.

The game can be played on 4 different difficulties: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Nightmare.
	- Easy: Player starts with 3 health containers. Every chest that drops health drops 3 hearts. Checkpoints refill health to full. Time limit is 2x base time limit for the star award in Story mode.
	- Normal: Player starts with 3 health containers. Every chest that drops health drops 2 hearts. Checkpoints do not refill health. Time limit is 1.5x base time limit for the star award in Story mode.
	- Hard: Player starts with 3 health containers. Every chest that drops health drops 1 heart. Checkpoints do not refill health. Time limit is base time limit for the star award in Story mode.
	- Nightmare: Player starts with 1 health container. Every chest that drops health drops 1 heart. Checkpoints do not exist. Time limit is base time limit for the star award in Story mode.

The game consists of 3 gameplay modes: Story, Time Attack, and Boss Rush.
	- Story mode is made up of 5 worlds, each containing 6 standard levels, 2 themed levels, a boss level, and 3 special levels. The 4th and 8th level of each world is always a themed level. The boss level is always the 9th level. The special levels are always levels 10 through 12.
		- Every level can be finished to full completion by being awarded all six stars for the stage.
			1. Pop the balloon at the end of the stage before it is out of reach.
			2. Collect all yellow stars throughout the level in one visit to the level.
			3. Find all special stars hidden throughout the level.
			4. Defeat all enemies in one visit to the level.
			5. End the level with all heath containers full.
			6. Finish the level under the time limit.
		- Levels are unlocked in order until the boss of the world, then the player is moved to the next world after the boss is defeated. Special levels are unlocked by collecting a specific amount of stars in the world. In Any%, these levels are not visited. In 100%, the levels are always unlocked by the time the level is reached. Star routing is only necessary in the All Special Stars category, aside from Sky Fortress which requires all 66 possible stars in the world for the final level to be unlocked.
			- Green Hills: Special 1 @ 14 stars, Special 2 @ 28 stars, Special 3 @ 42 stars.
			- Desert Rocks: Special 1 @ 16 stars, Special 2 @ 32 stars, Special 3 @ 48 stars.
			- Zombieland: Special 1 @ 18 stars, Special 2 @ 36 stars, Special 3 @ 54 stars.
			- Icy Wastes: Special 1 @ 20 stars, Special 2 @ 40 stars, Special 3 @ 60 stars.
			- Sky Fortress: Special 1 @ 22 stars, Special 2 @ 44 stars, Special 3 @ 66 stars.
	- Time Attack mode houses the same 60 levels, but has special stars, balloons, and stars removed. The time to beat the stage is tracked to the hundredth of a second and saved. Total times for worlds and full game are added in-game. There is a time attack leaderboard found at http://www.cyberscore.me.uk/game/2238
	- Boss Rush mode is a single stage playable on any difficulty. In one long level, Bloo Kid must face the 5 bosses from the main game without dying. The time to beat this is also stored in game. Rankings can be found on the Steam leaderboard or along with the Cyberscore leaderboard linked above.

*The Six Stars*
As I mentioned above, all six stars are consistent requirements throughout every level of the game.
	1. The Balloon
		The balloon inflates when Bloo Kid reaches a certain point in the stage. Very often, the balloon is out of reach and literally impossible to collect without some clever platforming or prior knowledge. The balloons are not meant to be easy, and sometimes they require a casual player to take a few passes through the level to find a way to pop it.
	2. The Yellow Stars
		There are 80 yellow stars scattered throughout stages 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, Special 1, Special 2, and Special 3. There are 99 yellow stars in themed stages (4th and 8th, with the exception of Haunted Palace which has 80 for some reason). There are varying yellow star requirements in boss levels. The yellow stars are usually hidden in plain sight with few exceptions. Yellow stars can also be found in chests, which look identical to chests that drop hearts. When a yellow star chest is jumped on, exactly 5 yellow stars scatter to consistent locations. They can be caught midair, and it is necessary to in a few levels where they would otherwise fall on the death plane. It is not random, and it is fair.
	3. The Special Stars
		There are 3 special stars hidden throughout every stage in the game. They range from being directly along the main path (1-1) to being hidden off screen, in walls, in ceilings, in secret passages underwater, etc. This is one of my favorite aspects of playing the game casually because it forces the player to explore and think outside the box. Sometimes an enemy would need to be stomped on in a certain location, or an enemy's shell needs to be preserved or moved to a certain location in Sky Fortress. A lot of techniques need to be mastered to reach every special star. While some special stars are phenomenally hidden, I believe it uses good game design because there is a blue flower hinting to the location or strategy required to collect the special star.
	4. The Enemies
		The enemy count varies wildly outside of boss levels. In my runs, I need to keep track of which enemies I've killed. More often than not, enemies will keep wandering off in a direction once I've had them on screen once. I have a handful of specific enemy counts I need to see on my HUD at certain points before continuing through a level, and if the number is one higher, I've missed something.
	5. Full Health
		There is a very limited number of hearts available in the level, especially as higher difficulties are played. Health management and enemy movement mastery is essential to not getting hit, especially in the latter half of stages.
	6. The Time Limit
		Because the base time limit is low on Hard and Nightmare difficulties, the time limit on Easy and Normal are much more forgiving. For this reason, it is much easier to combine this star with others, such as the balloon or even a few of the special stars. Because levels sometimes have branching paths, it is sometimes faster to grab a special star during the fast visit instead of with the main visit to the level.

*The Any% Strategy*
	Other than not dying, there is a lot that goes into a good Any% speedrun. I always make it a point to finish each level with as few stars (not yellow stars) as possible. Other than being awarded the time limit star, I always avoid the balloon in the level and I try to take a hit somewhere in the level. If I touch the checkpoint on Easy difficulty, I must find a place to take damage in the last half of the level. Taking damage does not need to cost time, and specifically if Bloo Kid is midair when he takes a hit, he receives no knockback.
	Additionally, some items freeze the gameplay. Fire potions freeze the gameplay for about 20 frames, special stars freeze it for about 11 frames, and a heart freezes it for about 7 frames. I avoid these timelosses wherever reasonable.

*The 100% Strategy*
	So you know how the game works and what is needed for each level. What is possible? As a general strategy for a level, I'll try to first knock out the time limit star, finishing with full health, the balloon, and sometimes a special star. On the second visit to the level, I tend to collect all stars, enemies, and remaining special stars. If I missed the balloon or got hit before the end of the level in the first visit, I know to be more cautious in the second visit.
	As you may guess, the easier time limit on Easy mode leads to some possible one cycles. I will attempt to keep an updated list of which levels can be one-cycled, have necessary two-cycles, etc. This will be applicable only to the Easy difficulty.
		|Green Hills  - 1($) 2($) 3() 4() 5() 6() 7() 8() B($) S1() S2() S3()|
		|Desert Rocks - 1() 2() 3() 4() 5() 6() 7() 8() B($) S1() S2() S3()|
		|Zombieland   - 1() 2() 3() 4() 5() 6() 7() 8() B($) S1() S2() S3()|
		|Icy Wastes   - 1() 2() 3() 4(X) 5() 6() 7() 8($) B($) S1() S2() S3(X)|
		|Sky Fortress - 1() 2() 3() 4(X) 5() 6() 7() 8($) B($) S1() S2(?) S3($)|