Luigi U Any% Guide

Luigi U Any%

The goal of this guide is a quick explanation of New Super Luigi U Any%. This is being written to accompany videos, and explain some of the less obvious elements of the run

Most of the explanations here apply to the Switch release, though you may also want to look up how to disable the jump-button spin mechanic the port introduces.


The Route

Acorn Plains 1 ✅
Acorn Plains 2 SECRET EXIT
Acorn Secret
Soda Jungle 1
Soda Jungle 2 or 3
Soda Jungle Tower ✅
Soda Jungle Ghost House SECRET EXIT
Soda Jungle Secret
Meringue Clouds 1✅
Meringue Clouds 2
Meringue Tower✅
Meringue Clouds Ghost House SECRET EXIT
Ludwig's Castle✅
The Airship✅
Peach's Castle 1 SECRET EXIT
Peach's Castle 4✅
Peach's Castle… Castle✅
Bowser✅

- Soda Jungle 3 is about half a second faster than 2. If you're not using Nabbit, 2 is safer and has a backup acorn
- Levels marked with a ✅ are levels you should play as Luigi to utilize the Squirrel Suit (or to collect it in Acorn Plains 1). Nabbit cannot use the Squirrel Suit mechanics (including collecting it in Acorn Plains 1).

Nabbit?

If you hold ZL when selecting a level, you will play as Nabbit instead of Luigi. Nabbit has the significant advantage of not getting hurt by enemies, making him a safe choice in many levels. However, he cannot use or collect the Squirrel Suit. You also need to be able to extend his jumps by spinning to reach some secret exits.

Fireworks

If you clear a level with the timer on a multiple of 11 seconds (88, 77, 66, etc), you get fireworks and an item from Toad. While nice for non-speedruns, this loses roughly 12 seconds each time it happens. It is preferable to wait the 1 second for the timer to be 87 or 76 than get fireworks, although you may want to intentionally collect the power up from Toad as a safety in a marathon setting.

Free Mushrooms

Every stage has a block early in it containing either a mushroom for small Luigi, or a coin if you have any power up. This is generally only useful to an any% run if you are small and need to collect a backup acorn (such as in Soda Jungle Secret).  Optimally, you collect a Squirrel Suit in the first level and never lose it.

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Acorn Plains 1

The goal in AP1 is to get Luigi a Squirrel Suit. Your clear time should be 79.

The fastest acorn to collect is just after one of the upper down slopes. Continue to hold down even after sliding off the ledge to kill the squirrel and collect the acorn.

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Acorn Plains 2 (Secret Exit)

Collecting the star makes you faster, so get it. The second start only spawns from the ? block if you are still invincible, so be quick.

If you are playing as Nabbit, you can make the jump to the secret exit by spinning.

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Acorn Secret

You have no up/down extra swimming controls, only the jump button. You can use the jets to move faster.

There is no harm to the route in taking the top exit out of the water, other than it being slower.

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Soda Jungle 1

Nabbit can "just go". With Luigi, you need to get closer to the bottom on the vines to just past the piranhas. They have smaller hit boxes than you think, which is especially important for the three upside-down plants in the middle.

The goal time is 78, barely achievable before 77 and fireworks. Beginning runners may want to delay for a 76. There are no tricks other than allowing down as little as possible, especially again the upside-down piranhas in the middle of the stage. Run as soon as they start moving up.

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Soda Jungle 2 or 3

Soda Jungle 3 is 40 frames faster. If you're played as Nabbit, it's free. If you're Luigi, it has one or two jumps where it's easy to get hit, and you REALLY want a Squirrel Suit for the next stage (the tower). Soda Jungle 2 also has a backup acorn if you need one.

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Soda Jungle Tower

This is the run killer. If you don't get the block snake skip, you lose 20 seconds.  Please watch mchan's video tutorial on this if you're stuck.

- hold run and spin jump to the giant ? block, then hold jump to glide.
- spin jump off the giant ? block. Use the squirrel boost (ZR) to reach the upper right wall. Hold right to cling into it
- Still holding right and jump, soon jump off the wall (holding right) to reach the platform above it
- This is the tight jump. Spin jump against the right wall, and at the highest point, push and hold normal jump and left to start crossing the gap. Just before the middle where the ball and chain are swinging from, use a squirrel boost.
- At the height on the boost, continue holding left and start mashing spin button. You should just get to the wall. DON'T LEFT GO OF LEFT
- Keep holding left, and spin jump off the wall (holding left). It should take two or three sounds to get on the ledge.
- Wall jump up the hidden passage.
- If you get to the top without Squirrel, perhaps in a race or no reset situation, there is a hidden block against the left wall with an Acorn (if you're already big)
-  Go bop boom boom

You could go to Acorn Plains 1 and catch Nabbit for a P-Acorn, but clearing this level normally is faster.

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Soda Jungle Ghost House (Secret Exit)

With Luigi The safe way through the start is take your time and squirrel spin jump over things. The fast way is working out the jumps through the rings. You'll need to go the fast way to get a 78.

The next stage has a backup acorn, so don't panic if you get hit

In the long stretch of coins, there are TWO invisible blocks above each other where the meeting coin is. The top one has the star to go fast.

You can make the last jump without Squirrel (aka with Nabbit) with the Star's speed and midair spins.

Remember that this stage potentially gets a 78 on the timer, so if you slowed down, make sure you don't get a 77.

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Soda Jungle Secret

Autoscroller! Remember there is a potential mushroom in one of the first bricks, and a backup acorn in the first small ? block.  The fastest time I've gotten is a 36, though a 35 isn't too bad. If you are collecting all the coins for fun, don't get bumped back from the front of the screen so much that you get a 34, and don't lose too much time doing it.

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Meringue Clouds 1

There are a few ways with varying levels of safety to cross the fuzzy gaps with Squirrel. The hardest section is the last one, falling below the Ice Bro while staying above the fuzzies. Waiting a moment to spin jump high over fuzzies works, but involves delaying so it is slower than going for the tight jumps.

You can also get the early Penguin Suit and freeze fuzzies, then get Squirrel back in MC2 from red coins, but this is slower than pretty much every squirrel suit strat.

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Meringue Clouds 2

Easy level to fly over with Squirrel.

The red coins will give you a Squirrel Suit if you are small or "only big"

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Meringue Tower

Bouncing on the dry bones from a jump inside the secret area after the wall jump is annoying

In the rising platform after the pipe, be careful with attempts to stomp the Fire Bros. It's easy to get hit by a fireball seemingly still in their hands

Magikoopa/Kamek is RNG. Your goal in to stomp him once, and get enough height to stomp again without spawning blocks again.  After the second hit, Kamek always spawns top middle

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Meringue Ghost House (Secret Exit)

There is a backup acorn in something like the fourth or fifth real ? block if you got hit in the tower.

If you start with Squirrel, glide down slowly, the secret exit is between the fourth and fifth background pillars.

The fastest possible time in this stage is 88, so delay for 87

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Ludwig's Castle

There are safe strats and wr strats in this level. Find a good spot to wait until you're ready for the top tier end of the level strats.

You can't catch the second big block, so don't slow down as you approach it.

You can just barely get high enough to get the first hit on Ludwig without a spin jump. If you do spin for height, ground pound to ensure you hit before he splits. Assuming you get the early hit, whichever side Ludwig spins to first will be the side you get your next hit on (this should be the same side you land on after the hit)

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Airship

The cloud section isn't actually an autoscroller, your can get ahead! Land on the second and fourth ? blocks, then full jump and hold right. Enjoy going fast.

If you don't have Squirrel before Bowser Jr, ground pound the crates to the right of the last pipe. This is always an Acorn (even for small Luigi). This is the last acorn available in the run (without backtracking).

Get plenty of height to hit Bowser Jr (jump+boost, maybe even spin jump) his hit box is wonky at best. Also be careful you don't hit him as he throws bob-ombs, if they spawn into you, you take damage.

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Peach's Castle 1 (Secret Exit)

The pattern of fireballs falling to break the blocks for the secret exit is RNG, but does seem to pause after 5 or 6 fireballs. Move fast.

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Peach's Castle 4

Timing is tight to spin jump off the moving platforms and wall kick through the gap before a fireball comes right through it.

There is a star behind the ceiling before the disappearing block section if you want the safety. Collecting it is slower since the level is short

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Peach's Castle Castle

You can clear this level with a few Squirrel gliding jumps. The timing and locations of them in the video are pretty precise though, even in the first room, to avoid both sparks and para-bob-ombs (including when they spawn).

The last jump through the third elevator section is especially spooky.

Most of these jumps can be made easier by moving the platform slowly over and taking a calm big jump over everything, but this is of course slower.

As a reminder, you can hold ZR to move a platform to the right without using motion controls.

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Bowser

The first section with a Squirrel Suit is mostly run right. You do move fastest if you can get Bowser jr to push you along.

There are two hidden power ups on the room with the big Bowser door. These are only useful if you don't have a Squirrel Suit.

For normal Bowser, just jump over him. No, really, that's it.

Big Bowser Fireball skip, once Bowser Jr flyers over you, jump at him, then Squirrel Boost, and ground pound. It either saves a few seconds or does nothing.

One observation with Bowser rolling around is if you can get into the car again after the first hit, and go to the side until Bowser jumps again, the next jump will be in 5 in game seconds.

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Acorn Locations

Acorn Plains 1: almost everywhere

Soda Jungle 2: second ? block over the bricks

End of Soda Tower: invisible block on the left side of the top, across from the door against the wall. This will not help you skip the block snake

Soda Ghost House: ? block inside one of the boo rings before the Star location

Soda Secret: First small ? block.

Meringue Clouds 2: Red Coin power up. Remember you cannot have a top tier powerup, such as a Penguin Suit, if you want to get the acorn. If you have one, take a hit before collecting the 8th coin.

Meringue Ghost House: the 4th or 5th ? block that doesn’t attack you

Airship Level: There should be one in a ? block in the floating cloud section. There is one at the end, to the left of the pipe, that will be there even if small.

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Glossary

Squirrel Boost - With Squirrel Suit equipped, press L or R in a jump.  Luigi will get a vertical boost but lose a lot of horizontal momentum.  This can also be performed after gliding out of a Spin Jump.