This is probably the best (already existing) topic to post this, so here goes.
I just watched the 0:29:54 run (first and only MZM run so far for me) and noticed something. In Kraid, after the "unknown" item, in the long room with Rios and Sidehoppers, GC04 shoots missiles diagonally down to kill the sidehoppers without stopping. In Ridley, before the first supers, this isn't done, but can be. I want to note that I havn't been keeping up on MZM stuff at all, though, so you all probably know this already.
well, for one, you rarely have enough missiles to pull that off, and for two, it's tough to do that room like that because it's not a straight floor. it's often easier to jump take the hit and go past them.
I just did a hard any% run out of curiosity - man, that's a totally different animal than a normal any% run. I had no idea what to get and when to get it, and I did Ridley first though Kraid first would be probably optimal. I took a lot of mistakes, too, as I more or less wanted to know what a good hard time would be. I am absolutely awful at Tourian on hard, it was almost comical. 36:53, 30%.
the scary thing is that 15% normal is both easier and faster for me than 30% hard. I am so used to running to certain spots to kill metroids the fastest way possible that hard completely screwed me up. it took me about ten tries before I realized that I had to wait for the metroids to come to me. I probably lost two minutes on my normal time just fighting metroids, and at least another minute on mother brain.
not me.. the only difference in low% games to me are a low supply of missiles for bosses. in hard, though, your missiles are half as much, you get hit twice as hard, and the metroids are just a nightmare. it was my first hard game in a good six months, so that probably contributes to me being generally bad at it. if I tried to go slow, I'd probably have no problem, but trying to hurry just messes me up. maybe I shoulda got more than 199 life.
well, for one, you rarely have enough missiles to pull that off, and for two, it's tough to do that room like that because it's not a straight floor. it's often easier to jump take the hit and go past them.
I think you're thinking of the wrong room, I meant the room with 2 weirdo sidehoppers in the roof and 3 on the floor. In the run, GC04 crouched and shot missiles along the floor of the room.
oh... so do I, actually. I've tried to do it your suggested way and just can't pull it off. I have no idea why. also, when you're doing a nine minute segment, messing up the ninth minute is just bothersome, so sometimes you play it safe.
the difference with 100% single-segments is that you're not likely to die - in an any% single-segment, you can easily die from a couple of hits. nothing like getting to mecha ridley with 49 health or something and getting hit by the claw, or worse yet, messing up the black pirates.
that's not to diss an 80 minute segment, though - my hands are tired after a 32 minute game, so 80 minutes has to be a war of attrition.
Uhm. I had the any% normal record for a bit. Forgive me for wanting a challenge in the easiest metroid game of them all. Even hard mode's not hard. Besides, I've memorized the enemy locations on hard mode, it would be way too hard to switch to normal. And I'm not running easy.
OK, I'll forgive you. EDIT: When you said it would be too hard to switch to normal mode, I thought you said hard was easy? <sarcasm>I don't get you :? </sarcasm>