Big Shell: Pre-Stillman
Strut A Deep Sea Dock
Strut A Roof
Strut A Pump Room
AB Connecting Bridge
Strut B Transformer Room
ONLY FOR FULL GAME RUNS
Before meeting Pliskin, have the M9 equipped and then unequipped once. This puts the M9 in your previous slot.
During your meeting with Pliskin, the M9 will be moved to your active slot, BUT ALSO stays on your previous slot.
Note: If you end Tanker with the M9 on your previous and never reequip it again, the setup continues to work.
With this double equipped state after having met Pliskin, you can walk all the way up to meet Stillman.
Do not switch weapons or this ram manipulation will be broken! If you didn't change weapons, then after
having met Stillman, your hands will be empty, but the M9 is active on your previous slot. Simply reequip
the M9 by tapping R2 and the M9 will move back into your active equipped slot without the need of any menuing.
See video explanation here: https://youtu.be/lfWK2PGc-z8?t=100
BC Connecting Bridge
Strut C Dining Hall
Big Shell: Bomb Disposal Segment (Part 1)
This video will take your from the Strut C Counterclockwise to the Strut A roof.
Including conveyor belt glitch.
Strut C Dining Hall
BC Connecting Bridge
Strut B Transformer Room
AB Connecting Bridge
Strut A Pump Room
Note: You MUST pick up the box here if you plan on doing Conveyor Belt Route.
FA Connecting Bridge
Strut F Warehouse
EF Connecting Bridge
- When Raiden reaches the third black line on the floor coming from the south, do an aerial into prone to pickup the claymore. Coolant-rise right after that.
Strut E Parcel Room
Strut E heliport
Note: You MUST pick up the box here if you plan on doing Conveyor Belt Route.
Strut E Parcel Room
Strut C Dining Hall
CD Connecting Bridge
Strut D Sediment Pool
DE Connecting Bridge
Strut E Parcel Room
Strut A Pump Room
Strut A Roof
Strut A Deep Sea Dock
Boss Fight: Fortune
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Fortune. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Fortune page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Big Shell: Bomb Disposal Segment (Part 2)
Strut A Roof
Tap R2 to bring out the M9 and avoid the claymores here. Using the box to avoid the claymores can be useful.
If you plan on using the Chaff Grenades later on during the Perimeter section after Harrier, pick them up over here. Otherwise, ignore them.
Possible Damage cancel setups and Dpad paths
Strut A Pump Room
FA Connecting Bridge
Strut F Warehouse
EF Connecting Bridge
Strut E Parcel Room
Strut E heliport
Boss Fight: Fatman
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Fatman. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Fatman page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Non-Lethal PPK Setup by Hau5test
- Wait for the 3rd Dash sound by fatman and then start PPK
Lethal Dpad Setup by Hau5test
- cartwheel when Raiden crosses the first dot
- position self on most right dot on the floor tile
- shooting the socom will have raiden move to the right slighty
- turn with dpad, let raiden turn fully
- should make the first fast defuse more easy
Big Shell: Heading to Ames
Strut E heliport
Strut E Parcel Room
EF Connecting Bridge
Shell 1 Core, 1F
Shell 1 Core, B2 Computer Room
Shell 1 Core, B1
Hold R1 + X + Square (or RB + A + B on Xbox) to auto aim and shoot the first guard right outside the elevator.
The game will prevent you from killing this cutscene important guard and you will exit the elevator faster that way.
See video explanation here: https://youtu.be/lfWK2PGc-z8?t=496
Shell 1 Core, B1 Hall
- NG: Ames will always spawn in the same position, which is spot #14 on the photo below.
- NG+ and NG++: Ames can spawn in 20 random positions and the game determines this the moment the player enters the Shell 1 Core, B1 Hall for the first time.
Big Shell: Heading to the President
Shell 1 Core, B1
Shell 1 Core, 1F
EF Connecting Bridge
Strut F Warehouse
EF Connecting Bridge
Strut E Parcel Room
DE Connecting Bridge
Strut D Sediment Pool
Shell 1-2 connecting bridge
Some menu setups for various post Harrier strats
Wanting to have Chaff on previous
After shooting all sensors
- Cartwheel down the stairs
- Quick-equip the PSG1
- Menu down 1 to end on Chaff
- start Harrier fight
No Chaff - M9 setup
After shooting all sensors
- Cartwheel down the stairs
- R2 - Menu down 1
- Walk with M9 equipped into the cutscene trigger
Video explanation for various menu preparations:
Boss Fight: Harrier
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Harrier. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Harrier page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Quick Equip the Stinger
If Chaff was prepared
- Quickequip the Chaff
- Collect Stinger
- R2 - Menu down 1
- Continue the Harrier fight
If M9 was prepared before
- Quickequip the M9
- Collect Stinger
- R2 - Menu down 3
- Continue the Harrier fight
Menu video example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfWK2PGc-z8&t=572s
The Harrier Boss Fight
4 Shot Harrier by Dlimes13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-KSp2iVnJ0&t=3385s
5 Shot Harrier by Dlimes13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-KSp2iVnJ0&t=3505s
5+1 Shot Harrier by Dlimes13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-KSp2iVnJ0&t=3616s
2.5 Harrier by Plywood
Shell 1-2 connecting bridge
alternative to a leap of faith down to the stairs
Dpad drop to pipe video example
https://youtu.be/lfWK2PGc-z8?t=642
When on pipe, either manual constantly tap Square or turbo press Square to not fall off the pipe
Strut L Perimeter / KL Connecting Bridge
Chaff vs Chaffless variant video examples
Shell 2 Core, 1F Air Purfication Room
Shell 2 Core, B1 Filtration Chamber No.1
Quick equip Nikita and Stinger previous setup
https://youtu.be/lfWK2PGc-z8?t=787
- Cartwheel to elevator
- Quickequip Dmic
- R2 Menu up 1
- R2 Menu Left (or Right) 1
- Quick-Reequip Nikita again
- press elevator button
Alternative press elevator button first and then do menus.
Shell 2 Core, 1F Air Purfication Room
Big Shell: Emma Escort
Shell 2 Core, B1 Filtration Chamber No.1
Boss Fight: Vamp 1
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Vamp 1. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Vamp 1 page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Shell 2 Core, B1 Filtration Chamber No.2
You can use this Emma escort route from Dlimes13's full game tutorial for not using Emma zips:
https://youtu.be/A-KSp2iVnJ0?t=4575
If you're utilizing Emma Zips in your run, you can follow this route tutorial:
Shell 2 Core, B1 Filtration Chamber No.2 (swim with Emma)
Shell 2 Core, B1 Filtration Chamber No.2
Shell 2 Core, B1 Filtration Chamber No.1
Shell 2 Core, 1F Air Purfication Room
See Emma Zip page for potential time save utilizing the ability to bump Emma out of bounds.
KL Connecting Bridge
See Emma Zip page for potential time save utilizing the ability to bump Emma out of bounds.
- The best position to stand when spraying is the black line to the top of the fire. A good audio cue is when the phone begins to ring.
- The visual cue to stop spraying at the fire is when the black smoke appears.
- When Emma gets past the thin part of the bridge, let go of her and head to the southern door.
Strut L Sewege Treatment Facility
Strut L Oil Fence
Boss Fight: Vamp 2
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Vamp 2. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Vamp 2 page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Strut E Parcel Room, B1
Quick AK-47 equip example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfWK2PGc-z8&t=909s
- During a carthweel
- reequip the PSG1
- R2 Menu left 1 (right 1 if PSG1-T was not picked up)
- continue with AK-47 in hand
EF Connecting Bridge
Shell 1 Core, 1F
Arsenal Gear
Arsenal Gear: Stomach
Arsenal Gear: Jejunum
Arsenal Gear: Ascending Colon
Tengu 1
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Tengu 1. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Tengu 1 page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Tengu 2
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Tengu 2. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Tengu 2 page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
MG-Rays
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for MG-Rays. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: MG-Rays page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Torture Sequence
Solidus
This guide will only focus on the standard strategy for Solidus. Please refer to the MGS2 Boss Fight: Solidus page for more advanced strategies and information on the fight.
Credits and Score Screen
Skip the cutscenes after finishing off Solidus and the cutscenes after the credits sequence. Time will end at the Score Screen and Rank will be shown after that.
- HD Edition (PlayStation 3): On this version and platform, sometimes the credits can lock up (called a 'Credit Freeze'). Unfortunately, this means a run that has this can NOT go on the leaderboards as it has no score screen.
- Sons Of Liberty: The rank screen will NOT show your final rank. Rank 1 does not exist for this difficulty, however a score screen with a time of 3:00:00 or less, 8 or less Saves, 0 Continues, 3 Alerts, 0 Kills, and 0 Rations, and no special items used is enough for the leaderboards to consider it a Flying Squirrel Rank.