Zero's Stun Gun Run
40An aggressive style of pacifist run in which Zero flies through Z4’s intro stage armed with the equivalent of a high-powered taser.
In prior pacifist runs, I’ve noted my preference for completing stages using only Zero’s innate movement if possible. Things like movement-enhancing chips and tanking hits are sometimes a necessary evil, but one thing I’ve avoided thus far is the use of weapons for traversal and non-lethal attacking. Broadly speaking, I find that doing so would constitute breaking the spirit of the challenge.
However, lurking within Z4's arsenal is a particular skill that offers an enticing proposition, one that made me reconsider my previous stance, at least as it pertains to Z4 pacifist runs. Of course, I'm talking about Tractor Shot. You see, a plain, unaugmented Tractor Shot is woefully underpowered. It shines only in circumstances that pander to its needs. Normally, the lack of a strong electric weapon to use would be a rightful grievance, but for pacifist runs, it's just what the Doctor (Ciel) ordered.
I’ll be showcasing two runs of the Caravan stage: one using Tractor Shot to my benefit and one using only Zero’s basic jumps. This will serve as a direct comparison and illustrate just how conducive Tractor Shot is to the concept of pacifist speedrunning. With the skill equipped, shooting the Buster and holding the button will cause Zero to keep his arm extended and generate a magnetic ball at the end of the barrel. Any standard enemy bullets are automatically absorbed, effectively granting Zero invincibility against such attacks. Each absorbed shot increases the projectile’s power, regardless of whether it’s fired at an enemy or you simply tag them. It’s for this reason that Tractor Shot starts at a paltry 1 damage per tag to start.
This lack of strength is precisely what we’re looking for. Tractor Shot inflicts stun on most standard enemies it comes into contact with. As long as an enemy has enough health to withstand one hit at minimum power—which, to my knowledge, should apply to most, if not all, enemies—Zero can tag and dash past them as though they never existed in the first place. In essence, you can blitz through entire stages with a makeshift electric bayonet that makes enemies incorporeal. Some care is needed; in its nascent state, the magnetic ball is rather small, so certain targets require a specialized approach.
One such example is the LamplortX enemies. The shields that adorn their backs will cause contact damage if Zero dashes toward them, so you have to either walk or precisely dash jump into them for a successful tag. The Variants occupying the trucks are of no consequence, and the same goes for the Arc Cannons. While their shots can be absorbed, keeping Zero safe, it’s still better to avoid engaging them if possible to avoid accumulating unwanted power on Tractor Shot. As demonstrated, it’s a fairly straightforward dash to the end. The trickiest part is bypassing the third Lamplort; it starts off facing Zero rather than the opposite direction, so a specific jump height is required to safely stun it.
You may notice that I jump up high right before the submarine cutscene begins. This is to avoid destroying the off-camera Arc Cannon. Just like with entering doors, crossing planes that start cutscenes will destroy any enemies within a certain range. In some stages, this is unfortunately unavoidable, but here, it’s actually possible to end the stage with a kill count of 0, so keeping the Arc Cannon safe is essential.
Sub Core is surprisingly fun under these conditions, primarily because you have to plan the fight around sparing the BeamWalkers that come shuffling along the ground and ceiling. This includes ending the fight while none of them are on screen, as they’ll automatically blow up when Sub Core is destroyed. You can get a bit fancy with the Beam Kirby-style projectiles that it shoots as well. I switch Tractor Shot off because it offers no benefits here.
The second run is what you could label as a “pure pacifist” run. What should become abundantly clear is that the bulk of the time savings Tractor Shot offers relates to the Lamplorts. Without it, progress comes to a screeching halt on account of the sheer range they cover. Fortunately, the sounds emanating from their flamethrowers follow an appreciable beat, so counting along with it can clue you into the earliest safe opportunity to jump over them. One Lamplort is situated next to an Arc Cannon, which might sound slightly dangerous until you realize it’s a trivial thing to bait the Cannon’s shot. The Variants are likewise more troublesome, with a few demanding some calculated jumping, but it’s nothing too strenuous.
Given Z4’s reliance on weather over ranks, using Tractor Shot could be a smart play in a number of scenarios. Give it a try next time you find yourself annoyed by a particular group of enemies.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Stun Gun Run
01:17 - Standard Pacifist
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