It took me a lot longer than I planned to do a better run. My 1:59 was crap and I only posted it to have the 100th game at SDA be '0'. I hadn't looked to see what kind of times anyone had posted before I finished that run. I looked at shin's Japanese site after I did and saw a time of 1:43:57 listed. I downloaded the first and last segment to look for major differences, and just like I expected, he was using the grenade launcher. I was pretty stupid to just throw it away in the 1:59. I also took a few strategies from the train in the jp run, but otherwise didn't watch the entire thing until after I finished this run. I'll talk about differences as I comment on the segments. Anyway, I took so long because after a week of the planning and some practice, I got distracted and it took me two months to come back. It was because of that time break that I decided to do a lot of segments instead of going for a Single-segment run, but I still do want to do an SS!

Segment 1: Train and centipede fight
The major change on the train is the second room, the one that has new zombies in it almost every time you go through. In the first run I killed one the first time, then in return trips (except the final one) I killed every zombie with handguns. In the jp run, he kills two on the first time, then runs by them after that. When Rebecca uses the hookshot, Billy kills the remaining ones. I didn't even know that the CPU character would engage in fighting like that before. This segment is the hardest of the entire run because of its length, and because of many things I could reset over. The conductor grabbed rebecca maybe 10% of the time. The dogs would bite about 40% of the time. I refuse to let Rebecca take damage on the train so those are resets. After killing the dogs I take four seconds to de-equip her gun. Characters run faster with nothing equipped if they're in yellow or higher status, Billy much more significantly than Rebecca. I spend a good portion of the run de-equipped as a result. Maybe in some cases it isn't worth the four seconds but oh well.

Right when you lose the first key, one of the zombies might wake up early... that's a reset too because then I can't get by it as Billy. I don't fight the leech zombie anymore since you can just walk down the stairs to end it... lots of people pointed that out to me. I use the C-stick for the first time once Billy joins. I only used it once in the first run, and a lot more in this one. On the way to the scorpion I managed to avoid the zombies in the now crowded room, which was pretty rare. I triggered the stupid text for the room-service trolley instead of picking up the ice pick, that costs three seconds. I'd probably have reset if I weren't trying this segment for a couple weeks at this point and getting sick of it.

The scorpion fight is different than the first run, where I used up all shells, then chucked the hunting gun and finished with the handgun. In the jp run he used only the handgun. I tried that and it worked once, but then never again. So, I use the hunting gun twice and then finish with the handgun. That's slightly faster and I had a 100% success rate with it. Then I drop the handgun. Compare to the previous run, where I still had it when shooting the queen.

On the way back to the kitchen I dodge one zombie and then the second one barely manges to get ahold of me. The first headshot comes in the next room, but zombie number two likes to only take damage a majority of the time. I run by him and on the return later only lose a second waiting for billy to finish him with another shell. Note that Billy reloads the hunting gun when I switch to Rebecca, but she didn't reload her handgun because it wasn't equipped. The dogs will often die with only one shell but it didn't happen this time. So I end the train with two shells less than optimal, so I could probably not have to pick up the last box of shells in the game. But like I already said... I was sick of resetting. I lost another couple of seconds by trying to open the 2F door too soon. It doesn't open until the zombie starts to spill blood on the floor. Going into the status screen in the next room was an accident because of the awkward way I was holding the controller to use the C-stick. If I were smarter I'd have used the opportunity to de-equip billy's gun to go a little faster in the next room. A few minor screw ups in the inventory at the card reader, and then you can cue dramatic music #1. I got grabbed twice during the escape and then mess up from too much A-button mashing as Rebecca... blech.

Now that I'm off the train, the hardest part is over. I use a split/change/join to save a couple of seconds in the main room, then C-stick Rebecca onto the lift. Once Billy scours the water-door room we rejoin and I drop the hookshot, something I never did in the previous run, but I need the space because I'm not throwing the Grenade Launcher away like an idiot this time. The centipede fight is the same. The zombie fights are mostly headshots with Billy backing me up with the handgun, then I save in the main hall, but this was a mistake. I should've saved on the way to the kitchen, because it's faster to go up the ladder in the storage room and take the balcony back to the lecture hall. About 20 seconds lost.

Segment 2: Journey to the secret stair and Rebecca rescue
A rather disappointing one headshot out of three in the first hallway. I got two in the book room though, and then I get rid of the handgun and remaining bullets. I leave the room with the first case of partner warping. Anytime you go through a door, if the CPU player is set to follow and they're not under attack, they'll follow you no matter how far away they are. I abuse this a lot. I learned from the jp run after I finished that you can push the desk one less space to pick up the iron needle. No trouble with the roaches when I use it, but I did get pecked a bit by the crows when I left. The fireplace room went better than ever before. I planned on taking a hit as rebecca, but somehow I dodged the zombie.

I accidentally pushed the button to change character at the wrong time when entering the code in the lecture hall, just a few seconds though. I push some chess pieces and completely ignore the fire grenades in the room... because I forgot they exist. The zombie usually grabs me on the way out, but that's the same time as it would take to equip the GL and kill it. Plus I don't want to waste a grenade. The spiders poisoning someone ruined a few segments, but not this one. Then I skip some cutscenes, cue dramatic music #2, run to save rebecca with no incident, skip FIVE more cutscenes, equip my guns and save again.

Segment 3: Monkeys and hunters
Unfortunately this segment doesn't look so good. My VCR did something stupid, stretch the tape or misalign the heads or something, and the entire segment is filled with some VHS rainbows. Must be because I rewound and recorded without hitting play or something. If I weren't overwriting my save every time I could've retried but it's not as bad as I make it out. The run still looks a hundred times better recorded on VHS and mailed to Nate that it would if I captured it directly when playing.

I did this segment in one night in a two hour session, and it's the shortest segment. What makes it so hard? Not the monkeys at the start, they go down easy with the shotgun and Billy helping with one Grenade. It's trying to beat the hunters with the remaining five grenades. The time to load the acid grenades into the GL when I run out is about 6 seconds and I wanted to avoid that. In order to kill the hunters with five, one or more grenades has to take damage to both hunters. So I wait for them to gang up on me, taking some damage, and then hit them. It only worked about once every forty minutes. The earlier times when it worked were screwed up when I returned to the main room and a monkey was still alive. I control both characters going back through the spider room to try to avoid damage from them. The result is Billy walking a little funny but at least he doesn't get hit. I also use the C-stick to keep Billy away from the zombie in the dining room, which almost didn't work.

Segment 4: Tablet collecting and use
In the jp run, he takes the time and grenades to kill the roaches in the water-door room. Although they sometimes would swipe me, they were never a huge trouble so I think that's a waste of time. Then he also kills the leech zombie with the fire grenades I forgot existed. It doesn't cause a problem until the final trip through the hall, after using the vise handle. My plan is to wait at the door for 2 seconds, the zombie will do an 'arm attack', I take the hit, and go forward. Somehow, the attack missed and I get through unscathed! I got this segment on the 2nd attempt and I thought it would be hell because of that heh. The reason I reset in the first one? I forgot how to use the vise. :-P I need to give the magnum bullets to Billy because she won't have room to pick up the fire grenades up ahead otherwise. After the disc change, you can see a clear indication that Billy runs faster than Rebecca, then I C-stick him onto the switch. I lost another 3 seconds from activating the text about the books... stupid text.

Segment 5: Bats and leeches
I knew it was faster to fight the bat with fire grenades ... but I don't do that because it's really hard to hit him with them. I stick with the shotgun like in the first run. I didn't know however that you can actually chain all five grenades to kill him in one round once it swoops in, that's what was done in the jp run. So, I lose another 20 seconds by not doing that. I had lost motivation to keep trying segments after I saw the rainbows on segment three, so I only tried this segment a few times. The baby bats is the first damage that Rebecca has taken. When the crawling zombie grabs her, it puts her into orange status which makes you run slower, so I had to heal. Another case of not caring comes in the room with the green leech. I should never have taken a grab from that zombie. The breeding room went perfectly though, the running pattern I use has a very high success rate. I should've switched back to Billy and used the dial before I saved. Because I didn't, I had to enter that damn 4863 combination about 30 times. There's a bad quality incident during the save, I probably rewound too far on one of my segment 6 attempts, but hey, it's just the typewriter going click click click.

Segment 6: Solo Rebecca, box puzzle
I make a small mistake near the start of this segment. I drop the hookshot right after I use it once, but it'd be slightly faster to keep it and use it once more. After Billy washes away I pick up everyone's favorite gun and keep running around un-equipped. The 2nd hunter would often swipe me, but I was back to caring about segments so I'd reset if it did. Tyrant is a piece of cake, I just need to run away after six shots to avoid the jump. I leave the shotgun equipped for a while just so I can behead the billiard zombie. Then I rescue Billy and do the 2 minute long box pushing puzzle. After using the Valve, sometimes I managed to behead both of the two white zombies in the corner, but this time it was only one and then I ran by the remaining. Stunning the hunters with one shot to get by works well. Once I had a near perfect segment and I totally botched saving, so I reset.

Segment 7: Tyrant 2, Marcus and his queen
The hardest part of this segment is right near the beginning: Tyrant. Unlike the first fight, with both characters at my disposal, I can beat him without him ever diving. But there is a lot of luck involved. I have to C-stick Billy forward or he'll lag behind. If I don't have him go far enough, he stands there like an idiot while I shoot and eventually we both get sliced. If I go too close, the Tyrant will have a far greater chance of diving before he's dead. In this fight he actually got into a second pain animation and it was easy as a result.

How does Rebecca start the Gondola moving from inside it? We may never know. I considered killing the roaches in the battery room and the one above it, but I've got just the right amount of grenades so I leave them be. They caused me significant trouble a few times but usually it wasn't too bad. On the way back through I accidentally hit the change player button which resulted in both getting poked, but that's the least bothersome attack of theirs. It's the "hump" attack that's an instant reset. If I had been a bit better with shells (see the train), I wouldn't need the last box of shells, but oh well.

Marcus is pretty easy. It'd be nice if he didn't grab Billy so much, but then he'd just run out of grenades sooner, so it doesn't matter. You can beat him ~20 seconds faster with the box of magnum bullets that I don't pick up... which take 40 seconds to get: do the math. After opening the door I load the fire grenades but forget to give the shotgun to Billy, so I have to take 5 seconds to do that during the queen fight. Since Billy is in the red zone, I definitely have to heal him, but since I C-stick Rebecca towards the platform, little is lost. The queen's first part is super easy, and I even have 1 magnum bullet still left. The second part just requires stunning her with shells after every time Rebecca finishes turning a valve. Then the queen goes after Billy instead of Rebecca.

Closing thoughts
Geez, did anyone read all this? I listed about 55 seconds of mistakes: 2 large ones and several minor ones. With those I get a time of ~1:44:45. That's still almost a minute more than the jp run. And the jp run did a lot of slow things too like the killings that I mentioned, and completely skipping the shotgun! Instead of picking up the shells I do after getting the SG, he gets every single grenade pack there is, some of which are a bit out of the way. I don't agree with that. So where does the time come from? Well every place in the English game where there's at least two prompts of text, in the jp version it's guaranteed to be less. Like at the box puzzle, it's only two pages instead of four. Same with the dial combination. I didn't time any of that but I'm sure it adds up to well over a minute of difference.

I'm not done with this game yet.