Sequence breaking
Encyclopedia
In computer and video games, sequence breaking is the act of performing actions or obtaining items out of the intended linear order
, or of skipping “required” actions or items entirely. Sequence breaking is often used to beat a game unusually quickly, to beat it while only completing a few objectives or obtaining a few items, to obtain useful items early in the game, or to help push a game as far as possible in some other way.
, apparently the first documented action in a video game to be called a sequence break occurred in the Nintendo
GameCube game Metroid Prime
, in a thread called “Gravity Suit and Ice Beam before Thardus”.
The rock monster Thardus was designed to be a required boss before the gravity suit and the ice beam could be obtained, hence the novelty of bypassing the boss while still obtaining the items. When a gamer named Steven Banks achieved this feat on January 18, 2003, he posted his discovery on the Metroid Prime message board on GameFAQs
. The thread attracted a number of interested gamers, and the term sequence breaking was incidentally coined. The term has since grown in popularity and is now often applied to unintended shortcuts in any game.
The term has become so pervasive that it has begun appearing in video games itself.
, by using techniques like the Wall Jump, Bomb Jump and Mockball to jump and run into places normally not accessible, players can skip bosses, acquire items before intended, take shortcuts, etc. This is usually done to cut down on backtracking and allow for 100% speedrun
s.
Some other notable examples are:
Linearity (computer and video games)
A video game with nonlinear gameplay presents players with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences. Each player sees only some of the challenges possible, and the same challenges may be played in a different order. A video game with linear gameplay will confront a player...
, or of skipping “required” actions or items entirely. Sequence breaking is often used to beat a game unusually quickly, to beat it while only completing a few objectives or obtaining a few items, to obtain useful items early in the game, or to help push a game as far as possible in some other way.
History of the term
Though sequence breaking as a concept has existed almost since the inception of computer games complex enough to have sequential storylinesLinearity (computer and video games)
A video game with nonlinear gameplay presents players with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences. Each player sees only some of the challenges possible, and the same challenges may be played in a different order. A video game with linear gameplay will confront a player...
, apparently the first documented action in a video game to be called a sequence break occurred in the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
GameCube game Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
, in a thread called “Gravity Suit and Ice Beam before Thardus”.
The rock monster Thardus was designed to be a required boss before the gravity suit and the ice beam could be obtained, hence the novelty of bypassing the boss while still obtaining the items. When a gamer named Steven Banks achieved this feat on January 18, 2003, he posted his discovery on the Metroid Prime message board on GameFAQs
GameFAQs
GameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
. The thread attracted a number of interested gamers, and the term sequence breaking was incidentally coined. The term has since grown in popularity and is now often applied to unintended shortcuts in any game.
The term has become so pervasive that it has begun appearing in video games itself.
Examples
There are many examples of sequence breaking in computer and video games. The Metroid series of games are the most famous example. In Super MetroidSuper Metroid
, also known as Metroid 3, is an action-adventure video game and the third game in the Metroid series. It was designed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, programmed by Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
, by using techniques like the Wall Jump, Bomb Jump and Mockball to jump and run into places normally not accessible, players can skip bosses, acquire items before intended, take shortcuts, etc. This is usually done to cut down on backtracking and allow for 100% speedrun
Speedrun
A speedrun is a play-through, or recording thereof, of a whole video game or a selected part of it performed with the intent of completing it as fast as possible, optionally under certain prerequisites, mainly for the purposes of entertainment and competition...
s.
Some other notable examples are:
- Baldur's GateBaldur's GateBaldur's Gate is a computer role-playing game developed by BioWare and released in 1998 by Interplay Entertainment. The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a high fantasy campaign setting, using modified Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules...
— Using the spell Dimension Door to enter Baldur's Gate and Candlekeep and then repeatedly exploiting the Chapter 7 introduction trigger to place the game into the final chapter. - Castlevania: Circle of the MoonCastlevania: Circle of the MoonCastlevania: Circle of the Moon, known simply as Castlevania in the PAL region and as in Japan, is a video game created by Konami only for the Game Boy Advance...
— Using a summon spell while simultaneously exiting a room by its upper exit causes the game to scroll two rooms up instead of just one, even if a lower entrance to the next room up does not exist. - Castlevania: Dawn of SorrowCastlevania: Dawn of SorrowCastlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami. It is part of Konami's Castlevania video game series and the first Castlevania game to be released on the Nintendo DS. The game is the sequel to Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and...
— Exploiting a glitch using a certain Soul and a backstab glitch in certain weapons allows a player to warp through walls and doors. - Castlevania: Symphony of the NightCastlevania: Symphony of the NightCastlevania: Symphony of the Night, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997. It is the 14th installment of the Castlevania series, the first installment released for the PlayStation, and a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.Symphony of the...
- By jumping as wolf form on the stairs in the Clock Tower, you can jump to the high platform without the double jump, and essentially do the entire rest of the area backwards. - Diablo II: Lord of DestructionDiablo II: Lord of DestructionDiablo II: Lord of Destruction is an expansion pack for the hack and slash action role-playing game Diablo II...
for PC — Completing the Eve of Destruction quest by proxy in a group allows the player to get a level 1 character into Hell despite not being a high enough level to enter the Worldstone Keep. - The Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindThe Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, often simply referred to as Morrowind, is a single-player computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series of games, following The Elder Scrolls...
— Using various items in game, a level 1 character can collect two of the three items in the Kagrenac's Tools set, reach the final boss, and defeat him. Use of Kagrenac's hammer without Kagrenac's brace is intended to kill the player, however the Hammer can be quickly used before its damage over time effect kills the player. - Jak IIJak IIJak II, , is a platform game developed by Naughty Dog...
— In one level, you can swim to the island where you fight Juice Goons if you are fast enough. - The Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningThe Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningThe Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, known as in Japan, is a 1993 action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy...
— Pausing the game during a screen transition causes the game to scroll two screens instead of one, even into areas that were impossible to reach otherwise. This bug was fixed in later ROM versions. - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
— Utilizing three major glitches, known as "Escape the Forest", "Door of Time skip", and "Reverse Bottle Adventure", it is possible to beat the game without completing any dungeons whatsoever. "Escape the Forest" and "Door of Time skip" allows Young Link to go to adulthood without any Spiritual Stones and "Reverse Bottle Adventure" is a memory manipulating glitch that allows Link to obtain Medallions without beating any dungeon. - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's MaskThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Maskis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
— It is possible to advance and complete the final temple of the game before entering the third. Ice Arrows are actually not required to access the main part of Ikana Canyon. All that is need is the Hookshot, Garo's Mask and Epona's Song. - Little Big AdventureLittle Big AdventureLittle Big Adventure is an action-adventure game developed by Adeline Software International and first released at the end of 1994. It was published in Europe by Electronic Arts and in North America, Asia and Oceania under the name Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure by Activision. Over 400,000 copies...
— Running through the museum on Proxima Island quickly enough (before being hit by the guard) enables the player to open the sewer grate without the red access card. - Maniac MansionManiac MansionManiac Mansion is a 1987 graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It was Lucasfilm's first published video game, and it was initially released for the Commodore 64 and Apple II. A comedy horror parody of B movies, it follows teenager Dave Miller as he ventures...
— It is possible to trigger a cutscene in the room with the purple tentacle so that you may freely walk past it. - Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
— The character Deadpool can be used to skip several areas with his teleportation ability. - Mega ManMega Man (video game)Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
— "Zipping" through the ceiling allows the player to gain the Magnet Beam in Elecman's stage without either the Super Arm or Thunder Beam. - Metroid PrimeMetroid PrimeMetroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
- In the beginning of the game, it's possible for the player to move Samus AranSamus Aranis the protagonist of the Metroid video game series. Introduced in the 1986 video game Metroid, Samus is a female ex-army soldier bounty hunter usually fitted with a powered armor suit with weapons that include beams and missiles...
, over a long cliff by doing a "scan dash" to obtain the Space Jump Boots early in the game to acquire items early in the game. - Metroid: Zero MissionMetroid: Zero Missionis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo R&D1 for the Game Boy Advance handheld console. It was published by Nintendo in North America in February 2004, in Australia in March 2004, in Europe in April 2004, and in Japan in May 2004. It is the sixth installment of the Metroid series,...
- In the Brinstar it is possible to obtain the Super Missiles after obtaining the Speed Booster. - Monsters, Inc.Monsters, Inc.Monsters, Inc. is a 2001 American computer-animated film and the fourth feature-length film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was directed by Pete Docter, co-directed by Lee Unkrich and David Silverman, and written by Jill Culton, Peter Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Dan Gerson, Jeff Pidgeon, Rhett...
- In the marketplace level it is possible to bodyslam up to a level that usually requires the trampoline to access and collect all 10 monster tokens, theoretically allowing you to obtain the silver and gold medals without getting the trampoline. - MystMystMyst is a graphic adventure video game designed and directed by the brothers Robyn and Rand Miller. It was developed by Cyan , a Spokane, Washington––based studio, and published and distributed by Brøderbund. The Millers began working on Myst in and released it for the Mac OS computer on September...
— By immediately retrieving the white page from the dock switch, the primary puzzle (and thus the entire game) can be completed without ever leaving the main island. - Pokémon Red and Green (Japanese) — It is possible to swap items with Pokémon since the 'select' button doesn't wear off when cancelling the item screen. When swapping an item with a Pokémon a part of the game memory is changed. Using the aforementioned glitch with the Oak's Parcel will let you warp to the map with the number of steps you've walked until the door you walk in. Using this glitch, it is possible to complete the game whitin 5 minutes by directly warping to the Hall of Fame. This glitch is called the 'Dokokashira Door Glitch', Dokokashira being Japanese for 'what is it'.
- Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and BluePokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
(International) — Buying a Poké Doll to be used instead of the Silph Scope, thus skipping all of the Game Corner. Also, the ability to trade Pokémon between games makes the S.S. Anne skippable by allowing the player to use a Pokémon's Cut ability before they should be able to. Unusually, neither of these sequence breaks were fixed in rereleases, though a separate one involving Pokémon Stadium 2Pokémon Stadium 2Pokémon Stadium 2, known as in Japan, is a video game for the Nintendo 64. It features all 251 Pokémon from the first and second generations. It was released in North America as simply Pokémon Stadium 2, as it was the second Stadium game to be released there. In Japan, Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin was...
and the Fresh Water item being used to skip Cerulean Gym was fixed in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreenPokémon FireRed and LeafGreenare enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
. - Prince of PersiaPrince of PersiaPrince of Persia is a platform game, originally developed by Jordan Mechner and released in 1989 for the Apple II, that represented a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games....
— Luring a guard in the first level out of a narrow corridor and then going around him to the level's exit allows the player to essentially skip most of the first level. - Prince of Persia: Warrior WithinPrince of Persia: Warrior WithinPrince of Persia: Warrior Within is a video game and sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Warrior Within was developed and published by Ubisoft, and released on December 2, 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Microsoft Windows. It picks up where The Sands of Time left off,...
— Buggy sand time portals allow the player to skip greatly ahead of the storyline. - Shining ForceShining ForceShining Force, known as in Japan, and otherwise known as Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention, is a 1992 turn-based strategy role-playing video game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console...
— In the beginning of the game, it is possible to nudge a villager into the space through which the guards move so that when they try to stop you from leaving Guardiana before talking to the king and getting the first few characters, there is a gap that allows you to leave anyway; this is necessary to finish the game with the minimal party of 12 characters.http://shiningforcecentral.com/faqs/sf_minparty.txt - Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
— The "minus world" warp zone glitch can be used to skip from World 1-2 to World 5-1, possibly the earliest major sequence break in a video game. The warp zone in World 1-2 is intended to go to World 2-1, World 3-1 or World 4-1. - Super Mario 64Super Mario 64is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
and Super Mario 64 DSSuper Mario 64 DSis an enhanced remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64, platform game Super Mario 64, produced by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was a launch title for the Nintendo DS, released in North America and Japan in 2004; it was later released in Europe and Australia in 2005.Nintendo...
— By taking advantage of several glitches, including the 'backwards long jump' glitch, one can complete the game with less than the 70 stars required to climb up the endless staircase, even to the point of collecting no stars at all in the Nintendo 64 version. - Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! is a video game for the PlayStation video game console. It was released in North America under this title on October 31, 1999, in Europe as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer on November 5, 1999, and in Japan on March 16, 2000 as: Spyro X Sparx Tondemo Tours.Ripto's Rage is the...
- By pressing square while jumping one can "double jump" and reach scrapped areas. Other games in the series also have secret areas that were scrapped but can still be found. - Half-Life 2Half-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
- Using several glitches in the physics engine, huge amounts of content can be skipped. For instance, the infamous bridge battle on Highway 17 can be entirely skipped using a flying glitch.
External links
- Tool-assisted console game movies - Speedruns through various classic console games, made with emulators and utilizing slow-motion and savestates.
- Speed Demos Archive - Speedruns through various games, made without the use of tools such as slow-motion and savestates.