Speedrun Strategies for Super Ninja Adventure

I want to be upfront about something: I wasn't a speedrunner before Super Ninja Adventure. I was the kind of player who explores every corner, reads every bit of environmental storytelling, and takes their time. Then I completed the game once, tried to replay a level fast "just for fun," and got hooked on the idea of doing it as efficiently as possible. Three weeks and probably 200 runs later, here I am writing a speedrun guide.

Whether you want to blast through the game competitively or just see how fast you can personally clear it, this guide has you covered. I'll go through the core movement techniques, the most important route decisions, and level-specific tricks that save meaningful time.

The Speedrun Mindset: Speed vs Optimisation

Here's something that took me a while to understand: going fast doesn't mean pressing buttons faster. It means making fewer, better decisions. The fastest Super Ninja Adventure runs look smooth and almost relaxed — not frantic. That's because every single input has a clear purpose.

Before you try to optimise a full run, I strongly recommend doing timed individual level attempts first. Get comfortable with each stage in isolation, then link them together. Trying to do a full run before you've optimised individual levels just means you'll reset a lot and feel frustrated.

Core Movement Techniques for Speed

Momentum Building and Preservation

The single most important thing in a Super Ninja Adventure speedrun is preserving your horizontal momentum. Every time you stop, turn around, or land awkwardly, you bleed speed. The goal is to keep moving in your intended direction as continuously as possible.

Practical applications:

• Start moving before the level loads fully: Input your directional key the moment you regain control at a checkpoint or level start.
• Use slopes to accelerate: Running down any inclined surface briefly boosts your speed. Combine this with a jump at the bottom for exceptional horizontal distance.
• Avoid unnecessary stops: If an enemy is blocking your path but not actually threatening you immediately, consider whether a jump-over is faster than stopping to fight.

The Slash-Jump Technique at Speed

I mentioned the slash-jump cancel in my mechanics article — in a speedrun context, this becomes absolutely essential. The slight upward boost from slash-jumping means you can reach platforms without slowing down to jump from a standstill. Chain it with forward movement and you're essentially gaining height while maintaining speed.

It feels weird at first and you'll miss the timing repeatedly. Spend 15 minutes in a low-stakes early level just practising the input: move forward, slash, immediately jump. The window is quite forgiving once you've felt it a few times.

Double Jump Timing for Distance

In a normal playthrough, the double jump is a safety net. In a speedrun, it's a distance multiplier. The key is to use your first jump at the last possible moment (maximising horizontal distance) and then double jump at the peak of your arc. This gives you the greatest total air distance per jump cycle.

Most new speedrunners use their double jump too early, losing potential distance. Try this: jump, count to two mentally, then double jump. That timing roughly corresponds to the optimal peak-of-arc trigger point.

Route Optimisation by Stage

Here's where I'll go level by level with the specific routing decisions that matter most. I'll focus on the time saves that are actually reliable — not the pixel-perfect tricks that only work 10% of the time.

Early Stages (1–3): Building the Foundation

These stages are mostly about establishing clean movement habits. The time saves here are small individually, but they add up:

• Stage 1: Skip the first crate cluster entirely — jump over it rather than stopping to slash. You don't need anything in those crates for a speedrun.
• Stage 2: The upper route in the second section saves about 4 seconds over the lower route. Take the first raised platform and stay high.
• Stage 3: There's a shortcut wall to jump through on the far right (mentioned in the level guide) — in a speedrun, skip this entirely unless your route specifically uses that room's exit point.

Mid-Game (4–7): Where Runs Are Won or Lost

This is the section of the game where speedrun attempts most commonly fall apart. The stages are complex enough that route decisions really matter, but tight enough that single mistakes cost significant time.

• Stage 4: Fight the minimum required enemies only. You need to clear the two guards at the gate to open it — everything else is optional. Slash-jump over the patrol on the bridge to avoid triggering their aggro.
• Stage 5: The moving platform section — in a speedrun, you want to cross the platforms on the second cycle, not the first. The second cycle positions a faster platform right where you need it. Waiting 2 seconds here saves 8 seconds in the crossing.
• Stage 6: Take the basement shortcut. Yes, it's hidden, but it's a consistent 15-second save. Drop through the decorative gap on the left side of the second room. This is probably the single best time save in the entire game.
• Stage 7: Enemy density is high. Use the Speed Boost pickup near the start to simply run through most of them — your speed makes you harder to hit, and the level is designed so you can blast through if you're fast enough.

Late Game (8–Final): Survival Routing

In the late game, taking damage costs you time because of the stagger animation. A single hit is worth roughly 1.5 seconds of time loss. This means sometimes it's actually faster to take a longer but safer route than a shorter risky one.

• Stage 8: The rooftop secret area (mentioned in the level guide) is not part of a speedrun route — skip it entirely and stay on the main path.
• Stage 9: The armoured enemies here are the biggest time sink. One solid trick: they have a very short patrol range. You can bait them to the edge of their range, then sprint past behind them as they turn.
• Final Stage: Enter with full health if at all possible. The stagger time from hits in the final boss fight is severe, and each phase transition animation can't be skipped — so clean play here matters enormously.

Boss Fights in a Speedrun Context

Bosses feel very different when you're trying to go fast. A few things I've learned:

Shadow Guard (Boss 1): You can overlap the third charge end-lag with your slash if your positioning is perfect. This trims about one full attack cycle off the fight. It requires being at exactly the right distance when the third charge ends.

Stone Warden (Boss 2): The flank-slash method is already fast, but you can speed it up by baiting the slam closer to the wall. This shortens the animation and lets you reach the flank faster.

Final Boss: Learn which attacks have long end-lag animations — those are your slash windows. I found three reliable windows per phase. Using those three consistently is faster than trying to find extra openings and missing, which triggers the back-off animation and costs time.

Common Mistakes That Kill Runs

Based on watching my own replays (yes, I started doing this, it's actually very useful), here are the most common mistakes I see in beginner speedruns:

• Slashing unnecessarily: Every slash you don't need is recovery frames you're burning for nothing
• Double jumping too early: Wastes distance, often leads to awkward landings
• Not knowing enemy aggro ranges: Getting chased by enemies you didn't need to engage slows your route
• Forgetting the Stage 6 basement shortcut: This is the biggest single time save and it's easy to forget under pressure
• Taking hits in the final boss: The stagger is so punishing here that it can turn a good run into a mediocre one

Starting Your Speedrun Journey

My honest advice for anyone who wants to start speedrunning Super Ninja Adventure: set a modest goal first. Don't aim for a world record; aim to beat your personal best by 10 seconds. That's a goal you can achieve in a single session, and the process of achieving it teaches you everything you need for the next improvement.

Time your runs from the moment you gain control at the start of stage 1 to when the final boss defeat animation begins. That's a consistent measurement point that gives you reliable data to work with.

Most importantly, enjoy it. The game is genuinely fun to play fast — there's a real joy in a clean run where everything comes together. Good luck, ninja. Go be swift.