Scan Dash (Echoes)
Like its predecessor, Prime 2 allows for the player to cover extra long horizontal distances using techniques that abuse the dashing mechanic. However, in Echoes there are two ways to gain extra horizontal distance through dashing instead of just one, both varying in difficulty. The standard method of dash jumping is easier, but way slower and less useful than that of Prime 1. The other method, known as extended dashing, allows you to get dash speeds that are similar to that of Prime 1, and is more versatile at the cost of being harder to execute, requiring more extensive training to do properly and consistently. Nonetheless, Dash Jumping is still an essential form of movement in Echoes speedrunning that has applications in numerous different areas of the game.
Scan Dash
To perform a Scan Dash:
- Lock on to a target with either Scan Visor or Combat Visor
- Strafe off of that target while holding down R almost immediately afterwards
Unlike the first game, it is necessary to keep holding both L and R throughout the scan dash. If either button is released, then you will instantly slow down. Also, it is possible to bend or curve the scan dash by rolling the control stick up or down before the R button has been pressed. Once R is pressed, then your angle and speed is locked until you let go of either L or R again.
- To get the best height and distance from a scan dash, you want press R roughly 1/4 of a second after beginning the dash
- You can look where you are going during a Scan Dash by pressing A to drop the Scan Visor. As long as you are still holding L and R, this will not affect your speed or direction whatsoever and you can look around freely.
- If you did a dash in Combat Visor, or use a scan target that is close enough that you begin actually scanning it, then it's still possible to look around during the dash, but at a slight cost of speed. Just briefly let go of L to stop locking onto your target, and then immediately begin holding L again to minimize the speed loss.
- Assuming you are still holding L and R, you can peform a "bunnyhop" after a Scan Dash by jumping immediately after touching the ground again. This lets you continue jumping while maintaining most of the speed from your original scan dash. The most significant application of bunnyhopping can be seen in Vault.
Scan Dash Tutorial by erinexplosives
Extended Dash
Extended Dashes (sometimes shortened as E-Dashes) are different to normal scan dashes in the way they are performed, but the premise is the same: by holding L and R after performing a Dash, Samus can retain some of that speed. Where Extended Dashes differ from normal scan dashes is in their complexity. They are far more complex, but if done correctly they can allow for speeds similar to that of Scan Dashes in Prime 1. This is because extended dashes avoid the horizontal speed cap by pressing R while on the ground. As a result, Samus will get most of the speed from the dash and will be able to retain far more of that speed compared to normal. Lots of practice is recommended before incorporating this into speedruns.
To perform an extended dash:
- Lock on to a target with either Scan Visor or Combat Visor
- Press and hold B for about 1/4 of a second, making sure you get about enough height, then let go of B to dash in either direction
- The higher Samus is when the dash is performed, the better: for the best results the Dash needs to be performed at the end of jumpstate 1 (approx. 12-13 frames, as described in the page for Jumping.)
- Immediately when landing on the ground, hold R and press B again. How much speed you will retain will depend on how precisely you do these inputs
- Keep holding L and R for the rest of the dash
How much speed you are able retain will vary depending on the circumstances of the room you're dashing in, the distance your lock-on target is relative to Samus, and how close to the end of jumpstate 1 Samus is when the dash is performed. The R press must happen while Samus is on the ground, otherwise the horizontal speed cap will be enforced. Additionally, how quickly B is pressed will dramatically affect how much speed you retain, because while you are on the ground, Samus' speed rapidly decreases. An optimal extended dash will press B the frame after R is pressed.
During an e-dash, Samus will still be locked on to the lock-on point that was used to perform the dash. This can lead to Samus turning during the course of the dash as a result of having locked onto the point. Turning while at extended dash speeds can lower how much speed you have, and therefore how much distance Samus is able to cross. This is because the forward-facing speed cap is still in effect during an e-dash, and turning in the direction the dash is heading in will slow down Samus as a result. Turning while performing an e-dash is only recommended in situations where it may be beneficial to influence the course of the dash. If performing the dash with the Scan Visor, it is possible to prevent this from happening by pressing A to go back into Combat Visor.