Unlocking the coveted Sidetracked trophy in Scott Pilgrim EX presents a significant challenge for completionists, requiring thorough exploration of every corner of the game’s vibrant pixel-art world. The achievement hinges on discovering and completing all 19 hidden Events scattered throughout the campaign, many of which are gated behind specific items and environmental interactions.
Strategic Item Management is Key to Event Discovery
The path to 100% completion is not linear. Several Events are deliberately placed in areas that cannot be accessed during a standard playthrough. These zones are typically locked behind destructible walls or sealed doors, demanding that players backtrack with the correct tools in their inventory. This design encourages multiple runs and careful planning, transforming a straightforward beat-’em-up into a more exploratory experience.
Essential Tools: The Bomb and the Key
Two items are paramount for accessing every Event. The first is the bomb, a volatile red explosive that can be found in Annex Alley. This bomb will detonate immediately when struck, clearing nearby destructible barriers. Alternatively, players can purchase bombs from vending machines located within The Club, providing a more reliable, if costly, source. The second critical item is the Silver Key, used to unlock specific doors blocking progress. Without both items in your possession, certain Events will remain frustratingly out of reach.
Complete Event Location Guide and Progression Tips
Navigating the game’s events efficiently requires understanding their distribution across the game’s levels. Players should adopt a methodical approach, noting which areas they have already cleared and which require a return visit with new equipment.
Early Game Events (Levels 1-3)
The initial levels contain several Events that can be completed with minimal prerequisites. These often involve defeating specific enemy waves or interacting with environmental objects. Completing these as you encounter them reduces the need for extensive backtracking later. Pay close attention to alleyways and side paths that deviate from the main critical path, as these are prime locations for hidden content.
Mid-Game and Locked Events (Levels 4-7)
This is where the challenge intensifies. Events in the middle stages of the game frequently require the bomb or key obtained from earlier levels. A common strategy is to play through the game normally, collecting the necessary items, and then using the level select feature to revisit previous stages fully equipped. This saves time compared to attempting to find every Event in a single, unprepared run.
Annex Alley: The Primary Bomb Source
Annex Alley is more than just a combat zone; it’s a resource hub. The guaranteed bomb spawn here is the most efficient way to stock up on explosives for barrier clearing. Memorizing its location relative to the stage’s start is crucial for speedrunning the cleanup of bomb-blocked Events across the game.
Overcoming the Final Hurdles for the Sidetracked Trophy
The final cluster of Events is often the most demanding, testing not just your exploration skills but your combat prowess. Some late-game Events feature brutal enemy combinations or unique gameplay mechanics that differ from the standard hallway brawls.
Event Types and Completion Criteria
Not all Events are created equal. While many are simple combat challenges, others might involve racing against a clock, protecting an NPC, or solving a minor environmental puzzle. Understanding the objective before diving in is key to avoiding repeated failures. The game does not always make these objectives immediately clear, so observation and quick adaptation are necessary skills.
Optimizing Character Selection for Specific Events
Certain Events can be trivialized or made significantly easier by choosing the right character from Scott Pilgrim’s iconic roster. Characters with superior range, mobility, or area-of-effect attacks can handle crowded enemy spawns more effectively. If you find yourself stuck on a particular combat-focused Event, experimenting with a different character loadout can provide the edge you need.
Post-Game Cleanup and Verification
Once you believe you have completed all 19 Events, the moment of truth arrives. The Sidetracked trophy should unlock automatically upon finishing the final one. If it does not, the game offers limited in-game tracking, necessitating a meticulous review of each level.
Commonly Missed Event Locations
Data from early players indicates that Events hidden behind breakable walls in later levels, particularly those off the main screen scroll, are the most frequently overlooked. These walls often blend into the background art or are located in areas players feel no need to revisit. A systematic, screen-by-screen sweep of each level with a bomb in hand is the only surefire method to find them all.
The Role of Community Guides and Maps
Given the obscure nature of some placements, the player community has become an invaluable resource. Detailed fan-made maps and video guides documenting every Event location have emerged, serving as essential companions for anyone determined to secure the Sidetracked achievement without excessive trial and error. Leveraging these resources is not cheating; it’s a practical response to the game’s deliberate obscurity.
The journey to unlock every Event in Scott Pilgrim EX transforms a nostalgic romp into a deep dive, rewarding persistence with both a shiny trophy and a much more intimate knowledge of the game’s cleverly constructed world. It’s a testament to the design philosophy that encourages players to look beyond the obvious path, to punch every strange wall, and to always keep a bomb handy for the surprises that might lie just out of sight.
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