Taz: Wanted - Hint Video Exploit Found by CycloneFN (circa September 2016)

Video Example:

You can pause on the frame you destroy a sign. Unpausing will destroy the sign normally.

What's interesting is that you can trigger the sign destruction cutscene by watching a hint video. This causes some weird effects to occur, the most useful of which being skipping the slowdowns while in the pause menu (saves in-game time) and being able to move during cutscenes (for example, on the frame you hit the boat in Looney Lagoon, if you look at a video and finish destroying the sign, you'll be able to walk on the sinking ship parts, which shouldn't be possible since they sink during a cutscene in which Taz can't move).

This isn't exclusive to signs: for example, you can watch a hint video as you enter the cutscene in the basement in Cartoon Strip-Mine (the one that shows you the machine making coins) and skip that cutscene.

Most signs in the game are either destroyed at the start of a spin or after a certain amount of time (when the spin starts to take effect). Doing this glitch for those signs is called Instant HVE (IHVE) and Full Spin HVE (FSHVE) respectively. You can find out more about those timings here: http://imgur.com/a/hzBou . A good spot to practice FSHVEs is the leftmost switch in the basement in Cartoon-Strip Mine (not the one that starts the sign, the other one), since you can hit it repeatedly without having to exit the level.

Furthermore, spat-out objects and other projectiles (such as Ice Burg's, Bank of Samerica's, Granny Canyon's and Cartoon Strip-Mine's costume attacks) still move while watching hint videos and can still hit signs or destroy objects. These Projectile Hint Video Exploits (PHVE) are much easier to do, since you have a lot of time to open the map before the object hits the target. You can see a video of all the useful PHVEs here:

Below is a list of the effects this glitch has on the signs (and other cutscenes) in every level, as well as how much time each skipped cutscene takes. Keep in mind that this only accounts for in-game time saved and doesn't include how long this glitch takes to perform (you can assume for real-time runs that each HVE takes ~2 seconds). If a sign says "Normal Sign", it means that you can HVE it but you'll only skip the slowdown (which saves about 0.5 seconds). Most of these signs are the typical standing posters (like the House Sign in Zooney Tunes), which can be IHVE'd. If a cutscene says "Camera keeps looking at Taz", it means exactly that. For some cutscenes, this is barely useful (Laboratory Sign in Taz: Haunted), for others it essentially skips blind movement (Golden Sam Activation in Looney Lagoon). If a cutscene says (I), it means that you can do an IHVE. If a cutscene says (FS), it means that you can do a FSHVE.

Zooney Tunes

House Sign - Normal Sign Tower Sign - ~8 seconds (I) Beehive Sign - Normal Sign (FS) Lake Sign - Normal Sign Van Sign - ~7 seconds (FS) Cork Sign - ~5 seconds (FS) Tree Sign - Normal Sign (I) !!! Golden Sam Rock - ~4 seconds

Ice Burg

Ski Lift Sign - This sign's cutscene is divided into 3 parts: the electric jolt moving through the wire, the cable car going really fast and the ski lift crashing into the mountain. After every part of the cutscene, you are moved right next to the switch. Watching one hint video skips the first cutscene. Watching two skips the first cutscene and the camera looks at Taz during the second cutscene. Watching three or more videos allows you to move during the second cutscene, but you'll be put back near the switch when the third cutscene starts. Effectively, this HVE saves ~4 seconds (FS) and allows you to move around for ~9 seconds before putting you back near the switch. It is possible to HVE just the second cutscene, because there is one frame between the first and second cutscenes where you can act. As such, this HVE will only allow you to move for the second cutscene's ~9 seconds before putting you back near the switch. Frozen Lake Sign - Normal Sign Ice Cube Sign - Electricity Box: Camera keeps looking at Taz (~6 seconds); Sign - Normal Sign Christmas Tree Sign - Camera keeps looking at Taz Ice Cream Truck Sign - ~9.5 seconds (requires watching two videos) (FS) Ice Floor Sign - Normal Sign Igloo Sign - Normal Sign !!! Golden Sam Power Switch - Camera keeps looking at Taz (FS) !!! Golden Sam Button - Camera keeps looking at Taz (FS)

Looney Lagoon

Boat Sign - ~9 seconds Docks Sign - Camera keeps looking at Taz Lighthouse Sign - ~8 seconds (FS) Diving Plank Sign - Normal Sign Washing Machine Sign - Normal Sign Sink Sign - Normal Sign (I) Inflatable Sign - ~5 seconds (FS) !!! Golden Sam - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~9 seconds) (FS)

Samsonian Museum

Light Bulb Sign - 2nd hit - ~2 seconds (FS); 3rd hit - skips blind movement (~3 seconds) (FS) Coin Sign - ~6.5 seconds Floor Sign - Normal Sign Hologram Sign - The camera gets stuck OoB if you destroy the sign with the camera fixed. Otherwise, the camera keeps looking at Taz. (FS). Bathroom Sign - Normal Sign Toilet Sign - Normal Sign Puzzle Sign - Normal Sign !!! Coin Sign Buttons - ~11.5 (requires watching two videos) (FS) (Keep in mind that the gates take a while to open after the cutscene starts)

Looningdale's

TV Store Sign - ~3.5 seconds (FS) Stadium Sign - Normal Sign Shopping Center Sign - Normal Sign Top Sign - Normal Sign Clock Sign - ~4 seconds (FS) Kite Sign - Normal Sign. You can cancel the weird camera angles from the dart shooters (FS). Mall Explosives Sign - You stay near the TNT detonator after the explosion and the camera keeps looking at Taz (~3.5 seconds). !!! Battery - Skips the cutscenes and allows you to take the machine to the Stadium Sign, but doesn't open the gates throughout the level unless you watch the hint video until that cutscene starts (~10 seconds) (FS) !!! Golden Sam Lever - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~25 seconds) (FS)

Bank of Samerica

Gate Sign - Normal Sign (FS) Wall Sign - Normal Sign (FS) Barrel Sign - ~2 seconds (FS) Oil Floor Sign - Normal Sign Green Beam Sign - Normal Sign Antenna Sign - ~4 seconds (FS) (requires watching two videos) Cement Mixer Sign - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~5.5 seconds) (FS) !!! Gate Sign Lever - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~2 seconds) (I) !!! Other Gate Lever - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~2 seconds) (I) !!! Elevator - Teleports you to the 8th floor, but the elevator isn't there, so you can fall down to the 7th or 5th floor. The elevator then rises from the 1st to the 8th floor and you can clip inside it from above to see a cutout of Taz. The doors won't open when you reach the top. Reentering the elevator from the 1st floor will softlock the game. !!! Calling the Magnet Elevator - Skips the cutscene. An intangible elevator appears near Taz. !!! Magnet Elevator - Teleports you temporarily to the entrance of the level, then to the other side of the elevator (some of the cutscene is skipped). An intangible elevator appears near Taz. !!! Toilet Transporter - Camera keeps looking at Taz. !!! Golden Sam - The TNT is pressed and the explosives detonate, but the platforms and the Golden Sam don't appear.

Granny Canyon

Cannon Sign - Normal Sign Cactus Sign - Normal Sign Hidden Base Sign - Normal Sign Water Tank Sign - Normal Sign (Including Water Tank Entrance) (Even with Invisible Water Tank Glitch) Train Sign - The first two cutscenes (by hitting the switch the first two times) are skippable. The third activates a 5-part cutscene, very similar to Ice Burg's Ski Lift Sign: you can skip the entire cutscene if you HVE on the perfect frames, but you'll be put back near the switch after every part of the cutscene regardless, saving at most ~7 seconds. 1st hit - ~2 seconds (FS); 2nd hit - ~4 seconds (FS); 3rd hit - ~3 seconds (FS); 1st blind HVE - ~2 seconds; 2nd blind HVE - ~13 seconds; 3rd blind HVE - ~5.5 seconds; 4th blind HVE - ~7 seconds (requires watching two videos) Cave Sign - Normal Sign Gas Station Sign - ~10 seconds (FS) !!! UFO opening - ~5 seconds (FS)

Taz: Haunted

Balcony Sign - Normal Sign Window Sign - Normal Sign (FS) Gong Sign - Normal Sign (FS) Laboratory Sign - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~4 seconds) (FS) Roof Sign - Normal Sign Haunted Cart Sign - Normal Sign Entrance Sign - Normal Sign !!! Graveyard - Can move during the cutscene (~6 seconds). !!! Armchair Spring - Can move during the cutscene (~5 seconds). !!! Basement Bookcases - Can move during the cutscene (~9 seconds). !!! Level End Cannon - Camera keeps looking at Taz.

Cartoon Strip-Mine

Light Projector Sign - 1st hit - ~3 seconds (FS); 2nd hit - ~3 seconds (FS); 3rd hit - ~3 seconds (FS) Drill Sign - ~9.5 seconds (requires watching two videos) Underground Sign - Normal Sign Minecart Sign - Normal Sign Platform Sign - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~4 seconds) Water Maze Sign - Normal Sign Bubble Gum Sign - Both barrier destruction cutscenes can be skipped (~5 seconds) (I) (~15 seconds) (I). You can skip the cutscene for activating the switch (~6 seconds) (FS), but the cart and the fence become intangible, so you can't destroy the sign. !!! Bottom floor cutscene - ~14 seconds !!! Rock Cart - ~3 seconds (FS) !!! Dynamite Cart - Button cutscene can be skipped (~22 seconds) (FS), but the path becomes intangible and softlocks the game if you hit the cart's barrier normally afterwards. Cart Barrier cutscene is ~3 seconds (1st part) and ~9 seconds (2nd part) (Camera keeps looking at Taz) !!! Golden Sam - Rocks are visually gone but their collision is still there (~13 seconds) !!! Elevator - Going down (first time) - Camera keeps looking at Taz; going up or going down (second or more time) - ~4 seconds (requires watching two videos).

Tazland A-maze-ment Park

Egg Sign - 1st hit - ~3 seconds (FS); 2nd hit - ~4 seconds (FS); 3rd hit - ~9 seconds (FS) Wrecking Ball Sign - ~7.5 seconds (FS) Tazland Explosives Sign - The camera keeps looking at Taz Log Cutting Sign - All three cutscenes (entering the room, hitting the switch and hitting the button) can be skipped: 1st - ~8 seconds; 2nd - ~8 seconds; 3rd - ~9 seconds Log Rolling Sign - Normal Sign Rocket Sign - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~2.5 seconds) Cactus Maze Sign - Normal Sign !!! Entering Tree Elevator - ~4 seconds !!! Exiting Tree Elevator - Camera keeps looking at Taz (~1.5 seconds) !!! Jukebox TNT - ~3 seconds !!! Plank Dropping Cutscene - ~2 seconds !!! Sawmill Teleporter Cutscene - ~2 seconds