This is a challenge run of Elephantasy Flipside in which I beat the game (100% completion, best ending) without ever simultaneously carrying more than two of the eight upgradeable items in my inventory. I use all eight items in the run, but never carry more than two at once, which limits my options in many interesting ways. Some difficult and unusual tricks are required to complete the game. This is an unpolished video and features a lot of mistakes and live commentary that isn't good. Sorry about it.
Note: This was recorded on v1.3.3 of the game. The v1.4 updates tweak some of the physics, namely: mini wall jumping gives much less height, and thrown objects don't bounce as high when they hit walls. I've confirmed this challenge run is still possible on v1.4.1, but I didn't record a video.
The items I get by abusing the mini wall jump can all be obtained through other means:
- For the caves springboard items, just use the springboards normally.
- For the other leftover items in the caves, you can get them with herbs.
- Most of the iceberg stuff is straightforward with Ring + Herbs, I think. I actually got most of it with Ring + Shrink in my v1.4.1 playthrough, but I think I used herbs for the key on a high-up ledge in "Snow Zone". The gem in "Floaty" is very difficult with Ring + Shrink, but it's possible with well-timed throwable item boosts. It's probably easier to use Ring + Herbs for that one.
- Finally, the ore on the high-up floating platform in the volcano can be obtained by bringing an throwable item there and using timestop jumping. Bomb jumping might work as well. It's a bit of a pain because if you miss the cross-screen jump, obtaining another throwable item requires going partway through the rising lava section, and if you run out of herbs, you have to warp out and come back.
The thrown object bounce change really only affects the strategy I use for the three pillar room near the end of the final dungeon. To get a jar on the tallest pillar without the bounce trick, just throw it from the middle-height pillar.
Oh, I also found a longer but less inconsistent way to get out of the area with Death's head, avoiding the need for the glitchy pot air jump used in the video. Reach Penultimate using Ring + Shrink as normal, and activate the warp. Warp out, grab a pot, and reenter the final dungeon by falling down a pit. This resets your inventory. Proceed as normal, but when you get to the Wand / Shrink room, choose Wand and do the left path. Backtracking through this path once you get Death's head is a bit difficult, but doesn't require anything out too outlandish.
If there are more physics tweaks, I don't know if I'll do another playthrough....