Replaying the first Kingdom Hearts game again. Figured I've played it enough times between the PS2 and PS4 versions that I should be able to get a Platinum Trophy really damned easy. I mean, I have a 100% file already on my PS2. Not the Final Mix version, but still.
So, I'm doing my first trophy-based run on Beginner Mode. I'm planning on getting "Unchanging Armor" (Don't touch the equipment menu at all until you've beaten the game), "Undefeated" (Don't use the Continue option on death. You can still die and it won't count if you use the Load Game option.), and "Speedster". The Speedster trophy is kind of funny. You have to beat the game in under 15 hours. However, they never bothered to adapt the in-game timer to take the trophy into account. Once it hits 100 hours, it changes color and rolls back to zero. If you miss the time limit, you can just leave the game running overnight for a few days and go kill the final boss again on the next go-around.
What I didn't expect was for the game to make Beginner Mode even easier than it was in the original game! You start the game pre-loaded with free end-game equipment. The equipment you get gives you 30% additional EXP from every enemy you defeat, and also makes you take 30% less damage from any elemental-type attack. Later on, I discovered that the game also gave me around 8 free HP UP, Attack Up, and Defense Up items, as well as about 5 free AP Up items as well. So, I end up with skyrocketed stats at the beginning of the game where every enemy is doing 1 damage at a time, and I'm slaughtering enemies in a single hit when they should be taking at least two full combos.
Originally, I decided that I'd make things easier on myself and to the long route to the Speedster trophy. I could spend the extra time grinding out all of the long and slow tasks, like gathering all of the stuff for Synthesis and getting the trophy for creating all of the items. I did a bit of level grinding in Traverse Town until I was at level 7, then got a bit bored and figured I'd just play through normally up until the first Hollow Bastion visit, so that I could collect all of the enemy drops when all of the enemies were available but before they got their stat buffs for end-game. I absolutely hate the beginning levels, so I sped my way through them. Skipped all of the cutscenes, and just bee-lined it from objective to objective to get those levels out of the way. Discovered that I'd finished the first set of levels in less than an hour and a half.
So, I figured I could see how far and how quick I could get through the game. My game-breaking stats, even when skipping every random enemy and only getting experience from boss battles got me all the way to the second visit to Hollow Bastion in under six hours. Remember, the requirement was fifteen! The game think's I'm incredibly underleveled, and an effortless Oogie Boogie fight got me, Donald, and Goofy each four level-ups at once! You couldn't see the screen under the announcements! I wish that I had remembered the screenshot function, because it was kind of neat.
I also found out something absolutely amazing about the Riku battle. You know, the really difficult one at the end that'll kick your ass, especially on Critical Mode. (Which I'm also going to have to do to get the Critical trophy and finish up, but I can get literally every other trophy on this easy run, so if I abuse Damage Storage, no pressure) You know that one attack he has where he starts glowing, zips around the screen to stun-lock you once he hits you, and then blows up the whole damn arena? I accidentally found an easily-repeatable way to break that attack.
There are two computer terminals up against the balcony side of the arena. Once he starts glowing to prep for the attack, get over to those and press yourself into the corner between the balcony railing and the side of the computer. All you have to do is jump straight up one time to dodge that very first dash. He can't warp into the computer terminal, so you're safe against every single dash attack and he can't stun-lock you or even hit you once. His massive explosion finisher will miss you as well. You literally don't even have to move, and you dodge his most difficult and most dangerous attack with zero effort. (For anyone who doesn't play the game, the usual method is to jump and glide to stay off the ground. You usually still get hit by the final dash and the finisher, so the usual way of dodging still gets you hurt.)
Considering Dodge Roll will evade everything else, Aero will negate most of the damage from the attacks that do get in, and this should pretty much turn the hardest battle in the game into a cakewalk.