A while ago someone asked me about version differences for Train after I had achieved 0:56 on Agent and slayed both the SA & 00A WRs on JP.

"Curious to hear your thoughts on version differences for Train. Are they equal? Not as different as perceived before? Or is PAL significantly better and other versions expectedly unoptimized in their version WRs?"

These are interesting questions. Train is complex and I can’t quantify the differences easily. Some differences feel real: laser speeds, lag, or even guard aggression mid-session. At high level play, those “vibes” matter.

For example, on NTSC, guard aggression or laser slowness can derail runs. Train is physically draining too. During my grind, I noted patterns and frustrations. I don’t have a proper PAL setup—my screen is black & white with lag from an adapter—so I can’t speak definitively about PAL.

That said, JP/NTSC WRs were unoptimized. You can overcome version disadvantages with skill: consistent early guard kills to reduce lag, reacting to guard spawns, and understanding version-specific cycles. On JP, the mini toilet room guard behaves differently than PAL at high pace, and the difference in behavior affects execution strategy.

Laser speeds seem faster on PAL, but JP is playable. NTSC is laggier in the first two rooms and laser fires slower. My theory is that guard crouch states impact lag more on NTSC. If you kill early guards, NTSC lag improves but probably never matches PAL.

Guard cycles in the 3rd and 4th cars are tougher on JP unless you’re very fast. Small things like watching cinema might affect spawns. On PAL, these aren’t as punishing unless you’re on SA/00A, where pace and cycles really matter.

The last brake area is easier on PAL—lower lag and faster Ouro shot. On JP, it lags even with guard kills, especially if three guards spawn in the green corridor.

At the locks, PAL has consistent laser. On NTSC, it can vary wildly. I've had 20+ kills and still gotten bad lasers. NTSC might benefit from better framerate there, but PAL consistency usually wins. That said, NTSC felt better to aim with—maybe PAL’s input is affected by my setup?

On SA/00A, JP has an advantage in guard cycles—less punishing guard at the start of 3rd car, which helps execution. Combined with early kills, it makes JP viable even without using the Ouro shot. PAL's advantage here isn't as clear due to variation in guard hits and shot registration.

Some players (Calle, Clemens, Mystyc Cheez) claim PAL gets you shot more often. I haven’t tested that enough to say for sure, but on JP 00A I was surprised at how little I was getting shot compared to PAL.

tl;dr: Agent: PAL > JP > NTSC. For SA/00A, JP has benefits but also some drawbacks. NTSC requires better play to match times, especially due to lag. Killing guards early makes a massive difference. Clemens' 1:00 from 2010 (no early kills) is still insane.

Another note: Bond's control feels better on NTSC. I could predict my NTSC paces well, but PAL threw me off. Could be due to setup, but maybe Bond's “PAL movement” differs too.

Finally, shoutout to Henrik who happened to be in Montreal while I was grinding Train. Watching him for 30 minutes helped me realize the value of early kills. He used tape on the stick for grip, and his technique was inspiring. grav had this idea to get specialists in one room to share all these subtle skills—maybe someday, when I play Runway 00A seriously…