A Mario Speedrunner Accidentally Broke This Persona Game With A New Glitch

Summary

• On March 26, 2024, a Mario speedrunner known as rillo (playing the PSP version on an emulator) discovered an experience (EXP) glitch in Persona 2: Innocent Sin: a normal level-up that should have reached level 9 instead jumped to level 16.
• rillo posted the find to the Persona speedrunning Discord. Community testing (Maddie, molski, others) replicated it and determined it is frame‑perfect but easier with emulator turbo. molski later confirmed the exploit works on actual PSP hardware/PSTV as well.
• The same exploit exists in the PSP build of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (both PSP versions share the same engine), but it does not work in the original non‑PSP releases.

How the glitch works (short, actionable)

• The glitch triggers on the level‑up / experience screens when confirming to advance to the next screen.
• If you press the confirm button frame‑perfect multiple times during that transition, the game re-applies the battle EXP each time you hit it. The game’s confirmation sound repeats for each successful press as feedback.
• The result is multiple times the battle EXP. Tests showed up to 4× on emulator without turbo; using emulator turbo makes hitting the required timing much easier.

Key: press the confirm button frame‑perfect multiple times during the level‑up transition. Repeated confirmation sounds indicate successful extra EXP applications.

Practical strategies and how this affects speedruns

General mechanic

• EXP funneling synergy (both games):
  • Standard funnel: defeat or otherwise remove party members so boss EXP is concentrated on the primary character (split EXP only goes to living characters).
  • The glitch amplifies funneling, yielding much earlier and larger level gains for the main character.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)

• Big impact: allows runners to reach higher levels much earlier and avoid random encounters more reliably.
• Esta (a repel‑style ability learned by the Nemesis persona at rank 6) can be obtained and, combined with the glitch, lets runners skip the bulk of random encounters after the fourth boss. This is a large time save because escaping on easy is not guaranteed.
• Current PSP record: 5:47:02 by molski. If integrated reliably, the glitch could substantially lower this time.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (PSP)

• Similar funneling approach (push tech/magic early), but benefits are more limited:
  • Early stat caps reduce how much extra EXP helps beyond the early game.
  • On Easy mode you already automatically run from random encounters, and fights to run away from are short (~12 s), so time savings are small.
• Avoiding encounters without Esta: limited options
  • Disguise Goods (consumable) reduce encounters but are money‑limited and costly in quantity.
  • Obtaining Esta early by mutation requires a persona at high rank and relies on a low‑chance mutation after winning with a fusion spell; toxicTT reported ~40 attempts to get it, making this impractical for routing.
• Current any% PSP record: 2:52:41 by toxicTT. The glitch may only save a few minutes, if any.

Tips / key points for runners

• Use turbo on PSP emulator (PPSSPP) while learning to make the frame‑perfect inputs feasible; without turbo it is possible but much harder.
• Listen/watch for the repeated confirmation sound — it indicates successful extra EXP application.
• The trick works on real PSP hardware and PSTV, so console runs can use it.
• The glitch is PSP‑specific; it does not work in the original pre‑PSP releases of these games.
• For Innocent Sin routing, pair the glitch with EXP funneling and obtain Esta as soon as feasible for maximum encounter avoidance.
• For Eternal Punishment, expect limited benefit; weigh the costs of buying Disguise Goods or the time spent attempting mutations — both are marginal or impractical for consistent routing.

Records mentioned

• Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP) — 5:47:02 by molski
• Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (PSP) — 2:52:41 by toxicTT

Gamers / sources featured

• rillo — discovered the glitch (Mario speedrunner)
• Maddie — community tester
• molski — tester, streamer, Innocent Sin PSP record holder
• toxicTT — Eternal Punishment runner / record holder
• Persona speedrunning Discord — community testing hub