I did a quick TAS of this game:
Link to video
Time: 6:38.035 (ingame time, for comparing to realtime runs, is about 6:35.3)
Note: This game uses PC Speaker, so the sound effects are just bad (and loud!) and there is no music (that's why the 7:10 speedrun replaced soundtrack with some music)...
Joined: 11/22/2004
Posts: 1468
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Like I said on IRC I'm really glad to see this run :) Even if it's a really short game, it's pretty famous and I'm sure people will like it. You should submit the run to the site too.
Great to see this being done. The only feedback I can give is maybe manipulate level 10 more as the first enemy should have been shot earlier (looks like it). Love how you abused the fire in level 10, that was awesome.
That would work for that enemy (43 frame saving). I haven't checked out how many frames would be lost due to timer differences in rest of the stage (the enemies seem to work on level-global timer)... (edit: no frames would be lost)
Edit: I also figured out another even bigger improvement in level 10 (60 frames from that, for 103 frames total): Bump your head when doing the jump down between the two fires to cut the jump short).
Edit #2: I also discovered that horizontal motion on those wines is fast (jetpack, jumping) as opposed to slow (walking) allowing saving fuel for elsewhere. This saved 34 more frames for total 137 frames of improvement (final time of 6:36.079).
Edit #3: I redid parts of level 3 (1 frame improvement, better positioning of Dave using up-when-falling trick) and 4 (73 frames improvement by better fuel management and improved route (taking the upper branch after the monster on second time one is there)).
Edit #4: Redoing level 5 (jumping bit earlier for jetpack and using jetpack instead of hopping (there isn't enough fuel to go all the way)) saved 17 frames.
Edit #5: Improved level 6 by 2 frames (improved fuel management, any more fuel use and there isn't enough to reach the door. Now 93 frames ahead old WIP at end of level 6.
Edit #6: Improved level 7 by 1 frame (more optimal point to cut off the jetpack and start the jump up the tree). 94 frames ahead.
Edit #7: No improvements found in stages 8, 9 and 10. Thus, the improvement to last WIP is 94 frames (for total of 231 frames, 3.296s from posted WIP). The final time is 6:34.739 (ingame time of about 6:32).
I also have another (glitched) route to try in level 6, no idea if it is faster or slower than the current one... (edit: there's no way it can be faster)
1) The sound effects of this game are absolutely terrible.
2) There is no music.
3) The very last part of level 9 looks quite "wrong", as if you could improve it by 2 seconds or more.
In my opinion, 1+2 qualify for bad game choice. The technical quality of the TAS was quite good.
Not hopping on that one block but instead taking the long way? That's because that one block is a trap (one has to look very closely to see it). IIRC, video shows me hopping through that block, no normal block would allow that.
Why does this game use the exact same sounds as Crystal Caves?
Sage advice from a friend of Jim: So put your tinfoil hat back in the closet, open your eyes to the truth, and realize that the government is in fact causing austismal cancer with it's 9/11 fluoride vaccinations of your water supply.
Here I am being bored, this movie's sound stunk, and it was annoying to watch that stupid GREAT JOB TWO MORE LEVELS or whatnot.
So I ripped the video, added music, and deleted those idiotic GREAT JOB TWO MORE LEVELS thingies.
Score!
Link to video
Sorry about the bleh quality.
OK, I couldn't see that even when watching again... It should be noted when you submit this run.
--
I liked the movie with the added soundtrack a lot more than the original. It might be possible to publish it together with the "official" video, since something similar was done for [1616] N64 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by Bloobiebla in 56:54.20