What an massive improvement to an anticipated GB run of 2010 already!!
Yes this run improves my previous run by 27323 frames (roughly 7 minutes, 35 seconds) all thanks to some new tricks and even more course skips.
What made you re-do this run again?
I had some interesting comments from a Youtube user called MisterChess
Mister Chess
So wait why didn't you skip course 1?
Greenalink
@MisterChess Course 1 cannot be skipped. I tried all of the non-console friendly inputs on the D-pad and it doesn't work. The course skip only works on certain courses.
MisterChess
@Greenalink
Course 1 can, in fact, be skipped.
dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/448876881/Course1Skip.vbm
Greenalink
@MisterChess
Holy crap, you're right. Time to make an embarssing announcement on TASvideos :S.
Sub 29 is possible and all of the courses (in any%) now uses the jet hat
I had a look at the input MisterChess used and funnily enough it uses both Down+Right on the same frame. Unlike the other inputs that I used to skip courses in my previous run this input combination is techinically D-Pad console friendly..
Emulator used: vba-rerecording-19 3.exe
- The newer v22 does work when you load up a GBx Rom
Game objectives
- Aims for the fastest time
- Heavy glitch abuse
- No damage taken (losing the Jet hat is a BAD idea)
- Uses impossible D-pad inputs (Up and Down. Left and Right)
- Abuses fake deaths (this is not a typo).
- Manipulates Luck (coins from blocks, coins after defeating a boss and the 3rd boss).
- Does not use the debug code (pause the game, press select 16 times = tweak Wario).
- Doesn’t have the patience for auto scrolling moments and breaks the game
Secondary game objectives.
- Aims for the lowest coin total (only applies to Course 40, the rest of the courses actually saves time).
Old tricks and glitches are found in this submission page.
#2883: Greenalink's GB Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 in 29:24.77
New tricks used in this run
New input combination to skip even more courses
In my old October 2010 run the course skips you got to see were caused by presssing a non-console friendly D-pad combination like Left+Down+Right on the same frame. However MisterChess discovered that pressing Down+Right also enable Wario to skip certain courses. The most notable use is that it skips Mt.Teapot completely.
Reusing the same objects used to damage bosses.
Apparently if the object is thrown and successfully makes contact to the boss, then it's possible to reuse that object before it goes off-screen or (for an enemy) gets KO'd. This saves a significant amount of time when facing against Funfun (Giant Head) and Zenisukii (Ghost).
Faster ending setup (that requires unlocking a skull door).
On my previous run I let Wario go next to the skull door as close as possible followed by unlocking the door. It turns out that there is 1~2 frames of input that Wario can still be moved. So in other words I managed to dash earlier saving enough frames to remove 1 frame rule loop (nearly 8 frames per course that requires unlocking a skull door). I noticed this happening frequently after Course 22.
Unfortunately I didn't do this on Course 3 (doing it improves the run by 8 frames) BUT when it came to hexing the input for Course 4, the luck factor wasn't on my side and therefore it was not possible to finish Course 4 as quick as the one seen here.
In other words I would gain 8 frames on Course 3 but lose 8 frames on Course 4 due to bad luck with the coins.
This is also the first time I managed to use the hex editor effectively to speed up my progress. But don't worry too much as 75% of the courses I TAS'd in this run does have some updated input.
Stage by stage comments:
Rice Beach
Course 1:
Skipped by pressing Down+Right on the same frame.
Saving 4876 frames
Course 2:
First room is exactly the same; the second has been improved and fast enough to save 8 frames.
Overall saved: 4884
Course 3:
Exactly the same, I didn’t do the faster exit setup because I had amazing luck on Course 4.
Overall saved: 4884
Course 4:
This run was 1 frame better when it comes to luck, this enable me to spend a few frames taking out a Giant Coin without losing a frame rule loop.
Overall saved: 4892
Course 5:
Saved 16 frames thanks to better manipulation and knowledge of how the Prize Coin event ends sooner.
Overall saved: 4908
Mt. Teapot
Skipped completely by pressing Down + Right, saving 24673 frames alone.
Overall saved:29589
Stove Canyon
Course 20:
I kind of forgot that there was a star power up in this level, not only it saves 40 frames in that room alone, it looks much more polished than the previous run. I also took out 2 Giant Coins in this room alone since it wasn’t possible to save 8 frames if I didn’t took out a Giant Coin at all.
Overall saved: 29629
Course 21:
Skipped
Course 22:
Very similar to my previous run except that I updated the last room, saving 8 frames.
Overall saved:29637
Course 23:
Skipped
Overall saved:29637
Course 25:
I updated the route so that I enter the boss room with 20 coins (it’s divisible by 10 so I do not need to pick up any filler* giant coins during the Prize Coin event). This updated route also had new strategies like dashing underneath the fireball in one part of the level and even avoids having to wait for the other fireball. This new route is 8 frames faster than my previous run.
- The event ends sooner when there are fewer coins left and apparently a few of the coins I picked up in my previous run forced Wario to throw away 3 extra Giant Coins when comparing this new run.
The boss battle had slightly worse luck than the previous run and I’m assuming the manipulation is an RNG to an RNG because I can manipulate his attacks at times but when it comes to the position, it seems like I can’t manipulate that during the battle. So if I wanted to manipulate an attack at his exact starting position it seems like I have to either sacrifice a few frame loops (multiples of 8), but that alone is quite a lot as I haven’t lost loads of frames due to imperfect luck.
TLDR version: This boss is a nightmare when it comes to manipulation but the new timesaver is pretty much a miracle.
This introduces a new trick that enables me to reuse the same object I previously used to damage the boss, saving roughly 208 frames. The last 56ish frames were saved by having to throw away 3 less Giant Coins, because when the battle ended I had 000 coins, so I only needed 30 small coins and throw 3 Giant Coins away.
Overall saved: 29901
S.S. Teacup
Course 26:
Updated the exit, saving 8 frames
Overall saved: 29909
Course 27:
I tried updating the ending strat but I couldn’t save any frames.
Overall saved: 29909
Course 28:
Updated the exit, saving 8 frames
Overall saved: 29917
Course 29:
Skipped
Course 30:
In the first huge room that has free-cam mode, I managed to save 8 frames.
In the high ladder room before the boss, I managed to save 32 frames.
Overall saved: 29957
Parsley Woods
Course 31:
Skipped by pressing both Down + Right on the same frame.
Saving: 3001 frames
Overall saved: 32958
Course 32:
Exactly the same when comparing to the October 2010 run.
Overall saved: 32958
Course 33:
This stage was a highlight in the October 2010 run for having the WTF factor. I decided to update the input to make the run a bit fresh, no frames were saved.
Overall saved: 32958
Course 34:
Updated the exit, saving 8 frames
Overall saved: 32966
Course 35:
Slightly updated the ending but 0 frames were saved.
Overall saved: 32966
Course 36:
New boss strategy, inspired by the tactic used against FunFun, I do the same thing here. I will note this now that I did try to find a way to become petrified (to gain extra height) and defeat the boss right afterwards during the freeze. But it seems like that once the ghost is (still) making contact on Wario, the boss is invincible. The ghost can only be damaged when he isn’t making contact on Wario.
The boss battle is 427 frames faster but because I lost the petrified height boost, I had to pick up the 30 small Prize Coins a tad slower losing 27 frames. Making a total of 400 frames saved over all.
Overall saved: 33366
Syrup Castle
Course 37:
Exactly the same.
Overall saved: 33366
Course 38:
8 frames were saved on the high ladder rooms and another 8 frames were saved by better planning on when to throw out the first Giant Coin for good. It seems like the second last room had enough frames to throw away a Giant Coin without losing the 8 frame window. This also enables me to finish the last room fast enough to gain 8 frames.
Overall saved: 33382
Course 39:
Exactly the same except the ending, no frames were saved.
Overall saved: 33382
Course 40:
Updated the mid-boss fight to make it fresh.
The ladder room is 16 frames faster.
The final boss battle is 1 frame faster too.
Overall saved: 33399
Stage cleared screen loss
I lost roughly 6076 frames (1 minute, 41 seconds) because I’ve skipped so many courses in this new run that Wario doesn’t go up to his full speed until the last set of courses. If this didn’t happened then I would roughly save a total of: 9 minutes and 16 seconds.
Possible improvements:
The main possible improvements is to work out how to use advanced memory viewing tools like Memory watch and using LUA Scripts when it comes to luck manipulation. Fingers cross that no one has found another input combination that skips even more courses.
Bonus Material
Unfortunately it doesn't have any use to save time. However if you find a doorway that isn't the entrance, when you go back to the boss room, Bobo is no longer there but the fight isn't officially finished (so you can't win).
Huge credit to MisterChess for finding a new input combination that allows Wario to skip even more courses.
To do: Double check and improve the layout and grammar every once in a while..
Nach: Replacing submission file with one which beats the last boss 14 frames faster. Also, Judging.
Flygon: Added YouTube module.
Nach: Nice job, and totally unexpected after your last run. Keep them coming. Accepting.