Submission #5233: Fortranm's DS Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin "Sisters Mode" in 25:20.42

Nintendo DS
Sisters Mode
(Submitted: Sisters Mode)
DeSmuME 0.9.9
90961
59.82609828808082
8021
Unknown
xpa-cvpor.nds
USA
Submitted by Fortranm on 9/22/2016 6:40 AM
Submission Comments
  • Emulator used: DeSmuME 0.9.9 and Advanced Bus-Level Timing ON
  • Contains speed/entertainment tradeoffs: forgoes a trick that allows you to move downward a little faster when MP is depleted in order to hit more enemies
  • Manipulates luck
  • Takes Damage To Save Time
  • Starts from SRAM: userfiles/info/33616556699131697
  • Uses hardest difficulty: Hard Mode Lv.1 Cap
This run is about 1 minute and 40 seconds faster than http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm25546884

Data transferring glitch

This glitch is used to transfer Konami Man, Vic Viper, Twin Bee, and 32 HP/MP Max Ups into Sisters mode from Johnathan mode.
With this glitch, I start with higher attack than I would ever have in a run without this glitch. Any runs in Sisters mode have to start from SRAM at the first place so this glitch probably doesn't change the nature of this run too much.

Boss battles

There are two worth mentioning boss fights that involve special tricks, and they are the main technical improvement over the run on Nicovideo.
As you can see around 6:55, I started attacking Legion before the camera moves back to the sisters. This only works when you are using Stella.
Something similar happens around 19:30. If you are using Loretta while entering the boss room, you have a window of a few frames to press buttons. As you can see, I switched to Stella and touch the screen where Mummy Man would appear. The magical line just stays there and kills Mummy Man before I would regain control normally.
I don't fully understand why these phenomenons happen. They probably have to do with the fact that HUD doesn't disappear when you enter the boss rooms of Legion and Mummy Man.

Samsara: Guess I'm taking this one. Will replace the file once I verify sync.
Samsara: Actually, that's not necessary. I have my decision already.
This entire movie just seems to be made up of arbitrary decisions. The use of the data transfer glitch while also using Hard Lv. 1 means that the entire point of Hard Lv. 1 is ultimately moot. I wouldn't consider it to be the "hardest difficulty" when you're intentionally making the game easier for yourself through glitch exploitation.
The "speed/entertainment tradeoff" doesn't make sense either for several reasons. One: It doesn't actually add any entertainment that you wouldn't have been able to add without it, and two: You transferred over extra HP and MP with that glitch. So really, you have more MP than you should have, and you're still refusing to use it. That makes absolutely no sense to me.
These choices make the run ultimately trivial to watch. Every choice you make seems to conflict with another choice, and it makes the run just... flat, boring, and void of any tension, and the (very vocal) posts I've seen so far in the thread very much agree with my assessment.
Rejecting.
Last Edited by adelikat on 9/1/2023 3:26 PM
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