TASQUARE is a simplistic precision platformer with the gimmick of requiring many frame precise jumps but also providing the player with TAS-like ability to frame advance.
Game objectives
- reach the end of each level
Goal choice
The game doesn't advance the current level on its own, instead relying on the player pressing F4 to continue to the next level. As such, I could just press F4 at the start of each stage to reach the final level in a couple frames. That's really boring! Instead, I decided to only press it once the level complete text in the top right corner is visible. Not sure how that should affect the branch, if at all.
Stage by stage comments
stage_0
As is explained later in the game, jumping adds to your vertical speed rather than setting it. I use this mechanic to launch off the first step to skip the walljumping section and be able to simply hold right for the entire level.
stage_1
First introduction to frame perfect inputs, requiring a last possible frame coyote jump to clear the gap.
stage_2
Same idea, but now including a tight walljump.
stage_3
Another premature use of a quirk of the game. This time using the fact that walljumps bounce you back in the direction opposite to the one being held, meaning on the frame of the jump I can let go of left and instead press right to get more speed to the left and make it into the portal from below, saving major time over the intended route of going up and around.
stage_4
This one was pretty tough to optimize, needing to go low enough to have enough space to jump cleanly to the other side, while going too low obviously loses time. Also uses stacked walljumps which work the same as the jump in the first stage.
stage_5
Using stacked walljumps to skip the intended back and forth on the blocks and jump straight to the exit portal.
stage_6
Just a precise jump to clear, not much to optimize here.
stage_7
Here's where the game teaches you about jump stacking. Doing it off the ledge to the left is slightly faster than using the provided platform.
stage_8
And here the game shows off the walljump mechanics. Annoyingly, I was not able to get a superjump off the left in such a way that it saved time, all my attempts were just a couple frames slower than doing it the intended way.
stage_9
More walljump shenanigans.
stage_10
More walljump shenanigans.
Possible improvements
The exact mechanics behind vertical speed stacking still elude me, so it's very possible that there's better input strings to achieve some of the super jumps in the TAS, this is the best I've been able to come up with though.
feos: Claiming for judging.
feos: Fixed movie duration for libTAS so it doesn't complain.
feos: I had to compile and install an older libssl to make this game launch on my xubuntu 22.04, since simply downgrading it didn't work for some reason.
feos: Really great game, I managed to beat it entirely in real time (after studying a couple places with in-game frame step), and it makes me appreciate the run even more. Accepting.
fsvgm777: Processing.