NHL '94. Fastest win.
- Emulator used: BizHawk 2.9.1
- Genre: sports
- Goal: win a game (exhibition mode)
- Aims for fastest time (end input early)
- Uses hardest difficulty
- Manipulates luck
The RNG determines when the referee drops the puck and starts the timer. This can be manipulated by changing teams before starting the game. The same referee manipulation needs to be done at the end of the 1st period to start the 2nd period faster. Any player movements have an effect on the outcome.
Movement can cause lag, so it is minimized. A careful player could make some entertaining moves without causing lag. I think the maximum idling result is funny enough.
Tested team changes
Player team: home
team1 team2 timerstart
0 0 737
0 R 760
0 L 765
R 0 767
R R 728
R L 728
L 0 759
L R 768
L L 822
0 RR 800
0 LL 762
R RR 751
R LL 821
L RR 755
L LL 815
RR 0 769
RR R 730
RR L 739
LL 0 764
LL R 772
LL L 772
0 RRR 823
0 LLL 825
R RRR 771
R LLL 727 fastest seen (I use this one.)
L RRR 817
L LLL 778
RRR 0 823
RRR R 772
RRR L 837 slowest seen
LLL 0 765
LLL R 817
LLL L 804
Player team: visitor
0 0 728
0 R 783
0 L 827
R 0 816
R R 728
R L 821
L 0 762
L R 764
L L 768
0 RR 767
0 LL 761
R RR 731
R LL 784
L RR 813
L LL 812
RR 0 750
RR R 821
RR L 778
LL 0 766
LL R 832
LL L 769
0 RRR 771
0 LLL 826
R RRR 757
R LLL 746
L RRR 771
L LLL 814
RRR 0 771
RRR R 757
RRR L 829
LLL 0 766
LLL R 764
LLL L 764
team1 team2 timerstart
0 0 737
0 R 760
0 L 765
R 0 767
R R 728
R L 728
L 0 759
L R 768
L L 822
0 RR 800
0 LL 762
R RR 751
R LL 821
L RR 755
L LL 815
RR 0 769
RR R 730
RR L 739
LL 0 764
LL R 772
LL L 772
0 RRR 823
0 LLL 825
R RRR 771
R LLL 727 fastest seen (I use this one.)
L RRR 817
L LLL 778
RRR 0 823
RRR R 772
RRR L 837 slowest seen
LLL 0 765
LLL R 817
LLL L 804
Player team: visitor
0 0 728
0 R 783
0 L 827
R 0 816
R R 728
R L 821
L 0 762
L R 764
L L 768
0 RR 767
0 LL 761
R RR 731
R LL 784
L RR 813
L LL 812
RR 0 750
RR R 821
RR L 778
LL 0 766
LL R 832
LL L 769
0 RRR 771
0 LLL 826
R RRR 757
R LLL 746
L RRR 771
L LLL 814
RRR 0 771
RRR R 757
RRR L 829
LLL 0 766
LLL R 764
LLL L 764
Framecounts to beat
727 1st period timer start
8448 2nd period timer start
16170 3rd period timer start
8448 2nd period timer start
16170 3rd period timer start
Wait a minute!
The third period referee manipulation does not matter. We can make a goal at the end of the 2nd period when the timer is 0:00. There is a 4-frame window, so it is not super hard to do. Now the cheering animations and the face-off are skipped and the starting of the 3rd period is not delayed. Since we already made the goal we can end input after pressing start to begin the 3rd period. This saves about 160 frames compared to making the goal in the 3rd period. I almost get a headache. These games are almost too complicated.
I suspect that the maximum difference between slowest and fastest referee is 120 frames. I saw 110 and 115 difference in this run. You might save 0-15 frames by testing more team combinations and trying more referee manipulation at the end of the 1st period.
Please wait for a month before processing this, in case somebody wants to finish the game off and make it optimal. It is so close, maybe a few hours of work, but I just can't anymore.