Pokemon Sapphire is a pokemon game from the third generation, along with Ruby and Emerald. The reason I chose Sapphire is that Ruby has a Groudon instead of a Kyogre, which isn't quite as useful, and Emerald is slightly longer. Mudkip is picked as the starter because it learns a lot of HMs and is good against many of the gyms. Although Blaziken is very useful for battling the Elite Four, I have Kyogre by then and have completely abandoned my starter. Of course, almost every hit in this movie is a critical hit, as they do about twice as much damage.

Settings (According to FractalFusion):

  • Visual Boy Advance 1.7.2.560
  • Sync Emulation Speed
  • Lag Reduction Speed (automatic)
  • Save Type Automatic Flash 128K
  • Note: Turn off Real Time Clock
Without following these settings exactly, you will probably get a desynch.

Points of intrest or confusion

  • In the first battle, just after getting my starter, I didn't seem to be able to get a critical hit. Maybe they aren't allowed in the first battle?
  • Most of the time, walking up to a trainer and talking to them is faster than just walking in front of them, because you don't have to wait for the exclamation mark above their head.
  • The Zigzagoon I catch is to teach Rock Smash and Cut to. Also, it conviently picks up a King's Rock for me.
  • The Quick Claw gives you a chance to sometimes (Read: Always) attack before your opponent, even if they are faster than you.
  • If my starter gets below 1/3 of his max health, his water attacks get stronger. So, I guess there is a bit of taking damage to save time in this run.
  • The attack 'Bide' revolves around taking damage, so I don't learn it.
  • King's Rock makes the opponent sometimes flinch, which makes them not attack that turn. It only works on things slower than you, so its usefulness degrades after the second gym.
  • Mud Slap does damage and decreases the opponents accuracy, so it really helps avoid damage.
  • I use a few potions to heal, because when you die you go back to the last pokemon centre you visited, and I want to use this to my advantage.
  • Golbat can't be hit by Mud Slap, so he will always hit me once. I use a TM and a potion to defeat him.
  • I die to warp back to my house, which happens to be right near the fifth gym.
  • The sixth gym presents problems, my starter dies and I beat the gym with the Castform the weatherman gave me. This includes healing at the only pokemon centre I use in the run.
  • I have to defeat my rival to get into the shop and buy Blizzard and Thunder TMs.
  • I catch a Wingull for using Fly to get back to Slateport.
  • The seventh gym is a double battle, and Blizzard hits both pokemon, so they both get frozen.
  • Explooring the undersea base turns my starter into an HM slave, but it doesn't matter because I soon get Kyogre.
  • Kyogre gets Thunder to kill the last gym, and then I head to the Elite Four.
  • Victory Road is dark because I don't have flash, so it's hard to tell what is happening.
  • Kyogre needs Waterfall and Surf to have enough PP for the Elite Four.
  • During the credits, it shows all the pokemon that you caught. I only got seven, so the pictures repeat again and again.
Thanks to Blackshellbowser for his first TAS of the game, Kitsune for advice, and FractalFusion for being the only one who could watch my WIPs and for a constant supply of new ideas.

Bisqwit: Accepting, and claiming for processing.


TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #1457: kirbymuncher's GBA Pokemon Sapphire in 1:49:16.33
Former player
Joined: 6/6/2005
Posts: 384
I'd comment, but the only roms of the game I can find have fuckoff long intros and the VBA I have has 'skip intros' greyed out so you can't select it. Hence I cannot watch this. Rah.
Player (36)
Joined: 10/8/2006
Posts: 284
There were many complaints like that in the planning thread, and I'm worried about not enough people being able to watch it to get any votes.
Joined: 6/12/2006
Posts: 368
I do not have the rom, pm me if you don't want it. I was able to play it with default settings, whatever they are. It was really good although I played it on 200% since you don't really miss anything anyway.
Editor, Active player (297)
Joined: 3/8/2004
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Location: Arzareth
It seems like I'm only getting a white window instead of something resembling a game, when I try to play this movie, or actually even just load the game... Edit: The ROM version 554DEDC4 specifically does that. Some other versions seem to work better. Your mileage may vary.
Editor, Expert player (2078)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3282
About the "white screen" issue:
FractalFusion wrote:
Here's the intro patch: <strike>http://rapidshare.de/files/27008573/trm-pmeu.ips.html</strike> Use this link instead: http://files.filefront.com/trm_pmeuips/;6431881;;/fileinfo.html
FractalFusion wrote:
About the ROM, I had the same problem until it fixed itself. For some reason, having [the above] patch in the same folder and enabling IPS patching will cure the problem, even if you don't patch it anymore. I don't know why this works.
P.S. This doesn't really hack the game. This only solves the white screen issue. The ROM data seems to be exactly the same.
Editor, Active player (297)
Joined: 3/8/2004
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Location: Arzareth
As I have never seen this game before, I have no idea how good this movie is as for strategy choices and tactics. It also being almost two hours long, it is somewhat long... But after seeing the first 10 minutes, I still want to watch the rest of it, so it seems I'll have to vote "yes".
Editor, Expert player (2078)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3282
I was a bit puzzled why you didn't use Rock Tomb against Rival's Grovyle. Yes, Surf does more, but Mud Shot doesn't, and at the expense of a "not very effective" message. Same with Zigzagoon in the double battle. Rock Smash is normal effective, unlike Cut. In any case, I like the run very much. I never thought it could go under 2 hours. Yes vote. Edit: Screenshot that I like (not hot-linked to avoid spoilers)
Former player
Joined: 5/29/2006
Posts: 200
I don't have any idea how optimized this is, as I know very little about the Hoenn games. However, I'd say this is at least as entertaining as the Gold run, so since that got published, I'm voting yes here. I had to frameskip through the whole thing, but that's just because menus are so slow in this game.
Editor, Expert player (2078)
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For those who have the intro hack (Mugs) ROM, I made a patch from intro hack to the ROM used in this run: http://files.filefront.com/removeintrohackips/;6764764;;/fileinfo.html
Joined: 12/27/2006
Posts: 49
Hmm... the game desynced during the first battle in the Mauville Gym. Anyone else have this problem? EDIT: I should've added I'm using version 19.3, the Movie Rom/Your Rom are identical, and I've the settings recommended by FractalFusion. EDIT 2: I found a working rom. eMule is very useful though probably not optimal.
Former player
Joined: 10/1/2006
Posts: 1102
Location: boot_camp
Borg Collective wrote:
Negotiation is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You will be assimilated.
Editor, Expert player (2078)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3282
At least one other person has the same problem. I think it's because of ROM (maybe users have one of the [fx] fix ROMs). If I can find the ROM, I'll try to post a cross-ROM patch. Years have passed. ROM confusion still exists. P.S. Did you check if you are using emulator version v19.2 rerecording?
laughing_gas wrote:
http://tasvideos.org/DesyncHelp.html
There's only so many times that such response is helpful.
Editor, Active player (297)
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Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth
FractalFusion wrote:
maybe users have one of the [fx] fix ROMs
Actually, one of those worked just fine for me. I think it was "[h1] (Clock)".
Joined: 8/31/2006
Posts: 48
Desynchs badly. :/ Looking at the input, it seems the movie is ~1000 frames ahead (types in name while Birch is still fading in). The ROM crc matches the one the movie provided and the settings are exactly as the recommended ones.. Hmm.. *fires up movie editor*
There is a whole new world beyond these walls. Break them down.
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 380
Location: Finland
Worked fine for me with Pokemon Sapphire (U) [hIRff]. Anyway, nice run. I especially enjoyed that gym with the rotating gates. Cannot really say anything about strategies since I haven't ever played this game, but at least it seemed consistent. Yes vote.
"Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your home." ( Pratchett & Gaiman: Good Omens )
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
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This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [801] GBA Pokémon: Sapphire Version by kirbymuncher in 1:49:16.33
Joined: 3/7/2006
Posts: 720
Location: UK
Hmm. I wonder what would have happened if during the Psychic Gym Leader battle, you'd overwritten Cut with Headbutt. Would it have used the now disappeared Cut, or a Headbutt? :)
Voted NO for NO reason
Player (36)
Joined: 10/8/2006
Posts: 284
I'll try that later. FractalFusion, what did you like so much about that screenshot? I noticed you took your avatar from it. And thanks for publishing my movie, Bisqwit.
Editor, Expert player (2078)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3282
kirbymuncher wrote:
FractalFusion, what did you like so much about that screenshot? I noticed you took your avatar from it.
The double battle scene, and Solrock/Lunatone.
Chamale
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Player (182)
Joined: 10/20/2006
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Location: Canada
I found the screenie funny because of the way they should lose so badly, but they win. I think it would have been oddly appropriate for this to be movie #800. Then we would have a vid of every pokemon game by that milestone, but no, it's #801. Great job.
Player (36)
Joined: 10/8/2006
Posts: 284
Thank you, I'm happy that you liked it.
Editor, Expert player (2078)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3282
I put up a different screenshot (Mudkip vs. Treecko), but if anyone thinks the double-battle one should be up, then say something.
Joined: 10/17/2005
Posts: 50
I found this run to be very messy. When you face a wingull/peripeller you use water gun, even though you have rock tomb. You got paralyzed in the fire gym, and the Lunatone got defrosted in the psychic gym. I know both of those are preventable. The other Pokemon TASes are much neater, but I still like this one.
I'm the hero of yay.
Player (36)
Joined: 10/8/2006
Posts: 284
Sorry, I must have missed that Wingull. Either that or Water Gun actually did more damage. As for a screenshot, how about one of the battles with my rival, after it says "Grovyle used Leaf Blade", but before it says it missed.