Zelda 2 glitched run. Again. The only difference between this run and the one I submitted earlier today is a hexed in overworld.
To get overworld 2 to work I first had 6 shots of rye so I'd forget what I did well enough to try different things. I walked on some swamp at the start to waste some time (so I wouldn't have to walk back and forth or pause 3 times for 10+ frames). This also wound up being a faster strategy so there was less waiting involved. I eventually had to waste some time in the forest and later on in the swamp so it took the same number of frames overall to get through the overworld. But the waiting is spaced out a lot better.
Compared to the submission that I canceled a week ago, I fixed one of the last rooms, and tightened the Dark Link fight. I also hexed in a better looking overworld 1.
I lost 1 frame thanks to the timing of Dark Link between this version and the last. The final hit is still delivered on the same frame, I just had to end the movie a bit later.
If you guys hadn't called me on it, I wouldn't have fixed the overworlds. So thanks.

Old submission text:
Here's an improved version of the Zelda 2 'glitched' run. I would describe the process of making this movie as 'tedious'. I tried pretty much everything I could think of in pretty much every room to get Link's movement just right. Hopefully it's as good as possible.
First off, I started this run because I noticed a few small things in the published movie. I decided to take a closer look, and the small things kept adding up.
I didn't want to make Gigafrost's run plus small improvements, but all of my ideas for route changes didn't work out, so that's kind of how it is.
So yeah, big ups to Gigafrost for all of his work and advice. There is no way on earth I would have figured out how to get through the great palace on my own. By extension, ups to Blitzag & Genisto for their initial work.
I still do not fully understand the healer glitch. As soon as I think I get what it's doing, it does something completely unexpected somewhere else. This is primarily why none of my route ideas worked.
On to the improvements: From the start of the game through the end of the jump cave, 50 frames are saved over the published run. Most of that (I've lost my earliest notes) are from a better overworld getting the trophy, and using jump in the cave. 2 frames are gained from exiting the palace to the left, and one or two frames are gained in a few other places from better movement.
Because of the change in timing of the two runs, the overworld between the jump cave and palace 2 was a nightmare. It seems like I worked on this sequence forever. I wound up losing 13 frames against the published run and I happen to think that's pretty good considering how unfriendly it was.
I gain 30 frames in palace 2. 10 frames are from passing through the first door better. 20 frames are from using a key on the second door. A few frames are lost getting the key and a few frames are gained from better movement.
Nothing much happens until I use jump to get downstab. I get to the door 8 frames faster, make the teacher appear 10 frames faster, and gain a few frames here and there from better movement.
From the start of the hammer run to getting the hammer, 5 frames are saved from small optimizations in various caves. 35 frames are gained by dying faster. It is possible to get the hammer a bit quicker, but the axe isn't as convenient and the 35 frames are lost.
The great palace was a lot more complicated to make than it looked from the start. My notes are literally just a list of room numbers and frame counts for this level (made sense as I was playing, but useless now). 73 frames are saved overall from optimizations throughout the palace and 10 frames are saved on Shadow Link.
copypasta:
  • Uses death as shortcut
  • Aims for fastest time
  • Uses a game restart sequence
  • Abuses programming errors in the game
  • Manipulates luck
  • Genre: Adventure
I'll be happy to answer any questions the best I can. Enjoy the run.

Truncated: Accepted as an improvement to the current glitch run.
Bisqwit: Taking for processing.


adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3576)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
I request that people discontinue discouraging no votes please. As a judge, I want them; even if the movie happens to obsolete a previous version. If anything, I don't want to see a movie with 4 yes votes and 10 people who think it sucks but don't want to be criticized for their opinion. Thank you. While I disagree with Necro's opinion on glitches, I am not bothered that he has the opinion. And his opinion in noted for the record.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Player (71)
Joined: 8/13/2004
Posts: 205
Once again, adelikat is the man speaking of which, the post you made directly after my 1st one made me lol. It just goes to show that one man's boring run is another man's awesome run, usually for the same reasons.
Post subject: you had this coming
Banned User
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
Truncated wrote:
If we didn't want No votes from people who didn't like the movie, we could have a poll with the only option being Yes.
Perma-banned
Post subject: Re: you had this coming
Player (71)
Joined: 8/13/2004
Posts: 205
Xkeeper wrote:
Truncated wrote:
If we didn't want No votes from people who didn't like the movie, we could have a poll with the only option being Yes.
rofl. i had to stare at that for like 10 seconds before i saw it
upthorn
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Active player (392)
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 1802
xebra wrote:
His arguments are immaterial. His attitude is why wars are fought and people kill people.
I lol'ed.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Joined: 11/16/2006
Posts: 66
I don't really understand, is this a run of a hacked rom or what..I have a ton of question as to wtf this is (excuse my noobness). Yes vote because it's awesome and faster than the previous version.
Editor, Expert player (2080)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3284
No, the run isn't on a hacked ROM. It's just a game reacting on unexpected input.
Joined: 11/16/2006
Posts: 66
what is the input and why does it affect the output so drastically? will this work for other versions of the ROM? Sorry for the questions I just want to learn.
Former player
Joined: 10/1/2006
Posts: 1102
Location: boot_camp
The developers didn't expect that someone could press both left and right at the same time.
Borg Collective wrote:
Negotiation is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You will be assimilated.
jaysmad
Other
Experienced player (933)
Joined: 12/1/2006
Posts: 629
Location: Mom's
If you enable the input feature while watching the movie, you can see it there! Edit: Does this work in any other games? I mean the both ways glitch...
Active player (436)
Joined: 9/27/2004
Posts: 650
Location: Canada
TGPrimus wrote:
I have a ton of question as to wtf this is (excuse my noobness).
Hm. I don't exactly explain what is happening in the submission text, do I? I only really talk about what was improved. I should probably do that. Quick & dirty overview: Pressing left and right at the same time can set Link's speed above his normal top speed. The game doesn't have any check for if Link is moving faster his top speed because it normally just stops acceleration at a certain point. If you jump, Link's speed does not go down. If you jump on the first available frame, Link's speed never goes down. If you press forward for one frame while Link's speed is at the highest possible number, it wraps, and he's instantly given top speed in the opposite direction. That's the basis for pretty well all the movement. The graphics can't keep up to Link's position, but the walls/floors do keep up. Which is why it looks so broken. And, uh. The healer glitch... breaks... everything. Some number is overflowed by walking into doors that don't exist, basically. So after that, Link is frequently placed in the wrong position, in the wrong room while traveling between sidescrolling screens. I've been meaning to put together something explaining things a bit more technically a la Battle of Olympus tricks. I'll get around to it. Probably.
Editor, Expert player (2080)
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 3284
TGPrimus wrote:
what is the input and why does it affect the output so drastically? will this work for other versions of the ROM? Sorry for the questions I just want to learn.
Basically, superhuman input, glitch abuse, and luck manipulation. I mean this in general, not specifically to this game. As for other ROM versions, it probably works the same, but who knows? See http://tasvideos.org/782M.html for an exception.
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
jaysmad wrote:
Does this work in any other games? I mean the both ways glitch...
Most notable Battle of Olympus, Tiny Toons (both on NES)… Probably something else that I don't remember.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Skilled player (1410)
Joined: 5/31/2004
Posts: 1821
moozooh wrote:
Probably something else that I don't remember.
TMNT2! :P
upthorn
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Active player (392)
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 1802
jaysmad wrote:
Edit: Does this work in any other games? I mean the both ways glitch...
Yes, and strangely enough, on games that left+right glitches, the most common effect is uncapped acceleration However in other games it can do any number of things, such as walking through doors without entering them (see Link to the Past glitched run). However, in some games, left+right simply causes deceleration and acceleration on the same frame (resulting in slow walking), and in most games, left+right means that only one of those inputs is read by the game (IE: the game acts as if the player only pressed left).
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Skilled player (1828)
Joined: 4/20/2005
Posts: 2161
Location: Norrköping, Sweden
moozooh wrote:
jaysmad wrote:
Does this work in any other games? I mean the both ways glitch...
Most notable Battle of Olympus, Tiny Toons (both on NES)… Probably something else that I don't remember.
It also works in the Super Mario All Stars version of Super Mario Bros 3.
Joined: 11/16/2006
Posts: 66
Ah I understand a lot better now. I read what little I could about the healer glitch and it doesnt make any sense to me WHY it works but I accept that it does work. In general this video makes a ton more sense now. Just a couple questions if you dont mind: Why did you use this version of the ROM? Any idea why the loading of areas is so slow in this game whereas in other similar games (at least Battle for Olympus to my knowledge) it isn't? I'm also confused as to whether the game knows what it's doing sometimes or not, let me see if I can explain: when you enter the house to get the downward stab you have to wait for a while for it to load area you can walk through instead of wall, but in the Great Palace you can drop through the bridge in that little hole to the bottom floor when it's not even (visibly) there. This is just one example among many I'm sure. Any explanation?
Active player (436)
Joined: 9/27/2004
Posts: 650
Location: Canada
>Why did you use this version of the ROM? I don't know. It's just the one I have. There doesn't seem to be any problems with it, though. >Any idea why the loading of areas is so slow in this game whereas in other similar games (at least Battle for Olympus to my knowledge) it isn't? Uh... no >I'm also confused as to whether the game knows what it's doing sometimes or not, let me see if I can explain: when you enter the house to get the downward stab you have to wait for a while for it to load area you can walk through instead of wall, but in the Great Palace you can drop through the bridge in that little hole to the bottom floor when it's not even (visibly) there. This is just one example among many I'm sure. Any explanation? Enemies and townsfolk seem to load at the same rate as the graphics. Too slow for my liking! They aren't actually there until you can see them onscreen (exception: guys that teach you spells). What's happening when I'm getting downstab is I'm scrolling right slowly enough to get the townsperson to load.
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15629
Location: 127.0.0.1
This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [824] NES Zelda II: The Adventure of Link "warp glitch" by Inzult in 06:13.08
Active player (436)
Joined: 9/27/2004
Posts: 650
Location: Canada
I was just standing around outside, drinking a coffee and having a smoke, when this idea came to me. Does this route sound like it would work? 1. do a partial healer glitch to warp to the graveyard, but not break the game 2. go in the back way to get the hammer 3. up & a (maybe) 4. Get the life medicine 5. get fairy 6. up & a (maybe) 7. do the healer glitch 8. warp to the great palace-- somehow 9. find an open celeing/elevator in the great palace 10. make the fairy glitch work to get to the end 11. kill dark link I'm not too solid on 8-10, but if there's a reasonably quick way to get to/through the great palace, this could cut out the need for jump, the handy glove and downstab.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3576)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
ooh :)
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Joined: 4/9/2006
Posts: 54
Location: Durham, NC
Inzult wrote:
I'm not too solid on 8-10, but if there's a reasonably quick way to get to/through the great palace, this could cut out the need for jump, the handy glove and downstab.
Just when you thought this game couldn't get any more broken... ;)