Found a new trick which I have not notice in my earlier runs. There must exist critical hit in this game. Because after some tries I found out that I can defeat the flowers with only one hit at the beginning with my low Level. And this has nothing to do with the WILL power, because this is low and it will not work all the time. When I wait some Frames longer it gone again and I must hit the flowers a second time.
So this will maybe help too to save a bit time. When I reach the Lizards I will Level Up one Level more. Then I can too defeat the Lizards with two hits with the sword which normaly takes three hits. With axe I need always two hits I think. I have try it more Frames with no luck with the axe, no one hit kill.
So after I buy the axe I will always try it with critical hits to save a bit time. But I am not sure if this will only work with the sword or too with other weapons. In the moment it has only work with the sword.
Edit1:
NOT POSSIBLE SEE Edit3
Today I have think about a thing which I have not do earlier. I think with the first Warp I can skip a bit more as I think before. I must not rescue the girl from Ketts and must maybe not fight against the Vampire Boss. I must only get the Chain from Ketts and can leave there I think.
I am not sure anymore, but I think the only reason why you must rescue the girl was, that the airship appear in the west after the Gaia Cave. But with the warp I will skip these parts all so its useless to rescue her. So one more thing which will skiped and save time.
NOT POSSIBLE SEE Edit3
Edit2:
So now I see, that it is faster to get the axe earlier. In my Glitch Warp run I will much faster reach the entrance from Ketts, because I must not walk back to buy the axe. So it was a great idea to buy it on the first way and take the time to get the money.
I have too a stronger Level and skip the man in the Marsh Cave, maybe these are too some reasons, not speak with him and skip the last message when I get the mirror. But bad that I can't reach the Hydra by the last hit and must wait till I can hit her the last time again. I try many Frames and different moves, but seems not possible. I have try it too some hit before if I can hit him stronger, but it has not work too.
Edit3:
Forget what I write in Edit1. Its not possible. You can't skip to rescue the girl and fight the Vampyre Boss Lee. After you get the Chain the door to the exit is closed and won't open after rescue the girl and figh the Boss. I try it short without recording. The door is open till I get the Chain.
But now you will see another great glitch later in the game, because I will have the girl as friend. :-)
Edit4:
Found a new way for entertainment in my Warp run. In Kett's I have not push the chest on the switch, I just hit it with my weapon and it slide from itself over the switch and open the stairs. I think it looks great, you can watch it in my WIP run.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
So finally the first Warp is done. Warp as fast as possible from Wendel to Jadd. With Save and Continue. Looks maybe strange, because I must go inside from Jadd (walk up) and then I will be warped to the outside. But when I walk down I will land again in Wendel.
Have done too some great enemie fights up to this point. I manipulate much rooms and screens, that I often can defeat 2 enemies with one weapon.
I hope the sync will work later in the game, because this was the badest Warp, has desync often in my testruns. Most it has desync in the town Jadd and sometimes outside. In the moment it looked good as I try the first steps outside from the town. But now the movie end before I reach the next screen, because I just test some enemie fights and if it will be in sync later.
And I know that I will defeat no scorpion, because these takes extrem long to defeat. ;-)
Edit1: So I arrive at the Medusa Cave. There you can now see a nice game error. I have two Amandas inside. The girl changed into Amanda. They will both walk at the entrance room till I go to the next one.
Another great trick can see how I open the Medusa Cave.
Walk like an sided 8. NO, not really. Just walk over the 3 hidden switches at the right order. Save 43 Frames and looks much better as the well know 8 walking. :-)
1. Warp saved over 52200 Frames, so over 14.5 minutes. When the second save near the same I can beat the game maybe under 1 hour. But now I must wait and see how good is the second one.
Edit2: Second Warp done. Warp from Medusa Cave to Zyklob Cave. Saved over 34600 Frames. So over 9.6 minutes. At all these Warps save near 24 minutes. So the movie will still over 1 hour I think. The other thing, my Level is now 2 lower. Not sure if this will be hard for the Zyklob fight.
Edit3:
So Zyklob defeated. Was a hard and long fight, because low Level and no good weapon, only good thing, Amanda fights great with me, at the beginning she hit as often as possible, so I am useless, because I can't hit him here anymore. But now I got finally the Star. I have 1 Mattock left, I think I will use it later. Maybe in the Ice Cave, then I must not switch the weapon so often. There is one point, where I need first Chain, then the Star and again the Chain. So when I use a Mattock I must switch 1 time less. Will save again a bit time.
At this point over 86000 Frames faster after the Zyklob fight. But still 2 Levels lower. I think I will Level up now a bit more, that the later Bosses will be defeated faster.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
Wow.
MattyXB, I've been watching WIPs on these various runs for a while now, and you're definitely getting much, much better! There are a lot of things about this recent run which are very cool. This game is really good, but it's slow and kind of hard to make entertaining, I think... but you're doing a very good job with this game.
-I like the graphical glitch with the sword when you go to bed at Kett's. I wouldn't take a sword to bed with me, anyways.
-I think you may have saved some time (and gained some valuable levels) by buying the axe at the first opportunity.
-Your play seemed very smooth in the Marsh Cave. The positions of the monsters are all perfect!
-The glitch warps are very neat. Do you know if there are any strange things that will happen later on as a result of these warps?
-I noticed a few times when you enter the weapon/item menu just when you're moving to a new screen. Is there a reason for this? Does it save time, or is that just when you chose to do it?
The lizardman fight seemed a little worse than in the last full submitted run. Was that difficult to manipulate? You seem to be very good at having the monsters in the correct positions, so it seems strange. I recall that in your submitted run you ended up cornering all of them in the lower right hand part of the screen. This is the only place where it seemed like you'd done better before.
Thanks for the nice word. So one who like my work, this give me again a bit motivation.
Near all is manipulated, but you will not notice this. I just wait some Frames, before I enter near every new screen when it is not perfect at the first possible Frame. So much Luck Manipulation here and everywhere, but I think near noone will see or notice this in the run and this is great and you will not get bored with to much waiting.
Yes, there happen many things and some can already be seen in the run when you know it. I try to explain them all if I know them or find them myself.
As already know, you skip many things with these Warps. Near 24 minutes.
The music will always be different when you arrive at the new point. So you hear in Jadd the music from Wendel, till you leave again. Normaly you hear no music here as you first arrive. In the Zyklop Cave you will hear still the music from the Medusa Cave, till you fight against the Zyklop.
Another one is, that you always have friends in your group, which normaly leave before you reach these points in the game. So when you arrive in the Medusa Cave with the girl, she will change into Amanda and you will have two Amandas in the first screen.
Later when you still have Amanda and meet again the girl, Amanda will change into the girl and you will have two girls in the first screen. (not yet, after the Chimare Fight)
When you arrive with Amanda at the bridge to the waterfall, the bridge will destroyed. The funny thing, Amanda will still on the bridge and hang now in the air. Can she fly? ;-) (not yet, after the Golem fight, so soon it can seen in the WIP)
Others small errors are:
When you meet Amanda in the Medusa Cave, she say, that she steal the Pendant from you. But you have never own it and you never have meet Amanda that she can steal it from you.
The girl will be later at the Castle, but she was never kidnapped.
The last Warp, which is not done yet will affect this:
The Chocobo will follow you into the Snowfield and too in the Ice Cave.
When you arrive at the Zyklop Cave you can walk back to the Crab fight. Normaly you came from the right and fight against the Crab. But now when you came from the other side, you came from the stairs, which will disappear and you can fight against the Crab. (will not do it, because it cost only useless time)
These are all things, which I know yet. Some others will I try later, after the Dark Lord fight, when I get the Chocobo.
If there are some Bosses still there like the Crab.
Thinks which interested me most is the Medusa. Will she still in the Cave? And what will happen when I defeat here? Will Amanda appear? Or will she be at the beginning from this Cave at all? (will not be in the later run at all, but I will try a bit)
I only enter the weapon/item menu screen to change or equip something. Not for other reason. So when I do it before I enter the next room, I do it because I need this item later or in the next room. When I equip it earlier I do it, because I want to manipulate the next room too. I try most first to enter the next screen and look how the enemies standing. When it is good for me I change the item or weapon now in this room. When it is bad for me I equip the weapon or item in the room before that one and look if this is better. Sometimes it work, sometimes I must still wait some Frames to manipulate the room much more.
Yes, I know. I try to wait many Frames, but never ever these Lizardman stand all at the right side by this run. And I will not wait to long, that you will notice this later or lose to much time with just waiting. But I have a higher Level and need only 2 hits now in this run (with critical hits). So its faster at all I think. By my other run the Lizardman needed 4 hits, the double time. I try many starts too with these fight, and this was the best at this point without lose to much time with waiting.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
New WIP is nice. I didn't watch the Cyclops fight before, it's pretty good. At first I was thinking "He's using the axe? What the heck?" but then I realized how handy it is to hit above/below the character while facing sideways, and swinging faster than the chain or sickle. It's good. The golem is fast too.
You can sure gain levels quickly when you get to Dark Lord's castle at level 12!
It would be neat to learn if there are more places where glitchy warps could occur. I know you pretty much need to do the Cyclops to get the morning star, but if there were other warps between different caves later on it could save a lot of time. I wonder if anyone has tried to figure out what each dungeon room is next to.
Funny, that you write today. Because today I have work hard for the next WIP update from this run. Now I arrive by Kary, the Boss from the Ice Cave. So the 3. Warp is done now. The Ice Cave is one from the hardest Stages I think.
Good: I save over 2200 Frames because of this warp. I use sometimes the Chocobo inside the Ice Cave, when I must walk through more rooms.
Bad: I arrive with one Level lower by Kary. But I hope I can get the needed Level later. Most see, that I defeat much from these enemies to the Bone Cave, where I must too destroy the stones. I hope there I will Level up a bit. Lose maybe a bit time.
Not sure if I should use the Chocobo after the Kary fight or not. I can Level up the way back, or save maybe enough time with him.
PS: I have not use the Warp, which I found myself, because this was much slower. I have still not beginn the warp and by the other one with the tree I was already inside from the Ice Cave. So I have use the faster one to get the fastest time.
Edit1:
So defeat Kary now. Get Bone Key. The Chocobo after the Ice Cave saved a bit over 8 seconds I think. Not much, but good at all. I get now the Bone Key and I am 1 Level lower then in my other 3rd run. I hope it will be enough later, or that I can Level Up now better as in my 3rd run.
I manipulate now too that Bogard walk down and that the Chocobo is too not so far away when I speak with him.
The complete run is at this point a bit over 24 minutes faster. But with one lower Level.
Edit2:
Arrive Kraken. 85921 Frames faster at this point. Near 24 minutes. Not sure how much I can save now till the end. I have the same Level now. I know no warp anymore and have play the 3rd run too perfect. So maybe the time will only near 24 minutes faster.
Edit3:
Defeat Kraken. Wow, saved 189 Frames to my other run, because of much more luck manipulation. I have done it, that he never attack me with his tentacles. First try was a bad one, there I lose 152 Frames to my other run, because he attack much more with his tentacles. But then I move the way down to him and then I can manipulate him every time he try to attack me. So now he never ever attack me and so I lose near no time by defeating him. And the fight is now over 3 seconds faster as in my third movie.
I have never think before, that it is possible to manipulate him perfect. This has never work in my earlier tries. But now I see, that it is possible. But its hard and will not always work I think.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
Does the chocobo move faster on the slippery ice in the ice cave than the hero (A) does? It doesn't look like it does, so I'm not so sure if two of the times when you rode the chocobo inside the ice cave saved any time. Did you already check whether it saves time or not?
Riding the chocobo definitely saves you some time walking in the snowfields, and at least once in the ice cave. And the Kraken fight is just funny now!
I know what you mean and I think you are right. But this save me to manipulate these rooms with the enemies appears. These parts are near the most anyoing ones in the complete game I think. As I do the third run it was very hard to get a clean run through these rooms and I try many differents Frames. So I have think its better to use the Chocobo at these parts, that I must not wait some Frames to manipulate these rooms.
It can be, that I lose a bit time (4 times I must go into the menu and switch to ask). But at the other side I was not so frustrated to try to manipulate these rooms and just walk through the enemies with the Chocobo.
Maybe I shouldn't do it at these 2 places and I lose maybe some Frames. Not sure how good it can be manipulated by this 4th run. The Ice Cave is the hardest Stage I think to manipulate with all the Ice fields and much enemies. Only the places with 2 switches and the snowman are too much frustrated to manipulate and most takes many tries.
As I work at this part from the run I have not think about it, that I lose time. I have just think there are more rooms where the Chocobo can save a bit time when I use him. But I have forget, that these rooms are most just ice fields and that he is too not faster on ice (not tested, but I think he is as fast as the hero too).
Later as I watch the part from the run I saw myself, that it was maybe a bad idea. But now so much is already done that it will change to much other things.
Every Frame and every different button can affect near everything in this game. It can too affect the later Kraken fight. Not sure if it will be possible to manipulate him again so perfect as it has work now. When I arrive earlier it can be, that it is impossible to manipulate the Kraken so perfect.
So maybe I lose there some Frames, not sure how good the manipulation would work by this run at this point (it always different). But it can be, that it save at the other side some Frames by the Kraken fight (never every I have done it to defeat him and he has not attack me). Who knows. So maybe better I lose some Frames in the Ice Cave then in a Boss fight later. As someone else say in the past, "The Boss fights are the most important things in a game". ;-)
The Boss fight was luck, but it can be, that I will not have the luck when I redone this part.
At least I hope that I not lose to much time in the Ice Cave.
Maybe I can try it later when this run is done. But at this moment I have so much luck in the later run that I will not change it now.
EDIT: Every ask till the Chocobo walk cost 109 Frames. So I lose maybe 436 Frames together (+- some Frames which the Chocobo save because some little parts he walk faster and normal way and no manipulation from the rooms now done). A bit over 7 seconds. When I would try to manipualte thes rooms I would lose maybe not so much. But 7 seconds in a movie which is over 1 hour is not much I think and hope.
Edit2:
Finally I have found a bit time and enough energy to make the next parts. Was a bid hard and much work, because there are 2 rooms with 2 times ice in a short time. So I must level up between these 2 rooms without lose much time. Has work. Now I hope I can Level Up after this Stage good enough like in my other 3rd run. Because I need again MP points for Nuke.
The first room looks not so good. I try many Frames and never ever stand a soldier on the switch which would save much time. So I search now for a good start to push both snowman on the switches.
The second one looks much better. But I try too many times. I try to equip Ice before enter and in the room. So it worked better to equip it later. I must start the Ice spell fast, because the enemie will walk down and later be not anymore on the switch. The second one is just easy walk, ice, push and destroy.
Now I finally arrive by the next Boss.
Edit3:
So defeat now Iflyte. I lose some Frames in the Level, because needed Level Ups and one bad ice switch room which I can't manipulate perfect. But the Boss fight is 477 Frames faster as in my 3rd run. The reason much more luck manipulation here. You will notice it, when you know this Boss. Normaly he cames down in a ball and roll through the screen. Then it is hard to hit him and at the same time find a save place. You can too hit him only 1 times when he rolling. So I have now try it to manipulate him perfect. It was hard and I have think too first, that it is impossible. But after many tries it has work. Sometimes you must see how every attack affect the Boss a bit later. So sometimes I must redo the last 2 hits with the Morning Star and then he will move different.
When it looks sometimes that I can hit him faster, then I say I don't do it for this Luck Manipulation. When he would come down I will hit him not so often as when he stay at the top from the screen. This is too the reason why I hit him sometimes only 1 time too, to keep him at the top. When I wait for the better double hit he would come down and this cost again more time.
So lose some Frames in the Stage, but the most important part is again much faster through perfect luck manipulation like in the Kraken fight.
Still a bit under 24 minutes faster.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
Defeat Lich now.
I just copy near the complete fight from my 3rd run. He moves always the same and do the same things. I have the same Level, and both times full Will.
So I just see when I first press A to attack and copy the rest from HexEdit. I know I try my best in my 3rd run, so this fight is too great. I attack always at the first possible Frame when I too can't get hit from him.
Problem was only the end, because Lich has not die as the fight was over in my third run. Reason, I have much more luck in my third run as here and do more critical hits. I can't see it, so it would be impossible to try this out in such a long fight which Frame is the best.
I just rerecord the last two hits again, and he too die now. So its some Frames longer as in my third run, but this is just bad luck which can't manipulated from me. Critical hits by Bosses is to much for me to manipulate. I can do it by small enemies, which take only 1 or 2 hits. But I can't test over 20 hits to see which was the best Frame.
Edit: This bad luck cost me 43 Frames.
Edit2: Small update, To show, that I still working on this one. Have found not much time, because I played some other game on real console. But now I hope to find again more time for this run.
Arrive Mantis Ant now. As I first arrive I have to less exp points. So I must do some rooms again to defeat one more enemie. Then the much badder luck and I lose some Frames more then I hoped. But now I finally arrive at the next Boss and can Level Up after this fight. Still 23.95 minutes faster at this point. I hope I can get 24 minute at the end. But this is all luck and can't be calculate. So I must just wait and will see at the end how much faster it will be.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
Joined: 3/9/2004
Posts: 4588
Location: In his lab studying psychology to find new ways to torture TASers and forumers
So you're redoing this run now?
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
No.
This is a different Version from this run. I think it should not obsoletes my other run and I will not cancel my other one for this here.
As you maybe notice to some post earlier, this is a Glitchy Warp run. There are some Glitches in the game, which allow you to skip many parts and Bosses from the game. Normaly its impossible and this will skip too many that you will maybe not understand the game. It save near 24 minutes, but skip too so many important thinks in the game and many Boss fights. So I think it will be a different catagorie.
I hope it ok. Its maybe like the Zelda Links Awakening Glitch run in 5 minutes. Everyone would like to see too a complete run through the game as fast as possible without the Warp Glitch.
The problem, this game still takes over 1 hour with the warps. But saved too some time.
But my other version is too good played. Contains maybe some little errors which cost some time. But not much can saved I think. Maybe 8 second when you buy the axe earlier, and some seconds when you manipulate some from the later Bosses (Kraken & Iflyte) much more, but not sure if this is always possible. But I try too my best in the 3.0 Version, which is warpless and show the complete game.
I think some would like to see the complete run, other some would like the Warprun and some maybe both like me.
About the WIP run:
Done now the Mantis Ant. With Luck I have done this fight, that he never came down. Save not much and cost me near no luck manipulation. But it saved 33 Frames. Some more are saved to better luck manipulation after the fight. The Chocobo is now not so far away.
Edit:
Arrive Geruda. Now I am over 24 minutes, finally. Not sure if I can hold this time. But it looks good. It can be, that I am 1 Level lower (which save maybe a bit time). Reason, much better luck manipulation. I defeat not so much enemies. So I Level up after I used 2 times Ice. Now I don't need to Level up anymore. I hope the Julius fight will not take much longer with one lower Level.
I am 86606 Frames faster at this point.
Edit2:
Defeat Geruda. Wow, this fight is 1 Frame faster till I get the first black screen. 1 Frame, that is so much faster. ;-)
Not sure if I defeat him faster, or reach faster the next screen. I stand a bit near it as I hit him the last time I think.
Edit3:
Bigger Update now. Defeat Dragon and Red Dragon. Was easy fights, because they move always near the same. And I watch my other movie and copy many movements. Only the second one must I manipulate this time a bit more.
Arrive by the Zombie Dragon. All hard parts are done now, the bigger luck manipulation parts. Only miss 4 Boss fights now. Saved again some Frames. Main reason is maybe the lower Level. I hope this will not affect the Last fights to much. The both Dragons takes only some little Frames longer (maybe 1 hit more). So at this point its better with the Lower Level I think.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
Defeat Zombie Dragon. 135 Frames faster, because of much more luck. He move a bit different and so I stand near the exit by the last hits.
So now the movie is over 87000 Frames faster. Only Julius is missing now. I arrive by him. Must only skip now the messages and defeat him.
I hope I can defeat him again in this great stylish fight as I do it in my 3rd run, that I turn around my sword the complete fight. Not sure if this will work, because I am one Level lower. But I will try my best.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
You know MattyXB, I definitely agree with you that a glitch & warp run shouldn't obsolete a full-length TAS, but you've made a lot of improvements over your 3rd version besides just the warps. You learned about those critical hits AND improved the times for every boss except for one. I bet that the long version could still be improved by a few minutes because of that. I think it would make sense if someone wanted to publish this movie but not the full length one.
I haven't watched the latest WIP yet because I'm not at home right now. By the time I get around to seeing it you'll probably be finished. :)
The improvments are not so big I think. Only some seconds. I think it will be hard to improve the third run by more minutes anymore. Seconds yes, but minutes not sure.
About this run.
Julius Clones done. But I will maybe try it again. The sword stops and I must still hit the last clone one time (critical). Is not much, but frustrating. I have hard work for this one but it so hard to make it good enough and hit all so, that all defeated at the end, maybe the lower Level is too a reason. Sometimes they block and you can't hit them, or one is to far away. So I have attack more 2 together and the last still need more hits.
Must see, if I can improve it a bit, but I think it will be hard. And one hit is not much I think. So maybe it will be in the final run when I can't make it better.
I think this is the hardest Boss fight, when you try to make it looking good. ;-)
Edit: Rework on it. Now its perfect I think. :-)
Defeat all 3 clones fast and good and still have my Sword Power. This time I go a different way and have more luck how they stand and block. So all gone now and I think the hardest fight is over. Only 2 Bosses, where the last is the easiest I think.
Edit2: Julius second form done. 142 frames slower. I think the level is the reason. Or maybe bad luck in critical hits. But the fight itself looks good I think and I hit him often in rows.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
Finish. Was a hard work. I lose some Frames in the Last Boss fights, but I think the reason is the lower Level. So now watch it and enjoy it with all the Warps. I think this was my last Final Fantasy Adventure TAS. I will not do another one.
I think my 3rd is played well without Warps and this one which used Warps is played great too. This one is a bit better, because some new tricks which I found while doing it. But you can not saved much I think.
As I calculate some things:
Buy axe earlier - saved 8 seconds
Manipulate Kraken perfect - saved 3 seconds
Manipulate Iflyte perfect - saved near 8 seconds
These are the main parts, which better. Some other are always different and can't be calculated so good. So I can maybe save 20 seconds in my third Warpless run with all what I know + one Level Up. But I think this is not so important in a movie which is still over 1 hour. And everytime it can be different a bit at other places, that I lose or save some Frames.
So when someone can saved more then 1 minute in one from these runs, I would like to see it. I will not try it again so soon. Only when someone maybe find new Warps, which saved over 10 minutes.
Last TAS finished: Final Fantasy Adventure (4.0 Warp Glitch Run)
WIP in the moment: Tail Gator (GB)
Matty
This is a nice little TAS, and one of the more watchable RPG runs. You can follow the text for the most part, the powering up doesn't interfere with the flow, and most of the better music tracks are played out at least once. I enjoyed this game back in the day, so it's nice to have a quick memory refreshment at my disposal.
why is it that your screwed if you warp from the last dungeon (what part?) to the lava cave?
you cant go back to the last dungeon or something? and which bosses can be skipped?
I made a run of this game. This run is 184035 frames faster than current published run. Here is the movie file.
http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1580284910/FFA_TAS.vbm
I intended to submit, but I suspect that purchasing Axe wastes some frames (Japanese speedrunner Cheap's advice). So I regard it as a testrun and now I am making new run. It is halfway finished. 2 or 3 days later I am going to submit the complete one.
Joined: 7/17/2004
Posts: 985
Location: The FLOATING CASTLE
Awesome! Thanks for posting your test run. If you are already working on the improvement then no need to submit this one.
Edit: Ok, watched this. Spectacular, that new glitch is really powerful. Everything looks very well optimized too, with the enemies going right where you want them most of the time.
Is it necessary to get 'The Man' to follow you in Marsh Cave? Do his shots help out that much or is there any other reason? Of course his presence in the final battle is quite entertaining for those of us who know the game. :)
Thank you for watching my TAS. Still there may be some possibility of optimization.
Main reason: His presence is necessary for Warping from the Undersea Volcano to the top of Tower of Gemma. When an NPC comes between a snowman (or a treasure chest or something) and the hero, the hero enters the snowman slightly. Wait again and again. Then he walks neglecting an event tile and the map will scroll to the final dungeon. I abused this Warp smoothly, using an easily-made lua script.
Other reason: The man's fire is very effective to Julius Form 2. He deals around 150 damage, while the hero's sword deals only 40. See these RAMs to visualize some information.
0xD3F2: damage dealt to the Boss
0xD3F4: Boss HP
This is so funny I think too, because he is the ... :P