Here is another improvement to Holy Diver. I started this run about 4 years ago after watching FunkDOC speedrun the game for AGDQ. I didn't have much motivation and the project kind of sat on the back burner. Earlier this year, I was motivated again after watching WhiteHat94's world record run of 17.12 and learning some new tricks.
Stage 1:
- I save 11 frames through the level. Most saved from a better technique for destroying the blocks in room 3 after getting the bracelet (the bracelet is needed to destroy blocks with fireball), and other saved is from better jump planning (you stop moving for 1 frame each time you land).
- The Boss fight I save 37 frames from switching to single shot for some attacks throughout the fight. When shooting with Twin fire, you can only shoot once and can't shoot again until both fireballs are off screen. Since the boss will only take one of the fireballs at a time, switching to single shot will reduce the wait time to shoot the next shot.
Stage 2:
- 78 frames saved here from better planning and jumping past lava falls before using blizzard when possible to avoid having to shoot through them.
- Boss fight: 199 frames saved. The last TAS used normal shot, switching to twin fire saved a lot of time.
Stage 3:
- 95 frames saved. better lag management and jump management.
- Boss fight: no time saved.
Stage 4:
- 146 frames saved.
- Boss fight: 200 frames saved. Overall just a better boss fight. Managed to kill him with just 2 overdrives, while last TAS used 3.
Stage 5:
- 222 frames saved.
- Boss fight: 31 frames saved, better breaker shot placement, killed boss with 3 shots. last TAS killed in 4.
- saved 273 frames after the boss fight using a new trick discovered by the speedrun community, by jumping at the right time, the game forces the character to turn back and land in the hole as its opening.
Stage 6:
- 198 frames saved. better lag management, and better timing of overdrive shots. saved ~20 frames by not switching to overdrive for the last room.
- Boss fight: saved 4 frames, however this fight produced a lot more lag frames than the last TAS. mainly due to the fact of a creeper spawning a few frames later in the fight and not being able to be killed without totally losing the pattern of the boss.
Total time: 52072 frames. Total time saved: 1482 frames.
I'm hoping with this new run, that this movie is able to break out of the vault and jump into moons :)
Would like to give thanks to FunkDOC and Whitehat94 for their speedruns, and also a shoutout to Tompa for saving me 2 frames in stage 2 by using twin fire to shoot 2 bat shots.
Noxxa: Good improvement, and good viewer response. Accepting to Moons as an improvement to the
published movie.
