Hello everyone, we are proud to finally show you our work on this game !
ViGadeomes: it was a pleasure to work with my TASing mentor who learnt me all these things in TASing.
zoboner:I follow ViGa's work since he started on TASvideos and I'm very happy to have had the opportunity to work with him.
He's very capable, persevering and don't hesitate to give his point of view! Awesome TASer! I'm not your mentor... Juste your friend ;)

Game informations

TODO

Game objectives

  • BizHawk 2.3.1 (GBHawk) (sync on 2.3.2 but BizHawk crashes at a certain point when we make an encode)
  • Europe only game
  • Aims for fastest completion
  • Takes damages to save time
  • Speed/entertainement tradeoffs
  • Uses glitch to entertain and save time

Comments

Mechanics

TODO

RAM addresses

X position 0xFF89
Y position 0xFF8B
X speed 0xFF8F
Y speed 0xFF90
Health 0x08B3
Mushrooms 0x08CE
S(level) 0x08B6
S(total) 0x08BD
Number of lives 0x08B5

Glitches

To be ejected (by inputs series):
At numerous moments you must pass some wall in a squatting position, this is very slow and breaking the run... But it's possible to clipping into the wall and be ejected in a good direction, if you use this inputs serie:
--R,L+A,blank,R = pass a wall if you run toward right.(small and large walls)
--L,R+A,blank,L = pass a wall if you run toward left.(only possible for small walls)
All glitches linked to platforms:
--You can use the hammer to pass through the platforms.(only possible if the platform is in ascending position) --If you make a big fall, pass in a new screen, continue to fall and reach a platform before that it be shown on the screen, you will pass through automatically.
Master key (Oob and wall clipping):
It's a same thing than when you use the inputs series to obtain an ejection for pass small or large walls, but uses all objects as possible.
--Rope or chain :
Use chain like a swing and reach into the wall (character turn over left direction) and jump. In some cases and depending to a level where you are (like start point to first level ) in the top of level, where are two ropes, it's not possible to use this glitch, because in this prescise case, the ceiling hadn't the same code and you are directly ejected by the down side.
--All objects that you can climb (key,alarm clock,boxes...):
Heap up a lot of objects and let an empty between these object and ceiling then climb to reach the empty, turn character over the left and test all pixels with L+A. If you turn over the right during the ejection, the character goes hook on and climb automatically.
--Big enemies:
Take a damage at a precise point and you know the rest!
I need your heart!!!:
This glitch result of the ViGadeome RAM saturation and permit to won one heart for free...It's in this place when we choose to lose 10 or 11 frames to entertain... And I love that bullshit!
A lot of other glitches were find, but not use for this run because these aren't usable for this any% run... ... Maybe that the 100% completion will interest you :)

Tricks

D+B = to bend down immediately (only possible with the hammer) and drop an object quickly.
D+B,D,D+A = take boxes or other things faster(only possible with the hammer).
Push "A" after hit for cancel the character animation and permit to move as fast as possible.
You can have an fastest interaction with interrupters if you use the hammer .
Use a jump to go down one floor is more faster than fall simply.In some cases, you must be stopped and turn around to then have to go down one floor. In these cases you must testing all solutions (simply fall of or jump) because at some moment, one or the other is the best solution. It result of numerous factors.
D+R or D+L (when you fall and are close to a platform) permit to don't hook on and go up (else it's automatic)
Use a rope or chain and jump at a good moment to have a fastest velocity.
Some of endings of stairs can slow you down, but it's not true for all of those! You must test for know it.
Some of those actions can do won a pixel.

Stage by stage comments

TODO

Other comments

Possible improvements

The only thing we can think about is where we lose 10 frames for entertainement.

Thanks

  • smack, speedrunner and maker of a first TAS ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1XZNcO6-P4 )and gave us all informations he had.
  • Mothrayas thanked by smack who made a TAS test of the first level.
  • Special thanks to smack for all of speedruns and work utilities that we have use for built this run.For my part this race is dedicated to him.

Screenshots

TODO

Masterjun: Judging.
Masterjun: This run shows off some neat TASing techniques. The feedback it got was good as well. Accepting to Moons as a new entry for this game.
Dacicus: Processing...


TASVideoAgent
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Noxxa
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Nice to see an optimized TAS of this at last! Yes vote.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa <dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects. <Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits <adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
Masterjun
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I like it, this run has a lot of elements of an entertaining TAS, so I think it would fit into Moons. I'd like to hear other opinions before judging though.
Warning: Might glitch to credits I will finish this ACE soon as possible (or will I?)
ViGadeomes
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Thanks to both of you. Yes, I understand.
Memory
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Weak yes: the TAS seemed entertaining enough (some neat glitches here and there) but the music was strangely off-putting.
[16:36:31] <Mothrayas> I have to say this argument about robot drug usage is a lot more fun than whatever else we have been doing in the past two+ hours
[16:08:10] <BenLubar> a TAS is just the limit of a segmented speedrun as the segment length approaches zero
CoolHandMike
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Robot boss was strange around 9:50. Liked this.
discord: CoolHandMike#0352
fsvgm777
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Just as a note, there's an emulation error with the scrolling text in the ending cutscene, as it's really choppy in GBHawk. However, it's fine in Gambatte (text scrolls smoothly). From the TAS. From a speedrun that used Gambatte.
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I'm happy to see this TAS being made. was it you with whom I talked with back then concerning this game? Well done. :)
ViGadeomes
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You spoke with smack the one who helped us at the beginning and made the first unoptimised TAS.
Alyosha
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I fixed the bad scrolling in the ending on GBHawk. I can help resync to current dev build if it desired, not sure if there will be any desyncs or not since a lot has chagned recently (there will definitely be frame definition desyncs but those are trivial.)
ViGadeomes
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Depending of the frame where it desyncs it can be a big problem but i'll try
Alyosha
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http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/59126674124379554 Here is a resync of the movie in the dev build. Overall it synced pretty faithfully. There are some desyncs which seem to be due to elevator timing, but they were easy to overcome. Overall I would say this movie is about 30 gameplay frames longer then the 2.3.1 version. I'm pretty sure this is just emulation differences, as I was not able to overcome different elevator timing even though I tried lots of different ways. Also the time of 17:42 is correct, the original time of 17:34 is not correct due to frame timing errors.
ViGadeomes
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Alyosha wrote:
Also the time of 17:42 is correct, the original time of 17:34 is not correct due to frame timing errors.
Like Gambatte, the emulator wasn't able to recognize PAL ROMs so it was using NTSC mode instead : for example my very first TAS [3649] GBC Astérix: Search for Dogmatix by ViGadeomes in 15:35.05. And also, normally this game is a GBC game.
Memory
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ViGadeomes wrote:
Alyosha wrote:
Also the time of 17:42 is correct, the original time of 17:34 is not correct due to frame timing errors.
Like Gambatte, the emulator wasn't able to recognize PAL ROMs so it was using NTSC mode instead : for example my very first TAS [3649] GBC Astérix: Search for Dogmatix by ViGadeomes in 15:35.05. And also, normally this game is a GBC game.
There isn't a "NTSC" mode for GBC, since it's a handheld they run the same.
[16:36:31] <Mothrayas> I have to say this argument about robot drug usage is a lot more fun than whatever else we have been doing in the past two+ hours
[16:08:10] <BenLubar> a TAS is just the limit of a segmented speedrun as the segment length approaches zero
ViGadeomes
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Oh sorry then...
ViGadeomes
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I agree with the resync from Alyosha, here is the file for publishers : http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/59343870157455526
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. ---- [4070] GBC Spirou: The Robot Invasion by ViGadeomes & zoboner in 17:34.46
Alyosha
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I thought the intent here was to wait for the next bizhawk release so the encode is fixed at the end?
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Alyosha wrote:
I thought the intent here was to wait for the next bizhawk release so the encode is fixed at the end?
Sorry, I misunderstood if that was the intent. I'll make new encodes after the release, if desired.
Current Projects: TAS: Wizards & Warriors III.
Alyosha
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Now that a new Bizhawk version is out can this movie / video be updated to use the correct file?
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I'll work on it. The encodes have been updated.
Current Projects: TAS: Wizards & Warriors III.