Vikings time!
Sorry for the holdup. I finally built up the motivation to finish a 3-player version. This is a 4:53:23 improvement over the 2-player movie. In order to play this movie, you need to set both players to 3 buttons and change the first gamepad to teamplayer.
  • Emulator used: Gens 9f
  • As fast as possible
  • Uses no passwords
  • Manipulates luck
  • Abuses programming errors in the game
  • Takes damage to save time
  • One player controls three characters simultaneously
In this action/puzzle game you control three vikings (Erik, Baelog, and Olaf), who are lost in time and space, each with their own special abilities needed to solve the levels.
Most of the techniques used are from the 2-player version, but I was able to pick up some new minor techniques here and there.
The individual level improvements are:
LevelImprovementLevelImprovement
STRT0:00:00PLNG0:04:57
GR8T0:12:18BTRY0:04:14
TLPT0:06:39JNKR0:03:05
GRND0:08:30RVTS0:10:07
LLM00:11:11CBLT0:00:15
FL0T0:15:23H0PP0:04:23
TRSS0:12:38SMRT0:02:19
PRHS0:12:18V8TR0:04:02
CVRN0:15:01NFL80:05:10
BBLS0:21:45WKYY0:02:42
TR330:17:44CMB00:04:42
VLCN0:06:528BLL0:02:38
QCKS0:06:03TRDR0:00:50
PHR00:05:02FNTM0:10:20
C1R00:06:22WRLR0:01:18
SPKS0:03:41PDDY0:01:51
JMNN0:08:49TRPD0:01:37
SNDS0:06:55TFFF0:05:44
TMPL0:07:38FRGT0:06:10
TTRS0:11:414RN40:07:26
JLLY0:08:17MSTR0:04:25
Total4:53:23
One bad thing about doing a three player run is the switching. In order to do so, you need to press A+B+C and that can cause some undesired actions, so I had to choose carefully when to switch characters (ex. cannot switch characters while ballooned up or will deflate). This would be eliminated if each character had 6 buttons to use.
Since all three characters can move at once, Erik usually has to wait or screw around for the other two to catch up. Sometimes Erik intentionally gets hurt or bangs his head on an enemy so Baelog or Olaf won't be interrupted by it.
Glitches used (excuse the copyedit):
  • Falling key glitch - This glitch is pretty simple. Using a key on a keyhole while falling will prevent one of the characters from taking damage. I use this frequently.
  • Falling multicolor key glitch - This one is almost identical to the one above, only this uses a key on a different colored keyhole while falling to avoid damage. This also doesn't use up the keyhole. I was able to use this only once in WKYY.
  • Slide in to wall - This glitch involves an elevator. When on one, standing on the very edge and sliding into a wall, then moving over and back again quickly will get a character lodged into the wall. I only was able to use this once in BTRY. This glitch is similar to the Rockman 2 wall-omission glitch (only I can't zoom through walls, which would be awesome).
  • Slide through door/wall - In TRPD, there's a spot where pinchers are use to hold a block. When in the path of the pinchers, turning the direction opposite to the wall will get the character stuck in the wall, which happens to be on top of a door. Then, switching will cause the character stuck in the wall to fall to the ground and jumping will then cause him to get zoomed down reaching a button to skip a major part of the level.
  • Fall through horizontal door - This is only usable in one place - TRDR. This is, when falling, using a key on the door in the floor and falling through it. Giving it to another character enables that character to do the same.
  • Avoid damage by switching characters - This is when you're moving (falling or jumping), switch and switch back quickly and end up taking no damage. This used on enemy projectiles and vertical lasers.
  • This is more of a trick than a glitch, but you can sometimes walk over holes if able to find the right frame.
I chose the Genesis instead of the SNES version of the game because:
  • There are 4 more levels in the Genesis version
  • There are very long pauses between the levels that would add at least two minutes to the total time
  • I'm more familiar with the Genesis version
Some personal level favorites: JMNN, H0PP, TRDR
Suggested screenshots: 3:58:15, 16:50:39, 21:25:16
Enjoy!

Truncated: Accepted for being a good improvement to an existing run.
We will also need a new category for this run: One player controls three characters.
Phil: While we're at it, One player controls 4 characters. should be added as well, since soon or later, it will happen.


Former player
Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 706
Location: Elyria/Oberlin, OH
I really want to see this, as I loved the previous versions, but I'm having issues with the AVI. It won't work in my standard Media Player Classic, and when I try mplayer there's no sound and it starts a long ways into the run. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Josh.
but then you take my 75 perchance chance of winning, if we was to go one-on-one, and then add 66 and two-thirds ch...percents...i got a 141 and two-thirds chance of winning at sacrifice
Former player
Joined: 8/15/2004
Posts: 422
Location: Minnesota
I always use VLC to play these movies. Haven't had any problems since I started using it.
Joined: 5/31/2004
Posts: 464
Location: Minnesota
This is amazing. Watching 3 things move at once is totally awesome.
JXQ's biggest fan.
Joined: 8/15/2007
Posts: 1
I actually registered just to give props to this. Amazing job. It never got boring, and I think this is my second favorite TAS after the famous SMB3 one(s). Some of those shortcuts and glitches were mindblowing. My favorite part was probably the level right before you return to the ship, followed by how Erik gets to the switch before Tomator teleports in in the last level. Also, the three-players-at-once thing is incredible. I was on the edge of my seat due to how many precarious situations they get into and out of with perfect timing. As for the game itself, I've played through both the original SNES version and the GBA port, but this seems to be a rare case where the Genesis version of a game was actually better than the SNES version, due to the better-sounding music and extra levels.
Former player
Joined: 8/15/2004
Posts: 422
Location: Minnesota
Thanks and welcome :)
Reviewer, Active player (287)
Joined: 12/14/2006
Posts: 717
Comparison video I put in audio from both games this time. I usually don't do this because it usually results in the music phasing.