Oh hey look it's Devil's Castle Dracula 3. It was the last Vaniacastle game on the NES, and it's subjectively the best one. It's also a broken mess.
This run is an improvement of 47669 frames over scrimpeh's old run completely due to a glitch in level 4 that lets you skip directly to the final level.
  • Takes damage to save time, sometimes.
  • Uses stairs to walk to Dracula
This run is done on the US version, as this glitch causes the game to crash on the japanese version. Also Noxxa did the inputs for the last phase of Dracula because I got annoyed so he gets credit too.

Glitches


Subweapon Cancelling


Like the japanese version, you can cancel animations for subweapons. The only way this is done in the run is by activating a subweapon the frame before a character lands from a jump.

Crouch Cancelling


By attacking a certain frame before you land from a long fall, you can completely skip the crouching animation associated with it, which saves some time.

Stair Displacement


The big one. By swapping from Trevor to Grant right before you enter the next screen on some stairs, you'll displace Grant from the stairs and allow him to climb in the air. This glitch is used in level 4 to skip directly to the final level.

Q/A


Q: Why do you do such weird stuff out of bounds.
A: Positioning stuff to get to the right room. If I didn't do what I did I would have missed it.
Q: Where are Grant's throwing knives?
A: The English version nerfed Grant so his knives are now just a dagger that he can stab with. Yes, it sucks.
Q: What difficulty is this on.
A: English.
Q: I hate the english version do this again on the japanese version with higher quality music?!
A: Glitch don't work on the japanese version so no.
Q: What's next?
A: An old project needs fixing.

Samsara Buttin' In


Hi there. It's me, your buddy Samsara. After arandomgameTASer redid earlier parts of the run, I stepped in and redid the 2nd and 3rd phases of Dracula. So don't feel weird that my name is now there. Okay bye.

Thanks


Thanks to scrimpeh for his fantastic Grant run, it was used as a guideline for the first few levels. Also thanks to the RTA runners of this game for discovering a large scale application of the stair glitch.

Suggested Screenshot



GoddessMaria: Judging!
Samsara: Setting to "delayed", pending an improved file.
Samsara: File replaced with a 971 frame improvement. Resetting to New as well.
GoddessMaria: Re-judging...
GoddessMaria: Alright. Since this is using a glitch to reach the Final Stage early on, it shall now be treated as a separate category from the published movie featuring Grant instead of an improvement. This movie overall was very entertaining to the audience and this also does really exceptionally well in the technical department. Very nice work from the three authors!
Accepting as a new category for Moons.
feos: Pub.


TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15580
Location: 127.0.0.1
Fortranm
He/Him
Editor, Experienced player (878)
Joined: 10/19/2013
Posts: 1121
This comes out of no where. It's amazing to finally see an application of the stair glitch. How is this route discovered? This run probably shouldn't obsolete scrimpy's run on JPN version. Maybe it should be branchless since this is technically the any% route?
Editor, Expert player (2098)
Joined: 8/25/2013
Posts: 1200
Fortranm wrote:
This comes out of no where. It's amazing to finally see an application of the stair glitch. How is this route discovered? This run probably shouldn't obsolete scrimpy's run on JPN version. Maybe it should be branchless since this is technically the any% route?
Just RTA peeps messing around with the glitch I guess. They've been doing runs of it for about a year now. Dunno about the branch, up to whoever judges it.
effort on the first draft means less effort on any draft thereafter - some loser
Dwedit
He/Him
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 692
Location: Chicago
I'd say call it "Gltiched".
Spikestuff
They/Them
Editor, Publisher, Expert player (2642)
Joined: 10/12/2011
Posts: 6438
Location: The land down under.
Dwedit wrote:
I'd say call it "Gltiched".
Reminder: The term "glitched" in branches (on its own) have been abolished since 2013.
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account. Something better for yourself and also others.
BigBoct
He/Him
Editor, Former player
Joined: 8/9/2007
Posts: 1692
Location: Tiffin/Republic, OH
Remind me, is "No Major Glitches" a valid category for us? If it is, I would relabel the current Grant run (this one) with that label and publish this alongside it.
Previous Name: boct1584
Spikestuff
They/Them
Editor, Publisher, Expert player (2642)
Joined: 10/12/2011
Posts: 6438
Location: The land down under.
boct1584 wrote:
Remind me, is "No Major Glitches" a valid category for us?
Forgoes time-saving glitches is the tag. Could call the older one "in bounds"... unless that goes out of bounds (haven't seen the older one for some time).
WebNations/Sabih wrote:
+fsvgm777 never censoring anything.
Disables Comments and Ratings for the YouTube account. Something better for yourself and also others.
Invariel
He/Him
Editor, Site Developer, Player (171)
Joined: 8/11/2011
Posts: 539
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Now I know TheAxeMan's secret identity.
I am still the wizard that did it. "On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer." -- Satoru Iwata <scrimpy> at least I now know where every map, energy and save room in this game is
Site Admin, Skilled player (1254)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11475
Location: Lake Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg
Finally used! By how it looks, probably memory corruption might be done faster, but I don't want to dig into this.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Joined: 6/5/2005
Posts: 139
I'm so glad to see this finally on the workbench! After messing around with this for a while in real time I'm glad to see TASers tackle this. It was a thing of beauty and a definite yes vote from me! I'm sure some will challenge the entertainment value of this run but I think the variety and hilarity in the glitchiness is enough to keep people interested. Good job!
I like stuff...
Editor, Experienced player (885)
Joined: 1/23/2008
Posts: 529
Location: Finland
That whole section from 9:30 onward should be framed and put on a wall in an art gallery. Possibly with the title "Stairway to Glitch Heaven". Voted 'yes'.
Editor, Skilled player (1439)
Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2108
Alright, I did not see this coming. The reason I never did a run of this route was that I'm convinced that you can activate ACE in the Japanese version right in the clock tower. Despite Mothrayas' and my best efforts, it was impossible to find a way that wouldn't result in the game crashing. Regardless, I'm very glad that there's finally a showcase for the craziness that the stair glitch brings. This run looks well optimized too, and the old Grant run was certainly in need of an update. Yes vote.
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (979)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
Please stop doing that on the clock pendulums. You are making me very nervous.
Sir_VG
He/Him
Player (40)
Joined: 10/9/2004
Posts: 1913
Location: Floating Tower
I was wondering when a run featuring this glitch would show up on here. Too bad it's the English version. :( (Yes I read that it doesn't work correctly on the Japanese one.)
Taking over the world, one game at a time. Currently TASing: Nothing
Alyosha
He/Him
Editor, Emulator Coder, Expert player (3822)
Joined: 11/30/2014
Posts: 2832
Location: US
That was crazy! 8D very nice and glitchy run.
Zakatos
He/Him
Joined: 7/26/2004
Posts: 90
Location: Brazil, Sao Paulo, Campinas
So Grant Danasty reveals himself being the real explorer of the Chaotic Realm.
The eyes of a machine are wonderful, but there's nothing like the the eyes of the heart – Old Cid, Cybercop
Ambassador, Experienced player (709)
Joined: 7/17/2004
Posts: 985
Location: The FLOATING CASTLE
Invariel wrote:
Now I know TheAxeMan's secret identity.
:) Very cool glitching. It feels like there should be a faster way to use it. Is there any chance for a more powerful ACE from this?
Dwedit
He/Him
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 692
Location: Chicago
Maybe I've just been spoiled to death by submissions with huge novels for submission texts that describe everything in exquisite detail, but I am really lost as to what is going on in glitchland. Anyone care to explain it?
Editor, Expert player (2098)
Joined: 8/25/2013
Posts: 1200
Dwedit wrote:
Maybe I've just been spoiled to death by submissions with huge novels for submission texts that describe everything in exquisite detail, but I am really lost as to what is going on in glitchland. Anyone care to explain it?
From what I can gather, entering the room at about 12:26 in the encode with full health confuses the game on where you're supposed to end up after you die. All the stuff before that is done to actually get there, since swapping between Trevor/Grant disaligns you and makes the game move you a bit. (The same sort of idea can be used with Sypha's ice spell) It's a weird glitch, I don't really get it tbh.
effort on the first draft means less effort on any draft thereafter - some loser
Fortranm
He/Him
Editor, Experienced player (878)
Joined: 10/19/2013
Posts: 1121
Around 7:39, would it be faster if you make a jump to the left instead of activating the scripted walk as soon as possible?
Post subject: new encode is up
Samsara
She/They
Senior Judge, Site Admin, Expert player (2238)
Joined: 11/13/2006
Posts: 2822
Location: Northern California
Random and I redid some parts of the run and saved a little over 16 seconds. I replaced the file and I'm in the process of making a new encode. EDIT: New encode. Link to video
TASvideos Admin and acting Senior Judge 💙 Currently unable to dedicate a lot of time to the site, taking care of family. Now infrequently posting on Bluesky
warmCabin wrote:
You shouldn't need a degree in computer science to get into this hobby.
Editor, Skilled player (1439)
Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2108
The new Dracula fight looks much better now, good job. Two miscellaneous notes on the updated version: 1. What's up with that glitched set of tiles in the lower left corner? I've never seen that before. Can you walk on it? 2. I wasn't aware Drac's second form could drop a heart. I would've used it in the old run, had I known about it. You learn something new every day.
Editor, Expert player (2098)
Joined: 8/25/2013
Posts: 1200
scrimpeh wrote:
1.What's up with that glitched set of tiles in the lower left corner? I've never seen that before. Can you walk on it? 2. I wasn't aware Drac's second form could drop a heart. I would've used it in the old run, had I known about it. You learn something new every day.
1. Just a graphical glitch from all the glitching around we did to get there. 2. That heart is from the candle right next to Dracs, not from Dracula himself.
effort on the first draft means less effort on any draft thereafter - some loser
Dwedit
He/Him
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 692
Location: Chicago
Why is grant jumping before hitting the candles in mad forest? (edit: Duh, you can't stab while walking)
Invariel
He/Him
Editor, Site Developer, Player (171)
Joined: 8/11/2011
Posts: 539
Location: Toronto, Ontario
I maintain my "yes" vote. Nice job.
I am still the wizard that did it. "On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer." -- Satoru Iwata <scrimpy> at least I now know where every map, energy and save room in this game is