This movie was recorded with FCEU.
This is a pretty good platform hopper, featuring four characters that you can switch between at any time, each with their own unique abilities. Samson (the boy) is fairly quick and can wall-jump, but has the weakest weapon. Kikara (the dragon) can fly but is somewhat slow, Gamm (golem) is the slowest but most durable and has a powerful attack, and Ko (mouse) has the least life and the hardest-to-use weapon, but moves quickly and can do a lot of damage when used properly.
For this speed run, I input a password to begin the game in Hard Mode. There is no other way to begin the game in Hard mode, and inputting the password causes you to skip the "intro" stages (where you must play through one stage as each of the four characters). But I was aiming for a playthrough on the hardest difficulty, so that's the tradeoff.
The trick to doing a speed-run of this game is using the right character at the right time. I mainly use Ko, as he is easily the fastest of the bunch, and occasionally switch to Kikara for flying over some gaps that Ko can't leap.
For bosses, I primarily use Gamm's punch attack. Against "mobile" bosses though, Ko is clearly superior, as you can drop bombs in the bosses' path and do a lot of damage in a very short time. You can often do significant damage by setting bombs next to an enemy and then hitting them multiple times with the explosion, but in some cases it's quicker to stay one step ahead of them and let them run directly into the bombs to take damage.
I take damage to cut down a significant amount of time in completing the game. This is especially notable in the endgame sequence, where you often have to wait for explosions to subside in order to proceed. However, by making good use of switching characters, I was able to escape much more quickly. The trick to saving time via taking hits is to be in mid-air when you take a hit. While on the ground, you'll fall lose your forward momentum when hit, but in the air you'll continue moving forward while losing your upward momentum, which, if you're falling downward already, isn't a big deal.