I actually had a go at this about a month ago to see if I could improve it, but I gave up after the first level since I ended up spending nearly 3000 rerecords on the first level. The two main main reasons I thought I could improve it was because I knew the first level could be done a frame faster, and then I'd try get a mushroom/flower on the second but I came to the conclusion this was probally not going to work out. The other big potential improvement is the overworld castle in World 8, I thought if would be possible to use the invisible coin block to glitch through the wall and into the door on the other side, but after hours of trying I couldn't seem to get it to work.
It's possible, I just tried and it worked, but it's no less than 30 frames slower because of not quite having full a full P-meter going into the next room.
I'm posting a WIP, unfortunately the same thing I had a few weeks ago. If only I could find 1 more frame in 1-1, that level would instantly become 5 frames faster, possibly saving time later too. I believe it's possible and I have been able to do the first half of the level faster, but so far I've always lost more time than I gained from increased lag later in the level. The only "big" improvement here is the unusual strategy in 1-2, which can also be used in 8-2 to a lesser extent.
I've wondered something for a while about the current smb3 video. Cant you save time at the first level in world 8 when you reach the hammer brother? In the current run he moves backwards, but I have seen him move forward before. I'm sure it probably doesn't matter, but I had always wondered about that.
Super Mario Bros. console speedrunner
- Andrew Gardikis
Here's a thought: Turn the Hammer Brother in 1-1 into an airship, so there's no trouble with him moving around and wasting time. As for 1-1, I think it might be faster to hit the first Koopa Troopa and throw his shell at the block with a mushroom. The current method... bothers me.
You know, I think maybe someone's tried that already. It looks cool but it's much slower (8 frames slower was the best I could get it).
There's no speed oscillation and BLJ doesn't apply to this game either. Maximum sliding speed is simply faster than maximum running speed, and on one in every 8 frames the game will not reduce your speed on the ground, so all you have to do is jump out of a downhill slide and only touch the ground on multiples of 8 frames to maintain faster-than-running speed.
By the way, too bad there's no need to use this trick because it works great with shells in SMB3.
In 1-3 after grabbing the shell, you wait for a few frames before jumping. Is this faster than jumping immediately after (or even before) grabbing the shell?
No, since acceleration is the same in the air and on the ground, and I already had a full P-meter. I only waited to jump because normally you're sure to lose full P-meter by waiting that long on the ground.
Would anyone be interested in a run of SMB3 without getting any mushrooms? So far I'm partway through the first airship - I'll post a WIP later tonight.
Joined: 8/15/2005
Posts: 1942
Location: Mullsjö, Sweden
There already is (Or was...) something similar.
http://tasvideos.org/15M.html
It ends and begins all lvls with small Mario.
EDIT: Maybe it isn't the right movie anyway, forgot where I have seen it.
I had a go at this myself and as you said its just over 20 frames slower, is there any possible way to conserve the P-meter since it at full when you enter but decreases a few notches when you enter the next area, its a shame really a full P-meter would allow roughly a 30 frame improvement.
I also tried going through every wall until I got to the end but there is too many obstactles and that diagonal thomp slows Mario down quite a bit
It's already gone down a level (from full to looks-full-but-isn't) before even jumping out of the wall, and once that happens there's no hope of stopping it from decreasing. A full P-meter is conserved simply by staying off the ground, but going through the wall counts as being on the ground and it takes too many frames before you can jump again.
I continue to refuse to believe that there is not 1 single frame more to be found anywhere in the 1-1 I recorded...
WHOA WHOA WHOA! I figured something out. I was working on my SMB 1, 2, 2j, and 3 run when I noticed something. Despite also going through 4-1 in SMB, 1-2 in SMB2j, and the between-levels thing in SMB2, I managed to have a faster start of 1-3 in SMB3. The main difference in route between my SMB3 and Genisto's route (other than the fact that Genisto's run doesn't involve running into walls or in circles) is that 2 powerups are grabbed in 1-1. The reason 1-3 is faster (almost 1 second faster) is that with the leaf power-up, Mario can kill the Koopa Troopa at the start instead of jump over him. Hence, he fills the P meter much quicker.
Here're my proposed route changes:
1. In 1-1, grab a mushroom by throwing the turtle shell at the block on the ground.
2. Grab the turtle shell, and use it to hit the next power-up block and grab the leaf.
3. In 1-3, kill the Koopa Troopa with the spin attack.
Time saved: About 10 frames.