Post subject: Contra Hard Corp
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Well, I guess I just completed a time attack for this game, although there are many improvements to make on it. I'm not sure when I'll work on version two, though. Gah, the emulator suddenly decided to desync on me while I was typing this, despite playing the file right half a dozen times, playing through the part it desyncs at well over 50 times, and desyncing in all previous versions at that exact part. If it plays right for you, that's great. Contra Hard Corp in 20:05.1 http://www.kraftfam.org/~erk/misc/Gigafrost-ContraHC.gmv I believe Browny is the optimal character to play as since he can jump higher than the others, apparently can slide farther (? I just read this off a gamefaqs FAQ, although I've never noticed it), and his C weapon is very efficient at killing almost everything incredibly fast. As for the path, well, I chose this path because I wasn't looking to end the time attack with the secret ending and because when I started this path seemed to be the fastest, but recently I've had doubts. Of the four normal endings, the two where you kill Deadeye Joe each have a level with a fixed scrolling rate, so I decided to avoid those and go for another. In retrospect, I think that was hasty. If you kill Deadeye Joe and surrender, you're already on the last level and there are only two bosses. Compare that with the path I did choose: after you surrender there are two levels containing four bosses. Those of you who watch it may notice that I spend a lot of time sliding and may wonder if this actually is faster. My measurements indicate that this is so. In the research center, when you finish climbing, two weapon capsules come on-screen. For the one on the left, you'll (hopefully) notice in my run that when the screen centers on the boss room, the capsule is completely off the left side of the screen. Simply walking causes it to be almost in the middle of the screen. There are numerous small improvements that could be made on the run I did make. For example, the sliding in the first level could definately be improved with what I've learned in later levels (sliding off cars = fast). I've learned a lot about properly using the C weapon as well as shooting at enemies better while dodging. I could climb the wall in the Research Center faster by jumping. Some boss fights could be better improved. The bombs could most likely be used better. Whenever I work on another version, I plan on taking all of these into account and working on making the video look more "professional." Now that all of that is said, any comments\suggestions? :)
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (979)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
Browny is almost without unquestionably the best character for a speedrun. His yo-yo, if utilized correctly, can take out most bosses in only a few seconds. Even if he doesn't have as good homing weapons for the tevel enemies it shouldn't make much difference. I'd like to watch it, but I've lost where the modified Gens is. And I'm lazy. Anyone care to help?
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
nesrocks
He/Him
Player (246)
Joined: 5/1/2004
Posts: 4096
Location: Rio, Brazil
it went desync at the start of the train level boss (right after u surrender)
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (979)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
Thanks for the help but, hm. You used the USA version, didn't you? I only have the Japan version. It will take some time before I can watch it.
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Anyways, it's not so important right now since the video is desynced\incomplete anyways. Looks like I managed to convince my little brother to try. He took my suggestion and is trying most of the improvements I suggested above. His run should be a lot better since he's finished with level 2 and is already 72 seconds faster. :)
Joined: 4/26/2004
Posts: 213
Location: Montréal, Québec
I watched it entirely without desync. I'm still searching the code for pproblems.
Former player
Joined: 6/6/2005
Posts: 384
Well...I got to Colonel's third form before it apparently desynched for me. After setting off the second bomb, it pauses and just sorta...stays that way. X.x; Edit: Well, that was a dumb thing for me not to try. Unpaused and saw the ending. Disregard my brainlessness ~.~v
Joined: 3/27/2004
Posts: 15
Location: netherlands
I watched it completely A awesome job man! I just wished that you would have picked another ending like the virus breaks free one but still. The way the movie was played.... awesome :D
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Well, an update on the run my brother was doing...apparently, he finished today, but while he was watching the finished movie he accidently overwrote a small part of it. He didn't make backups, and he spent some time trying to fix what he had recorded over, but he failed. Giving up, he deleted his file. Well, that means that y'all won't be able to see his improved run any time soon, but I got to see him do the first three levels and I'm going to attempt to implement the improvements he did. I've already started work on my second time attack and it's coming along VERY well. He had done the first level roughly 7-8 seconds faster than my above run. My new first level is 13.5 seconds faster than my above run. Anywho, here's that play through the first level. http://www.kraftfam.org/~erk/misc/ContraHardCorp-incomplete-lvl1-Gigafrost.gmv
Joined: 4/26/2004
Posts: 213
Location: Montréal, Québec
I watched it and it's good work. Be sure to grab the latest test version of gens before going too far in your run.
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Got it. Thanks for the heads up. :) EDIT: Can everybody watch this video through level 2? http://www.kraftfam.org/~erk/misc/contra10.gmv It works fine on this computer and on my fastest computer, but not on our kitchen computer. Coincidently, the two computers that play it right play the old run wrong, and the computer that plays the old run right plays this one wrong. I think whatever caused the videos to permanently desync on this computer might mess up time attacks I make... :(
Joined: 3/31/2004
Posts: 21
Location: Montréal, Québec
I managed to watch it all the way throught, after reading what you posted in Jyzero's Rerecording Genesis Emu topic. I switched the player one joypad to 3 buttons(was at six) and i was able to watch it right trought the end. Looks like we're gonna have to record with the p1 buttons set to 3, doesnt really matter only a few games actually require 6 buttons, Beyond Oasis comes to mind but its really only a matter of convenience than anything else. Great run by the way!
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Finished through level 3 and it's still looking good. I'll come to my own decision tomorrow if I don't get a response, but right now I've got one bomb left and I'm wondering when I should use it. What are y'alls thoughts? These are the possibilities I see... Level 4 waterfall miniboss...using a bomb, I might be able to kill him before he turns red\goes invincible. Level 5 - Big Magnum Level - Doctor boss second form. If I get forced onto the ceiling then he might consume some time, although my brother is telling me right now that he didn't get forced onto the ceiling when he did his run. Hmmm... Level 5 - Big Magnum, final boss. The first and last modes might make it difficult to continuously or semi-continuously hit him. It might chop some time off to bomb him. Saying things like that, it does seem like the level 4 miniboss would be the best option. If y'all think otherwise, do speak up. :)
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Well, I'm done! Final time - 15:50.7 http://www.kraftfam.org/~erk/misc/ContraHardCorps-timeattack(3b)v2-Gigafrost.gmv It was a lot of work, but well worth it, imo. Again, if it desyncs for you, try setting the player 1 controller to 3 buttons. I managed to decrease all boss fight times and I used the bombs way more efficiently. I think I managed to implement almost everything my brother did while at the same time trying to keep the video as close to perfection as possible. Granted, it's probably still not the most perfect video possible, but it should be VERY difficult to do better.
Joined: 1/31/2005
Posts: 121
The game might have at least 7 different endings for each character. So there might be 7*4=28 versions of movies for the game. Someone think the wolf is even faster, to some extent.
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Yeah, his charge-up attack was surprisingly powerful, much more than I recalled. Enough so that it'd be worth it to explore that possibility for a new fastest run.
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (979)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
How about a Browny + Fang version then? Or do the bosses get more life in two player games? I remember Fangs charge-up weapon as being a big dissappointment. Doesn't do any damage at all. Am I missing something? I remember his punch being very strong (but it can only shoot in one direction), and his upgraded A weapon too.
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
Me and Chronofrost have twice started a Browny + Fang run, heh. Unfortunately, bosses do apparently have more health. :( (We've never started the second stage in either run, though, so there's no telling if we'll even finish...)
Player (206)
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712
Chronofrost? Wait, how many of you Frost guys are there?
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Former player
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 366
I dunno. You'll probably only run into me, Megafrost, and Chronofrost because we're brothers and a bit more into games in general. We've got a cousin and at least four friends with frost names as well. I guess my mom still uses her frost name, too. Other than that, there have been other people we know that have picked up frost names but I've got no clue if they still use them (most of them I imagine don't.) I've got no clue if most of them really want their names spread for no reason, though. (Which is why I've counted instead of listed)
Player (206)
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712
I'll keep an eye out for Robert Frost
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Former player
Joined: 2/2/2005
Posts: 198
As long as one of you isn't named Deacon Frost, it's OK.
Joined: 7/6/2005
Posts: 6
Location: Sweden
Sorry to bump such an old thread, but I've noticed there are some very strange differences between the Japan and the USA-version of this game. Like, why is it that you have 3 healthpoints per life on (J) and only 1 HP on (U)? Does anyone have more information on these differences, or perhaps a complete list?
Soig
He/Him
Skilled player (1517)
Joined: 12/4/2010
Posts: 252
Somebody suggested me to do a whole endings run with whole characters many years ago. And now, I wanna do it. Because I love Contra. And this one on genesis is the best game of Contra. Many characters, many endings and many many bosses. Until now, there are 3 endings of this game on this site. But not entertaining enough. Because they use the same character - Fang. I did a 2 players run using Fang and Browny before. But rejected because of its low emtertainment. Firstly, let me show you all the endings of the routes. 1. Choose a route at the end of the stage 1. (---A or B) 2. Choose a route in stage 6(Enemy's stronghold). (---A or B) 3. Choose a route if you surrender to destroy the world with enemy in stage 9(The last stage in best ending). If you choose "承知した", then game over screen will appear after the plot. You can choose continue to go back to that stage. So I don't know if this one is an ending. And I don't want to choose this ending then go back to the game to the best ending in my run. It's boring and not necessary to see the gameplay in that stage twice. 4. A secret ending in stage 4.(集積場) So 5 endings in total. Secondly, I'll show you which character to complete which route. 1. Secret ending. Ray beats secret ending. Ray's weapon is the lowest. So I choose him to beat that shortest way. 4 stages in total. (Stage 1, 2, 4, and 13) 2. A to B(Same as bad ending.) Sheena beats this ending. Her weapon is stronger than Ray's but lower than Browny's. 5 stages in total. (Stage 1, 2, 4, 5, (6), 12) 3. B to B Browny beats this one. 6 stages in total. (Stage 1, 3, 4, 5, (6), 7, 11) 4. A to A Ray & Sheena beat this ending. 6 stages in total. (Stage 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10) 5. B to A. Browny & Fang beat this ending. 7 stages in total. (Stage 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9) Note: 1. Weapon damage: Ray < Sheena < Browny < Fang. 2. I don't use single player with Fang. Because it's enough on this site. 3. You can use 2p to press triple "left, right, A, B, C" on the main menu, then you can choose a level which you want to enter. 4. I won't use that key to enter the level I want. I want to give you a good show of this game. A complete story in every route. Also, different character has different styles. 5. I will use BizHawk to run the game. Because Gens doesn't allow to reset game in a movie. 6. Route A to A is a traditional ending. There are many abnormal enemies in last stage. And Route B to A is the best ending of the game. So I use 2 players in these 2 endings. What's your opinion?