Sub 0:08 Nick Bruiser strategy found. Thanks to all who a) insisted it is possible (samuri goroth & Phil particularly) and b) those who were confident I would find it (AngerFist).
- 1) Primary goal: Aims for fastest completion time of each boxer
- 2) Secondary goal: Aims for fastest real time when it doesn't conflict with 1)
- Emulator: SNES9X v1.43+ v9)
- Settings: WIP1 Timing, Allow left+right, Volume Env. Height Reading, Sync samples with sound CPU
- Abuses programming errors in the game (the "pause" glitch)
- Doesn't take damage (only because it is not advantageous)
- Manipulates Luck
This run is 99 frames faster than the published run in real time and only a 0.91 sec different in game clock improvements. This however is a pretty significant improvement considering a) how competed this game is b) that these some of these times are possible unassisted (many of these TAS times have been done on a console by top speed runners, including me) c) Phil did an amazing job with his TAS.
3 opponents were improved, but only Nick was improved by using a new strat. There were minor real time improvements as well such as using the pause glitch more optimally, using the proper super punch to get the quickest knockdown animation (where it did not conflict with the fastest game clock time), and NOT using the pause glitch on piston hurricane (the same time can be achieved without it).
Also, I "lost" 16 frames at the beginning because I clicked the "cleared the SRAM" button before recording which Phil seemed to have not done. Phil's "dirty SRAM" oddly resulted in the title screen appearing 16 frames sooner.
Here are the times that I achieved:
* Gabby Jay - 06.26
* Bear Hugger - 13.49
* Piston Hurricane - 05.50
* Bald Bull - 08.64
* Bob Charlie - 05.50
* Dragon Chan - 07.49
* Masked Muscle - 06.33
* Mr. Sandman - 13.13
* Aran Ryan - 08.45
* Heiki Kagero - 10.60
* Mad Clown - 09.22 *
* Super Macho Man - 09.43
* Narcis Prince - 08.47 *
* Hoy Quarlow - 8.35
* Rick Bruiser - 10.71
* Nick Bruiser - 07.54 *
The * are times that were improved from the current published run.
A quick explanation of the pause glitch: By stunning the opponent your super punch meter increases more but it takes time for it to increase, thereby delaying when you can super punch. Fortunately, when you pause the game, the meter continues to rise. So there are a few strategic places where pausing the game can significantly improve how quickly you can throw your first super punch.
Truncated: Accepted for improving an existing run.
Phil: Just to mention that even though the author seems to claim he is the first to obtain that Nick Bruiser time, it is not the case. Genisto managed to do it. It's just not in the published version but in some WIP. Also, I told adelikat that 7:5x time is possible, so he works hard to achieve that time.
