Contra - The Hard Corps is a game about a wolf that is supposed to save the world from evil robots. Half way through he gets bored of running around and decides to time travel and marry a monkey.
Seriously though, this is an improvement to the existing, and quite old, Contra 4 run. I made a bunch of changes, and all were for the better I think.
First, I changed the ROM to the Japan version because in this version you get hit points (weird) which allows me to take damage to save time.
Second, I used the wolf. My main reason for this should become quite obvious halfway through the first level. Hint -- pay careful attention to the spider mid boss in level 1, he is the only boss who gets a chance to attack me. The rest of the bosses are killed before they can do anything useful.
Third, I chose to get the secret ending. This game has 6 endings I think. Four are normal, one is really a game over, and this one. I went for this one because you can get it the quickest, and I think the rest of the levels are boring. Going the path I went, one of the later levels has a long auto scrolling part with some kind of swinging thing that attacks you. While it looks funny, I think it's boring.
This is my third attempt at doing this game, and I hope you like it. By the way I like Contra games.
Goals:
  • Aims for fastest time
  • Takes damage to save time
  • Achieves best ending :)
If possible to pick a screen shot for this game, I really like at the end when the wolf is holding his gun up and the words "You Win" are displayed.
Enjoy
Forgot to mention I used GENS9Z_20070209 - thanks to upthorn for updating the links

Truncated: It is obvious that people want to see this published. As such, this is accepted.
Then there is the problem of obsoletion and categories. People does not seem to want to obsolete the current movie because they have very different endings. We can not have one movie per ending, 5 movies for one game is too much.
My suggestion is to have one movie for the secret ending (this one), and one movie for any of the 4 "real" endings. Whether that should be the shortest path (current published movie) or the "best" ending (with the rocket in the final stage) is left open at this point.

adelikat: Processing


TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15630
Location: 127.0.0.1
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3576)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
I was contemplating doing this run because I thought it was very improvable. But not THAT improvable =\ I will have to check it out. TODO: Upload "shock" mood avatar ;p
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Twisted_Eye
He/Him
Active player (410)
Joined: 10/17/2005
Posts: 636
Location: Seattle, WA
hahaha, I thought you were kidding. Surprise surprise! Good job here, I have no idea how you whomped those bosses but it was an excellent run because of it.
Player (150)
Joined: 11/27/2004
Posts: 688
Location: WA State, USA
Those poor bosses never knew what hit them... Yes vote. However, I don't think it should obsolete the old movie, as it earns a different ending imo.
Nach wrote:
I also used to wake up every morning, open my curtains, and see the twin towers. And then one day, wasn't able to anymore, I'll never forget that.
Player (81)
Joined: 3/11/2005
Posts: 352
Location: Oregon
Um... WHAT?
ideamagnate| .seen aqfaq <nothing happens> DK64_MASTER| .seen nesvideoagent * DK64_MASTER slaps forehead
Reviewer, Active player (288)
Joined: 12/14/2006
Posts: 717
That was almost too short. Excellent run. Those bosses were beaten extra quick. Yes vote.
Joined: 12/20/2004
Posts: 226
That's funny, this run ends right before you kill the final boss, maybe it's the version of Gens I'm using (it's labeled 20061213). Anyways, I thought your run was really cool, even if you did use the lame Japanese version (not a huge fan of taking damage in a Contra game). I won't vote until I can play your whole movie. If anyone is wondering how the glitch works, here is the procedure: -Select weapon B and press fire. -After you fire weapon B, switch to weapon D. I had to double tap because the game switched firing modes on me with the first button press. -Repeat I think this glitch works because weapons B and D use the same animation. I'm sure Ash Williams can explain more thoroughly. Peforming this glitch on a console is possible, but performing it consecutively is tough. I think this movie should obsolete Gigafrost's because Gigafrost's run is quite poor by current TAS standards. Sorry Gigafrost, but your run is 2 and a half years old. P.S. I guess this means I should start working on some Fang runs someday :-/ (speed run not TAS)
Joined: 10/3/2005
Posts: 1332
I'm wondering, would it have been any faster to use Brawny as player 2?
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (980)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
Wow, cool trick.Not sure I like taking the secret ending (which is pretty much a joke), but there's nothing wrong with the style of play at least. The Japanese version is... hm... feels like you're playing on Easy. I don't think this should obsolete our current run, but a run to any of the four standard endings should. Dromiceius: I remember reading that using 2 players increases the health of the bosses. It's not impossible that adding Browny helps though.
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
Voting yes! That was a great run, definitely, and a surprising one as well. I wonder what would a combo of Fang and Browny do on one of the full routes… That'd be double awesome, I guess.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Former player
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
Yes vote on this.
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine
Joined: 12/20/2004
Posts: 226
I downloaded the new Gens and even downloaded the .gmv file again, but it still doesn't work for me. This is what I see: http://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/mikwuyma/?action=view&current=Contra-TheHardCorpsJ_000.jpg BTW, is there any chance that using your last bomb on the final boss would let you end input earlier? P.S. Don't tell me controller settings or wrong rom because I checked them both.
Former player
Joined: 6/2/2006
Posts: 63
I'm glad you guys liked the run. mikwuyma nailed the glitch. Once you use the B weapon you switch to the D weapon. You have to wait 11 frames from when you first fired before you switch off the D weapon, and 10 after that before you can shoot again. I don't always do this however because sometimes it's faster to let the first shot hit the boss more because when the second one is fired, the first goes away. And yes using the bomb lets me end input earlier, but only after I fire 1 shot, it's not enough alone to kill the boss. As far as playing on "easy", the game play is the same between the (J) (U) and (E) versions, except for the hit points. I guess this makes it easier for the normal person, but the way I see it for a TAS, it's just another tool for going faster. It is not faster to have two players, my second attempt at this movie was with 2 people. I found it much harder to be able to fly through the beginning of the first level with 2 people. Also the game doesn't register damage as quickly with 2 players than with 1. Boss health is the same, but I think the game alternates frames to check for enemy damage between players. I would argue that this run should obsolete the old one only because this movie is faster up until the choice to get the secret ending. Otherwise you could have up to 5 movies for this game because each ending takes a different route. I'm leaving out the game over ending because I don't think anyone would want that. I hope no one else had problems playing the movie through to the end. I watched it on the 2006 version and it still worked.
upthorn
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Active player (392)
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 1802
mikwuyma wrote:
I downloaded the new Gens and even downloaded the .gmv file again, but it still doesn't work for me. This is what I see: http://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e209/mikwuyma/?action=view&current=Contra-TheHardCorpsJ_000.jpg BTW, is there any chance that using your last bomb on the final boss would let you end input earlier? P.S. Don't tell me controller settings or wrong rom because I checked them both.
The last two frames should be A at 5:01:41 and B at 5:01:42 If this is not the case, redownload the submission.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Former player
Joined: 9/20/2006
Posts: 287
Location: Singapore
Nice and quick run, worth publishing though I don't think it should obsolete the old run. True this run may be faster up to the point of the secret ending, but there are too many differing factors which prevents them from being judged similarly. The rom change gives you lives/health to abuse, which sort of changes the game. And choosing the secret ending which can be attained more quickly is also another big factor that sets this run apart from the previous one. In other words, this run should be published, but it should be under a different category and should not obsolete the existing run.
Truncated wrote:
Truncated is the most fiendish instrument of torture ever devised to bedevil the days of man. -- xoinx
Player (206)
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712
Should there be a run for every different ending?
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Sir_VG
He/Him
Player (40)
Joined: 10/9/2004
Posts: 1914
Location: Floating Tower
That took me longer to download than to watch. No arguments here. Yes vote.
Should there be a run for every different ending?
As long as there is only for the main 4 and the secret ending. If a different character is used for a published run, then the published is ousted.
Taking over the world, one game at a time. Currently TASing: Nothing
Former player
Joined: 9/20/2006
Posts: 287
Location: Singapore
But the fact that this is a secret ending sets it in a different category doesn't it? It's like the game ends prematurely
Truncated wrote:
Truncated is the most fiendish instrument of torture ever devised to bedevil the days of man. -- xoinx
AnS
Emulator Coder, Experienced player (728)
Joined: 2/23/2006
Posts: 682
Yes, this run should be published alongside with Gigafrost's old movie (until someone really improves it). And the idea about separate run for every different ending isn't that bad... wouldn't it be great to watch 2-player version with best ending (the one with rocket at the end).
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
I have an idea for endings and stuff. Why not have 2 full runs with different paths, in addition to this movie? Have two sets of levels: the shortest one and the longest one.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Post subject: Movie Publication
Former player
Joined: 2/12/2007
Posts: 105
So, we can have up to two movies for Contra - The Hard Corps, one for normal ending any-path, and one for best ending. So you cannot have more than two movies in one game because that will be too much. And if your playing different characters and you try to submit the movie that had more than two movie, if its the normal ending and its faster than the published movie, it will obsolete the old normal ending movie and replace it with new normal ending movie.
Editor, Experienced player (735)
Joined: 6/13/2006
Posts: 3300
Location: Massachussetts, USA
No, different categories can exist for numerous games. and be sure to always check that you don't contradict yourself in your own post.
Homepage ☣ Retired
Former player
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
comicalflop wrote:
be sure to always check that you don't contradict yourself in your own post.
“can have” != accept for publication, so he may not be contradicting himself. posting from my wii :o
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine
Former player
Joined: 2/12/2007
Posts: 105
This run for Best Ending, is it going to obsolete the Gigafrost run Normal Ending? Is it better to replace from Normal Ending to the Best Ending run, or the Best Ending run will publish it along the side of Normal Ending run.
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15630
Location: 127.0.0.1
This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [816] Genesis Contra: Hard Corps "secret ending" by Ash_Williams in 05:01.70