Introduction
This is a TAS of the e-reader levels of Super Mario Advance 4. To watch the movie you will need the .sav file of the e-reader levels (see link below). This TAS plays through all 32 e-reader levels. There are 5 other levels on the file, they are SMB3 remakes of the SMB1 levels 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, and 2-2. There is a 32 level limit to the number of files that can be on the game save, so these levels were not included.
You will need to rename it to the name of your ROM.
Thanks a lot to Bag of Magic Food for making this file.
The .zip file includes the .vbm movie, a text file with comments, and the classic levels .sav file. Thanks to Bag of Magic Food for also making this .sav file.
Since this TAS is nearly an hour long, here is a link to two savestate files. Slot 1 is just before Level 11, and Slot 2 is just before Level 21. Load them during movie playback to jump there.
Info and Goals
- Emulator used: VBA 1.7.2 v19.3
- Gets all A-coins and e-coins
- Aims for fastest speed
- Plays every level
- Gets every powerup at least once
- Does not use L+R glitch
- Trades speed for entertainment
- Takes damage to save time
Note: Names for levels 11-30 and the second Promo level are fan-created names because these levels have never been released in the US.
Level 1: Wild Ride in the Sky
This autoscroller was rather boring. I tried to make it look as entertaining as possible. It is not possible to jump onto the first moving platform without waiting, but the autoscroll only starts when I reach it, so I jump under it to get the autoscroll started as soon as possible. I get a Super Leaf here.
Level 2: Slidin' the Slopes
Butt-sliding is fun! The last Boomerang Brother at the end carries a blue boomerang, which lands on the ground after he is defeated. The boomerang can then be picked up and thrown as an item. I don't show that here because it wastes time.
Level 3: Vegetable Volley
This was also a fun level. I think it was more entertaining to use the Koopa Shell on the row of Spinies than on the last A-coin in the pit.
Level 4: Doors o' Plenty
The !-switch at the end is supposed to be used to make blocks appear that allow you to hit a vine block that grows up to the boss room door, but flying up is faster. The boss battle was pretty cool.
Level 5: Bombarded by Bob-Ombs
Another autoscroller. Notice the coin counter block at the start of the level. If I hit the block and get 110 coins during the level, I will get 3 extra lives, but this took time so I didn't do it. I get a few 1-ups bouncing off cannonballs. In the underground section I tried to make it as entertaining as possible by kicking around Bob-Ombs and just barely avoiding explosions. I switch my Super Leaf for a Fire Flower here. By the way, have you ever noticed that normal walking Bob-Ombs are blue while those shot from cannons are purple?
Note: The glitch where I passed through the wall was actually done by accident. I didn't figure out how to do it until Level 12. See that level for an explanation.
Level 6: Magical Note Blocks
This level was really boring because I had to keep bouncing on the note blocks. Not much to say here.
After beating this level, the blue mushroom house door opens because I collected 30 A-coins.
Level 7: The Ol' Switcheroo
An interesting level, but not much to say here.
Level 8: Piped Full of Plants
Taking damage at the end is faster than waiting. I have to have P-speed to reach the last A-coin.
Level 9: Swinging Bars of Doom
I restore my firepower here. Fighting two Boom-Booms is fun!
Level 10: Para-Beetle Challenge
A rather boring autoscroller. I dance to the music a few times in the more boring parts.
Level 11: Magical Note Blocks 2
The note blocks here slow me down a lot, so I get a Super Leaf to glide over some of them. In the pipe section after coin heaven with all the flying koopas, I can't reach the pipe after getting the A-coin by gliding down, so I fall down and jump back up.
After beating this level, the red mushroom house door opens because I collected 50 A-coins.
Level 12: Airship 1
Here, I finally figured out how to do the wall glitch that I did by accident in Level 5. You have to be big Mario to do it. In an autoscroller, press and hold left against the screen, and a few frames before Mario is about to get crushed, duck and you will slide through the wall. I get a few 1-Ups by bouncing off cannonballs and the like. Keeping firepower from level 10 here to use on the boss actually wastes time because of a big slowdown in Level 11 from the note blocks.
Level 13: Chill Cavern
The slowdown in the duck-sliding tunnel just before getting the e-coin was intentional, there is no other way to get the e-coin. There is also intentional slowdown at the end to avoid getting three star panels.
Level 14: Inner Maze
The blocks that I stand on in the very beginning are invisible blocks that only appear if you are in Tanooki's statue form. I get the Tanooki Suit at the beginning because it is required for one of the A-coins. The room with the first A-coin also has the Tanooki invisi-blocks. At the part when I throw turnips at the A-coin in the bubble, I have to wait a bit after each turnip hits so the game can register the next hit. The room with the last A-coin was ****ing annoying because of all the invisi-blocks. The gray blocks that you see in that room and at the end can only be broken by landing on them in statue form.
Level 15: Tropical Splash
This was a fun level to do. I switch my Tanooki Suit for a Cape here. In the water area I get a Frog Suit because not only does it make the area faster, it also is required to get to the next A-coin because the pipe has a current coming out of it. The glitch where I swim through the giant ? block with the Frog Suit does not waste any time. After the water area I get another Cape.
Level 16: Castle à Go-Go
This level requires the Kuribo's Shoe to complete. Before getting the last A-coin I intentionally take damage because the Kuribo's Shoe slows me down.
Level 17: Frappé Snowland
The strange enemy you see in the beginning actually does not damage Mario, it acts like a bumper that bounces Mario away. I use this to my advantage in a few places by bouncing upward off the enemy to reach a higher place. I switch my Cape for a Fire Flower here, as it is needed to get A-coins in this level and the next level.
Level 18: Frozen Fortress
In the area with the starry background (not the start of the level), I have to get the long row of coins (actually Munchers) before getting the A-coins. Fighting two Boom-Booms on ice was a bit harder than expected.
After beating this level, the orange mushroom house door opens because I collected 80 A-coins.
Level 19: Pipe Maze
Remember the gray blocks from Level 14 that could only be broken with a statue stomp? Here, I show that they can also be broken with hammers. The Hammer Suit is required to get the e-coin.
Level 20: Spiral Tower
The delay where I wait for the yellow block snake to move is unavoidable. In the tower section, I deliberately take damage on spikes to save some time. In the part where I kick a Koopa Shell to smash through all the bricks, I tried to make it as entertaining as possible without landing on the shell.
Level 21: 60 Seconds
This level has a 60 second time limit. I deliberately jump into a Thwomp and take damage because this level can only be beaten small.
Level 22: Ropeland
This level was a little boring because of all the ropes and vines. Unlike SMW, in SMB3 Mario cannot jump off a vine unless Caped Mario.
Level 23: Haunted Hall
Taking damage on the spikes in the room with the yellow block snake is way faster than waiting for the block snake. I can't get the A-coin by just floating down.
Level 24: Clear Skies
I get a Cape here. This is a relatively straightfoward level. The backtracking to get the A-coins is unavoidable.
Level 25: Koophahari Desert
Digging through dirt blocks is rather slow. Not that much to say here.
Level 26: Aqua Bars of Doom
A water level, so sort of boring. In the room with the last A-coin, I have to go down the middle and past the rotating platform because the pipes on the sides have a current running from them. And how the heck do the firebars stay lit underwater??
The next levels are done out of order because I wanted to do the two levels with Bowser in them last.
Level 28: Hammer Bro. Ship
It sounds pretty strange to hear fortress music on an airship. Something interesting in this level is that there are two different Ludwig Koopa bosses. If you don't take the upper "secret" route to the e-coin, you will come to a different Ludwig which is defeated with only one stomp (don't know how many fireballs).
Not much to say here. Morton seems to be defeated with only five fireballs.
This promo level was only released in Japan. I have to be small to get two of the A-coins.
Level 29: Bowser's Airship (Part 1)
This is the first part of what is intended to be one "area". I restore my firepower here.
Level 30: Bowser's Airship (Part 2)
This level picks up where the previous one left off: at the Boom-Boom fight area. I get some 1-Ups by bouncing off cannonballs. I sacrifice some time to get a Boomerang powerup, which looked cool. I don't think that getting the star to use on the cannonballs detracted from the entertainment.
Note: If you look carefully, after invincibility, Mario has slightly lighter colors than before. This is a minor glitch caused by the invincibility pallette.
Next up, I visit the three Mushroom houses and the e-coin castle.
Note: For each house, I have to wait for Toad to say the first line before I can enter the mini-game.
Blue Mushroom House
A simple mini-game. Just dig through the dirt and hope that you get the 25% chance of getting the prize. I was unable to luck-manipulate and make the chest directly underneath me. I get a Tanooki Suit here.
Red Mushroom House
I can't jump when I'm holding the ball. The block layout of this level is different for different prizes. The better the prize, the harder the layout is. I get a 3-Up Moon here.
Orange Mushroom House
If I hit any spikes here, I will automatically die, but I won't lose any lives or powerups. I get another Tanooki Suit here.
e-coin Castle
I can't run here because pressing B will make me exit the level.
Now that we're done with the Mushroom Houses, let's enter Bowser's Castle!
Level 27: The Gauntlet
In the room with three doors side-by-side, each leads to a "remake" of a Hand Trap level. I take the middle door (Jumping Podoboo room) because it's the shortest. In the Magikoopa room, I have to wait a long time for the Magikoopas to bust through the bricks for me. I glitch through a wall at one point. Also, just like the original Bowser's castle, there are two different Bowser rooms here. I take the harder room because it has an A-coin inside.
I end the movie at the last frame Mario can be controlled in the Bowser room.
Possible improvements
- Fix a route mistake in Level 4 (that I didn't notice until Level 21...argh...)
- Walljump in Big Boo fights to get hits sooner
- Firebar manipulation in Levels 9 and 26 (is this possible?)
- Glide over more note blocks in Level 11
- Fix minor screwup in Level 17
- Do more levels out of order to optimze powerup use (such as having a Cape for level 22)
- Turnaround flying in Level 24 (is this possible?)
- Get a Hammer Suit from a Mushroom House to use on Level 27.
- Get more 1-Ups in autoscrollers (not a timesaver) (is this possible?)
- Do more interesting wall glitches in underground section of Level 4 (not a timesaver)
Thanks to...
- Bag of Magic Food - For making the e-reader .sav files.
- VGMaps.com - For level maps and the fan names of the JP-only levels.
- caitsith2 - For encoding the e-reader levels so they could be downloaded to SRAM.
- TASvideos.org - For posting this submission
NesVideoAgent: Hi! I am a robot. I took a few screenshots
of this movie and placed them here.
Oh! I also corrected the ROM name.
- You indicated
2161 - Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario Bros. 3 (U) (v1.1)
- I updated it to
Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario Bros. 3 (U) (V1.1).gba
Zowayix: Edited ROM name. The
2161 in the ROM name is important. And does NesVideoAgent's screenshots not work with movies beginning with saves? (Loading the ROM without a save will display the error message in screenshot 2.)
(One more thing to note, is that you can have more than one memory viewer window open at a time, all of them auto-updating, each at a different location.)
The things that do affect that counter, is change of your input from one frame to the next, or no change for 255 frames. (in which case the game records "hold Right + B for 255 frames", "hold right + B for 43 frames.", "release Right, Push and Hold UP for 102 frames", etc...).
