This vid is also known as "Let's affect the randomness!" thanks to the
random effects of many game events. Notably doorways putting you at a random
spot on the map, falling down a level putting you at a random spot on the
map below (I use un-falls to get back up), the obvious random presents with
question marks on them, and the Randomizer, which changes all of your
presents.
You know what this game needs? A boss. Something for me to fling tomatoes at
and actually need to do it for a speed run. That'd be more interesting than
just opening a door and, woo, there's the elevator twenty times. I did want
to show off a few different presents, too, like the Boombox, the tomato
rain, and the Icarus Wings.
Level transitions take 23 seconds, by my count. Since there's 24 of them,
that's over nine minutes worth of the vid listening to that awful elevator
music. (almost half the vid!) I wish I could to a good 2-player run, as
there'd be humorous commentary while in the elevator.
There's a vague RPG element, in that you gain levels and your hp goes up as
you do so (every 3 levels you get an extra life). Unlike most RPG's, though,
you don't get exp for killing stuff. You gain points by uncovering more of
the map and opening presents. Since the entire point of a speedrun is to
know exactly where you're going and what you're doing (and since I bypass
large sections of the map with teleports) I don't gain many levels.
I play the "fixed" world, for two reasons. First, it's easier to compete on.
Second, a "random" world is really just one of a half-dozen different fixed
worlds selected at random, instead of a generated world. I play as Toejam,
for the obvious reason that he's a tiny bit faster than Earl (who has more
hp).
Rom name: Toejam & Earl (U) (REV 00) [!]
Emulator used: Gens test v.9 wip 5.
Level by level analysis:
First, the good stuff: All my teleports are at most a screen away from my
destination. Except for part of one level (18) I use either hi-tops or
something faster (rocket skates, doorways) and I know exactly where I'm
going. For random presents I always get what I want. My personal favorite
levels are levels 3 (jumping sequence, killing an innocent bystander) and 19
(Rocket skates).
Bad stuff, and there's quite a bit of it:
All levels: After I teleport (or a few other random instances), in almost
all cases I waste a little time reacting to it. All time wasted *before*
setting off random things (doorways in particular) are intentional, to
affect what I get. Menus tend to be slow, and I tend to sneak for a few
frames after losing a set of hi-tops. Pathwise, I discovered unfalls are not
as useful as I thought they would be, considering you have to spend quite a
few seconds bouncing on the ground. Also, I should have used the randomizer
earlier (level 18, maybe?) and spent more time for better results.
Level 1: I pick up some Tomatoes (the present on the right) though I don't
absolutely need them. They get fed to the randomizer later, though, and it
doesn't waste very many frames.
Level 2: I don't need the Icarus Wings, either, and set off the hidden path
getting them. Stopping to buy the un-fall could be a bit faster, too, as I
spend a couple frames running into it. The small box is the randomizer,
which doesn't get used until the second-to-last level.
Level 3: I go out of my way to pick up a set of hi-tops. Killing the hamster
(only death in the vid) was a complete accident but doesn't waste any time.
A good level, I think.
Level 4: Setting up the first doorway goes a little slower than it should.
Same for getting into the elevator.
Level 5: Awful use of the rocket skates. I should at least go out of my way
to pick up something so it doesn't look like I'm wasting my time. Shouldn't
have set off the hidden path, either. Bad level.
Level 6: Menus could be faster here especially.
Level 7: The second jump into the abyss was actually an accident (It ideally
should be one jump) until I realized it put me right next to the ship piece,
so I left it in. I jump when I don't need to (right before the elevator),
wasting a few frames.
Level 8: Maybe could have handled the elevator a little better, rather than
going so far below it and coming back up. I'm not sure if horizontal
movement changes when going diagonally
Level 9: Short and sweet. Running could be a bit smoother.
Level 10: Erratic running keeps me on the grass. A simply awful approach to
the elevator.
Level 11: Stupid moles. Also, should have put on the hi-tops on this level
instead of later.
Level 12: Could have started moving diagonally a little earlier. The brown
box is a school book, to be fed to the randomizer, though I don't need it,
really.
Level 13: I was worried I was going to waste some time getting the extra
life hitting Poindexter (normally you stop and do a little pose), but I was
glad I was in the elevator when it happened. I kinda like escaping into the
elevator to avoid the mob of chickens, though.
Level 14: The "walk around in a circle" thing is the sort of thing I'm
talking about when I say I have to screw with the randomness. Later (like,
near last levels later) I do it more efficiently.
Level 15: A random present is effectively a "get what you want" in
speedruns.
Level 16: The worst part of the run: I take a hit from a boogieman when I
unfall.
Level 17: I think I managed this teleport on the first or second try. Maybe
that was later. I pick up an unfall for later, but for some strange reason
walk to the elevator.
Level 18: Should have used hitops between losing them and getting the
skates. The last pair I use doesn't see much use. Rocket skates see decent
use. Oh, and if I exited the elevator immediately the bees would pin me
against the elevator and kill me. I kinda like the way I avoid the
boogieman, though.
Level 19: Best rocket skate level ever. I pick up two doorways and don't
waste any time at the elevator. Unfortunately, there's an unexplained
side-trip I take at the very beginning: I think I hit a boogieman so it
forced me off to the side.
Level 20: Setting off the hidden path where I do forces the game to show me
as it makes the right part of it, which wastes a few frames.
Level 21: Pretty good level, I think.
Level 22: I have two unfalls at this point, so I use 'em both at the same
time. But getting to the ship piece on level 20 was a real pain.
Level 23: I'm simply awful getting the doorway out, but get pretty much as
close as I can to the ship piece. The second doorway used the more efficient
way of checking most of the frames for a good teleport.
Level 24: Rather than try for two doorways, I settle for a doorway and a
randomizer. The hula girl catches me for a couple frames, as opposed to a
couple seconds, something I find excessively odd. Maybe it's the shoes.
Level 25: Randomizer, doorway, ship piece, outta here.
Funkotron: Rather than end the movie getting the final ship piece, I decide
to end it on the "The End" screen, which shows once Mr. Toejam says his
little piece. I actually end it a little bit afterwards so Earl can say his
"what took you so long?" bit, which is unessential but I find it funny. I do
wish I could keep the hi-tops, though.
Stephen Kalb A.K.A. nifboy
Bisqwit: This submission has a big list of mistakes.
If you think there's a lot of obvious problems in this
movie, why did you submit it then?
nifboy: Because I'm silly and egotistical and not really thinking. I'm cancelling it and will redo it when I get a chance.
