Post subject: Blastcorps!
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 162
If there was an emulator for N64 that was functional for OS X I would totally try a speed run of Blastcorps! That game was so much fun. I had one emulator, but it was keyboard only... that kind of sucked. OK I lied. that really sucked. Anybody know of OS X emulators for n64? -Ev PS If you have an emulator or means for recording this on PC or direct on N64 that would be so rad. I'd love to watch the video too! P.)
Love, Ev
Former player
Joined: 6/27/2004
Posts: 550
Location: New York
when in doubt, go to www.zophar.net . My friend that uses OS X prefers Sixtyforce but I know nothign about it.
Player (68)
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjaví­k, Ísland
Doing it on a real N64 is the best way to go, since it won't be tool-assisted anyway. There's no re-recording emulator for N64 on any OS as far as I know. I'm not sure how exactly people do this but I think they just play the game while recording it to a VCR, then afterwards use a capture card to transfer it into computer-compatible files, then encode it with whatever codecs and stuff is best (xvid). Of course, if you want to do this you need a (decent) capture card.
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 162
Well I don't have ANY of that... and don't really want to put down bank for a speed run I would honestly not be very good at. If anybody has an N64, blastcorps and the other equipment it would be awesome to see. But that might just be me being hopeful. -Ev
Love, Ev
Player (68)
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjaví­k, Ísland
I have an N64 and I think I might still have my BlastCorps cart floating around somewhere(edit: just found it), but I'm too lazy to make a speedrun. Besides, even if I did, that speedrun would surely suck. And of course, I don't have a capture card (though I've been wanting to get one for a while). Also, how do you define the end of this game anyway? Would the speedrun end once all the red truck levels were completed? There was a ridiculus amount of 'bonus' levels, racing levels, etc. Should all three scientists be found? Where would it end? The game has no clearly defined end on it. Only once you've gained a gold medal for all levels, including for all the diffferent planets, and found all scientists can the game truly be considered "finished", though there are some things that can be done even after that.
Former player
Joined: 6/27/2004
Posts: 550
Location: New York
the game goes far, far beyond that(edit: that was written before you edited your post adding scientists and planets) If I remember correctly, first you guide the red truck to its destination in every level, then you got gold medals on all levels, be it primary(by finding everything), or other(racing etc). Then I think you had to find all the scientists, which was easy. Then the planets opened up- each of them very unique(mars is my least favorite level in the game). Then, you had to get gold medals on everything again, except this time the required times were much harder. You no longer had to pay attention to RDUs, communication things, or survivors(the survivors part was so dumb anyway). Once that was completed(it's not hard), THEN comes the final stretch of the game. You have to complete every single level AGAIN ridiculouslyl close to perfectly, so that you could get platinum medals. Every single one of these was very hard to get(unless you use the Z-trick on levels that allow it), and you had to complete the levels very close to perfectly. The amount of time required to beat it is what made it that much greater in my opinion. I think I stopped once I got 13 platinum medals. I read that if you got them all, your Rank was something like "Okay you can stop playing already!"
Joined: 6/14/2004
Posts: 646
Platinum medals are doom! But yeah, awesome way to make this simple game last a LOOOONG time.
I like my "thank you"s in monetary form.
Player (68)
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjaví­k, Ísland
Uh... wow, 13 platinums? I got maybe 5 or something. Yeah, the platinums were super duper ridiculusly hard to get.
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 162
Blublu, I totally agree with your earlier post. Watching the run would be great but I too am amazingly lazy. Knowing me, I would get a quarter though the game and then... well you know how it is. As for your question as to where the game ends, I forgot about all that other stuff you have to do in the game. I think I should just watch my friends do the levels when were inebriated. That's always good old time family fun anyhow. If somebody does do a run do tell. It would be far better played than any of my friends could do. :D -Ev
Love, Ev
caitsith2
He/Him
Player (47)
Joined: 3/26/2004
Posts: 194
As I recall, the time taken to beat the levels, including the guide the red truck levels, are saved, right from the very first time you do it. However, what I found to be the best, is clear the path, exit the level once that was done, then go back into the level to do all of its side objectives, (destroy all buildings, collect all rdu's, if applicable, find the scientist, also if applicable, find all the level unlock satellites.) Because the times it you to clear the level does stick, if you manage to get a platinum time, you will still get gold, until the time you start earning platinums, however, at that point, any levels with platinum times automatically get awarded a platinum metal, meaning you don't have to go and beat the level again. Finally, what I remember, is clear the easy levels, by clearing the path. Beat the medium levels, beat the hard levels. FInd all the scientists, clear path for space shuttle, play through the moon and clear it at least once. Get gold on every level you have, including levels you may have yet to find the unlock satellites for. The remaining planets get unlocked, get gold on all of them. Once that was done, get platinum on everything. As far as things go, I never did get platinums on everything.
Player (68)
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjaví­k, Ísland
Hey, I noticed SDA now has a video of all the levels of BlastCorps being completed very fast. All the times are very impressive and lower than required for platinum. Some levels are even WAY under the time required to get platinum. Check it out here: http://www.planetquake.com/sda/other/BlastCorps.html
Former player
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
I have 18 platinums. They're all pretty simple scores, except for my redonkulous (sic) platinum on the moon.
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine
Player (68)
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjaví­k, Ísland
Wow, you got platinum for the moon. I remember that level being a huge pain in the ass to complete because of the low gravity and tiny objects. Let alone getting a platinum. Nice. :) Edit: I just re-played the game, andit turns out I have more platinums than I thought. I now have 11 of them, but I'm going to get more. The game is so much fun, I'm now hooked on it again. Edit: 14 platinums, woohoo!
Joined: 8/31/2004
Posts: 298
Location: Falun, Sweden
Acctualy I found a run (segmented) for Blast Corps. It's made each level individual. Check out: http://www.planetquake.com/sda/other/BlastCorps.html
Bein' away for like five years, and not a single new post in the ZSNES forum... :'-(
Joined: 6/14/2004
Posts: 646
Welcome to three posts ago, population: you. Sorry. It had to be done.
I like my "thank you"s in monetary form.
Joined: 8/31/2004
Posts: 298
Location: Falun, Sweden
... now you made me sad... whatever. Sorry for not being observant.
Bein' away for like five years, and not a single new post in the ZSNES forum... :'-(
Experienced player (607)
Joined: 10/23/2004
Posts: 706
I heard there is a special ending after you get all platinum medals, is this true?
Current Project: - Mario Kart 64
Joined: 11/15/2004
Posts: 804
Location: Canada
No. I completed this game and got platinum on every single level. It was extremely frustrating in places and required me to play for several hours a day for several days. Since BlastCorps celebrates every accomplishment with such fanfare ("You've beaten all of the Easy levels! Let's have a ticker tape parade!"), I had high hopes for what might happen after finally completing this game. My highest hopes were a) use any vehicle in any level, and b) you can use the space shuttle in at least that one level. Rather than a scrolling congratulation message with pictures of big robots and flattery, the only thing that happened was that my rank was promoted to "You can stop now". That's it. You get absolutely jack squat. I tried going back into the game to see if anything had changed, and I can't find anything different. There is no special ending or reward of any kind.
TASing or playing back a DOS game? Make sure your files match the archive at RGB Classic Games.
nesrocks
He/Him
Player (246)
Joined: 5/1/2004
Posts: 4096
Location: Rio, Brazil
that is frustrating for this incredibly hard game and kudos for getting platinums on all levels, there were some i barely got bronze i think
Experienced player (607)
Joined: 10/23/2004
Posts: 706
Holy crap, hopper, thanks for answering my question :) That's the first time I've heard a solid answer!!! I still may play the game though as I have it lying around and really enjoyed playing it years ago. Congratulations on your accomplishment though *ticker-tape parade for Hopper* :)
Current Project: - Mario Kart 64
Joined: 11/15/2004
Posts: 804
Location: Canada
No problem. I just wish I had noticed your question a year ago.
TASing or playing back a DOS game? Make sure your files match the archive at RGB Classic Games.
Post subject: Blast Corps
Former player
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
What, no Blast Corps topic yet? This was one of the best games for the early N64... Anyways, the sheer amount of awesome that could come from emulating this knows no bounds. Even before you start getting timed in the game, you can still turn out a lot of cool footage before platinums show up. It would essentially be the same idea, what with the fastest path being a platinum path + getting in the truck at the end, but it would be interesting to see how well people can manipulate each vehicle into the perfect killing/destruction machine. Also, sweeping up the doctors and doing a few stunts in transit wouldn't hurt. Anyways, just throwing this out there. I probably won't be making any story runs for this; maybe just a few platinum attempts every once in a while at most. We could definitely have a 'start to all planets' movie, but the beauty lies in the platinums. So... yeah. 3 2 1 BRAINSTORM
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine
Spacecow
He/Him
Joined: 6/21/2004
Posts: 247
Location: New Hampshire
I really don't forsee the TAS of this game doing much better than StrangenessDSS and Brandon Sanford's videos. Yeah, we'll shave some seconds off by cutting corners more closely and all that, but I really think that as far as routes go that there just isn't much room for improvement. Of course, I'm just about equally confident that I'll be proven horribly wrong, so we'll just see how this goes. I can't wait to see someone make Magma Peak their bitch.
Joined: 6/14/2004
Posts: 646
The cool factor of this will be getting the platinum times on the earliest attempt through the level, going from a clean file to a filled one in the shortest amount of time. It's that difference between doing a single level perfectly after the 300th attempt, and all the levels seamlessly in at most 3 attempts per stage. For truck stages, I'm thinking of a clear route cancelled at the trailer, 100% collection, and a platinum run once the time trial mode is accessible.
I like my "thank you"s in monetary form.
Former player
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
Spacecow wrote:
I can't wait to see someone make Magma Peak their bitch.
And what of the pacman levels?
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine