• Recorded with FCEUX 2.1.3, old PPU (syncs in 2.1.5)
  • Fastest time to 999999
  • Luck manipulation
  • Glitch abuse
1054 frames (17.54 seconds) faster than Baxter's published run, largely from using a new trick:
When the top row is cleared, the game seems to get confused and also clears the bottom row, counting another line (but tetrises don't clear 5 lines, it keeps a full line instead). So I score tetrises by doing triples at the top, and at the same time set up the rest for more tetrises (as leftover rows fall to the bottom). I actually found this glitch back in 2006 while doing a playaround, and had this run in mind for a long time, but it wasn't until recently that I figured out how to do it.
Placing blocks this high sadly isn't possible at level 19, but barely works at 18, so I start at 18 instead (and had to score 2 more tetrises). It's still hard to fit (and manipulate) the blocks up there, since I had to repeatedly fill the top few rows ... so I made this easier by bruteforcing again!
Overall, it went like this:
  • Find all possible ways to fit blocks into each side (or as many as I can, I got a few dozen)
  • Get the player input for each of them (and how many frames it takes to place each block)
  • Also get the input to delay the next block by any amount of frames (up to about 10, and pausing when left+right+down isn't enough)
  • Using the above, code the bruteforcer in C, and use it for a (mostly) easy ride to level 19 and above
And the bruteforcing: (instant, too)
  • Go through each left/right block sequence (for a single tetris), and each way to alternate sides
  • For each of them, find how long it'd take to manipulate and place all blocks
  • Keep the shortest one, display it and generate .fm2 data to copy-paste into the run
I only ran into a minor problem at some point, when the cleared bottom rows overflowed past the bottom (due to the glitch) and started blocking the way above the top row ... this sometimes forced me to use other/slower combinations, but probably cost less than 1 second.
Since this is no longer possible once I reach level 19, the last few tetrises were done like before.

adelikat: Claiming for judging. And Accepting of course!


adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
That's a dirty little trick you found there! Getting tetrises without a long piece, cheater! ;) Interesting that dropping down to level 18 actually results in a faster time due to this trick. I love when the counter intuitive prevails.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Banned User
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
adelikat wrote:
That's a dirty little trick you found there! Getting tetrises without a long piece, cheater! ;) Interesting that dropping down to level 18 actually results in a faster time due to this trick. I love when the counter intuitive prevails.
Not unlike the Excitebike "slower speed = faster" bug I found. In any case, well. Who needs long pieces when you have magical tetris-scoring L/J pieces? :D
Perma-banned
Editor, Player (44)
Joined: 7/11/2010
Posts: 1029
Scepheo wrote:
And I'd like to second Noob Irdoh on the suggested screenshot.
I'd prefer Sonikkustar's screenshot, personally; it makes it clearer what's going on in the TAS, and is more interesting ("why is the board set up like that?")
Banned User
Joined: 5/22/2010
Posts: 80
Location: WAR TOWN, Georgia (USA)
I never seen a glitch like that before. [Y] (50th Yes)
Do I look like someone who really cares what God thinks?! "GI Joe: The Atlantis Factor" - May be improved in the future.
Editor
Joined: 3/10/2010
Posts: 899
Location: Sweden
adelikat wrote:
Getting tetrises without a long piece, cheater! ;)
It's called an I bar. Learn your terominons.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Site Developer, Site Owner, Expert player (3574)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4754
Location: Tennessee
Get out of here with your crazy talk. Everybody calls them long pieces.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
mklip2001
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 6/23/2009
Posts: 2227
Location: Georgia, USA
This is amazing. The fact that you pull off triples for 4 lines is epic. It's fun to see the blocks gradually shift downward as you do this. I also would recommend Noob Irdoh's screenshot. Way to surprise us all in a game that we didn't think had any surprises.
Used to be a frequent submissions commenter. My new computer has had some issues running emulators, so I've been here more sporadically. Still haven't gotten around to actually TASing yet... I was going to improve Kid Dracula for GB. It seems I was beaten to it, though, with a recent awesome run by Hetfield90 and StarvinStruthers. (http://tasvideos.org/2928M.html.) Thanks to goofydylan8 for running Gargoyle's Quest 2 because I mentioned the game! (http://tasvideos.org/2001M.html) Thanks to feos and MESHUGGAH for taking up runs of Duck Tales 2 because of my old signature! Thanks also to Samsara for finishing a Treasure Master run. From the submission comments:
Shoutouts and thanks to mklip2001 for arguably being the nicest and most supportive person on the forums.
Moderator, Senior Ambassador, Experienced player (907)
Joined: 9/14/2008
Posts: 1014
I will admit that the pattern is ever so slightly repetitive / cyclical but at the same time it's so awesome that the effect doesn't get old. Absolutely a yes vote from me, especially since this starts with level 18. A.C. ******
I was laid off in May 2023 and became too ill to work this year and could use support via Patreon or onetime donations as work on TASBot Re: and TASBot HD is stalled. I'm dwangoAC, TASVideos Senior Ambassador and BDFL of the TASBot community; when healthy, I post TAS content on YouTube.com/dwangoAC based on livestreams from Twitch.tv/dwangoAC.
GGG
Banned User
Joined: 12/11/2009
Posts: 57
Location: USA
I vote yes. good time Encoding...
Banned User
Joined: 12/23/2004
Posts: 1850
Why not a screenshot that shows an L piece clearing 3? That would make it even more obvious something is quite wrong.
Perma-banned
Joined: 5/11/2009
Posts: 17
Location: United States
Wow, didn't expect to be that surprised with a Tetris run. Awesome find and great run!
Joined: 6/22/2010
Posts: 44
Location: The Hell of Blazing Fires
Wow, who's the sod that voted No? Back on the topic of the movie, I was so thoroughly impressed by this I showed it to all my friends. And then they showed it to their friends. VIRAL TAS VIDEOS! This gets another Yes vote from me even though at this point it really doesn't need it, rofl.
This is only a little obsessive.
Joined: 4/3/2006
Posts: 269
Wow! That was very impressive! It's an amazing run! Usually, when we play Tetris, we try to clear from top to bottom and hopefully we can eventually clear the entire board. This run clears the bottom rows from the top. Very entertaining! Voting yes!
Joined: 4/3/2006
Posts: 269
Regarding screenshot: Instead of showing one screenshot, how about we show an animated GIF with a few frames ? In particular, show the few frames where clearing a triple at the top actual clears a row at the bottom as well. (and for those paying attention will also notice that it counted as a Tetris)
NitroGenesis
He/Him
Editor, Experienced player (556)
Joined: 12/24/2009
Posts: 1873
Good enough, I guess. I just haven't really ever been entertained by tetris runs.
YoungJ1997lol wrote:
Normally i would say Yes, but thennI thought "its not the same hack" so ill stick with meh.
Skilled player (1410)
Joined: 5/31/2004
Posts: 1821
Very nice improvement, and entertaining too :)
Joined: 9/12/2009
Posts: 60
Location: None of Your Business, USA
Wow! Good Job Acmlm! a definite YES vote from Me
Active player (493)
Joined: 11/14/2004
Posts: 169
Location: Mirabel, Québec, Canada
Xkeeper wrote:
Why not a screenshot that shows an L piece clearing 3? That would make it even more obvious something is quite wrong.
I'd go for this too, maybe one of those:
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15602
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. ---- [1596] NES Tetris "maximum score" by Acmlm in 03:11.78
Emulator Coder
Joined: 3/9/2004
Posts: 4588
Location: In his lab studying psychology to find new ways to torture TASers and forumers
adelikat wrote:
Get out of here with your crazy talk. Everybody calls them long pieces.
The manual calls them Tetris pieces. That's what I call them too. But now I think the manual is wrong, as Acmlm proved it's possible to get Tetrises with other pieces too. Nice job Acmlm!
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Editor, Experienced player (860)
Joined: 8/12/2008
Posts: 845
Location: Québec, Canada
I love the selected screenshot!
Joined: 2/7/2008
Posts: 185
The new glitch (deleting tiles from the bottom) really adds to the narrative. It took a few deletions until I noticed that the pieces had all somehow shifted down about 8 lines. When stuff was shifting, I thought that was an encoding issue! Crazy! I was really enjoying watching the 2nd setup with a bit of understanding about what was going on, then the tetris after tetris made for a twist in the end.
I'm just some random guy. Don't let my words get you riled - I have my opinions but they're only mine.