User Files for Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II

Based on my own and others' research

(Ported from Legacy Address Set 120) BizHawk Ram Watch file for NES Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II

This script draws the position of the elementals during the final fight with Malkil in Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II on a canvas. Kuros's position also is drawn. To keep it compact, coordinates on the canvas are scaled to half the value in the game. By default, the area drawn is 1.5 by 1.25 screens large and focused around the middle peak of Icefire Mountain.

Keys are defined that allow you to toggle each elemental on/off, restore Kuros to full health or full magic (so you do not need separate cheats), and clear the canvas. There are toggles for the health restoration, magic restoration, and canvas clearing to be done automatically.

Saved another 97 frames

Another cheap 1 frame cut.

Another cheap 1 frame improvement, though this one required a tiny bit more modifying to make work.

Another 7 frames saved off the previous attempt.

Tried a few alternate strategies, then gave up and improved rchokler's improvement.

15 Frames faster boss fight than in Alyosha's submission.

Improved parts of levels 1 and 2. Completed levels 3 and 4.

The new file manipulates luck for mana pellets and maxes out at the end of level 2. Also manipulates enemy and projectile spawns to avoid taking damage in later parts of the run so far.

This file ends when I gain control of Kuros at the beginning of level 5.

TODO: Level 5 to complete the game in record time. Will take more mana from enemies to prepare for the final boss battle.

Optimized the mountain stage of level 1, and finished everything in levels 1 and 2. Found a faster way to kill the water boss. Unassisted runners should avoid that method as it would be suicidal (all attacks boss attacks are instant kill due to not having the Water Blight spell). I survived only because of heavy luck manipulation.

Up to this point, this run now outpaces the best WIP by Aglar from about 2 years ago by 10 frames despite the fact that I had to be behind him by almost 60 frames when picking up the Wind Bane due to me doing a no-damage run.

This is a WIP to improve on the run by Scubed. I chose not to manipulate for gold nuggets in the first level. However, like Scubed, I am aiming for fastest completion without taking any damage. So far, I improved the Mountain part of the first level by 63 frames. After the eagle releases me, I am ahead by 192 frames. The Sky part of the level will be harder to optimize because it depends heavily on being able to make Kuros have enough (but not too much) downward momentum each time before a jump in order to get the best possible completion time.