Castlevania III is the final game of the NES trilogy and introduces different characters you can play as and a stage select screen that gives you a choice which path to take. This run aims to complete the Grant path as quickly as possible, saving roughly 19 seconds over the previous run.
Game objectives
- Emulator used: FCEUX 2.1.4
- Takes Damage to Save Time
- Abuses Programming Errors
- Manipulates Luck
- Genre: Platformer
Comments
Most of the time savings come from a couple of different strategies, more optimization, better heart management and a couple of new tricks. Grant is an absolute beast when used properly, and I try to show that off as good as I can.
Tricks
Canceling Attack Animations
There are multiple ways to skip the attack animation of thrown weapons, allowing the player to keep moving and throw weapons at a considerably higher rate. All of these need to be frame-precise. It works by pressing the attack button...
- ...immediately after crouching (Grant's throwing dagger only)
- ...on the frame before you land from a fall
- ...on the frame you're walking off a ledge
- ...at a specific frame while you are jumping into a ceiling (Grant only)
Falling downward quickly
If you let go for one frame while walking off a ledge, Grant will immediately fall at his maximum speed. This is faster than jumping when descending ledges that are one block high. Anything more, and the game begins forcing you into crouching mode
Canceling crouching mode after a big fall
You can do this by attacking at the correct frame.
Slowing enemies down by hitting them
This is more effective on some enemies than on others
Manipulating moving Platforms (New!)
By scrolling moving platforms, such as the swinging pendulums in the last level off the screen, I can spawn them in such a position they move away at exactly the right moment.
Pulling yourselves through corners (New!)
If the blocks are arranged in a certain way, Grant can pull himself through by approaching the wall correctly. You can see me doing this at a couple of places.
Entering walls (New!)
Another one that only works with Grant. If you jump into a ceiling, 32 subpixels are added to your position, regardless of whether you are touching a wall or not. By repeatedly jumping in the proper spot, you can add enough subpixels to your position to roll over, adding a full pixel. This in turn allows you to enter the wall. You have to align your subpixels carefully while approaching the wall to minimize the amount of jumps it will take.
What you can do while in the wall depends on your exact position and the blocks around you. You can either begin climbing the walls as usual, or, if you're in deep enough, jumping immediately zips you upward a block.
Other comments
I'd like to thank samhain-grim for his great Castlevania 3 runs that I used as a base, and Bablo for an unfinished WIP, which helped me a lot while making the run. Also, I'd like to thank everyone on #tasvideos for putting up with my constant rambling about the run. I may elaborate on the submission comments later, but, for right now, I hope you enjoy the run.
Nach: Very nice improvement, accepting.