Happy new year, TASVideos!
After improving SNES Prince of Persia 1 and 2, I present a new game: 3 Ninjas Kick Back! And my first TAS with 2 players!
3 Ninjas Kick Back is a beat 'em up video game for the Super NES, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Sega CD platforms. It was developed by Malibu Interactive, published by Sony Imagesoft and was released in 1994.
Game objectives
- Emulator used: Bizhawk 1.11.9
- 2 Players
- Uses death to save time
- Takes damage to save time
- Uses hardest difficulty
- Heavy glitch abuse
The game is based on the motion picture of the same name (Released on the same year).
Plot
Fifty years ago, the master samurai fought in a ninja tournament to win a magical dagger that together with an ancient samurai sword, is believed to bethe key to unlocking a secret cave laden with riches. After winning the tournament and rightfully gaining the dagger, it was stolen by the master's archrival, Koga. Though the master searched far and wide, he never found any trace of Koga or the dagger. Now, too old to continue searching, the master sends his three young apprentices, the young ninja brothers, Rocky, Colt, and Tum-Tum, to
assist him in retrieving the prized dagger.
Once it has been restored to its rightful owner, the dagger shall once again be passed along to younger generations, through the winners of the ninja tournament.
Stage-by-Stage comments (Level names based on Sega CD stage select code):
I choose Colt and Rocky because their attack powers is better. Unfortunately, this game doesn't have 3-player mode, and Tum-tum, due of lower attack power (and requires much more hits to defeat these bosses), is not used in the run.
1.1 - Woods
No comments
1.2 - Hillside
No comments
1.3 - Woods
Objective: Find and destroy 8 training dummies.
- Due of a camera limits (with 2 players, only), I skipped the gate that opens if you destroy that 8 training dummies. That skip works because that gate isn't detected (due of out of range), allowing one of 2 players to bypass the gate.
1.4 - Woods
An autoscroller path! Some entertainment implemented until the end of this path. It's not possible to destroy the boulder that accompanies all the time. Note that stage is laggier. This lag occurs due of boulder movement.
1.5 - Bonus Round 1
- Luck manipulation (Pausing this game several times to get a certain item that drops time when picks this).
2.1 - Cabin
Objective: Collect 8 objects.
- Bombs collected in order to defeat the thug (only appears after collect 7 objects). After defeats, he drops a key, which is necessary to exit this path.
2.2 - Secret Caves
- Skipped completely thanks of a Wallzip! And a exit is actually shorter!
2.3 - Bonus Round 2
Pausing game is no longer needed.
3.1 - Hospital
Objective: free 8 hostages.
- I pick up a checkpoint in order to save time after free one of 8 hostages, and losing a life on both players, avoiding backtracking.
3.2 - Nurse Shubuya
The first boss of this game. Requires 25 hits to defeat!
3.3 - Bonus Round 3
No comments.
4.1 - Japanese Garden
- Small boost of Rocky is gained on 2 moving platforms thanks of a camera manipulation. And Colt gain bombs during this path.
4.2 - Japanese Garden
- Several Wallzips is abused to skip several paths. And other: that first 3 Wallzips, it's not possible to reach to top directly (because of floors), needing to move left for 2 frames, and a Jump to continue Wallzips!
4.3 - Japanese Garden
Objective: free 8 caged birds.
It's not necessary to free 8 caged birds, because it serves only for bonus points.
- Several Wallzips is abused to skip a lot of this stage!
- Bombs is used to kill some ninjas in order to avoid lag.
- Camera manipulation again, in order to avoid death.
4.4 - Konang Dojo
- Bombs and lag reduction continues.
- Colt dies in order to avoid some lag. And get bombs without wasting time.
4.5 - Sumo
The second boss of this game. Requires 50 hits to defeat!
5.1 - Castle Osaka
Objective: collect 8 gold pieces.
There's a huge failsafe: It's actually possible to finish this stage without collecting 8 gold pieces, because there's no gate to block that exit.
- Several wallzips is abused to climb much faster.
- Picking a hidden route is faster than normal route. Even with hidden route, that lag can't be avoided.
- Colt dies again in order to avoid some lag. But is revived after reaching of top.
5.2 - Cave of Gold - Koga
The last boss of this game. I consider this boss the hardest of 3. Requires 40 hits to defeat!
5.3 - Castle Escape
Another autoscroller! And unavoidable lags of 1-4, again! Input ends on a specific position in order to wait to finish this stage. Otherwise, in earlier frames before end input, both players will dies, and this stage won't finish.
Other comments
This game is one of my favorites! And i'm impressed how this Genesis version is actually much faster to improve than SNES version. Actually, I discovered this glitch by accident, several months ago.
Comparision between versions:
SNES version
- Wallzips glitch can't work!
- Better music and sound than Genesis version.
- It's possible to continue with bombs in other stages and bosses.
- Bombs don't explode immediately when contact on a enemy.
- Loading times.
- During conversations, it's not possible to skip directly, due of lag frames present, needing to wait until lag stops.
- No lag on boulders.
- On Bonus Stages, picking a certain item cancel that bonus instead to drop time.
- No Stage Clear screens.
- Different bomb on Cabin.
- It's possible to finish Hospital without needing free the hostages.
- Instead voicing, when you rescue each hostage, it's a sound.
- During the Castle Escape, it finishes much later, and it's not possible to end input before finishes this stage, requering to press start on some cutscenes before of credits roll.
Genesis version
- No loading times.
- It's possible to skip conversations immediately.
- When you enter on any path, your health is automatically recovered.
- When you complete a Stage, or when you enter on a boss, automatically you lose all of your bombs.
- Stage Clear screen present.
Sega CD version
- Extra cutscenes, including several FMV videos.
- It's possible to skip conversations immediately.
- Loading times.
- Music, sound and graphics upgraded.
- When you enter on any path, your health is automatically recovered.
- When you complete a Stage, or when you enter on a boss, automatically you lose all of your bombs (expect if you get on the first extra stage).
- Stage Clear screen present.
- Includes 2 extra levels, in first person-sytle.
- A extra cutscene after the credits.
About Wallzip glitch
- To perform this glitch, you must you must jump directly to the wall, and when you very some pixels before of the wall, turn you direction, allowing you to enter 1-2 pixels on a wall, and zipping vertically until you reaches on a floor.
Note: This glitch don't work to bypass floors or walls.
feos: Solid run with decent feedback and variety of action, accepting to Moons.
fsvgm777: Processing.