U1's quotes are translated using DeepL.
Introduction
The youth is a traveler.
His companions are two:
A blazing fireball unleashed by imbuing plants with his wish.
A distant promise imposed upon those who wield “power.”
A blazing fireball unleashed by imbuing plants with his wish.
A distant promise imposed upon those who wield “power.”
The time to fulfill that promise.
It marks the end of his journey.
And the beginning of his journey into the sun.
And the beginning of his journey into the sun.
Parallel Air is a 2001 Super Mario Bros. ROM hack that differs from the easier Air and the harder Air 2 (the latter would be released two years later), all hacks of which are created by AC3U1/U1.
This hack was once locked away in U1's personal website; there, it required that you entered a specific ID and password found in the original Air to get the patch (see above).
The file comes with a .lzh extension, a Japanese file format, that you would then need to convert to the more universal ZIP archive file (last time I checked anyway).
The file comes with a .lzh extension, a Japanese file format, that you would then need to convert to the more universal ZIP archive file (last time I checked anyway).
Here lies the data for “AIR Parallel World,” intended for those who have solved all the mysteries hidden within AIR and discovered the entrance to the parallel world “AIR.” If you've found the entrance, you should have been given an ID and PASS. Enter them correctly via the link below to download “AIR Parallel World.” The password restriction is implemented using JavaScript, so it might be possible to bypass it. However, I believe you won't understand the meaning of the parallel world unless you play the main game first.
However, it was only a few years, and the hack became accessible across various scopes of the worldwide web for everyone to download and (try to) play.
As of this writing, the hack has a fitting resting spot in the SMB1-based hack database SMBArena. You can download the IPS patch here.
As of this writing, the hack has a fitting resting spot in the SMB1-based hack database SMBArena. You can download the IPS patch here.
A reminder that you can read more about the original hack series here. I cannot create a fully coherent summary of it in English, and I am not knowledgeable enough in Japanese, so someone who is may have a better understanding.
Parallel Air has three levels, each with separate rooms, which are remixes of levels from the original Air. Parallel Air is easier than Air 2 because it still retains its midair/infinite-jump cheat. Besides the fact that Parallel Air doesn't mark where the hidden blocks are, it is harder than the original Air because some of the rooms have their designs changed to be more difficult.
I first completed a run of the hack in 2017 with a time of 2:34.56, aiming to beat Weirwindle's 2012 TAS. (That run I don't have anymore, but can still be viewed on my old secondary YouTube channel (Please don't, actually; that's old cringe to me ;~;))
Then I went on to improve my run in 2018 with a new time of 2:32.03, 2.5 seconds faster.
After wising up in 2024, I took another look back at my run and further improved it by almost three seconds (177 frames), bringing the time down to 2:29.09. Best I let you fill in the blanks to see where I made improvements before, since I don't wanna come back and figure it all out myself, heh...
Finally, December 2025, I found three final improvements that I overlooked in Air 1-1 and Air 1-2, involving earlier warps; one in Air 1-1 that saved 252 frames, and two in Air 1-2 that saved 210 frames overall in total (105 frames each), which overall allowed for saving another 462 frames (7.62 seconds)!! And that's just about the run I'd be submitting here today! :D
Then I went on to improve my run in 2018 with a new time of 2:32.03, 2.5 seconds faster.
After wising up in 2024, I took another look back at my run and further improved it by almost three seconds (177 frames), bringing the time down to 2:29.09. Best I let you fill in the blanks to see where I made improvements before, since I don't wanna come back and figure it all out myself, heh...
Finally, December 2025, I found three final improvements that I overlooked in Air 1-1 and Air 1-2, involving earlier warps; one in Air 1-1 that saved 252 frames, and two in Air 1-2 that saved 210 frames overall in total (105 frames each), which overall allowed for saving another 462 frames (7.62 seconds)!! And that's just about the run I'd be submitting here today! :D
Throughout the run's history, I've used different versions of FCEUX, but all iterations of my run should do fine with syncing in the latest version (2.6.6).
- 2017 to 2018: FCEUX 2.2.2
- 2024: FCEUX 2.6.5
- 2025: FCEUX 2.6.6
Do let me know if you have problems though. (Hopefully not...)
Some "issues" with the hack
I'd like to point out that besides the levels and scoring that there are a couple... let's say "oddities" with the hack. Not anything catastrophic, but I wanted to make a note just to make you aware.
- When starting the hack from Power On, you start with 100 less in-game seconds than normal (so in Air 1-1, I start with 400 in-game seconds instead of 500); that's remedied after soft-resetting from here. This is the only case where it can seen as an unfair advantage, since the in-game timer drain will take 100 less frames to complete. But since this is the best available version of the hack we've got, there's not much else we can do about it.
- Normally, after letting go of B while still holding Right/Left to run on the ground, you have nine frames before you cap at walking speed (24) and X speed acceleration is slowed down. In here, however, letting go of B for even one frame and holding Right/Left will immediately enforce these restrictions. There is only one place in the run where that is demonstrated (in Air 1-1), so I don't believe there's much to worry about there.
I've commonly seen these issues in bad dumps of Super Mario Bros. where you start at World 0, not World 1. I've dealt with that when working on HL Coins Land in 2023. Thanks to a user on the SMB Speedrunning (8-bit) Discord server, with a few Game Genie codes, you are very much able to fix the World 0 issue (or you can hold A and press Start to ignored the saved World 0 and start at the intended World); the above issues I have yet to figure out.
Techniques to make note of (mostly thanks to the infinite-jump cheat implemented in the hack)
Mashing A will let you jump through ceilings. At certain Y positions and with running jumps (jump with X speed 25+), you can jump through ceilings without losing X speed; there can't be another row of blocks on the ceiling as well.
In a situation where there is a block above Mario and to the right of him, he can snap to on top of the rightward block. To do so without losing speed, Mario's Y pixel needs to be nine pixels below where the "next ground" is at, and he needs to move three pixels rightward on the next frame. Hopefully it makes sense, this is a bit tricky for me to explain.
If the vertical screen variable
00B5 is 2, the camera cannot be scrolled any further. You can rise back up to force the vertical screen variable to 1 and continue playing through the level. The trick needs to be used sparingly; once you execute it, you can't undo it.
Firebar particles on the far right edge of the screen cannot hurt Mario.
Level-by-level comments
Air 1-1
2 frames to spare.
The first three rooms are unchanged from my 2018 run.
The first three rooms are unchanged from my 2018 run.
Room 1 - Original Air 1-1
I go under the stage, then bust through the bridge. Then I wait for the Piranha Plants to go and do my darndest to make sure the hitboxes get ignored frame-by-frame.
Room 2 - Original Air 1-2
Right off the bat, I break through the structure. At its halfway point (where the long firebar is), I clip into the top and jump out to move Mario closer to the right edge of the screen (with an on-screen X of 136). Then I continue forward and clip through the used block with a coin and wait slightly for the Piranha Plant to go down.
Why I performed the clip halfway in was so that the end firebar (where the pipe is) would not rotate early and hit Mario while he's warping down. Mario is not invulnerable while warping; he can still be hit by hammers and firebars, which will undo his warping process or worse, result in his death.
Why I performed the clip halfway in was so that the end firebar (where the pipe is) would not rotate early and hit Mario while he's warping down. Mario is not invulnerable while warping; he can still be hit by hammers and firebars, which will undo his warping process or worse, result in his death.
Room 3 - Original Air 1-3
I go under the Podoboo (no waiting required), where a conveniently placed hidden block awaits me to cross through it. Then I go under the rest of the room and spring back up to enter the sideways pipe.
Room 4 - Original Air 2-1
I veer left and bump into the wall to get a boost in my rightward speed as I dash through the pipe (aided by a hidden block). The last vertical pipe is warpable.
(Much of the input here is from 2018, but this room and the next one have 2025 inputs (at the end for the former).)
Room 5 - Original Air 2-1
I bust through the hidden block ceiling so I can progress to the next room. I hit the left hidden block to avoid getting slowed down by the right (which never activated) to move faster, saving an additional framerule in the process.
The two downward pipes below the cement block row can be entered, though it will lead to a softlock as Mario will be stuck on the ceiling in the next room (his Y pixel needs to be 48 for you to gain control of him).
The two downward pipes below the cement block row can be entered, though it will lead to a softlock as Mario will be stuck on the ceiling in the next room (his Y pixel needs to be 48 for you to gain control of him).
Room 6 - Original Air 1-3
Veering left again to perform the vine warp glitch with Left + Right. And here, I go under the room afterward. Just as the flag is about to show up, I go further down and perform the "fake death" routine to lock the camera. The flagpole is now at the very right edge of the screen, perfect for the flag screenwarp glitch here.
A slowdown was needed at the end (just for one frame) to avoid the 3 fireworks.
A slowdown was needed at the end (just for one frame) to avoid the 3 fireworks.
(Much of the input here is from 2024, but I've only added the end slowdowns in 2025.)
Air 1-2
No frames to spare!
Room 1 - Original Air 2-2
I clip into where the pipes are and enter the very first one as soon as the resting Piranha Plant slumped down.
Room 2 - Original Air 3-1
I need to wait here for the second Piranha Plant to go down so I can warp into its pipe.
Trying to warp it normally would send you back to the start of this room. But by putting rightward speed into it, the camera scrolls to reveal most of the intended warp pipe, which then changes the destination area to...
Trying to warp it normally would send you back to the start of this room. But by putting rightward speed into it, the camera scrolls to reveal most of the intended warp pipe, which then changes the destination area to...
Room 3 - Original Air 3-3
Simply running around at first. Upon making it to the spring, I jump down and run some more. At the pipes, I need to wait again for the second Piranha Plant to go down so I can take the warp down the second pipe.
(This is the only room with 2024 inputs.)
Room 4 - Original Air 4-1
Jumping under the room again, then over a bit for entertainment.
At the end, I go in the last wall via a hidden block and hit the brick to reveal a Super Mushroom, removing the flag from the flag pole; this prevents Mario from sliding down the pole and getting in the next hole that follows.
Since my first finished run, I made sure Mario hit the blocks before squeezing into the hole to begin the in-game timer drain faster. And I stayed true to tradition ever since.
At the end, I go in the last wall via a hidden block and hit the brick to reveal a Super Mushroom, removing the flag from the flag pole; this prevents Mario from sliding down the pole and getting in the next hole that follows.
Since my first finished run, I made sure Mario hit the blocks before squeezing into the hole to begin the in-game timer drain faster. And I stayed true to tradition ever since.
(This is the only room with 2018 inputs.)
Air 1-3
No frames to spare; it's all about speed!
Room 1 - Original Air 4-2
I go under and hit the spring, which has a hidden block underneath. Here, Mario slips into the floor and is now very much in the zone as we speak.
And some more jumping under the room before jumping through the white hill top to the sideways pipe. It's a tight clutch there too.
And some more jumping under the room before jumping through the white hill top to the sideways pipe. It's a tight clutch there too.
(This room and the next one have 2024 inputs.)
Room 2 - Original Air 4-3
The "snap to on top of the rightward block" trick is put to use in the beginning, though for entertainment purposes. Then I go down (again, thanks to a stray hidden block). Slowdowns allowed for the next trick usage to work here though.
Next, I let the camera scroll and perform another vine warp glitch to get closer to the right edge. Firebars become intangible as Mario swoops in to hit the hidden block and enter the next sideways pipe.
Next, I let the camera scroll and perform another vine warp glitch to get closer to the right edge. Firebars become intangible as Mario swoops in to hit the hidden block and enter the next sideways pipe.
Room 3 - Original Air 4-3
This penultimate room is supposed to be a tussle with Bowser, but again, I go under and stop the camera from scrolling as the final sideways pipe appears.
(This room and the next one have 2018 inputs.)
Room 4 - ???
Well... You probably know how it ends anyway.
Possible improvements?
I checked just about every pipe and every wall for possible hidden blocks at the last minute, so perhaps now it's safe to say there are no more possible improvements that I know of... for now. In Air 1-3, I couldn't find any further last-minute improvements; not that it matters now.
Hang on. Why a submission here?
Why not? Especially after Mr_Sweed/DMTM's submission was rejudged (...and re-rejected for optimization)...
Anyway, fellow judge CoolHandMike took the liberty of re-judging the submission and officially deemed the game as acceptable for submissions. He then reached out to me on Discord about if I wanted to submit my userfile now that the game became acceptable, and heh, I couldn't say no to that. I just had to get everything set first (submission comments and any potential improvements), and it was off to the races.
Anyway, fellow judge CoolHandMike took the liberty of re-judging the submission and officially deemed the game as acceptable for submissions. He then reached out to me on Discord about if I wanted to submit my userfile now that the game became acceptable, and heh, I couldn't say no to that. I just had to get everything set first (submission comments and any potential improvements), and it was off to the races.
Shoutouts again to CoolHandMike for his commitment to looking over the earlier rejected submissions!
Additional thoughts?
Well... not much...
I guess consider it a little Christmas gift from me to you. Even though it's not exactly festive or anything like that...
I guess consider it a little Christmas gift from me to you. Even though it's not exactly festive or anything like that...
Regardless, I hope you enjoy!
Suggested screenshots?
947, at Air 1-1 (room 2)
2345, at Air 1-1 (room 5)
3230, at Air 1-1 (room 6)
4104, at Air 1-2 (room 1)
4297, at Air 1-2 (room 2)
5774, at Air 1-2 (room 4)
6606, at Air 1-3 (room 1)
7653, at Air 1-3 (room 2)
nymx: Claiming for judging.
nymx: I have been looking at this submission for a while and I finally decided to take it. If the Previous Submission had optimization issues, then I can certainly see that 24 seconds shaved off it certainly looks like the polishing that CoolHandMike would have needed in order to accept it. Now that we have it, I can see tricks here that are super quick and don't give any reason for me to believe that it isn't optimal. Super Mario Brothers tricks are quite advanced and way more than I can understand; however, I can only see that this is a greatly optimized run and one worthy of publication.
Accepting to "Standard".
despoa: Processing...