On April Fools day 2026, Rhythm Heaven creator deni_rh_iguess released a playable NES ROM containing a port of the Rhythm Heaven minigame Fork Lifter. And this is basically a TAS that perfects it. I was debating whether or not I should upload this to the site or not, because it's another homebrew with little exposure, but... what's the worst that could happen?
The original showcase of the game and its download link are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ZYcuLOvkA (Not sure why some of the sound effects didn't play, though...)
nymx: Claiming for judging.
nymx: Upon further consideration of this situation, it occurred to me that this game could reasonably support more than one category. Based on what was accomplished in this run, I would classify it as either “Full Completion” or, similarly, “100%.” However, the concept of a “Best Ending” category could also overlap with “Full Completion,” despite the fact that the ending sequence itself can be shortened significantly by reducing unnecessary inputs while still achieving the “That was really great!” ending.
Interestingly, it is even possible to complete the game without capturing a single object with the fork, which could arguably qualify as either a “Low%” or “Bad Ending” category. That said, we have previously established that a game must require meaningful player input in order to constitute a valid category. As such, at least one object would need to be collected before allowing the game to proceed passively to completion. In that respect, the game effectively functions as the equivalent of an “auto-scroller.”
Regarding optimization, I tested whether collecting objects earlier — specifically on the left side of the fork — would result in a faster completion time. It does not. Once again, this reinforces the notion that the game behaves much like an “auto-scroller.” Since objects can be collected using any prong of the fork, there was room to introduce some entertainment value; however, entertainment considerations are outside the scope of “Standard” class runs...yet may not be received as such.
Therefore, rather than labeling this run as “Perfect,” I am renaming the category to “100%” to more accurately reflect the total number of captures achieved. Additionally, I am accepting this run for what it ultimately is: effectively perfect in execution.
Accepted to “Standard.”
r3gamerz: Processing...