Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - 102% TAS by Comicalflop, Dooty & NxCy.
It's with much gladness that we finally present to you, the result of many months of hard work to improve and apply the current standard of tricks and glitches to the 102% run of Donkey Kong Country 2.
Overall, we saved 00:53.72 seconds. The new length is 1:22:17.17, and the in-game timer of the game is now 1 hour and 6 minutes.
Stereo sound was once again selected for superior sound quality, but this time we play the game in hard mode, for an even challenging and entertaining game experience.
The Emulator Settings
- Snes9x 1.43 v17 svn123
- Use WIP1 Timing (Yes)
- Allow Left+Right/Up+Down (Yes)
- Volume Envelope Height Reading (No)
- Fake Mute desync workaround (Yes)
- Sync samples with sound CPU (Yes)
- Clean FastROM setting (Yes)
The Game Objectives
- Plays in hard mode (no DK barrels)
- Aims for fastest time
- Contains Speed/Entertainment Tradeoffs
- Manipulates luck
- Uses Warps
- Takes damage to save time
- Abuses programming errors in the game
- Achieves 102% (full completion)
- Uses a game restart sequence
The Tricks and Glitches
The Bonus and DK Coins
After you touch the coin, there is a 1 frame window where you can perform some actions, just after the game unfreezes. Inside this window, one of the buttons you can press (if you have both kongs) is A, to team up. But if you're already in a team up formation, pressing the A Button will dismount the other kong, allowing you to keep control of the game, it's useful if the exit of the said bonus is far from you and you can suicide inside that bonus, otherwise it's useless as you get stuck after that.
If a stage is already cleared, you have 1 frame opportunity to collect the coin, and press Start then Select, while still collecting the bonus/DK coin. This is used to save time with some new routes.
The Doors:
When rolling into a door, you’ll get caught at a certain distance, and your speed will become pretty slow as you enter the door. The left and right buttons are what activates this animation; by not holding either left or right, you can move into the doorway, and enter it faster. This is done when rolling, as the animals, etc. and it's used in all doors now.
The Camera
Pressing the opposite direction you're facing, forces the camera to scroll in that direction. We used it a few more times, to kill or avoid some enemies and to collect one DK coin.
The Tires
For some reason, in Jungle Jinx, if you shoot out of a barrel and land on one of the tires, the camera will scroll to the right very fast. Throw the other kong on a tire also have some wierd results, you can bounce very high or make the other kong land very far.
The Palettes
We found even more ways to get some of the colors of objects to turn out wrong. See how many you can spot! We bet you'll never spot them all, but if you do, we'll send you a delicious rotten banana as a prize.
The Karts
The Karts move slow when going up hills; by starting to jump at the base of the hill, and keep jumping as soon as you land, you can make it up the hill faster. Unfortunately, in Rickety Race if you jump you'll lose speed.
The Big Jump
If you have both kongs and take damage, the other kong will jump higher by just holding the B button. But, if you do some other things first it will jump really high: thrownig the kong upwards then taking damage before the other kong lands, or throwing it to a blast barrel then taking damage makes the other kong jump higher, but by entering a swimable water, switching the kongs and then taking damage, makes you go incredibly high!
The Jump Delay
If you jump for 00:00.03, you can still team up and jump at the same time. It's used to enter some bonus stages, to finish some stages or to go up a little faster in some other places.
The Improvements
Gangplank Galleon
Pirate Panic
Biggest change really was in the way we started the game; by playing in hard mode, we started with both kongs and it allowed us to use the barrel at the beginning, saving some frames right at the start of the stage. 00:00.32 faster.
Mainbrace Mayhem
Hard mode saved some frames here too, also, the jump delay saved some time to enter a bonus or set up a team up. 00:01.38 faster.
Gangplank Galley
When entering the last bonus, it's faster to bump off of the first two Krushas and then kill the third one with a wooden chest. 00:00.93 faster.
Lockjaw's Locker
The route change we mentioned in the previous run was implemented here, the strategy to collect the DK coin was also improved. 00:06.95 faster.
Topsail Trouble
Another change that saved some time, Dixie was used to do the bonuses and to collect the DK coin. 00:00.62 faster.
Krow's Nest
00:00.33 were spent to manipulate the eggs (inside Funky's house), but we started the fight with Dixie this time, so, no switch needed. 00:01.35 faster.
Crocodile Cauldron
Hot-Head Hop
Slightly improved bonus stages, that's all. 00:00.35 faster.
Kannon's Klaim
A similar strategy as in Lockjaw's Locker to collect the DK coin was used here, also changed is the way we reach the warp barrel, thanks to was0x for posting a link to a video demonstrating this trick. 00:04.42 faster.
Jungle Jinx
The bonus was improved with the jump delay trick. It can be completed faster with Dixie, but using Diddy here to finish the stage, avoids one character switch in Lava Lagoon, wich is pretty good. 00:01.33 faster.
Lava Lagoon
Starting as Diddy saved quite some time here. It's possible to duck underwater near the third Clapper, but the time spent to kill or avoid the croc, makes it a little slower, so, it's not used in this run. 00:02.12 faster.
Red-Hot Ride
The glitch were a team up takes twice as long if you're on top of the baloon was avoided. The way Rambi charges was slightly changed in the first bonus and in the second bonus Diddy returns to Dixie, so, the coin trick can be performed here too. 00:01.33 faster.
Squawks's Shaft
Almost nothing new here, a jump delay trick was used to save some time. 00:00.57 faster.
Kleever's Kiln
Inside the fight itself 9 frames were saved, but this time we enter on the first possible frame with a pretty good luck, so, some time was saved on the map also. 00:00.15 faster.
Krem Quay
Barrel Bayou
We followed the any% route, but made a few changes as we must also do the bonuses. We spent a lot of time in spawning the neeks to make the colors of the very last one be completely wrong, so we can have an excuse for some frames lost to grab the cannonball needed to enter the first bonus. 00:03.73 faster.
Glimmer's Galleon
Underwater Dixie can perform as fast as Diddy, so, doing this stage as her didn't slowed us down. We can also exit the stage as Diddy with a target switch trick, wich will save some time on the next stage. 00:00.07 faster.
Krockhead Klamber
Start the stage as Diddy proved to be beneficial here. Since we're playing in hard mode, there's no way to sacrifice Dixie near the DK coin to pass those bees, as we need her to enter the bonus stage. 00:00.90 faster.
Rattle Battle
Another stage with almost nothing new, and again the jump delay was the only time saver. 00:01.25 faster.
Black Ice Battle
Another stage with... hey, we already said that, nothing new, the jump delay thing and blah, blah, blah. 00:00.17 faster.
Slime Climb
Another stage with... just kidding, there's lots of new things here. Remember that huge jump on the any% run? It was also used here, but twice amongst other small changes. Now this stage is the one with most frames saved in the new run. 00:09.73 faster.
Bramble Blast
Start playing as Dixie is not desired in a great number of stages, but here it's a good thing to have her in front, with her helicoptery hair she can skip the first barrel, wich saved some frames. The through-ceiling trick was slightly changed, we don't need to worry about sacrificing the other kong anymore, so we can let Diddy land on the brambles to avoid some barrels and dragonflies. 00:02.03 faster.
Kudgel's Kontest
We redid this boss battle, but it's a pretty boring fight no matter what you do to make it interesting, so, the old fight was hex-edited here as in the any% run, just the end of the battle is different. 1 frame faster.
Krazy Kremland
Hornet Hole
Utilized almost the same tricks as in the current run, but get in the first bonus without Squitter saved some frames, (something we wish have worked in Pirate Panic with Rambi...) We also avoided to step on the honey at all costs as it slows you down considerably. 00:01.60 faster.
Target Terror
Nothing much new besides being the first slower stage of the new run, looks like collect all KONG letters was not a good idea after all... We know it's a lame excuse, but you can say it's a speed entertainment tradeoff. 00:00.05 slower.
Bramble Scramble
The route was already pretty solid in the current run, but since we don't have to break two DK barrels, it's faster. The bonus was also slightly changed to save even more time. 00:02.37 faster.
Rickety Race
We first thought that the jump up hills trick could save some time here, but we were wrong. Again the jump delay trick was the only time saver. 00:01.35 faster.
Mudhole Marsh
Something really wierd happened on the first bonus of Barrel Bayou, useless there, but useful here; after the coin was collected, we tried to do a coin trick by dismounting a team up, but it failed as we couldn't exit the bonus after that. But here we can suicide to exit the bonus saving some frames. It was also here that a camera scroll trick saved some time to collect the DK coin. 00:03.35 faster.
Klobber Karnage
Oh, oh... a big, and we mean a big time lost here. We're forced to use Dixie almost in the entire stage, as only Diddy can enter the bonus stage and we need to sacrifice one of the kongs to minimize the loss. 00:05.72 slower.
Rambi Rumble
Ah, hard mode, we almost gave up the idea of use it in the previous stage, but then it saved some time here and we gave up the idea of gave up the idea of use it (?). 00:00.52 faster.
King Zing Sting
A big dillemma on this boss fight: avoid lag to save time or make the fight entertaining? A mix of the two was then used. 00:00.12 faster.
Gloomy Gulch
Ghostly Grove
We'd love to be proven wrong, but this seems to be the last stage where the pseud failed bonus can save time. 00:00.67 faster.
Haunted Hall
The any% run was combined to save some time here. Unfortunately the glitch in Arne’s any% movie, where the last ghost failed to appear, is impossible to reproduce in the 102% run, you must pass above the last bonus to set up this glitch. 00:00.93 faster.
Gusty Glade
The jump delay trick saved some time on the goal target, but a change in the second bonus saved even more. 00:01.97 faster.
Parrot Chute Panic
Not using Squawks in the first bonus saved some time inside and outside it, as we don't need to pass the no animal sign with him. 00:01.00 faster.
Web Woods
It's impossible to kill 100% of the enemies without wasting time, and sometimes killing just one more enemy creates lots of lag, so, some of them were just avoided and not killed, less lag = more frames saved. 00:01.77 faster.
Kreepy Krow
Just one frame to manipulate the barrel setup, and this time we got perfect luck! 00:00.27 faster.
K. Rool's Keep
Arctic Abyss
Guess what? Yes, almost nothing new here, but as we need Dixie to hover above the red bees in Animal Antics, we finished this stage as her. 00:00.05 faster.
Animal Antics
The reason is unknown, but the last web that Squitter must spawn to reach the Squawk's barrel took much longer to be available. We also must do a target switch here to control Diddy in the next stage, so, it's another slower stage. 00:00.22 slower.
Windy Well
Those slower stages are becoming a little constant, isn't it? Well, this is the price we have to pay for choosing hard mode, there's no DK barrel to kill one of the yellow bees. 00:00.35 slower.
Castle Crush
Another slower stage, but not as slow as we first thought it would be. The jump delay trick was very useful here, and we think it's the most important of the new tricks. As Rambi we avoided to jump on any enemy, as it stops the floor for two frames, we used his charge or his lunge instead. Also, there's no lag when playing as Rambi, and it helped to minimize the loss. 00:00.23 slower.
Clapper's Cavern
We tried very hard, but the golden Krusha could not be replicated in this run without wasting time, so, only the golden Clapper this time, sorry about that. The jump delay trick didn't save or waste any time to reach the hooks, but it sure looks cooler. 00:00.22 faster.
Chain Link Chamber
Utilized the current route, but the team throwing in bonus #1 was faster with the jump delay trick. 00:00.30 faster.
Toxic Tower
Rattly is still a ninja, and this time we found a way to reach his barrel even faster, also the new any% route was used to save some frames.
As Squawks we changed the route a little. We can't sacrifice again on one of the red bees, but oddly enough it saved some frames!
Nothing new as Squitter, sadly, but pay ettention to the goal target. 00:00.62 faster.
Stronghold Showdown
It's not a joke, we saved time here too. 1 frame faster.
The Flying Krock
Screech's Sprint
Followed the current route, but again the jump delay trick saved some frames to reach the bonus, as did the lack of a DK barrel to break. 00:01.27 faster.
K. Rool Duel
Like the any% run, Diddy was used to do this fight. In the current run we said that there's a glitch that when you jump and let go the cannonball, it will float and won't go into K. Rool's weapon. You can fix this glitch if you drop the cannonball normally first. 00:00.05 faster.
The lost World
Fiery Furnace
We started as Diddy this time, so, some frames were saved right at the start of the stage. We also sacrificed him to do a big jump via damage, so, Dixie can hover on the last stretch towards the end, thus, avoiding a switch inside the bonus. 00:03.33 faster.
Krocodile Kore
The first draw in our run, and looks like it will be the last one, as this is the final battle. 00:00.00 faster/slower.
The Author's Comments
Dooty
This run started as a concept some months ago, back then I was trying to help speed up the TAS process. By reusing an existing run, it would be possible to improve runs in weeks, with less effort. And now that this run is completed, I guess I've achieved my goal. Though the rerecord count says otherwise, reusing the current run saved a lot of work. If you already watched the current run, you can easily recognize where it's reused or redone, so, there's no need to explain what's done by me, Comicalflop or NxCy.
Possible Improvements
Hard mode saved a lot of time in the new run, but it also slowed down some stages, so, if you want to try an improvement, normal mode is your best bet.
Special Thanks
We have so many people to thank that we'll probably forget someone, so, we wish to thank all TAS videos members, you are just awesome guys.
Enjoy!
Baxter: Very nice improvement over the published run. Accepting.