Submission #3189: NitroGenesis's NES Hammerin' Harry in 07:11.39

(Link to video)
Nintendo Entertainment System
baseline
FCEUX 2.1.4a
25926
60.0988138974405
17074
Unknown
Daiku no Gen San.nes
Submitted by NitroGenesis on 6/23/2011 9:41:00 PM
Submission Comments

HAMMER TIME!

I decided to optimize a highly optimized run even more, and since I just longplayed this game, I thought that it would be suitable.
This TAS beats Randil's published run by 334 frames or 5.72 seconds due to several mini optimizations and a few new boss tricks.
  • Used FCEUX 2.1.4a
  • Takes damage to save time
  • Manipulates luck
  • Abuses a programming error (walk on air)
  • Contains speed entertainment tradeoffs, just like Randil's TAS

The Speed Entertainment Tradeoffs

  • Same as Randil's movie, I tried to make the bonus stages entertaining by killing the same amount of enemies that he did, however this wasn't always possible because new strategies in stages equals a different RNG and thus more or less enemies spawn. I hope this makes sense and you guys understand. I still think the bonus stages are entertaining so it all evens out in the end.

General Tricks

  • When Harry is about to fall off a ledge, there is 1 frame of his idle position, in which you can attack or jump in. If you attack, the game resets your yspeed, and when your attack is finished, Harry's idle animation appears again and you can repeat over and over. This doesn't save time in much places because of the slow attacking speed.
  • Harry's movement pattern is 1-2-1-2-1-2. If you jump on a frame where you have moved 2 pixel, your jump will be a half of a pixel longer. Used throughout the run.
  • Randil did not use the eggroll that you get if you get a good score on the bonus levels. I use it.
  • When you land from a jump, you lose 2 frames. There are less jumps then in Randil's TAS in this movie.

About the movie

  • It's slightly faster to jump off ledges then to walk off of them, because if you walk, Harry enters his idle position for 1 frame. This saved maybe about 30 frames throughout the run.
  • There is a mini 6 frame improvement in the first level. I didn't kill some enemies so the game couldn't spawn more.
  • The first major improvement came from the first boss where I used the earthquake shatter to damage the boss more.
  • I optimized fighting that guy who is creating sludge blocking my path at the beginning of level 2.
  • Better ladder positioning helped me save a few frames in level 2.
  • I saved some frames during the text sequences between levels. I don't know why.
  • I lost some frames in level 3 because of a frame rule that made more enemies spawn causing lag.
  • Frames were saved at the end of level 3 because I damage boosted off the cello player instead of smashing him, thus avoiding the 2-frame landing delay.
  • There was some lag reduction in the beginning of level 4.
  • I improved the miniboss in level 4 a bit.
  • Instead of zipping through the box it is a bit faster to hop over them.
  • I take damage more in level 5 to skip a waterfall by grabbing a health regenerator.

That's all. Thanks to Randil for his published run.
Enjoy! :)

Mukki: Judging...
Mukki: Nice improvement. Accepting as an improvement to the currently published movie.
Brandon: Publication underway.
Last Edited by adelikat on 9/22/2023 2:38 PM
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