Table of contents
Introduction
This submission is made to make judges consider it to give favor over the (vaulted) #1031: Diman's NES Popeye in 03:30.60 (more info in miscellanous part). This run completes level 3 in the same time as Diman's run. The reason I have more input is because I delayed my last movement to get an additional +200 score (and finish the game in the same, possibly fastest time).
For entertainment,
- I get big scores without losing time
- I have a war against Brutus on level 1 thanks to luck manipulation and route strategy (precise positioning)
- "Deceiving" punch (punching left and hitting right)
- "Invisible" punch (the same but there's no frame when he would hit it, for example frame 746-747)
- Reasonable ammounts of triple hits
- Trying to not be boring when waiting (end screen of level 1)
Game objectives
- Emulator used: FCEUX 2.2.0
- Aims for fastest time to complete level 3
- Reaches high score without losing time
- Entertains without losing a frame
About the game
The game is about collect falling, unmanipulatable things. The only things that can be manipulated: skulls route and Brutus AI. Catching collectables on higher rows gives more points (500 on highest, 50 on lowest).
So what have you done?
I figured out that Brutus has a limited number of strategies that depends on the RNG and the actual position. Using this I can make Brutus do whatever I want. The only thing I need to do is when his specific action is ended, I roll the RNG with either L, R or using A (which punches and holds you for some frames) with additional A's (doesn't do anything just rolls RNG).
To make the run more entertaining, I aimed to get as high score as possible by abusing the AI. On Level 1 for example I manipulated him to be able to start the bottle spamming on the right side of the level to reduce the spawn time of skulls (by killing them earlier).
The route
I won't detail it. I've tested various routes and compared my scores and compiled the best ones into one (and making it as entertaining and perfect (improving) as possible). It was easy once I had full knowledge of the game mechanics and "seeing the future" of the falling collectibles.
Comparison (Diman vs. MESHUGGAH)
Dock Stage: 11250 24130 (+12880)
Street Stage: 5500 10850 (+5350)
Ship Stage: 16750 25300 (+8550)
Miscellaneous
The reason I think this should be published instead of the vaulted one is to keep the standards high as written in the TASVideos rules. I did the same with all my "improved vault" runs, but since this time I couldn't make it shorter (it's impossible), I've just added the entertainment (big scores and gameplay that impossible to do in realtime (rolling the rng for example to spam the bottles).
I hope you enjoyed my TAS. See you until my next tas (maybe with bizhawk?) =)
Noxxa: Judging.
Noxxa: While the time is actually identical to Diman's run, this movie is technically much more impressive. So between the two, I will accept this movie for publication in the Vault.
Ilari: Processing