Submission #4625: jlun2's DS Over the Hedge "100%" in 22:09.47

Over the Hedge is a steathe based platformer for the NDS based on bypassing home security in other to steal things for endangered species. This time, our heros suddenly decides to become completionist.

I made this after I realized vault rules allow full completion, even if it resembles mostly like the any%. This is also justified since completing the game by skipping the last level forbids the same save from ever getting 100%, since while all other stages can be redone to count, the last stage won't activate again, costing 20% in game counter.

RNG from what I gathered only determines 2 things: the combination for the safe, and when would RJ throw snacks out the window for the globe stage. The latter was bypassed with clipping, and as a result, only the combination lock was somewhat unsplice-able. As a result, almost every stage is identical to the any%, with exceptions below.

A note for future TASers: if attempting to splice the input, desyncs can be easily fixed by adding/removing an extra frame, or pressing X/Y one frame longer. Even things like NPC movement is entirely deterministic.

If I had pressed start to exit quickly, the percentage won't get updated. The game still counts that house as completed, but for a 100%, that's unacceptable.

Length: ~2448 frames

Despite extensive testing, I failed to manipulate the same combination as the any%. But thanks to the combination needing at least 5 steps, I was able utilize a glitch to exit to the stage select and still have the stage count for the game percentage. I made a list of the shortest ones depending on said order here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qH1NStvWQZ1CqHknKw8A45geyeit57QE8fBk2LPbEQg/edit?usp=sharing

Length: ~2460 frames

Every single construction site visit is broken by a clipping glitch of some sort. I withdrew into my shell 3 times. The first was to reduce lag, the second was to hide from the taxidermist, and the third was make sure said taxidermist won't attack me immediately. Oh, and in case anyone wonders, the taxidermist would always take a loop to get to that spot even if I pushed the crate beforehand.

The taxidermist would've actually shot me instead if I came out the shell sooner; the animation would be quicker, but I failed to have him not spray me right after before walking.

Length: ~1422, ~2458, ~4039 frames

The first 2 parts are broken by clipping. Despite all the boxes at the starting room, I couldn't use any of them to get OoB at all. The 2nd section with RJ and Verne would've been much shorter if it were possible.

The 3rd part's beginning lack of movement was due to the game needing some time after activating the mic to use it. Activating it the stage before will not work, since it unactivates at the start.

Gladys' movement is terrible. If you go too far from her, she goes off path a bit before heading back towards you. Right after she gets lured into the first camera, her vision goes yellow. While that means I can provoke her as far as the opposite end of the hallway, this is ~5 frames slower than going up close. Unfortunately, going too close causes her to smack with her broom even if it misses, so I stood at the minimum distance before she'd attack but also before it takes ~5 frames longer to spot me.

I made her face not directly to the doorway before the second camera since just like the above, she would attack as soon as she spots me. I had to move far away from her at the hallway to the last camera due to the taxidermist. In case anyone wonders, she won't go past the red laser gate. Jumping past the gate and meeting her at the other end of the room appears to be slower due to more lag.

The ending is exactly the same, along with whatever postgame content this game has, but at least its 100% completion.

This game has quite poor collision detection. Anything that can be grabbed on to and is at an acute angle against a surface can be used to clip. Every single enemy has the ability to push the player outside; In fact, every single enemy can by itself go OoB when they become aggressive. Certain objects and scenery have odd hitboxes that also allow going OoB; The front porch being the biggest offender in that it appears in almost every stage and the way to go OoB is to walk into it in an angle.

As a result, almost every stage uses some form of OoB, even if its a very small timesaver.

Despite all the OoB uses, clipping into an object/scenery/NPCs can also be used for certain tricks. The most blatant one is in the Scale stage where I use the fat man to push myself all the way to the counter. A less noticeable use is during every single walk towards the house where I jump slightly before a ledge to gain a couple frames.

Using the Start menu and leaving the stage as soon as you complete the objective causes the game to count it as completed without incremeting the percent counter. Two things occur as a consequence: The stage will not count for the percentage, which also means I can use it again to skip to the end during the Any% TAS.

The Start menu still can be abused in a 100% TAS however; opening the menu during the safe, then pressing resume stage as said stage ends allows the game to count the stage as not only "Completed", but also not kick you back to the hedge area. Initial testing seems to indicate that if the combination lock was only 2 steps, it won't save time due to lag, but I may be wrong.

Doing stages in a certain order causes the emulator to crash. It can happen in all 3 streets, and it affected both the Any% and 100% TAS. I have no clue why it happens, especially since another game crash caused by clicking "Restart stage" using the above trick on a safe twice doesn't crash the emulator.

Oh, and the fastest method to crash is to use the (U) rom. ;)

Attempting to grab something while you run towards it causes you to grab "nothing", before the object in question magically appears in your paws. Not always possible to save time using this method, especially if you end up too close to the object.

Any attacks that would incapitate you could be negated by having an object land on you. It would cause you to immediately carry it, and if it occurs during the attack, the game won't count that failure. This allows certain clips with NPCs much easier in solo missions.

Speed only drops if you hold UP while midair; doing so would cause it to lower to a smaller value than the fastest walking speed. As long as UP isn't pressed, you can preserve even Hammy's higher running speed when her energy drops to 0 as long as you're in midair.

The hit box of the lasers for some odd reason are lower at the edges. There's a one movement frame oppurtunity for RJ to jump over it. Technically there's more chances, but other frames stun you at the laser gate (you still get over it however).

Noxxa: Accepting for the Vault as a 100% run. Same reasoning and notes as #4624: jlun2's DS Over the Hedge in 17:45.64 apply.

feos: Pub. While it's being decided whether this run needs increased internal resolution, I'll unclaim it and publish DOOM.

feos: That discussion went nowhere, so I won't be reencoding that run at 1x, but since complaints were present, I will dump this run at 1x, no hires 3D.