Submission #6680: Challenger's NES Prince of Persia in 16:16.06

Game objectives

• Emulator used: BizHawk 2.2.1 (works even on the lastest released version)

• Aims for fastest time

• Takes damage to save time

• Some luck manipulation

Development of the run

Stage-by-stage commentary

• Second room: 4 frames gained with only one running jump instead of two.

• Fourth room: By falling instead of climbing down, 4 frames gained (and some pixels) after switch.

• Sword room: When you pick up the sword, you can't move until the music ends, but if you press up, down, or "B" button during it, you'll regain control, but the music theme won't return and remains mute until you lose or complete this level. Pressing down is a faster choice to regain control. 100 frames saved!

• During one transition, 1 less lag frame.

• Back to the third room, a late running jump leads to gain pixels enough for better movement optinization on the second room - 4 frames saved.

• After the guard, another late running jump leads to earlier stopping on the exit room - 4 frames gained.

• Second guard: For the second hit, instead of moving, I waited and so, at the end, the guard was defeated 5 frames later, but since I was able to do an extra running jump and still touches the switch, 3 frames were saved.

• 48 frames saved with a different strategy after the fourth guard: with more running jumps between 3 following rooms + a trick for earlier climbing up on the "third following room" - it works because you must press down, then immediately press up (he doesn't actually climb down on the very first frame, unlike other versions).

• Room before skeleton: The first of 3 running jumps was previously started at the end of previous room, but this time, both were done on the same room, and with good adjustments, 8 frames were saved before the third running jump.

• With late running jumps, he bumps the wall 4 frames earlier.

• second fall: by stepping on a wall (pressing right button), you regain control earlier, but your position is more pixels right - 20 frames saved.

• third fall: instead of simply pressing "A" button, running + running jump before falls to the switch room and bumps the wall 4 frames earlier.

• Next room: also 4 frames saved by not pressing left after dropping.

• First guard: first time where a battle stars without prince moving immediately - guard defeated 5 frames faster (also gained more pixels).

• Second guard: more further movement, and defeats 5 frames later, but gains 12 frames at the end of this room.

• Third guard: defeats 5 frames faster + more further movement. And 4 frames saved while acrossing this and the next room.

• Mirror path: with a late running jump between rooms, the prince enters the switch path with more pixels further to right, gaining 10 frames for faster exiting.

• First guard: second time where a battle stars without prince moving immediately - guard defeated 15 frames faster - also less movement than before.

• Before entering switch room: late running jump - enters 4 frames later but saves 10 frames on the next room.

• Back to previous room, despite different running jumps, no time were lost.

• 1 frame saved on the next room with a different falling way.

• First room (when acrossing to the next rooms): different way to across, and a different running jump - 4 frames gained.

• Second guard: started battle with a few more pixels, defeats guard 5 frames later but with more pixels further, and 8 frames saved at the end of this room.

• Following rooms after third guard: first, late running jumps - 8 frames lost but gains 20 frames on the next room, and 1 frame on the second-to-last room.

• First guard: third time bla bla bla - guard defeated 15 frames faster but since I walked less pixels than before, 4 frames were lost at the end of this room.

• Second guard improved by 16 frames.

• Climbing down room: press left button immediately after dropping - saves 4 frames.

• Room with 2 gates: Since I stop earlier, the switch is activated 8 frames later but was able to move 8 frames earlier, and loses it while acrossing this room, because I did running jumps less further. But...

• I did an extra running jump before finishing this room - next room recovers those frames lost + gaining 4 frames at the end!

• Third room: with that Up+B trick used on Level 3, it affected the running jumps strategy, and after 2 following rooms, the final result was 69 frames saved!

• Rooms after the exit door room: different running jumps (no time loss on the first room, 8 frames lost on the next room, 10 frames gained on the next room, and finally on the next room, the same last running jump result = no frames lost)

• Second guard: fourth time bla bla bla - guard defeated 15 frames saved but since the position isn't further as before, 4 frames were lost at the end of this room.

• Third guard: 5 frames lost but moved further, saving 4 frames at the switch.

• Fourth guard: different running jump, fifth time bla bla bla - 5 frames saved on the enemy but due to bad luck, my position is a bit worse than the published run, losing 8 frames between at the end of this room and the switch of the following room.

• With different running jumps between the first 2 rooms, it allows him on the third room to do a running jump earlier, gaining 4 frames.

• 28 frames saved with that earlier climbing up trick used on level 2.

• Second guard: sixth time...ended defeating guard 15 frames faster, with a few more pixels. With good running jumps...

• The next room is also improved with that earlier climbing up trick again - 48 frames gained!

• 2 last rooms before exit door: fourth running jump performed a bit further, and the running jump of the next room with the same adjust + defeating the third guard without moving immediately - beats guard 5 frames faster.

• First guard: eighth time...10 frames faster.

• Second guard: same as the first guard - 10 frames faster, but since this battle ended with a few pixels slower (bad luck), 4 frames were lost before reaching the switch.

• First guard: I moved further, so the guard was defeated 5 frames later, but the running jump is done 8 frames earlier = saving 3 frames at the end of this room.

• Second guard: since the previous guard was defeated 5 frames later, I got a good pattern for the next guard.

• On the below path of skeleton room, after simply pressing "A" button, instead of pressing left for stepping directly to a wall (since you need enough distance to do a running jump), I crouched a bit (gaining only 2 pixels), then turnaround immediately - 25 frames gained.

• Skeleton room: skeletons are annoying for optimize (although this version has only 2), but fortunately I was luckily because of both level 11 guards optimization!

• 1 frame gained during loading transition to password for unknown reasons.

• First 2 rooms: running jumps adjusted (4 frames saved on the first room, but lost on the second room) for earlier stopping on the third room - gaining 8 frames.

• Jaffar boss: last time starting a battle without moving immediately, and defeats him 10 frames faster. Since I moved less pixels than the previous run, I was able to do a running jump earlier, gaining 4 frames at the end of this room.

Other comments

• The glitch I've did on sword room of level 1...I don't know who discovered it, but I only found on the current RTA run.

• Thanks to SprintGod for the previous run.