A new version of a Sonic Classic Heroes TAS is finally here. Optimized to the best of my ability, I decided to avail Team Sonic's most broken power and obliterate every level of this game using the Hyper ability in Sonic Classic Heroes.
Game Objectives
• Contains speed/entertainment tradeoffs
• Aims for in-game time instead of real-time
• Takes Damage to save time
• Forgoes time-saving glitches
• Genre: Platform
Comments
Before you read there are NO ZIPS in this game/mod...
Green Hill
Easiest level by far, just used the Speed box to get through it and not jump-dash (jump-dashing gains frames)
Marble
Going on top of max height walls and finding new secret pathways to beat the level quicker sure is fun!
Spring Yard
Speed boxes are a great way to get faster times.
Labyrinth
Optimized dashing down onto platforms so that I can get up walls quicker.
Star Light
A series of different routes optimized to the best of my ability.
Scrap Brain
I had trouble with the boss ending, but I discovered that Tails's flickies can hit him on the last frame Eggman is hittable at.
Emerald Hill
TOO FAST FOR YOU!!!
Chemical Plant
STILL TOO FAST FOR YOU!!! Except when Sonic gets slowed down by stairs...
Aquatic Ruin
Jumping off of rolling hills so that Sonic goes off screen and completes the level quicker, I have to jump 2 frames after I go into a side position so that I can go off screen quicker.
Casino Night
Act 1 was a use of the speed box but Act 2 game me trouble. Luckily, the top route leads you to a quicker way to get to the bottom, back to the top, and back to the bottom to defeat the boss.
Hill Top
Waiting for the lava to rise consumed many lag frames in which I couldn't jump, but almost every time I was able too, I died. So I made my best efforts on Act 1. Act 2 I had to change routes multiple times but got it done.
Mystic Cave
Had to hold a peel-out with sonic waiting for the falling leaves to fall in Act 1.
Oil Ocean
The oil isn't scary at all as I prove in Act 1, the Oil just makes Sonic faster. Act 2 I tried to avoid it as much as possible though.
Metropolis
A lot of painfully route switching and careful optimization got me the times I got
Sky Chase
Wanted to do a "Ring & Badnik Attack" on this level to keep the viewers intense and entertained.
Wing Fortress
Speed boxes carried this run.
Death Egg
We're Hyper, so this final level isn't a challenge at all.
General Information related to the Submission
• Peelout/spindash release speed is controlled by how many times the buttons A, B, or C are pressed and how long the peelout/spindash is held before being released. The first button press sets the held peelout/spindash speed at 8 pixels per frame. Subsequent button presses raise the speed by 1.5 pixels per frame and each frame the peelout/spindash is held lowers the speed by 1/32 of the held speed value. The range for peelout/spindash speed is bounded to a minimum 8 pixels per frame and a maximum of 12 pixels per frame and the release speed only occurs in increments of 1/2 pixel per frame. Thus, it takes 5 button presses to release a maximum speed peelout/spindash.
• The game has a hidden in-game timer that counts the frames. It does not increment during lag frames or while the game is paused.
Special Thanks
• Everyone who helped me make this TAS
nymx: Claiming for judging.
nymx: Dropping for a senior judge to take.
Samsara: That's my cue.
Samsara: This was, admittedly, a bit tricky to judge due to the code usage to unlock Team Hyper and the lack of current information on the hack. Even the project page, which I can't link because it distributes the pre-patched ROM, doesn't have up-to-date information: For example, it still lists Team Hyper as a future team addition, despite quite clearly being in the hack. As far as I can tell, the code is the only way to play as them, which is where things get a bit dicey for this submission.
We don't quite allow branches for every playable character/combination of characters/team in a game, yet. There's a good chance this will change in the future, but right now we don't have the staff resources to be able to manage that. Sonic games have generally been an exception to this, since the TASes are almost always very well-received, but with this being a ROM hack using a code-only team, feedback has been fairly limited for a branch that needs the feedback. That being said, I like this run! Where a lot of Sonic TASes just end up being how fast the TASer can set up a screenwrap to the end, the fact that it isn't possible in this hack makes seeing how levels are solved much more interesting to me. Everything's still fast, the different characters still make levels unique, and the hyper states still allow for over-the-top solutions at times, even literally at times (see Marble Zone). Audience feedback is naturally going to be lower for a ROM hack, especially one that's had quite a few submissions and publications as of late, so I don't mind making a judgement call here and saying it surpasses the entertainment quality bar.
Accepting to Alternative as a new branch.
despoa: Processing...