Yrr
Joined: 8/10/2006
Posts: 289
Location: Germany, Bayern
Just another hint I remember: To skip the "switch from special weapon to pistol"-animation, just duck.
Joined: 4/11/2006
Posts: 487
Location: North of Russia :[
Maybe playing no normal difficulty is really a good idea. Whats the difference besides boss HP? EDIT: Your normal mode wip look sooo much better than hard... you miss some opportunies to jump in hard movie and miss too much even with grenades.
Yrr
Joined: 8/10/2006
Posts: 289
Location: Germany, Bayern
Hard boss has more HP, but that shouldn't be a problem. Just get a ton of grenades, stand before the boss and fire dozens of them in some seconds. It's amazing how fast a boss will die of this. By the way, you could watch some (un-assisted) runs on SDA of other Metal Slug games. There you should you find useful tricks. And there you can see very easy how to use grenades against the boss ;) Do not forget jumping instead of walking, it's faster (yes I know, somebody mentioned this already :) Finally, find the fastest way through the levels as more than one paths are possible in some levels. This is important! I tried an un-assisted run of myself and you learn much about the game and being fast.
Player (101)
Joined: 3/25/2004
Posts: 189
Location: Austin
Finally, find the fastest way through the levels as more than one paths are possible in some levels. This is important!
Not in the GBA version! Except for the final stage. The GBA Metal Slug is actually kinda lame for this and many other reasons, but since there's no re-recording Neo Geo emulator, this'll have to do. Hard Mode inflates the bosses hit points by quite an amount, actually. If you watch my first test run of the complete game, you'll see that I had around 75 grenades to fight the final boss with, and they were even upgraded to Molotov Cocktails... Yet I still used them all up, along with the ammo from my special weapon, before he died. I know it's the last boss, but sheesh. Other differences in Hard Mode are that the tanks and helicopters get more hit points (not as much of an upgrade as the bosses, though) and most of the enemies in the game fire more rapidly.
http://girlyyy.com/ The El Viento TAS is the only decent thing I submitted here.
Former player
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
Hmm. My sloppy test of the first stage (hard difficulty) only took 7598 frames until the first boss died. Since I figured I could shave at least about 120 frames from that test, is it really that much slower to use hard mode? I would rather see a hard mode completion for this game.
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine
Joined: 4/11/2006
Posts: 487
Location: North of Russia :[
Currently, knowing the difference, I would stick with normal mode.
Player (101)
Joined: 3/25/2004
Posts: 189
Location: Austin
I tried to continue my normal mode run into the second level, but ran into a frustrating snag of not being able to replicate the bug where both the copter fights toward the end were skipped. I have no idea how I did it the first time. =| That coupled with the fact that the second boss is lame, and it's hard to defeat it quickly without going way out of the way to pick up the Laser weapon. The only other weapons in stage two are the Heavy Machinegun -- which, as noted, isn't that strong -- and the Rocket Lawn Chair, which is garbage. There are Molotov Bombs, which are sweet, but of course grenades can't reach this boss. After watching speed demos of the other Metal Slug games for the first time in a while, I reminded of how sucky Metal Slug Advance really is. I'm wondering if it'd be worth it. Maybe we should wait for Neo Geo TAS ability to be implemented instead. Surely it'll happen someday, right?
http://girlyyy.com/ The El Viento TAS is the only decent thing I submitted here.
Joined: 5/30/2007
Posts: 28
Location: Southern California. YAY!
Xcuse the bump...I'm looking into this game too. I'm fooling around with frame advance and such, I'm not sure if I have the patience and experience to properly TAS, but I was wondering... Is it better to use a few frames to toggle the game's built-in auto-fire, or is there a special frame by frame sequence for getting the maximum fire-rate on something like the pistol (important when you run out of other good amo against bosses in my experience)? I think I am also a n00b with VBA. I don't know how to get VBA's autofire to work...
Joined: 7/31/2007
Posts: 32
Location: Central Florida
Apologies for the necro but I'd like to see a run of this done, even if I'm the one that does it. I decided to do some digging around to see what I can find out about this game for a TAS. The main issue with this game is finding methods to glitch past locked screen battles. If we can figure out what exactly is causing this, then the only mission where using a Metal Slug would be useful is mission 3. I have been able to replicate the fighter jet skip in mission 1 and the helicopter skip in mission 2 but when I try mission 2 again, I only get one helicopter instead of none which is what we want. If anyone is interested, here is the health of bosses on hard mode and the damage each weapon does. Formor: 5400 health. Emain Macha (first form): 2496 health. Emain Macha (second form): 2496 health. Kaladgolg: 4320 health. The Keesi III: 7200 health. Cabracan: 7200 health. Handgun: 10 damage per shot Knife: 30 damage per slice Heavy Machine Gun: 10 damage per shot Shotgun: 200 damage per shot Iron Lizard: 30 damage per shot Rocket Launcher: 30 damage per shot Dropshot: 30 damage per shot *Flame Shot: 18-20 damage per frame Laser: 4 damage per frame Grenade: 100 damage per grenade Super Grenade: 100 damage per shot Metal Slug Attack: 400 damage Metal Slug Vulcan: 10 damage per shot Metal Slug Cannon: 200 damage per shot *I'm guessing the Flame Shot fires a bunch of tiny hitboxes that does around 2 damage per frame each. 20 damage per frame is the maximum damage I've been able to record with 400 damage being the highest damage I could get in one shot. The more parts of the Flame Shot that touches your foe, the more damage it will do. Apparantly, momentum and positioning is a factor when firing this weapon to get the most out of each shot as it will not go very far downwards if you're jumping up but will go further if you're falling. Seeing as how this is most likely the weapon of choice against the fourth boss, it's something to think about.
Rolanmen1
He/Him
Experienced player (752)
Joined: 2/20/2009
Posts: 569
Location: Dominican Republic
Im trying to TAS this, but i can't get some adresses, such as tanks, helicopters and others HP, can you or someone else share some adressed with me? EDIT: Here's a little WIP i did of Area 1-1, i haven't tested if it's actually faster to do the helicopter skip, personally i don't think it is, but it's worth a test. Any opinions?
Skilled player (1150)
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 425
Location: China
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/4298031641739435 This is my wip. I have completed mission 1 and improved the publish one 121 frames. In mission 2, I plan to give up metalslug(because the slug is very slow), and take H to the end to manipulate luck L. But this game's manipulation luck is like the hell. I'm trying skipping the first helicopter of misssion2.
Skilled player (1150)
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 425
Location: China
http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1517530514/MSA_mission2.vbm Mission2 completed! I have improved 806 frames. I found the way to skip the first fighter helicopter(650HP). First, I can't save a prisoner to get H. 2nd, wait for blockhouse fire. I think the reason is RAM. If I save the prisoner, his memory address would be released, and can't skip helicopter. When the blockhouse firing, there're not enough memory to put helicopter. In mission2 part2, I left 5 firebottles(80 power) after beat submarine(600HP). It haven't costed any more frames. Because if I can't skip next 2 helicopters, I would use these 5 firebottles to hit them. But luckily, I succeeded to skip them. Boss fight. When emptying the Rocket Launcher in the air, I can't use handshot atonce, so I throw one firebottle. I must hit 3 soldiers first, the yellow soldier would appear. I found a best way to save Laser's arms. 10 frames, 32 damage and 0.5 arms! Yes! 0.5 arms.
Joined: 6/24/2007
Posts: 119
nice work
Skilled player (1150)
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 425
Location: China
Mission3! Totle Improved 1263 frames! Part1, avoid some foes appear. Part2, manipulate luck and kill some bats. Which bats should be killed is all luck. Part3, manipulate luck to make dive_soldiers appear early. Boss, I found a faster way to use metalslug's Vulcan. I can shoot 1 more time in every 10 shots. So I made the boss being mad quickly. But I didn't always use it. Becuse the more bullets in screen the more lag. I choose the minimum distance to shot, and make the less bullets in screen. So I got the less lag. When I shot the last cannon, I thrown the metalslug atonce. If no slug in screen, the scene fade quickly. I found it in mission2's boss fighter. So though my bombs are 1 less than the published run in boss fighter, I still saved 130 frames.
Skilled player (1150)
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 425
Location: China
mission4! All saved 1846 frames, now! Part1, I lost 18 frames, because I only use shotgun to hit helicopters, but it can save 60 frames in boss battle. Part2, saved 115 frames. I give up get a card which add the grenade's power. This card add very low power to grenade, 100 to 120. x2poet got this card cost about 200 frames. But I mustn't use any shotgun or grenades. So I have to use knife to kill soldiers, and got the very large lag frames. Part3, saved 580 frames. Manipulate luck to reduce lag, and didn't take grenades. Taking these grendes would cost near 500 frames. Boss fighter, lost 94 frames, because I have the less grenades. 26 shotgun(200) + 20 grenades(100) = 7200 the boss HP!
Skilled player (1150)
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 425
Location: China
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/6783044740398421 Mission2 completed! This is the 100% run. Did mission1 not like a 100% run? Don't worry, mission1 must be completed twice. In mission1, I improved my ordinary publish run 89 frames. I didn't shoot all the soldiers, and didn't save all prisoners, I need to manipulate luck to skip helicopter. Mission2. In part1, I can't skip the first helicopter, I have explained at this. So I must get metal slug. This helicopter HP is 650, and throwing metal slug can make 400 damage. But I found a glitch can hit this helicopter twice. In part2, at the same reason, I can't skip these two helicopters, too. Boss fight. I found a perfect trick about using L!
Editor
Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 1466
Location: Not playing Puyo Tetris
mtvf1, looking forward to the 100% run. The WIP syncs with VBA-RR v23.6 svn480
When TAS does Quake 1, SDA will declare war. The Prince doth arrive he doth please.
Skilled player (1150)
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 425
Location: China
Mission4!! http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/1159547186/1755MSA100cards_m4.vbm Kill soldiers 284 Save prisoners 42 Get cards 42 Mission3 will be completed again, so I didn't save more prisoners. In part2, I found a way to make bats disappear. 1st, near the screen end, and then jump back. But at this time, system has decided that bats are appearing one by one. So I can use these about 300 frames to save more prisoners until the last bat disappear. Mission4 as you see, I got the golden medal like mission2.
Skilled player (1150)
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 425
Location: China
1st round!! http://dehacked.2y.net/microstorage.php/info/951472270/1755MSA1st_round.vbm Kill soldiers 441 Save prisoners 55 - 1 Get cards 62 edit: I touched the Rumi Aikawa(a bag girl). She isn't in prisoners list, but a prisoners count RAM address 0300485C been added. There is another address 0200CCDC can show the prisoners, too, but it only changes in select screen. In fact, Rumi Aikawa is a card in mission2. 74 Rumi Ubiquitous guy of supply. Bad at navigation. I use death to get card 85 Washout. Did somebody dislike use death in metal slug games? 85 Washout Given for not killing a single enemy. Die and don't continue. In Mission5, I chose the path2 first, becuase I need to get card 31 Flak Jacket. And then I can take more damage in mission5's part1. 31 Flak Jacket Decreases damage to player by 10%. Second, I chose the path1 for getting the card 55 Dungeon. Now the hide mission, Dungeon mission is openning. 55 Dungeon Lets you enter the dungeon. I left the path3 to the end of tas. If I have completed the path3, too, I could have saved about 1 seconds (After equip card 4 Paper Thin, I needn't unequip again.). But after complete the tas, there are no credits and end screen. 4 Paper Thin One hit will destroy. (Equip)