SNES Maui Mallard in Cold Shadows in 31:57 by Tompala

  • Snes9X v1.43+ V9
    • WIP1 timing
    • Allow Left+Right/Up+Down
  • Aims for fastest time possible
  • Takes damage to save time.
  • Abuses programming errors in the game.
  • Plays at hardest difficulty (Yes, I'm changing to hard in the beginning.)
  • Manipulates luck (One time...)
Maui Mallard is the name of the character, or Donald Duck if you prefer that. He is a detective that has been hired to find the Shabum Shabum idol that disappeared from the tropical island. And if I don't find it the island will explode. Something like that... =P
I began this run in the middle of March, so it has been a lazy time of over 4 months. It really shouldn't have taken that long, but as said: I have been lazy. I also had to remake the two first worlds "two" times (First time I hex edited the whole movie, but that sucked so I remade everything.). During the time I made it I found a better way to turn around, whenever I do that. So in the first, I belive, 3 worlds this wasn't used.

General stuff about the run:

Jumping is slower than walking, with a few exceptions. Weapon powerups aren't more powerful than the regular, green weapon. And I can only use them in the level I got them in. I can only transform to the ninja (Cold Shadows) if I have found any tokens during the level. Both Cold Shadows and Maui has the same running speed and they usually do the same amount of damage. It is sometimes faster to jump and land on an enemy instead of avoiding it, and then I can also run through enemies before I can get hurt again.

Going to go through each of the levels from now on:

Level 1: Mojo Mansion

Stage 1

During my first version I didn't know about the glitch in the beginning. I found it by accident because I was bored. It saved around 8-9 seconds. In the room I make the glitch the wind blows so it's slowing down Maui's speed, so in this case jumping is faster. When I'm turning around his speed increases a lot, this makes me able to fall through the corner of the statue and down to the lower level.

Stage 2

Jumping on the platforms was 4 frames faster than falling down the water. In order to make the shooting platform move I have to stand on one of the buttons, and let's take some damage meanwhile.

Stage 3

If you are playing at easy mode, you can just run right without jumping once... But it's faster to jump anyway. Not much to say...

Stage 4

Basically the same as the previous levels. Just avoid butlers, spiders and ghosts. I had to grab the second rope, wasn't enough room for the FAT Donald to go between it and the wall.

Stage 5

First boss, and I must say: This one pathetic. Shoot, jump, shoot, land shoot, it works quite good and the boss got owned.

Level 2: Ninja Trainings Grounds

Stage 1

First level using cold Shadows. I like how he transforms me into the ninja so I can kill the enemies and proceed in the level, pretty nice. If I have more than 120 coins I can make a special attack, doing an extra hit while slashing with the stick. This sometimes inflict more damage, so the mummies die in one hit instead of the usual 2. I really hate the statue that's after the mummies. It's even slow if you fast forward. In order to get out of it the second time I have to hit the wall, pretty logical right?

Stage 2

The skull gives me my coins so I can transform. I take a hit by the mummy so I could kill him 1 frame faster. However, the second mummy still came out at the same frame... By destroying the second skull the wall above me breaks so I can continue.

Stage 3

Nothing to say, boring level...

Stage 4

This boss kept annoy me for a long time. There are random stuff that can't be manipulated. Sometimes when I hit the duck as early as possible, he jumps back. And that's a really slow move. So I sometimes have to delay a few frames before I can hit him. Also, the left duck also have "1" more hp than the one to the right. So I'm trying to hit the left one first.

Level 3: Muddrake Mayhem

Stage 1

Short level, I finish it before the music even starts :).

Stage 2

The cork has to be shot so the clay falls down and make a hill for me. I jump before I shoot to make the camera go higher, need to see it before I can hit it. The houses was quite tricky to optimize and made me stuck for around 2 weeks. But I'm very happy with the result. After that I show Maui's awesome hillclimbing techniques.

Stage 3

Another boss, which kept me busy for a while. One of the ducks jumps into the dark, and while there I have to wait for it to "appear" so I can hit it. I tried to avoid it but didn't work out. During the first two phases it was faster to push the thing until it destroys but it was 1 frame faster to shoot it the last phase.

Level 4: Sacrifice of Maui

Stage 1

Quite hard to optimize, the stupid "lava ladies" are in the way sometimes. It may look very slow when I jump straight into her later in the level, but I couldn't find a faster way to do it. I don't need to hit the boss as early as possible, as long as I hit him as many times as possible before he disappears.

Stage 2

Run Maui, run! Hurry up, the lava is approaching from below! Nothing special here. Just get to the top as fast as possible.

Stage 3

The second most boring level in the game. There's really nothing you can do while going up, so I decided to go into the walls a bit. I didn't take as many jewels as I could. If you get too many a bonus level will be unlocked in the end of the world. I wasn't sure how many I could take without unlocking it, so I took the secure way and avoided quite a lot.

Level 5: Test of Duckhood

Stage 1

I like the music on this world. Even if the world itself can be pretty annoying (The later levels...). A lot of rope climbing (jumping) in this level. Buuut, nothing worth mention.

Stage 2

Bungy jumping is quite fun, at least in this level. I need to kill all the bikers before I can finish. I was surprised that I killed them all in two rounds. They appear different according on where I am on the screen, or something like that. Before I knew that I had already finished the level. I just made one test and got them all, wasn't able to do that again...

Stage 3

Ok, WARNING, AVOID THIS PIECE OF CRAP. This is the most boring level in the entire game. I have to do the same things over and over again 8 times... And there's nothing you can do to speed it up, and there's nothing you can do while waiting. Just fast forward this, for your own good.

Stage 4

More bungy jumping, a little different this time however. In the end I'm walking straight through the ducks, sort of, it was apparently faster than jumping this time.

Stage 5

First I'm "saving" the ducks, then the frog is going to eat them... Nice. During this bossfight I'm taking damage two times more than I was supposed to take. One in the fight, where I'm turning around while being to the far left of the stage. And one after all the ducks are eaten. This didn't happen during the making of the boss. But for some reason I used a bad save state or something, so I went to the right 1 frame earlier than it was meant. This didn't slow down anything, it just looks kind of bad :/.

Level 6: The Flying Duckman

Stage 1 & 2

I REALLY hate the water levels. Not because they are boring, because I like them, but they are very hard to optimize and I'm pretty sure that these levels are improveable. If you change direction while shooting you can fire 1 frame earlier than usual. Sometimes it is faster to keep shooting with the same angle however.

Stage 3

What... a... joke... There's nothing hard about this boss at all. I think I've never ever died against it.

Level 7: Realm of the Dead

Stage 1

Another stage with "water" in it. Remade larger parts of this level a few times in order to improve it. You don't need to use Maui to make your way through the green stuff, but it was faster every time. When I land on the boat the last time, it has yet not reached the buoy, and I can't shoot it before it has stopped. So that's why I waited a little.

Stage 2

Welcome to the 6 minutes long level. You have to wait for a bottle to reach the top, if the ghosts take it they go away off the screen and you'll die. I did my best to make at least something entertaining while waiting. Sorry if I jump around too much, I was bored.

Level 8: Mojo Stronghold

Final Fight! You start with 999 coins, so I don't need to collect any before I can change to Cold Shadows. The orbs must be destroyed before I can jump to the area where the boss is. Or else Maui will get a real shock... The battle itself is hardly worth mentioning. I make Donald fly away when he appears, because the boss is so scary! Happy Ending.
Thanks to:
Arne_The_ASS for watching my WIPs, commentating, encouraged me through the run, finding RAM addresses (Which I hardly used anyway =P) and helping me to fix the submission text (I suck).
Squ4ll- who made me do this run in the first place by starting a run himself, but because of the lack of progress: I decided to do it myself.
Comicalflop he had belived in me, that I was able to finish this, even if I have made around 20 failed attempts of runs earlier.
Zurreco, because... because... :O. I don't know.
To Evilchen, Creatus, moozooh, JXQ, Soulrivers and Tonski who have written stuff in the topic, and some that have told me stuff at IRC and so on. Thanks for showing some interest in this :).
If I missed anyone, feel free to kill me.
Suggested screenshot: Frame 38807
Enjoy!

Bisqwit: Author updated the movie file.

adelikat: Good enough, Accepting for publication.

NesVideoAgent: Hi! I am a robot. I took a few screenshots of this movie and placed them here. Oh! I also replaced the ROM name.
  • You indicated Maui Mallard in Cold Shadows (U).smc
  • I updated it to Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (U).smc



TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #1631: Tompa's SNES Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow in 31:56.80
Experienced player (504)
Joined: 1/12/2007
Posts: 682
Great run, yes vote here.
Former player
Joined: 12/17/2005
Posts: 77
Location: Bjurholm, Sweden
It's finally done :) About the game first, it's not a bad game but it's not very good. It's an ok game which seems suitable for a TAS. Enough to have kept me entertained. I've seen WIPs and helped Tompa some and yeah. A well made run. Yes vote Edit: Congratulations btw. Not only on your first submission but also at your 18:th birthday. ^^ Edit2: Um... I just saw the final boss, and I wanted to say that it was rather stupid to destroy the balls or whatever they are at the edge of the stages, they only give life. When you come back, redo the boss.
Joined: 6/9/2006
Posts: 614
Location: Mettmann
yeah its done.. yes vote from me followed your progress looks really really great :D!!!!!!
Editor, Experienced player (734)
Joined: 6/13/2006
Posts: 3300
Location: Massachussetts, USA
Yay! see? hard work and persistence does get stuff done. shall vote after watching, but I know to expect good stuff. edit: well played, well done even though it was not the best game to be playing. Yes vote.
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Former player
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
Oh man, I really don't want to give this a Yes vote because of all of those scrolling stages. Oh well.
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine
Former player
Joined: 12/27/2006
Posts: 532
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Awesome, finally done. I throughly enjoyed watching it, though I fast-forwarded on the bungy level. Great job on this, very entertaining and well executed. Yes vote.
My published movies [03:45:05] <Naohiro19> Soulrivers: ... [03:45:19] <Soulrivers> ? [03:46:35] <Naohiro19> <Soulrivers> No! <Naohiro19> So? <Soulrivers> Yes! [03:46:48] <Naohiro19> joke
Tompa
Any
Editor, Expert player (2215)
Joined: 8/15/2005
Posts: 1941
Location: Mullsjö, Sweden
I'm stupid. So I'm redoing the final fight. Thanks Arne for proving me being a noob. The new version shall be up tomorrow, time to sleep.
Joined: 6/26/2007
Posts: 147
The TAS is excellent, but the game itself is rather tedious and uninteresting. Too many scrolling stages, and the rest is rather mundane for a TAS as well. Voting "Meh"
Joined: 3/18/2006
Posts: 81
Location: Finland
Congratulations for your first submission =) The quality of run was good and I know those scrolling stages are pain in the ass if you watch movie, but they just can't be entertaining. When you have redone final boss, it's surely worth of yes. So I'm giving yes already =)
Tompa
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Editor, Expert player (2215)
Joined: 8/15/2005
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Location: Mullsjö, Sweden
The boss is already remade Creatus. Ignored two of the orbs, saved me 3 seconds.
Joined: 6/22/2007
Posts: 181
Location: Eastern Michigan University
I am voting yes. I like donald duck :)
Joined: 6/9/2006
Posts: 614
Location: Mettmann
yesterday in irc it sounded like its a meh run for you? if i remember correct .. Oo
nesrocks
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Player (246)
Joined: 5/1/2004
Posts: 4096
Location: Rio, Brazil
The great graphics and music entertained me during some of the boring stages. I vote yes. edit: this game could be made much more enjoyable with a cam hack that keeps donald on the center of the screen, or moves the camera more smoothly to the sides when he turns. I don't know what were the programmers thinking. That ruins the game for me, otherwise, an impressive snes game.
Joined: 6/22/2007
Posts: 181
Location: Eastern Michigan University
evilchen wrote:
yesterday in irc it sounded like its a meh run for you? if i remember correct .. Oo
Change of heart... I thought it over.
Joined: 1/11/2007
Posts: 279
Location: Finland, Lieksa
Yeah, finally the run I've been waiting for! :) I think it was a very good run, and your first submission too. Good job! A yes vote, of course.
<Deign> .dice 1d1999191023443691 <BisqBot> Deign rolls a blackhole and destroys the planet.
Joined: 11/28/2004
Posts: 138
Yay I'm in the comments ^^ Been following the run pretty much since you started it, looked nicely done from what I could see. Yes vote here.
The best time you have is the time you share with other people.
Active player (437)
Joined: 4/21/2004
Posts: 3517
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Congratulations on your first submission Tompa :) This run looked optimized and other minor aspects to warrant a yes vote and publication.
Nitrogenesis wrote:
Guys I come from the DidyKnogRacist communite, and you are all wrong, tihs is the run of the mileniun and everyone who says otherwise dosnt know any bater! I found this run vary ease to masturbate too!!!! Don't fuck with me, I know this game so that mean I'm always right!StupedfackincommunityTASVideoz!!!!!!
Arc wrote:
I enjoyed this movie in which hands firmly gripping a shaft lead to balls deep in multiple holes.
natt wrote:
I don't want to get involved in this discussion, but as a point of fact C# is literally the first goddamn thing on that fucking page you linked did you even fucking read it
Cooljay wrote:
Mayor Haggar and Cody are such nice people for the community. Metro City's hospitals reached an all time new record of incoming patients due to their great efforts :P
Editor, Active player (476)
Joined: 5/23/2006
Posts: 361
Location: Washington, United States
I've never played this game before, but I did enjoy watching this run. It looked optimized, and you did the best you could for entertainment during sections where you had to wait. The game itself doesn't seem that great, but it has good graphics and music, and the TAS shows off a lot of fast-paced jumping, shooting, etc. I'm giving this a yes vote. Congratulations on your first submission!
Skilled player (1605)
Joined: 6/11/2006
Posts: 818
Location: Arboga, Sweden
Very late, but I was entertained. The climbing in the end was kinda dull, but what to do. Yes-vote for the run and also yes-vote for the frog eating ducks.
Warp wrote:
omg lol this is so fake!!!1 the nes cant produce music like this!
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
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This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [959] SNES Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow by Tompa in 31:56.80
Player (31)
Joined: 9/23/2006
Posts: 207
Location: Moreno Valley, California
It's called "Cold Shadow", not "Cold Shadows". But it was fun to watch. Kudos.
"The way to move out of judgment is to move into gratitude." — Neale Donald Walsch DannyLilithborne on IRC
Tompa
Any
Editor, Expert player (2215)
Joined: 8/15/2005
Posts: 1941
Location: Mullsjö, Sweden
Oh yeah, that's correct... My bad =P.