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Super Metroid (PAL) - Any% TAS v2 in 0:25 by Saturn

Recorded on Snes9x 1.43-improvement12 (but should work fine on future versions of the Snes9x 1.43 series as well)

Sync Settings

  • WIP 1 Timing: ON
  • Left+Right/Up+Down: ON
  • Volume Envelope Height Reading: OFF
  • Fake Mute desync workaround: ON
  • Sync samples with sound CPU: OFF

Attributes of this run

  • classic any% mode (no restrictions other than using game-breaking glitches)
  • aims for fastest ingame time (due to universal recognition, regardless of emulator)
  • takes damage to save time
  • manipulates luck
  • abuses minor non game-breaking glitches
  • Genre: Platformer
  • Total Frames: 134254

About the Game

Super Metroid is a classic platformer with many advanced techniques and a very fine, subpixel-based move engine. The story is about a bounty hunter called Samus who has the goal to explore a foreign planet called Zebes to find and destroy Mother Brain, the evil leader of the galaxy who is breeding a mighty species called Metroids to abuse them for her own benefits. During the journey you will find alot of items such as new ammo, energy tanks, special upgrades that speed you up or allow to pass certain areas you would normally not be able to, and making your character strong enough to be ready for the upcoming showdown against Mother Brain.
Despite being over 15 years old by now, it is considered as one of the best games ever made, and is still played by many people on a regular basis. Due to the many different move techniques, a high variety through the new upgrades, and alot of route possibilities, this game is a very common target for many types of speedruns and playthroughs.

Moviemaking & Comments

This is my reborn any% TAS project for Super Metroid, recorded between April 30 and July 5, 2010. It uses an optimized route I designed back in 2006 when working on my first any% TAS attempt, which collects all the necessary items to maximize mobility, variety, and damage power of the beams for much quicker battles, while also using the latest speed tricks and boss strategies, with some of them never done before. The result is a game completion of only 25 minutes (25,62 to be precise), which is the fastest time possible on the PAL version of the game.
I picked the PAL version for the following reasons:
  • never TASed before, therefore it was interesting to see the completion time limit for it
  • slightly different physics
  • supports an additional language at dialogs (in this case German) for a wider audience
  • much less lag, making the run look smoother in some locations
  • the NTSC version has an existing run by Cpadolf using a nearly same route that already reached the completion time limit on the game clock there

Differences of the PAL version compared to the NTSC version

Physics

  • Considerably slower horizontal morphball speed in mid-air, making it impossible to fall through vertical 3-block holes at max speed, such as in the large pink Brinstar room, Kraid Lair's Ki-Hunter room, etc. Down Reverse Fall through this holes seems only possible with the zig-zag turn-around trick as well.
  • Faster morph, demorph, crouch, and stand up animation, making it impossible to bypass damage boosts, for example by mockballing through enemies.
  • Somewhat different jumping heights at various running speeds when having Speed Booster.

Timing

  • Same frame count on opening animations of doors, charged beams, bomb spreads, shoot frequency of Missiles etc, making them all slower when adapting to the 50 fps PAL speed. For example, the improved Phantoon 1-rounder is impossible because of that.
  • Considerably slower boss-, and event scripts (except for Botwoon), with the Mother Brain battle already losing almost a whole minute compared to the NTSC version.
  • Slightly shorter shinespark charge counter, making it impossible to execute the very benefitting Draygon shinespark without High Jump Boots.
My overall estimation of the total time difference between PAL and NTSC is a bit less than 2 and a half minutes for the any%, meaning that this run, if performed on NTSC, should be somewhere in the low 0:23 area.

A small present

Many people have asked me to post the smv of my old any% run, which I kept private so far to maintain the surprise value, but now with the any% project being done, I want to finally make it public. So here it is, untouched as of February 11, 2007 where I cancelled it shortly after Draygon:
If in doubt that the smv existed for so long already, simply compare the unique and impossible to duplicate refill drops of the Botwoon fight at ~2:00 into this video that I uploaded in February 2nd 2008, for proof.

Notes

The run is also available on YouTube.
Enjoy!

TASVideosGrue: More food! Om nom nom... blech!! Dislike branches and arbitrary goals! *Explodes*

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #2731: Saturn's SNES Super Metroid "PAL any%" in 44:45.08
Noxxa
They/Them
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I don't see any reason to have a slower PAL version published alongside the three currently published NTSC movies, so I vote no.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa <dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects. <Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits <adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
Joined: 11/13/2005
Posts: 1587
Mothrayas wrote:
I don't see any reason to have a slower PAL version published alongside the three currently published NTSC movies, so I vote no.
Seconded, except I didn't vote yet. Also, in-game time goals are stupid in my opinion.
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 1711
Yeah Mothrayas has this one covered. Voting no.
Zoey Ridin' High <Fabian_> I prett much never drunk
TASVideosGrue
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om, nom, nom... *burp*!
Experienced player (953)
Joined: 12/3/2008
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Location: Castle Keep
Voting no, too many times in the submision text its mentionned this is sloppier than anything already published, therefor no need to watch it for voting.
Saturn wrote:
I picked the PAL version for the following reasons: never TASed before, therefore it was interesting to see the completion time limit for it
(this is realy a bad reason)
Saturn wrote:
supports an additional language at dialogs (in this case German) for a wider audience
(this is laughtable argument, seriously, in rondo everybody would like english dub over the german voices *cought*)
Saturn wrote:
Considerably slower horizontal morphball speed in mid-air ...making them all slower when adapting to the 50 fps PAL speed ...the Mother Brain battle already losing almost a whole minute compared to the NTSC version.
I think you all explained yourself, voting no for choosing bad region, and wrong goals.
Rules wrote:
A speed-oriented movie must beat all existing records If there already is a published video, do not use a different ROM than what it uses, unless the new ROM is obviously better, and you can show how it should be compared to the existing movie.
Editor
Joined: 3/10/2010
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Location: Sweden
Speedy rejection, clear violation of site rules.
Editor, Expert player (2310)
Joined: 5/15/2007
Posts: 3854
Location: Germany
I'm no Metroid fan at all but this run reminded me of something that I'd like to see being done on TASvideos oneday. I made a topic about this but it didn't get much of a respone. http://tasvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8792 The idea is to put TASes that couldn't be published due to arbitrary goals or due to completing only one mode of many within a game (like in Kirby Super Star) on pages related to one game. It would be very healthy for the site's space (since no actual publications would be made for those additional runs) and it would be healthy for organisation. Instead of publishing 4 or 5 runs for a game, just have one page for that game include all the related runs.
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MUGG: I like that idea.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
adelikat
He/Him
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henke37 wrote:
Speedy rejection, clear violation of site rules.
Which rule does it violate? Also, I do agree that this decision was too fast. And if there was going to be a speedy rejection, then justification for the rejection would be all the more warranted rather than some grue silliness.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
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Location: In his lab studying psychology to find new ways to torture TASers and forumers
adelikat wrote:
henke37 wrote:
Speedy rejection, clear violation of site rules.
Which rule does it violate?
If there already is a published video, do not use a different ROM than what it uses, unless the new ROM is obviously better, and you can show how it should be compared to the existing movie. This game also has so many branches as is, it doesn't warrant alternate ROM image versions, which only has minor differences.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Joined: 5/12/2009
Posts: 748
Location: Brazil
Brushy wrote:
Also, in-game time goals are stupid in my opinion.
Real time goal is stupid in my opinion, but it's all it is, my opinion. Most of the games doesn't have an in-game time counter, so we have to go for real time. If the game offers in-game time to go for, why keep going for the same thing in all games? Let's make it a little bit different. Also, i think this run is a great contribution for the site and there are people interested in PAL version of this game. The run is well optimized and i think it deserves a place in this site, no matter where.
Active player (432)
Joined: 4/21/2004
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Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Voted no, the NTSC version is sufficient as it is.
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
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 1711
Eye Of The Beholder, I was definitely in the wrong here and I'm sorry that I was a jerk.
Zoey Ridin' High <Fabian_> I prett much never drunk
Joined: 5/12/2009
Posts: 748
Location: Brazil
This is "MY" opinion, but thanks for your sarcasm. Btw, english is not my first language, i edited the post and put a "re", so maybe now the post won't hurt your eyes. But if the problem is the phrase itself, there's nothing i can do about that.
Skilled player (1633)
Joined: 11/15/2004
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the NTSC version has an existing run by Cpadolf using a nearly same route that already reached the completion time limit on the game clock there
'nuff said. Good call on the fast reject. Nip this in the bud before it becomes a silly mess of ridiculous arguments. It appears to me that Saturn tries to choose categories in which obsolescence is unlikely. http://tasvideos.org/Subs-506up.html "New Game+" "100%" "One track only" "glitchless low%" and 2 speed/entertainment trade-off versions of Street Fighter 2.
Sage advice from a friend of Jim: So put your tinfoil hat back in the closet, open your eyes to the truth, and realize that the government is in fact causing austismal cancer with it's 9/11 fluoride vaccinations of your water supply.
Player (88)
Joined: 11/14/2005
Posts: 1057
Location: United States
It's too bad this got rejected so quickly. Not that I think it ever had a chance to be published, but now many people will miss the submission altogether. It's an interesting movie, but overall offers nothing when compared to the existing runs. It's also nice to see that you finally showed your (NTSC) any% run. Amazing that there was only 1 trick left undiscovered, that being the maridia tube. Shame you never got to finish that run :/ On a related note. I started working on a fully optimized RBO with namespoofer about a year ago. He mysteriously vanished without a trace 6 months ago, which makes me sad :( Anyway, the run was truly mind boggling and used an insane route that I developed and never thought would actually work. We got very far, and the route proved successful. I feel that since he is never coming back, that I should upload all our work in hopes that someone finish it. I'll post it on the SM thread in a few days.
They're off to find the hero of the day...
Player (147)
Joined: 11/27/2004
Posts: 688
Location: WA State, USA
Voting yes because the Power Bombs don't cause any lag. Voting no because this site can't handle non-laggy Power Bombs.
Nach wrote:
I also used to wake up every morning, open my curtains, and see the twin towers. And then one day, wasn't able to anymore, I'll never forget that.
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Guys, I know we don't like both Saturn and the amount of Super Metroid on the site, but couldn't you, you know, watch a different run and appreciate it for what it is, for once, before voting "no"? This is actually a cool run, and even if it doesn't offer anything substantially new compared to what we already have published, it's still a cool run. Thanks for releasing it! I enjoyed it. Voting No. On topic, though, speedy rejections are a very bad thing for the site's image, because the fact that some submissions aren't even considered for publication puts (anti-)favoritism and dire bureaucracy TASVideos has grown to be so infamous for in the past to the front. Which of you want to deal with that? Which of you doesn't know how any incident can become an ugly mess real quick? All submissions should be considered, except plagiarized ones, because even when they don't follow the standards, they help us keep these standards dynamic and formulate exceptions that eventually give birth to more and better material. And no submission should be left without a signed, properly explained reason for rejection, period. What I see above is cowardly and inexcusable. Whoever did that should just stop judging. I suspect it's Nach, though, whom I suggested to stop judging months ago. :D
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
adelikat
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moozooh wrote:
All submissions should be considered, except plagiarized ones, because even when they don't follow the standards, they help us keep these standards dynamic and formulate exceptions that eventually give birth to more and better material. And no submission should be left without a signed, properly explained reason for rejection, period.
I agree with these statemetns. And yes, it was Nach. I've already told him I didn't agree with it either. It shouldn't have been rejected so fast (though the vote count was already about 10 no votes and 0 yes at the time), and it should have been given a proper rejection reason (and done by a judge instead of a robot <_<)
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Skilled player (1430)
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Holy crap, I completely missed this due to the quick rejection. Luckily I eventually saw the link at metroid2002 so I could see this. Very cool that you did this, it was always something I had wanted to do, but never got enough motivation for. Also nice to see that the time differential for NTSC and PAL pretty much goes right in line with what some testing of mine had led me to believe (for unassisted runs). And my face hit the god damned desk upon realizing that it is faster to skip the Baby Metroid sequence without using a shinespark. So. Fucking. Obvious =/
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Cpadolf wrote:
And my face hit the god damned desk upon realizing that it is faster to skip the Baby Metroid sequence without using a shinespark. So. Fucking. Obvious =/
I concur! Very, very obvious.
Skilled player (1430)
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lol, I had completely forgotten about that.
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