(Link to video)

Super Metroid - Any% TAS v3 in 0:22 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 (without game-breaking glitches or codes)
  • 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: 141317

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 17 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 3rd version of the classic any% run for Super Metroid, aiming for fastest ingame time without the use of gamebreaking glitches or cheat codes. With a once again reworked route and improved techs and boss strategies I developed in many places of the run, the completion time is finally down to 0:22:38, breaking the 0:23 mark that was long time considered to be the TAS limit for a gamebreaking-free run.
Enjoy!

adelikat: Claiming for judging.
feos: Added HD encode link (check the new encoding method!)
adelikat: Accepting for publication as a restoration of the in-game any branch. The publisher of the submission will probably not have the ability to edit the obsoletion chain, but I will make sure it claims the in-game obsoletion from the currently published movie.

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14777
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #3316: Saturn's SNES Super Metroid "any%, ingame" in 39:15.30
Joined: 10/1/2011
Posts: 4
Okay, I went back to Taco & Kriole's run that's on the website just to make sure I wasn't missing something, and I apparently I am, because their run says "38:41.52" while this one is "39:15.3" but this one completes the game faster? How are these times listed in the subject lines calculated, exactly?
Joined: 7/16/2006
Posts: 635
twilightsamus wrote:
Okay, I went back to Taco & Kriole's run that's on the website just to make sure I wasn't missing something, and I apparently I am, because their run says "38:41.52" while this one is "39:15.3" but this one completes the game faster? How are these times listed in the subject lines calculated, exactly?
The subject line lists the length of the movie in real time. However, this movie improves Taco and Kriole's run as measured by the in-game timer. Because the in-game timer does not run during door transitions and cutscenes, the resulting movie is longer in real time.
Experienced player (821)
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
Aaaaaaaaaaaand commence flame war on the "real" timing of Super Metroid.
Living Well Is The Best Revenge My Personal Page
Joined: 10/1/2011
Posts: 4
petrie911 wrote:
twilightsamus wrote:
Okay, I went back to Taco & Kriole's run that's on the website just to make sure I wasn't missing something, and I apparently I am, because their run says "38:41.52" while this one is "39:15.3" but this one completes the game faster? How are these times listed in the subject lines calculated, exactly?
The subject line lists the length of the movie in real time. However, this movie improves Taco and Kriole's run as measured by the in-game timer. Because the in-game timer does not run during door transitions and cutscenes, the resulting movie is longer in real time.
Oh wow, that's interesting. Thank you.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Expert player, Site Developer, Site Owner (3581)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4736
Location: Tennessee
Prior to the current publication we had the in-game time and real time any% runs published along side each other. I personally would be open to restoring that situation. Though I"m a bit sad that one movie couldn't accomplish both anymore. I thought that the double obsoletion was really impressive with Taco & Kriole's movie.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Joined: 4/25/2004
Posts: 498
Oh, this'll be a nifty lil' thread. :D *downloads run with anticipation*
Joined: 7/16/2006
Posts: 635
Watched it. Voted yes. A high quality run. I do have a question, though. How much time do the High Jump Boots and Plasma Beam save? Would grabbing the Spazer for the Murder Beam save time?
Joined: 7/2/2007
Posts: 3960
Personally, I can't enjoy TASes of vanilla Super Metroid any more. I've just watched too many and the improvements are too marginal. I have the same problem with SM64 and SMB1, both games that have been iteratively improved over the course of years. That in mind, I'm not gonna bother watching or voting this time, and I'm staying the hell away from this thread from here on out. I've done that dance a few too many times too.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
BigBoct
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 8/9/2007
Posts: 1692
Location: Tiffin/Republic, OH
If memory serves, the Murder Beam generates tons of lag, so it probably wouldn't do any good. Anyway, this was an awesome run. Just as expected from Saturn. Yes vote, and I'd say to restore the "in-game timer" category.
Previous Name: boct1584
Player (98)
Joined: 3/20/2008
Posts: 466
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
More proof that Saturn gets a hard-on from submitting controversial Super Metroid runs :) I'm sure one of these days he'll get one past the goal posts. Inclined to vote yes for the obvious tremendous effort that went into this, even though I found it way too similar to the real-time run.
Onyx3173
She/Her
Joined: 5/30/2010
Posts: 76
Location: Oregon, USA
Voting yes and I think the in-game category should be restored as well. Also a question, how do you get the super missile? I thought you had to mockball there to get past the gates?
I am a figment of my imagination.
Joined: 7/16/2006
Posts: 635
If memory serves, the Murder Beam generates tons of lag, so it probably wouldn't do any good.
Yes, but IIRC the lag doesn't count on the in-game timer. I could be very wrong about that, though.
Onyx3173 wrote:
Also a question, how do you get the super missile? I thought you had to mockball there to get past the gates?
http://tasvideos.org/GameResources/SNES/SuperMetroid.html#ShoulderPumping
Joined: 11/26/2010
Posts: 444
Location: New York, US
Please restore the in-game category. A lot of thought was put into this amazing TAS as well as excellent execution!!! This run deserves to be on the site!!! EASY YES VOTE!!! I can't wait to see what you come up with next Saturn!!! I hope you do the 100% run!!!
My name is 4N6/Forensics.
Onyx3173
She/Her
Joined: 5/30/2010
Posts: 76
Location: Oregon, USA
petrie911 wrote:
http://tasvideos.org/GameResources/SNES/SuperMetroid.html#ShoulderPumping
Oh, that works in such a short area? I didn't realize that.
I am a figment of my imagination.
Editor, Skilled player (1402)
Joined: 3/31/2010
Posts: 2081
Ho boy. I don't have time to watch this right now, but I sense -a lot- of drama coming our way.
Joined: 5/2/2006
Posts: 1020
Location: Boulder, CO
I don't really think that this brings enough new to the table to be worth publishing alongside the current movie, so voting no. /commence flame war
Has never colored a dinosaur.
Experienced player (758)
Joined: 6/17/2008
Posts: 146
Have an encode, because this run deserves better.
Skilled player (1430)
Joined: 7/15/2007
Posts: 1468
Location: Sweden
adelikat wrote:
Prior to the current publication we had the in-game time and real time any% runs published along side each other. I personally would be open to restoring that situation. Though I"m a bit sad that one movie couldn't accomplish both anymore. I thought that the double obsoletion was really impressive with Taco & Kriole's movie.
Well it was always known that you could complete the game faster in ingame time than the current any% run if that was your goal, though probably not by this much. Anyway. Nice route, fantastic optimization, good style. Voting yes but leaving the discussion to everyone else.
Agare Bagare Kopparslagare
Joined: 9/20/2005
Posts: 14
Location: Morocco
That bomb trick at 14:50 was hilarious
Banned User
Joined: 3/10/2004
Posts: 7698
Location: Finland
Could someone please explain to me, once again, why ingame time is any kind of desirable goal with this game. What's the point? To me it looks like the major difference between an ingame-time run and a wallclock-time run is that in the former you get to see more door transitions than in the latter, which I don't think is a positive thing at all. So what exactly justifies the ingame-timing as a goal?
Joined: 1/10/2010
Posts: 59
I'll be the bad guy and give this a no. Most branches for games on this site are at least conceptually significantly different from all other branches. The difference between real-time and in-game times is such a ridiculously arbitrary distinction that I can't support reinstating the "in-game time" branch. Between the main game and hacks, we already have 5 branches for Super Metroid. It really seems to me like we're at the point where any additional runs need a sufficiently unique gimmick in order to be worth publishing. Unfortunately, I tried to see how this run screamed "I aim for in-game time" and couldn't. It really, really felt like a simple fastest time run, albeit perhaps one that didn't avoid items as often (something I probably wouldn't have even noticed had it not been the fact that I was looking for it). Despite all that, I do have to admit that this is a pretty solid run (although I'm starting to find vanilla SM runs a little stale at this point). I can see the case for grandfathering the branch back into existence, but I personally think it would be better if it stays gone.
Skilled player (1430)
Joined: 7/15/2007
Posts: 1468
Location: Sweden
Warp wrote:
Could someone please explain to me, once again, why ingame time is any kind of desirable goal with this game. What's the point?
Like with any game that has a clock that you can see, it is a common goal to finish the game with the least possible time on the clock. Sonic would probably be the best example for this. Of course with Super Metroid the clock is only visible at the very end, and it rounds down to the nearest minute so its not very precise. And because of that it's not as obvious a goal to finish with the least possible time on the clock, compared to Sonic which has a clock for each individual level. And therefore its understandable that its not as readily accepted as a Sonic run aiming for ingame time. Still, since the release of the game it has always been the goal of the Super Metroid speedrunning community to aim for clock-time rather than realtime, which is why its a desirable goal for almost anyone who has been speedrunning the game at some point.
Agare Bagare Kopparslagare
Hoandjzj
He/Him
Experienced player (602)
Joined: 4/6/2010
Posts: 240
Watched the whole awesome run! Easy YES vote! Saturn, thanks for making this TAS! I hope this will be published on the site!!! :D And it will be more awesome if you do the 100% run, with these new tricks! :D:D:D People never get tired of this game \:d/
Joined: 5/12/2009
Posts: 748
Location: Brazil
Cpadolf wrote:
...since the release of the game it has always been the goal of the Super Metroid speedrunning community to aim for clock-time rather than realtime, which is why its a desirable goal for almost anyone who has been speedrunning the game at some point.
Same opinion here. Yes vote! The run is very good and i liked the new route. Also, it would be really good to see a new 100% run done by any of the TASers, better if they team-up.