• Emulator - Gens TEST 10
  • Takes damage to save time
  • Abuses programming errors in the game
  • Aims for fastest time
For a long time, nobody had taken it upon themselves to timeattack a Sonic game. Then came Sprint, doing Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Then came Xebra, who started doing Sonic 1 but got sick of it and gave up. Sonic 2 got a similar treatment from Hero Chaos Chao. After several exceptionally poor quality Sonic 2 speed run submissions (ranging between 30 and 40 minutes long), I decided that my first timeattack would be of this game.
So here it is, after months of hard work and a short hiatus.
Level times: (TSC records in parentheses)
  • Emerald Hill 1 - 0:18 (0:20)
  • Emerald Hill 2 - 0:36 (0:38)
  • Chemical Plant 1 - 0:17 (0:22)
  • Chemical Plant 2 - 0:51 (0:53)
  • Aquatic Ruin 1 - 0:19 (0:24)
  • Aquatic Ruin 2 - 0:38 (0:43)
  • Casino Night 1 - 0:25 (0:34)
  • Casino Night 2 - 0:55 (1:05)
  • Hill Top 1 - 0:39 (0:48)
  • Hill Top 2 - 0:48 (1:03)
  • Mystic Cave 1 - 0:28 (0:40)
  • Mystic Cave 2 - 0:37 (0:49)
  • Oil Ocean 1 - 0:26 (0:38)
  • Oil Ocean 2 - 0:48 (0:59)
  • Metropolis 1 - 0:54 (1:12)
  • Metropolis 2 - 0:50 (1:30)
  • Metropolis 3 - 1:30 (2:33)
  • Sky Chase - fixed length auto-scroller
  • Wing Fortress - 1:42 (1:56)
  • Death Egg - 0:42 (0:49)
Quirks/Glitches:
  • In Oil Ocean 2, falling into the sphere cannon after being injured by the spikes causes Sonic to gain some unusual abilities, allowing him to run and jump as if he were Super Sonic. This glitch lasts until he performs a spindash.
  • In Death Egg Zone, the explosions are replaced with animal graphics, apparently because I defeated the bosses too quickly.
Enjoy!

Phil No choice but to be published.


Active player (255)
Joined: 4/24/2005
Posts: 476
Holy hell...amazing bug.
[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcuV2JdaBYY]Streets of Rage 3 (2 players)[/url]
Joined: 11/20/2004
Posts: 236
Location: United States
Damn. Someone beat my Death Egg Zone time, finally. That's kind of depressing, but now I have a new goal. Trying to match that time legitimately to I can plug it in as a record time at TSC. >_> <_<; Also, he should be glad he didn't end up defeating Silver Sonic on the frame right where he goes from buzzsawing to jet-dashing. That's a fun glitch to play with, but it would've destroyed a lot of work. Lastly, I still say he should've used Miles. Miles has a smaller collision box, which is most notably exploited in the fight with Silver Sonic.(Miles can duck down in the lower right-hand corner, avoiding Silver Sonic's buzzsaw completely, then instantly start Super Spin Dashing when he's vounerable. Sonic and Knuckles can't.) Edit: Ah hah! A mistake! See. . .okay. If you clear a level in under 30 seconds, you get 50,000 points. However, if you clear it in over 31 and under a minute, you get only 10,000. It might be worth your time(literally) if, in Acts/Zones where you get to the end in under twenty seconds or so, you wait out the extra seconds. Casino Night 1, Mystic Caves 1, Oil Ocean 1 are zones where you end up wasting time by cutting it too close to thirty seconds. Emerald Hill Act 1 and Aquatic Ruin Act 1, and possibly Chemical Plant 1 are fine, though. Trust me. In some cases, getting the added bonus just is not worth the extra ten-to-twelve seconds it takes to add up the score and give you a continue. . . You can probably shave a good minute(or possibly more) off your time by doing this. Because of this obvious mistake, I would've voted "No" on this movie. But I'm a hair too late for that. :x
I'm not that hard to find... if you know where to look. -=( http://jolikmc.tumblr.com )=-
Active player (255)
Joined: 4/24/2005
Posts: 476
It's been stated somewhere that the goal of this movie was to minimize the level times and not worry about the bonuses.
[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcuV2JdaBYY]Streets of Rage 3 (2 players)[/url]
Joined: 11/20/2004
Posts: 236
Location: United States
Yeah, but I'm really picky, see. Heh. If this is separate from another entry, though, then that's fine.
I'm not that hard to find... if you know where to look. -=( http://jolikmc.tumblr.com )=-
Active player (255)
Joined: 4/24/2005
Posts: 476
It just kind of seems stupid to rush through a level, then wait 5 seconds (or however long) just to reduce the bonus. It's a technicality that kind of takes the fun out of the sport.
[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcuV2JdaBYY]Streets of Rage 3 (2 players)[/url]
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 1203
Damn. Someone beat my Death Egg Zone time, finally. That's kind of depressing, but now I have a new goal. Trying to match that time legitimately to I can plug it in as a record time at TSC. >_> <_<;
  • I don't believe you held the TSC record for Death Egg in Sonic 2. (And if you were tied for first I don't believe you were the first to achieve that time.)
  • A 12 hit strategy was first discovered on February 9th.
  • I've already done it on a console. That's no reason for you not to do it to, but we already know it's possible.
  • TSC is dead.
Lastly, I still say he should've used Miles.
Using Tails would have made a number of time saving exploits impossible, for example, breaking a block with Tails in Hill Top Zone, and stacking spindashes in Metropolis Zone for quicker rides up the screws.
It's been stated somewhere that the goal of this movie was to minimize the level times and not worry about the bonuses.
You are quite a bit more attentive than Joseph Collins seeing as how that was mentioned a mere 5 posts above his own, on the same page.
Quietust
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Former player
Joined: 7/14/2004
Posts: 250
I did a test run using that Oil Ocean 2 glitch; overall, the level was completed approximately 6.5 seconds faster (finished in early 0:42, compared to late 0:48), though it's extremely boring now (consisting of 10 seconds of rather slow 'catch-up' scrolling). If I ever get to that point in the game again, I'll be sure to use this trick.
Joseph Collins wrote:
Miles can duck down in the lower right-hand corner, avoiding Silver Sonic's buzzsaw completely, then instantly start Super Spin Dashing when he's vounerable. Sonic and Knuckles can't.
Wrong. Sonic and Knuckles can spindash the instant Silver Sonic's "buzzsaw" starts (and I did so in my run); they just can't be on the far right edge or they'll get hit (slightly to the left works just fine).
* Quietust, QMT Productions P.S. If you don't get this note, let me know and I'll write you another
Joined: 11/20/2004
Posts: 236
Location: United States
xebra wrote:
I don't believe you held the TSC record for Death Egg in Sonic 2. (And if you were tied for first I don't believe you were the first to achieve that time.)
I was. My record was, if I'm not mistaken, 0:49. My recorded record, however, was indeed 0:52 or 0:51. It's true that screenshots can easily be faked, but I legitimately achieved that time of 0:49 by doing "the 12-hit strategy," but managing to only land 11 at first.(Ironically, it might have very well been because I was using Miles instead of Sonic.) If it had been beaten after January or so, I was unaware.
A 12 hit strategy was first discovered on February 9th.
Publically, perhaps. But I'd been able to achieve this through Save States at the beginning of the year, but seeing as it was with Save States, that would not have been a legitimate record.
Using Tails would have made a number of time saving exploits impossible, for example, breaking a block with Tails in Hill Top Zone, and stacking spindashes in Metropolis Zone for quicker rides up the screws.
This is true.
It's been stated somewhere that the goal of this movie was to minimize the level times and not worry about the bonuses.
You are quite a bit more attentive than Joseph Collins seeing as how that was mentioned a mere 5 posts above his own, on the same page.
Bite me. I don't generally read older posts if I have something to say.
I'm not that hard to find... if you know where to look. -=( http://jolikmc.tumblr.com )=-
Joined: 5/3/2004
Posts: 1203
I was. My record was, if I'm not mistaken, 0:49.
Two people that had been banned had beaten that time, probably even before you were a member of TSC. I believe Popo Nana had also achieved 0:48 sometime during the middle of 2004, though if he/she didn't make it public, it's immaterial.
Publically, perhaps. But I'd been able to achieve this through Save States at the beginning of the year, but seeing as it was with Save States, that would not have been a legitimate record.
What you allegedly do in private is no one's concern. If you come up with a new strategy, why not make it public?
Bite me. I don't generally read older posts if I have something to say.
It would behoove you to do so.
Player (206)
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712
I'll behoove YOU
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Active player (304)
Joined: 8/8/2005
Posts: 296
Location: NSW, Australia
Firstly, I was unable to view either video detailing the Oil Ocean 2 glitch, which I wasn't too happy with. Incidentally, I have an improvement for that very level - after you fall out of the wall at about 11 seconds, you can jump up to the platform instead of running around to get up to it. This represents a 3-4 second saving. It might be made obsolete by this new glitch - I don't know. And another thing:
I don't believe you held the TSC record for Death Egg in Sonic 2. (And if you were tied for first I don't believe you were the first to achieve that time.)
He still does.
Quietust
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Former player
Joined: 7/14/2004
Posts: 250
I am well aware of that flaw in Oil Ocean 2 - my new route DOES take that shortcut, as well as a wall warp (only possible while using the speed glitch), for an overall time 6-7 seconds faster than before.
* Quietust, QMT Productions P.S. If you don't get this note, let me know and I'll write you another
Joined: 1/1/2022
Posts: 1716
great run! :) i was thinking about making one too. then i discovered this site and ur run .... hell i need more practice ;)
Joined: 9/29/2005
Posts: 46
Location: Denver, CO
I watched this with a friend, and his thoughts on the matter are "wow... don't they throw people in jail for pwning games that bad?" Mine, however, were that I did see the mistake of overall time, but that's ok, because even with that you obliterated all thoughts I had on the time of this game. I've been doing speed-runs for a while, and I can pull 20s in 1-1, so I don't feel too bad overall. points and props
"If any man is not free, then I too, am a small pie made of chicken"
Joined: 2/25/2006
Posts: 3
wussup guys..im new to this..i jus downloaded the emulator and rom..how do i open the movie..i wanna see
Former player
Joined: 9/29/2005
Posts: 460
Assuming you do have the movie file, go to CPU -> Play movie/Resume record from savestate and open the movie file.
Joined: 2/25/2006
Posts: 3
aright..i loaded the emulator(Gens), loaded the rom, clicked CPU and all the options were : Debug, Country, Hard Reset, Reset 68000, and Reset Z80..i couldnt find the Play movie/resume record from savestate thing..help me out plz
Former player
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 1711
You must have an old version of the emulator then. Try to find a newer version, because the Play move/etc should be there. Edit: Here is the latest version of Gens. Stole it from JXQ's site, hope he doesn't mind.
Zoey Ridin' High <Fabian_> I prett much never drunk
Joined: 9/17/2005
Posts: 47
The version you need is on this site, it was modified to support movie recording. http://tasvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=316 EDIT: Direct link - this zip includes the documentation
Former player
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 1711
Quick note: My link goes directly to the newest version, instead of having to search for the right link in the topic Kapow linked to.
Zoey Ridin' High <Fabian_> I prett much never drunk
Joined: 2/25/2006
Posts: 3
thank u so much man.it works now..i appreciate it
upthorn
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Active player (392)
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 1802
Edit: I was wrong, and I suck a disproportionately large amount of ass. Move along. Edit 2: I wasn't talking about the Knuckles times. I failed to notice that TSC didn't list times for sky chase, and failed to recall that the time listed for a movie at this site is not the in game completion, but the automatically generated number that is determined by the number of frames.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Joined: 6/6/2004
Posts: 223
It does beat those records. Some levels like Chemical Plant 2 have a lower time for Knuckles than what this run does because Knuckles has a few things different that Sonic/Tails can't do. Quietust is already working on a second version that makes minor improvements to most levels, and different routes through Chemical Plant 2 and Oil Ocean 2 leading to big gains there.
Joined: 5/20/2006
Posts: 2
Something I once tried was setting both sonic and tails to the same controlls. That way they would be in the same positions the whole time and thusly not loose eachother. The only problem I had with this is when jumping on objects. I think if somone had the controlls the same except have one button be different for tails so that you could make him jump when necessary it might be able to speed up a fer seconds here and there. You wouldnt have to wait for tails to catch up on the screws for example (provided everything went seamless up to that point) Just a thought though loved the video. Got so pissed when you missed everything by mere pixels int he flight level. also on the coding i dont know whats up but lately about half the videos I get here the video plays like a percent faster than it should. I grabed the K-lite codec pack but it still plays the video to fast. If i slide the player seek bar though it catches up for a moment before it starts to leave the audio in the dust again.
Former player
Joined: 6/15/2005
Posts: 1711
I'm experiencing the same thing when I play movies with media player classic. When I use vlc I don't.
Zoey Ridin' High <Fabian_> I prett much never drunk