(Link to video)
This movie is a 1087 frames (18 seconds) improvement over my previous run.

Game objectives

Improvement Table

SectionFrames Saved
Level 1-31024
Level 437
Lag Reduction26
Total1087

About the game

Spelunker is a simple adventure game, but a difficult one. Much of the game's difficulty arises from the fact that the explorer cannot jump high or fall far, and therefore dies extremely easily. In Japan, this game's explorer is known as the most weakest hero in all action games. Among Internet users in Japan, the word "Spelunker" is used to mean " too weak".

Improvements

  • Change the route of Level 1 and Level 2.
  • Improve jumping from rope to rope.
  • Manipulate Ghosts for death-warp.
  • By using immortal trick, force the explorer on the up-down moving boat in Level 3.
  • Fix many mistakes in Level 4.

Tricks

Jumping up the ropes and immortal trick
If you tap A repeatedly to climb a rope or ladder quickly, the game will not reset the Y coordinate it uses to determine whether you’ve fallen to your death or not.. As a result, as long as you get the A-button timing right, you can jump off the rope and fall as far as you want as long as you don’t tumble below the starting point where you first “boarded” the rope.
"Jumping over the stones" glitch
you can jump over the stones by pressing left+right and jumping. You can use this trick only in "left to right" direction because you always jump to right by this method.
Endless speed upgrade glitch
Generally, when you take drags in red vials, you get speed upgrades until remainig time of drug effect(RAM Address 0x00A5) become 0. However, if you take second drags when remaining time is 1, you can get Endless speed upgrade. Details of this glitch is here (Japanese) http://www.spelunker.jp/okure2.htm
Death management
When you die, you are respawned to the location of the last item you picked up or last vehicle you took, or starting point of level. So, you can manipulate your location after death by avoiding items. This is abused quite heavily in this movie.

Stage by stage comments

I'll add more explanations here.
  • Level 1
  • Level 2
  • Level 3
  • Level 4

Suggested Screenshots

12071
I hope you enjoy my run !

Nahoc: Judging...
Nahoc: Updated the submission file with a 5-frame faster one...
Nahoc: Accepting as an improvement over the previous run.

Ilari: Uploading the encodes I have...

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14776
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #3859: yuigenron's NES Spelunker in 04:28.57
Joined: 4/3/2005
Posts: 575
Location: Spain
Hell, yes! I was watching the previous version this week, and the incredible improvements from this run left me flabbergasted.
No.
Active player (266)
Joined: 9/14/2011
Posts: 349
20 seconds saving on a game like this is such a big improvement. I like it! I'm waiting for your level-by-level comment.
Joined: 4/3/2005
Posts: 575
Location: Spain
A question, couldn't you put a bomb as soon as you jump over a rock, then continue your way? That way, you don't need to wait for so long for the bomb to break the rock when you return after you pick the key. EDIT: Nevermind. After watching the video again, I found that, unlike in Spelunker HD, the player doesn't start with a bomb and a flare.
No.
Active player, Editor (296)
Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7468
Location: Arzareth
This video makes the game look quite fun.
Active player (324)
Joined: 2/23/2005
Posts: 786
Wow! I never thought a TAS of this game would be so intense.
Player (143)
Joined: 2/27/2011
Posts: 31
Location: Japan
I found improvements (now 3 frames). I investigate further improvements, so please wait judging and publishing. EDIT: OK, finished. This is a 5 frames improvement. http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/4514045282372685
Editor, Experienced player (851)
Joined: 8/12/2008
Posts: 845
Location: Québec, Canada
yuigenron wrote:
I found improvements (now 3 frames). I investigate further improvements, so please wait judging and publishing.
Okay, no problem. Just post the improved file in the thread and I will update the submission.
Player (12)
Joined: 11/23/2012
Posts: 94
I've always enjoyed tool-assisted speedruns of this game, which I hadn't heard of before seeing it on this site. The fact that death can be used as a shortcut allows the hero's incredible fragility to be demonstrated in a way most tool-assisted speedruns never get to do. The endless speed upgrade glitch is a very nice addition to the run.
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14776
Location: 127.0.0.1
This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [2313] NES Spelunker by yuigenron in 04:28.57
Player (143)
Joined: 2/27/2011
Posts: 31
Location: Japan
Why was tier of this run changed from Moon to Vault? I think Judge should write reasoning when he change tiers of previous publications.
Editor, Experienced player (851)
Joined: 8/12/2008
Posts: 845
Location: Québec, Canada
yuigenron wrote:
Why was tier of this run changed from Moon to Vault? I think Judge should write reasoning when he change tiers of previous publications.
The tier is moon now. Sorry for the inconvenience.