Game objectives

  • Aims for fastest time
  • Manipulates luck
  • Avoids damage
I loved watching usedpizza's speedrun attempts in twitch back in the day. And I found this game looks very interesting.
Jumping to transit screen is always faster than just walking but it changes enemy's moving pattern. Different enemy's moving can cause big time loss sometimes.

Improvements

I saved time from jump transition and better enemy avoidance in many places other than following improvements. I'm just listing notable ones.
Stage 1: Central Park
  • Cancelling landing animation at sword room
  • Failing off another ledge in next room
  • Lag reduction in gate room
  • Jumping from more right side in 2nd boat room
129 frames saved.
Stage 2: The Streets
  • Cutting waiting time 2nd stoplight completely
312 frames saved. (441 frames total)
Stage 3: The Sewers
Nothing
72 frames saved. (513 frames total)
Stage 4: The Office
  • Avoiding very 1st enemy's attack
  • Getting better password with less waiting (4 normal frames + 3 lag frames, lag can affect to generate password)
  • Changing weapon during waiting helicopter part (This isn't timesaver for this stage but stage 6)
  • Faster helicopter riding
150 frames saved. (663 frames total)
Stage 5: The Mansion
  • Jumping to 1st window instead of failing (I had to knock enemy out afterwards in both way when I tried. It's ended to be slower in total, but jumping is faster)
71 frames saved. (734 frames total)
Stage 6: The Final Battle
  • Cutting changing weapon
  • Not killing 1st enemy
  • Better password (2 frames faster input than 0800)
  • Avoiding Kunitoki's attack
  • Knocking kunitoki out earlier (He interrupts me to take shortest pass and makes lag frames when he's alive)
303 frames total. (1037 frames total)

Thanks to

usedpizza
His both console/TAS runs are my inspiration of trying this game. Also, he showed actual timesaver for this run (Lag reduction part). It's off topic but this video is related to me and usedpizza ;) [dead link removed]
magmapeach, Megiddo, Jadian, and Fatalis
Their password generate research.

Nach: Nice improvement, accepting.
fsvgm777: Processing.

TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #4703: illayaya's NES The Last Ninja in 08:01.11
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Nice improvement! Voted yes. =)
MESHUGGAH
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Rewriting my notes from currently published submission thread to this one: - (same as currently published one:) 658th frame uses start button, probably loses 1 frame (use A/B/Select) code obtain part (~19000th frame): - 4 unnecessary lag frames (maybe for manipulation purposes?) - generation @ 19080th frame, 6 frame sacrifice from 1st possible one - generated 0900, 3 frames to input (edit: 2 frames using the same math compared to published TAS, I don't count the final B button as part of the code input) = 6+3 frames total In 7 rerecords, I manipulated 0900 1 frame earlier (removed all lag frames from the room and just pressed B 1 frame earlier).
PhD in TASing 🎓 speedrun enthusiast ❤🚷🔥 white hat hacker ▓ black box tester ░ censorships and rules...
Joined: 4/3/2005
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I see this game has a timer. Should runs of this game aim for in-game time instead of real time, then?
No.
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Joined: 3/9/2004
Posts: 4588
Location: In his lab studying psychology to find new ways to torture TASers and forumers
MESHUGGAH are you looking to post a faster run?
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.
MESHUGGAH
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Nach wrote:
MESHUGGAH are you looking to post a faster run?
No, not planning to do any TASing works.
PhD in TASing 🎓 speedrun enthusiast ❤🚷🔥 white hat hacker ▓ black box tester ░ censorships and rules...
Emulator Coder
Joined: 3/9/2004
Posts: 4588
Location: In his lab studying psychology to find new ways to torture TASers and forumers
Okay then. was0x, do you think any of MESHUGGAH's notes can help you improve the current run? Is there a reason for doing the things you did? usedpizza: Are you interested in trying to improve upon this run?
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.
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. ---- [2870] NES The Last Ninja by illayaya in 08:01.11
Post subject: possible improvements
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Joined: 5/22/2004
Posts: 462
A couple of ideas for potential improvements on this TAS that I've come up with after running this game RTA for some strange reason. One big one (well, like maybe a second) is that you don't need to pick up the shuriken in stage one to beat the game. Normally you need them to knock the boss of the game, Kunitoki, down and turn him into fireworks. I'm not sure how or why it works, but if you skip the shuriken in stage one, you can just kick Kunitoki when you fight him and he falls down in one hit. This should be faster. An idea I had that I have not tested is to try getting hit by an enemy at the same time that you pick up an item. Getting hit will cancel the "pick up item" animation and instead play the "got hit" animation, which at least feels faster. It might not be, but it's worth testing. If it is, it would save time at the first two screens of stage 4, as well as the first key you grab in stage 5 and the rope in that same stage. Also, there's no need to pull out the "stick" weapon in the fan room in stage 4, I'm not sure why this TAS does so. I don't plan on improving this TAS, but if anyone ever does, at least these ideas will be here for them.