Here is my 10th (and the 12th overall) TAS of NES Ghosts 'n Goblins. It is 257 frames faster than my previous TAS, which I submitted exactly 3141 days ago. My first attempt was this site's first submission.
This game is notorious for its extreme difficulty, and it is just as challenging to TAS it optimally. It is like playing a game of chess against an opponent so unforgiving that you always have to calculate seven moves ahead.
I documented in great detail almost every aspect of this game/TAS in the forum thread, but I'll summarize the improvements below. Thank you to everyone who followed my progress. A special thank you to AngerFist for encouraging me to try this game one more time.
I performed all of the input, but Alyosha provided some tips that were essential to the run. Before I started the run, Alyosha and I realized that the currently published version, which I made in FCE Ultra 0.98.16, starts from a reset instead of power-on. By starting from a reset, that version gained a significant advantage by manipulating the item-drop order on stage 1. It is not possible to get the torch or knife early in stage 1 when starting from power-on.
Stage 1: 21 frames faster. Optimized graveyard puzzle, improved pixel position, and a smoother boss fight.
Stage 2: 33 frames faster. Improved on the rising platforms and especially on the boss fight.
Stage 3: 6 frames faster. Small improvements throughout the level. If we don't manipulate the dragon's spawn, it will cost a few seconds, not just frames. I spent a long time looking for the best way until Alyosha suggested using the left-right move, which cost only 6 frames.
Stage 4: 6 frames faster. Slightly faster on the boss. Taking damage from the devil at the end is an intentional and necessary pixel-optimization move to save 3 frames.
Stage 5: 174 frames faster. The biggest improvement in the run is the optimization of the timing of the moving platform. I did a lot of research here, and Alyosha assisted with the last piece of the puzzle so that I could get perfect timing. Without manipulating the timing, this part could take up to 7 seconds longer.
Stage 6: 18 frames faster. Slight improvement in the zig-zag. Although I improved the boss fight by only 15 frames, it was a major breakthrough. At first, I struggled just to match my previous attempt, which I had thought was perfect. I've spent a lot of time analyzing this battle and it takes precise movement to make it work so beautifully.
Stage 7: 0 frames faster. I think the Astaroth fight is optimal. There's no better option than to wait for the first fireball to pass.

Nach: I've been watching these since the site started, and it's always nice to see the progress. This looks wonderful. Nicely done. Accepting.
fsvgm777: Processing.


TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #4937: Arc & Alyosha's NES Ghosts 'n Goblins in 08:18.03
Post subject: I'm very sure this joke has been done before
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THIS TAS IS AN ILLUSION AND A TRAP DEVISED BY SATAN. VOTE YES DAUNTLESSLY! MAKE RAPID PUBLICATION!
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Groovy. yes vote
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Alyosha
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Hurray its done! I'm not sure I deserve to be co-author for this, all i did was work out a few tricks and the technical stuff about V9, but I'm really happy to have helped in the creation of this run. Seeing that platform work out just right sure was nice though! I'm also happy this run is such a big improvement over the (technically invalid) V9. I do like that this site tries its best to be close to the original consoles and strives for verifiablility, so having a more technically valid run of such a classic game is pretty important I say. Yes Vote!
mklip2001
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Great improvement. The play just gets more and more fluid each time I see a run of this game. I really liked the old run, and this is just that bit better. It's hard to appreciate just how much faster Stage 5 is now.
Used to be a frequent submissions commenter. My new computer has had some issues running emulators, so I've been here more sporadically. Still haven't gotten around to actually TASing yet... I was going to improve Kid Dracula for GB. It seems I was beaten to it, though, with a recent awesome run by Hetfield90 and StarvinStruthers. (http://tasvideos.org/2928M.html.) Thanks to goofydylan8 for running Gargoyle's Quest 2 because I mentioned the game! (http://tasvideos.org/2001M.html) Thanks to feos and MESHUGGAH for taking up runs of Duck Tales 2 because of my old signature! Thanks also to Samsara for finishing a Treasure Master run. From the submission comments:
Shoutouts and thanks to mklip2001 for arguably being the nicest and most supportive person on the forums.
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Ah, but did you really beat the game...?
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Glitcher wrote:
Ah, but did you really beat the game...?
Not sure if serious or not, but just in case: Post #423373
Arc wrote:
No. It's the same game. It was common for early-1980s games, being short in length, to use loops in an attempt to increase the replay value for the player who spent $50 per game (which is $100-$150 today via inflation). A TAS is for entertainment. "Repetitive" and "boring" are synonyms. The only game in which it makes sense to TAS a second loop is The Legend of Zelda, because the game changes significantly.
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Resounding yes vote! Amazing work my man.. Very proud of you :) I think this will be the final version unless someone finds something completely new. Everything looked so damn calculated, good job. If anyone (fsvgm777 perhaps :P ) cares to do a lossless encode, feel free :)
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
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ALAKTORN
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jlun2 wrote:
Glitcher wrote:
Ah, but did you really beat the game...?
Not sure if serious or not, but just in case: Post #423373
Arc wrote:
No. It's the same game.
Isn’t the ending different, though? Maybe the last boss fight? If the rest of the game is the same, can’t the input just be copy-pasted for the 2nd loop? Then the game would actually be beaten at least.
Mitjitsu
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I've been getting into the Ghosts 'n Goblins/Ghouls series via Capcom Generations 2 and this version appears to be greatly different from the one I've been playing. Is there another port of the game, or is this based of some arcade game (a very cruel arcade game if that)?
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ALAKTORN wrote:
jlun2 wrote:
Glitcher wrote:
Ah, but did you really beat the game...?
Not sure if serious or not, but just in case: Post #423373
Arc wrote:
No. It's the same game.
Isn’t the ending different, though? Maybe the last boss fight? If the rest of the game is the same, can’t the input just be copy-pasted for the 2nd loop? Then the game would actually be beaten at least.
Each loop does increase the difficulty. Mostly (entirely?) in terms of speed and spawn rate. It's really easy to see here (4th loop) with the zombie speed and plant's bullet speed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpEjS4QaJ_E I highly doubt it could be copy/pasted, even above and beyond needing to grab the cross to get the real ending.
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Mitjitsu wrote:
I've been getting into the Ghosts 'n Goblins/Ghouls series via Capcom Generations 2 and this version appears to be greatly different from the one I've been playing. Is there another port of the game, or is this based of some arcade game (a very cruel arcade game if that)?
Check it! The amount of attention and dedication given to such an awful game is truly astounding. Good job, guys. It's strange watching a run with no torches around.
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
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Ferret Warlord wrote:
Mitjitsu wrote:
I've been getting into the Ghosts 'n Goblins/Ghouls series via Capcom Generations 2 and this version appears to be greatly different from the one I've been playing. Is there another port of the game, or is this based of some arcade game (a very cruel arcade game if that)?
Check it! The amount of attention and dedication given to such an awful game is truly astounding. Good job, guys. It's strange watching a run with no torches around.
Almost every port of this game during its 'living' span is different in major ways. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts_%27n_Goblins
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I can't believe "Knifeless" isn't anywhere in the movie description. I still remember videos where they keep saying "get the knife"! Yes vote!
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scrimpeh wrote:
DEVISUT BY SATAN
FTFY This TAS is 2spooky4me, voting Yes.
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fsvgm777
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AngerFist wrote:
If anyone (fsvgm777 perhaps :P ) cares to do a lossless encode, feel free :)
Done: https://www.mediafire.com/?1fd0sg9ss6hd9m3
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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. ---- [3032] NES Ghosts 'n Goblins by Arc & Alyosha in 08:18.03
Alyosha
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Since Arc did all the inputs for this run, I request that his name be listed first in the publication entry. EDIT: thanks!
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I accidentally looked at post about arcade version http://tasvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=370120#36985 Are you investigated it? Is it possible to replicate wrong warp at stage 4 on NES? Sorry if these questions already were answered somewhere. I tried replicate it by my own, many various interesting glitches happens or/and game reset. So may be possible to find in that place something useful (like game end glitch for exaple)?
I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell) Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
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Wanna see a movie!
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
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I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Current projects: NES: Tetris "fastest 999999" (improvement, with r57shell) Genesis: Adventures of Batman & Robin (with Truncated); Pocahontas; Comix Zone (improvement); Mickey Mania (improvement); RoboCop versus The Terminator (improvement); Gargoyles (with feos)
Alyosha
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Wow really interesting. Thanks for pointing that out archanfel I was not aware of it. A cursory look at a trace from a crash case shows stack corruption from a TXS instruction and a jump to RAM. Shouldn't be too hard to track down what's gone wrong and see if it's useful or not . I might not get around to it for a while though so good luck to anyone who wants to jump in, I hope it proves useful.
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Alyosha wrote:
jump to RAM
SERIOUSLY??!! Man, do you have any RAM addresses?
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Alyosha
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I don't know much about the RAM map of this game sorry. The jump I got was to 02A0 and then it continued on until it hit 03A2 which contained undefined instruction 02. Everything from 02A0 to 03A2 was FF, which isn't a very helpful jump, I don't know if others are possible. EDIT: so far I can only get a jump to 02A0, when the game resets it is BNE past the bad command (by pure luck) and eventually makes it to a BRK. Overall doesn't seem useful at the moment. You can avoid a crash / reset by jumping through the ceiling before going left past the point of no return, but this doesn't seem to do anything useful.