Read above re: what was necessary to console verify this game. This game is sensitive to uninitialized RAM. Furthermore, FCEUX does not set power-on RAM to a possible power-on state on the NES, it instead sets it to some pattern for historic compatibility reasons.
Since you are running on Powerpak, maybe you can write a RAM clearing patch or something?
Hello cak
This may not be the most useful thing consider how the powerpak creates savestates, but I used game genie codes to manipulate the rng. ZAZGTOAE IZLGGPPU IZLKAPPU
Basically the rng will switch whenever you press start with these game genie codes active
I will patch the ROM using the codes and see how that works...thanks garrison.
edit: Patch works great. :) Potentially solves my problem of not being able to use select+B mashing on Kraid (holding start temporarily disables the save state mapper).
speedrunner of SMB2, Metroid, Pitfall II, Blinky Goes Up
I have recently started playing Metroid (NES) and I have made it to the last stage in the game with all power ups, a 250 Missile maximum and the maximum of 6 E Tanks. But I have noticed that when you enter a password, it only starts you with the default amount of health (30 units) that you had when you first start the game.
Is there a password that allows you to start at max health and retain your power ups. I ask because I tried using the Metroid password generator on this website and a few others but none allow me to start at max health. Please let me know so that I do not have to waste so much time trying to regain my health.
You always start with 30 health. If you want more health, the recommended way to do this is to find a password that leaves an easy-to-get E-tank (like the one in Blue Brinstar) uncollected, as that will refill your health when you pick it up.
By the way, these forums are more dedicated to making superplays of the game, not so much for general gameplay advice. If you have more questions, you'd probably get better advice from a community dedicated to Metroid like m2k2's forums.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Joined: 11/14/2011
Posts: 68
Location: Brookline, MA
Speaking of this, I just ran LordTom's any% run of Metroid through FCEUX 2.2.2 using Metroid(U).nes ROM. Although it is a different dump and the published movie is FCEU, it sincs properly.
Perhaps a fresh run is in order.
Sorry for double post.
Is it known how game choose pattern of Ridley's fireballs? Same thing with those seahorses and jumping things from lava. How to made so those seahorses don't shoots at all? Can't find the answer.
edit: i also put numbers on the map. Don't know if someone needs it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z2eccmhbwlfv6dc/MetroidCompleateMap.png
edit2: i kind of look at the debugger and etc and i understand that Ridley's fire ball pattern, seahorse pattern and etc choose depending on the "random" value 002E. Because that value not that random game for really long time get's the same result in calculation of those patterns that depends on 002E value. Only 100% known way to change result of those calculations is dying. If i made a save state -> die -> copy 002E value -> load state -> past value to 002E -> i get different pattern. Don't know what i saying actually
edit3: i think i know how it actually works. That's crazy! Every time when frame counter 002D freezes for like 5-10 frames, than you have a chance to change enemies pattern rng. I think that how it works
Sorry for triple post.
New strategy learned from MetroidMcFly. This can save some time in 100% run
Link to video
Sorry if it's known strategy.
You have to morph then tap jump then hold jump. Pretty simple
Joined: 5/25/2007
Posts: 399
Location: New England
Well, that is very surprising to see! Back when I was TASing, I recall that was a jump that everyone somehow (including me) thought was possible but couldn't actually execute, including by morph-jumping but I'm sure I never tried a double-tap.
It'll be interesting to check this out in emulator and see what's going on.
Joined: 5/25/2007
Posts: 399
Location: New England
Nice. I figured out why it works. You don't need to double tap jump; just do a morph-unmorph then wait about 9 frames before jumping.
The reason it works relates to the y velocity ($308) and y velocity sub-pixel ($312). When you jump normally, y velocity gets set to 4 and velocity sub-pixel to 0. $312 then starts increasing by 24 every frame, increasing $308 each time it rolls over.
When you unmorph, for some reason $312 gets set to 26 -- and if you jump right away $308=4 but $312 will increment to 52, 76, 100, etc, resulting in an inferior jump.
But if you wait to jump until $312=234, i.e. about to roll over, then on the frame you jump $308=4 and $312=4, or essentially a normal height jump. However, because the unmorph puts you in the air, you get about extra pixels of height and can make the ice beam jump.
Hi! I'm very new to this TASing thing, yet I've always wanted to try it. I thought I would make an account and make a quick thingy to try show off what I can do. I will be back and next time I'll have something to show!
Have a nice day.
Link to video
While playing 100% category i got this glitch. Like Ridley's statue activates by itself. Maybe this can save some time if it didn't requires long setup
Joined: 5/25/2007
Posts: 399
Location: New England
That's interesting, though difficult to investigate without an emulator recording or more info on what may have led to it happening.
The time saving would be pretty minimal with just the Ridley statue being activated, but if it could be done for both it would probably save about a second.
Of course, if you could activate both without the bosses actually being dead, then we're talking...;)
"Metroid New Glitch?" by Koh1fds: Needs movie file to figure out what happened. Probably it was activated many screens earlier.
Tecate glitch: I don't know, but the two reasons from nesdev seems reasonable: bumped the console -> misaligned cart -> false code or voltage dip. I guess it wouldn't take many time to reproduce it?
PhD in TASing 🎓 speedrun enthusiast ❤🚷🔥 white hat hacker ▓ black box tester ░ censorships and rules...
I tried to recreate that statue glitch for a movie, but i can't do it. I also never got that in the runs after that. I was playing on AV Famicom + Everdrive. I don't think that it's glitch caused by everdrive, but who knows.
Anyone working on 100% or have plans to start it? I'm dabbling now. No hard commitments.
Got about 6 frames saved going into the first blue column.
Been speedrunning this game lately and figured the 100% category could use an update on the site.
I briefly looked into the random Ridley statue. Looks like a random bit flip hardware glitch.
If any bit in 0x366 (kraid statue) or 0x367 (ridley statue) are set at any point prior to entering the room, the statue will rise on it's own upon enterring the room when the statues are loaded. As far as I can tell, these memory locations are not used elsewhere in the game, so if they have a bit flip happen at any time it won't ever be corrected.
So basically, with 8 possible bits and an entire run's worth of time, hardware glitch seems pretty likely.
EDIT: Actually, a save-quit sequence resets the value, so it would have to be a bit flip after the last save warp.
It hasn't been noted here yet, but there's an alternate set up to get past Kraid's door that should be an improvement in the any% tas
https://www.twitch.tv/chx42/clip/SpotlessHandsomeNeanderthalCmonBruh
basically, you can abuse the way the game is loading the rooms. get stuck in the blue door offscreen above the camera. shoot door, morph and roll left (frame perfect left press) the game will load kraid's entryway during the fall and you can slide past without the bug boost. Hacker/randomizer maker MetalMachine put out a lua script that helps visualize offscreen rooms in NEStroid, and that's pretty much how this skip was discovered.
There's more info in the NEStroid speedrun discord, and the link to that should be on speedrun dot com's nes metroid page.
ps: i didn't work on 100% after all :D
--retrogaming2084/Josh