VS Pinball
Game Description
Um...it's pinball.
Why VS Pinball?
This is a follow-up to
the submission of NES Pinball. In the discussion on that submission, I noted that using the VS ROM, I couldn't beat that submission using the basic DIP switch settings for the VS ROM.
£e Nécroyeur informed that the default DIP switch settings were for Slow ball movement speed and suggested I revisit the VS version. After changing the DIP switch settings to allow for Fast ball speed, I was able to beat the time of the previous submission. And here it is.
Game Endpoint
The NES game's manual states that the game is 'winnable' by rescuing the maiden.
For me, if a game's stated win condition is met, the game is completed (even when play can continue thereafter). Thus, saving the maiden is all that is necessary to complete this game.
BizHawk DIP Switch Settings
- Switches 1-3 are all OFF to allow Free-Play
- According to this site, technically these three swtiches should be ON to yield free-play.
- Setting the machine to Free-Play avoids having to credit the game with a 'coin' input and thus saves time.
- Switch 4 is for side drain walls and is left OFF as it has no impact on the run.
- Switch 5 is for the score necessary to earn a bonus ball and is also left OFF due to no impact on the run.
- Switches 6 & 7 are for number of balls per credit; default is 3 balls and these are left OFF due to no impact on the run.
- Switch 8 is for ball speed and is set to ON to play the game with fast ball speed.
VS ROM Emulation
Though the Nintendo VS ROMS were technically utilized in Arcade cabinets, BizHawk emulates them using NES emulation with the additional 'VS Settings' (DIP Swithces) enabled under the 'NES' menu in BizHawk.
TASing Process
- This run uses the Player 2 Start button (which is available immediately because of the Free-Play setting), yielding a 2-player game.
- It is possible to only have a 1 player game by switching the controller ports in the controller settings (or having both controllers connected). For whatever reason, starting the game with Player 1's select button adds various frames compared to using Player 2's button. Thus the run ends up being a couple frames longer with otherwise identical inputs after re-syncing.
- These extra frames are present when starting with P1 regardless of wheter only P1's controller or both controllers are connected. Similarly, starting with P2 yields the faster run with just P2 connected or both controllers connected.
- Even though P2 start button is used, the game takes that player as Player 1. This is likely due to the nature/shape of the Arcade Cabinets themselves.
- For those not familiar, there were different styles of VS cabinets.
- In the Red-Tent style cabinets, players could sit on either side of the cabinets and the video output would be shared as necessary to either side depending on the game. If I remember correctly, it was even possible to play solo games on either side as well.
- Upright angled side-by-side VS Cabinets also exisited and functioned the same way.
- The game likely takes whichever player hits Start first as Player 1 regardless of which side of the cabinet they were present.
- The gameplay process was addressed the same as the NES run.
- Launch the ball at a power level that allows for the ideal exit of the top main screen, and use the flippers on the upper screen to slap the ball down to the lower screen in a path that gets the ball to the Bonus Room chute as quickly as possible.
- Save the maiden in the bonus room.
- Input was ended as early as possible while still allowing the maiden to escape (then stupidly allow herself to become trapped again).
- To continue to a Game Over screen, would require sacrificing all balls for both players.
Acceptability/Publication
To my knowlege, there are no current VS games on the site under either NES or Arcade publications. If this run is accepted, I believe it should be published under the Arcade 'system' as opposed to NES even though the emulation is NES.
The NES version submission currently sits as "delayed" on the workbench; I'm not sure these two runs will be deemed different enough to publish both. It's possible that only one can be accepted due to the similarities of gameplay. If this is the case, this run obviously has the faster time.
ThunderAxe31: There have been some
discussion about what system should we consider VS games and if they should be able to obsolete NES games and vice versa. From what I could gather, VS games are a conversion of existing NES games, mostly consisting of technical changes. I can't say it for sure about all VS games, but in regards of Pinball, the VS version is extremely similar, so they can obsolete each other.
The condition for beating this game seems correct to me. The author did go as far as mentioning the official manual of the NES version, and it seems to be applicable for the VS version, too.
Beating the game resulted faster for the VS version, thanks to setting an arcade dip switch that makes the ball move faster. This is a legit usage of game settings, so it's fine to make use of it to beat the game faster. The fact that the NES version doesn't feature such kind of setting doesn't make it enough different to be considered as a separate game, so the
NES version submission will be rejected in favor of this VS submission.
I want to note that it could be interesting to also see a TAS that aims for scoring 100,000 points, as that affectively triggers some sort of "hard mode", for which the flippers become invisible. I'm not sure if that could be considered as full completion, though. We'll talk about it again if someone shows interest in making such TAS.
Since this movie does beat the game and does it optimally, I'm accepting it for Standard.
Note for the publisher: wait for a senior to mark this submission as Arcade system instead than NES, as
decided by feos.
Samsara: The file's been replaced with a version that correctly marks VS as Arcade.
