A bunch of new homebrew games from the NESdev compo. I think the most interesting for a TAS would probably be Irritating Ship, then GunTneR.
https://itch.io/jam/nesdev-2022/entries
Machine Cave, a short homebrew Asteroids style control game. I found a nice wall clip that skips a lot of the game (there are a few others but I don't think they are useful). Essentially just need to get a weapon then head to the end and kill the core. The weapon I pick up kills the core in 9 hits and is along my route. The barrel powerup gives extra strong thrust for a limited use so I use that for a little shortcut. A TAS would be quite short, my RTA run is already sub 5 mins. ROM is freely available here - https://aeromangus.itch.io/machine-cave
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpfa6sxLick
Speaking of Mega Man ROM Hacks, Megaman 1: Speed Bomber (MM1 Hack), Vine Man (MM2 Hack), Rockman 3 Claw (MM3 Hack) and Rockman 5: Metropolis (MM5 Hack) are some neat little hacks I would like to see TASed.
Also I'll throw in there a SMB1 hack called Super Sponge Bros. This is a Vinesauce Vinny themed hack starring Sponge and Pretzel.
Joined: 7/3/2022
Posts: 458
Location: Berkshire, UK
i've already finished a TAS of Candyman. i'm planning to do camp blood and hundred maniacs as well.
as for carpet shark, i've given it a go, but i found the boss levels too difficult to optimise for my skill level.
Little Sisyphus, an awesome new homebrew, a physics based platformer. I could see a TAS of this being super entertaining. There are likely some skips you can do with the bumpers, I got one once, but super hard RTA. A short run, RTA already under 4 mins, I wouldn't be surprised to see low or sub 3 TAS.
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0NMnM2cBLk
Game link - https://pubbygames.itch.io/little-sisyphus
Steel Moons went from a NESDev entry to being blown apart by RTA runners this year, and the route has been maximally optimised now. I think a TAS would be fantastic. Here's the human best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jquDZaHMA6o
Joined: 4/7/2015
Posts: 330
Location: Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
WhiteHat94 wrote:
Little Sisyphus, an awesome new homebrew, a physics based platformer.
Count on me for this one, it looks AMAZING, definitely an interesting TASing challenge.
Games are basically math with a visual representation of this math, that's why I make the scripts, to re-see games as math.
My things:
YouTube, GitHub, Pastebin, Twitter
Games are basically math with a visual representation of this math, that's why I make the scripts, to re-see games as math.
My things:
YouTube, GitHub, Pastebin, Twitter
Airball, an unreleased isometric platformer, kinda like Solstice but as a ball. There are a couple of prototype ROMs but I ran on the the Retrozone version ROM, a 2007 reproduction, but it seems to be functionally the same as Proto 1. Overall goal is to collect 7 items and bring them back to the starting room. Get the Spellbook and then you can start turning in the other items. You can only hold 1 item at a time, so the route is travel to the items and deathwarp back, avoiding any airpumps as they act as checkpoints. For whatever reason after a game over, the Cross item will move from it's set location, to the room you game over in. So that is used to avoid having to go pick it up.
Three difficulties, the items all in different spots in each one. Medium and Hard you can die falling from too high and from overfilling the ball with air, Hard you die in 1 hit to damaging obstacles. Hitting Select in Medium or Hard toggles on super speed, I would assume a TAS keeps it on the whole time. Happy to share my maps if anyone plans to make a TAS.
RTA runs
Easy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lgxf5Oie0
Medium - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIA2upiawqY
Hard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIlEJNVKrP8
Airball, an unreleased isometric platformer, kinda like Solstice but as a ball. There are a couple of prototype ROMs but I ran on the the Retrozone version ROM, a 2007 reproduction, but it seems to be functionally the same as Proto 1. Overall goal is to collect 7 items and bring them back to the starting room. Get the Spellbook and then you can start turning in the other items. You can only hold 1 item at a time, so the route is travel to the items and deathwarp back, avoiding any airpumps as they act as checkpoints. For whatever reason after a game over, the Cross item will move from it's set location, to the room you game over in. So that is used to avoid having to go pick it up.
Three difficulties, the items all in different spots in each one. Medium and Hard you can die falling from too high and from overfilling the ball with air, Hard you die in 1 hit to damaging obstacles. Hitting Select in Medium or Hard toggles on super speed, I would assume a TAS keeps it on the whole time. Happy to share my maps if anyone plans to make a TAS.
RTA runs
Easy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lgxf5Oie0
Medium - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIA2upiawqY
Hard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIlEJNVKrP8
Hey, thanks for bringing this up. Looks like a real cool game to TAS so I'm gonna put it in my bucket list. One thing you could do as RTA runner is to record a movie of a complete Hard run and upload it as user file. It doesn't have to perfect; the goal is to have it as a base line to build the TAS upon. It's much better than reverse engineering the route from the YouTube video.
Airball, an unreleased isometric platformer, kinda like Solstice but as a ball. There are a couple of prototype ROMs but I ran on the the Retrozone version ROM, a 2007 reproduction, but it seems to be functionally the same as Proto 1. Overall goal is to collect 7 items and bring them back to the starting room. Get the Spellbook and then you can start turning in the other items. You can only hold 1 item at a time, so the route is travel to the items and deathwarp back, avoiding any airpumps as they act as checkpoints. For whatever reason after a game over, the Cross item will move from it's set location, to the room you game over in. So that is used to avoid having to go pick it up.
Three difficulties, the items all in different spots in each one. Medium and Hard you can die falling from too high and from overfilling the ball with air, Hard you die in 1 hit to damaging obstacles. Hitting Select in Medium or Hard toggles on super speed, I would assume a TAS keeps it on the whole time. Happy to share my maps if anyone plans to make a TAS.
RTA runs
Easy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lgxf5Oie0
Medium - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIA2upiawqY
Hard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIlEJNVKrP8
Hey, thanks for bringing this up. Looks like a real cool game to TAS so I'm gonna put it in my bucket list. One thing you could do as RTA runner is to record a movie of a complete Hard run and upload it as user file. It doesn't have to perfect; the goal is to have it as a base line to build the TAS upon. It's much better than reverse engineering the route from the YouTube video.
Done, I made a movie of the Hard route. Like I say in the description, I'm using a hack that fixes the dpad controls to be in line with Solstice/Snake Rattle n Roll/other isometric games, I just literally can't play it with default controls, it breaks my brain. Just shoot me a DM if you want the patch for the hack.
Done, I made a movie of the Hard route. Like I say in the description, I'm using a hack that fixes the dpad controls to be in line with Solstice/Snake Rattle n Roll/other isometric games, I just literally can't play it with default controls, it breaks my brain. Just shoot me a DM if you want the patch for the hack.
Hey, many thanks! I believe the patch will be needed to reproduce the movie. Could you please upload it somewhere or where it is linked?
Done, I made a movie of the Hard route. Like I say in the description, I'm using a hack that fixes the dpad controls to be in line with Solstice/Snake Rattle n Roll/other isometric games, I just literally can't play it with default controls, it breaks my brain. Just shoot me a DM if you want the patch for the hack.
Hey, many thanks! I believe the patch will be needed to reproduce the movie. Could you please upload it somewhere or where it is linked?
A couple of Waixing unlicensed Journey to the West games.
Xi Tian Qu Jing II, this game requires playing in Dendy PAL region, otherwise will crash on boss room transitions. Mostly just walk thru the levels with a few death abuses, probably one or two more you could do, only issue is losing your powerups on death. You can also clip thru some floors, some combination of A then B will bump you a little into the floor, I don't know if you can do it on any floor.
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYWKf-lPk8
Zhen Jia Hou Wang, this had an old WIP but I don't believe one was ever finished. This is a single screen by screen platformer, similar to the other game it's mostly just walking thru with a few death abuses, dying spawns you in the top left of the screen so not the most useful. You can also clip into some platforms, if you hold against them and attack just before the top you can walk into them. Might be useful somewhere but usually once you transition to the next screen you fall and die.
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6RByZfE1uo
A few newer homebrew games.
The Meating, a sort of puzzle platformer, lots of ways to beat the stages.
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsf88cIVN-k
Gunhawk, a zapper game, wave based shooter. Clear the waves as quick as possible. Post stage powerups are seemingly random, and you really want certain ones at the start.
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUZ0_yVMDgA
Sam's Journey, a hop n bop platformer. The Space Sam powerup is used pretty much the whole run. I imagine there would be lots of movement optimization.
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeauohGVKGY
Gunhawk, a zapper game, wave based shooter. Clear the waves as quick as possible. Post stage powerups are seemingly random, and you really want certain ones at the start.
RTA run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUZ0_yVMDgA
I could probably handle this one. I’ve got experience with zapper games.
