Rockman 3 Burst Chaser is a new Rockman 3 romhack released a few months ago. It has a unique gimmick in my opinion, which has not been done in a megaman romhack before I think. It's focused entirly on speed. Megaman's walking/sliding speed is doubled, as well as almost all enemies and bosses.
Game objectives
- Emulator used: FCEUX 2.2.2
- Takes damage to save time
- Manipulates luck
- Aims for fastest time
I started the TAS in early September, and finished on November 2nd. I've restarted quite a few times. It's not a groundbreaking hack like 4 MI, but I feel it has it's own bit of uniqueness, and wanted to do this project.
Everything is sped up considerably. This was the author's intention it seems.
- In the original, megaman's walking speed is 01.4C pix/frame, sliding is 02.80
- In the romhack, megaman's walking speed is 02.98 pix/frame, sliding is 03.CC
About dash-jumping: The first frame causes megaman to move forward an extra frame (3 or 4 pixels), so he'll leap forward about 7 or 8 pixels. When landing on the ground, there is a 1 frame delay where he stops, the speed will remain at 03.CC. So there is no time loss for landing on the ground, due to the little zip at the start of a jump as long as you immediately start another.
I sometimes must jump a few times in specific spots to get the desired sub-pixel values at the start of boss fights or other screens. (1 frame jumps)
Important RAM values:
- $340: X position (sub-pixel), and $360: X position
- $3A0: Y Position (sub-pixel), and $3C0: Y position
- $400 and $420: X speed hi/low byte
- $440 and $460: Y speed hi/low byte
- $4FF: Boss HP, only Boss HP value is important to track, not regular enemies.
- $51F: I only needed to look at this during the Wily 1 boss fight to get the correct "delay time" values between the actions.
Spark
The weakness chain is modified for the romhack. Spark was chosen first as the buster does 2 damage to him.
Not much to say about Spark, i had to delay a few frames with the needle enemies at the start, cause they cant be shot whatsoever without something like Shadow Blade. You cant outrun the needles at fullspeed without a few frames lost.
Hard
I get extra lives here for fun, and will obtain several more to the end of the TAS for enertainment.
Switching to Spark for those bee's at the boss door is faster than taking damage.
Magnet
This was the only time where I was not able to get megaman directly on X position 80 on the final hit for magnet, I got as close as i could, due to the speedup in Magnet's AI.
Needle
Damage taken on a sparking trap in beginning, as it's impossible to get through it without stopping. This is the same case in a couple other stages too.
Needle's AI is ridiculously un-predictable and a nightmare. I waited some frames between the boss door to try getting the best possible AI pattern I could.
Top
Everything is good here, switching to magnet saves considerable time at the 2 giant cats. All the extra needle shots on Top was just for fun, and it affects the Air man battle later.
Gemini
This is the first time that I can start using Rush Jet for lots of time gain everywhere, especially the disappearing block screen. I do some 1 frame jumps with the Top spin between the boss doors.
Shadow
Shadow's AI is just as un-predictable as Needle. So it took a very long time to get a proper AI pattern on him. I also shoot a laser before the boss pose/lifebar fill which lands right on him. Although the "repel" bit is turned on during that time. Just some more fun.
Snake
The slide through snake glitch from original megaman 3 isn't needed here as the Shadow Blade is fast enough to get through them both.
Doc Spark
The magnet pulling enemies in the 2nd half resets megamans speed to 01.4C (original megaman 3 speed) when your under them. Then 02.98 when your out of range, so i try to be in that state for as short as possible so i can get back to dash-jumping at 03.CC speed.
Doc Shadow
This stage is pure hell. Magnet Missle is the best weapon to use on the enemies. And I need more than 40 of these seriously. This stage alone probably was worth 30,000+ re-records. All trying desperately to get energy refills for Magnet all the way to the end of the stage (Quick Man). I was forced to even wait about 10 frames apiece on a couple enemies just to get big refills, cause small refills was never enough to make it.
I even tried doing this stage first before Doc Spark, and just changing the order of the 4 Doc Stages, but the RNG is just incredibly unlucky to control. If the hack had instant weapon switching, I would never have problems.
Doc Needle
The section with the mouse trap things in the 1st half can create tons of lag, I did the best I could to keep it to a minimum.
The Metal man battle is funny, but VERY important to make him jump back and forth nonstop, cause I needed the RNG to change a certain number of times for one of the penguin enemies to not cause lag in Doc Gemini.
Doc Gemini
This is the 2nd hardest level to TAS, your required to use Rush Marine for the 1st half. Rush Jet saves more time as I need him later anyway.
This took probably 20,000 or so re-records as well. I barely make it to the boss door with nothing left in Rush Jet, and then luckily get a refill on the first enemy in 2nd half.
This is sadly the only single place in the entire game where I can do a wall-zip glitch, or any glitch at all. At the bubble fish section.
Wily stages
Protoman battle takes less than 1 second after exiting pause menu.
I really laughed out loud at the dr light cutscenes first time I ever played, they are just skipped literally. You'll see. :)
Wily 1
No comments here really, just need to keep Shadow Blade as full as possible for the rest of the battles.
Wily 2
I get some good time gain with Rush Jet, and I try to add some enertainment at the start of Yellow Devil
Wily 3
Last time i can gain alot of time cutting corners and such with Jet.
Wily 4
Boss Rush was pretty good. It is possible to save a couple frames, but only if the RNG were truly 100% perfect.
Wily 5
Buster is fastest on first form, dont need a menu pause. Shadow Blade is best for 2nd form. I delay some frames before last hit to move Megaman as close as possible to X position 50 where he walks to.
Wily 6
I get some more extra lives for fun. The battle went well. Shadow once again is the only way to attack. Since the weaknesses are different than the original game.
Improvements:
- Getting the RNG to cooperate with the energy drops in Doc Shadow. As that was just hell. That's really the only major thing.
- Also the Wily 1 boss, it's possible to get some more frames out of it, but very difficult with how the RNG acts.
- A few less lag frames in some places may be possible.
That's all for now. I hope people will like it as it was my first full game TAS. I put alot of work into it, and I had fun with it.
Noxxa: Replaced movie file with an updated version that eliminates unnecessary shots.
Noxxa: While the run is technically of good quality, the reception of the hack is mediocre. The hack isn't as high quality as the other Mega Man
hacks published here. Rejecting due to poor hack reception.
Darkman425: Revisiting and rejudging due to rule changes with regards to ROM hacks.
Darkman425: After taking a bit of time judging this, this submission was solid in 2013 and it's still solid now. The only easily noticeable thing that could be a potential time save is trying to get some bosses to die closer to the center of the screen but I assume the RNG manipulation needed for the bosses where that's even a possible potential would at best save a handful of frames and at worst just end up slower since the boss explosions are sped up in this hack. Turns out someone who developed an improvement patch for Mega Man 3 would know how to TAS Mega Man 3.
Accepting to Standard.
It would be only 1 single frame faster, but then when i get to the 2nd spark trap, I still cant pass it. I tried many times but it does not seem possible unless megaman has invisible time.
In Top
I can pass the 2nd spark trap, but when i see megaman's X position, RAM $360 shows im only ahead by 1 single pixel (not 1 frame). So it's not worth redoing the whole entire TAS all over again. Since i've redone this TAS many times.
