New TAS for v2.0.1 is
here.
Mario Forever: Community Edition v1.1 - Any% TAS (Warps)
Tool-Assisted Speedrun by OmerAras55
General Info
Game version: 1.1 (Linux version)
Tool: libTAS v1.4.6 - interim f60dfb5e (2025/07/19)
OS: Ubuntu
SHA1: edffd069d4952cd3048f043d20af8d89f98f4446 Mario Forever Community Edition.x86_64
libTAS settings: Default, except increased bitrate for encoding
Timing
TAS Timing: 8:11.9166666...
RTA Timing: 7:53.3666666...
Movie Frame Count: 29515 [Starts on frame 0, ends on frame 29514 (when Bowser is defeated).]
RTA Frame Count: 28402 [starts on frame 1113 (pressing "z" to start to World 1-1), ends on frame 29514 (when Bowser is defeated).]
Rerecord Count: 4599
Improvements Over Previous TAS (Total: -73f)
This submission improves my previous run by 73 frames (≈1.21667 seconds):
8-3: (-69f) - Optimized final platforming section, better left-right adjustments and jump positioning
8-4 Bowser Fight: (-4f) - Used damage-overlap and hitbox positioning for slightly earlier hits in some cycles
All inputs before 8-3 are identical to the previous TAS.
Run Goals and Route
The goal is to complete Mario Forever: Community Edition v1.1 as fast as possible by using warp pipes to skip worlds and minimize stage count.
RTA timer starts when pressing jump to begin World 1, and ends upon Bowser’s defeat in 8-4.
Although the game contains 32 main levels, this run plays only 9 levels, using warp pipes in 1-4 and 3-1 to reach World 8 early.
Preparations Before the Run
Before entering save game room and 1-1, I changed some menu settings:
Options:
- Game Speed: 1x → 1.2x
- XScroll: Off → On (needed for 8-1 strat)
Tweaks > Aesthetic:
- Replace circle transitions with fades: Disabled →Enabled
- Blur transitions between pipe warp areas: Enabled → Disabled
- (also unintentionally enabled “Alternative level complete soundtrack”, no gameplay impact)
I then exited the Aesthetic menu, switched my character from Mario to Luigi because Luigi is faster in Green Lui, then I entered the save game room.
In the save game room, I immediately moved to the right, collected Green Lui because the Green Lui power-up makes Luigi (and Mario) run faster and jump higher. And then entered the third warp pipe, which was the closest. This leads to the start of World 1-1.
1-1
A very short and simple stage. No improvements seem possible. I quickly move left at the start and then enter an invisible pipe near the start point, which leads to the end of the stage, a common trick used by speedrunners known as the Mushroom Plague pipe skip.
1-2 & 1-3
Nothing surprising here, pure platforming and movement optimization. I added some flair by collecting as many coins and points as possible for entertainment.
1-4
Here I use the first warp of the run. Right after the checkpoint, I climb upwards with clean platforming to reach a warp pipe that leads directly to World 3. It’s possible that this section can be slightly improved, but I tested many variations and this was the best balance between speed and consistency.
3-1
Only the beginning of this stage is played, since there's another warp pipe here. If you enter the second warp pipe from the left side, it takes you directly to World 8. I use a bounce platform to reach it, and release the jump key early to reduce my vertical position and enter the pipe faster.
8-1
This is where things start getting interesting. I use a strategy discovered independently by JUE13 and me (a day apart), with Jue13 publishing it first. This level contains a stone platform that is initially stationary but starts moving when we reach the same X position as it. Normally, we should reach the end of the level by occasionally standing on this platform and moving, from the beginning to the end of the level. Especially in the final section, which a pit where several Thwomps in the top on the screen and nothing else seems usable. And we have to wait for the moving stone platform to pass this section, which wastes our time.
However, there's a way to skip waiting for the platform. Inspired by a trick seen in HappyLee's TAS of Mario Forever: Advance Edition, where HappyLee jumps around the lower parts of the screen just for entertainment, I realized it could be used practically here thanks to Green Lui's enhanced jump and speed.
By enabling the XScroll option earlier in the settings menu, I manipulated the camera so that Luigi is positioned more to the left, which causes the Bullet Bill launcher on the right to fire slightly earlier. After briefly baiting the last Thwomp, I jump across the bottom platform, stomp the Bullet Bill, land on a launcher, and hop over the stage ceiling to reach the goal, skipping the slow moving stone platform entirely.
This new strategy not only saves waiting time, but also allows you to pass the part with Thwomps much faster than normal. Before this discovery, as I said, players had to wait several seconds for the platform to arrive. This new route saves a significant amount of time. Still, I believe some minor improvements may be possible here.
8-2
This is one of the only 3 auto-scroll levels in the game. There’s nothing noteworthy here, I simply follow the scroll and avoid mistakes. I don’t believe further optimizations are possible.
8-3 (-69f)
The majority of the improvement comes from stage 8-3. Toward the end of the level, I achieved better movement and optimized the route when jumping across the final stone platforms. This change saved 69 frames.
Even though I tried hard to polish this section, I'm quite sure there's still room for further improvement. Unlike straightforward right-running levels, this one requires frequent left-right repositioning and vertical climbing, which makes it inherently harder to optimize.
8-4 (-4f)
Another auto-scroll section. Not much to optimize here. I simply prepare for the boss fight ahead.
I noticed that dealing damage by hitting Bowser's face or taking damage while overlapping with him can be 1 frame faster in certain situations. Utilizing this trick allowed me to squeeze out another 4 frames in the final fight.
And obviously ariving with Green Lui is a clear advantage. Thanks to his higher jump and faster speed, I land the first hit on Bowser slightly earlier than possible with regular Luigi.
Closing Notes
While this TAS is significantly faster than my previous one, 8-3 likely still has room for improvement due to its complex vertical routing and platforming challenges. I’m happy with this iteration but will welcome further community input.
