I saved 1 frame on the last incline in Highwater Pass 1, 1 frame on the second dragon in Under Skull Mountain 1, and 1 frame at the beginning of Woods of Despair 1. However, for some reason I lost those 3 frames in Woods of Despair 2 due to the lag in that level and I couldn't maintain any of them no matter what I did.
I saved:
• 1 frame in Wind Castles 1 with a telepad timer optimization at the end;
• 4 frames by performing the out-of-bounds telepad glitch with Kid in Elsewhere 15 and Alien Isle 1 frame faster in both levels, plus 2 frames saved indirectly;
• 2 frames in Towers of Blood: 1 with a speed optimization on the two fire demons, and 1 by jumping a little lower right after the rubber block;
• 2 frames in The Land Below with a speed optimization at the end;
• 2 frames in Plethora during the boss fight.
The RAM Address value for the telepad timer is FA70. Here is how it works:
• Pressing nothing takes 90 frames. In this case the value decreases by 1 per frame;
• Pressing R on every other frame 30 times takes 60 frames. In this case the value decreases by 2 on every other frame, or 3 in 2 frames;
• Pressing L, R+A, and nothing 18 times takes 54 frames. In this case the value decreases by 2 for 2 frames in a row every 3 frames, or 5 in 3 frames.
Here are the values while you are in midair:
• R=0:43;
• L=-1:213 (43 subpixels);
• R+A=0:64 or 0:65, which is 64.5 subpixels;
• L+A=-1:192 (64 subpixels) or -1:191 (65 subpixels), which is 64.5 subpixels;
• Pressing nothing decreases your speed by 4 subpixels per frame.
The speed sometimes increases by 64 subpixels and other times 65. The decimal numbers are hidden in RAM Watch.
Here are the values for Red Stealth:
• R=0:64;
• L=-1:192 (64 subpixels);
• R+A=0:96;
• L+A=-1:160 (96 subpixels);
• Pressing nothing decreases your speed by 4 subpixels per frame.
Whenever you bounce on an enemy, your speed multiplies by 3 and divides by 2 (Kid's speed cap in midair, which is 2:160, becomes 3:239). In this case, you can always reset the X.5 decimal by pressing L+A or R+A.
Whenever you jump, your speed multiplies by 3 and divides by 4 (Kid's speed cap on the terrain, which is 3:128, becomes 2:160). If you jump with an odd number in the subpixel value, there will be the X.25 or X.75 decimals in the value. In this case, if your speed is 2:95, it becomes 2:94 instead of 2:160. Therefore, it's impossible to reach the speed cap of 2:160 until you reset your speed or reach the speed cap while on the terrain to reset the decimal numbers.
Here are the values while you are on the terrain:
• R=0:16 and R+A=0:28 if speed is >= 0;
• L=-1:240 (16 subpixels) and L+A=-1:228 (28 subpixels) if speed is < 0;
• R=0:32 and R+A=0:48 if speed is < 0;
• L=-1:208 (48 subpixels) and L+A=-1:208 (48 subpixels) if speed is >= 0;
• Pressing nothing decreases your speed by 40 subpixels per frame.
However, if your speed is exactly 0:48 and you press L or L+A, for some reason your speed becomes -1:208 instead of 0, moving 96 subpixels for 1 frame instead of 48. On the other hand, if your speed is exactly -1:208 and you press R+A, your speed becomes 0:28 instead of 0, moving 76 subpixels for 1 frame instead of 48.
Thanks to this discovery, the telepad timer decreases by 2 for 3 frames in a row, or 6 in 3 frames. This is the only way to decrease the telepad timer with this rhythm, and it can only be done right after landing on the telepad to optimize the telepad timer. If there are some decimal numbers in the subpixel value, the speed becomes 0 instead of -1:208 or 0:28, and the telepad timer optimization will not work.
I also tried to do it in Ice God's Vengeance, but I failed, and in The Nightmare Peaks 1 the telepad timer is already optimized.
Here are the average speeds for every instance of blank frames left before turning around for the air drag reduction:
Every transformation except Red Stealth in TAS:
• Leaving no blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+95+159.5+158.5+157.5+156.5+155.5+154.5+153.5+152.5+151.5+150.5+149.5+148.5+147.5+146.5+145.5+144.5+143.5+142.5+141.5+140.5+139.5+138.5+95.5)/47=146.71276595744680851063829787234;
• Leaving 1 blank frame before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+138+95+159.5+158.5+157.5+156.5+155.5+154.5+153.5+152.5+151.5+150.5+149.5+148.5+147.5+146.5+145.5+144.5+143.5+142.5+138.5+95.5)/41=147.65853658536585365853658536585;
• Leaving 2 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+142+138+95+159.5+158.5+157.5+156.5+155.5+154.5+153.5+152.5+151.5+150.5+149.5+148.5+147.5+146.5+142.5+138.5+95.5)/35=148.24285714285714285714285714286;
• Leaving 3 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+146+142+138+95+159.5+158.5+157.5+156.5+155.5+154.5+153.5+152.5+151.5+150.5+146.5+142.5+138.5+95.5)/29=148.24137931034482758620689655172;
• Leaving 4 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+150+146+142+138+95+159.5+158.5+157.5+156.5+155.5+154.5+150.5+146.5+142.5+138.5+95.5)/23=147.19565217391304347826086956522;
• Leaving 5 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+154+150+146+142+138+95+159.5+158.5+154.5+150.5+146.5+142.5+138.5+95.5)/17=144.
Every transformation except Red Stealth in RTA:
• Holding R+A the whole time: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+137+136+135+134+133+132+131+130+129+128+127+126+125+124+123+122+121+120+119+118+117+116+115+114+113+112+111+110+109+108+107+106+105+104+103+102+101+100+99+98+97+96+95+159.5+158.5+157.5+156.5+155.5+154.5+153.5+152.5+151.5+150.5+149.5+148.5+147.5+146.5+145.5+144.5+143.5+142.5+141.5+140.5+139.5+138.5+137.5+136.5+135.5+134.5+133.5+132.5+131.5+130.5+129.5+128.5+127.5+126.5+125.5+124.5+123.5+122.5+121.5+120.5+119.5+118.5+117.5+116.5+115.5+114.5+113.5+112.5+111.5+110.5+109.5+108.5+107.5+106.5+105.5+104.5+103.5+102.5+101.5+100.5+99.5+98.5+97.5+96.5+95.5)/131=127.5;
• Holding R the whole time: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+137+136+135+134+133+132+131+130+129+128+127+126+125+124+123+122+121+120+119+118+117)/44=138.5.
Red Stealth in TAS:
• Leaving no blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+137+136+135+134+133+132+131+130+129+128+64)/34=141.64705882352941176470588235294;
• Leaving 1 blank frame before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+137+136+135+134+133+132+128+64)/31=142.7741935483870967741935483871;
• Leaving 2 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+137+136+132+128+64)/28=143.71428571428571428571428571429;
• Leaving 3 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+136+132+128+64)/25=144.4;
• Leaving 4 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+140+136+132+128+64)/22=144.72727272727272727272727272727;
• Leaving 5 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+144+140+136+132+128+64)/19=144.52631578947368421052631578947;
• Leaving 6 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+148+144+140+136+132+128+64)/16=143.5;
• Leaving 7 blank frames before turning around: (160+159+158+157+156+152+148+144+140+136+132+128+64)/13=141.07692307692307692307692307692;
• Leaving 8 blank frames before turning around: (160+156+152+148+144+140+136+132+128+64)/10=136.
Red Stealth in RTA:
• Holding R+A the whole time: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+137+136+135+134+133+132+131+130+129+128+127+126+125+124+123+122+121+120+119+118+117+116+115+114+113+112+111+110+109+108+107+106+105+104+103+102+101+100+99+98+97+96+95+94+93+92+91+90+89+88+87+86+85+84+83+82+81+80+79+78+77+76+75+74+73+72+71+70+69+68+67+66+65+64)/97=112;
• Holding R the whole time: (160+159+158+157+156+155+154+153+152+151+150+149+148+147+146+145+144+143+142+141+140+139+138+137+136+135+134+133+132+131+130+129+128+127+126+125+124+123+122+121+120+119+118+117+116+115+114+113+112+111+110+109+108+107+106+105+104+103+102+101+100+99+98+97+96)/65=128.
I saved 2 frames in Elsewhere 15 because for some reason the game lagged 2 frames instead of 3 during the first glitch. I saved 1 frame in Secrets in the Rocks because in the previous TAS I had to lose 1 frame between the two fireball bounces to manipulate the second fireball. I saved 1 frame in Alien Isle in the second glitch.
I saved 2 frames in Plethora between the two passes on Heady Metal thanks to the revealed hidden block, which allowed me to reset my speed right after the first pass and immediately turn around just in time for the second pass.
In the previous TAS, I slowed down a bit during the first pass so that I could use the steel blocks to reset my speed two blocks away without dying inside the steel blocks.
If the player's speed is particularly high, he sometimes stops one or more blocks away from a solid block, and other times he instantly dies inside the block, depending on his X position.
In this TAS, I increased my speed during the first pass without slowing down. Thanks to the revealed hidden block, I barely managed to touch it right after the first pass to reset my speed.
I was able to jump a little deeper right after the first pass due to a higher speed, which was barely enough to make the boss go down sooner, saving those 2 frames.
nymx: Claiming for judging.
nymx: Setting to delayed, pending further improvements.
nymx: I've asked for an update, but not hearing anything. It's been two weeks.
nymx: publisher...please hold off to see how the author wishes to proceed.
nymx: Replacing with an 5 frame improvement.
nymx: I had thought about making an comparison movie, but it would have been hard to tell where those improvements were being made. So, I'm just going to call this a frame war that was well fought. Great job.
