Whether highly-glitched runs, which nevertheless do not run custom code, ought to be considered "normal" valid completions of the game is an interesting question in itself. However, I think that the distinction between "arbitrary code execution" and everything else is quite unambiguous: Does the runner input machine code into the console's memory and make the CPU run it? If not, then it's not ACE.
But this run does follow the "shortest intended route". There needs to be a name that - Doesn't allow this run - Doesn't allow the YI3 credits glitch run (which doesn't involve arbitrary code execution) - Allows the current run marked as "11 exits"
Does TASVideos' formatting allow for very long branch names such as, "The specific 11 levels intended by the developer to comprise the minimum number needed to complete the game"? Because that's basically what you're suggesting.
So it got renamed something like 'any% no memory corruption' Then it was pointed out: "Isn't the chuck eat/orb glitch memory corruption? It puts something invalid into a memory address via an invalid process." So it got renamed something like '11 exits'
But we all know the problem with that - you're looking at the thread dedicated to it!
I would go so far as to say that "the console RAM must be set to all zeros (or whatever) before starting the run" is on par with "the run must start from powerup". (And, if it were up to me, also "resetting is not allowed.")
I honestly cannot see the point in all this. If you want to run your own code in the console, then make your own ROM. If you want to modify the game's own code, then make a modified version. If you want to modify how the console works, then take the source code of the emulator and change it.
As a small aside/interesting note, this run uses every single item and hidden technique at some point for timesaving purposes, unless you count the individual PB combos, which I think is the first run to do so.
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Second, and more interesting/humorous to me, is that he seems to be approaching it with the attitude of your average Chinese bootlegger; that is to say, he's not really researching what he's doing and just slapping things together.
I'd throw my vote in for "you're watching him reload save states"
