(Link to video)
Hey, I'd like to keep this short because I wanna go to sleep...
  • Heavy glitch abuse
  • Uses death to save time
  • Genre: Platform
Emulator: VBA 23, should sync on VBA21. Does not sync on VBA24m.
This run improves the published run by 1145 frames (~19.052 seconds), mostly by finishing the first level quicker, by taking a shell and performing pipe glitch death (entering a pipe and dying in the process, then re-entering the level and going through the ground - this only works on the v1.0 ROM). This trick was already used in the previous run in Macro Zone 1 in order to acquire pipe glitched state so we can enter through the ground in Pumpkin Zone 1 in order to finish that level early. When I originally tested all the levels for their ability to be completed quick using the pipe glitch, I messed up and deemed the first level "unpipe-glitchable", but I recently found out you can move left after entering through the ground and thus reach the end of the level.
I didn't want to keep this insane 2 minute run outdated like this, so I took a look at it since yesterday and created this run. I was always afraid of using the new pixel trick because I couldn't quite understand it (and I didn't really bother understanding it since I didn't think I'd TAS the game again since andymac's around and doing a good job with the game himself). Maybe I messed up in a few spots during the run, I can't tell for sure. I tried my best, and it seems I even managed to save 4 frames outside of the first level, probably by better maneuvering in the OoB area. I didn't try to find a quicker way through the second half of the OoB area though, as there are quite many ways to reach 0xA2D5 (the byte that needs to be altered; which we enter the OoB area for) and I didn't feel like testing those.
I'd like to list andymac as a co-author due to his invaluable effort he put into SML2 TASing, without him this run wouldn't be possible the way it is.
For detailed info about the pixel trick and more, visit the previous run's submission text.

Possible improvements

  • Let the screen scroll up in Macro Zone 1 in order to unspawn sooner, and therefore leaving the level sooner (saves ~3 frames)
  • First level optimization, I'm expecting a few frames can be saved here...
Additional Online watching URL

Nach: Well, I still have no idea what's going on without dissassembly and tons of data in front of me, but it's certainly better than before. That suicide thing is also impressive, making the run much more exciting. Accepting as improvement to existing run.
Nahoc: I'll publish this.

TASVideoAgent
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Encoding as soon as I can find which version of VBA is "VBA 23." All I get is 1.X and stuff.
Current projects: Yoshi's Island Disassembly Yoshi's Island any% TAS with Carl Sagan
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I just watched this on the emulator, and it looks great! I really liked the new improvements and I think it looks better now. Yes vote.
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Can I please have a version that actually plays all the stages? It would be a nice complement to this one.
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henke37 wrote:
Can I please have a version that actually plays all the stages? It would be a nice complement to this one.
Make one yourself ;)
adelikat wrote:
I very much agree with this post.
Bobmario511 wrote:
Forget party hats, Christmas tree hats all the way man.
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henke37 wrote:
Can I please have a version that actually plays all the stages? It would be a nice complement to this one.
It actually exists one. Check one of the obsoleted movies. ...and no, I don't know why it got obsoleted.
My first language is not English, so please excuse myself if I write something wrong. I'll do my best do write as cleary as I can, so cope with me here =) (ノಥ益ಥ)ノ
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I didn't think the first level would become skipable, but it seems this game has no limits. Now the only thing missing is an "all-levels, no pipe-glitch" -run. Btw, I used VBA 23.4 and it worked perfectly.
Current project: Gex 3 any% Paused: Gex 64 any% There are no N64 emulators. Just SM64 emulators with hacky support for all the other games.
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...and no, I don't know why it got obsoleted.
Because the glitched run uses the pipe glitch just like the previous fullgame run (by andymac), just to a greater extent. Therefore it makes no sense to have seperate categories. At first I complained about this reason for obsoletion, but later accepted it. All that's left is either a "glitchless fullgame/all levels run" or a "no-pipe glitch fullgame/all levels run", the former makes more sense since the pipe glitch is actually a "touch an object, quit out of the level at the same time" glitch which there are several varations of, for example touching the bubble item or the bell (to skip half of Moon Zone 2). But I think both categories would be fine. Also, I just noticed I messed up while editing the VBMs, so the submitted VBM lists andymac as the author, yet the rerecord count is correct. I think this can be ignored.
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I confirm this syncs in V21. Obvious yes vote, I can't believe this movie could be still improved. I would like to suggest a screenshot such as this: (1277 bytes)
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Nice improvement! Yes Vote.
Blah Blah Blah... Why I'm writing this?
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This is the most brilliant thing I've ever seen. Mugg, you said, that you think there might be a quicker way through the OoB area. Would you mind giving me some useful bytes for this game and the position of the gliched block in the OoB area? I feel like messing around with it a bit.
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I only watched two addresses while making the run. A200 = Oscillation pattern A202 = Speed (in pixels) There are no subpixels in the game, which is why it uses oscillations in order to move at a speed of 1.5 pixels/frame (1,2,1,2,1,2). 1A00~onwards seem to be the possible oscillations the game uses. Aside from this, I didn't use any position-related addresses. I can try looking for them later, because I know there are some that are useful. FYI, the second half of the OoB area (4000~8fff) is switchable ROM. The area changes between two possible layouts by holding "up/down + b" (and not holding it), which is why there are so many possible ways through it.
ALAKTORN
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awesome job :) not sure I agree with andymac’s coauthorship, he hasn’t done anything for this movie…
mklip2001
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Nice screenshot idea, Noob Irdoh! However, it may make more sense to keep the screenshot as the OoB regions, since that really summarizes more of what this run is about. Good improvement! The run is still quite funny.
Used to be a frequent submissions commenter. My new computer has had some issues running emulators, so I've been here more sporadically. Still haven't gotten around to actually TASing yet... I was going to improve Kid Dracula for GB. It seems I was beaten to it, though, with a recent awesome run by Hetfield90 and StarvinStruthers. (http://tasvideos.org/2928M.html.) Thanks to goofydylan8 for running Gargoyle's Quest 2 because I mentioned the game! (http://tasvideos.org/2001M.html) Thanks to feos and MESHUGGAH for taking up runs of Duck Tales 2 because of my old signature! Thanks also to Samsara for finishing a Treasure Master run. From the submission comments:
Shoutouts and thanks to mklip2001 for arguably being the nicest and most supportive person on the forums.
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Yes, the current screenshot is good and I like it, however it might be a little of a spoiler, showing the major feature of this TAS. I suggested this one instead because, instead, it is unexpected but it doesn't spoil anything. The viewer who never saw the other movie will say "what? he is dying, in the first level? what's going on?" and watch the movie. But it was only an idea :D
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MUGG wrote:
Also, I just noticed I messed up while editing the VBMs, so the submitted VBM lists andymac as the author, yet the rerecord count is correct. I think this can be ignored.
This is easily fixed with the TASedit program.
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Brandon
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Easy yes. I bet this improvement seems really obvious in retrospect.
All the best, Brandon Evans
Dwedit
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Does version 1.1 of the game fix the death-pipe glitch? I've heard there are other ways to get through the floor without the pipe glitch. Would anyone care about a TAS of version 1.1 of the game?
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The pipe glitch only works in v1.0. This includes dying inside the pipe, and pausing and quitting while inside the pipe. However, pausing and quitting while touching an object (mushroom, starman, bubble item, bell...) to carry those items into another level works on all versions. Aside from pipe glitching, there are various other ways to enter the out-of-bounds area: 1.) Sprite-spawning glitch. Have an enemy that spawns objects (chibi dracula, fire-spitting piranha plant, pig) stand offscreen for a long time. They will spawn their stuff until all the object slots are used up. When having everything appear onscreen now, the game will glitch around - You can zip vertically through the ground by jumping, but this only seems to work with floaty state (address A287 controls this), so when you are in moon zone 1 or have the bubble item acquired. 2.) Tree Zone 3 (right). In this level you can go out of bounds by reaching the place above Mario, in the beginning of the stage, using the bubble item to fly up or a bee enemy to jump on. 3.) Pause glitch. When the game lags and you are pausing, the game may reset itself or place solid/breakable blocks somewhere on the screen randomly. Theoretically you could set up a spot of blocks that you can slide into, and get ejected into the out of bounds area. This is only theory, but maybe I'm gonna prove it someday. 4.) --- maybe there are more ways, but I can't recall them...
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HD encode is up! Link to video
Current projects: Yoshi's Island Disassembly Yoshi's Island any% TAS with Carl Sagan
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One day Mario gets high on mushrooms and conquers a castle Yes vote
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a yes from me.
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MrGrunz wrote:
This is the most brilliant thing I've ever seen. Mugg, you said, that you think there might be a quicker way through the OoB area. Would you mind giving me some useful bytes for this game and the position of the gliched block in the OoB area? I feel like messing around with it a bit.
EDIT: Reposted lua script on pastebin because the forum's code feature cuts off the code... Download this and use it with VBA23. A2D5 is located at x: 3406, y: 3844 level position. I hope this is useful.
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Mario is tired of saving the day. So he tried to kill himself to avoid saving the day and being a hero, again. Unfortunately, it only succeeded in making Mario save the day even faster. Wario is not pleased as well.
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Comparison vid account | free for those that want to see how I was doing in comparison to andymac. While working on Macro1, Pumpkin1(1), Pumpkin1(2) and Pumpkin1(3) I didn't directly compare with andymac's movie which is why I lost 2 frames in Pumpkin1(2) - but I gained some frames in (3). It's not well visually comparable due to the comparison video desyncing near the end (probably due to the problem I mentioned in the "Gameboy TAS times miscalculated" topic. Many frames get recorded in place of one lagframe, thus timings gets thrown off)...