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Mega Man (Rockman) is a game that needs no introduction. As many of you know it's been TASed over and over and over. I've always wanted to see a buster only run of it, so I went ahead and made one.
This Run:
-Takes No damage
-Uses Primary weapon
-Does not abuse game-breaking glitches
This run only uses the mega buster, except for 5 spots where you are required to use other weapons. These places are:
-Elec Man's Stage, Guts Blocks where you get the Magnet Beam (Super Arm).
-Wily Stage 1, Guts Blocks at the beginning and in the middle of the stage (Elec Beam). There's also some great heights right before the Yellow Devil (Magnet Beam)
-Wily Stage 4, Guts Blocks near the beginning.
I didn't use any game breaking glitches such as the pause trick or any wall zipping. The only glitch used was making a flea disappear in Fire Man's stage because I couldn't jump over or dodge it. I changed up the order of bosses since it's buster only and the order doesn't matter as long as I beat Guts Man before Elec Man. The Order is Cut>Ice>Fire>Bomb>Guts>Elec>Wily.
Cut Man - Easy stage, easy boss. No gripes or hardships
Ice Man - The popping blocks aren't trouble, but the moving platforms are kind of sparatic. I tried to get them to move along as quickly as possible. Ice Man only takes 1 damage from the buster, but his post-hit invincibility isn't very long so he dies rather quickly.
Fire Man - The only thing that slows this stage is waiting for the fire bars. I also made a flea disappear to ensure I wouldn't take damage from it. Fire Man falls into a very basic pattern during the fight. Just jump and shoot.
Bomb Man - This stage is very basic. Manipulating Sniper Joes is always fun [/sarcasm], they dont give me that much trouble though. Bomb man just likes to hop around.
Guts Man - Short stage, but the Conveyor Belts without the magnet beams just drag on and on. The pick axe robots are also annoying. Guts Man dies quickly.
Elec Man - This is the stage where I use the Super Arm for the first time. Elec Man is very easy but takes a while.
Wily 1 - I use the Elec Beam two times and then the Magnet Beam at the end. Yellow Devil takes 2 and a half minutes because you can only land 1 shot at a time. Luckily he takes 2 damage per buster shot. I tried to spruce up the battle a bit but I'll admit though it's a little boring, I you feel like skipping it, I don't blame you.
Wily 2 - Cut and Elec refights are nothing new, a few (5) score pellets were picked up along the way because of bad enemy placement. It's faster than waiting for them to disappear. Copy Mega Man is too easy.
Wily 3 - The shortest stage. Each Bubble takes 10 shots. The faster they get, the more they have to come out of the top so no damage is taken. They appear depending on where you are standing in the room.
Wily 4 - The last place I have to destroy a Guts Block. Boss re-fights went well. They are a little off since I have to get back to the teleporters ASAP after the fight. Wily's first form is destroyed in a matter of seconds, form 2 can only be hit at the peak of Mega Man's jump so it's a little longer.

Noxxa: Claiming for judgment.
Noxxa: This run was largely not well received. There are multiple reasons behind this: first, its optimization level is visibly lacking in some areas. Bosses stop blinking, especially later on, luck manipulation could have been much better overall, and player movement is occasionally suboptimal. In its current technical state, it has too much imprecision to be accepted.
However, the larger issue is the categorization itself. The run tries to achieve too many goals at the same time, which results in the run looking very bland. Any of the three individual categories (no-damage, buster-only and glitchless) on their own would likely have stood a better chance. A perfect run with weapons and glitches, a glitchless run with damage and weapons, a buster-only run with damage and glitches, or even just a perfect buster run with glitches would all likely make for a much more interesting movie. While the current run would be impressive for a real-time playthrough, as a TAS, it falls flat.
That said, if Rockman were to have a second category, the best candidate category would most likely be a Magnet Beam-less glitched run, as was suggested by Nach. Such a run would require very different strategies in many places, yet retain much opportunity for glitching through areas in traditional Rockman style. The only downside is that such a run would be very advanced and difficult to make as it requires multiple uses of DelayStageClear and such glitches, like the currently published Rockman TAS.
But for now, I'll have to reject this movie for poor viewer feedback and poor optimization.


TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #3970: kchrules's NES Mega Man "Buster only, no damage" in 27:23.03
Noxxa
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I'm not really sold on the concept of a glitchless damageless buster-only run. It takes the three most interesting elements of speedrunning/TASing this game away, making the end result look quite bland. I'm not really sure about the optimization level, either. TASing this game to optimal precision should require way more than 2500 rerecords. The lack of optimization is apparent during some boss battles, especially later on. In particular, the first fight with Bomb Man, the Cut Man refight, the Copy Mega Man fight, and the refights with Ice Man, Bomb Man and Guts Man have clear issues where the boss stops blinking sometimes, meaning you don't hit them as fast as you could. Some like Bomb Man and Cut Man suffer from bad luck manipulation, but the others have no such excuse. There are also other little things I'm doubtful about, such as switching weapons at less-than-optimal times. I'm voting no. It lacks the entertainment, variety and glitches that Mega Man runs usually provide, and its optimization level is questionable.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa <dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects. <Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits <adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
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Dislike for the category in general and lack of visible optimization=No vote.
TAS i'm interested: Megaman series, specially the RPGs! Where is the mmbn1 all chips TAS we deserve? Where is the Command Mission TAS? i'm slowly moving away from TASing fighting games for speed, maybe it's time to start finding some entertainment value in TASing.
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I think the problem with such a strict category is that you rob yourself of options. In Wily 2, Mega Man is waiting for ages for the blocky things to move since he can't blast them with Elec Man's weapon, can't just take damage and fall right through them or glitch past the stage entirely. On the other hand, it makes for a nice demonstration that playing without robot master weapons is (for the most part) possible, and it's nice to see Mega Man dancing around turret shots. It also makes for a really nice change from the incomprehensible glitched run and shows more off the game, so I don't mind the category. That said, I do have a few questions towards the author regarding the optimization of the run: 1.Sometimes you seem to be taking jumps wider than they need to be. From what I know, jumping in MM1 and MM2 is slightly slower than running. 2.Related to the above, you avoid picking up item drops from enemies, but wouldn't it be possible avoid those dropping entirely? The corridor to Gutsman's room is a good example of this. 3.Also related to luck Manipulation: In Wily 1, you see the large stomping enemies start off with a big stomping jump that you just can't get through: Wouldn't it save time to have them start with a small jump instead? In general, some bosses might be manipulated in a way that you could start hitting them earlier than you do. Overall, however, I don't think a first version of a run should be rejected on things like these, and I generally enjoyed the superhuman playthrough of this brutally hard game. Yes vote. (On an aside note, I'm still really disappointed no way to skip the magnet beam has been found yet)
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It's nice to see a TAS of Mega Man 1 without being completely broken, but I have to agree that no damage and buster only causes too much waiting. Also, I think the block breaking at the beginning of Wily 1 could be done faster by shooting the elec beam from further back to avoid having to wait. I'm voted Meh because this is interesting as a category. As someone who plays this game fast, I'd like to see a TAS that does not break the game in two, but where do you draw the line...
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Yes vote. It is very sad seeing the game's memory or save data corrupted. That may destroy the cartridge and I'm happy to see a glitchless Mr Perfect Buster Only run.
BigBoct
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Before I watch, a question. Is the Magnet Beam required to beat the game? If it is not, then you should not have broken the "Buster-Only" rule to get it.
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Yes, the magnet beam is required because walljumping doesn't exist. Its usage is the bare minimum required.
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While I'd look forward to some type of "glitchless" Mega Man run, I think "Buster only" is too much of a restriction. Half the fun in Mega Man TASes is the use of different items and weapons.
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Sorry, no glitch no vote. Even though this is glitchless run, it's seemed you didn't read this page. http://tasvideos.org/GameResources/NES/Rockman.html For example, you don't know Walking is faster than jumping.
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Sorry, no vote. Only use Buster without any glitches makes this run too ordinary, even boring at the boss of Wily 1 stage. Maybe add more performances will be better.
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I have to say no vote its an ok run but for a buster only my issue is this, 1st you hit one of the flea things in wily 1 with the elec beam that's my first no, 2nd there were parts that you could have made slightly better in wily 1 with the magnet beam if your going to use the beam to get to the ladder might as well have gone the extra sec to make a ladder jump. 3rd yellow devil way too long for a tas I actually watched 30 sec then scrolled past it that was like a 2 min fight I understand the point that buster shots take 1 hp per shot but it was way too borring. also what is the difference between the US and Jap version what was your decision in doing the Jap version
Noxxa
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supersonicjc wrote:
also what is the difference between the US and Jap version what was your decision in doing the Jap version
The only difference is the graphics of the title screen. If I'm correct, all Mega Man 1 runs sync on both the USA and JPN versions. Besides that, the MM1 runs on the site have always used the JPN version. It's practically tradition.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa <dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects. <Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits <adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
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This was the first submission in a while that interested me. Early on it looked well optimized with a lot of attention to details, but there were definitely some little mistakes near the end. Seems that you were avoiding bonus capsules but with how fast they count up it seems unlikely to be faster overall. No damage, glitches or special weapons forces some interesting tricks but is painfully limiting in other places. Yellow devil is really, really long. Overall I have to say I enjoyed seeing a different approach to this game but I'd like to see it cleaned up a little more.
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The way I look at this is a fresh perspective. This game has been TASed since the inception of this site. The more runs there are and the faster it gets, the less of the game you get to see. I realize I'm not an excellent and experienced TASer, but the point I'm trying to get across is why this run is "buster only", "no damage", and "glitchless". While it may seem boring to some, a large majority of people (myself included) probably could never beat a Mega Man game with just the buster and not taking damage in a fast time. It's a nice feat to see, now I wasn't expecting this to go anywhere (if it gets accepted at all) but the vault. I knew coming in to this run (and probably so did a lot of you) the Yellow Devil would be boring as hell to watch, trust me, it was even worse 1 frame at a time hahaha. Even great TASes have long drawn out boss fights or levels, but those aren't the run, they're the things that make the game what it is. That's all I really have to say about it.
Currently working on: -Possibly the Wily Tower (Mega Man the Wily Wars)
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boct1584 wrote:
Before I watch, a question. Is the Magnet Beam required to beat the game?
In all honesty it isn't. I eagerly await someone to make a run which does not use it.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
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I voted yes. It was entertaining to me. That said, people who know more about the technical elements of the run have chimed in to say that there are improvements possible. I can at least question why luck manipulation is so infrequent that you get a ton of 1000 point dots dropped from so many enemies.. *shrugs*
Nach wrote:
boct1584 wrote:
Before I watch, a question. Is the Magnet Beam required to beat the game?
In all honesty it isn't. I eagerly await someone to make a run which does not use it.
I figured it wasn't and I wouldn't mind seeing a run without it too. I do like the concept because the magnet beam is heavily abused. Speaking of, was that emulator extension to make the magnet beam clearer nesticle only or something? That helped previous TASes.
Noxxa
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PKFC wrote:
Speaking of, was that emulator extension to make the magnet beam clearer nesticle only or something? That helped previous TASes.
Pretty sure it was for FCEU, considering the fact that those previous TASes around that time used FCEU.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa <dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects. <Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits <adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
BigBoct
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I was reasonably entertained by this run. I'm not qualified to comment on optimization since I don't run Mega Man games, but I vote Yes for Moons on the basis of that entertainment.
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Is Mega Man without Robot Master weapons a Mega Man at all? It is the chief gimmick of the very first game released.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
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Nach wrote:
Is Mega Man without Robot Master weapons a Mega Man at all? It is the chief gimmick of the very first game released.
"Buster only" is a challenge for a real-time play. It requires somewhat unintended solutions that are interesting to find yourself and sometimes to watch. For a TAS... comparing to how TASes are USUALLY played, it is TOO MUCH of the intended solution, even if it's actually not.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
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am I the only one who saw the elec beam in wily 1 hit an enemy, im all for seeing this run get posted but as it stands right now for a buster only there's just no way since he hit a enemy with another weapon.
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om, nom, nom... sweet!
Noxxa
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supersonicjc wrote:
am I the only one who saw the elec beam in wily 1 hit an enemy, im all for seeing this run get posted but as it stands right now for a buster only there's just no way since he hit a enemy with another weapon.
I noticed it as well when I watched it, although I hadn't addressed it. It's true that this technically disqualifies the category, but the run already has enough issues as is, and the effect is practically nonexistent.
http://www.youtube.com/Noxxa <dwangoAC> This is a TAS (...). Not suitable for all audiences. May cause undesirable side-effects. May contain emulator abuse. Emulator may be abusive. This product contains glitches known to the state of California to cause egg defects. <Masterjun> I'm just a guy arranging bits in a sequence which could potentially amuse other people looking at these bits <adelikat> In Oregon Trail, I sacrificed my own family to save time. In Star trek, I killed helpless comrades in escape pods to save time. Here, I kill my allies to save time. I think I need help.
zwataketa
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HOW DARE YOU FEED THE RUN IN HONOR OF ROAHMMYTHRIL TO THE GRUEFOOD MONSTER! I'M GONNA TELL HIM ABOUT THIS! D:<
I quit TASing.