This TAS improves the published #2149: Twisted_Eye's NES Total Recall in 05:02.00 by 925 frames thanks to extensive use of avoiding spawn of different objects (enemies, bullets, checkpoints), movement optimizations and lag frame removing and more boosts / better health management and other tricks. Starting with 128 HP and finishing the game with 3 HP.
For a "full" list of tricks, please see the page I created it: GameResources/NES/TotalRecall
Also here's my LUA script. It shows the object list, hitboxes, and player information (1st line (0th object) )

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: FCEUX 2.2.2
  • Aims for fastest shortest input (ending is only 922 frames faster because of this)
  • Entertains without losing a frame

Playing back the TAS

(AFAIK,) The original Total Recall (U).nes has a bad header, so you should play it back in Bizhawk 1.5.1. If you really need to play it in FCEUX 2.2.2, you can change the 0x06 byte to 21 but this isn't the preferred one.
d0d0a078d11d41240799438c47259f77 *Total Recall (U).nes

Level 1 - Streets - 6 frames faster

  • Take 15 dmg to save lag frames and better movement pattern
  • Better jumping

Level 2 - Apartman - 0 frames difference

  • This level is timed.

Level 3 - X-ray - 216 frames faster

  • Taking 10 damages and regaining 10 health whenever it's possible without losing frames to hit enemies earlier so they jump sooner towards you
  • UFO manipulating
  • Tricky ending to avoid lag frames and unneccessary hit

Level 4 - Subway - 78 frames faster

  • Filling the object list 3 times at a specific X position to avoid the "cam scroll locker" guards being spawned
  • 10 dmg boosts and hitting away dog in the beginning

Level 5 - Hobo - 105 frames faster

  • Properly jumping before using a ladder can save multiple frames
  • More boosts, better health management
  • Faster boss kill and boomerang spawn avoidment
  • Boost before end of level

Level 6 - Mars hub - 96 frames faster

  • Better shooting, avoiding UFOs (so the door instantly opens when you reach X position) and lag frames

Level 7 - Mars driving - 103 frames faster

  • Fewer lag frames, fewer slow downs

Level 8 - Rekall Inc. - 37 frames faster

  • Better shooting, fewer lag frames, better ladders

Level 9 - Mine - 13 frames faster

  • Better shooting and fewer lag frames, faster boss fight

Level 10 - Final showdown - 271 frames faster

  • Better shooting, fewer lag frames, avoiding 2 fights, faster boss fight

Note to encoders

Use 60 fps with blending

Miscellaneous

I hope you were entertained =). Even that my tricks just saved a few frames (since I had to abuse the lags to improve it significantly), I'm pretty satisfied with the result. See you until my next TAS =)

feos: Judging...
feos: Replaced the submission file by author's request.
feos: This was hilarious! Accepting as an improvement, for Moons surely.


TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15558
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #4099: MESHUGGAH's NES Total Recall in 04:46.11
MESHUGGAH
Other
Skilled player (1917)
Joined: 11/14/2009
Posts: 1353
Location: 𝔐𝔞𝔤𝑦𝔞𝔯
Please replace the movie file with http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/10271330243602333. Only the ROM name changed (and possibly the GUID, checksum) As adelikat says, the ROM I used have a wrong header, so FCEUX 2.2.2 can't play it back properly while BizHawk 1.5.1 uses bootgod db to decide which header to use.
PhD in TASing 🎓 speedrun enthusiast ❤🚷🔥 white hat hacker ▓ black box tester ░ censorships and rules...
Experienced player (588)
Joined: 2/5/2011
Posts: 1417
Location: France
Nice dude, a french youtuber named "joueurdugrenier" talked about that game shitty, nice TAS! Yes vote.
Current: Rayman 3 maybe? idk xD Paused: N64 Rayman 2 (with Funnyhair) GBA SMA 4 : E Reader (With TehSeven) TASVideos is like a quicksand, you get in, but you cannot quit the sand
Joined: 5/8/2010
Posts: 177
Location: Entropy
James Rolfe "aka the AVGN" talked about it in one of his episodes. It seems like a really shitty game, can't wait for an encode.
Twisted_Eye
He/Him
Active player (398)
Joined: 10/17/2005
Posts: 632
Location: Seattle, WA
haha, thank you! I always knew my run was improvable, but wasn't going to grab the frames myself. and yes this game is horrible.
mklip2001
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 6/23/2009
Posts: 2227
Location: Georgia, USA
I was quite surprised by how smooth this looked, and then I realized there were way fewer enemies than normal. You did a great job with spawn abuse. The hobo boss fight and the final boss were also quite noticeably different. Good job!
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.
MESHUGGAH
Other
Skilled player (1917)
Joined: 11/14/2009
Posts: 1353
Location: 𝔐𝔞𝔤𝑦𝔞𝔯
mklip2001 wrote:
I was quite surprised by how smooth this looked, and then I realized there were way fewer enemies than normal. You did a great job with spawn abuse. The hobo boss fight and the final boss were also quite noticeably different. Good job!
Thanks! I've also tried to make it entertaining (cat killing, ladder drops, level 2, random fists), but I didn't had much place for it.
PhD in TASing 🎓 speedrun enthusiast ❤🚷🔥 white hat hacker ▓ black box tester ░ censorships and rules...
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 15558
Location: 127.0.0.1
This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [2476] NES Total Recall by MESHUGGAH in 04:46.11