(Link to video)
VVVVVV is a 2D platformer where you flip the gravity to rescue your crew members. There are 20 collectable "Shiny Trinkets" hidden throughout the game. There is also a no death mode which cuts off your gameplay if you die once.

Game objectives

  • Emulator used: Hourglass r81 (Multithreading and Wait Sync: Allow)
  • Game version: VVVVVV 2.0
  • Collects all 20 trinkets
  • Plays the game in no death mode
  • Aims for the fastest completion

Comments

I finally finished this run! This also is finally a VVVVVV TAS that does not use glitches (kinda... (SPOILERS) ).
The run starts by going into normal mode and then exiting, making it possible to unlock no death mode and start that.
As the no death mode disables all cutscenes and dialogues (which you wouldn't be able to read anyways), I'll briefly explain the plot: You play as Viridian who is the Captain of a spaceship. Suddenly there is a "dimensional interference" and the Captain and his crew try to escape through a teleporter. Unfortunately everyone is sent to a different location and it is your job to rescue the crew members.

Game mechanics

Controls

The controls of this game are easy: you talk and flip using the action button and move using the < and > keys.

Physics

Your highest xspeed is ±6.0 p/f and the highest yspeed is ±10.0 p/f (p/f = pixel/frame). The acceleration of the xspeed is ±1.9 p/f² and the acceleration of the yspeed is ±2.75 p/f². Though, when flipping the yspeed starts at ±6.75.
Moving, xspeed: 0.0 > 1.9 > 3.8 > 5.4 > 6.0 > 6.0 > ...
Dropping, yspeed: 2.75 > 5.5 > 8.25 > 10.0 > 10.0 > ...
Flipping, yspeed: 6.75 > 9.5 > 10.0 > 10.0 > ...
When you held a direction for at least the past 5 frames, you decelerate with ±1.1 p/f², when under 5 frames and stopping or moving in another direction, your next speed is either 0.0 or 1.9 in that other direction.
Input: >>>..... xspeed: 6.0 > 6.0 > 6.0 > 4.9 > 3.8 > 2.7 > 1.6 > 0.0
Input: >>>.>... xspeed: 6.0 > 6.0 > 6.0 > 4.9 > 6.0 > 0.0 > 0.0 > 0.0
The speed gets added to the position and then rounded towards 0.
The game allows you to flip even one frame after you left the ground, which might be the reason why you can go through inversion planes (the lines that flip you automatically) when they are close to the ground.
Platformers usually set your speed to 0 once you hit an obstacle, VVVVVV is a bit different. Your speed is adjusted to the distance to the obstacle. For horizontal movement that means if it is 5 blocks away, your speed is set to 5.0. If now the obstacle is away (e.g. you got past it because you were moving vertically, too) your next speed will be 6.0 and you didn't lose time even though you hit the obstacle!
The same goes with vertical movement to the point where it can actually save time to slow down horizontally (usually when there are small stairs).
Yes, optimizing this game is a lot of work :D.

Hitbox

No, graphical glitches do not affect the hitbox.

Other comments

VVVVVV version 2.2 was released when I was already far into the TAS so I didn't really want to start all over again as I didn't actually use any glitches.

feos: Acceblishing to Stars.

TASVideoAgent
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Bitchin'. Been waiting on this thing for quite a while now. EXCELLENT delivery. Yes vote. how the fuck did it even work
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fsvgm777
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This TAS was very well done. Excellent delivery indeed. Yes vote.
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Amaraticando
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YesYesYesYesYesYes
Editor, Skilled player (1401)
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Outstanding. This is the 100% TAS the game deserves. Also, oh god, that sprite glitch. Yes vote, natch.
Eszik
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Truly awesome run, crazily entertaining and fast-paced. This looks really well optimized too. Though, do you think telejump + save warps would have saved enough time to be worth it against skippable cutscenes? Has telejump 100% ever been routed?
I problably made mistakes, sorry for my bad English, I'm French :v
Masterjun
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Thank you, guys, for the good feedback :D.
Eszik wrote:
Though, do you think telejump + save warps would have saved enough time to be worth it against skippable cutscenes? Has telejump 100% ever been routed?
Since this is no death mode, all that doesn't work here, but this "telejump 100%" would probably look crazy (not in a positive way, though).
Warning: Might glitch to credits I will finish this ACE soon as possible (or will I?)
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Very entertaining, easy yes vote.
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That's the first time I've gawked at the submission list in months, I had to watch this immediately. The TAS never seems like a regular human could be playing it for more than 2 seconds, so it gets my enthusiastic yes vote. What's most enjoyable is how stylishly and easily it plays through a fairly difficult game.
Eszik
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Masterjun wrote:
Since this is no death mode, all that doesn't work here
I know‚ that's why I said "against skippable cutscenes" (unless it doesn't mean what I think it means :x). So it would be very useful but less entertaining? Yeah‚ I guess if you ended up skipping Veni Vedi Vici or stuff like that‚ the run wouldn't feel the same :p (though I love the 8 min TAS which abuses telejump)
I problably made mistakes, sorry for my bad English, I'm French :v
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I was watching this run wondering all the time how could you get all trinkets without dying, and got surprised when you reached certain trinket screen and some spikes were not there. Then I read the description and found that you played in "no-death mode" which probably makes changes to allow for 100% completion.
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Awesome. That was everything I was hoping for and more.
Eszik wrote:
Has telejump 100% ever been routed?
I've spent some time working on a route, but stopped when I couldn't manage some of the shortcuts I had in mind (all of them almost, though). It'd be a pretty weird looking run, as there'd be blocks of regular game play interspersed with heavy death/s+q abuse.
Masterjun
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Eszik wrote:
Masterjun wrote:
Since this is no death mode, all that doesn't work here
I know‚ that's why I said "against skippable cutscenes" (unless it doesn't mean what I think it means :x). So it would be very useful but less entertaining?
Well you are comparing 2 completely different branches. Of course stuff would go faster, but people wanted to see a clean 20 trinkets run of this game, so glitching your way to the trinkets wouldn't be as entertaining to watch. Skipping cutscenes is just a side effect of the no death mode.
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Samsara
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The rapid flipping in small corridors was a bit annoying to me, but otherwise I enjoyed the run quite a bit.
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warmCabin wrote:
You shouldn't need a degree in computer science to get into this hobby.
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HHHHHHilarious!
Patashu
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This went way beyond my expectations! I still feel the swag washing over me even after it ended. Great job!
DrJones wrote:
I was watching this run wondering all the time how could you get all trinkets without dying, and got surprised when you reached certain trinket screen and some spikes were not there. Then I read the description and found that you played in "no-death mode" which probably makes changes to allow for 100% completion.
You just identified the one change, besides removing checkpoints, that it makes.
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trow in a V, a Yes and a star / moon for me !
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And one more yes vote from me, really well done. And for the screenshot, what about one frame in the gravitron when the timer says 17:33? It would tell viewers that this run shows everything, including the gravitron, and have the time of the movie in it (just for fun)... But there are many screenshot worthy phases in fact.
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Wow, it's wonderful how a game so simple can be that challenging and entertaining. vote, without a doubt.
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For screenshots, I recommend a shot of Viridian rescuing a crewmember, at the teleporter, where Viridian is standing on his head.
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Hopper262
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Personally, the graphical glitch greatly reduced my enjoyment of an otherwise 'straight' playthrough. Watching the spike dodging in the autoscrollers is just not as fun when the Captain is a TV half the time.
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Pretty good TAS. I enjoyed it. Makes this game look easy, even though it is anything but. The player sprite glitch is a bit funny as well.
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My head hurts. YES vote.
Masterjun
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Samsara wrote:
The rapid flipping in small corridors was a bit annoying to me
Before starting this run, I realized that this was a huge problem in my other longer TAS of this game, but I felt like not doing that at all would be boring too. I decided to adjust it to the background music, meaning that I could do it in fast paced rooms with loud action music in the background, but avoiding it in quite places (e.g. the area right before Gravitron).
Hopper262 wrote:
Personally, the graphical glitch greatly reduced my enjoyment of an otherwise 'straight' playthrough.
I honestly thought that the graphical glitch would go away after a transition (like after you saved a crew member or something), but when it didn't I decided to go with it. At least it happens at around the middle of the run, so you have a good look at both of the graphics. My idea of a suggested screenshot was maybe using something unique to this run, or this branch in particular. What could fit better than showing the room with the removed spikes and the existing trinket (showing both the no death mode and the goal to collect the trinkets).
Warning: Might glitch to credits I will finish this ACE soon as possible (or will I?)
Patashu
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I like masterjun's screenshot idea, either that or just go with good ol' Veni Vidi Vici/Doing Things The Hard Way
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