This is Any% completion, if you interested in to see 100% completion - check
this submission.
Game objectives
- Emulator: Gens Rerecording v11c
- Aims for fastest time
- Takes damage to save time
- Abuses programming errors
About the game
This game is a classic side scrolling 2D platformer, about an anthropomorphic crazy squirrel Mr. Nutz. He is only one who can stop a dictatorship of yeti Mr. Blizzard and his henchmen who want establish eternal winter.
About the run
Initially i wanted to do only 100% and not re-do any%, when I started this game i didn't knew how to improve any% in comparison to the published TAS for SNES version. And i not wanted to re-do without improvements. Some improvements was mentioned in DaTeL237 in forum. Some other my own improvements i found during planning 100% run. Also to do two runs for the same game have big advantage: be able use the same input twice in many difficult places where are no coins for both runs. For such lazy person as i am it was very good additional motivation. So after all i decided to do two TASes instead of one :)
General tricks and glitches
Avoid coins
Picking up coins increase countdown at end of World, each coin costs about 2 extra frames. Where it is possible is worth avoid picking up coins.
Corner boots
Corner boots is corner boots. Each time when Mr.Nutz is hitting corner by head he will moved slightly ahead. Usually it save 2 frames. Rarely (depend on corner geometry) another value. Corner boots executed underwater is more effective.
Zipping
Zipping is zipping. Very powerful glitch, it allowed Mr. Nutz to move inside some {broken} walls with fantastic speed.
Vertical damage boots
At moment when Mr.Nutz get damage he is moving a bit up. Sometimes this additional "mini-jump" can help to reach places unreachable with normal (single) jump.
Glitched water
In one of sink levels there's a place where are no water, however Mr. Nutz still can dive in it and in result he will become able to "swim" in air.
Skip maps
Before each World there are a Map. Maps before W1&2 it can't be skipped; but all the remaining maps - before W3,4,5,6 are skippable (in SNES version too.)
Starting acceleration
Increase speed is faster in air. So to reach maximum speed as soon as possible is worth to jump in beginning of level.
Speed-swimming
Underwater speed is a lot slower than on the ground. But when Mr. Nutz dive in water he able to keep (temporally) speed higher than maximum normal underwater speed if there are no input.
Loading enemies
Enemies (also ropes and moving platforms) are loading as soon as Mr. Nutz reach specific XY position. In some (enough rare) cases is possible to get benefit from manipulation with loading some object - to delay or accelerate their appearing to use it the most effective. If distance between Mr. Nutz and enemy become to be big enemy is disappear and can be re-loaded from starting position. Ropes and moving platforms can not be re-loaded again, they will keep fixed oscillation phase from the very first loading.
Map weakness
Jumping on enemies are useful in many places, but in some spots, they allow to do sequence breaks. Most interesting examples: In Adventure Park 3 and at Clouds shortcuts with birds. In Kitchen shortcut with rabbit. In Sink#3 shortcut with plunger.
In Volcano Underpass 1&3 shortcuts with bats. In Mean Streets 1 shortcuts with bumblebee to reach warp gates. And in Frozen Nutz 1 shortcut with Chukchi javelin.
Zombie-squirrel glitch
Not used it, because it is completely useless, but anyway it is worth to mention it. In the living room is possible to get damage by snail, already after triggering of exit to the roof. So i was curious what will happen if Mr.Nutz will lost last HP and die, after triggering exit? Well he will start next level with 0 HP as zombie-squirrel.
Differences from SNES
Gameplay is almost exactly the same, but there are some differences: positive(+) and negative(-):
Significant
(+=) In Genesis version have better colors and better music. At least in my opinion;
(+) In Genesis version time of demonstration of titles of stages is shorter than in SNES;
(+) In Genesis version is there are no text dialogues. While in SNES 3 text dialogues;
(+) In Genesis version Little Clown have less HP;
(-) Genesis version have slower actual game speed than SNES. Usual PAL/NTFS difference = 5/6. Actually it very significant difference. If apply simple maps skips (even without other improvements) in SNES version - it already will be faster than Genesis;
(+) Seems glitched water in Sink 3 is workable only in Genesis version;
(-) There is a difference in zipping. The most significant difference in igloo where in SNES version was 3 useful zips - in Genesis version only 2 of them. So i doomed to use longer zipless route for not-workable trick;
Not significant
(-=) Not so significant as in igloo, but still you can notice difference in zipping in Adventure Park 3 during shortcut with bird.
(+=) In Genesis as default Mr. Nutz have full health 5/5, while 3/5 in SNES;
(+=) In Genesis version there is autoacceleration, in SNES always player must hold special button for acceleration;
(-=) In Kitchen after minimisation potion Mr.Nutz still able to get coins in Genesis version. +3 coins unavoidable;
(-=) Visual difference in transition screen between Volcano Underpass and clouds.
Potential improvement
According ancient Holland's legend somewhere in W4L3 (Volcano Underpass 3) exist legendary zip which can allow to skip significant part of level. I searched it but not found. If someone know more info about this zip please post. Also i not sure is it workable in Genesis version or not.
Special thanks
- DaTeL237 for his TAS for SNES version. And for posting info about improvements that he found after his TAS was published.
P.S. How true ending should look like :)
So what about encode with more realistic aspect ratio?
