Topic by TASVideoAgent

Game Object

Emulator used:VBA-rr 24 svn480
Starts from SRAM (the same as what cpadolf used)
Aims for fastest time
Aims to defeat all bosses in the game
Manipulates luck
Takes damage to save time
Abuses glitches

It has been a long time since we started, and finally it was finished now. This run uses Julius to clear the game, with all bosses including Julius himself beaten. Julius cannot beat Chaos, as when he enters the Chaos boss room nothing will happen.

This run is slower than the current run by McBobX because:

This run used glitch to beat Julius himself, which was not presented in the current run (main reason).
This run played in hard mode rather than normal mode.
The emulator version was v24, which produced more lags.

However, it is only 936 frames (15.6s) slower than the current run. The main improvements were:

New route design
New glitches used
Better optimized movements and boss fights

Considering that reaching the Julius boss room and beating Julius cost far more than 15.6 seconds, this run should beat the current run.

Route Design

All of us agreed that route designing was the most important part. At start we designed 2 completely different routes, which are surprisingly close in terms of time, and we chose the wrong one at first. And when we learnt how the new Catoblepas/Gorgon glitch works, we designed the third route which was presented in this run and started over again. Thanks to this and heavy luck manipulations, the rerecord count reaches more than 300 thousand.

New Glitches

Long Distance Catoblepas/Gorgon Glitch

Also known as “Super Catoblepas/Gorgon Glitch”, this glitch allows Julius to teleport much farther with a Catoblepas/Gorgon. When a Catoblepas/Gorgon is turning around, the game calculates the distance of movement of the character standing on it, by the character’s horizontal displacement from a certain frame during turning to the last frame before the game moves the character. So when Julius moves fast toward the same direction during turning, he could be teleported really far. Furthermore, an enemy will freeze when outside the screen, and using this trick may give Julius more time to move, thus teleport even farther.

This glitch, however, is not a glitch found by us. When Darkman, or 黑暗人, discovered the way for Julius to access Julius room couple of years ago, he was using this glitch. Since that seems to be the only approach for Julius meeting Julius himself, this glitch is necessary there. However, this glitch can also be used to replace any old-fashioned Catoblepas/Gorgon Glitch, and at the other places for warping.

This glitch is also applicable to Soma. If you are trying this glitch, remember the following rule: When the character is inside a wall, if he is at the left border of the screen he can slide towards left and warp to another room; but if he is at the right border of the screen he is unable to warp anyway. If one could warp toward right, there would be a shorter way to access Julius room.

Grand Cross Canceling Glitch

This is a brand-new glitch that we found occasionally when fighting with Headhunter, related to the floating platforms. When Julius jumps onto a floating platform from somewhere below it, using Grand Cross on the frame he lands on the floating platform will make Julius free to move before the Grand Cross finishes. During that period, Julius may do anything normally except for using subweapons, and take damage, while the Grand Cross is still dealing damage.

Another version of this glitch is when Julius begins or ends a teleport between teleport rooms, Grand Cross could be used and when a teleporting animation finishes he can move with the Grand Cross. Darkman and hellagels found this glitch independently, but this glitch is nothing more than entertaining.

Enemy Disappearing Glitch

After beating the Golem and going back, a wooden golem in a long passage with evil butchers disappeared. The cause is totally unknown.

Black Screen Trick

This is technically not a glitch. When the character moves from one room to another room, the time of black screen may vary. Under most time, when the character moves horizontally, lower Y position can lead to fewer black screen time; when moves vertically, not being too near to a wall can lead to fewer black screen time.

Detailed Comment

Before Creaking Skull

The room with skeletons was passed in a different way as in the Any% run because v24 version’s emulator produced more lags. This kind of lag avoidance was presented throughout the run.

Creaking Skull

We manipulated the powerup ball to be left.

Golem

We manipulated hard to make him go right throughout the fight.

After Golem, Before Headhunter

A wooden golem disappeared due to a glitch. Subweapon was used when passing some doors, both for manipulating luck and entertaining.

Headhunter

Grand Cross Canceling glitch was used twice. Beating the first and second form of the boss in the middle of the room could shorten the animation of changing head. The first head’s animation at the beginning, however, was also manipulated and shortened.

After Headhunter, Before Manticore

Catoblepas glitch was used for the first time, showing that old-fashioned glitch could be obsolete, and the current Any% run might be improved.

Manticore

Double Powerup glitch was used, unlike in the McBobX’s run which obtained only 1 powerup ball.

After Manticore, Before Great Armor

In the large room of the Study you may think the movie desyncing. It is actually another Catoblepas glitch, which barely saved any time but mainly for entertaining.

Great Armor

If Julius moved too fast, Great Armor would disappear. We slowed down a bit to avoid this.

After Great Armor, Before Julius

In the Study Catoblepas glitch was used again to warp to Underground Reservoir, which was found and proved faster by Pike. In the Floating Garden Gorgon glitch was used to access Julius room. By revealing the nature of this glitch, the glitch that Darkman found was improved for more than 500 frames.

Julius

Julius was tolerance to holy, so that Cross, Holy Water and Grand Cross could not be used. The way of beating Julius in this run was the fastest way we found, and it was interesting to see enemy Julius slide continuously until he was beaten.

After Julius, Before Balore

The last Gorgon glitch was used to warp to the Arena.

Balore

Balore fight was really a nightmare. We failed to make him transform into the second form after his fists waved twice because of unable to deal enough damage. His attacks were also hard to manipulate. Grand Cross Canceling glitch was available on Balore’s fists, but was not used because it could be slower.

Legion

Legion was beaten on the certain frame to make his core fall instantly. This happened once every 128 frames, thus there was a frame rule and extreme optimization was not needed.

After Legion, Before Death

Grand Cross Glitch was used in the teleport room just for fun.

Graham

The way to beat him was also optimized. Using axe and manipulating Graham’s attack in the first form; using cross in the second form and beating the third form like the way of beating Balore. Perhaps the way to beat the third form can improve current any% run.

Acknowledgment

Thanks to Darkman, who found the way for Julius to access Julius boss room (and maybe also the discoverer of Long Distance Catoblepus/Gorgon glitch).
Thanks to mtbRc for his Julius any% run.
Thanks to Kriole for his Soma 100% soul run.
Thanks to McBobX for his Julius all bosses run.

Noxxa: Judging.

Noxxa: Great quality run, and very entertaining too. As discussed in the previous submission's judging comment, despite having a longer time than the previous run due to fighting Julius and using Hard mode, I will accept this run as a technical (significant) improvement. As such, accepting as an improvement to the published movie.

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