Snake Rattle 'n' Roll is a unique isometric platformer for the NES. Your goal is to guide the snakes up a tower to defeat a giant foot at the top. Most levels require you to eat a certain amount of food (called nibbly pibblies) in order to gain enough weight to open the door. The current two player run is a 35 second improvement over Nitsuja's run from 2006, using better lag management, platforming, and routing.
Game objectives
- Emulator used: FCEUX 2.2.2
- 2 player Warpless
- Beats the game as fast as possible
- Manipulates Luck
This run has been under development since MESHUGGAH started it in 2012. He stopped after doing level 2. I subsequently picked it up early in 2015 and promptly shelved it for most of the year, as it looked too complicated to me at the time. But like most projects I found that the most difficult part was just getting started. Once I started working on it and got a handle on the controls it came together pretty quickly. The overall platforming route uses the path from Aglar's one player run. My original contributions are the food route in level 3 and 8. This run also uses the correct ROM, as Nitsuja's run used a bad dump that desyncs in level 8.
Levels 1 and 2, ~1.5 seconds saved
These levels were played by MESHUGGAH and saved time in slightly better platforming and reducing a lot of lag.
Level 3 ~1.5 seconds saved.
I found a new nibbly collection route that reduced the down time at the start of the level.
Level 4 ~3 seconds saved
This level uses a shortcut available by bouncing off an enemy early in the level. Nitsuja knew about this shortcut but realized it too late in his run's development to implement it.
Level 5 ~3 seconds saved.
This level uses a edge clip at just the right height up the flying carpet to save a cycle on the carpet ride to the exit.
Level 6 ~0.5 seconds saved.
This level is basically timed so there was little room for improvement. The scuba upgrade to climb the waterfall appears every eight shots from the cannon.
Level 7 ~ 2.5 seconds saved.
Here I take Aglar's route up the geysers which is faster and also looks much smoother.
Level 8 ~11 seconds saved.
This is where the biggest savings come from. Aglar had mentioned in the thread that you can gain an extra segment to take over to the next pool if you eat it right at the end of the current pool. This opens up many possibilities. There are a huge number of possible combinations of nibbly fish to get. I found one that looked smooth and saved a good chunk of time, but it can probably be improved.
Level 9-END ~12 seconds saved
These last levels are mostly platforming and lag improvements, generally following Aglar's route. Lag is especially troubling in level 10, I tried what I could to reduce it, but it can probably still be done a little better.
I should mention that input can be ended several (7) seconds earlier by just standing next to the spot where the spaceship lands. However convention has been to add entertainment during this down time and I think it is a good idea, so input ends on the last frame input is accepted.
Well I am very happy at both having this run done and in crossing it off my list. At first I was a bit intimidated by this game, but once I got going it wasn't so bad. While there is still room for improvement particularly in levels 8 and 10, I'm happy with the results and in having a more optimized two player run. But I do wonder how much more level 8 can be improved with truly amazing luck and routing, however I leave this to someone who REALLY likes luck manipulation.
ars4326: Hi again, Alyosha (& MESHUGGAH). This is quite an improvement over Nitsuja's '06 run! The Level 5 and (especially) Level 8 savings you found significantly improved the pace of the run, in addition to the shortcuts and further optimizations made, overall. Another well done effort here in obsoleting another older site record :)
