(Link to video)
Submission Text Full Submission Page Publication Page

Objectives

  • Takes damage to save time
  • Uses pencil to smack bosses
  • Genre: Platform
  • Emulator: Bizhawk 1.11.6 Gambatte core

About the run

I don't know this Gremlins franchise but I got interested in this game after watching JonathanXSpidewebia's stream so I decided to run it.
For console players, this game is difficult to say the least. A lot of the jumps and the boss fights are unforgiving. Some boss patterns are downright undodgeable and some jumps require frame precision.
There are some frame and pixel squeezing tricks I found while I was already in stage 3 and beyond. Luckily, the game happens to be sync-friendly (except for the Stage 3 boss) so I didn't lose much of my progress. I'm glad how my TAS turned out and I hope you like it.
Stage 1
I didn't get the suitcase (the item that basicly makes you invincible for 5 hits) to make the run more impressive. Nothing much else to say.
Bonus game
You can press A and B, but the game doesn't accept input every other frame so I just autofired both buttons which clears the game as fast as possible.
Stage 2
I didn't get the pencil because the detour takes too long (I tested it). At the staircase, I jumped straight up briefly in order for the bat to move left more so I could bypass it. I also needed to wait at the skater guys briefly. The boss pattern looks to be consistent and the best strat I came up with was to make the dude move right repeatedly. He won't attack until the little bat thingies go offscreen so I optimized for that.
Stage 3
This stage has the best music. I didn't get the pencil here either. The tight passages turned out tricky but I managed to jump partially in the wall to bypass the enemy fire. Using the musical note item on either the enemy in the top or the middle passage was equally fast.

The boss is luck-based - depending on timing, he might take some extra turns zapping around but by adding some delay frames before each hit, I could manipulate him to get on the ground as fast as possible each time. After each hit, he would move towards you before starting to zap around, but since he will move offscreen to the right upon death, it was important to make sure he would end up close to the right side of the screen after the fight. Each possibility was tested and the best way I came up with was to make him attack you leftwards, leftwards, leftwards, rightwards. (There was another attack pattern that was equally fast but I forgot it.)
Bonus game
Same deal as before.
Stage 4
There are some annoying sections in this stage, some of which are very difficult on console but are made look (too) easy in the TAS. I managed to pull off a fast boss fight. You can shoot again after your last shot has disappeared, so I tried to get as close as possible to the head when shooting. Movie end is at the last B button press.

Tricks

Look here.

Possible improvements

None that I know.

Thanks to

  • JonathanXSpidewebia for showing me this game
  • NitroGenesis for his WIP
  • the makers of Bizhawk and Gambatte
Fog: Judging.
Noxxa: Replaced submission file with a 2-frame improvement.
Fog: This is a nice, seemingly optimal run. However, it is one of those runs where my opinions contradict the audience's opinion on an entertainment point of view.
I personally found the run, while technically sound, quite boring. It seems that the audience disagrees with me and found it quite entertaining. With that in mind, I'm accepting for Moons.
feos: Pub.

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Posted: 4/12/2016 4:00 PM
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TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #5094: MUGG's GB Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 06:47.70
Posted: 4/12/2016 4:14 PM
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KusogeMan
Experienced player (689)
Joined: 2/5/2012
Posts: 1794
Location: Brasil
wips are present in the thread
I want all good TAS inside TASvideos, it's my motto. TAS i'm interested: Megaman series, specially the RPGs! Where is the mmbn1 all chips TAS we deserve? Where is the Command Mission TAS? i'm slowly moving away from TASing fighting games for speed, maybe it's time to start finding some entertainment value in TASing.
Posted: 4/12/2016 4:44 PM
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NitroGenesis
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He posted there, I think he knows. Will watch this later.
YoungJ1997lol wrote:
Normally i would say Yes, but thennI thought "its not the same hack" so ill stick with meh.
Posted: 4/12/2016 5:32 PM
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KusogeMan
Experienced player (689)
Joined: 2/5/2012
Posts: 1794
Location: Brasil
i meant to say that because the encode wasn`t up and you could watch the progress there
I want all good TAS inside TASvideos, it's my motto. TAS i'm interested: Megaman series, specially the RPGs! Where is the mmbn1 all chips TAS we deserve? Where is the Command Mission TAS? i'm slowly moving away from TASing fighting games for speed, maybe it's time to start finding some entertainment value in TASing.
Posted: 4/12/2016 5:45 PM
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Dwedit
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Posts: 692
Location: Chicago
This is one of the most generic platformers I've ever seen.
Posted: 4/12/2016 6:06 PM
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MUGG
Editor, Expert player (2329)
Joined: 5/15/2007
Posts: 3931
Location: Germany
Gameboy TASer of 2015 NES TAS of 2013 Gameboy TASer of 2011 Gameboy TASer of 2010
Turns out tunnel trick can be used in a few more places so there is potential to save a few frames. I will try to make an updated run. Until then, please don't publish. 
now	     :18091 white out after stage 3 boss
1px saved	:18092 "
2px saved	:18089 "
3px saved	:18089 "
Edit: Here is my updated run. http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/30195034268197933 It saves all 3 pixels I could save.
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Posted: 4/12/2016 11:02 PM
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Personman
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Joined: 4/20/2008
Posts: 465
I like straightforward TASes like this. I wouldn't if it were much more than 6 minutes long, but it's not, so it's very nice.
A warb degombs the brangy. Your gitch zanks and leils the warb.
Posted: 4/13/2016 4:25 AM
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andypanther
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Joined: 6/30/2010
Posts: 1107
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
This game looks way too hard to be enjoyable in real time. But as a TAS, it was short enough to not get boring and even had some good music, I vote yes.
Current project: Gex 3 any% Paused: Gex 64 any% There are no N64 emulators. Just SM64 emulators with hacky support for all the other games.
Posted: 4/13/2016 9:16 AM
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Radiant
Player (26)
Joined: 8/29/2011
Posts: 1206
Location: Amsterdam
Interesting how there's a "Gremlins 2 The New Batch" game for so many platforms, and all of them are completely different. Sometimes different genres, even.
Indie game developer
Posted: 4/13/2016 11:40 AM
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mklip2001
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Posts: 2227
Location: Georgia, USA
Radiant: Good point. This version is, for me, a lot less interesting than the NES version. The run is smooth enough, however. The boss fights make me think of this game as being a poor man's version of Batman Return of the Joker. Yes vote.
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.
Posted: 4/16/2016 7:37 PM
Post subject: Movie published
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TASVideoAgent
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This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [3123] GB Gremlins 2: The New Batch by MUGG in 06:47.70
Posted: 1/6/2017 7:11 PM
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MUGG
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Joined: 5/15/2007
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Gameboy TASer of 2015 NES TAS of 2013 Gameboy TASer of 2011 Gameboy TASer of 2010
urawaza.in wrote:
◇デモ画面をとばす 　デモ画面になったら、A、Bを同時に押す。 ◇ Skip the demo screen When you are in the demo screen, press A and B at the same time.
What demo screen?? It doesn't do anything on the title screen or the pre-level score board screen. And on the dialogue before level 1, pressing A is sufficient. Which screen is this page talking about?
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