(Link to video)
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This run of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 consists of collecting all the Emeralds and getting the true ending (with Super Knuckles).

Game Objectives

• Gens11b with Camera Hack and Solidility display.
• Contains speed/entertainment tradeoffs
• Aims for in-game time instead of real-time
• Takes Damage to save time
• Forgoes time-saving glitches
• Genre: Platform
• Abuses programming errors
• Manipulates luck
Just to Clarify, inputs were used from Knuckles in Sonic 2 Any% TAS by Zurggriff (I had to play Oil Ocean Act 1 and Wing Fortress because of lag frame issues). Credit goes to them for the inputs. We did 100% because no one else had done a Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 100% run before. So me and Takz decided we should make a run of it...

Times

LevelsTimeAuthor
EHZ10:26::19Takz15x
EHZ20:43::56Takz15x
CPZ10:14::46Zurggriff
CPZ20:31::39ShiningProdigy9000
AR10:12::40Zurggriff
AR20:28::27Zurggriff
CNZ10:15::40Zurggriff
CNZ20:32::05Zurggriff
HTZ10:23::36Zurggriff
HTZ20:42::03Zurggriff
MCZ10:24::03Zurggriff
MCZ20:28::51Zurggriff
OOZ10:17::02ShiningProdigy9000
OOZ20:28::59Zurggriff
MZ10:28::32Zurggriff
MZ20:12::37Zurggriff
MZ30:46::49Zurggriff
SCZ2:05::56ShiningProdigy9000
WFZ1:40::44ShiningProdigy9000
DEZ0:40::27Zurggriff

Relevant Information for this Submission

• The game has a hidden in-game timer that counts the frames. It does not increment during lag frames or while the game is paused.
• Spindash release speed is controlled by how many times the buttons A, B, or C are pressed and how long the spindash is held before being released. The first button press sets the held spindash speed at 8 pixels per frame. Subsequent button presses raise the speed by 1.5 pixels per frame and each frame the spindash is held lowers the speed by 1/32 of the held speed value. The range for spindash speed is bounded to a minimum 8 pixels per frame and a maximum of 12 pixels per frame and the release speed only occurs in increments of 1/2 pixel per frame. Thus, it takes 6 button presses to release a maximum speed spindash.
• Zips occur when Knuckles is inside solid terrain. The game ejects Knuckles at speeds up to 32 pixels per frame in the opposite direction that Knuckles is traveling. This is useful for performing a level wrap but is also good for just going fast.
• Special Stages have a little thing in them, they have lag frames in them. The devs added lag frames because if there were no lag frames in the special stages, you wouldn't control Knuckles properly and the special stage would move fast. They also changed the aspect ratio of it as well.

Stage Comments

Special Stages

We collected as few rings as possible so that the score counter doesn't go as slow as it would with more rings collected...

Emerald Hill

Used some routing from Evil_3D, WST, and Zurggriff's Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Ring Attack TAS to get 50 rings at the start, The main difference between original Sonic 2 and Knuckles version after the Special Stage: In Sonic 2, you may need to recollect 50 rings before the next checkpoint, but in "Knuckles" version, the rings can be kept for the next checkpoint. You can see the rings reset in this TAS of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 100% after we completed the 1st special stage we can TAS normally to get to the other special stages and beat the level, also we used Super Knuckles for the boss.

Chemical plant "Act 2"

I saw a strat used in this (found by CubbyCubbyCat) at the Classic Sonic Speedruns, they found out that it is possible to get a time save in this zone by going to the top path and using the blocks to make Sonic upwards and being at the very edge of it to get to the zip area. Forgot to mention, that part doesn't crush you. So after that finding, I found out that it is indeed possible with Knuckles. Well, some of it is... The 1st zip leads into the 2nd zip, There is a part of the level that is slightly open and that part, you need to make the game to think that you're on the top path instead of the downwards. With that in mind, the loop section would be open and you'll be able to go in that area without the wall stopping you. Then I TAS the level normally since the 3rd zip isn't possible with Knuckles because of his jump height.

Sky Chase

Honestly, I have no clue on how I saved a frame in this, maybe it's because of Super Knuckles, but I'll take anything I can get.

Improvements

Currently, we have no clue, but are accepting any improvements YOU or we can find...

Special Thanks

• For the previous 100% run
• For Zurggriff's any% run inputs
• For the Ring Attack strats to get 50 rings at the start of Emerald Hill acts
• rodonic01 for the encode
• All Sonic Genesis TASers who inspired me to make TAS runs

Apologies

• Grammar
• Any Obvious Improvements we missed
ThunderAxe31: Claiming for judging.
ThunderAxe31: I've watched this submission and the published Sonic 2 publication side-by-side, and I could see that there are many little differences due to different character mechanics. According to the rules, we can have separate Standard branches for different playable characters. The fact that this is a hack ROM isn't an issue either, as it has already been published for a different branch.
Accepting as a new full completion branch.
despoa: Processing...

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Posted: 6/23/2023 10:12 PM
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TASVideoAgent
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This topic is for the purpose of discussing #8376: ShiningProdigy9000, Takz15x & Zurggriff's Genesis Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 "100%" in 31:22.02
Posted: 6/23/2023 10:59 PM
(Edited: 6/23/2023 11:10 PM)
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CoolHandMike
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First edition TAS of 2023 Sega TAS of 2023
That camera hack with Knuckles showed more detail which I liked. Very similar to the other sonic + knuckles combo games so I expected the tas to be good which it was. The 100% post bonus levels does not really add much gameplay wise since super Knuckles is never seen again after the first time. I do remember trying to beat that Egg Mech when I was younger and I really wish they had made its hit box just slightly lower so I never beat sonic 2 with knuckles, but of course tas has no issue. Easy yes vote.
discord: CoolHandMike#0352
Posted: 6/24/2023 11:32 PM
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ShiningProdigy9000
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CoolHandMike wrote:
The 100% post bonus levels does not really add much gameplay wise since super Knuckles is never seen again after the first time.
Yes but even with super Knuckles, the fastest routes don't include him (except for sky chase and EHZ 1 boss)
ShiningProdigy100
Posted: 6/25/2023 12:31 AM
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FractalFusion
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Glitchy TAS of 2013 Gameboy TAS of 2013 PSX TASer of 2010
I only watched around 30% of this TAS. All it did was remind me of this submission. I think I might have found it a bit more interesting, if there was some use for Super Knuckles after Emerald Hill Zone. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.
Posted: 6/25/2023 12:07 PM
(Edited: 6/25/2023 1:11 PM)
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WST
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Honestly, I didn’t really enjoy watching this. It just doesn’t differ enough from the any% TAS, and the only noticeable difference (the special stages) is quite boring to watch. Metropolis 1 does not use the recently discovered level-wrap. Wing Fortress zone is messed up, especially the boss fight. You shouldn’t fall into the boss room, staying inside the ceiling is an important time saver. In AIZ, up-loop jumps are missing, the nesessary rolling in the loops is missing, glide-landing during the down-loop jump is also missing. With all of that, you’d build much greater speed from the loops. Zurggriff’s run is an example of brilliant, Aglar-standard optimization. The additions are just not as good. Personally I would prefer watching an improvement of the ring attack of this game. I tried some places and found many improvements, though I am lazy to do the whole game.
ShiningProdigy9000 wrote:
Yes but even with super Knuckles, the fastest routes don't include him (except for sky chase and EHZ 1 boss)
You are wrong, going Super does not save time on EHZ boss. It’s already frame-perfect.
S3&A [Amy amy%] improvement (with Evil_3D & kaan55) — currently in SPZ2 my TAS channel · If I ever come into your dream, I’ll be riding an eggship :)
Posted: 7/7/2023 6:42 PM
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ThunderAxe31
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Arcade TAS of 2023 Homebrew TAS of 2023 PSX TASer of 2022 Gameboy TASer of 2017
Why is this submission slower than the existing publication in Hill Top Zone 2, Mystic Cave Zone 1, Ocean Oil Zone 1, Metropolis Zone 1, and Metropolis Zone 3?
my personal page - my YouTube channel - my GitHub - my Discord: thunderaxe31 <Masterjun> if you look at the "NES" in a weird angle, it actually clearly says "GBA"
Posted: 7/9/2023 5:24 PM
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ShiningProdigy9000
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ThunderAxe31 wrote:
Why is this submission slower than the existing publication in Hill Top Zone 2, Mystic Cave Zone 1, Ocean Oil Zone 1, Metropolis Zone 1, and Metropolis Zone 3?
Because some of the zips require 2 player inputs, otherwise they wouldnt be able to do.
ShiningProdigy100
Posted: 7/13/2023 4:27 AM
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. ---- [5412] Genesis Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 "100%" by ShiningProdigy9000, Takz15x & Zurggriff in 31:22.02
Posted: 7/14/2023 2:30 AM
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htwh
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Possible improvements aside, I did enjoy the delayed ring collection in the special stages in a sort of frenzied-anxiety way. I'm curious about one thing: why, in the judgment accepting it, is there this bit of dithering and fretting?
The fact that this is a hack ROM
Is it different in some way from the official lock-on game?