This movie is 36 seconds faster than the currently published version. About 30 seconds are because of routing changes. The long wait time before ringing the doorbell near the end is gone. I use all 3 kids this time. See below for more.
Glitch: switched kids while in the kitchen so that Edna would disappear
Trick: avoided a cutscene with Weird Ed by going upstairs quickly enough
Trick: had one kid push the gargoyle so another kid could get the silver key
Glitch: went downstairs after giving the can of Pepsi to the green tentacle so that the wax fruit wouldn't be needed
Trick: used the Hunk-o-matic machine only once instead of twice
Glitch: entered Ed's room, then switched kids and rang the doorbell
Trick: lured Ed out of his room with the doorbell instead of being captured
Trick: allowed the doorbell ringer (Razor) to be captured for teamwork purposes later
Trick: minimized the time that the pool was drained so that a cutscene with purple tentacle was avoided
Glitch: cut off Ed's speech on the stairs by using a command (get gargoyle)
Trick: entered lab via new, faster method
Trick: used the 0000 code to open the inner door to the lab.
Glitch: used Ed's response to the doorbell to freeze purple tentacle. In case you are unfamiliar with the glitch, here's a brief outline. First enter a room containing someone unfriendly. Either switch kids or have a cutscene occur before being captured. After switching back to the first kid, the unfriendly person/tentacle will be frozen. (An exception is the green tentacle at the stairs.) The 'New Kid' command is disabled in the lab entry precisely because of this glitch, but the programmers seemingly forgot that cutscenes also make the glitch work.
Glitch: didn't get the radiation suit (causes graphic oddities)
Glitch: Meteor's projectile visually touched Dave this time, but he was saved by the cutscene.prevented meteor from firing its projectile
Glitch: put meteor in the trunk without opening the trunk (!)
Trick: completed the game fast enough that the cutscene with Sandy and Dr. Fred does not appear (saves 4 seconds)
Ahaha I like this new approach. Total yes vote. BTW I don't think the "New Kid" disable just inside the security doors is due to the "enemy freeze" glitch; I think they disable it in the original PC version as well to give a sort of "point of no return" feel to entering the lab (even though you can bail from the first room if you so choose). Still, though, solid run and beautiful bug exploitation.
Maniac Mansion is one of those awesome games that I could never get anywhere in. I've always loved watching it be played, though, and this is just incredible.
Not that it's needed at this point, but it's a foregone conclusion that it gets a yes from me.
This movie has been published.
The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie.
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[444] NES Maniac Mansion by Arc in 07:15.78
This gets my patented "Oh God Yes". I LOVE this game. And the bugs are crazy, it's a scripting system so there's so much to be exploited :x
There needs to be more games like these. With more exploitables!
Having some severe desyncs when playing this movie with the latest FCE Ultra. (0.98.15) it's noticable right after the children get selected. It doesn't have problems with the older 0.98.12 that it was recorded in, however.
When you get out of the pool after getting the glowing key, use the other kid to go ring the doorbell (instead of going to push the gargoyle like in the movie). When you emerge from the kitchen, you will get caught by Ed, saving probably 15 seconds+ (no walking down to lab / no walking back and forth to the gargoyle with the other kid).
The problem in the PC version is that then the doorbell cutscene no longer works later. But that is not necessarily the case in the NES version. Could well bring your run to under 7 minutes...
When you get out of the pool after getting the glowing key, use the other kid to go ring the doorbell (instead of going to push the gargoyle like in the movie). When you emerge from the kitchen, you will get caught by Ed
That's what I did in a few of my previous runs. The gargoyle method is faster because Ed won't respond to the second doorbell ring until he has returned to his room.
However, I've done some thinking and some testing (desperately trying to find ways to get the movie to less than 7 minutes), and I've found a few improvements. The new movie's time should be about 6:55.
When you get out of the pool after getting the glowing key, use the other kid to go ring the doorbell (instead of going to push the gargoyle like in the movie). When you emerge from the kitchen, you will get caught by Ed
That's what I did in a few of my previous runs. The gargoyle method is faster because Ed won't respond to the second doorbell ring until he has returned to his room.
However, I've done some thinking and some testing (desperately trying to find ways to get the movie to less than 7 minutes), and I've found a few improvements. The new movie's time should be about 6:55.
I realize that this thread is a bit dated, but I'm curious as to how the progress on this is going. What kinds of optimizations did you have in mind?
However, I've done some thinking and some testing (desperately trying to find ways to get the movie to less than 7 minutes), and I've found a few improvements. The new movie's time should be about 6:55.
I realize that this thread is a bit dated, but I'm curious as to how the progress on this is going. What kinds of optimizations did you have in mind?
I've been working hard on the movie for the last month or so. I've found a lot of really interesting things. The new movie is going to blow the old one away.
I was initially kind of worried that I wasn't going to meet that 6:55 time I estimated, but then I found a great new timesaver. So now I think it could be more like 6:45.
I don't like to spoil it, but you're going to see something new involving green tentacle, a more efficient way to be captured, and more instances of two kids' being in the same room. And some other stuff.
I've been working hard on the movie for the last month or so. I've found a lot of really interesting things. The new movie is going to blow the old one away.
I was initially kind of worried that I wasn't going to meet that 6:55 time I estimated, but then I found a great new timesaver. So now I think it could be more like 6:45.
I don't like to spoil it, but you're going to see something new involving green tentacle, a more efficient way to be captured, and more instances of two kids' being in the same room. And some other stuff.
I shall await the arrival of this new run with eagerness!... 'n stuff. There are a lot of things I've wondered about the game myself, actually. A lot of the FAQs online only show how to beat the game, not the purpose of doing some of these actions.
Is there anywhere online I can look to find out such things as the reason anyone would want to microwave the hamster?
Is there anywhere online I can look to find out such things as the reason anyone would want to microwave the hamster?
You should probably check some psychology books for that info.
Really, microwaving the hamster is in the game just for humor and as one of the few ways to have a kid get killed. Independently, the two objects have important roles in the game. The hamster is technically an essential item, because it blocks the card key. (And since Ed protects the hamster, you must draw Ed out of his room.) The microwave is needed if you take the 'manuscript' route.
There are FAQs that tell you the purpose of each item. Are there some other actions about which you're wondering?
I'd found a lot of FAQs that never answered these questions and got a bit frustrated. That's probably why I didn't look at any more (and missed the good ones.)
Just had to look harder is all. Thanks anyway :)
