- FCE ULTRA .98
- contraj.nes
- Takes no damage
- Abuses luck
- Uses a foreign version to save time
Please don't vote "yes" just because the time is faster!!!
It is, in fact, actually slower than the single player run. This is the Japanese version of Contra (contraj.nes) in which there are added background animations (I won't spoil where, in case you haven't seen the game, but level 8 is creepy), a slightly better ending, and cut scenes and a map in between every stage, which you won't see. You won't see them because, in this version, they can be skipped, unlike the US version which takes a couple of extra seconds every stage. By skipping these, I saved about 22 seconds, and I don't want to sound modest, but it really wasn't that much work. Personally, I think it makes for a much faster paced movie.
Apart from these differences, there is absolutely no change in
gameplay.
If this were played on the US version, it would be 798 frames
faster than my previous submission of 9:54, and 378 frames slower than Genisto's single player run of 9:34, putting this run at 9:40 by comparison.
As for the run, I think I'm getting the hang of this now. Every stage is faster. I saved bunches of time in Base 1 by sticking to the default weapon instead of the fire. The default damages enemies as much as every other bullet in the game, but it's just as fast as the lazer.
I also saved much time in Snow Field because of the suggestions I
received from my last run for the spikey tanks. They fell about 2 seconds faster each by jumping into them instead of waiting.
As for lag, I'm happy to say there is none. By sticking to my plan of 2 lazers instead of 2 spreads, as well as alternating the shots instead of firing them simultaneously, I was able to avoid lag altogether.
Again, sorry for my stubborn opposition to the spread guns, but while they may save a touch of time, they're not effecient or predictable in the slightest in the bases and, IMO, even when they're not causing lag, they just look sloppy as hell.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this, and I'm anxious to hear some opinions :)
Oh, and special thanks to CoolBumpty for his comparison of the single player and my last runs. It helped me out quite a lot, especially knowing the bosses spawn later with 2 players.
adelikat: setting this run to delayed in hopes it will stir up some discussion.
I am troubled by some people in IRC's opinion that this run "gets a faster time by playing a different version". This is not what is going on here. The author has very conveniently given the exact frame comparsions, showing that it is comparaibly slower than genisto's run. The choice of rom is because it is more entertaining with better graphics and less black screen time.
It is my opinion that this run should be accepted because it is entertaining and is awful close in time to the 1-player version. Eventually, the use of the spread gun may prove faster (and obsolete this), but I don't feel this run is flawed for its weapon choice.
Also, I think it should obsolete the pacifist run, here is why:
the 1-player is the "completes game as fast as possible"
The 2nd run of this game should be the "play-around" category where the author intentionally gets a slower time for the sake of entertainment. In that category, the 2-player run trumps the pacifist run.
I no longer feel this way because, upon further examination, I believe that the 2-player run can made faster than the 1p run. As a result, a hypothetical future 2p run should obolete the 1p run instead. The pacifist run should be left as the "playround" category run for this game.
Even published along side the other two, this run should be published.
Note to publishers: At this point I am actively improving this run.
adelikat: Well, Response is good enough to accepting this run.
Bisqwit: Mr. submitter, are you still "active improving" this run?
adelikat: This may be unprecedented, but I am now rejecting this submission.
Shortly after accepting this run, I began an improved version of the 1p run. Carefully study of that 1p run and this 2p run led me to conclude that a 2p run will in fact be faster. I am now working on a 2p run. There are many optimazation that can be done.
1) Weapon choice. Spread isn't always the optimal choice, but laser and fire never are. I won't go into the exact frame counts for this here.
2) The jumping glitch can save significant time in level 3.
