Hi, there! I plan on making a TAS of Pocky & Rocky, but since I'm a beginner, I didn't want to make a topic in the main SNES forum.
My goal is to make a 2-player speed run of Pocky & Rocky that is faster than Nightcom's
rejected attempt (which comes in at around 24 minutes).
Below are some notes on the process I plan on using.
- Watch Nightcom's run, make notes on his route
- Play through Pocky & Rocky, finding out the following things:
- Is the route Nightcom takes the fastest route?
- Are there any glitches when I press two directions at once? When I pause in the middle of a shot?
- Is it worth trading off time to get the power-ups? (I have a feeling that obtaining the weaponry power-ups will be worth it, while obtaining the health power ups will, of course, not be worth it.)
- What is in each treasure chest?
- If power-ups are worthwhile, how many keys will I need?
- Where are the shops? How much money will I need to buy keys/power ups?
- Does Pocky or Rocky's speed vary much? If so, can I find the speed value in the memory viewer?
- Are there pauses where input is accepted? If so, what can I do to fill in the blanks? What are some entertaining-looking things that Pocky and Rocky could do without wasting time?
That's all I can think of for pre-running work. Is there anything else I should be considering? (Assuming, of course, that I practice using the record feature on the emulator while I do the playthrough of the game.)
I'd like to know if this is an appropriate process for a first-time speed runner to use. Thanks, guys!