Donkey Kong Country 2 - Diddy's Kong Quest 102% TAS - by Comicalflop
This is my first TAS ever, the much awaited 102% completion of Donkey Kong Country 2 - Diddy's Kong Quest. The length is 318242 frames, 1:28:24, and the in-game timer of the game is 1 hour 12 minutes.
I've watched this game being played by others a lot when I was younger, and had the Gameboy version to play with, so I was very familiar with Donkey Kong games. When I discovered this site Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3 were the first games I played to completion using emulators. After watching the amazing single segment 102% run on SDA, plus Sami's any% TAS I knew that this would be my first submission.
When I started I was not that good at it (plenty of negative criticism was received for my early TAS attempts) but after 7 restarts/test runs of the game, I finally had it mastered. I played this game exclusively using Frame Advance, which helped me to be able to load/create save states without trouble, and take the game as slowly as I needed, while creating a lot of precision. I now can't use a different reduced speed besides Frame Advance.
Many new tactics/glitches were discovered prior to and during the making of this run, most of them extremely useful, some not but still interesting.
Despite this being my first run, I realized that the completed run would be about an hour and a half, so I try to keep the audience entertained, especially during boss fights and some levels (Web Woods, Klobber's Karnage, Haunted Hall, etc.) whereas some levels were entertaining on their own, which helps.
Stereo sound was selected for superior sound quality.
- Emulator used Snes9x 1.43+ improvement9
- Movie length: 318242 (01:28:24)
- Use WIP1 Timing (Yes)
- Allow Left+Right/Up+Down (Yes)
- Volume Envelope Height Reading (No)
- Fake Mute desync workaround (No)
- Sync samples with sound CPU (No)
- Aims for fastest time
- Manipulates luck
- Uses Warps
- Takes damage to save time
- Abuses programming errors in the game
- 102% completion
- Uses a game restart sequence
New Tricks and Glitches
DKC2 has many interesting, different glitches compared to DKC. Many of them are not featured in Sami's any% run.
Rolling Tricks:
DKC2 has the same extended rolling tricks as DKC; but Dixie gets a unique rolling technique that makes endless rolls possible with her. By waiting 21-22 frames, without holding Y, Dixie will start her roll but, on the first possible frame you start another roll, and Dixie will continue to roll. But, this is repeatable, with no stops, for as long as you are moving in a direction with space, as long as you keep the sequence going by starting a roll at the first possible moment (usually when Dixie stops her roll, and her hair begins to curl.) This is used in Squawk's Shaft, and especially in bosses.
Team-Throwing:
DKC2 introduced Team-throwing, where one Kong piggybacks the other and can toss that Kong up, forward, or up/backwards, making inaccessible areas possible to reach. The team-throw is very limiting- or is it? When the other Kong is coming back to land on the main Kong, 1-2 frames before he/she lands if you press "jump" you can jump again in mid-air, and perform another team-throw. This is extremely useful for reaching high areas much faster, and makes Castle Crush possible. Also, once a thrown Kong hits a monster both kongs become invincible.
Backwards-Walking Switch:
This is a very interesting/difficult trick, where under certain circumstances, your movement before switching Kongs will cause the other Kong to walk backwards. The best feature of this is to enter walls- in some cases, you either shoot straight up really fast of can go through walls with a well placed team-throw. The trick is easy to perform once you know what to do, but moderately hard to execute beneficially- in my test runs of Chain Link Chamber I was able to enter almost every wall, and in only two cases was it useful, both of which are featured in the level (I was either ejected out of the wall or got stuck at all the other places.) The way I perform the second backwards-switch in Chain Link Chamber- mount/dismount the Kong quickly- is the easiest way to get a consistent backwards switch, assuming you are close enough to the wall.
Fun with the Animals:
All of the animals behave the way they are supposed to- except in some cases. Rambi has an additional jump featured in his charge. Anytime when you jump in the air while charging, by pressing the opposite direction and jump at the same time on one frame, and the next holding jump and going the other direction, Rambi makes an additional jump, and loses his charge.
Squawk's hit detection does not work intuitively- you can be inside dangerous objects/walls without being harmed.
Squitter is very complex, and sometimes you can create two web platforms with no wait- very hard to do, and I don't know what lets you do it.
Goal Target Switch:
The most featured glitch, the targets at the end of each level are sensitive to a Kong’s height when landing, and this can activate the song sequence which is 4-7 seconds long if you jump on it from too high. But, under the right instance if you perform a switch, and the other Kong would normally appear is on the target, the game freezes for a few brief frames, the Kongs switch and head to the next level, which saves 30ish frames if you would normally have to do another jump from being too high, because a goal-switch does not activate the song at all. This is also an excellent way of switching between two Kongs, because a normal switch takes 66 frames in a level, so strategically if one Kong is better for the next level, a goal switch is very good.
Duck-Sliding:
A minor glitch where, instead of jumping into the water, if you slide off the edge and duck, you will fall into the water at normal speed, and by holding 'A' you will rise in the water very fast.
Animal Extra Jump:
When Squitter or Rattler gets hit, when you are the animal and not riding it, you have an invincibility period where you can take an additional jump.
Level by Level
Pirate Panic:
Nothing too special
Mainbrace Mayhem:
Lots of climbing, fast bonuses, first goal switch used
Gangplank Galley:
Dixie is faster because of her Helicoptering; For World 1 and 2 taking the warp and going backwards is faster than playing the whole level, but only for some levels.
Lockjaw's Locker:
First Duck slide, but used to gain height in the rising water; the dismount off of Enguarde somehow preserved a lot of speed
Topsail Trouble:
Another warp level; when rolling to second bonus, the screen decided not to follow
Kreepy Krow:
This boss caused the most amount of restarts of the run, because I was just learning what luck manipulation is. I lose a few frames on the overworld map for the perfect egg drops to come, but luckily for the rest of the luck-manipulatable I barely lose any frames. The fighting method was taken from Arne_the_great.
Hothead Hop:
Worked on avoiding as many brown Krocs as possible
Kannon's Klaim:
Getting to the warp as Diddy is the fastest, but took many tries to do. Took a daring shortcut to get to bonus #2.
Jungle Jinxes:
I love doing the lost world levels in this run, as it shows people many levels that they had not seen before. In test runs I got into the tires sometimes, death by falling usually followed. The bonus has Dixie be invincible after the team-throw and go through the last bee.
Lava Lagoon:
This caused a lot of desynchs for me in early versions, but once I switched to the 1.0 ROM those stopped. I ended up not using as many Duck slides as earlier versions, but still get to do one for the DK coin. The invincibility barrel prevents me from doing a goal switch in this level, which kinda sucks.
Redhot Ride:
another warp level, I utilize two glitches here: the Rambi jump, which makes crossing the huge lava pit possible, and the team-throw jump, to get the DK coin; I also can start+select in mid-air.
Sqauwk's Shaft:
The name made one of my friend's laugh, but I digress... I learned how to use turbo-function here, and good thing too because I use Sqauwks a lot in the run, and prevented me from gettin Carpal Tunnel. Took shortcuts in bonus #2, the last bonus is very nice, plus Dixie gets a lot of extended rolling here.
Kleaver's Kiln:
The other boss fight that Arne had done, saving 12 seconds compared to Sami's run. It took me a while to learn how to get the hooks to fall on Cannonball #4. And watch what Diddy does on the very last hit before the coin comes down :P
Barrel Bayou:
Nothing too special
Glimmer's Galleon:
Funny Glitch in bonus #1, where I get the coin, leave and the music is still playing. I spent a lot of rerecords to move perfectly around every single corner
Krockhead Klamber:
Getting the DK coin was fast, as was bonus #1; that bonus is done faster before it even starts it seems when viewing it.
Rattle Battle:
Rattler is very slow, so not an impressive level. Plus, many spots got really tight to avoid getting hit.
Black Ice battle:
What Rattle Battle lacked in speed, Black Ice Battle made up for it. A level that goes down = a lot of fun for Diddy's rolling.
Slime Climb:
Fast climbing, did the team-throw jump to get to bonus #1, I got to one part so fast that the climbing-krocs are discolored
Bramble Blast:
Took a hit to skip an entire huge area with barrels when getting to bonus #1. This changed my Kong setup, meaning one of Sami's shortcuts I couldn't take. Getting to DK coin- Squawks has a very interesting hit detection, making impossible maneuvers like this doable.
Kudgel's Kontest
Kudgel has, out of all the bosses, the worst hit detection; I make full use of this, I am practically inside of him 1/3 of the time. I try to keep the audience entertained here, since this is the longest and most boring boss fight.
Hornet's Hole:
Doing bonus #1 and 2 is faster after completing the level. Squitter did his job nicely, killing bees left and right like the good little arachnid he is.
Target Terror:
I hate all three kart levels, this one I try to keep the audience entertained but there's little room for showing off.
Bramble Scramble:
Nothing too special, Squawk's hit detection while carrying Kongs comes in handy here
Rickety Rage:
Another kart level, faster but still not much room for showing off. A goal switch here only results in a backwards switch, so I normal switch here so that I can double roll with Diddy in Mudhole Marsh.
Mudhole Marsh:
Team-throwing in bonus #1, waited a little bit to make barrel come faster in the large pit
Klobber Karnage:
Slow moving barrels= boring. Barrels blasting off 2-3 times a second in random/hair-raising patterns= entertaining. Dixie's route was faster, so she's used here.
Rambi Rumble:
Nothing too special here, don't get to use Rambi's second jump.
King Zing Sting:
Tried to keep Squawks moving around, as well as try different ways to dodge the oversized bee.
Ghostly Grove:
Nothing too special, you can roll on krocs if they are below you, which helps in speed
Haunted Hall:
Tried to get the counter close to zero, and tried other entertaining things.
Gusty Glade:
The shortest bonus is featured here, lasting only one second. Thank goodness for blowing winds in the right direction.
Parrot Chute Panic:
Like Sami, played without needing any purple Squawks.
Web Woods:
Squitter gave me a petition; he said that he was having CWB, Copius Web Backup, and needed to spit webs as much as possible in this level or else he'd explode. I complied, and it resulted in a 98.113% (darn that one green hopping kroc that I couldn't reach) kill level. Squitter is now the "Arachnid Machine-Gun" in my heart. This level is, no questions asked, one of the three most entertaining of the whole run. Castle Crush and Chain Link Chamber are the others, with Klobber's Karnage the runner-up.
Leap of faith to chase after the fast cannonball for bonus #1!
Fiery Furnace:
Nothing too special here, except for the bonus- thanks Arne!
Kreepy Krow:
Accidental Luck Manipulation made the barrels closer to Kreepy Krow, making for a faster fight. I didn't know that at the last sequence you can go below the level- surprise! I keep Dixie moving constantly, because as with all her boss fights it's the most entertaining.
Artic Abyss:
Nothing too special, but Enguarde's pleading eyes and willingness to be fast have convinced me never to eat sushi again.
Windy Well:
Getting to bonus #1 test run had Diddy Disappearing- very weird. But, the best part of the whole level is getting to bonus #2, avoiding the Kleaver and the Barrel Kroc, and getting to the bonus just like that took a LOT of tries, and finding the exact spot to be bounced over kleaver's swords, and still have time to roll through him into the bonus.
Castle Crush:
The first part, I have to wait with Rambi, so I show off his double jump a lot. Once I'm not Rambi anymore, I precede to go through the level WAY ahead of the rising floor. Many thanks to Arne for discovering this best application of the team-throw jump glitch. The second of the three most entertaining levels.
Clapper's Cavern:
Enguarde bonus = pure love for that swordfish. Rattler is the only animal that I have no love for.
Chain Link Chamber:
The third of the most entertaining levels. Improved the climbing from Sami's any% by a lot, and utilized the backwards switch to make two very big shortcuts.
Toxic Tower:
The other runner-up for entertaining, similar playstyle with Sami's run but took another hit when he had to wait for the red bee to move.
Screech's Sprint:
Took the shortcut that was noticed after Sami's run was published; the other shortcut suggested nets no frame loss/gain.
K. Rool Duel:
Sami waited in front of the gun and jumped to avoid the cannonballs; I make Dixie look like she has a major sugar rush and she moves, jumps, and runs around everywhere, like the monkey she is. And if you thought the glitch at the end of Kleaver's Kiln was awesome, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Reset: first possible frame to reset with game file saved.
Animal Antics:
This level was very hard; the 100% kills goal did not work at all for the Squitter section, but I try to keep it fast and still killing enemies, because that looks entertaining. Squeezed through a small space to save a lot of time in the bonus; too bad it didn't let me stay as Squawks. The section with wind makes people playing normal time sweat- doesn't slow me down at all.
Krocodile Kore:
A lesser version of the K. Rool fight. Diddy has been whining the whole time that he hasn't faced any bosses: Dixie decided to take a break, so Diddy does his best to finish the run.
Thanks and notes:
Many great thanks to:
- Jean-Philippe 'Ounaya' Gilbert on SDA for creating the single segment 102% run, which gave me a complete idea of where all bonuses/DK coins are
- Sami, for his any% run that showed me what a DKC2 TAS should look like; for many levels I had a separate emulator up with his run playing so I could learn
- Arne_the_great, for discovering practically all of the tricks used in this run- good luck on DKC2 any% improvement
- All of the forum members who supported a first timer through 7 restarts
As this is my first run, I might improve it later, but after the intense two months that it took to make this, I'm going to take a break.
I hope you like watching my first submission, I spent a great amount of time making it faster than normal plus tried to make an hour and a half run as entertaining as possible. Enjoy!