Recorded using Snes9x 1.43+ improvment9
Emulator sync settings:
  • Use wip1 timing
Movie goals:
  • Aim for fastest time
  • Play on hardest difficulty
  • Control 2 players

Movie information

First off I would like to thank Ash Williams for his great discoveries in this game; he made a very nice run. At first I didn’t know if his run could be improved, but after playing around with the game I realized small improvements were possible. This run is 683 frames faster than Ash’s run, or about 12 seconds. Most of the time saved is from mini/boss fights, several frames being saved in almost every single fight. Additionally, several frames were saved on the title menu and score tallying screens. The memory watching function was excessively utilized in this run; it made optimizing each boss much easier. You may notice that both the players will occasionally merge together to form a grey looking player; in many cases this is done to keep the screen scrolling faster, to avoid lag, and to damage bosses quicker. Sometime is looks like I miss shots or continue shooting after a target is destroyed, this is intentional. In certain cases holding down the fire button will continue to do damage to an enemy even if no shots come out of the barrel.

Stage 1 (81 frames gained)

I use homing missile for entertainment value, killing more enemies without having to turn around. The homing missile is as weak as the default weapon, dealing 2 damage points per hit. Each guard tower is improved upon by hitting the core at better frames, and the boss is improved by few frames as well.

Stage 2 (12 frames gained)

This level is a pain, and tough to optimize. The same path is used as in the published run. I only gained a couple frames for this level, and I managed to gain a minuscule amount of frames in the boss fight as well. Fooling around when the boss is exploding is a bad idea because it induces extreme lag, so I go off screen and play pong with player 1.

Stage 3 (83 frames gained)

This stage had lots of little optimizations, other than the improved boss fights. The part with the wall crawling robot was improved by some frames just by staying close to the top of the screen, I don’t know if it was less lag or if it made the screen scroll faster. After the defeat of the wall robot, the climb to the top is more optimized than the published run. The jumping part inside the warehouse was substantially improved with a new route.

Stage 4 (252 frames gained)

The green tank mini boss was insanely difficult to get correct. The tank must be off the screen when it is destroyed or the lag produce from the explosion will cause half a second of delay. The flying grey men must also be off the screen when the tank explodes or more lag will occur, I managed to manipulate some of them not to show up at all. The mini boss that comes out of the hole from under the blimp was improved dramatically compared to the published run, simply by shooting him from an angle. A huge amount of time was saved at the blimp fight. Using memory watch I was able to more accurately remove the guardian bits to take out the blimp much faster, this saved over 3 seconds alone.

Stage 5 (70 frames gained)

Same strategy here as in the published run, gained over a second from more accurate movements. Not only was the level the most difficult to one to complete, but the boss itself was a nightmare.

Stage 6 (177 frames gained)

Well I made one incredible discovery here. The flying metal demon was always a 2 round fight until Ash Williams found that the bomb can make it a one round fight. Bombs cause a ton of lag though, so I was determined to find a new way of killing the demon in one round. I found a way of one rounding him without the bomb!! The timing absurd and the amount of factors in getting this to work is unimaginable. I managed to gain even more frames from Red Falcon’s first form. Many more additional frames were saved during the brain form.

Score tallying & title screen (8 frames gained)

Oddly enough the title screen will appear at different times depending on weather you loaded a save state before the title screen appears. The fastest way to make the title screen appear is to record a movie and not load any save states until the title screen has appeared. Not using save states is ok because the start button can be turboed on odd/even frames for both player 1 and player 2 controllers which means that every frame is pressing a button to advance. The score tallying screens also use the turbo technique to ensure the fastest possible transition.

adelikat: Accepting as an improvement over the current published run.
Bisqwit DeHackEd: Processing.

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
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Joined: 8/1/2004
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Location: Seattle, WA
STOP KILLING EVERYONE SO QUICKLY! Give them a chance :( Yes voting like no one's business. Not even Dacicus' business!
hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine
Active player (432)
Joined: 4/21/2004
Posts: 3516
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
God I hate that Dacicus...pain in the ass. Hey man, you there, thumbs up. Where do you wizzards find these improvements?? I thought Mister Williams run was perfect. Voted yes.
Nitrogenesis wrote:
Guys I come from the DidyKnogRacist communite, and you are all wrong, tihs is the run of the mileniun and everyone who says otherwise dosnt know any bater! I found this run vary ease to masturbate too!!!! Don't fuck with me, I know this game so that mean I'm always right!StupedfackincommunityTASVideoz!!!!!!
Arc wrote:
I enjoyed this movie in which hands firmly gripping a shaft lead to balls deep in multiple holes.
natt wrote:
I don't want to get involved in this discussion, but as a point of fact C# is literally the first goddamn thing on that fucking page you linked did you even fucking read it
Cooljay wrote:
Mayor Haggar and Cody are such nice people for the community. Metro City's hospitals reached an all time new record of incoming patients due to their great efforts :P
Joined: 5/2/2006
Posts: 1020
Location: Boulder, CO
Good improvment. Really good touch at the start of the level on the hover bikes. Obvious yes vote.
Has never colored a dinosaur.
Joined: 9/20/2006
Posts: 287
Location: Singapore
Good run with plenty of LAWL-factor. My only complain is that the split screen stages are done so fast they give me a headache :S Awesome stuff, YESSIR!
Truncated wrote:
Truncated is the most fiendish instrument of torture ever devised to bedevil the days of man. -- xoinx
Post subject: Re: #1382: hero of the day's SNES Contra 3: The Alien Wars in 13:03
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5769
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hero of the day wrote:
You may notice that both the players will occasionally merge together to form a grey looking player
No, no, no. The explanation is wrong! In truth, the players yell secret words, and merge together to form a super hero with the power of killing bosses quickly. :D I'm very impressed at the improvements. Although I didn't appreciate all the stylistic choices compared to Ph&G's or AW's versions, the movie is still one of my favorites from the site.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Experienced player (611)
Joined: 4/24/2005
Posts: 612
Good stuff, this is an improvement worth noting. I never really found this Contra to be that interesting (probably because I found it too hard and never gave it much of a chance) but after watching this run my interest is a whole hell of a lot higher than it was. Besides being absolutely fast, it also holds high entertainment value so great job keeping that up there along side speed. Yes vote.
Joined: 12/28/2004
Posts: 210
I liked the pong parody on level 2. I never would have thought of that. That was cute.
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 380
Location: Finland
Awesome. Especially the small dancing tidbit in the beginning of the driving stage was über. Yes.
"Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your home." ( Pratchett & Gaiman: Good Omens )
JXQ
Experienced player (749)
Joined: 5/6/2005
Posts: 3132
I don't like the some of the style during this movie. I think the two-players-become-one is overused, though it may have to be to get optimal hits on some bosses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you get three different musics to play during the final boss? Either way, this run is quite good.
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
Player (88)
Joined: 11/14/2005
Posts: 1057
Location: United States
Thanks everyone, I am glad you all enjoyed the run. I am sorry for the amount of time spent with the characters overlapping, it was usually done for a good reason though.
JXQ wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you get three different musics to play during the final boss?
I wouldn't be surprised, considering how fast the flying metal dragon went down. I actually do not know though, can anyone verify that 3 different songs are being played at once?
They're off to find the hero of the day...
Joined: 6/2/2006
Posts: 63
Wow great job! I can't believe the amount of frames saved. Thev wall crawling boss was a super pain in the ass for me because it seemed that each time I fought him it took a different number of frames to get to the top. It's good to see that you found a better way to get up. The bird boss was awesome by the way. And if you found a way to save 8 frames in the score tally screens, well then this run is well deserved. Yes vote; great job again.
Player (88)
Joined: 11/14/2005
Posts: 1057
Location: United States
Thanks Ash, it means a lot to hear that from you. Your run was really darn good and the routes you used in levels 2 and 5 were really well planned. I owe much of this run to you.
They're off to find the hero of the day...
Joined: 12/20/2004
Posts: 226
Just adding another yes vote. I also think the two players as one is overused, but besides that the run is great. Now I really need to improve my speedrun :-/
JXQ
Experienced player (749)
Joined: 5/6/2005
Posts: 3132
Mikwuyma: I just watched your console run the other day, and I had a question about it. Was there a reason you didn't hold R to remain stationery while shooting up at an angle (in level 4, or at the final boss for example), or does it make it harder to shoot rapidly, or did you just not know about it at the time?
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
Joined: 12/20/2004
Posts: 226
I was holding R during my run. Funny how you mention stage 4 and the final boss, since those are two great examples of when I'm holding R :P. Look around 8:00 and 15:00 respectively. Just out of curiousity, why did you think I didn't know about the R button? I used it a lot in my run IIRC.
jaysmad
Other
Experienced player (832)
Joined: 12/1/2006
Posts: 629
Location: Mom's
I find it was pushed to the max or very close to it (if it isnt). I love 2 player runs, alot of calculations must be put into them. The style was nice and i loved the boss battles (extremely fast). Even though its already accepted, i just watched it twice and its nice. I vote yes.
JXQ
Experienced player (749)
Joined: 5/6/2005
Posts: 3132
mikwuyma: It didn't appear that you were holding R. You were instead jumping to aim up and right, and in mid-air you were going to the right and then had to steer back left in midjump. Or during the part where the ship flies overhead - to shoot something you kept holding up-left to shoot, without holding R, because you were also moving to the left, and you kept moving to the right afterwards to avoid careening into whatever it was you were shooting. Maybe you were holding R in mid-air, I don't remember how the aiming works then :)
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
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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. ---- [787] SNES Contra III: The Alien Wars "2 players" by hero of the day in 13:03.32
Banned User
Joined: 5/11/2004
Posts: 1049
Agh, for christ sakes, hasn't anyone else noticed that on the over head maps you move 22% faster with dual vectoring?! I can't believe this still hasn't been used through out the two levels, it's really quite simple.
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
Player (88)
Joined: 11/14/2005
Posts: 1057
Location: United States
Care to explain in more detail? Maybe post a quick smv showing one of the levels being done quicker? Don't just make statements and not back them up.
They're off to find the hero of the day...
Player (147)
Joined: 11/27/2004
Posts: 688
Location: WA State, USA
Spider-Waffle wrote:
dual vectoring
I have no idea what that means.
Nach wrote:
I also used to wake up every morning, open my curtains, and see the twin towers. And then one day, wasn't able to anymore, I'll never forget that.
Joined: 10/3/2005
Posts: 1332
Two directions at once. Like straferunning in an FPS.
Player (88)
Joined: 11/14/2005
Posts: 1057
Location: United States
I assume he means holding L or R and then compensating for the turn by holding the opposite direction on the dpad. I wonder how he came to the conclusion that it was 22% faster. I am probably wrong, but it seemed about the same speed to me.
They're off to find the hero of the day...
JXQ
Experienced player (749)
Joined: 5/6/2005
Posts: 3132
Surprisingly, Spider-Waffle is right. Here's a little test. Too bad he's a huge dickface about it. I'm surprised he didn't tell you to find the answer in Mega Man's source code.
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)