Post subject: Pokémon Snap
N._Harmonik
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I wonder if it would be feasible to make a TASrun of this game. Let's see, when you face the front and don't push Z, that's when the Zero-One goes the fastest so you'd have to keep your view centered as much as possible and hold Z for very few frames when snapping photos. Also, there are two different credits: one that you get every time you beat the previous score for Mew's photograph; another that you get only once when you take a picture of all 63 Pokémon in the game. So which set of credits should we focus on getting? Maybe even both?
Why, oh, why do I even <i>try</i> to understand my own species?
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Unfortunately, I don't think this can be TAS'd. http://tas.schtuff.com/pokemon_snap
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In theory, you could do a run where you got the best possible shots of virtually every Pokemon in each level one way through, but that's maybe the only feasible way I can see that working.
N._Harmonik
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Awww. Can't we just use a different emulator? Surely others can do as good a job.
Why, oh, why do I even <i>try</i> to understand my own species?
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No other N64 emulators are rerecording at the moment, sadly.
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Joe
Joined: 6/10/2006
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Location: Wisconsin
I'm not sure if this would be a good game to TAS. While you could go for a highest score goal, I'm not sure if this would be very interesting to watch, since most of it will just consist of frame-perfect shutterclicking with a repellant-pokeball being thown every now and then. I could be wrong though.
Chamale
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Keep in mind that though it will involve constant shutter-clicking, but it will be utterly, smacktackularly fast. By your logic, the Super Mario TASes are frame-perfect running with the occasional jump. Yawn. Let's make this more of a demonstration of the highest scoring things you can do. With only 1 photo ever taken of any pokemon, it would be interesting. Having this game on hard copy, I've often taken 50 shots of the same thing hoping one will work best. Here, only 1 is necessary. Unfortunately, I do see one drawback: Each level must be played 2-3 times. Here's a sort of "route": Level 1 (beach): Get a photo of Lapras in the background each time it appears. This'll shift it closer, until the best shot near Kangaskhan. 3430 points. Get a fluke photo of Butterfree (All good photos are taken by luck). 4960 points. Get a nice shot of Eevee. 4500 points. Snap a photo of gust-using pidgey. 5100 points. Total of 17990 points. That's enough points for the apple item. Perfect, because one of the best pokemon for score is Electrode. Do nothing until there's a chance to hit the second Electrode in the tunnel with an apple (If it wastes no time, shift the camera to watch Pikachu and later Electabuzz get pwned). Get a shot on the frame with maximum size bonus. 5150. The blast knocks Kakuna off the ceiling. The best shot is worth 4540. Get a shot of Haunter. Again, the best shots are flukes. 4000. Get 3 shots of Diglett, one each time he pops up. Not for score, just to make Dugtrio come out. 3 dugtrio, 9 moles in total. Dugtrio is worth 4780. Get good shots of Magnemite then Magneton, and then pick off the Electrode at the last moment. Magnemite and Magneton are worth 4260 and 4000, respectively. That's 44720 points, total. No bonuses this time. Level 3: At the start, the first Rapidash might be possible to lure into a shot with the 2 other Rapidash in it. In any case, Rapidash is worth 5170. Vulpix can be lured together with apples, so they should be. 5020. While we're waiting, throw an apple between Magmar and Charmander over there, to watch Magmar KO Charmander. Charmander evolves (WTF?) into Charmeleon and pays back the favour. Not a photo, just funny. At the first possible moment (I think that's best) throw an apple at the Moltres egg. The best photo gets 1350 pose, 1000 size, and technique bonus for 4700. Throw an apple between the 2 magmars, and snap one attacking the other. 6710. Get a photo of Charmeleon celebrating as you give it an apple. 4400. Then knock him into the lava! He'll evolve into Charizard, which can be hit with another apple. He'll do a fire attack, worth up to 4380. That point total is now 75100, barely unlocking Pester Balls (75,000). Level 4: Hit Bulbasaur of those stumps with Pester Balls, and use Apples to get the best points. Worth 5380, more than the alternative (Poliwag). Get a picture of the first slowpoke. Something's worth 4400, but I don't know what. Don't bother evolving the second slowpoke... yet... Knock down the last Metapod for long enough to hit the Psyduck, knock down the other 3 Metapods, and snap a photo of Psyduck leaping out of the water. Hit the Metapod to hit it up (originally was "knock" but... yeah...), then maybe hit it back down for a shot. 4470. Hit those 2 porygon with Pester Balls to reveal the hiding places and get photos. 5610. Congratulations for reading this far. PM me this phrase: "Quartz jock vends BMW glyph fix" to get mentioned in my signature. Hit the Porygon over the switch (why the hell can't you get out and touch the switch? dumb) to unlock level 5. That's 94960 points. Level 5: Get shots of 3 Zubat at the start, for points at the end. Get shots of the 2 distant Grimer. A grimer appears quite close on a ledge. 4300. Evolve him into Muk with Pester Balls for 4000. Unmorph all 3 Ditto with Pester Balls and get a shot of them close together. 4940. Get a nice photo of Koffing chasing Jigglypuff, then pick him off with a Pester Ball. Get a shot of that. Then kill the other two, more distant Koffing. 4400. Evolve Weepingbell. Photo. 5900. Get a photo of 3 Zubat flying toward the camera near the exit. 4330. Get the 3 jigglypuff singing. The photo is worth 6480. Then quickly end course before the long exit animation plays. Big level - boosts the score to 129,310. Level 6: Hit all 3 squirtles with Pester Balls. They get hit onto an island and you can get a photo. 5260. Throw pester balls in the water for Goldeen, Dratini and Magikarp. Worth 4400 each (evidently 1000 size and 1200 pose). Throw a pester ball onto a distant spot where a Magikarp flops around. He'll flop onto land, a mankey will punch him, and Magikarp flies over the mountains. Hit the Geodudes with a pester ball to get Sandshrew. Get both Sandshrew together and happy, they're worth 4990. There are 2 more distant Geodudes. Hit them with Pester Balls and they fall, knocking off a Graveler, revealing a Sandslash. Give him an apple for a good pose. 4800. Go down the steep valley. Look over to the ledge there, and you'll hear "eeeeeeyyooooooooo... thud... buh-karp-karp-karp". Nice hangtime, Mankey! Hit the Magikrap (typo intended) with a pester ball, and he'll evolve into Gyarados. Gyarados is worth 4680. Get a centered photo of Staryu, then another as he comes near you. Then repeat for the other two. Then get a well-timed shot for 3730. The Staryu go into a whirlpool. They come out evolved. Get a shot of them flying away for 4380. Throw multiple pester balls into the whirlpool (it flashes if the shot worked) to get Dragonite. The best pose is with his mouth open roaring. 4400. There's a Squirtle over there. Hit it with a pester ball to send it up the mountain, hitting Mankey off. Later, you can get a shot of him for 4500. But it might not be worth it until you have dash, because you need to get the secret exit. However, the score is so close to getting the dash engine, at 174,750, it's worth snapping him for the dash engine. Then nail him with a Pester Ball. The score will be 179,250 at this point. I have written more than I ever have before here. This post took about 2 hours to write. For now, it's generally: get the poke flute and snap whatever you missed in the earlier levels. Get level 3's pokemon sign, it's at the start. Throw a pester ball into the mini volcano for koffing smoke.
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My problem with this game is that you CANNOT get everything in one go. You need to get the items for optimal shots of everything, or even just to make some pokemon appear. And each run through the levels is very deterministic. I see this getting dull rather quickly. I'd skip to the end and want to see the photo gallery.
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Oh snap! It's repetitive? =( Well, I think a run would still be interesting if you ran through it one more time provided the original run-through doesn't take like.. an hour.. or even half an hour =X Things get dull quick with several run-throughs of a game. .__.
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Rail games = suxxors. Period.
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theenglishman wrote:
Rail games = suxxors. Period.
*COUGH* Sin and Punishment *COUGH* Knife's Edge: Nose Gunner *Cough* Starfox 64 *COUGH* oh look, I horked up 3 different excellent TAS candidate railed shooters. How about that?
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I meant that rail games are generally poor choices for TASing (especially when you can't control speed). Sorry for not making that clear.
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Joe
Joined: 6/10/2006
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Location: Wisconsin
On the plus side, this would probably be a rather short run, and the graphics are quite good. I just have doubts whether there is enough action in this game to make it interesting to watch given , like theenglishman said, that its on rails. I used to play this game quite a bit when it came out, and it seems like one of those games that's more fun to play than to watch. I wouldn't mind to see where this run goes and I'm interested to see how high some of the scores can get.
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theenglishman wrote:
I meant that rail games are generally poor choices for TASing (especially when you can't control speed). Sorry for not making that clear.
So high score isn't hip anymore? Curse you Neptune!! ;-;
我々を待ち受けなさい。
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and why can't 4 player N64 fast moving cross hairs or killer japanese shooters be cool? answer me that mon ami!
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Some suggestions: When setting off the Electrode for the photo, set of another nearby Electrode at the same time. This may or may not increase your size bonus but looks cool. The best shot of Slowpoke is right before it evolves. The best shot (that I know of) of Shellder occurs at the same time. Obviously you should take a picture of both. In the first area of the sixth level, I believe it's possible to get two Magikarp in the same shot: one triggered by pester-ball and one flopping over to the Mankey in the background. With precision pester-balling over the ridge after the Magmar, you could probably get a nice shot of three Growlithe or Arcanine on your way over to the Charmeleon without wasting much time. (You need to do this to avoid visiting the Volcano more than twice). You can pull a similar technique to get a quicker group photo of Charmander. Finally, take certain opportunities to abuse pokemon. Bonk Pikachu in level 2 with an apple, Bait and bonk a 1000-pose Magicarp sometime in level 4, blast the second Mankey in level 6, and bonk a dancing Meowth in the second pass of level 1. I'd love to see this run.
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Don't forget all the charmanders you can get in the volcano beside the Moltres egg. How many is it? 7? Anyways, if you play the pokeflute, they all line up and march, which is really cool. And is there an option that allows you to leave the level before reaching the exit? If there isn't, you could just snap photos like crazy so you run out of film.
Chamale
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There is an option for leaving the level. Pause, and there's a "quit level" option. As for levels, each level takes about 2 minutes on the first run and less on the second, because of the fact that you get dash engine. At 2 minutes per 6 levels, that's 12 minutes, maybe 1 minute for ranking, 18. So the run wouldn't be excessively long.
N._Harmonik
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kirbymuncher wrote:
Don't forget all the charmanders you can get in the volcano beside the Moltres egg. How many is it? 7? Anyways, if you play the pokeflute, they all line up and march, which is really cool.
There are six actually. And it's worth more to throw an apple and take a picture of them with the shot centered on a leaping Charmander. On the same level, you can get a great photograhp of the three Vulpix by leading them behind you with apples. Around the spot where the Charmander and Magmar are together, the three Vulpix will stay out on certain spots and do poses of joy. You can't make them move anymore so snap a photo! Of course, it might not quite be the fastest...
Why, oh, why do I even <i>try</i> to understand my own species?
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I hate to be the killjoy, (and I hate repeating myself from 1st reply of topic) but why are we still strategizing? The camera movement does not work in any mupen video plugin.
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If it ever does get fixed, somebody will dig up this thread and work can start.
Chamale
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Exactly! We're route planning for New Super Mario Bros. (DS) even though there's no working emulator.
N._Harmonik
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Posts: 502
Location: Canada
Here's something to help get this TAS run off the ground...assuming that the game will work right with the emulator now: http://speeddemosarchive.com/PokemonSnap.html
Why, oh, why do I even <i>try</i> to understand my own species?
Post subject: Pokemon Snap
Joined: 3/7/2010
Posts: 12
1999's Pokemon photograph safari simulator; starring Terry, the fluffy haired season two tag-along. Would this game make a reasonable TAS? I ask because the nature of the game controls the flow, you're stuck on rails and have very little control over the speed at which you can travel. With some forced scrolling games, it's still entertaining (Gradius, Life Force, R-Type); but with others, not so much (DDR, Elite Beat Agents). The game consists of several stages that you ride through and take photos of pokemon in their native habitats. You get points for clear pictures, interesting scenes and group shots. You then submit one photo of each pokemon to Professor Oak for judgement and he gives a point score to each one. After you get enough points, Professor Oak rewards you with upgrades and items. Eventually you reach the final area and get a chance to photograph the legendary Mew, and that's pretty much the end of the game. They add a little replay value by including things in the first stages that you can only access with the items unlocked from later stages, but there should be a limit to how many points you can earn, so would the TAS strive for a perfect score or just to unlock all levels and photograph all Pokemon? Tl;dr version: Pokemon snap, yay or nay?
MarbleousDave
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I would say yes, because I would like to see a TAS of that game. It would be great.