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Essentials

  • Emulator used: SNES9x 1.43 v9
Note: Due to an input display bug in SNES9x v9, it is recommended, but not required, to view the run with this bug-fixed SNES9x located here. However, the run will sync correctly on the standard SNES9x v9, and v7 as well.
  • Genre: Platform
  • Items: 100%
  • Aims for fastest time
    • Takes damage to save time
    • Abuses programming errors
    • Manipulates luck
  • Suggested screenshot:
This is an improvement of 2 minutes and 25 seconds to my previous run. I never expected to get anywhere close to this much improvement.
I aimed for real time instead of game time - this means that I took efforts to reduce lag, pause screens, and door transitions, even at the cost of in-game time.
The in-game timer for this run ended at 37 minutes, 54 seconds, an improvement of 2 minutes and 1 second over my previous version.

Breakdown of improvement (rough estimates)

Ceres & Crateria (Introduction and Bomb Torizo)
  • 2 seconds saved, mostly from tiny optimizations.
Brinstar (Kraid)
  • 2 seconds saved, again just little improvements here and there throughout.
Norfair (Crocomire and item collection)
  • 2 seconds saved by optimizations in earlier item collection.
  • 6 seconds saved on Crocomire.
  • 3 seconds saved in Crocomire's area.
Wrecked Ship & Crateria (Phantoon and item collection)
  • 3 seconds saved on the way to the ship.
  • 1 second saved not getting Phantoon's refills.
  • 7 seconds saved during item collection by better strategies and better robot manipulation.
  • Changing the route to do the Gauntlet area (to the upper-left of Samus's ship) at this point to save time later.
Brinstar (item collection)
  • 19 seconds saved directly and indirectly by removal of the crystal flash.
  • 6 seconds gained by better strategies during item collection.
  • The missile in the green tube is obtained now to save time later.
Maridia (Botwoon, Draygon, and item collection)
  • 6 seconds saved on item collection before Botwoon by better strategy and more optimized play.
  • 5 seconds saved from Botwoon to Draygon from better technique and not collecting refills.
  • 11 seconds saved on item collection after Draygon by better strategy and speed management.
Norfair (Gold Torizo, Ridley, and item collection)
  • 5 seconds saved from better speed management on the way to Gold Torizo.
  • 6 seconds saved on Gold Torizo from less strict manipulation and better shooting.
  • 3 seconds saved on the route to Ridley from better strategy.
  • 1 second saved on Ridley from better manipulation and avoiding refills.
  • 10 seconds saved on remaining item collection in Norfair.
Brinstar & Crateria (Item collection)
  • 6 seconds gained from better strategies up to and skipping the green tube missile.
  • 3 seconds gained in old Brinstar from better speed management.
  • 16 seconds gained due to changing the route for the Gauntlet.
Tourian & Crateria (Mother Brain and escape)
  • 21 seconds gained from skipping the baby Metroid.
  • 2 seconds gained from various other small optimizations.

Additional Information

The basis for techniques used in this run are explained on the Super Metroid Tricks page.
Controller input animation was added with an Input Animator utility I wrote. (This utility can also be used to remove the player 2-5 input, if desired.)
As mentioned above: Due to an input display bug in SNES9x v9, it is recommended, but not required, to view the run with the bugfixed SNES9x located here. The run will sync correctly on the standard SNES9x v9, and v7 as well.
For those interested in a more detailed breakdown of the time saved, you can check the spreadsheet (HTML) I used for comparisons during the making of the run. This spreadsheet will probably answer many specific questions, so I recommend taking a look at it if you are wondering about part of the run.
If anyone is interested in improving this run, contact me if you would like either (1) a 1-player SMV with no extraneous input, or (2) a spreadsheet similar in style to this one, set up to compare a new version.

Thank You

I would like to give thanks to those involved in helping Super Metroid TASing become what it is today. This includes:
  • Michael Flatley
  • Terimakasih
  • Saturn
  • catnap
  • hero of the day
  • moozooh
  • Kejardon
  • Graveworm
  • Frenom
Though I don't know them by name, thanks also to the many people who have done and researched console speedruns for the game, as they have found many strategies which were the basis for a tool-assisted speedrun.
Thanks to Gocha for his memory watcher utility for SNES9x which saved me a lot of time.
Thanks to Upthorn, nitsuja, and Fabianx for their help in removing the input display bug from SNES9x.
Thanks to Fabian for help with ideas for controller input.
Thanks to Bisqwit for a very handy HTML conversion of the spreadsheet.
Thanks to you for watching this run!
DeHackEd: Wow, that's a lot of votes.

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Posted: 3/21/2007 9:09 AM
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moozooh
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
Twelvepack wrote:
minimalist SNES metroid gets 17 some odd % items, so calling it 0% wouldnt make much sence, would it?
14%, not 17%. It's even. And surprisingly, it makes enough sense for a filename of the smv, if you check. In the same way, 0% could be called "minimalist" as well, but isn't (even though it's minimalist by definition).
Mechuyael wrote:
Maybe an actual 100% run would include saving those weird creatures that you can save? That might be it.
Not counted towards the percent of the items taken.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Posted: 3/21/2007 9:14 AM
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Mechuyael
Joined: 2/1/2007
Posts: 245
Location: Israel
I didn't mean percentage of items, but percentage of game objectives. If it said '100% Super Metroid Run', then people might expect for the run to have Samus complete every objective, perhaps including saving those things.
Posted: 3/21/2007 9:20 AM
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moozooh
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
Mechuyael wrote:
I didn't mean percentage of items, but percentage of game objectives. If it said '100% Super Metroid Run', then people might expect for the run to have Samus complete every objective, perhaps including saving those things.
Well, if I take the logic right, 0% Metroid Fusion doesn't complete any of the game objectives (or even play the game, at all).
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Posted: 3/21/2007 9:21 AM
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Mechuyael
Joined: 2/1/2007
Posts: 245
Location: Israel
Then I have no idea why there's a difference in naming.
Posted: 3/21/2007 12:39 PM
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pilif
Joined: 6/15/2004
Posts: 104
Location: Zürich / Switzerland
Mechuyael wrote:
Then I have no idea why there's a difference in naming.
If I was to guess, I'd say it's because of Fusion's "special" handling of items and progression. A Fusion minimalist run is indeed counted as 0% by the game, but even then Samus has killed all bosses and collected all items but the missile and energy upgrades. The game doesn't allow for any sequence breaking to happen and doesn't even count anything but missile, bomb and energy upgrades found when calculating the completition percentage. While it's impossible to complete Super Metroid with a 0% score, it's possible to do that in Fusion. So I guess that's where the perceived inconsistency comes from. Philip
Posted: 3/21/2007 5:03 PM
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upthorn
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Active player (392)
Joined: 3/24/2006
Posts: 1802
Sega TAS of 2011 Sega TAS of 2010 Sega TAS of 2008 Sega TASer of 2007
pilif wrote:
Mechuyael wrote:
Then I have no idea why there's a difference in naming.
If I was to guess, I'd say it's because of Fusion's "special" handling of items and progression. [...] While it's impossible to complete Super Metroid with a 0% score, it's possible to do that in Fusion. So I guess that's where the perceived inconsistency comes from.
Even so, a consistent naming scheme would call the Super Metroid low% run "Low%" and the Super Metroid 100% run "100%", not "minimalist" and "all items" respectively.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.
Posted: 3/21/2007 9:26 PM
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CtrlAltDestroy
Active player (328)
Joined: 2/23/2005
Posts: 786
It should be labeled 100%. 100% means "If the game measures percent completion, you attained 100%" It's up for debate with games that don't explicitly measure percent completion, but since SM very clearly does, and JXQ very clearly got 100%, there should be no question about it. What about a game like DKC2 where it is possible to get 102%? You would call it a 102% game, not a 100% "he completed everything there is to do" game.
Posted: 3/22/2007 2:05 AM
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Carnildo
Joined: 3/22/2007
Posts: 7
I just finished watching the input-display version, and I now know of one more thing that irritates my sprained shoulder: laughing my ass off.
Posted: 3/22/2007 8:20 PM
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jaysmad
Other
Experienced player (932)
Joined: 12/1/2006
Posts: 629
Location: Mom's
People who vote "NO" on runs like this are clearly people that knows nothing about speed runs, who are jealous, are joking or simply stupid.
Posted: 3/22/2007 8:56 PM
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ventuz
He/Him
Player (125)
Joined: 10/4/2004
Posts: 940
It doesn't matter now.
Posted: 3/23/2007 7:30 AM
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Saturn
Player (206)
Joined: 2/18/2005
Posts: 1451
jaysmad wrote:
People who vote "NO" on runs like this are clearly people that knows nothing about speed runs, who are jealous, are joking or simply stupid.
I think this are just haters. They have a problem with either the run or the author. This is especially clear when no comment is posted after such a no vote, which is simply because there is no reason to do so, unless you are retarded and can't differ a top quality run from a bad one.
See my perfect 100% movie-walkthroughs of the best RPG games on http://www.freewebs.com/saturnsmovies/index.htm Current TAS project (with new videos): Super Metroid Redesign, any% speedrun
Posted: 3/23/2007 7:41 AM
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Bisqwit
Editor, Active player (297)
Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth
Don't get so heated up over nothing. Misclicks happen. People might be on bad mood. Most importantly, I want honest votes, not "party discipline" votes where a differently thinking person is subject to a witch hunt. Even with occassional misclicks, it is all within the limits of statistical error marginal. Don't take polls as facts. I emphasize the part "statistical error marginal". You can educate people "don't vote when you are influenced by emotions" or something, but it doesn't change the fact that polls are a statistical phenomenon. As such, you need to understand that there's an error marginal, no matter how much you educate people. A single misclick does not matter, as long as a significant percentage of the votes are honest.
Posted: 3/23/2007 12:29 PM
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ZeXr0
Joined: 8/27/2006
Posts: 883
Personally, I don't think that a game choice should make a No vote. It should be 50/50 with the game choice and the quality of the run. Like choosing a game that is really boring and not interesting, but that the TAS is of great quality should at least gives a Meh.
Posted: 3/23/2007 12:37 PM
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Baxter
Skilled player (1410)
Joined: 5/31/2004
Posts: 1821
TAS of 2013 SNES TAS of 2013 Speedy TAS of 2007 Innovative TAS of 2007
ZeXr0 wrote:
Personally, I don't think that a game choice should make a No vote. It should be 50/50 with the game choice and the quality of the run. Like choosing a game that is really boring and not interesting, but that the TAS is of great quality should at least gives a Meh.
I disagree. Voting is to help judges decide on accepting the movie, some games can never be accepted, since they are not suitable for TASing. They should get a No vote no matter how optimized the run is.
http://tasvideos.org/Baxter.html
Posted: 3/23/2007 12:41 PM
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moozooh
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
I think all complaints will be eventually sorted out when people start taking the "Did you like watching this movie?" question literally, instead of interpreting it to their liking.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Posted: 3/23/2007 1:20 PM
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laughing_gas
Former player
Joined: 10/1/2006
Posts: 1102
Location: boot_camp
it's not like casual viewers are going to look at every tas on this site and then start bashing us for the boring ones, they'll just watch the good ones, so we may as well accept the boring but well done ones.
Borg Collective wrote:
Negotiation is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You will be assimilated.
Posted: 3/23/2007 1:41 PM
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moozooh
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
There's a lot of things to consider before changing the site's orientation like that, including the fact that being published on TASVideos is not the main criterion for others to be able to watch a run, the fact that the site is maintaining a high standard of quality which keeps adjusting to the modern tools and players' experience with them, and the fact that the site, the bandwidth cost and movie storage service is maintained almost solely by Bisqwit himself.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Posted: 3/23/2007 2:22 PM
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laughing_gas
Former player
Joined: 10/1/2006
Posts: 1102
Location: boot_camp
then maybe we can all donate a bit to cover bandwidth.
Borg Collective wrote:
Negotiation is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You will be assimilated.
Posted: 3/23/2007 2:24 PM
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moozooh
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
You're free to start. :D
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Posted: 3/23/2007 7:14 PM
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jaysmad
Other
Experienced player (932)
Joined: 12/1/2006
Posts: 629
Location: Mom's
Well, there is one "No" vote for Hero's minimalist run and one "No" vote for JXQ's. I guess it would be the same person, someone that hates SM.
Posted: 3/23/2007 7:17 PM
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moozooh
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5777
Location: Away
It wasn't. IIRC, it was Xkeeper who voted no on hero's TAS, and he voted yes on this.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Posted: 3/23/2007 7:28 PM
(Edited: 4/3/2007 5:24 AM)
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jaysmad
Other
Experienced player (932)
Joined: 12/1/2006
Posts: 629
Location: Mom's
I don't believe in a simple miss-click. People that vote on this site are supposed to know where the YES & NO are placed. JXQ? Was it you? Who ever it was, you should at least say your opinion, even if you miss clicked. I wont kill you, just pull you brain out of your nose. :P
Posted: 3/24/2007 6:53 AM
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Bag_of_Magic_Food
He/Him
Player (206)
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712
Aww, can't you just let some things stay secret?
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Posted: 3/24/2007 11:26 PM
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Saturn
Player (206)
Joined: 2/18/2005
Posts: 1451
Bisqwit wrote:
Don't get so heated up over nothing. Misclicks happen. People might be on bad mood.
I wasn't heated up or anything, just said a possible reason why this happened. Sorry if it was wrong though. I noticed that some people complained about the need to use a torrent-system to get the AVI, so I decided to upload this run to archive.org as well, for a direct link to it if needed. http://www.archive.org/details/SuperMetroid_TASv2_100p_JXQ It can eventually also be used as a mirror-link for this site.
See my perfect 100% movie-walkthroughs of the best RPG games on http://www.freewebs.com/saturnsmovies/index.htm Current TAS project (with new videos): Super Metroid Redesign, any% speedrun
Posted: 3/25/2007 3:30 PM
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Jweb_Guru
Joined: 9/5/2006
Posts: 61
Wowowowowow This is AMAZING improvement. I never even considered the possibility of there being another two minutes you could shave off your old TAS. Yes++, whoever voted no was just being contrarian.
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