This movie is an improvement to gigafrost's "good ending" Hard Corps movie.
It is 5929 frames (98.8 seconds) faster.
This comes from better optimization, and new tricks, but also from the use of Fang instead of Browny. I also change to the J version of the rom (just like the "bad ending" movie) which accounts for some of frame savings.

Number of Players

This is a 1 player movie. The reason I did not use 2 player is because it would (unfortunately) be slower. The reason is that with 2 players on the screen, each one's weapons does less damage. The weapon most affected by this is Fang's D weapon which, unfortunately, is the most powerful weapon in the game (and the one used almost exclusively).

Character Choice

Fang is the undisputed TAS champion of Hard Corps. The reason is due to a D weapon glitch.
His D weapon does 30 dmg per frame, but normally takes 90 frames to charge. Normally this balances it out some and makes it not the best weapon choice in terms of dmg/frame. But, if you select the B weapon, shoot, then select the D weapon, it will deliver a fully charged shot! This negates the 90 frame charge completely. This results in turning bosses into mince meat :)
The change to fang is a large percentage of the frame savings.

Rom change

This one might be controversial but I chose the J ROM because the characters have HP. This allows me to take damage to save time in a few spots. It also means many of the cutscenes are shorter due to the use of Japanese characters (though several are longer). I didn't test exactly, but I would estimate that the text differences add up to about 10-15 seconds.

Tricks/Improvements

1) Sliding off ledges to save time. Sliding off a ledge cancels out the slide recovery which saves a good bit of time. By holding no direction keys while sliding off a ledge it keeps your sliding speed. By holding left just before sliding off you can land back on for 1 frame and slide again, this allows you to slide off with full momentum! All of this makes sliding profitable whenever it can be done.
2) Luck manipulation. The poles in level 1 and the dinosaur's shots in level 4 are random. I manipulated both to give me the best possible scenario (that I could find).

Summary

  • GENS 9.5b
  • Aims to achieve one of the "good endings"
  • Aims for fastest time
  • Takes damage to save time
  • Abuses programming errors in the game
  • Manipulates luck
Enjoy.

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14772
Location: 127.0.0.1
This topic is for the purpose of discussing #1926: adelikat's Genesis Contra - The Hard Corps in 14:11.90
Editor, Expert player (2457)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
Looks great. I wish there were more Contra games for adelikat to devastate.
Emulator Coder
Joined: 8/12/2007
Posts: 102
That was awesome. I'd like to see the other good endings get this treatment someday.
Joined: 11/11/2006
Posts: 1235
Location: United Kingdom
Yes
<adelikat> I am annoyed at my irc statements ending up in forums & sigs
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5769
Location: Away
Aqfaq wrote:
Looks great. I wish there were more Contra games for adelikat to devastate.
^^^
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Joined: 10/24/2007
Posts: 11
Yes vote from me. :D I don't see the Japanese ROM being controversial at all. To steal a point I once saw someone else make, this is a TAS, there is no "skill" involved in avoiding damage here as opposed to a non-assisted speedrun.
Experienced player (821)
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
Very cool run. I have a big complaint though: I didn't get to see what 95% of the bosses did! You should make a run that shows each of the bosses different attacks. No, I'm not serious. Clear yes vote, and one more 2004 movie on the chopping block!
Living Well Is The Best Revenge My Personal Page
Joined: 7/26/2006
Posts: 1215
Did you color a dinosaur?
Experienced player (821)
Joined: 11/18/2006
Posts: 2426
Location: Back where I belong
bkDJ wrote:
Did you color a dinosaur?
Looks to be green to me
Living Well Is The Best Revenge My Personal Page
Player (147)
Joined: 11/27/2004
Posts: 688
Location: WA State, USA
Awesome run. Voting yes. Also, how can this be the good ending? That Ultimate-Super-Being-Creating, World-Incinerating-Missile-Powering, Nigh-Omnipotent-Alien-Cell (TM) powered magnum probably incinerated half the earth with that shot, and Fang definitely dies. That's no good at all! :(
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: 9/26/2007
Posts: 55
Location: Michigan
Contra Hard Corps has six endings. The two bad endings are achieved by joining the bad guy when he asks you to (right before 1 final battle) and climbing the wall in level 3, fighting a bizarre Simon Belmont, and winding up married to a monkey in prehistory. Twice throughout the game you're asked which way to go. The four good endings are choices A-A, A-B, B-A, and B-B. Each path has unique levels and a very unique final boss, so I agree that a run for each possible 'good' ending and not just the fastest (the bad guy didn't get to take over the world, only blew up Switzerland) is justified. This one might be the quickest but IIRC this is the only one where the hero dies saving the world.
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5769
Location: Away
The endings are different, though. In some of them, people die, in others a lot of people die, in one of them none die but the villain escapes.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Joined: 9/26/2007
Posts: 55
Location: Michigan
Indeed all six endings differ pretty drastically. The twisted, biomechanical fleshknot of a final boss is really different with each one too, but more importantly there are some really cool looking levels unique to each path. I still love it when the mad Doctor's creation turns on him. It's also worth noting how all the battles with Dead Eye Joe work out. Forgot to mention I gave this submission a resounding yes-vote.
Sir_VG
He/Him
Player (39)
Joined: 10/9/2004
Posts: 1911
Location: Floating Tower
There's not enough explosions. Boo hiss. Voting no. (Part of that statement is a lie.) P.S. Somebody should do Lab/Fight, as that is the real ending to this game. All of the other endings just say "See you next mission" while that one says GOOD JOB! So if we can't have all 5/6 endings (which honestly is kinda nice and kinda stupid to have them all here), if we only did 3 (the typical max here) then it should be Secret Ending, Chase/Surrender, and Lab/Fight.
Taking over the world, one game at a time. Currently TASing: Nothing
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5769
Location: Away
I proposed that idea even before adelikat started working on his runs, and still think it would be cool.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Expert player, Site Developer, Site Owner (3580)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4736
Location: Tennessee
Perhaps the Lab/Fight could also be 2 players. Since it will be slower anyway. I think this movie has a lot of entertainment potential for a 2 player run.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Joined: 12/20/2004
Posts: 226
Interesting run. I'm not a huge fan of using the Japanese version, but it's not like my opinion amounts to anything anyways. Regardless, this was a fast-paced run. I only have one complaint and one question. You could have been more entertaining when the Jungle boss was flying by fliring with death more. Watch this run to see what I mean. When you fight the Doctor, I thought it was faster to manipulate him into deploying little bomb-bots, instead of the extending poles.
Editor, Expert player (2457)
Joined: 4/8/2005
Posts: 1573
Location: Gone for a year, just for varietyyyyyyyyy!!
moozooh wrote:
Aqfaq wrote:
Looks great. I wish there were more Contra games for adelikat to devastate.
^^^
Oh, there exists a SNES game called Realm, which has very Contra-like gameplay with all the different weapons and lots of boss fights. I believe the game can be completed in 10 minutes. It is fast-paced and has nice graphics:
Editor, Emulator Coder, Expert player (2100)
Joined: 5/22/2007
Posts: 1134
Location: Glitchvania
I'll be expecting Lab/Fight. Now Yes vote.
<klmz> it reminds me of that people used to keep quoting adelikat's IRC statements in the old good days <adelikat> no doubt <adelikat> klmz, they still do
Post subject: Movie published
TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14772
Location: 127.0.0.1
This movie has been published. The posts before this message apply to the submission, and posts after this message apply to the published movie. ---- [1098] Genesis Contra: Hard Corps "1 player" by adelikat in 14:11.90
Active player (432)
Joined: 4/21/2004
Posts: 3516
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
I dont like the Genesis version of Contra but you did a pretty good job entertaining me and producing a optimized run. Late yes vote.
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: 12/20/2004
Posts: 226
My question on the first page was never answered :-/ (The doctor's attacks). Also, can someone give me a list of damage per frame for every weapon in the game? I'm want to know how much damage each character can do, but I'm especially curious about Browny's yoyo.
Site Admin, Skilled player (1234)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11251
Location: RU
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.