About:Config

  • Emulator used: PCSX-RR v0.0.7, with no special plugins nor specific settings.
  • Abuses Programming Errors
  • Aims for fastest time
  • Uses ziggy's name entry method
  • Starts from a predetermined save point (sort of)
  • Sugar and spice and all things nice

Small Talk

Ah
Finished it.
hmm... since I started this thing... how long ago? 6 months...? ...so many things have happened... hmm...

Some Description...

There's no need for explanations, I guess.
It's Symphony of the Night. The greatest episode of the Castlevania series and one of the best games of all things of all times. Excelent graphics, excelent music, excelent gameplay. It is also famous for its glitches, that allow many sequence breaks and involuntarily add much more replay value.
This is an extra mode, unlocked after you finish the game. You play with Richter Belmont: the testosterone-boosted vampire hunter. There's no spoon, no storyline, no relics to collect and no Dracula. Your goal is just to find and defeat Shaft, the dark priest.
Richter comes with some cool special moves too: a dash/charge attack (COMPLETELY immune to all things, good and bad), an uppercut/super jump attack (invincible) and a slide (that can be cancelled with a "kuuhadan" flying kick). He can also run if you tap forward twice quickly.
This is my second attempt. Much faster and more efficient than the one I didn't submit. It uses basically the same route as the speedrun in 5:56 by K.D. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQBvuIJcv1k

SRAM, obviously...

Since it requires the game to be finished first, there's a memory card included in the movie file, and it contains 1 save file done with the help of zggdydp's run. But any memory card having 1 saved game with the "Clear" status would do fine, since that's all that is read from it at that point.

A Warning...

Important: if for some really revellent, swaggering, monotheist reason you have never played this game before, you may find this run a bit repetitive and the constant "HAH" (and sometimes "YAH") a little irritating (even though it's not half as annoying as Julius' "OOLAY" in Aria of Sorrow)

Enlightenment

I now notice that all comedians with Martin in their names are no fun at all.

And then...

I'm done, I presume.
Byez.

KTHXBAI

Thanks to:
  • mz: for the awesome work on the emulator.
  • zggzdydp: my accomplice John Chinaman gave me the youtube link to the 5:56 speedrun.
  • arukAdo: well, I think the video was in his channel.
  • Bisqwit: yeah, now we can submit PSX crap.
Thank you thank you silence

3 weeks later...

Yeah, I wrote all that bullshit when I finished the job, around the end of january. Then I submitted it, failed because of a "movie file contains embedded memory cards" warning, mentioned it in the forum, and PMed Bisqwit.
He asked for the movie file, so he could verify the memcards. If they were empty, he could add an exception.
Maybe I should've asked why one would add blank memory cards to a movie file, but I didn't. I just sent him another PM with the requested file.
And that message is still sitting in my outbox. I think he's busy with his stuff so I decided to act predictable and put the cart before the horses.
I edited the file, and removed the memory cards but kept the rest so that I could submit it and the site would still show the correct info.
Now it is visible for everyone to verify, and if somebody has any doubt about it's legitimity, just query one of the Castlevania experts around (arukAdo, zggzdydp, klmz) or go watch Bob The Builder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdasg6oQV0g
The memory card is required to enable that special game mode, and ANY card containing 1 save with the 'Clear' status will work. The one I used was created after zggzdydp's run, as you can see for yourselves.
It goes like this: when you beat the game, the current memory card save is UPDATED with the 'Clear' flag and the rest remains untouched (game time and map completion aren't changed) The info is only UPDATED, not CREATED... if you didn't save (like in zggzdydp's run), nothing will be changed in the memory cards.
So I:
  • Interrupted ziggy's movie near the end and saved; (the save file is created)
  • Finished the game; (save file is updated)
And of course the submitted file won't run, so...

If you like it then you should put a ring on it

The original movie file: http://stashbox.org/386807/Richter.zip

Update

The site now accepts movie files with embedded memory cards. Let's wait until Bisqwit or someone elese replaces the file in the submission and I'll fix the submission text.

Bisqwit: Replacing movie file.

adelikat: Accepting to be published as a separate category, "Richter" version.
ShinyDoofy: Processing...

TASVideoAgent
They/Them
Moderator
Joined: 8/3/2004
Posts: 14776
Location: 127.0.0.1
Experienced player (953)
Joined: 12/3/2008
Posts: 936
Location: Castle Keep
Finaly its here ! Great job pirate :) The 5:56 link doesnt work somehow
Active player (291)
Joined: 12/16/2008
Posts: 458
Location: Houston
It didn't read the youtube address right Link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQBvuIJcv1k Why doesn't it beat the game?
Experienced player (953)
Joined: 12/3/2008
Posts: 936
Location: Castle Keep
At that time been, whe had nothing reliable to measure run time... except the save room, last save room As pirate mentioned, the game doesnt do anything after you clear game, beside in alucard mode it update the save game... but doesnt even create one :/ Also in alucard mode, the game doesnt have any reference to killing dracula, he's not in the time attack, neither anywhere, if it wasnt for updating the save file, it would the most useless end boss fight ever So as a logic and reliable agreement, whe generaly used the last save room to measure runs, having a screenshoot ect...
Active player (291)
Joined: 12/16/2008
Posts: 458
Location: Houston
I could see how that would be required for a normal speed run but the movie file keeps it's own time. If you look at the rules to this site beating the game is a requirement. http://tasvideos.org/Rules.html#r4
Joined: 7/1/2008
Posts: 272
i'll never understand why runners over there never opted to just use real time. it's by no means unreliable to measure the duration the video in minutes, seconds, and most importantly frames. can't watch the run yet as i'm waiting for an encode. though i'm sure it looks great.
Editor, Experienced player (729)
Joined: 6/13/2006
Posts: 3300
Location: Massachussetts, USA
You could always watch Pirate's own encode, but given the unorthodox choice of music, maybe waiting for an encode with the game's music will suit you better.
Homepage ☣ Retired
Joined: 7/1/2008
Posts: 272
oh, i thought that was a WIP for some reason. in that case, i can give my vote. 9/9
honorableJay
He/Him
Joined: 8/18/2008
Posts: 104
Location: Albany, NY
I could've cared less about the first track, but Flowers on the Wall worked for me :)
Player (208)
Joined: 7/7/2006
Posts: 797
Location: US
Oh god, more runs need ridiculous techno. Pretty action packed run. Short and fast paced, with very quick movements. Not sure how optimal the movement was (I'm not too familiar with the game mechanics), but it looked pretty good.
Active player (308)
Joined: 2/28/2006
Posts: 2275
Location: Milky Way -> Earth -> Brazil
error1 wrote:
Why doesn't it beat the game?
What? Does your game continue after beating Shaft?
honorableJay wrote:
I could've cared less about the first track, but Flowers on the Wall worked for me :)
Hah, yeah it's awesome. Hors Concours
Comicalflop wrote:
...something...
hmm, i'm not really in a satisfying mood so don't be mad if I don't reply to PMs (I still read them) or show interest in your (or anyone else's) work, dude... I'll be "back" someday.
"Genuine self-esteem, however, consists not of causeless feelings, but of certain knowledge about yourself. It rests on the conviction that you — by your choices, effort and actions — have made yourself into the kind of person able to deal with reality. It is the conviction — based on the evidence of your own volitional functioning — that you are fundamentally able to succeed in life and, therefore, are deserving of that success." - Onkar Ghate
Bisqwit wrote:
Drama, too long, didn't read, lol.
Joined: 7/2/2007
Posts: 3960
I believe error1 was talking about DK's speedrun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQBvuIJcv1k
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Player (39)
Joined: 7/7/2008
Posts: 871
Location: Utah
That video is already posted on here. It is not necessary to post it again you know.
Active player (291)
Joined: 12/16/2008
Posts: 458
Location: Houston
Actually I skimmed the submission text and just assumed the youtube link was his run when I wrote that. Turns out it pays to read.
Joined: 10/28/2007
Posts: 15
I just watched the video . i need help for this emulator....... it shows something error when im pressing "PLAY movie". CHECK this picture
Skilled player (1403)
Joined: 10/27/2004
Posts: 1976
Location: Making an escape
Wasn't "Play Hard" featured in Killer Instinct 2? Good submission. You should probably go and cancel Submission 2189 since that one didn't get through.
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Expert player, Site Developer, Site Owner (3581)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4736
Location: Tennessee
So because speedrunners used the last save room as a measuring point, this TAS doesn't beat the game? We've had this argument before on TASVideos and the consensus is that "because speedrunners do it" isn't always sufficient. The movie is only 5 minutes anyway, I think you need to complete the game.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Skilled player (1403)
Joined: 10/27/2004
Posts: 1976
Location: Making an escape
Uh, the game IS completed in the Youtube that Comic linked to. Is the PXM different somehow? Edit[/b]: If this came across as confrontational, I didn't mean it. :X
A hundred years from now, they will gaze upon my work and marvel at my skills but never know my name. And that will be good enough for me.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Expert player, Site Developer, Site Owner (3581)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4736
Location: Tennessee
Ferret Warlord wrote:
Uh, the game IS completed in the Youtube that Comic linked to. Is the PXM different somehow?
Hey, I was just going on what people were saying here. I wasn't even sure if that youtube link was this movie. I can't watch the movie on the emulator since I can't get the emulator to work and I can't get ahold of a copy of this game. EDIT: Someone tell me that this .pxm file beats the game, and I'll accept it for publication. However, I will need a name for the category.
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects
Joined: 7/2/2007
Posts: 3960
It's the same type of run as the Julius run for Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, which uses "Second quest" and "Starts from a predefined save" (ditto the Maxim versions of Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance). I can't verify the run completes the game, though, lacking the needed equipment to run PCSX with SotN.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
Joined: 7/1/2008
Posts: 272
adelikat wrote:
So because speedrunners used the last save room as a measuring point, this TAS doesn't beat the game? We've had this argument before on TASVideos and the consensus is that "because speedrunners do it" isn't always sufficient.
not all speedrunners go by final save. SDA, for example, requires you defeat the final boss.
Experienced player (953)
Joined: 12/3/2008
Posts: 936
Location: Castle Keep
adelikat wrote:
Someone tell me that this .pxm file beats the game, and I'll accept it for publication. However, I will need a name for the category.
The pxm work and include the memcard, it sync and beat game, everything sound ok Category : hum, Richter, Second quest, Extra Character ect... And for the sake of discution... last save room is the only place where you can get a screenshoot of your "time", i mean, its the last entry in time attack screen Now when you make a video... sure you can check video lenght, but you cant "show" it by a pic
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5769
Location: Away
"Richter version".
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Joined: 8/23/2008
Posts: 417
arukAdo wrote:
And for the sake of discution... last save room is the only place where you can get a screenshoot of your "time", i mean, its the last entry in time attack screen Now when you make a video... sure you can check video lenght, but you cant "show" it by a pic
Is frame count not an option?
I will not use self-reference in my signature.
adelikat
He/Him
Emulator Coder, Expert player, Site Developer, Site Owner (3581)
Joined: 11/3/2004
Posts: 4736
Location: Tennessee
OK, thanks to arukAdo for clearing up my confusion :)
It's hard to look this good. My TAS projects