Uniracers

2005-10-31 09:59:55 pm

Uniracers is an old SNES game released in 1994 (the golden year of gaming, IMHO.)

It is essentially a 2D platform racing game. Many comparisons can be made at first glance to the 2D Sonic games, but Uniracers is quite different in its general game mechanics. A speed run on this game would consist more of the best time on various tracks, like any other racing game.

The purpose of this topic is the see whether the game can generate enough interest to have runs on its tracks viewed. I think it is very appropriate for running, and I am certain its relative unpopularity is the reason it has seen any videos yet.

That said, I would like to get the ball rolling. I will start off with the times I have on tape already, starting with the first four tours.

Course	Time
Dragster	0:25.08
Zoom Zoo	1:15.12
Switcher	1:04.77
Monster	1:25.12
Looper	0:56.96
Megajump	1:10.57
Flat Fun	1:01.21
Infinity	0:47.47
Dragrace	0:36.75
Pingpong	1:07.51
Hybrid	0:32.81
Short Cut	1:19.46
Wario Paint	0:52.71
Crock	1:26.62
East	0:58.95
Hairpin Hill	1:00.17

If, you've had experience with the game, please comment on whether you think these times are any good, or if you think the videos would be a good addition to the SDA.

Thread title:

Uniracers is an old SNES game released in 1994 (the golden year of gaming, IMHO.)

It is essentially a 2D platform racing game. Many comparisons can be made at first glance to the 2D Sonic games, but Uniracers is quite different in its general game mechanics. A speed run on this game would consist more of the best time on various tracks, like any other racing game.

The purpose of this topic is the see whether the game can generate enough interest to have runs on its tracks viewed. I think it is very appropriate for running, and I am certain its relative unpopularity is the reason it has seen any videos yet.

That said, I would like to get the ball rolling. I will start off with the times I have on tape already, starting with the first four tours.

[table]
[tr][td][b]Course[/b][/td][td][b]Time[/b][/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dragster[/td][td]0:25.08[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Zoom Zoo[/td][td]1:15.12[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Switcher[/td][td]1:04.77[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Monster[/td][td]1:25.12[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Looper[/td][td]0:56.96[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Megajump[/td][td]1:10.57[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Flat Fun[/td][td]1:01.21[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Infinity[/td][td]0:47.47[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dragrace[/td][td]0:36.75[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Pingpong[/td][td]1:07.51[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Hybrid[/td][td]0:32.81[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Short Cut[/td][td]1:19.46[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Wario Paint[/td][td]0:52.71[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Crock[/td][td]1:26.62[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]East[/td][td]0:58.95[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Hairpin Hill[/td][td]1:00.17[/td][/tr]
[/table]

If, you've had experience with the game, please comment on whether you think these times are any good, or if you think the videos would be a good addition to the SDA.

-Suzaku-

2005-10-31 10:04:30 pm

Eternal Understudy

Personally, I haven't played the game in a long time, so I don't know if the times are good or not, but I definetly agree that runs for this game should be on the site.
What are you using for tricks on straightaways? IIRC, the backflip/Zflip combo is the fastest way to gain speed normally.

Dessyreqt

Edit history:

Dessyreqt: 2005-10-31 10:24:05 pm

2005-10-31 10:16:37 pm

I dunno... I just went through Dragster doing Flip-Z Flips, and they look quite impressive, but the thing is I only got 25.12 not screwing up or anything, and already my record (25.08) beats that, that's Roll-Twisting. Of course Roll-Twists are easier to pull off fast.

On a side note, I was able to pull off 25.11 with Tabletops for t3h w1n... over Flip-Z Flips, anyway.

EDIT: 25.07 with Flip-Z Flips... damn. Now I gotta buy some more tape.

Yoshi348

2005-11-01 04:21:24 am

dinosaur from the past

That game was awesome. I'd definitely watch.

transience

2005-11-01 04:50:25 am

trust the fungus

I was going to make this topic a few weeks ago when I was playing again out of curiosity. I'm at work now so I can't get my times, but I know I'm .01 above you on Dragster. my times aren't super awesome, but they're decent.

Lucid Faia

2005-11-01 04:57:57 am

Yeah, I said it.

Here's a list of high scores, though I don't know if they are all legit.

http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=588824&topic=18556084

What I do know is legit is a difficult trick that makes insane times possible: Flip/Twist. I believe it involves pressing the opposite direction in which you are going ( the twist ), and then immediately jumping and going forward again, and then flipping and landing at full speed. When doing this rapidly, a speed boost you get from landing stunts builds up, and if you release it after a while, the Uniracer will go soaring at a high speed off the screen. Sub-25 second Dragster times are possible with this.

transience

2005-11-01 05:37:40 am

trust the fungus

interesting.. do you know of any videos showing this trick off?

MetalSmasher86

2005-11-01 05:42:27 am

OMG, Uniracers is such a cool game! I have got to start playing it again! By the way, I beat your Dragster time: 25.05. I can't remember any of my other times and I can't check because my SNES seems to be getting a bad connection to my TV. I'll fix it this weekend.

P.S. For a really weird experience, have you tried playing Uniracers with your TV rotated on its side?

GWing_02

2005-11-01 06:42:56 am

something or another

I'll post up my Uniracers records tomorrow, gotta fetch out the old cart.

Lucid Faia

2005-11-01 06:45:15 am

Yeah, I said it.

Quote:

interesting.. do you know of any videos showing this trick off?

I used to have one. If I can find it or find a link to it, I'll be happy to post it.

psxfreak101

2005-11-01 11:31:19 am

DW-Addict

I've seen the flip-twist thing in action, and it looks pretty sweet on Dragster. Haven't been able to pull it off though, because from what I remember it involves timing the jumps so that the boost gained from the flip-twist doesn't activate straight away.

Are you going to be doing the stunt tracks as well? They would be pretty cool to watch in high-scoring action.

On a side note, I have this on PAL (under the name Unirally) so my times are slower than the NTSC times.

Dessyreqt

2005-11-01 04:05:28 pm

Well, considering that this is a speed demo, I don't think stunt tracks are appropriate or will even be accepted. After all, you always get 45 seconds. Besides, I'm not the greatest at the stunt tracks (still beat the crap out of my friends, though.)

Saestrol

2005-11-03 06:41:49 pm

Speed Running Joy-bringer

About the left-right Twister method:

It is indeed more efficcient then pressing the X button (or was it Y? whichever one), because it allows you to do other tricks without slowing down. I remember that in the very first level, you can go pretty fast by timing twisters as soon as you hit the ground. You would be pretty much at the edge of the screen.

I wonder if anybody can fit a HeadBounce into the run somewhere? It's funny to see.

CannibalK9

Edit history:

CannibalK9: 2005-11-03 06:56:55 pm

2005-11-03 06:56:28 pm

give me your eyes!!!

I'd just like to see a video, any video. I had a game that seems to match but I can't remember its name, so it would be interesting to see it again if they are the same, but equally interesting if it's completely different.

Dessyreqt

2005-11-03 07:24:59 pm

I've been trying some tests in an emulator, and I've tried several things. Here are my results:

Just Rolling, just Twisting, and just Z Flipping produce the same speed boost.
Just Flipping and just Tabletopping produce the same speed boost, but are faster than any of the above.
Any combination of tricks (the only truly viable ones I could think of are Roll-Twists, Flip-Z Flips, and Roll-Tabletops) will produce the same speed boost. This boost is considerably faster than any of the above.

So it doesn't seem to matter what tricks you use, just as long as you perform two tricks per jump on straightaways. From there it's simply a matter of improving your timing so as to minimize the amount of time not performing stunts. It seems easier to see when to be able to jump on Flip-Z Flips, but I have achieved equal times Roll-Twisting (my taped 25.08 on Dragster is not my best. I have achieved 25.07 as my best using both tactics.)

Unless I have missed something, it's simply a matter of personal preference as to which method a potential runner uses. It also might be a good idea to mix up Roll-Twists, Flip-Z Flips, and Roll-Tabletops.

I've been trying some tests in an emulator, and I've tried several things. Here are my results:
[list]
[*]Just Rolling, just Twisting, and just Z Flipping produce the same speed boost.
[*]Just Flipping and just Tabletopping produce the same speed boost, but are faster than any of the above.
[*]Any combination of tricks (the only truly viable ones I could think of are Roll-Twists, Flip-Z Flips, and Roll-Tabletops) will produce the same speed boost. This boost is considerably faster than any of the above.
[/list]
So it doesn't seem to matter what tricks you use, just as long as you perform two tricks per jump on straightaways. From there it's simply a matter of improving your timing so as to minimize the amount of time not performing stunts. It seems easier to see when to be able to jump on Flip-Z Flips, but I have achieved equal times Roll-Twisting (my taped 25.08 on Dragster is not my best. I have achieved 25.07 as my best using both tactics.)

Unless I have missed something, it's simply a matter of personal preference as to which method a potential runner uses. It also might be a good idea to mix up Roll-Twists, Flip-Z Flips, and Roll-Tabletops.

psxfreak101

2005-11-04 03:52:40 am

DW-Addict

Did you manage to try the Flip-Twist dealy that was mentioned above? Because that has been proven to be the best in terms of speed boosts on a straight (hence the sub-25s possible on Dragster).

Although I have seen my Uni race right off the screen after a few flip-twists, I can't get it down perfectly because of having to get the timing almost perfect to get a flip instead of a roll.

Saestrol

2005-11-04 06:18:06 am

Speed Running Joy-bringer

The boosting takes a bit of time to register after you do the tricks don't they? Ex: Your did 2 Rolls, many twists and a a few Z-flips. The twister city comes after the double roll and will give you a big boost that may get you off the screen. Something like "Ping, wait, PING, wait, Ping" where ping is when you get your boost.

Not only that, but what about those loops? You were supposed to hold either L or R to maintain your speed coming off them. There is a right way to do them all and you shave seconds when done right. I almost never get it though.

Dessyreqt

2005-11-05 04:17:08 am

Haven't tried flip twists, though I can hardly imagine them being much faster than Flip-Z Flips (unless you're somehow pulling off double twists), since Twists and Z Flips provide the same boost. Heck, you get the same boost off any combination two tricks, it seems, as I noted above. I think the difference may lie in the recovery time from each trick.

And loops in this game are kinda stupid; I wish it worked like in Sonic. I've had times where I'm going through a loop just like normal, and I hit the part that curves down, but I don't actually follow the curve. I'd just fall straight down and have to do the loop over again. Thankfully you can skip some loops, like the ones in Two Loops (not sure on the name) in the Hunter tour.

Speaking of which, Hunter is going to be rather stupid, because, you've got to keep playing until you get good random effects (even on the best times you sometimes cross paths with the Anti-Uni.) Maybe having a two player game with one inactive uni would be the best course here?

Haven't tried flip twists, though I can hardly imagine them being much faster than Flip-Z Flips (unless you're somehow pulling off double twists), since Twists and Z Flips provide the same boost. Heck, you get the same boost off any combination two tricks, it seems, as I noted above. I think the difference may lie in the recovery time from each trick.

And loops in this game are kinda stupid; I wish it worked like in Sonic. I've had times where I'm going through a loop just like normal, and I hit the part that curves down, but I don't actually follow the curve. I'd just fall straight down and have to do the loop over again. Thankfully you can skip some loops, like the ones in Two Loops (not sure on the name) in the Hunter tour.

Speaking of which, Hunter is going to be rather stupid, because, you've got to keep playing until you get good random effects (even on the best times you sometimes cross paths with the Anti-Uni.) Maybe having a two player game with one inactive uni would be the best course here?

MetalSmasher86

2005-11-05 06:50:39 am

The only Anti-Uni trick I can't deal with is his "Control Reversed" trick. If he doesn't use that, I just race through it like normal. I'm not sure if the 2-player option will be allowed or not, but if you ask me, it takes a little bit away from the run; it's just more fun and interesting with Anti-Uni's tricks.

By the way, I got my SNES fixed, so I'll post my records (if they're better than the ones in the initial post) this weekend.

Lucid Faia

Edit history:

Lucid Faia: 2005-11-05 07:02:59 am

2005-11-05 07:00:56 am

Yeah, I said it.

You said you got 25.07 with Flip/Z-Flip, right? Some say 24.77 is possible with Flip/Twist.

Thought I'll say it again, it's not a conventional twist.

Quote:

To do a flip twist first of all you need to tap left, jump quickly 'flip' with R and twist. Immediatly after hitting the ground, repeat so that you don't get the speed boost you normally do after doing tricks. You can do this many times in a row, but it's tough to not lose speed on the left tap. This will 'store' the boost and give you a much larger one. With this larger boost, you can fly off the screen and finish before the screen can catch up and finish before the normal time it takes to finish a course.

Saestrol

Edit history:

Saestrol: 2005-11-07 05:33:02 pm

2005-11-07 05:31:26 pm

Speed Running Joy-bringer

Woah... that sounds... hard!

I didn't even know you could "store" boosting like that... cool. So I guess that tosses my twistorama out of wack : (

Lucid Faia

2005-11-19 11:35:07 pm

Yeah, I said it.

Dragster in 24.95

http://rapidshare.de/files/7834952/24.95.MOV.html

-Suzaku-

2005-11-19 11:40:18 pm

Eternal Understudy

That was really good, Lucid. How come you didn't pop in the video to say hi?

OrbitalBear

2015-10-26 06:07:25 pm

200Δv burn 30° normal to prograde!

10 year old thread. What a place to say "hi!"

After binge watching GDQs on the tablet mounted above my monitor and checking the proposed games for AGDQ16 to find Uniracers again missing, I googled and found this thread.

I don't know if anyone is still thinking about this, but I created an account just to say that I wanna see this run (runned? the verb run).

Deuceler

2015-10-27 09:52:11 am

SPEEDruns not SAFEruns

Wanna see this ran? I'm not sure lol.

I really love this game, but I'm not sure how well it would work single segment. ILs would probably be the best bet for people wanting to do runs or compete. Ever consider giving it a go bear?