Wonderboy in Monsterland - November 13, 2013

Flip

UraniumAnchor

Edit history:

UraniumAnchor: 2013-11-13 12:19:33 pm

2013-10-29 09:01:57 pm

1-Up!

Game Page: http://speeddemosarchive.com/WonderBoyMonsterLand.html

Wonderboy in Monsterland (Any %) (Single Segment)

Decision: Accept

Congratulations to Mathieu 'Mpatard' Patard!

Thread title:

Flip

2013-10-29 09:01:58 pm

1-Up!

Run Information

Wonderboy in Monsterland (Any %) (Single Segment)

Verification Files

http://v.speeddemosarchive.com/monsterland_HQ.mp4

Please refer to the Verification Guidelines before posting. Verifications are due by Nov. 12, 2013.

Please post your opinions about the run and be certain to conclude your post with a verdict (Accept/Reject). This is not a contest where the majority wins - I will judge each verification on its content. Please keep your verification brief unless you have a good reason otherwise.

After 2 weeks I will read all of the verifications and move this thread to the main verification board and post my verdict.

presjpolk

2013-11-01 09:24:48 am

HELLO!

I'd love an explanation of what we're buying with all that gold and why.

UraniumAnchor

2013-11-01 09:32:03 am

Not a walrus

Yeah, the comments don't explain that. Maybe one of our local SMS gurus is more familiar with this game?

presjpolk

Edit history:

presjpolk: 2013-11-01 11:27:08 am

2013-11-01 11:26:53 am

HELLO!

Yeah I love the SMS and the classic Sega feel, but I never had many games for it before it basically died in the US. Smiley

But having watched this whole run I really have two takeaways from it:

1. Most of the run is dominated by grinding gold.

2. The combat seems to really tail off in accuracy as we go. We take more hits later.

Point 2 I can understand. I was just saying it in another verification. But I just don't know the game well enough to understand or know what we're buying with all the gold we're taking the time to kill things and jump around to get.

Greenalink

2013-11-01 01:53:07 pm

DS Dictator

I have played the game, but not enough speed run experience.

The common uses for gold:

1) To get loads and buy 2 boot upgrades.

Cloth Boots 50G
Leather Boots 80G
Ceramic Boots 180G
Legend Boots 350G

The player can only buy Legend boots if he has at least Leather or Ceramic. Boots increases your running speed and height. Unfortunately the jumping height is fixed and it's not always easy to dodge everything with the best boots.

2) Getting the best armour to endure hits. The SMS version only gives you 1 life (and a revive potion) and I would safely say that getting near to the end of the game without armour upgrades is tough like 1 hit and it's literally Game Over tough.

3) Lightning is bought in Round 3 to instantly kill nearly all of the bats in Round 5.

The SMS version lacks junior size gorillas and performing an aerial attack halts your horizontal speed.

I've read the comments on YUA - yua4 d1 f1 3d progressive HQ

Shouldn't that be
d4, f1, 2d, Interlaced? How was this recorded exactly?
The resolution is 692x480 which is very funny if you ask me.

According to the Sega Retro site it's
http://segaretro.org/Sega_Master_System

Quote:

Screen resolutions 256x192 and 256x224. PAL/SECAM also supports 256x240

I have played the game, but not enough speed run experience.

The common uses for gold:

1) To get loads and buy 2 boot upgrades.

Cloth Boots	 50G
[b]Leather Boots	 80G[/b]
Ceramic Boots	 180G
[b]Legend Boots	 350G[/b]

The player can only buy Legend boots if he has at least Leather or Ceramic. Boots increases your running speed and height. Unfortunately the jumping height is fixed and it's not always easy to dodge everything with the best boots.

2) Getting the best armour to endure hits. The SMS version only gives you 1 life (and a revive potion) and I would safely say that getting near to the end of the game without armour upgrades is tough like 1 hit and it's literally Game Over tough.

3) Lightning is bought in Round 3 to instantly kill nearly all of the bats in Round 5.

The SMS version lacks junior size gorillas and performing an aerial attack halts your horizontal speed.

I've read the comments on YUA - yua4 d1 f1 3d progressive HQ

Shouldn't that be 
d4, f1, 2d, Interlaced? How was this recorded exactly?  
The resolution is 692x480 which is very funny if you ask me.

According to the Sega Retro site it's
http://segaretro.org/Sega_Master_System
[quote]Screen resolutions 256x192 and 256x224. PAL/SECAM also supports 256x240[/quote]

UraniumAnchor

2013-11-01 02:07:10 pm

Not a walrus

There's a big fat comment on the status page that explains how he captured it. Or at least there should be one. Is it not visible?

Greenalink

2013-11-01 03:32:02 pm

DS Dictator

This is all I got, unless I'm looking at the wrong place, the comments on the .txt mentions this

Quote:

Wonderboy in Monsterland (SEGA Master System) [NTSC non-jap]

Attachment:

status.jpg

UraniumAnchor

Edit history:

UraniumAnchor: 2013-11-01 03:39:36 pm

2013-11-01 03:39:14 pm

Not a walrus

Is the comment visible now?

Greenalink

2013-11-01 03:47:04 pm

DS Dictator

Yes it is

presjpolk

2013-11-02 04:11:44 am

HELLO!

Accept it then I think.

Potato Handle

Edit history:

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:42:09 am

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:34:12 am

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:33:15 am

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:32:28 am

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:31:24 am

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:31:01 am

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:30:04 am

Potato Handle: 2013-11-02 05:28:38 am

2013-11-02 05:27:19 am

Plays games quickly. Eventually.

I've done a couple of test runs of this, but not much more than that. Monster Land is a very awkward game to speedrun, and even more awkward to review. Enemies no obstacle, it's prolly a <10 minute sprint to the finish, but even the TAS doesn't take the nekkid haul-arse method because going out of your way for certain things *can* be faster.

The nuance of this run is choosing which preparations you take, obviously the fewer upgrades you get, the faster (Usually), and harder the run will be, it's not necessarily unreasonable to collect most of the available gear in a speedrun, because of the difficulty spike from having too low-grade gear. This run goes pretty far out of the way to max out most of the available gear, but does so in the most cost-effective way. It could be considered a "Safe" route, although I haven't seen any other human runs of this using much less gear.

Execution-wise, The runner is very good as knocking down the bosses quickly, especially the final boss which I promise you is a lot harder than it looks to get the timing down. There were some sloppy moments in non-boss sections but only one or two cost any significant amount of time. There were also a few instances of very good luck in the run, having gauntlets (Temporary 2x damage) drop before bosses, etc.

Questions I would have before dropping an Accept though:
- Has it been considered to skip a weapon upgrade boss or two? You seemed to have no trouble against the final boss, so I'm sure it's in your ability to use a lower-tier weapon and still win comfortably. Is it not worth the extra time spent on the final boss?
- Was the Sphinx question a guess? If so, why did you choose the answer you chose? IIRC the answer is random, so it would have been faster to select the default option.
- Can you justify the extra time taken to fight the optional wizard boss? The first few thunders you picked up worked great in the underground key room (I hadn't seen that strat before, very clever. \o/), but Medusa isn't that much of a threat to be worth going that far out of your way to make easier AFAIK.

I've done a couple of test runs of this, but not much more than that. Monster Land is a very awkward game to speedrun, and even more awkward to review. Enemies no obstacle, it's prolly a <10 minute sprint to the finish, but even the TAS doesn't take the nekkid haul-arse method because going out of your way for certain things *can* be faster.

The nuance of this run is choosing which preparations you take, obviously the fewer upgrades you get, the faster (Usually), and harder the run will be, it's not necessarily unreasonable to collect most of the available gear in a speedrun, because of the difficulty spike from having too low-grade gear. This run goes pretty far out of the way to max out most of the available gear, but does so in the most cost-effective way. It could be considered a "Safe" route, although I haven't seen any other human runs of this using much less gear.

Execution-wise, The runner is very good as knocking down the bosses quickly, especially the final boss which I promise you is a lot harder than it looks to get the timing down. There were some sloppy moments in non-boss sections but only one or two cost any significant amount of time. There were also a few instances of very good luck in the run, having gauntlets (Temporary 2x damage) drop before bosses, etc.

Questions I would have before dropping an Accept though:
 - Has it been considered to skip a weapon upgrade boss or two? You seemed to have no trouble against the final boss, so I'm sure it's in your ability to use a lower-tier weapon and still win comfortably. Is it not worth the extra time spent on the final boss?
 - Was the Sphinx question a guess? If so, why did you choose the answer you chose? IIRC the answer is random, so it would have been faster to select the default option.
 - Can you justify the extra time taken to fight the optional wizard boss? The first few thunders you picked up worked great in the underground key room (I hadn't seen that strat before, very clever. \o/), but Medusa isn't that much of a threat to be worth going that far out of your way to make easier AFAIK.

Greenalink

Edit history:

Greenalink: 2013-11-02 06:22:11 am

2013-11-02 06:11:11 am

DS Dictator

Quote:

- Has it been considered to skip a weapon upgrade boss or two? You seemed to have no trouble against the final boss, so I'm sure it's in your ability to use a lower-tier weapon and still win comfortably. Is it not worth the extra time spent on the final boss?

The current TAS run uses the Legendary Sword and I remember on the Arcade version defeating the boss that gives me the key to the ice castle with a level 3 sword (not level 5) is impossible.

Quote:

- Was the Sphinx question a guess? If so, why did you choose the answer you chose? IIRC the answer is random, so it would have been faster to select the default option.

There's 4 different questions but even if you get the exact same question, the answer is not always the same. Normally, the player has to enter a bar and buy a beer/cocktail and Betty gives you a hint to Sphinx's real answer.

Quote:

Question: WHICH GAME HAVE I BEEN PLAYING?

Betty's Clue: Sphinx was seasick

Answer: Afterburner

Quote:

Question: WHICH GAME HAVE I BEEN PLAYING?

Sphinx has strange glasses

Missile Defence

Quote:

Question: HOW DO I ALLEVIATE STRESS?

Betty's Clue: In the morning, the Earth will erupt

Answer: Jogging

Quote:

Question: HOW DO I ALLEVIATE STRESS?

Betty's Clue: The Sphinx's specialty

Answer: Drinking

Quote:

Question: WHAT DID I HAVE FOR DINNER?

Betty's Clue: Yesterday our Chicken was stolen

Answer: Fried Chicken

Quote:

Question: WHAT DID I HAVE FOR DINNER?

Betty's Clue: Recently our Sphinx has been on a diet

Answer: No Dinner

Quote:

Question: MY FAVORITE HOBBY?

Betty's Clue: Recently, I have heard sounds of breaking glass

Answer: Golf

Quote:

Question: MY FAVORITE HOBBY?

Betty's Clue: So noisy at night

Answer: Karaoke

Edit:

Note to Betty and The Sphinx Questions on Round 6

In order to obtain these answers you must first have collected the Note to Betty from Jack the barman in the Mam Desert Inn (Round 5) done by ordering his two of his more expensive drinks.

Note to Betty
Enter the Inn in the pyramid, and again order two of the more expensive drinks. Betty will provide a clue to answer the Sphinx's question to defeat him.

[quote]- Has it been considered to skip a weapon upgrade boss or two? You seemed to have no trouble against the final boss, so I'm sure it's in your ability to use a lower-tier weapon and still win comfortably. Is it not worth the extra time spent on the final boss?[/quote]
The current TAS run uses the Legendary Sword and I remember on the Arcade version defeating the boss that gives me the key to the ice castle with a level 3 sword (not level 5) is impossible.

[quote]- Was the Sphinx question a guess? If so, why did you choose the answer you chose? IIRC the answer is random, so it would have been faster to select the default option.[/quote]
There's 4 different questions but even if you get the exact same question, the answer is not always the same. Normally, the player has to enter a bar and buy a beer/cocktail and Betty gives you a hint to Sphinx's real answer.

[hidden][quote]Question: WHICH GAME HAVE I BEEN PLAYING?

Betty's Clue: Sphinx was seasick

Answer: Afterburner
[/quote]
[quote]Question: WHICH GAME HAVE I BEEN PLAYING?

Sphinx has strange glasses

Missile Defence[/quote]

[quote]Question: HOW DO I ALLEVIATE STRESS?

Betty's Clue: In the morning, the Earth will erupt

Answer: Jogging[/quote]

[quote]Question: HOW DO I ALLEVIATE STRESS?

Betty's Clue: The Sphinx's specialty

Answer: Drinking[/quote]

[quote]Question: WHAT DID I HAVE FOR DINNER?

Betty's Clue: Yesterday our Chicken was stolen

Answer: Fried Chicken[/quote]

[quote]Question: WHAT DID I HAVE FOR DINNER?

Betty's Clue: Recently our Sphinx has been on a diet

Answer: No Dinner[/quote]

[quote]Question: MY FAVORITE HOBBY?

Betty's Clue: Recently, I have heard sounds of breaking glass

Answer: Golf[/quote]

[quote]Question: MY FAVORITE HOBBY?

Betty's Clue: So noisy at night

Answer: Karaoke[/quote][/hidden]

Edit:

Note to Betty and The Sphinx Questions on Round 6

In order to obtain these answers you must first have collected the Note to Betty from Jack the barman in the Mam Desert Inn (Round 5) done by ordering his two of his more expensive drinks.

Note to Betty 
Enter the Inn in the pyramid, and again order two of the more expensive drinks. Betty will provide a clue to answer the Sphinx's question to defeat him.

Potato Handle

Edit history:

Potato Handle: 2013-11-06 04:31:31 pm

Potato Handle: 2013-11-06 04:30:06 pm

Potato Handle: 2013-11-03 10:00:16 pm

Potato Handle: 2013-11-03 09:58:09 pm

Potato Handle: 2013-11-03 09:57:29 pm

Potato Handle: 2013-11-03 09:57:03 pm

2013-11-03 09:56:51 pm

Plays games quickly. Eventually.

Quote:

The current TAS run uses the Legendary Sword and I remember on the Arcade version defeating the boss that gives me the key to the ice castle with a level 3 sword (not level 5) is impossible.

Well I kinda question the TAS route too, haha. But that's not really that relevant here, it's a fair enough choice of route and the best case scenario is saving a few seconds, so not a big deal.

Quote:

There's 4 different questions but even if you get the exact same question, the answer is not always the same. Normally, the player has to enter a bar and buy a beer/cocktail and Betty gives you a hint to Sphinx's real answer.

He never visited the bar in the run, so I figured it must've been a straight up guess, but based on those options you listed; the reasoning is that "Singing" is never a correct response, and so there was a 50/50 chance at the other two, correct? (I'm mainly asking so I understand better for myself if I try and pick this up again, haha.)

With the above being the case, I'm happy to drop an accept for this. \o/

EDIT: Oh and an extra point of note, I love the setup used for capturing this run. Spotless video/sound quality, awesome job. \o/
EDIT2: I'm an idiot and only just found the run comments (I only saw the technical comments before), in which the sphinx issue is explained clearly.

Accept

[quote]The current TAS run uses the Legendary Sword and I remember on the Arcade version defeating the boss that gives me the key to the ice castle with a level 3 sword (not level 5) is impossible.[/quote]Well I kinda question the TAS route too, haha. But that's not really that relevant here, it's a fair enough choice of route and the best case scenario is saving a few seconds, so not a big deal.

[quote]There's 4 different questions but even if you get the exact same question, the answer is not always the same. Normally, the player has to enter a bar and buy a beer/cocktail and Betty gives you a hint to Sphinx's real answer. [/quote]He never visited the bar in the run, so I figured it must've been a straight up guess, but based on those options you listed; the reasoning is that "Singing" is never a correct response, and so there was a 50/50 chance at the other two, correct? (I'm mainly asking so I understand better for myself if I try and pick this up again, haha.)

With the above being the case, I'm happy to drop an [b]accept[/b] for this. \o/

EDIT: Oh and an extra point of note, I love the setup used for capturing this run. Spotless video/sound quality, awesome job. \o/
EDIT2: I'm an idiot and only just found the run comments (I only saw the technical comments before), in which the sphinx issue is explained clearly.

[b]Accept[/b]

Greenalink

Edit history:

Greenalink: 2013-11-05 08:00:53 am

2013-11-04 03:52:04 am

DS Dictator

I think in a speed run, because you don't go into the bar and find out the current playthrough's hint. It's pretty much luck which answer is correct.

This run is a pretty good start and hopefully future runs will be more risky by killing less enemies for gold. I am aware that every single gold value is never the same other than the boss's remains.

The video setup is really good for a SMS game, I was very Shocked

to find out that the XRGB mini Frameister isn't cheap.

Accept

UraniumAnchor

2013-11-13 12:19:41 pm

Not a walrus

Decision posted.