2024 VGS NES Weekly Contest - Super Mario 3

[Murray | 2,448]

[docile tapeworm | 4,198]

@Murray your tha best dude

[Link | 2,713]

I wanted to try this contest. But I have an unusual schedule and not have much time for playing old games. Regardless, @BeaIank thank you for setting up this type of ruleset. For a while now you've been making them less time-consuming by removing grinding as a strat, and with goals that are clearly specific to the games, while still offering challenge to seasoned players.

[BeaIank | 1,621]

We need to keep things fresh, so new ways to play classic games need to be found for the contest.
And I am very aware that we don't have the same free time we used to have 10, 15 years ago to play in the contest, so whenever possible, I am trying to keep things fast.

[SuperJimtendo | 1,123]

Are those the final standings?

[BeaIank | 1,621]

I don't think so. I will try to review them tomorrow and post the final standings.

[PII | 1,886]

For any interested:

About 5 min. before 11p.m. VGS time Sunday I got my first 260 left on the clock in 1-1

And my best time for 1-3 was a 206 left on the clock.

I'm reasonably certain that 223 is the best possible time for 1-4.

And my best for 1-2 was 239 left over.

 

So I know that a 9:28 is possible.  

I believe I could get at least another second faster on 1-3 perhaps more.

and I think a 2:40 might be possible on 1-2 but I think it would take a highly refined degree of perfection in the run.

Anyway, I think a 9:29 or 9:30 might very well be in the realm of possibility.  I'm also presuming that I haven't missed any major tactics that would significantly reduce the time of the run.

 

This was a great ruleset and a smart way to make speed running more accessible for those without recording ability.  I had a lot of fun and learned quite a bit about the mechanics of the game.  

Edited March 26 by PII

[NESfiend | 1,515]

21 minutes ago, PII said:

For any interested:

About 5 min. before 11p.m. VGS time Sunday I got my first 260 left on the clock in 1-1

And my best time for 1-3 was a 206 left on the clock.

I'm reasonably certain that 223 is the best possible time for 1-4.

And my best for 1-2 was 239 left over.

 

So I know that a 9:28 is possible.  

I believe I could get at least another second faster on 1-3 perhaps more.

and I think a 2:40 might be possible on 1-2 but I think it would take a highly refined degree of perfection in the run.

Anyway, I think a 9:29 or 9:30 might very well be in the realm of possibility.  I'm also presuming that I haven't missed any major tactics that would significantly reduce the time of the run.

 

This was a great ruleset and a smart way to make speed running more accessible for those without recording ability.  I had a lot of fun and learned quite a bit about the mechanics of the game.  

I had 6-7 260s on 1-1 at least. Spent too much time on it in general. 

Did hit ONE 2:40 on 1-2 and at least 1, if not 2, 224s on 1-4. Something about the timing the last jump could shave off a second. A few times, when I jumped early and stretched out arching up and down into the box. That last second felt like it should have ticked and didnt. Cant really put it into words well and couldnt execute every time by any means. But everything else seemed the same about those runs. Just a perfectly timed hop at the end almost seemed to stretch it. 

1-3, thats where I sucked. I only got all 4 enemies in a few times and found every way to screw it up. 

You did have one close call on Sunday night you didnt know about. With 220ish on the clock, I somehow had the two turtles and one goomba all marching toward the black area. I still dont know how that happened.

Usually when the red shell times out and gets his legs back, he ends up facing left. Somehow that time it was going right and flying guy was flying around. In a split second brain blow up, I hopped on the red turtle to pick it up and blew up the sequence killing one of em. It occurred to me 2 seconds later all I had to do was let them all march, I was just so used to taking the red shell to the box with me. 

I doubt that would have beat you, but it seemed like a good pace to get pretty close. Drove me nuts all day. Crazy score - you earned it. 

 

Edited March 26 by NESfiend

[PII | 1,886]

2 hours ago, NESfiend said:

I had 6-7 260s on 1-1 at least. Spent too much time on it in general. 

Did hit ONE 2:40 on 1-2 and at least 1, if not 2, 224s on 1-4. Something about the timing the last jump could shave off a second. A few times, when I jumped early and stretched out arching up and down into the box. That last second felt like it should have ticked and didnt. Cant really put it into words well and couldnt execute every time by any means. But everything else seemed the same about those runs. Just a perfectly timed hop at the end almost seemed to stretch it. 

1-3, thats where I sucked. I only got all 4 enemies in a few times and found every way to screw it up. 

You did have one close call on Sunday night you didnt know about. With 220ish on the clock, I somehow had the two turtles and one goomba all marching toward the black area. I still dont know how that happened.

Usually when the red shell times out and gets his legs back, he ends up facing left. Somehow that time it was going right and flying guy was flying around. In a split second brain blow up, I hopped on the red turtle to pick it up and blew up the sequence killing one of em. It occurred to me 2 seconds later all I had to do was let them all march, I was just so used to taking the red shell to the box with me. 

I doubt that would have beat you, but it seemed like a good pace to get pretty close. Drove me nuts all day. Crazy score - you earned it. 

It was not taking the flying leap off the turtle at the P-switch all week that kept me from 260's on 1-1.  By the time I realized it wouldn't be as difficult as I thought to do it consistently, time was close to up.  Glad to hear I'm not crazy thinking 240 is possible on 1-2.  At first I was like how in the heck can he get a 224 on 1-4, but after a moment of thought I think I have an idea: A flying leap for a slightly earlier pipe might result in being partially up to speed upon emerging out the other side.  Don't know why I didn't think of that during the week, but then that's how these things tend to go.  It really is amazing how many little points there are to think about.  So it looks like 9:30 - 9:31 might be the max...

Hmmm, it sounds like you should have potentially walloped me a good one by ahem, holding your score until the end after figuring out that red shell stuff.  I decided early on the first day or so that getting both turtles marching along just wouldn't work and then moved on.  I always used the green one.  I did wonder a little if someone was going to manage one more coin -looks like it might have been you w/a little more time to play...

Edited March 26 by PII

[docile tapeworm | 4,198]

Always hold your score!

[Gloves | 11,780]

3 minutes ago, skinnygrinny said:

Always hold your score!

I held my score so close to my chest that I didn't even end up playing the game lol.

[PII | 1,886]

24 minutes ago, skinnygrinny said:

Always hold your score!

eaauuuch!  I knew I shoulda kept my mouth shut!

[NESfiend | 1,515]

20 hours ago, PII said:

Hmmm, it sounds like you should have potentially walloped me a good one by ahem, holding your score until the end after figuring out that red shell stuff.  I decided early on the first day or so that getting both turtles marching along just wouldn't work and then moved on.  I always used the green one.  I did wonder a little if someone was going to manage one more coin -looks like it might have been you w/a little more time to play...

Im confused. How were you getting the 4 coins end of 1-3? The green turtle would run into the 2 goombas sending one goomba in the wrong direction. Id let the green turtle and the other goomba march and grab the red shell. It would time out and shrink me on the march (sometimes twice), then Id have to grab it again and run it in with the green turtle and goomba marching.  The flying goomba was the 4th. The getting shrunk and getting the red turtle again is where it always went to hell. Sounds like you had a different strat

Edited March 27 by NESfiend

[PII | 1,886]

1 hour ago, NESfiend said:

Im confused. How were you getting the 4 coins end of 1-3? The green turtle would run into the 2 goombas sending one goomba in the wrong direction. Id let the green turtle and the other goomba march and grab the red shell. It would time out and shrink me on the march (sometimes twice), then Id have to grab it again and run it in with the green turtle and goomba marching.  The flying goomba was the 4th. The getting shrunk and getting the red turtle again is where it always went to hell. Sounds like you had a different strat

Can't say I perfectly understand your strat either, but here's what I did:

After dropping out of the pipe and moving left I jump on the green turtle and pick him up and continue to run left to pick up 3 coins above the light blue rectangle, 1 coin above the white rectangle which also has the red turtle on it that I ignore more or less and then the 1 coin above the salmon rectangle.

Then I move back to the right still carrying the green shell and hop over the two ground goombas.  I'm still holding the shell because I don't want the green turtle to manifest yet.  If he does he's walking left and bumps into the first goomba which screws everything up.  So once I'm to the right of those goombas and have successfully prevented the green turtle from manifesting, I release the green shell to the right.

Next I'm using my P-wing to avoid the advances of the flying goomba.  FG lands and I fly over him to the right.  FG lands a 2nd time and I fly over him and the other two goombas to the left in order to manifest the green turtle who will be marching to the right again.  Then we all march to the flashing box in the following order: goomba, goomba, Mario, green turtle.  FG is flying around and lands twice more on the way.  Finally I jump into the flashing box and the 4 enemies present turn into coins.

Also, I missed something insipidly obvious.  I could have shaved a second or two off by picking up the green turtle right at the end and been able to jump into the box earlier.  I guess I got so obsessed with avoiding the FG as well as making sure that FG sticks around that I didn't see it right in front of me.  If you fly for the flashing box too soon, FG will leave the screen.

[NESfiend | 1,515]

32 minutes ago, PII said:

Then we all march to the flashing box in the following order: goomba, goomba, Mario, green turtle.  FG is flying around and lands twice more on the way.  Finally I jump into the flashing box and the 4 enemies present turn into coins.

 

I think I actually get this now. I didn't think to manipulate the green turtle to reappear marching right (toward the goal) instead of left. I didn't think it was possible to get both non-flying goombas to the goal. Knowing now there is a way to march 4 in like you can march 5 in on 1-2. I kind of want to try that now. 

I was directing/walking with the green turtle to the goombas underneath the red turtle, letting him run into them, then taking the red shell with me. When green turtle runs into the goomba set, one goes with him toward the goal and the other goes the wrong way. The green turtle and one goomba march as I carried the red shell far enough ahead of them that when he blows up, I can hop on him again and go back to carrying him. The margins were too thin there to make it doable on a regular basis

 

Edited March 27 by NESfiend

[PII | 1,886]

14 minutes ago, NESfiend said:

I think I actually get this now. I didn't think to manipulate the green turtle to reappear marching right (toward the goal) instead of left. I didn't think it was possible to get both non-flying goombas to the goal. Knowing now there is a way to march 4 in like you can march 5 in on 1-2. I kind of want to try that now. 

I was directing/walking with the green turtle to the goombas underneath the red turtle, letting him run into them, then taking the red shell with me. When green turtle runs into the goomba set, one goes with him toward the goal and the other goes the wrong way. The green turtle and one goomba march as I carried the red shell far enough ahead of them that when he blows up, I can hop on him again and go back to carrying him. The margins were too thin there to make it doable on a regular basis

Yeah, I get it now.  Seems like trouble though the way you have to keep dealing with red guy and taking hits...

[NESfiend | 1,515]

29 minutes ago, PII said:

Yeah, I get it now.  Seems like trouble though the way you have to keep dealing with red guy and taking hits...

That and if you walk a little ways ahead of the marching green turtle to create distance between you and him for when the red one comes back to life, the goomba would go too far off screen and stop following. Man, this makes me wonder if its possible to get 227 coins though. That red turtle going to waste seems like a missed opportunity marching 4 in. I actually thought you or someone else may find an extra coin somewhere and post it last minute Sunday. Too bad more people didn't dive into this pristine ruleset. 

[PII | 1,886]

22 minutes ago, NESfiend said:

That and if you walk a little ways ahead of the marching green turtle to create distance between you and him for when the red one comes back to life, the goomba would go too far off screen and stop following. Man, this makes me wonder if its possible to get 227 coins though. That red turtle going to waste seems like a missed opportunity marching 4 in. I actually thought you or someone else may find an extra coin somewhere and post it last minute Sunday. Too bad more people didn't dive into this pristine ruleset. 

I was thinking much the same about 227, especially on Sunday after I'd had the brunt of the week to forget about why I decided against screwing around any longer than I did with the red turtle.  The thing is, I think, it's one of those things that seems like it's just waiting to be utilized and it shouldn't be that hard but then when you actually try to make it happen you see all these problems popping up left and right and it's just totally unworkable; it's too much to account for in too little time.  You'd have to be in two places at once to make it work.  If you can figure that out, I'm all ears.  Until then the red turtle is just a red herring.  

...And it is too bad more folks didn't dive in as you say.  There are so many great bits of strategy we could've been comparing notes on...  Oh well, ever onward.

Edited March 27 by PII

[BeaIank | 1,621]

I think that having to take 4 pictures actually drove people away from this, but SMB3 will be back and we will run these rules again.
They seem to have worked pretty great.

[Gaia Gensouki | 1,075]

At the end of 1-3 I just triggered the two Goombas so that they would walk to the right. Then, when the green turtle came, I used Mario's tail to knock it over and move it to the right. As the Goombas came closer and closer I picked up the shell and managed to get to the goal without the green turtle ever leaving its shell again. That's how I got the 4 coins.

5 coins however seemed impossible to me, so I didn't spend much time on it.

[BeaIank | 1,621]

Well, turns out those were the final standings!

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

On 3/22/2024 at 1:42 PM, docile tapeworm said:

I don’t play much video games anymore out side the contest. 

I haven't played much of anything the last few months. Too much real life stuff going on.