TASBot

A TASBot is a replay device that can play back the common *.m64 (TAS) files that Mupen64 creates on a physical Nintendo 64 (N64). TASbots work by imitating the inputs of a real controller, but they are not identical to normal N64 controllers.

TASBots in the Discord Server

There are currently seven people who own TASBots in the SM64 TASing and ABC server.

Those members are:

• Barry
• dwangoAC
• welcoe
• rcombs
• Plush
• mkdasher
• Red

Uses of TASBots

Console Verification

TASBots are used for a phenomenon called console verification. The N64 has some properties that make it crash more often than emulators like Mupen. This means that a TAS that plays back fine on Mupen may actually crash on console. This is not desired, and so many important TASes, especially those utilizing PU movement, have been console verified, such as Watch for Rolling Rocks 0.5x A presses and the 1 Key TAS.

Wii (U) VC

There is no known way to make a TASBot for the Wii or Wii U, due to inconsistent input polling. Thus, TASes made using Dolphin or a hacked version of Mupen cannot be console verified using a TASBot. However, a ROMhack by Eddio allows the game to play back a TAS within itself. It is possible to inject this into a Wii WAD, which makes TASes made for Wii VC console-verifiable. This method does not work for Wii U VC.

Other consoles

Super Mario 64 can also be played on the iQue console, but since the iQue is a handheld console it is impossible to make a TASBot for it without modifying the console. However, the method mentioned above used for VC playback can be used on the iQue.

A development version of Super Mario 64 exists for the 64DD extension. Only 1 known copy of the game exists. Though no TASing software exists for the 64DD, a regular N64 TASBot could theoretically be used to play back movies on it. Additionally, a playback ROMhack could theoretically be written to a development disk and used on the 64DD, but due to the extreme rarity of both 64DDs and development disks, this has never been attempted.