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History of the A Button Challenge: Difference between revisions
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If ur gonna use "as of XXXX", i think it would be best if it used the date of the most recent A press save, 0.5x or not
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(If ur gonna use "as of XXXX", i think it would be best if it used the date of the most recent A press save, 0.5x or not) |
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In the early 2000s, players began trying to beat [[Super Mario 64]] with as few A presses as possible. Thus, the [[A Button Challenge]] (ABC) was born. At first, the challenge required clever movement around the levels, but it eventually required advanced techniques and glitches to whittle down A presses. As of | In the early 2000s, players began trying to beat [[Super Mario 64]] with as few A presses as possible. Thus, the [[A Button Challenge]] (ABC) was born. At first, the challenge required clever movement around the levels, but it eventually required advanced techniques and glitches to whittle down A presses. As of 1 October 2023, the challenge is still active, with only 13 A presses remaining. | ||
== Part I: Early History == | == Part I: Early History == | ||
(To do: This is almost certainly missing things from forum pages and non-English web pages. More research and elaboration on this section is required.) | (To do: This is almost certainly missing things from forum pages and non-English web pages. More research and elaboration on this section is required.) | ||
In 2001, Walton Dell's website detailing Super Mario 64 tricks included details on the ABC for [[BoB]], as well as the red coins star in [[SL]].<ref>http://www.wdell.com/videogames/sm64/course01/</ref><ref>http://www.wdell.com/videogames/sm64/course10/</ref> Curtis Bright, who runs sm64.com, was keeping track of ABC at least as early as December of 2006.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20061209073313/http://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cbright/sm64/a-presses.html</ref> In early 2007, Thiago Trujillo had what is the earliest, nearly complete count for the game (that we have access to) with a total count of about 263 presses.<ref>http://www.oocities.org/thiagotrujillo/abut.html</ref> (This list is missing all navigation presses, two of the [[DDD]] stars, three of the [[TTC]] stars, one star in [[RR]], and [[BitS]].) On 13 July 2007, a GameFAQs forum thread about the ABC was made.<ref>https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/198848-super-mario-64/36745360</ref> | In 2001, Walton Dell's website detailing Super Mario 64 tricks included details on the ABC for [[BoB]], as well as the red coins star in [[SL]].<ref>http://www.wdell.com/videogames/sm64/course01/</ref><ref>http://www.wdell.com/videogames/sm64/course10/</ref> Curtis Bright, who runs sm64.com, was keeping track of ABC at least as early as December of 2006.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20061209073313/http://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cbright/sm64/a-presses.html</ref> In early 2007, Thiago Trujillo had what is the earliest, nearly complete count for the game (that we have access to) with a total count of about 263 presses.<ref>http://www.oocities.org/thiagotrujillo/abut.html</ref> (This list is missing all navigation presses, two of the [[DDD]] stars, three of the [[TTC]] stars, one star in [[RR]], and [[BitS]].) | ||
On 13 July 2007, a GameFAQs forum thread about the ABC was made.<ref>https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/198848-super-mario-64/36745360</ref> Many people participated in saving A presses including Mr_Robert_Z, Bottles704, Thiago Trujillo, Mp16z, and most notably, bobmario511, who uploaded numerous videos in his channel dedicated to the A Button Challenge.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/@bobmario511</ref> Ending the GameFAQs era of Pre-Pannen ABC was alkhdaniel, who while he did not post on the forum, participated in Curtis Bright's page, where many other of the final A press saves of this era were recorded down,<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20080612101619/http://abc.sm64.com/</ref> and uploaded videos on YouTube,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/@danielalkh</ref> focusing entirely on Tick Tock Clock. | |||
The final A press saves before pannenkoek2012's entry in the ABC was a 20 star TAS in 0 A presses by ToTxTASx, Toyuru2, Gorogoro12352, and Mickey<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5eFLrG7vIQ</ref> which saved 5 A presses and uploaded in March 5, 2011 in both Niconico<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110310173727/https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm13792573</ref> and YouTube<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110311004423/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tInMX7iD5g</ref> and an A press save of Plunder in the Sunken Ship two days later in Niconico<ref>https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm13808879</ref> | |||
== Part II: Pannenkoek2012's Initial Run-Through == | == Part II: Pannenkoek2012's Initial Run-Through == | ||
When pannenkoek2012 arrived to the ABC scene in August 2013, the A press count was at 211.<ref>https://youtu.be/RJaL5QOq590?t=400</ref> His first ABC video was for 5 Itty Bitty Secrets, in which he completed it in 0 A presses.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy7XDStV5WE</ref> Pannenkoek brought much more optimization to the ABC, using [[Cloning|cloning]], [[Goomba Architecture|Goomba architecture]], [[Frame Walking|frame walking]], [[Hat-in-Hand|hat in hand displacement]], WDW [[Water Level Manipulation|water level manipulation]], [[Backward Shell Hyperspeed|shell hyperspeed]], [[Infinite Coin Glitches|infinite coin glitches]], and [[Big Boo Manipulation|Big Boo manipulation]]. Within the first 4 months, nearly 100 A presses had been saved, bringing the count down to 117. | When pannenkoek2012 arrived to the ABC scene in August 2013, the A press count was at 211.<ref>https://youtu.be/RJaL5QOq590?t=400</ref> His first ABC video was for 5 Itty Bitty Secrets, in which he completed it in 0 A presses.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy7XDStV5WE</ref> Pannenkoek brought much more optimization to the ABC, using [[Cloning|cloning]], [[Goomba Architecture|Goomba architecture]], [[Frame Walking|frame walking]], [[Hat-in-Hand|hat in hand displacement]], WDW [[Water Level Manipulation|water level manipulation]], [[Backward Shell Hyperspeed|shell hyperspeed]], [[Infinite Coin Glitches|infinite coin glitches]], and [[Big Boo Manipulation|Big Boo manipulation]]. Within the first 4 months, nearly 100 A presses had been saved, bringing the count down to 117. | ||
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Suddenly after the A press save in 2019, there was a large gap of almost 3 years when no A presses were saved at all. The challenge seemed to be at the end. But then finally, since July 2022, a new era of multiple A press saves arrived. | Suddenly after the A press save in 2019, there was a large gap of almost 3 years when no A presses were saved at all. The challenge seemed to be at the end. But then finally, since July 2022, a new era of multiple A press saves arrived. | ||
In July 2022, 3 A presses (all using the same unique press: to jump from hyperspeed grinding) in TTC was saved, when Sjmhrp managed to successfully TAS squish cancel ground pound chain using the pendulum; with the help of a brute forcer. Note that in the same save there were used other new tricks, such as | In July 2022, 3 A presses (all using the same unique press: to jump from hyperspeed grinding) in TTC was saved, when Sjmhrp managed to successfully TAS squish cancel ground pound chain using the pendulum; with the help of a brute forcer. Note that in the same save there were used other new tricks, such as Behind Camera Anywhere found in 2021. | ||
But that wasn't the end. Only 2 months later, in | But that wasn't the end. Only 2 months later, Elevator Tour in the Volcano was down to 0 A presses, after a lot of brute forcing of bully battery, which allowed to reach PU in the volcano, and the rotational platform PU displacement was used to go higher, hence reaching the star platform. | ||
Then again, a few months after that, people finally managed to save the final A press in TTC: Stomp on the Thwomp. Already before, it was discovered that we can reach past the pole without a star dance clip (which was used for a platform after TJOMB). Also, getting off the pole is done the first time with a preset HOLP, but after that we can manipulate the Heave-ho (manipulating the Heave-ho to get to the pole's hole is impossible without already going past the pole). Also, ds273 and Marbler managed to get past the treadmills/spinners with a Bob-omb, and then used the same Bob-omb to clone fire to get on the Thwomp. But it took until November until it was done, because doing SCGP so many times, and avoiding damage (because 5 coins before the pole cannot be used anymore, and cloning coins occupies vacant slots) wasn't easy, so Sjmhrp TASed it again, this time without 2 fire clones. | Then again, a few months after that, people finally managed to save the final A press in TTC: Stomp on the Thwomp. Already before, it was discovered that we can reach past the pole without a star dance clip (which was used for a platform after TJOMB). Also, getting off the pole is done the first time with a preset HOLP, but after that we can manipulate the Heave-ho (manipulating the Heave-ho to get to the pole's hole is impossible without already going past the pole). Also, ds273 and Marbler managed to get past the treadmills/spinners with a Bob-omb, and then used the same Bob-omb to clone fire to get on the Thwomp. But it took until November until it was done, because doing SCGP so many times, and avoiding damage (because 5 coins before the pole cannot be used anymore, and cloning coins occupies vacant slots) wasn't easy, so Sjmhrp TASed it again, this time without 2 fire clones. | ||
In February 2023, the | In February 2023, the Treasure of the Ocean Cave was brought from 1 to 0.5 A presses. The A button needs to be held for hyperspeed kicking. It was already before discovered that a large amount of horizontal speed is enough to reach the star, thanks to the rock near the chests. But it took all until now, that people discover to build speed using the long slope with the ! switch. The problem is that going from water to resume building speed loses some amount of speed (which is why HSW couldn't be used), but using this method, gaining speed finally managed to be bigger than losing from resuming it. | ||
In October 2023, the [[Watch for Rolling Rocks]] star was brought down from 0.5 A Presses to 0 A presses. This was achieved by breaking the red coin room elevator out of bounds, allowing to transport swoopers out of their typical rooms to bounce up to the ledge. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||