SethBling performs the first credits warp in Super Mario World on a real SNES console, a glitch that plays the ending without beating Bowser. The run relies on pixel-perfect positioning and tools such as a helper ROM hack.
Why Hacker News points people here: Cited as a landmark of speedrunning, where a trick once limited to tool-assisted runs was pulled off live on hardware.
“his brief videos give a really nice introduction to the topic that should be accessible to most people”HN comment, 2015
“pulled off the impossible and did the credit warp on an actual SNES, live”
Live credits warp on real SNES with pixel-perfect setup
Full comment
I believe it's been posted before, but sethbling (of vanilla-minecraft-hacks fame) pulled off the impossible and did the credit warp on an actual SNES, live[1]. As this video very-nicely explains, this required incredible amounts of pixel-perfect accuracy. Lining up the line of koopa shells on exact x-offsets and very narrow heights mid jump (!) to write the landing-sled - using a controller, realtime - is utterly insane. As a side note sethbling's latest project is teaching[2] (using neuro-evolution) his machine learning bot to play SMW[2], SMB1[3], and Mario Kart (original)[4]. While he machine learning is simple by today's standards, his brief videos give a really nice introduction to the topic that should be accessible to most people. [1] this video [2] link [3] link [4] link
Strongly recommendsqz3May 2018
“absolutely unbelievable.”
Frame-perfect glitch run warping to the credits
Full comment
There was a time where is discovered the speedrun and tas communities and binge-watched everything it has to offer. I was constantly amazed by what the players achieved, and I especially liked the ones where the gap between tas and human player closes. SethBling made an elaborate, frame-perfect glitch exploit run of Super Mario World where he warps from the first level to the end credits - absolutely unbelievable. this video
Cites itduskwuffMay 2015
“it's not the first time a speedrunning trick has made its way from TAS into”
Example of a TAS trick later done live
Full comment
Oh, sure. Still, it's not the first time a speedrunning trick has made its way from TAS into "live" runs. For instance, the SMW credits skip: this video
Cites italexoseNov 2021
“I realized that speedrunning retro games is truly next-level these days.”
Example of next-level retro speedrunning
Full comment
Ever since I saw someone beat Super Mario World by reprogramming the game from within the game itself ( this video ), I realized that speedrunning retro games is truly next-level these days.
Cites itNobodyNadaOct 2022
“Super Mario World (RTA, 2015)”
Listed as a historically significant human-performed run
Full comment
Some highlights/historically significant examples of this: Super Mario World (TAS, 2014): link Super Mario Bros. 3 (TAS, 2014): link - The same run performed RTA (i.e. by a human using a real controller) at AGDQ 2015: link Super Mario World (RTA, 2015): this video Super Mario World "total control" (RTA, 2015): link Pokemon Yellow total control (TAS, 2017): link The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (RTA, 2019-ish?): link Ocarina of Time total control/"Triforce%" (TAS, 2022): link (explanation: link )