mccJun 27, 2023

Speedrunning is kinda cursed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEQWT9rSkfM

Did you know this? Apparently if you bought a copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 in the US, depending on when you bought it the "bros" in the logo is either aligned left on the label or right.

*If the logo on your cart is aligned right, you can't get a world record under current strategies.*

And until *last year*, nobody realized this was a problem. It was believed the versions were functionally identical.

(image source reddit user stang189)

Mario 3 Version Difference Is Faster VS Slower!?

YouTube
Show threadmccJun 27, 2023

If this video confuses/bores you: Read this post then jump to 10:19.

In warpless SMB3 runs, there's an early (second world) instance of randomness where a hammer brother can run either right or left, and if it runs left you can skip three entire levels and save an entire minute:

https://smb3.bf0.org/smb3mechanics/2018-08-22-early-hammer/

Getting this randomness is important, so players use a "manipulation"– they play in a very precise way (in Mitch's case, literally miming along to a video of a TAS) to get exact random numbers.

Early Hammer

An in-depth description of Early Hammer and Hammer Brother movement

SMB3 0r4ng3
Show threadmccJun 27, 2023
Infosec-minded people watching this video will have a slow-dawning realization that what this speedrunner is haltingly describing is a timing attack performed on the video game. The version difference would not have been a problem if Nintendo had used constant-time algorithms in their end-of-level score check arithmetic. There's some DJB shit going on here.
Show threadmccJun 27, 2023

Incidentally Mitchflowerpower says something near the end of the video that really sounds like a Quote. Like something that would go in a list of Quotes. This is like a dictaphone from an alternate universe version of The Witness that has better philosophy of science.

"I can't take all the credit for figuring this out. I can only take credit for asking the right questions." – Mitchflowerpower

Show threadFrost, wolf of winter 🐺🎄
@mcc whoa, @Patashu!
Jun 27, 2023 at 10:16pmWeb
Show threadFrost, wolf of winter 🐺🎄Jun 28, 2023
(@Patashu check out the rest of the thread if you haven't, too! Cool speedrun stuff. :3)