SM64 - To the Top of the Fortress - 0x A Presses 

I collect the star To the Top of the Fortress in Whomp's Fortress using 0 A presses. This video is TAS.
This video is an improvement from my previous video in which I collected this star in 1 A press. You can find that video here: • SM64 - To the Top of t... . Since then, I worked out a way to get onto the tower without pressing A. To do this, I have Mario throw a cork box remotely using the hat-in-hand object displacement glitch. Then while the cork box is falling, I dive recover onto the side of the elevator and store 26 vertical speed by cancelling a dive recover. The cork box then collides with Mario, both pushing him off of the elevator to activate his vertical speed and providing helpful horizontal movement. While Mario is being pushed, I ground pound into a strategically placed 100 coin star, thereby using a star dance clip to get onto one of the tower's platforms. You can see an alternative view of the box throw here: • WF Box Throw Alternati... .
Here is a play by play of what I do. I first enter Bob-omb Battlefield in order to place the HOLP in a precise position. This position is above the mountain, and so it’s necessary to construct a goomba staircase to reach it. This is the debut of a more efficient goomba staircase I developed, which makes use of goomba clusters. A goomba cluster is a formation of goombas placed remotely using one HOLP, but thrown at different angles so they have slightly different hitboxes. This technique vastly improves the goomba staircase, resulting in a quadratic number of goombas rather than exponential. Once the goomba staircase is complete, I use it to place the HOLP in the correct position, and then exit out of BoB and go to WF. Once inside, I collect 99 coins and use object displacement to destroy one of the cork boxes next to the tower, allowing me to place the 100 coin star next to one of the tower’s platforms. I then bring up the second cork box, and remotely throw it into myself right after I store vertical speed on side of the elevator. Using the cork box, the vertical speed, a ground pound, and a star dance clip, I am able to get onto the tower!
So what is vertical speed conservation? When Mario does a dive recover and lands, the variable that maintains his vertical speed does NOT reset to zero. So, if Mario lands while he is falling, then this vertical speed will be negative. But if Mario lands while he is still ascending (as is the case when he dive recovers on the side of the rising elevator), then this vertical speed will be positive. This vertical speed WILL reset to 0 if Mario moves at all, but punching, breakdancing, and being pushed by other objects will not affect it. Anyway, once Mario becomes airborne, then his vertical speed takes instant effect. So by storing a positive vertical speed and not resetting it, I am able to have Mario "pop up" when the cork pushes him off of the elevator.
So what is a star dance clip? The star dance clip is a technique where Mario collects a star, thereby allowing him to get onto ledges he wouldn't normally be able to get on. You see, when Mario collects a star, he enters a state where he is able to grab onto ledges. But when he grabs on in this state, instead of entering the grabbing on animation, he just appears at the top of the ledge and does his star dance. Thus, I am able to reap the height benefits of a ground pound while also being able to grab onto ledges.
So what is the HOLP and hat-in-hand object displacement glitch? You see, when Mario has his hat in his hand, objects he releases don't appear in front of him, but instead appear at a point known as the HOLP. The HOLP represents the last place Mario held an object without the hat in hand glitch. There was no way to place the HOLP in the desired location from within WF, and so it was necessary for me to place the HOLP there in a course that had a more accommodating layout, namely BoB. The HOLP doesn't reset between courses, so when I switch to WF, the HOLP is already in the desired spot, and I can release a cork boxes there. To learn more about object displacement and the HOLP, you can watch my video on them here: • SM64 - Hat Glitches (4...
.m64 stats:
Length: 14 minutes and 46 seconds
Re-records: 17681
Frames: 53147 (26400 input)
Time to Make: ~20 hours
ABC Playlist: • Super Mario 64 - A But...
ABC Routes: docs.google.co...