Game:

Solstice (1990)

Duration: 8:22

1,335 views

30

This was played on a component-modded NES with an original NES controller. This was also streamed live on my Twitch channel. You can watch the VOD here: http://www.twitch.tv/pjdicesare/v/18285800

Low% is a very interesting category in Solstice. It is simply game-defined. We are simply trying to achieve the lowest in-game percentage possible without using cheats or the password. It would be possible to cut nearly 1 full percentage point off the best low% route by using the potion/lives code, but I do not believe in using cheats.

Every unique room visited adds 0.19% (IIRC), and every item collected is worth 5 rooms of percentage.

This presents an interesting optimization problem. Since I am most concerned with minimizing percentage, I am not worried about taking a long time to backtrack through previously-visited rooms. In many cases, collecting a key will open up new passages that make a more coherent path through the castle. A key counts as an item though, so unless the key allows me to skip more than 5 rooms, I do not collect it.

The only optional item that I collect is the credit. I need to collect more blue potion at some point, because two blue potion uses are mandatory to complete the game, and using 2 extra blue potions allows me to skip something like 16 extra rooms. I can get a potion refill through either collecting a blue potion or by game overing and continuing. Both a blue potion and a credit count equally as 1 item, and since there is a credit in a room I already visit, it gives me a lower final percentage to collect that, game over, and continue.

The final total should be 99 rooms, 29.10%. It might be possible to get lower, but this is the best route that we (Breakdown, me, Blechy) could come up with.

This run is 3.5 seconds off my sum of best splits (6:35.1 vs 6:38.6). I am very happy with this run and have no plans to improve this or play low% again.

Time to focus on any% and 100%!

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