Game:

Super Monkey Ball 2 (2002)

Duration: 4:55

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29

Of all the things I have done in video games, I have to say that this is the hardest thing I have ever done. And no, I am not talking about winning the bounty, I am talking about getting the tie on the Jump Machine record. It's hard to believe I did something even crazier than getting GCN Waluigi Stadium World Record in Mario Kart Wii, but here we are. Yes, this video is about winning the bounty, but the focus is really on Jump Machine, as that is where I spent the majority of my time trying to complete this bounty.

To explain why this record was so unbelievably hard, perhaps it is best I explain what makes Nambo's record so good (https://youtu.be/wEHTpX3maQg):
1.) His air movement is strong in his record, setting him up to get an excellent run.
2.) He gets a very rare clip entering Bunch 6, giving him a very low hit off the jumper. This allows him to get an incredibly good score, destroying his old PB by 4 frames. Yes, that is considered destruction in SMB ILs, considering just how strong a 53,282 [.41] is.
3.) He clutches the ending by getting a side goal, something that is very difficult to nail on this level.

Nambo did inform me that he once failed a 53,300 [.50] by missing bunch 5 slightly to the side, which was enough to convince me that grinding for a lucky clip was not necessary. After just a few days of attempts, I had a similar failure.

Little did I know that I would not be able to replicate a run similar to that for many, many days, as performing the inputs necessary to get a 53,290 or higher (.45+) is INCREDIBLY precise, and it took many, many hours of trial-and-error to figure out every single stick movement on the level.

I could go on and on about the intricacies of this incredibly complex IL, but just know it involved purposeful slowdowns, watching the minimap, timing queues from clock ticks, and precise fast-fall inputs. All of which took many hours to master (~50-65 hours in total).

Just thinking about the fact that I was able to tie this record without a clip still blows my mind. In a way, I knew I was capable of it almost a week ago, but when I look back at how far I have come on this level, it really feels like I have ascended a treacherous mountain, and I managed to climb to the top victorious.

With all that being said, Jump Machine world record still could be improved, either with a clip or without a clip. I am fairly confident that 53,296 (.48) is very close to the limit of what is possible with no clip, but I do believe a run as good as 53,302 (.51) is possible with absolutely perfect fourth and fifth bunches, as well as a side goal entry. I had one singular run get the clip, and I bonked on the party ball at a .56, meaning the run would have most likely been a 53,306 (.53) or 53,310 (.55) if I finished. I believe an even better clip and turnaround could be possible, and something around 53,320 might just be doable. I know that Nambo expressed interest in playing this level again, and I hope to see him push this level to the 53,3XX range. :)

To those of you who caught that stream where I was very frustrated, I greatly appreciate all the encouraging words that day. I had a particularly rough day, and failing Jump Machine over and over was not doing me any favors. I believe your motivational comments really pushed me over the edge to achieve this record and bounty.

Finally, I want to say that after this, I am planning on taking another break from Super Monkey Ball. I am not sure for how long exactly, but nearly 19 straight days of Jump Machine really burned me out. I would really like to make a compilation somewhat soon, but there are still lots of scores and times I would like to achieve first, so unfortunately, a compilation will have to wait.

Songs used in this video:
1.) https://youtu.be/YXxqgUrWHzA
2.) https://youtu.be/EHl0ofVs2-0

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