A Button Challenge: Difference between revisions

From Ukikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
mNo edit summary
No edit summary
 
(73 intermediate revisions by 29 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{A Button Challenge infobox}}
{{A Button Challenge infobox}}
The '''A Button Challenge''', '''ABC''' for short, is a [[challenge]] in which the number of [[Button press|press]]es of the [[A button]] is minimized, whether on a per-mission or a per-file basis. Because the A button makes Mario jump, great creativity and precision are required to progress in the game without using this "vital" function. The ABC is often connected to the discoveries of new glitches and techniques that can be used more generally throughout the game. Much of the material on the [https://www.youtube.com/user/pannenkoek2012 pannenkoek2012] and [https://www.youtube.com/user/pannenkeok2012 UncommentatedPannen] channels is related to the A Button Challenge, with only 24 remaining A presses (18 unique A presses) left to optimize.
The '''A Button Challenge''' (initialism: '''ABC''') is a [[challenge]] in which the number of presses of the [[A button]] is minimized, whether on a per-mission or a per-file basis. Because pressing {{button|A}} makes [[Mario]] [[jump]], which is intended to be the main gameplay mechanic of ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', great creativity and precision are required to progress in the game without using this "vital" function. The ABC is often connected to the discoveries of new [[glitch]]es and techniques that can be used more generally throughout the game. Much of the material on the [https://www.youtube.com/user/pannenkoek2012 pannenkoek2012] and [https://www.youtube.com/user/pannenkeok2012 UncommentatedPannen] channels is related to the A Button Challenge, with only 13 remaining A presses (10 unique A presses) left to optimize.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yssoTbplI_42LgjTbERd6UuSt0gaI0iOtp-5muS5hKw "SM64 120 Star ABC Route" spreadsheet]</ref>
== A Presses Left ==
 
A '''unique A press''' refers to a single circumstance under which the A button must be pressed during a run. This circumstance may occur multiple times, leading to multiple A presses; if a workaround is found for the unique A press, all of those individual A presses may be saved.
==History==
{{main|History of the A Button Challenge}}
Although much of the progress in the ABC has been made since 2013, the challenge existed for over a decade earlier. Pieces of what would become the ABC were present in different terms, as early as 2001 on Walton Dell's site on multiple level pages.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20020614010118/http://www.wdell.com/videogames/sm64/course01/ An archive of A Button Challenge on Walton Dell's site]</ref> Curtis Bright, who runs sm64.com, was keeping track of the ABC at least as early as December of 2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061209073313/http://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cbright/sm64/a-presses.html An archive of A Button Challenge on sm64.com]</ref> Thiago Trujillo had what is the earliest, nearly complete count for the game (that we have access to) with a total count of about 263 presses.<ref>[http://www.oocities.org/thiagotrujillo/abut.html A Button Challenge on oocities.org]</ref> (This list is missing all navigation presses, two of the [[DDD]] stars, three of the [[TTC]] stars, one star in [[RR]], and [[BitS]].)
 
Pannenkoek's first ABC video was for 5 Itty Bitty Secrets, and was released in August 2013.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy7XDStV5WE "SM64 - Five Itty Bitty Secrets - 0x A Presses (OUTDATED)" by pannenkoek2012]</ref> The count at this point was about 212 presses, although this number dropped fairly quickly. Within the first 4 months, the count had fallen nearly 100 presses, and was down to 118. Over the next five years, many different people have worked on removing as many A presses as possible, and the number has dropped to only 13 A presses in a 120 star run, as well as 0 in any% on WiiVC.
 
==Remaining A presses==
A ''unique A press'' is a single circumstance under which {{button|A}} must be pressed to progress during a run. The same circumstance may occur multiple times, leading to multiple A presses; if a workaround is found for the unique A press, all of those individual A presses may be saved.


For example, if entering a course requires an A press, the case of entering the course is a unique A press, even if said course must be visited multiple times over the course of a run.
For example, if entering a course requires an A press, the case of entering the course is a unique A press, even if said course must be visited multiple times over the course of a run.


Below is a table of unique A presses in the [[A Button Challenge]].
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
 
|+Unique A presses
{|class="wikitable sortable" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 50%;"
|-
|-
! scope="col"|A Press #
!scope="col"|{{abbr|#|Number}}
! scope="col"|Stage
!scope="col"|{{abbr|&times;|Multiplicity}}
! scope="col"|Purpose
!scope="col"|Course
!scope="col"|Purpose
|-
|-
|#1
!scope="row"|1
|JRB
|style="text-align: center;"|2
|To collect the chest star
|[[SSL]]
|Get out of the pyramid elevator / Get past the [[pole]]
|-
|-
|#2
!scope="row"|2
|LLL
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To get to the Elevator Tour star platform
|rowspan="2"|[[THI]]
|[[Double jump]] to a higher platform to collect [[red coin]]s
|-
|-
|#3
!scope="row"|3
|SSL
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To get out of the pyramid elevator
|[[Dive]] to the upper platform and grab the high red coin
|-
|-
|#4, #5
!scope="row"|-
|THI
|style="text-align: center;"|3
|To collect red coins
|rowspan="2"|[[TTC]]
|Jump past the pole using [[Hyperspeed Grinding]]. [[Wii VC]] only.
|-
|-
|#6
!scope="row"|-
|TTC
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To get out of the treadmill grinding spot
|Jump out of the [[Pedro spot]] on the pendulum box to gain vertical speed. [[Wii VC]] only.
|-
|-
|#7
!scope="row"|4
|TTC
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To get to the moving bars star (possibly saved)
|[[PSS]]
|Collect the [[Power Star]]
|-
|-
|#8, #9, #10
!scope="row"|5
|TTC
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To get from the rotating boxes to the top of the clock
|rowspan="2"|[[WMotR]]
|Shoot out of the [[cannon]] after talking to the [[Bob-omb Buddy]] to reach the next cannon
|-
|-
|#11
!scope="row"|6
|TTC
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To get past the thwomp
|Shoot out of the second cannon to fly around and collect the seven remaining red coins
|-
|-
|#12
!scope="row"|7
|PSS
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|
|[[BitFS]]
To collect the star
|Get past the pole. Saved on [[Wii VC]].
|-
|-
|#13, #14
!scope="row"|8
|WMotR
|style="text-align: center;"|3
|
|rowspan="3"|[[The Castle|Castle]]
To collect red coins
|Enter [[TTC]]. On all versions except [[JP 1.0]], this must be done 6 times instead of only 3.
|-
|-
|#15
!scope="row"|9
|BitFS
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To get past the pole (saved on Wii VC)
|Go to [[RR]]
|-
|-
|#16
!scope="row"|10
|Castle
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To enter TTC
|Go to WMotR
|}
 
Also, some levels require {{button|A}} to be held, but not necessarily to be pressed within that specific mission. These can be held from presses in previous levels, but take an extra press in single-star runs. Such A presses are notated as ''half A presses'', and result in A press counts such as 2.5&times;.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpk2tdsPh0A Watch for Rolling Rocks - 0.5x A Presses]</ref> Only one half A press can be required per star.
 
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Half A presses
|-
|-
|#17
!scope="col"|{{abbr|#|Number}}
|Castle
!scope="col"|{{abbr|&times;|Multiplicity}}
|To go to RR
!scope="col"|Course
!scope="col"|Purpose
|-
|-
|#18
!scope="row"|1
|Castle
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|To go to WMotR
|[[JRB]]
|Gain [[hyperspeed]] from kick landing
|-
!scope="row"|2
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|rowspan="2"|[[DDD]]
|[[Clone]] the pole
|-
!scope="row"|3
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|Clone [[coin spawner]]s for [[100 coins]]
|-
!scope="row"|4
|style="text-align: center;"|1
|[[TTC]]
|[[Kick]] the [[wall]] and get spawning displacement on the [[spinner]], for 0&times; re-entry after [[Get a Hand]]
|}
|}


Additionally, some levels require the A button to be held for the level, but not started on that specific star necessarily. These presses can be tied to earlier presses to lower counts in longer runs.
==Version differences==
There are many different versions of ''Super Mario 64'' that have slightly different physics or glitches. These can change the A press and star counts.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_IEhqUAuCY The 14 Remaining A Presses]</ref>
 
On N64 JP 1.0, spawning displacement can be performed to save 3 A presses in TTC. On Wii VC, floats are rounded differently, which causes the rising platforms in BitFS to converge towards the center of the stage saving 1 A press, but also removes the glitchy ledge grab in TTC adding 4 more.


Below is a table of all levels that require half an A-Press.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
{|class="wikitable sortable" border="0" cellspacing="1" style="width: 50%;"
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Version
! colspan="2" scope="colgroup" |A press count
! colspan="2" scope="colgroup" |Stars obtainable
|-
! scope="col" |[[120 Star]]
! scope="col" |[[70 Star]]
! scope="col" |Individually
! scope="col" |Overall
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |[[N64]] JP 1.0
|13
| rowspan="5" |1
| rowspan="5" |111
| rowspan="5" |67
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |N64 US
| rowspan="4" |16
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |N64 PAL
|-
|-
! scope="col"|A Press #
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |N64 JP 1.3<ref group="lower-alpha" name="shindou">[[Shindou]] version</ref>
! scope="col"|Stage
! scope="col"|Purpose
|-
|-
|#1
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |[[Super Mario 64 (iQue)|iQue]]<ref group="lower-alpha" name="shindou" />
|HMC
|To do kicks on the elevator
|-
|-
|#2
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |[[Wii VC]] JP<ref group="lower-alpha" name="shindou" />
|DDD
| rowspan="3" |19
|To clone the whirlpool and poles
| rowspan="3" |0
| rowspan="3" |109
| rowspan="3" |98
|-
|-
|#3
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |Wii VC US
|DDD
|-
|To clone coin spawners for 100 coins
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |Wii VC PAL
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |[[Wii U VC]] JP<ref group="lower-alpha" name="shindou" />
| rowspan="7" |16
| rowspan="7" |1
| rowspan="7" |111
| rowspan="7" |67
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |Wii U VC US
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |Wii U VC PAL
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |''3D All-Stars''<ref group="lower-alpha" name="shindou" />
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |[[NSO]] JP<ref group="lower-alpha" name="shindou" />
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |NSO US
|-
| scope="row" style="background: #eaecf0;" |NSO PAL
|}
|}
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHU1BdDCClE
;Notes
<references group="lower-alpha" />
 
==See also==
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmvvhlevqC2d6vis077yFHuLJHYtTtqe_ A Button Challenge playlist] by pannenkoek2012
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ypRVVRyf4x-v8GqCSmKYnicrfKSIjao3Y1ZVl52RIyM/edit?usp=sharing A Button Challenge routes] by pannenkoek2012
*[https://youtu.be/yXbJe-rUNP8 Complete History of the A Button Challenge] by Bismuth (as of 2022, slightly outdated)
 
==References==
<references />
{{Challenges}}

Latest revision as of 19:15, 15 June 2026

A Button Challenge
Abbreviation ABC
Individual stars collectible 111 (Most versions), 109 (Wii VC)
Overall stars collectible 98 (Wii VC), 67 (Other versions)
Is beatable Yes (Wii VC), No (Other versions)
Presses required for Any% 0 (Wii VC), 1 (Other versions)
Presses required for 120-Star 13 (JP 1.0), 16 (Most versions), 19 (Wii VC)
Star Details
BoB

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

WF

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

JRB

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 0.5.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

CCM

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

BBH

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

HMC

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

LLL

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

SSL

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 0.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 0.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

DDD

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 0.5.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 0.5.png

SL

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

WDW

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

TTM

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

THI

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 0.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

TTC

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

RR

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

Secret

Challenge infobox star 0.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 0.png

Castle

Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

Bowser

Bowser Key 1.png Bowser Key 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png Challenge infobox star 1.png

The A Button Challenge (initialism: ABC) is a challenge in which the number of presses of the A button is minimized, whether on a per-mission or a per-file basis. Because pressing A makes Mario jump, which is intended to be the main gameplay mechanic of Super Mario 64, great creativity and precision are required to progress in the game without using this "vital" function. The ABC is often connected to the discoveries of new glitches and techniques that can be used more generally throughout the game. Much of the material on the pannenkoek2012 and UncommentatedPannen channels is related to the A Button Challenge, with only 13 remaining A presses (10 unique A presses) left to optimize.[1]

History

Main article: History of the A Button Challenge

Although much of the progress in the ABC has been made since 2013, the challenge existed for over a decade earlier. Pieces of what would become the ABC were present in different terms, as early as 2001 on Walton Dell's site on multiple level pages.[2] Curtis Bright, who runs sm64.com, was keeping track of the ABC at least as early as December of 2006.[3] Thiago Trujillo had what is the earliest, nearly complete count for the game (that we have access to) with a total count of about 263 presses.[4] (This list is missing all navigation presses, two of the DDD stars, three of the TTC stars, one star in RR, and BitS.)

Pannenkoek's first ABC video was for 5 Itty Bitty Secrets, and was released in August 2013.[5] The count at this point was about 212 presses, although this number dropped fairly quickly. Within the first 4 months, the count had fallen nearly 100 presses, and was down to 118. Over the next five years, many different people have worked on removing as many A presses as possible, and the number has dropped to only 13 A presses in a 120 star run, as well as 0 in any% on WiiVC.

Remaining A presses

A unique A press is a single circumstance under which A must be pressed to progress during a run. The same circumstance may occur multiple times, leading to multiple A presses; if a workaround is found for the unique A press, all of those individual A presses may be saved.

For example, if entering a course requires an A press, the case of entering the course is a unique A press, even if said course must be visited multiple times over the course of a run.

Unique A presses
# × Course Purpose
1 2 SSL Get out of the pyramid elevator / Get past the pole
2 1 THI Double jump to a higher platform to collect red coins
3 1 Dive to the upper platform and grab the high red coin
- 3 TTC Jump past the pole using Hyperspeed Grinding. Wii VC only.
- 1 Jump out of the Pedro spot on the pendulum box to gain vertical speed. Wii VC only.
4 1 PSS Collect the Power Star
5 1 WMotR Shoot out of the cannon after talking to the Bob-omb Buddy to reach the next cannon
6 1 Shoot out of the second cannon to fly around and collect the seven remaining red coins
7 1 BitFS Get past the pole. Saved on Wii VC.
8 3 Castle Enter TTC. On all versions except JP 1.0, this must be done 6 times instead of only 3.
9 1 Go to RR
10 1 Go to WMotR

Also, some levels require A to be held, but not necessarily to be pressed within that specific mission. These can be held from presses in previous levels, but take an extra press in single-star runs. Such A presses are notated as half A presses, and result in A press counts such as 2.5×.[6] Only one half A press can be required per star.

Half A presses
# × Course Purpose
1 1 JRB Gain hyperspeed from kick landing
2 1 DDD Clone the pole
3 1 Clone coin spawners for 100 coins
4 1 TTC Kick the wall and get spawning displacement on the spinner, for 0× re-entry after Get a Hand

Version differences

There are many different versions of Super Mario 64 that have slightly different physics or glitches. These can change the A press and star counts.[7]

On N64 JP 1.0, spawning displacement can be performed to save 3 A presses in TTC. On Wii VC, floats are rounded differently, which causes the rising platforms in BitFS to converge towards the center of the stage saving 1 A press, but also removes the glitchy ledge grab in TTC adding 4 more.

Version A press count Stars obtainable
120 Star 70 Star Individually Overall
N64 JP 1.0 13 1 111 67
N64 US 16
N64 PAL
N64 JP 1.3[lower-alpha 1]
iQue[lower-alpha 1]
Wii VC JP[lower-alpha 1] 19 0 109 98
Wii VC US
Wii VC PAL
Wii U VC JP[lower-alpha 1] 16 1 111 67
Wii U VC US
Wii U VC PAL
3D All-Stars[lower-alpha 1]
NSO JP[lower-alpha 1]
NSO US
NSO PAL
Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Shindou version

See also

References

  1. ↑ "SM64 120 Star ABC Route" spreadsheet
  2. ↑ An archive of A Button Challenge on Walton Dell's site
  3. ↑ An archive of A Button Challenge on sm64.com
  4. ↑ A Button Challenge on oocities.org
  5. ↑ "SM64 - Five Itty Bitty Secrets - 0x A Presses (OUTDATED)" by pannenkoek2012
  6. ↑ Watch for Rolling Rocks - 0.5x A Presses
  7. ↑ The 14 Remaining A Presses
v • d • e
Challenges
Not Any Allowed Challenges
Primary Challenges
Combined Challenges
Insane Challenges
Lowest Use Challenges
Challenges
Other Challenges
Other Challenges
Retrieved from "https://ukikipedia.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=A_Button_Challenge&oldid=20442"