Grab your buster...we've got some robots to take down!

Speed Run Rules:

• Single Session
• 100% Item Collection
• Takes Damage to Save Time
• Uses Deaths to Save Time

Rockman 7 is the Japanese version of Mega Man 7. I switched because subtitles rule (and the game is slightly faster because of shorter dialogue boxes). In the course of the game between versions, 3 weapons have different names (Thunder Strike instead of Thunder Bolt, Burning Wheel instead of Scorch Wheel, Crush Noise instead of Noise Crush), plus the Protoshield is the Blues Shield here (because it's Blues, not Protoman).

The route is exactly the same as what I incorporated before. If going for 100%, you need to do Freeze Man first, as you need his weapon to get the "S" Chip in Junk Man's level. In the 2nd 4, you need to do Turbo Man first, which allows you to get Beat in Slash Man, and gets the Blues order in sequence (Cloud, Turbo, Shade).

Two deaths are used in the run (Junk Man, Shade Man). These are done due to route forking in getting all the items (aka Death Abuse). No other deaths occurred in the run.

100% Item Collection consists of beating the 8 bosses and getting the following items: Rush Search, Rush Jet, Blues Shield, S.Adapter (formed from the R U S H chips found in the first 4 bosses levels), S.Adapter Booster, Exit, Rightot's Bolt, Weapon Balancer, and Beat. E-Tanks, W-Tanks, and S-Tanks do not count towards this as they are expendable items. All of these items except the S.Adapter, Blues Shield, and Beat (Beat "refills" are exempt from this rule) can be purchased from Rightot's shop, but it's a big time waste. S.Adapter Booster alone costs 800 bolts if you get Rightot's Bolt. So it's much faster to use Rush Search to find the items. Also, the Blues Shield can only be found by beating Blues, but you have to find him in two locations before you can battle him.

For those needing translations of Roll's or Rightot's dialogue during Weapon Get screens, check out: http://www.rockmanpm.com/?p=game/original/rockman7/secrets

Now that explanations are out of the way, let's get into the thick of things.

• Intro Stage: After the 2 minute intro, I dive head first into battle. Bass gets the crap kicked out of him quickly. Great start.

• Freeze Man: Stage flow went nicely. I pulled out Rush a little earlier to improve the level. I keep Rush Coil on for much of the level to make it easier to hit a few spots. My Freeze Man fights have improved greatly over the past few months. H Chip, Rush Search, and Exit collected.

• Burst Man: I use the Rush Coil after the crab to really fly high instead of just floating up (thanks to the TASers for this trick!). I pick up the R chip for my collection, and played the later part of the level differently after trying something on a whim. Boss fight got kinda goofy at the end.

• Cloud Man: I hit the first weather vane with my buster to get it to start raining and I hit the 2nd with Freeze Cracker to get it to start snowing. This snowfall makes the platforms around the U chip easy to see (otherwise you just get spotlights). I also meet with Blues for the first time. Level was fairly good. Boss right was boring as can be, but good.

• Junk Man: After getting the S chip, I take an intentional death to get back on the main route and go after Rush Jet. Junk Man goes down nice and quickly.

• Robot Museum: After another boring meeting with Dr. Light, I slide past some familiar faces and there's Dr. Wily stealing Guts Man...AGAIN! If only Dr. Light made Rockman's buster fire any other direction other than straight ahead. Oh well. Clown goes down nice and fast, because all know you can't sleep or else they'll eat you.

• Turbo Man: I go out of order and take him out next. I get the S.Adapter Booster and meet up with Blues again. As for Turbo Man himself, he goes down nice and quickly despite not having the suggested weapon, Crush Noise.

• Slash Man: I take him out after Turbo Man because I need the Burning Wheel to get Beat in this level. Slash Man started out well, but in the effort to avoid taking damage, the fight got a bit bizarre. I laughed while playing this.

• Spring Man: I equip S.Adapter to allow me to better manipulate the level, plus it allows easier access to Rightot's Bolt and the E-Tank in the level. I had a couple minor flubs in level, but nothing too serious. I manage to beat Spring Man in good time. I missed a couple shots, but nothing major.

• Shade Man: Recognize the special music? B+Start (or technically X+Start, since I'm using a PSX controller) for the win! I take the lower split route first to go fight Blues for the Blues Shield. I didn't take as much damage as I could, so it takes a couple hits at the Sniper Joe to die. After getting back on the main route, I use Thunder Strike against the pumpkin for an easier battle, but I hit the eyes, which beats him differently, allowing access to an easier upper route, plus I need to go this way to get the Weapon Balancer. This is, to date, the only time I've been able to beat the Pumpkin in 1 round! As for Shade Man, he sucks. What was it with me and boss fights?

Well, Dr. Light got Forte' repairs done in record time, and then Forte destroys everything. And Dr. Light said he wasn't a threat. Serves him right! So it's off to Dr. Wily's fortress.

• Wily 1: I had a few flubs here, but overall a good level. Forte fight went fantastic, thanks to the idea of using S.Adapter during the fight (idea courtesy of YouTuber Iddjy). No E-Tank needed this time around at Guts Man part 17, since Forte was better.

• Wily 2: The suggested weapon for the Forte+Gospel fight is S.Adapter, but it makes for a really hard fight. Freeze Cracker is a better weapon to use as you can hit him more frequently, and you can stay mobile. I do still take quite a bit of damage, but still come out of the battle fairly nicely. Didn't need an E-Tank in this level like I usually do, which is rather surprising. Turtle fight started out a bit wrong, but I pulled through (barely).

• Wily 3: I take the upper route as it's faster, easier, and that 3 tank combo is nice. The boss goes down fairly good.

• Wily 4: I tackle the 8 bosses again. Slash was still a pain, Freeze Man goes down in a hurry, Junk Man goes down right to plan, Cloud Man is still a boring boss, Turbo Man goes down in record time, Spring Man went down nearly perfect, Burst Man bursts his bubble, and Shade Man falls from the belfry. After filling up Wild Coil and Thunder Strike, it's off to face Dr. Wily!

• Wily Boss 1: Went really well. Not much else to say about this.

• Wily Boss 2: This boss idea must have been Capcom's favorite. They used it way too much. It's also the most annoying! But I pull through quite nicely.

And with that...thus ends another chapter in Rockman's career. And with 2 E-Tanks to spare. Maybe I can save them for Rockman & Forte?

Special thanks to nate for all his help on prior runs, for Tinster whose (now-obsolete) TAS helped on a few spots here and there, and to Iddjy for his idea on using S.Adapter on Forte 1.

This run is Copyright (C) 2007 Nicholas "Sir VG" Hoppe and is allowed for downloading and private viewing. Permissions for hosting this run have been granted to Radix and Speed Demos Archive. Public viewing of this run is prohibited without prior permission from the creator. The selling or distribution of this run for profit in any way, shape, or form including (but not limited to) selling on eBay and television for profit is prohibited without prior permission from the author. Any violation of the above listed may result in legal action. Rockan 7 is Copyright (C) 1995 Capcom.

Sir VG, signing out.

FIN