[MKW TAS] New Ultra Longcut on GCN DK Mountain!!!

This is a tool-assisted demonstration. Done on Dolphin 5.0 with savestates, slowdown, frame advance, TAS code, and Info Display (created by SwareJonge). Input Display overlay created by WhatIsLoaf. Debug Panel created by Gaberboo.
Disclaimer: This run takes advantage of the analog inputs of the Wii Wheel. In order for this run to be performed in real-time in a playback, pause buffering would potentially need to be used.
“In this game, you always want to get less air”…but sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures, and by desperate measures, I mean 27 seconds of uninterrupted airtime.
GCN DK Mountain has annoyed MKW glitch hunters for well over a decade at this point. The track is home to some of the most bizarre interactions in the game, and yet it has still gone over 15 years without an ultra. In fact, it’s been widely considered to be one of the least likely ultras that could possibly be discovered due to the incredibly high invisible walls lining every one of the winding turns in the second half of the track. So, how did we go from THAT to THIS?
Well, for starters, our understanding of velocity stacking on this track has improved thanks to the MKW Backwards Challenge. Velocity stacking, for those unaware, is a rigid body interaction with incredibly specific requirements that gives the vehicle an absurd amount of stored momentum (or external velocity) in the negative Y direction that can then be converted into lateral momentum. Due to the track-specific requirements of the technique, DK Mountain is, to date, the only track in the game where velocity stacking is viable. Since the release of my DK Mountain Backwards video, the first documented application of velocity stacking, we’ve made some further optimizations to expand the potential of this wacky technique. The main improvement is the discovery of a shroomless method of entering the Xnik Spot (or Velocity Stacking Spot) on the top ramp since this simple change allows us to sacrifice less momentum thanks to the increased height ( • Shroomless weee ). The other improvement comes from our character and vehicle. As it turns out, the Standard Bike M gains more external velocity from velocity stacking than the Standard Bike S, so by using it, we effectively gain an extra boost to our max distance.
The other main development was the creation of a linear route. Earlier in the day of discovery, I decided to analyze the track’s checkpoints and collision to see if skipping KCP 1, the key requirement in getting the ultra to happen, could be done in any way. What I found was that, assuming our external velocity is high enough, it is in fact possible to angle our vehicle to travel in a straight line from the Xnik Spot all the way to the northern-most portion of the track which passes through key checkpoint 0 and skips key checkpoint 1.
These two ideas are what we see in the final run. We set up the velocity stacking and start to build up stored momentum. We store roughly 8300 external velocity, the highest ever achieved, in the negative Y direction. After building up this speed, the plan is relatively straight-forward: take as much of this momentum as we can and launch it straight towards the finish line while also making sure to gain enough height to clear the invisible walls. We rotate out of the Xnik spot, causing the vertical momentum to be converted into lateral momentum, and perform a 360 degree rotation to gain the required vertical EV while simultaneously setting up the perfect angle for the ultra. The shroom used during this section, for those wondering, allows us to rotate the vehicle much faster (which is crucial since we have only a limited amount of time in the air where the vehicle steered). Then, for the next 27 seconds, our external velocity forces us across the entire length of the track, letting us hit KCP 0 and dodge KCP 1 along the way, before barely dropping us onto the rightmost extension of the track. We must enter the cannon far to the right to avoid passing over checkpoints that would break the 95% rule, and by crossing through the final key checkpoint region mid-cannon, we complete the ultra.
Is this actually useful for anything? Absolutely not, no. However, we still care a lot about ultra longcuts due to their potential to develop into a faster strat (for reference, this year saw three ultra longcuts, rBC3, MMM, and MH, become ultra shortcuts). And even if nothing ever comes out of this, at least we can finally say that this track, has, in one way or another, finally been broken.
Huge thanks to my good pal and fellow TASer Kierio ( / @kierio04 ) for recording and editing the video for me while I dealt with my schoolwork. I really appreciated the help, man!
Music: Starsiege - Jarvis9999 ( • Starsiege - Clone Hero... )
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MKW TAS BKT Website: mkwtas.com/

[@ivycomb]

Jello please stop I miss my wife

[@TASLabz]

Congrats on the huge discovery Jellopuff! Just one more left until you complete the infiniTAS gauntlet...

[@Kierio04]

Having now managed to break my way into Jellopuff’s UA-cam account, I can personally say that this is the coolest thing he uploaded today.

[@DeltaMK]

now build up speed for twelve hours

[@dijek]

Lakitu really had to punch thru the stratosphere to tell Daisy she was going the wrong way. LFG JELLO!!!

[@xnikmkw]

easily the most impressive mkwii clip i have ever seen. huge congrats on getting this to work, never expected this to be possible

[@mkwiicore]

the state of mario kart TASes in 2023

[@lowercaseletters_]

That’s awesome! Huge congrats on discovering an ultra longcut here! Nice work.

[@randoprior4130]

Really well written description as well! Thanks for that.

[@saunaboi4910]

My jaw dropped when I saw how high Daisy got ejected lol. Cool ultra longcut!

[@ChocoMuffin23]

The fact this is still being done so much later is insane. GG

[@jeffreycanfield1939]

JARVIS MUSIC WOOOOOO

[@StepBaum]

Super nice explanation that such people as I, who don't know much about this stuff, could get what's happening. Highly appreciated and super cool find :)

[@sarahspeedrun6419]

Insanity. This is so impressive

[@Antonio-vf2xj]

this is INSANE, i though this track had no more glitches.. great discovery will sure be helpful in some tas even if it takes so much time to build speed then actually doing 3 laps normally

[@klopsjoker3928]

Very ingenious

[@GaelLazerYT]

clean also i did not expect that wow!

[@jeandarker4594]

Very impressive mate!

[@hewhoowl]

incredible work

[@Nico2718_]

That's an insane development, congrats!! Yet, idk if there will ever be a no lap count SC to combine to make this faster, DK mountain sucks so bad for the fact that the last KCP is like 40% into the track, I can't see any SC happening in the first half of the track you wouldn't normally get a lap count from ever being discovered... sadly. I still have a bit of hope though, there are so many unthinkable things the TAS community has proven to be possible, so who knows what will come next!