Star Beasts Any% Glitchless FAQ

Star Beasts FAQ:

Q: What game is this?
A: This is Star Beasts - Asteroid Version, it is a Red-based ROM hack, and was created by Soul Valor. According to the creator:

Started as a passion project to make a playable version of Vast Fame's Shi Kong Xing Shou for English speaking audiences, Star Beasts became its own project with entirely new fakemon designs.

The most recent version (Asteroid Version) came out on July 31st, 2024. It's pretty much Red with fakemons, and a bunch of later gen moves as well as some brand new ones. A lot of the classic Gen 1 mechanics are still present including gen 1 misses, X Accuracy skipping accuracy checks, crit damage based on level and chance based on base speed, badge boosts reapplying when your stats change, doll to skip hideout, and bike shop instant text. You can even "Brock Skip" to delay the first gym leader XD. Trainer fly is also possible and I'm sure a glitched route could be developed.

Q: Is this run glitchless?
A: Yes, in the Gen 1 sense of things. ;)

Q: What Pokemon will you use in the run?
A: Well, they're called Star Beasts or "Starbies" lol, and they're all Fakemon, so I'll try and make it make sense.

I start with the Fire starter, Embrain. It has faster fights up to the 1st gym leader. As soon as I get Pokeballs, I will manip a Scorpsy (Poison/Bug) on Route 1, which evolves with a Steely Gene, which you can pick up immediately upon entering Viridian Forest.

Its evolution, Scorphiro (Poison/Steel), starts slowly (needs to swap train on first gym) but has a great stat spread and moveset. Its base stats are 70 HP, 90 Attack, 115 Defense, 75 Special, and 95 Speed. I will be manipping one with the following DVs: 15 Attack, 5 Defense, 3 Special, and 14 Speed. I was lucky enough to find this manually with no botting. It gets access to STAB Metal Claw and Flash Cannon before the second gym, gets good coverage moves like Shadow Claw and Bug Bite, learns an OHKO move (Guillotine) by levelup, and can also learn Earthquake and Fissure by TM. You might be able to gather what the end game looks like ;)

I will also manip a Roc (bird, for Cut and Fly), and pick up a Bladeberus for $500 before Mount Moon. Unlike the usual Magikarp you get here, this guy is useful and gets Surf and Strength.

Q: Are there any interesting mechanics in this hack?
A: You can run and bike faster by holding B, which is awesome. You can also run indoors which is super great. Other than that, it's very similar to vanilla Gen 1, so the usual broken mechanics are used extensively.

Q: What are the hardest fights?
A: The first gym leader is more long than slow. Both of his mons have Rage. One of the reason I take the fire starter (despite not having a super effective move on the gym leader) is it has Smokescreen, so I can tank his accuracy if he uses Rage. The water starter has no way to avoid Rage, and can lose the fight easily, despite being faster than the fire starter. The forest is a bit slower for the water starter as well.

The 8th gym leader (ground) is problematic in the event you get burned by Scald, as the attack drop remains for the rest of the fight, and you need to use a physical move rather than Guillotine on one of his mons which is Ghost type.

The first E4 member is packing STAB Psychic which, if it uses Psychic on both setup turns and crits the second one, it's a death.

The third gym leader can paralyze you and his ace has STAB Thunderbolt and Bite, which are painful.

Q: Goal time?
A: Sub-2:20 I guess? My first run with an unmanipped Scorpsy and four deaths was a high 2:29.