Very interesting question.

First of all, I think it's an universal law of the SMK universe that you are going to scrap many strong 5-laps. Just recently Karel crashed a potentially WR-shattering MC1 in non-NBT.

Now, the toughest of them all for me is MC1. Although the track is without doubt the simplest (by far?) of the game, there is so much competition that my PRs are the worst ranked for me, although I spent the most time on it, and the standards I have achieved are the highest (after GV1).
Even at my level, a single suboptimal turn will scrap the run.

Apart from MC1, I have to say I dislike the BCs in general, in reverse order, meaning that I dislike BC3  more than BC2 more than BC1, essentially because of the thwomps (and as you mentioned, the sheer length makes them hard). In BC3 they block your way completely at times (urban legend says you can pass at the left...) and in BC2 those 4 thwomps extend considerably the left turn.
Of course the bumber jumps are also a nuisance, I only make about half of them right now.

I also dislike having to work on GV1 because the PLJ has a comparatively high failure rate, so most 5-lap attempts end in the void. For GV2 the PLJ gains even less (I believe) so I won't be attempting it for a long time. Thankfully the PLJ on GV3 is easier to do (at least at my level, where the jumps over the subsequent corners are not too critical, unlike what Karel mentioned recently).

> By the time I reach the 4th lap my heart is trying to jump out of my chest lol.
Most times the adrenaline does this to me any time I'm ahead of my PR. But on rare occasions I'm in a confident zen state where nothing bad can happen to me. This was the case last week when after intense training (for me! i.e. a few hours) I *knew* I was going to beat my MC1 5-lap, and I did, by a good 0"10.

Of course for other races like VL2 I obviously stick to simpler strats, so it's not too much of a problem.

Sami allowed me to answer for him :

All MC1 5-laps

Well the jump bars are definitely my biggest problem at the moment.  I've definitely put a solid 20 hours into this course over the last 3 or 4 days and I'm gonna hang it up after I break my current PR (1'43"36).  Needless to say I'm looking forward to racing NTSC because I feel that the whole jump bar issue won't be as much of an issue due to the increased speed.

@ Tyler

During the period when you set the KB1 world record were you also running other courses as well or were you only focusing on KB1?

@ Guillaume

Which of your world records were the most time consuming for you on PAL and NTSC?

I feel like I have devoted a roughly equal amount of time towards each of my NTSC PRs, but the ones I'd have the hardest time reproducing would have to be BC1 5lap, and also GV2 5lap. In the case of BC1, I was merely aiming for mid-1'27" and shocked myself with a low-1'27". The latter was actually non-NBT and driven in 2009 with a lucky 3-PJ streak (I was trying for a flap record). I really felt as if I punched above my weight when I got both of these PRs.

As far as the PR most frustrating to achieve, good candidates are BC2 5lap (for the reasons Dan explained), and even GV1 5lap. I'm just not that good at getting 5/5 PJ even in NTSC NBT. I could even put MC2 5lap in the running because you have to make 5/5 LB.

In PAL, I haven't really spent as much time or effort as on NTSC, but BC3 5lap is particularly frustrating in PAL (as anybody who has messed up on the jump bars can attest). It isn't easy on NTSC either, but at least the jump bars aren't going to throw you into the lava there.

I had a battle with the fish on KB1 as well. I remember writing lengthy entries detailing the pain and anguish I felt while trying to break the 47 second barrier. It was a great feeling when it finally happened.  

Even though I'm STILL not on the PP...wish I did though...I would say Jamie White's VL1 5lap CR will be the toughest yet (48"83 Non-NBT)...I need some more hours of SMK

Hardest WR is probably Karel's GV1 flap 11"65 (honorable mentions to Sami's MC1 5lap and flap & Tyler's KB1 5lap)

My hardest PR is probably my BC3 flap...idk why

AfroKart wrote on 06/18/16 at 10:24:16:


Terrence, I wonder what was your toughest TAS to achieve?