New Emulator Options:

• Emulator-specific notes have been added to "Game Rules" instead of being repeated in each "Category Rules" section
• We're now allowing Genesis Plus GX and BlastEm, as these seem generally accepted by other Genesis boards. This provides more options for users of OS X and Linux, where Fusion is unavailable.
• For submissions from emulator, please note the name and version of the emulator used. (This does mean that if you continue playing on Fusion, then adding "Fusion 3.64" in your submission text is a new requirement for you.)

Nintendo Switch clarification:

• Nintendo Switch users now have two ways to play: the SEGA Genesis Classics version (essentially the same version as X1/PS4/Steam) or Nintendo Switch Online. This needs to also be noted, since the "Switch" platform is otherwise ambiguous.

I'm currently allowing both original disc runs and runs from HDD (on modded consoles) for this game. Some initial evaluation suggests that load times are not considerably improved when running from HDD, and Xbox disc drives aren't going to last forever. I do want to require submissions to declare which they're on, in case we need to split disc vs. installed in the future.

Emulator runs are currently not allowed, but if an Xbox emulator manages to get to the point where it can acceptably run this game I'm willing to reevaluate this rule.

For the first year or so that this board has existed, the only accepted version of the game has been the Genesis version. However, Might and Magic II is available on several other platforms; I have updated the board to include all the platforms from MobyGames' release list so that such runs can be accepted.

https://www.mobygames.com/game/might-and-magic-ii-gates-to-another-world/release-info

I'd like to propose two new categories:

Lil' Kid Mode: Warpless%: Start the game on Lil' Kid Mode, proceed through the first five levels. This took me about 25 minutes on my first, unoptimized attempt; with a couple rounds of practice, I got to a 22:24, with plenty of room for the time to come down further.

Lil' Kid Mode: Any%: Start the game on Lil' Kid Mode, activate The Warp Zone, then finish level five. This takes me about 7 minutes.

Memorizing the Hyperfunk Zone patterns is not necessary for either of these runs and also the length is reduced considerably (but not so much to make it trivial). Both of these factors make this game far more approachable, in my opinion.

One minor detail that ought to be worked out: when does the run end?

• When Toejam or Earl says "Ready" to the spring operator (this is the last button press before the "ending sequence")
• The fade to black as you blast through the air and leave level 5 (this is what I've been using)
• During the end sequence, when you initiate dancing with Peabo, Lewanda, and Sharla (and get the "Press any button to reset") sequence.

I'd recommend this be the same as the current "100%" and "Any%" rule categories, except those categories today don't seem to have any rules defined for them, which leaves it somewhat ambiguous.