In regards to emulators, as long as we are defining the records by IGT and not RTA, emulators should all give the same end time if played in the same way since it's internal to the game, as long as the run doesn't use a bug only reproducible in one emulator. I hereby propose the following rules for emulator runs:

1. No use of savestates for valid runs. Practice is fine, but its possible someone could do something invalid in the first half of the run then make a save state at the halfway point, then start recording a valid first-half run for the record and make a save state in the same exact spot, then load the invalid save state as if they had been following the rules of the category all along and no one could know without spotting the place where states were changed. Only the in-game save system should be allowed on valid runs, and if the run needs to be broken up into segments on different days, it should be through the in-game save system.

2. No use of Speed Hacks. Even though all they do is increase the clock speed or skip frames so technically the IGT should be the same because it is also being sped up, its possible skipping frames could lead to unintended bugs or exploits, and may not be reproducible in all emulators. It would also make moderation of the run more difficult.

3. Following that line of thinking, any glitches used in a run must be reproducible on any emulator, and not unique to one in particular. This one might be hard to moderate, but if something strange happens, it should be tested on another emulator before it is validated if possible. Personal judgment may be necessary here if it cant be shown to be possible on every emulator: if the bug seems plausible it may be worth allowing.

4. Video proof absolutely mandatory. It's even easier to record video on an emulator than it is for native DC and there really isn't any reason not to. If your PC can run the emulator in the first place, it should be able to record video, even if it is only in 480p, and anyone can doctor a clear time screen to have whatever time they want. Video proof would theoretically allow a moderator to go and manually clock the playtime if there is debate over the clear time in regards to a record, but let's hope it doesn't come to that. Seriously, don't let it come to that.

5. As long as rules 1-4 are followed, any emulator should be allowed for any category. The IGT should generally be the same since the game is internally counting it. If a specific emulator runs fast, the IGT should run equally fast, same for if one runs slower or has stuttering. The exception to this would be for zone transition load times, which is out of the player's control and varies slightly from emulator to emulator. Assuming the game counts the zone transition times in the final clear time, it could mean tens of seconds difference. In such a case where the zone transitions are the difference between 1st and 2nd place, I would say it might just be necessary to use the fastest emulator to get the fastest time.

This game doesn't have many runners, and some people might view the setup of some emulators as difficult or don't like a particular emulator due to graphical bugs or missing features, discouraging them from participating. Segregating each category by emulator will basically mean everybody can run the same category on a different emulator and get first place, and there are at least 5 DC emulators out there that I know of, probably more.

As far as I have tested, ReDream seems to have the fastest zone transitions. It is also the easiest to set up and the most widely supported and can be run on Windows Mac and Linux, so if it comes down to someone trying to get a world record in a category where the current record is held on ReDream, there is little reason preventing you from also using ReDream.

On that note, for those wishing to run on an emulator, I have a few suggestions:

1. ReDream Pros: +Requires zero setup, just download, run, and point it to disk image of the game +Very smooth and accurate emulation (Set mesh sorting to "Per-Pixel") +Does not require a BIOS +Very fast zone transitions Cons: -The free version cannot upscale the image quality and internal resolution, the HD version is $5 -Some very minor bugs with background music playing simultaneously with cutscene music -Lacks a lot of advanced features and settings -Zone transitions actually too fast, might have an unfair advantage

2. nullDC Pros: +Smooth emulation +Low system requirements +Can upscale graphics without too much performance trouble Cons: -Lacks some features -Needs a BIOS -Minor graphical bugs (Set mesh sorting to "Per Triangle") -Really old

3. Demul Pros: +Highly customizable +Supports save states and importing VMU's +Can upscale the quality a lot, minimal graphical bugs +I don't think it requires a BIOS either, been a while since I set it up Cons: -Resource heavy -Can slow down a lot -Audio problems (some sound effects are really messed up)

I personally run on nullDC because I find it most pleasant, but for anyone that doesn't know how to use an emulator, just use ReDream, I downloaded it, put it in a folder and turned it on and I was playing with good controls and smooth framerate immediately. If you want a real-time timer as well, I recommend LiveSplit, it integrates with Speedrun.com and you can customize it with a good number of different layouts and data. For recording, well that's up to you, I use OBS. It takes some minor setup but you can make a really good looking recording and integrate all kinds of different data sources (Emulator, LiveSplit, Controler Input Visualizer, Images, Facecam) all into one recording in a nice layout.

I encourage anyone who wants to enjoy the game but doesn't have the means to record on original hardware to give it a shot and don't be afraid of doing something wrong and having your run invalidated, as long as you meet the category requirements and don't otherwise do something obviously deceptive in an attempt to get a record falsely you will be just fine! Who knows, you might even get close to my "1 Bullet" melee only category record ;P

I second every single rule listed here, consider them as the official rules of the Emulator categories. Important point (that you mentioned, but I want to stress it) : a run can be segmented so long as you're using the in-game save system and NOT the savestates from your emulator. Great job Kisp!