deertier.com is the original leaderboard, unfortunately a side effect of having separate leaderboards is sometimes they're not all updated, some prefer one and some prefer the other.

Just so you know, that isn't zoast's PB, that's here

The mods didn't verify them, and no it doesn't make auto verifications a bad thing as they can just as easily be rejected.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588362-gradius-iii/cheats

the relevant portion:

<B>Stage 3</B> - When you reach the lower level of the stage, there is a platform in the ceiling that drops down. When it drops down, fly just below the part where the platform was.
Prerequisite: Destroy all of the ground targets in the stage up to that point.

<B>Stage 4</B> - In the last set of Moai heads (they look like Easter Island heads), there is one laying down which will lift itself up. Fly behind it.
Prerequisite: Nothing must be highlighted on your powerup bar.

For the "destroy all ground targets," you need to kill all the dispenser enemies.

To be more specific, there is a setup that works on a single right facing one to the right of the big pink room just before the E-tank there. There is a method to do something similar as you would do with left facing ones, but there's no applicable right facing ones that works on in the original game, only in some hacks.

Standard emulator rules for SNES games are that ZSNES and snes9x versions 1.4x and before are banned. Later versions of snes9x are allowed (1.5x) and are probably the easiest to set up.

Here's some reasoning for/against each:

Speed Down: This is NOT a required powerup, but you get a similar effect by dying to go back down to 0 speed. Additionally, only 2 speed ups are required to beat stage 7, and so continually using speed ups after each death already uses more than the 2 solely required powerups.

30 Lives: Makes finishing runs more likely, but takes more deaths to get the first game over-continue saving time over not using it.

Extra Credits: This is solely for finishing runs, I honestly see no reason not to allow this.

I added Speed Only to the leaderboard, as of right now the rules are simply only speed up and speed down are allowed, 30 Lives and Extra Credits codes are allowed. Things I have potentially up to change are whether the following are allowed: speed down powerup, 30 Lives code, extra credits.

If you have any opinions or know of any runs that would fit in this category please post them.

Additionally, I already checked and it is possible to complete this challenge on Arcade difficulty, good luck if you want to try.

It's been a while since I've used an emulator, but I think most have an option in them that disables L+R and U+D at the same time.

I would love to see metroid 2 at a gdq in any form (not the remake(s)), it's been submitted multiple times but still hasn't been featured, I don't see why they couldn't use this although I have heard that they would rather not have flash carts used when not necessary.

Whether game modifications are allowed in speedruns depends entirely on that specific game's speedrun community. In general as a whole they're not allowed but of course there are exceptions. The bit about it being faster than the original due to faster transitions probably means that it would have no chance of being allowed. Basically anything that gives an advantage over the officially released game is not allowed.

He likes to submit with youtube videos, but the whole nintendo mass claiming youtube videos kinda discourages him from uploading there.

Yes, I routed out where to get the blue drops but haven't done any runs with it yet. Since that first post though I've done easy without any additional credits and finished normal with like 7 or 8 credits.

I run on 1.1 so I can't do most glitches, the only thing I do that I would consider a glitch is the torch glitch on ganon. I would not classify bomb jump or key dash to be glitches.

I don't know if this'll interest anyone but I'll throw it out there. I had this idea for a low% for this game, where the only power ups allowed are speed up, because of the hyper speed level, and speed down, because why not with already having speed up.

2 attempts with 3 credits got me past the wall boss on easy, so I'm pretty sure it's easily possible to complete with enough practice.

For real talks though, wq doesn't want his runs on here

I experimented with this and what I found is those bombs do damage him, but barely at all, and so I don't find it worth it.