So, I am BRAND new to speedruns. I don't want to give a lengthy biography on my experience so I'll get right to my question.
I want to learn to speedrun Minish Cap but am trying to figure out the best way to do it. As I understand it the fastest platforms are:
GBA (Physical) > Wii (Virtual Console) / 3DS Virtual Console > VBA (emulator).
I want to run an NTSC version of the game which I understand to be the Japanese version of the game but being from the U.S. and new to speedrunning I am not sure about the best way of getting my hands on this version of the game.
If I purchase a Wii from Japan can I access the store to purchase the NTSC version from the store, or will I not be able to access the store being that I live in the U.S.
I'm sure this question may come off as basic to some experienced runners, but I was hoping someone could help me out.
Thanks!
If you have a NTSC-U Wii, you can softmod and install JP virtual console games obtained by your own ways.
Softmod:
There is no Wii Virtual Console version of The Minish Cap, but there is a Wii U release.
If you are willing to put in the money for a Japanese Wii U, I would highly recommend instead buying a Gamecube (any region) Game Boy Player, Player disk (must be the same region as the Gamecube) and a Japanese copy of The Minish Cap.
Emulators are a fine choice also. Most runners started out using emu and save states are very helpful when learning.
When it comes to the game itself, Quo has made a full tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4vv76udOJBDpvltqqyTNkEIBIBXuJOiv
And we have a Discord server: https://discord.gg/AavATnB
There's also a video that shows the load differences between each version, as the Wii U VC version is the fastest version to our current knowledge as Kitty advised.