If I get a run that's better than my any% PB, does that count as a First quest PB? (I'm assuming no but just making super duper sure)

I don't think so.

I think it would be possible. See Darbian's All-Stars The lost levels 'A-D Warpless'. he got Warpless 8-4 PB while playing Warpless to 'World A-D'. :)

@SuperLuigi That's true, but it's EXACTLY the same game and her mechanics. Second quest is harder - enemies are faster and Goombas are replaced by Buzzy Beetles for example. There is a seperate category for Second Quest.

Basically, First Quest =/= Second Quest

Short answer: no.

I have another question, do any of you know if you kill bowser in 8-4 would that actually be faster in Both Quests? (since you don't have to wait for bowser to fall down and the bridge to break, would the message and the selection load faster?)

Ah I misunderstood the question. What I understood is when playing *8-4 Any%. I didn't know that category exists. Sorry :)

@SuperLuigi Ask, and you won't ever be lost. :)

I think you'd lose more time grabbing the powerups. All other factors aside, it's slower to use powerups if you're only encountering one Bowser. You'd need to encounter another one or two to save time.

Well, for a TAS it might be faster to have fire for both quests, just like Lost Levels.

I did a rough calculation watching somewes's run of how much time killing bowser saves, and it saves about 2.3 seconds killing him vs not, so yeah it'd be really hard or not even possible to save time collecting powerups, each powerup costs 1 second due to the waiting time you have to do right? Plus the different route you have to take costs time and then the time it costs to try to kill bowser.