This guide is only going to cover actual versions of the game from up to version 1.04
https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=821265
The link above here describes the differences between the versions better than I ever could hope to but a short summary of each of the version differences are as follows:
1.00 - The original version of the game. No copyright disclaimer. This is the only version to contain Rambo as flamethrower enemies and Spiderman turns into Batman in Stage 6. Slightly different colors for Spiderman. 1.01 - No copyright disclaimer; Rambo changed to Bald guy. Batman changed to demon. Godzilla intact. Spiderman is actually the real Spiderman now. 1.02 - Contains copyright disclaimer for Marvel/Spiderman. No other changes from 1.01 aside from one (more on that below) 1.03 - Copyright disclaimer remains. Godzilla changed to a dinosaur skeleton. 1.04 - The rights to Spiderman expired so he has been changed to the color pink.
For reference the copyright disclaimer I mention above looks like this
Why is it important that you detail this?
Because as it turns out, there is another big difference that isn't detailed in the provided link that is very important to the game as a speedrun. It turns out that the transformation scene following the defeat of Spiderman varies in length between versions.
What made you come to this conclusion?
Utilizing a frame count starting from the point when Spiderman lifts himself up to this particular frame...
And ending at the last frame before Batman/Web-bat/Demon begins moving to the right here...
I got wildly different results in frame count for much of the versions. The tests were all done through recordings of the same framerate for 100% accuracy in these tests. They are as follows:
1.00 - 320 frames 1.01 - 198 frames 1.02/1.03/1.04 - 294 frames (minor variances for the 1.03/1.04 as they looked roughly equal in length to 1.02 and thus I didn't bother testing them).
Final Conclusion
If you are going for the fastest possible time in your runs of this game, run version 1.01.
