Speedruns of your favourite games are an awesome sight to behold. If you’re into them already, you’ll know what I mean. If not, then prepare to have your mind blown. It’s all about getting from the opening of the first level to the end credits as fast as possible, but it’s how the player does it that makes speedrunning so ridiculously entertaining. You’ll see them use glitches, exploits and frame-perfect maneuvers to shave milliseconds off their time, and it takes serious skill and dedication to master these games as the runners below have done. These five games are classic titles that everyone should be familiar with, now prepare to see them in a completely new light:
Super Mario Bros. by Darbian
In this Twitch livestream, Darbian sets the current world record for Super Mario Bros. with a time of 4:57:427. The fastest speedruns for this game are separated by just a handful of frames, so every jump and glitch needs to be executed perfectly to be in with a shot of setting a record. Check out the heart rate monitor beside the main timer as Darbian realises what he’s about to accomplish.
Mike Tyson’s Punch Out by Sinister1 (Blindfolded)
This incredible run of the classic NES boxing sim was done at Awesome Games Done Quick—a speedrunning charity drive to raise money for cancer. Although he didn’t fully beat the game, Sinister1 gets further on a blindfolded run than anyone had managed up to that point, and it was all captured live at a great event. The run starts at 8:27 if you want to skip all the preamble.
Final Fantasy VII by puwexil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aPty5C68tA
Final Fantasy VII is a massive game that takes upwards of 30 hours to complete casually, but puwexil manages to get it done in just under three with the help of some game-breaking glitches. Recorded at Awesome Games Done Quick in 2015, this run is a long way off the world record but comes with some great commentary that explains the strategies and techniques used. The run starts at 11:55.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 by mike89
There’s something poetically satisfying about watching Sonic speedruns. The games were designed from the ground up to be fast and thrilling, so they lend themselves well to being completed as quickly as possible. This particular run by mike89 happens to be the current world record for Sonic 2. Look out for some major glitches that take Sonic through the scenery and right to the end of the level. Crazy!
GoldenEye 007 by Bass Boost and RWhiteGoose
This run of the classic N64 shooter comes once again from Awesome Games Done Quick. What makes this so interesting is that two separate players are controlling the Bond character to perform tricks and glitches, saving tenths of a second at a time. The guys do a great job of explaining how the run works, and RWhiteGoose (the guy with the awesome sweater) gets so hyped throughout. The action starts at 8:56.
Q: Are there any other speedruns you would include on this list? Tell us about them in the comments below.
Copyright 2016 David Carroll
