Speed Takes Time, Time Makes Speed

Speedrunning has shown the world that a videogame can be won in an extremely satisfying manner, from your typical first-person shooter perfection to your 3 hour-long RPG marathon. The community since then has expanded widely and attracted gamers and viewers alike by storm not only because of the spectacular performances displayed but also for the ups and downs that happen during a run.

Despite its current popularity, speedrunning was barely a thing several years back which begs the question, what led speedrunning to what it is nowadays?



Dragster (First Speedrunned Game)



Records of the first game to be speedrunned were in the 1970's with a game called Dragster, a simple racing game where one car races another drag style. (Retro) The game came with the neat feature of recording your time during a race, giving rise to friendly competition for the best possible time reachable. From here on, gamers started seeing the potential of speedrunning, getting the fastest times in the coolest of ways no matter how unknown or underrated their game happened to be.

Webpages such as Speedrun.com were created in order to maintain a base of records on games speedrunned in different categories. Marathons such as Games Done Quick began streaming gamers live to see if they could beat the world record with a huge audience watching them do so. When not done live, players stream on programs such as Twitch to practice for the big day or even break the record during the session with followers and other viewers supporting them.

Super Mario Bros (Game Completed)

It may have taken time for speedrunning to reach what it currently is now but man it sure is present! Thanks to advances in technology, tool-assisted runs can be used to figure out the fastest time possible and see if it's replicable by a human being. Glitches are more common than ever since the pass of time enables the further experimentation of a game, especially the old ones.

It's true what they say about speed, it takes time to achieve it. However, speed can't exist without time meaning time is what makes speed, speed. Therefore don't let speed take away your time, let time improve your speed.

Sources

Retro, director. YouTube. YouTube, YouTube, 16 Apr. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDvF23NloxY.

Sick Thrills Need Tons of Skills

Videogames are meant to bring excitement, thrills, and surprises when played, especially when one becomes pretty good at it. A speedrun done live always grab players attention thanks to such spectacular performances done by top speedrunners who could either blaze through the course as if it were nothing or find an unexpected glitch or mishap that will certainly cause intensity and drama.

Preparation is sure to be needed in order to stand any chance for winning the title as fastest in the world, but just how much time is sacrificed and invested before and during a speedrun?

Before you even start practicing the whole run, some essential steps must be taken to ensure a smoother and faster attempt. Let's take for example Super Mario Bros 3, a game known for its multiple complications in routing, RNG factors, and moveset alterations.

Super Mario Bros 3 (World 2 Map)

The map layout for Super Mario Bros 3 is absurd, having multiple branching paths, hard-to-pull-off shortcuts, potential usage of items, and precise RNG format. RNG, known as random number generator or luck, forces you to complete unnecessary levels unless you're able to manipulate it by stopping the in-game timer at the right moment. Gameplay drastically changes whenever you obtain or lose a power-up, an item enabling smoother gameplay through added movements, since your gameplan for the level changes.

Factoring all these setbacks plus the perfection demanded by the platforming and the ruthless punishment caused when a slip up occurs, Super Mario Bros 3 can truly become an evil game. (Salt) With such daunting tasks, however, comes an enormous reward in the shape of a nearly flawless run with perfect jumps, crazy luck, and smart planning. What is created is a playthrough of a game done at insane speeds, leaving the public in sheer shock of witnessing the effort and time put into practice to eventually reach the goal of clearing the game as fast as possible.

Super Metroid (4-way Speedrun Race)

The journey isn't over however, someone always rises to defeat the latest champion through the use of new or improved tactics, even better form of playing, or the run was blessed since the very beginning. So long as gamers keep pushing themselves to their limits, speedrun competitions will never die with gamers constantly improving their personal records to one day show the world they will hold the title of fastest in the world.



Sources

Salt, Summoning, director. YouTube. YouTube, YouTube, 23 Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktr9dYUumAs.

More Than Just a Straight Path

As previously stated, a speedrun is all about finishing quickly for a chance to beat the world record and take the glory. This in itself may sound dull and boring to gamers given you ignore lots of content and skip to the end but in reality, it's fun, competitive, and even unexpected, posing an intricate challenge with a high-skill cap only the best can ever reach. Given a speedrun is all about finishing quickly, to what extent can a speedrun go then?

Speedrunning can be done through many different categories, each with its own set path meant for the most optimal time saves despite being the same game.

Super Mario 64 (16-Star Speedrun)

Let's take for example one of the most classic games in the speedrunning community, Super Mario 64. The game takes place in a 3D world where Mario has to collect multiple stars to progress through the game and eventually reach the final level. The game is unique in that you don't need to collect every star to reach the final level or even that big of a quantity since skipping major portions of the game is possible with glitches found in the game. (Speedrun.com)

So how many distinct categories can a game like this have? Below is a list of the several ways it's possible to speedrun Super Mario 64.

• 100% Speedrun (Collecting all the stars and defeating final boss)
• 16-Star Speedrun (Defeating the final boss, glitches allowed)
• 70-Star Speedrun (Defeating the final boss, no glitches allowed)
• TAS Any% Speedrun (Tool-Assisted speedrun)
• Blindfold Any% Speedrun (BLINDFOLDED!!!)

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out (Blindfolded Speedrun)

Ranging from a speedrun full of glitches to one done without seeing, games hold lots of variety depending on their gameplay, modes, and timers found in-game. Videogame producers didn't intend for their game to be played just one way or be completed in a specific manner. Games are made to be approached in different ways fit for the gamer's playstyle and skill even if they decide to torture themselves through the tension and hardships of speedrunning.

 Sources

“Speedrun.com.” Speedrun.com, www.speedrun.com/sm64

The True Limit of a Game

From the peaceful plains of level one to the final boss inside the castle, a videogame is a masterpiece of story, visuals, and mechanics. Time passed with a videogame is, for the most part, enjoyable by forming connections among characters in the story, playing a game style fit for you, and taking in the beauty of the scenery. At its core, a videogame is all about a journey from beginning to end, trying to squeeze out everything possible from it and in the fastest and best way possible.

What would happen, though, if we discarded these simple fundamentals and prefer just to finish the game? In fact, how about beating the game as fast as humanly possible to speeds were casual players would be shocked at seeing such feats accomplished in so little time?

This is what we call speedrunning, the completion of a game as fast as humanely possible. (A Brief History of Speedrunning)


Sonic the Hedgehog (Green Hill Zone Act 1)

At first, it sounds strange to play through a game just for the sole fact of beating it quick, a what purpose does this give to the game? The truth is that being able to speedrun a game takes more determination and patience than normal, something a casual player would never go through heavily.

Imagine how satisfying would it be to see your most hated section or boss of a game be soundly cleared or defeated in a matter of seconds as if it were nothing. Think of how outstanding it would be to take a shortcut or even skip an entire portion of a game with the right tricks.


Donkey Kong Country (Game Over Screen)

Speedrunning takes the game to its LIMIT by literally exploiting the game everywhere it's possible, breaking the game with overpowered and effective strategies, and shaving of every possible second available to complete the game in a ludicrous amount of time. Speedrunning isn't apt for everyone, it requires tons of dedication, patience, sanity, endurance, and above all time, but those who enter learn what the game is really capable of doing both from the inside and outside.

Sources

A Brief History of Speedrunning, www.viewsonic.com/gaming/discover/news/a-brief-history-of-speedrunning.