====================AWESOME GAMES DONE QUICK 2021==================== =========Raising $2,776,053 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation======== ==========================January 3-10, 2021========================= -------------------------------SUNDAY-------------------------------- Mirror's Edge (PC - Dice 2008) Inbounds by Hekigan [WRH] host briesbe, couch Meteos_Probably, Odjur 42m39s (est 46m, wr 42m05s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube WDxKEHoGaik Review: A decent start to the marathon. Execution was great, this game has fantastic movement, but the couch was a bit lackluster. Some of the skips went under-explained. Donkey Kong Country (SNES - Rare 1994) No Major Skips race Eazinn vs DadLovesBeer host briesbe, couch Silent Wolf, V0oid 41m24s, 42m21s (est 50m, wr 40m40s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube WDxKEHoGaik Review: An excellent race. Three quarters of the way through, they were still just seconds apart. Good work from the commentators, every tiny trick got mentioned and explained. Just Cause 3 (PC - Avalanche 2015) Sky Fortress DLC by pmcTRILOGY [WRH] host Asuka424, couch KZ_FREW 48m31s (est 52m, wr 43m46s) [NV] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube LnlGqq2Uh2I+17 Review: The run isn't that much crazier than the casual game... but it's starting from a high baseline. More of a zany antics and awful puns run, but those are still good. Timing messed up by stream failure, invalidated. Ratchet & Clank (PS4 - Insomniac 2016) NG+ by PerilousPeanut host Asuka424, couch Mobius 31m01s (est 37m, wr 26m38s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube itJf1msgbl8+25 Review: A solid action-platformer run. Lots of OoB and similar nonsense. Mega Man X5 (PS1 - Capcom Studio 3 2000) All Stages [INCENTIVE] by Luiz Miguel [WRH] host Bradderfield, couch Orsa 52m01s (est 56m, wr 51m13s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube MjyDsA7wM8s+20 Review: Not a bad run, but fifty minutes is a bit much for a fairly straightforward Mega Man game. Particularly one with so many cutscenes and autoscrollers. Dragon Age: Origins (PC - Bioware 2009) Any% by Lemuura [WRH] host Bradderfield, couch LettersWords, Bryonato 43m49s (est 1h00m, wr 39m56s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 701wmXuKjiE+50 Review: An incredibly, incredibly broken run. Starts with glitching character creation, then is a nonstop stream of clips and magic abuse. Ori and the Will of the Wisps (PC - Moon 2020) All Challenges Main Quest Order race Hetfield90 [2RH] vs Skarfelt [WRH] host Bradderfield, couch JHobz, Roose 1h06m06s, 1h06m14s (est 1h15m, wr 1h07m42s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube SVk-GXqZA24+6 Review: A decent metroidvania race. Not too many position changes, more of a "underdog slowly catching up" race, but the movement in this game is really nice to watch. (Though perhaps not "hour-plus" nice.) Diddy Kong Racing (N64 - Rare 1997) 100% by Obiyo [WRH] host French Toast, couch TridentTail, MrsGizamaLuke, SweenerDog 1h47m42s (est 1h52m, wr 1h45m24s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube AyGfyzEMGlM+4 Review: The couch kept popping off with how well this run was going but as an outsider, I just didn't see it. It's a very repetitive run, and racing games just generally make poor speedruns. It has some nice glitches and polished execution but I was zoning out half an hour in. Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA - Nintendo R&D1 2004) 9% Normal by CScottyW [WRH] host PurpleGhostKasper, couch JRP2234 54m26s (est 1h00m, wr 49m36s) [NV] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube d0WrQSs10sw Review: A run with a lot of problems. Tech issues forced a pause (hence the NV tag), and the RNG was not favorable - and this is a very RNG-dependent run. Overall, not super enjoyable, but through no fault of the runner. Lightmatter (PC - Tunnel Vision 2020) Any% NMG by bobbyburm [3RH] host PurpleGhostKasper, couch RebelRose42, LaicosVK 45m13s (est 52m, wr 43m40s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 3SeRsYb-x88+1 Review: A decent puzzle-platformer sort of run, very Portal-ish. Run wasn't too interesting but excellent couch chemistry and inviting atmosphere. -------------------------------MONDAY-------------------------------- Pikmin 2 (Gamecube - Nintendo EAD 2004) Pay Off Debt by Draz [WRH] host PurpleGhostKasper, couch Kap, theurbandear 1h41m55s (est 1h55m, wr 1h34m13s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube T4ZIoiSSTDc+6 Review: I enjoyed it as a series fan, but it's a bit long for the amount of actual tech on display. This is (IMO) one of the weakest categories to watch - Pikmin 1 All Parts is shorter and to the point, Pikmin 2 All Treasures shows off more glitches and combat (at the cost of being even longer), and Pikmin 3 runs are just more spectacular. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3 - Kojima 2008) The Boss Extreme by Jaguar King [2RH] host VenBright, no couch 1h59m44s (est 2h05m, wr 2h05m21s igt) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube obDyRIyoD_g+53 Review: I think there's a reason this hasn't been run before. Lots of RNG, a fifteen-minute autoscroller, several unskippable cutscenes AND so many skippable cutscenes stacked in a row that they cut to donations... and after all that, there's just not much cool tech to the game. The same trick gets used on four of the bosses, another trick takes care of half the forced encounters, and there isn't even interesting movement besides manipulating guard AI. Jaguar King made a valiant attempt at keeping it interesting, but he'd have been better off running almost any other game. Otogi: Myth of Demons (XbC - From 2002) Any% by Ameiii [WRH] host VenBright, couch shabu, Raelcun 1h15m32s (est 1h20m, wr 59m49s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube E3mEm03t35E+122 Review: Ah, late-night madness runs. The couch consisted of "guy who barely knows what's going on" and "guy who actually does not know what's going on", and it was hilarious. The actual run was kind of weak but the banter was tops. Ghostbusters (Genesis - Sega 1990) Any% Egon Normal [BIDWAR] by RetroBrando host Argick, couch Faust4712, BaconOmelette 31m17s (est 35m, wr 27m33s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube s63uE54RlF0+8 Review: Not a bad run, but nothing too great about it, either. Lots of health management for damage boosting, some attempts at fast boss cycles, but no real glitches or even all that much movement tech. It's a competent but unremarkable action-platformer, played competently but unremarkably. Magical Taruruuto-kun (Genesis - Game Freak 1992) Any% by Joeybaby69 [WRH] host Argick, couch Zaxon96, d4gr0n 17m19s (est 30m, wr 15m58s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube nNHTcpwo8qA+15 Review: There was a lot missing from this run. The execution is highly unpolished, with frequent unintended hits or deaths. Nobody - runner or couch - knew the story. There's two clips and a boss quick kill, but other than that there's barely any speed tech. This is deep in the filler hours, but it feels weak even as filler. Ecco the Dolphin (Genesis - Novotrade 1992) Any% No Camera-Freeze by GrimShins host Argick, couch Mecheon, cheekychunk 23m35s (est 30m, wr 22m16s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube 4lXr6MSpqKw+15 Review: This is a weird game. I wish they'd leaned in more to just how bizarre it is - the story, but also a lot of the gameplay. Some of that was due to the run being extremely fast-paced at the beginning, no time to explain anything, but then during the seven-minute autoscroller, they definitely could have done more than "lol aliens k donation time". Taz-Mania (SMS - Technical Wave 1992) Any% by coolkid [WRH] host Argick, no couch 8m32s (est 12m, wr 8m25s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube FhX5TB1nWQw+15 Review: It's a decently fast-moving 8-bit platformer. The tech is a bit redundant - "spin to win", as coolkid kept saying - but the run was too short for that to get too boring. Startropics (NES - Nintendo R&D3 1990) Any% by BugDoctor [WRH] host Mr. Game and Shout, couch Vanni, TheTantalus 1h05m15s (est 1h10m, wr 1h03m34s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube G1K0pNOPd5M Review: A bit of a strange run - NES action games aren't usually an hour long. At times it felt more like a couch-comedy-troupe run, but there's some good execution and cool tricks underneath all that. The Lucky Dime Caper starring Donald Duck (SMS - Sega AM1 1991) Beat the Game by Chachamaxx [WRH] host Argick, couch O-Ren 17m52s (est 18m, wr 15m45s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ngKOjSW2SGo+47 Review: An extremely average sort of 8-bit platformer run. Nothing really wrong with it, and the Master System isn't exactly a common sight at GDQ, but it just didn't stand out in any way. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (PC - Playtonic 2019) 24 Bees by hedweg [WRH] host Mr. Game and Shout, couch Tipdaddy78 50m53s (est 1h05m, wr 49m07s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube MX1HUjGY65c Review: A nifty run. Not as ostentatious as the Any% but this is probably the marathon-safe equivalent of that. Very polished, mostly glitchless within the 2D levels but lots of skips in the overworld, makes for a nice mix. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (PC - Nightdive 2015) Any% PC Remaster by pale2 [2RH] host Mr. Game and Shout, no couch 36m50s (est 38m, wr 30m13s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube _AeTapNNmLo+32 Review: A fast-paced FPS/platformer run, with a very, ah, "charismatic" runner. I enjoyed it, but the focus was definitely more on being fun than being fast, which I know some people find grating. NM: May have used a safety save. Originally had this tagged [NV?] but I skimmed the video again and it looked like a save made during the run. [[[SONIC BLOCK]]] Sonic the Hedgehog (Android - Sonic Team 1991; 2013) Tails: Beat the Game by flying fox [2RH] host iggyzig, couch Amber Cyprian 20m03s (est 25m, wr 13m22s igt) [WR] Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube RIwd-QBVhhU+14 Review: When I saw specifically the Android version being run, I expected it to have some sort of run-making glitch. Turns out instead it's the most solid, glitchless Sonic run I've seen. And a WR? That seemed to take everybody by surprise, I certainly didn't think she was doing *that* well. (Note: My "Skill" rating is about how well the run shows off skilled play, not just how skilled the runner is.) Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited (PC - STI 1994; Eukaryot3K 2019) Any% Sonic + Tails by Zaxon96 [WRH] host iggyzig, couch JoeyBaby69, BenInSweden 34m24s (est 42m, wr 37m12s) [WR] Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube mun2hxDWfKM+27 Review: Ah, now here's the glitchy broken Sonic run I was expecting before. Lots of clips, lots of broken level transitions, and a brand-new trick that enabled a new WR. Sonic Mania (PC - Christian Whitehead et al 2017) Sonic & Tails Good Ending by Argick [3RH] host iggyzig, no couch 56m39s (est 58m, wr 51m57s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube MFkjKq7tb9g+37 Review: He couldn't set a WR in the game, but I'm pretty sure Argick set a WR for explaining the run, because he was talking a mile a minute for the entire hour. Excellent self-commentary, and not a bad run. Sonic the Hedgehog (Xb360 - Sonic Team 2006) Shadow's Story No MSG by Gordon Ramsay [WRH] host iggyzig, couch Nick867, FocusSight, tripl3ag3nt 50m26s (est 52m, wr 42m44s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube qJLCbELCtsM+569 Review: This game is so broken that watching the stream bluescreened my computer. Walls are a suggestion. Bosses can be despawned. Gravity is optional. It's actually a great speedrun, very flashy but also surprisingly consistent. [[[/SONIC BLOCK]]] Darksiders (PC - Vigil 2010) All Chosen Bosses by heny [WRH] [ORH] host Doctor No, couch Aftermathrar 1h25m32s (est 1h35m, wr 1h16m02s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube y1p_AuS4MkY+32 Review: Why wasn't this game in Zelda Block? It's a straight-up OoT clone. It even managed to replicate some of the same glitches - this is a pretty broken run, lots of OoB and infinite jumping. Unfortunately it just wasn't super interesting, it's the same few tricks over and over. Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (PC - Arkane 2006) Any% by Cropax [2RH] host marphoria, couch Havrd 27m02s (est 29m, wr 22m41s) [NV] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube iQ_tc3P2UDY Review: "This Source engine is pretty wonky compared to the rest". Box clips, bunny hops, flings, all that good stuff. Invalidated by using a safety save to recover from a crash. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC - Bethesda 2011) [BONUS GAME 1] Glitchless Main Quest by nucular [WRH] host marphoria, couch Chronos 1h31m46s (est 1h30m, wr 1h20m26s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube zv-xI3iE3j4+17 Review: This run was about as dull as expected. Skyrim's a great speed game, but glitchless? It's a hassle. It's a slog. It's just not particularly fun to watch, and I'm not really sure why this was an incentive run, and not 3AM filler. It's mostly movement (in a game with pretty clunky movement), routing, and luck. I've seen worse runs but I've also seen many better. Dishonored 2 (PC - Arkane 2016) Any% [BIDWAR] by DemonicRobots host French Toast, couch BloodThunder, WaifuRuns 30m15s (est 35m, wr 26m01s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube MTHcT3IPwEw+16 Review: A bit of a frantic run, things happening almost constantly. Lots of bhopping and flings, not too much else, but it's short enough that it doesn't feel repetitive. Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition (PC - Larian 2017) Any% Current Patch by Worldlyy [WRH] host French Toast, couch thepowerhour, lintwurm 26m34s (est 35m, wr 19m43s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube kBteH94ysB0+15 Review: Well, it was better than the run two years ago, at least. It's kind of too complicated a run for half an hour, so it's a bit confusing to watch. If you're satisfied just watching weird stuff happen, this will do it for you, but if you want a deeper understanding, it's a bit frustrating. Diablo III (PC - Blizzard 2012) Any% Co-op NG coop meatr0o, Heckson, Whisperra [WRHs] host VenBright, no couch 1h19m15s (est 1h35m, wr 1h25m01s) [WR] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube SbEAOywaxG0 Review: A bit of a tough run to follow - no couch means the runners are on the hook to explain everything, and they were often too busy coordinating to do commentary. And it's also a complex game, lots of jargon that probably makes more sense to Diablo players. They did get the third WR of the day, but it seemed to be just as much luck as skill. NB: Used the 3-player WR; the absolute WR is the same people plus blakjack at 1h20m52s. Mortal Shell (PC - Cold Symmetry 2020) Any% by LilAggy host VenBright, couch Mitchriz 39m09s (est 37m, wr 26m24s) [NV] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube hrmQ6sgqri8+88 Review: A quick little soulslike. Not too much variety to the tech, but it's quick enough that it never became a drudge. Doing the entire run at one hit from death certainly added to the tension, although perhaps such a game isn't quite marathon-safe. Invalidated by using a safety save, to avoid a five-minute retread after an unfortunate death. -------------------------------TUESDAY------------------------------- Wild Arms (PS1 - Media.Vision 1996) Any% No ACE by cha0sRTA [WRH] host THEKyleThomas, no couch 1h40m37s (est 1h40m, wr 1h24m06s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube FGtRLgzk0J8 Review: A surprisingly good JRPG run. There's a decent amount of tech - even though the only two tricks are item duping and OoB, there's a number of ways to go about them, and Chaos did a great job explaining them. The actual battles weren't too tightly scripted, this definitely isn't as competitive a speed game as others. But it's a more packed run, thanks to being under two hours. Ultima VI: The False Prophet (DOS - Origin 1990) Glitchless by Gyre host THEKyleThomas, no couch 22m36s (est 24m, no wr?) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube B3jPfnEDOYM+12 Review: A nifty little CRPG run. Not too much in the way of tech, given that it's glitchless, but it seems tightly routed, and good self-commentary. Journey to the Savage Planet (PC - Typhoon 2020) Any% Post OGM by dkPuls [2RH] host samorasie, couch bambam, janjandrm 11m56s (est 20m, wr 12m34s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 2yqTFJ2lv-U+13 Review: A solid enough run, but it felt overhyped. The couch would build up some upcoming trick and then it was nothing spectacular. It's about 90% the same sort of physics tricks a lot of games have. Revenge of the Bird King (Switch - Mighty Rabbit 2018) All Treasures by Fox of the Flame [WRH] [ORH] host samorasie, couch superNESjoe [DEV], Trees 14m49s (est 25m, wr 12m27s) Overall ☆☆☆☆☆ Skill ☆☆☆☆☆ Fun ☆☆☆☆☆ Youtube O6BA5C-cZsk+31 Review: Wow this was an awful run. Audio issues abounded - the runner's mike was gating off half his words, and audio lag meant constantly talking over each other, rendering this an almost incomprehensible run. The only explanations we did get were banal. And to top it all off, this just looks like kind of a terrible game? Super Ledgehop: Double Laser (PC - LAME 2018) Good Ending by ChairGTables [3RH] [DEV] host samorasie, no couch 4m53s (est 7m, wr 3m19s IGT) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube hwa6ezCnWZA+11 Review: Is there such a thing as "too much energy"? I think this shows there is. Being hype is great but when the runner is practically hyperventilating, that sort of gets in the way of good commentary. Which is a shame because as a dev *runner* he could have given some incredible commentary, but I literally can't recall one interesting thing he said. NM: Assumed "Good Ending Chizuru", as "Yuuto Ichika" has only one run. Nikita: The Mystery of the Hidden Treasure (PC - Astragon 2009) Any% by havrd [2RH] host samorasie, couch epicdudeguy 15m02s (est 20m, wr 11m57s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 5yQmsIOaZ4k+15 Review: An odd sort of game, borderline Awful Block material but not quite heinously bad enough for it. There's lots of interesting tech but the commentary was underwhelming, and the run seems just as unpolished as the game. Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin [AKA Castlevania II: Simon's Quest] (NES - Konami 1987) Any% All Mansions by Sathdresh [3RH] host YoBGS, couch SBDWolf, jc583 40m18s (est 50m, wr 37m54s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube uq5cyf0aRSg+18 Review: I don't really get the appeal of this run. It has a decent number of tricks that the runner consistently failed, it's tightly routed but most of that's backups for bad RNG, it's a somewhat infamously poor game but the couch played it completely straight. Banana Prince (NES - KID 1991) Any% by swordsmankirby [2RH] host YoBGS, no couch 12m55s (est 15m, wr 11m26s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube tIlFIoF5jNs+14 Review: For such an uncompetitive game, this was a surprisingly polished run. Nothing too special but definitely one of the better parts of this NES block. Little Samson (NES - Takeru 1992) Any% No OoB by rayeo host YoBGS, no couch 11m59s (est 15m, wr 8m48s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube lo5-W-aEe_Y+9 Review: This run didn't have enough depth to last too long, so it's a good thing it didn't. Ten-ish minutes of decent platforming, no real glitches, or even much tech beyond tactical game-overs. The Cowlitz Gamers' 2nd Adventure + Lost Adventure (NES - M-Tee 2019) Any% Easy by Bitty_Kong [3RH] host YoBGS, couch The_Kov 17m16s (est 20m, wr 10m42s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube PHjgykZnPjQ Review: A rather polished piece of NES homebrew, and a pretty tight run. Not the best commentary but it's mostly self-explanatory anyways. NB: This is a run of 2nd Adventure and the Lost Adventure expansion in one run, which isn't a recognized category. WR listed is for 2A only. Fist of the North Star (NES - Shouei 1987) Any% by Starwin [2RH] host YoBGS, couch giygasblues 12m36s (est 15m, wr 8m15s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube 9906dEuUB3A+14 Review: Eeehh, this run didn't work so well. It had the right pieces it just didn't put them together right. The game is kind of bad, and barely has any speed tech, so it needed great couch/commentary work to shine. Starwin tried to go for humor, but just kept repeating the one meme everyone's heard, over and over, on every boss fight. And he sort of tried to explain the lore and how this fits into the series, but didn't do enough of that to really interest you - particularly if you aren't a huge FotNS afficionado. RollerGames (NES - Konami 1990) Any% by ViruseReturns [2RH] host YoBGS, no couch 15m33s (est 17m, wr 14m04s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube o7SUvHjyWNM+6 Review: A strange little bmup hybrid. The run wasn't super polished and the commentary was rough, but it's all right. Might be worth a watch just to see the weird mashup of gameplay. River City Girls (PC - WayForward 2019) NG All Bosses [INCENTIVE] by BahamutX_ host Prolix, couch moonblazewolf, Bannon Rudis [DEV], Adam_WF [DEV] 1h00m57s (est 1h05m, wr 54m15s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube ZwwPN3xt8jo+33 Review: Now this is what dev commentary should be. Lots of details, calling out incredibly obscure references, telling interesting stories about working with VAs or rightsholders, or even just how different pieces of the game came to be. Bahamut crushed the run, other than missing one statue he just blazed through it. Unfortunately we didn't get too much commentary on the actual run, but I suspect there wasn't an hour's worth of tech to explain, so it all worked out. River City Ransom (NES - Technos Japan 1989) Novice race yelsraek [2RH] vs willbobsled [WRH] host Prolix, couch SeireaSong 8m35s, 9m25s (est 10m, wr 6m06s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube j0utCHqUMX0+24 Review: A nice fun-size run. Not very technical and unfortunately RNG-heavy, but good race commentary. River City Ransom (NES - Technos Japan 1989) [INCENTIVE] Sauna% race yelsraek [WRH] vs willbobsled host Prolix, couch SeireaSong 2m12s, 2m15s (est 10m, wr 2m07s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube j0utCHqUMX0+767 Review: It's a two-minute-long addon run, that trims away the brawling from this bmup, leaving only movement. It's exactly what you'd expect. Strider (NES - Capcom 1989) 100% by baldnate host Prolix, no couch 20m09s (est 22m, no wr?) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube NJUeAX9jWok+20 Review: A remarkably chill run. It's like if Bob Ross enjoyed opaque NES game design instead of landscapes. Aladdin (Genesis - Virgin 1993) All Stages Practice Mode by ZeeGee [WRH] host Prolix, couch Paul Saltine 14m19s (est 17m, wr 13m16s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube nUZLZ4_0Zvo Review: A standard action-platformer run. Nothing too flashy about the run itself, but it's some good nostalgia. Metroid (NES - Nintendo R&D1 1986) All Bosses race Tecate vs CHX42 [WRH] host Skybilz, couch The_Kov 21m11s, 25m51s (est 22m, wr 13m27s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube wziO1ExsKmc Review: Not really a marathon-safe run, is this? The risk factor on Metroid runs is pretty ridiculous. All Bosses might be better than Any% but it still looked like we might get a DNF. The runners turned it around but unless you've played Metroid and understand just how underequipped they are for every fight, it's not super fun to watch. [[[MEGA MAN BLOCK]]] Mega Man (NES - Capcom 1987) Any% 1HKO/Buster Only by coolkid host Skybilz, couch Mithical9, Blechy 28m33s (est 40m, no wr?) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★★ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube kpwJcvuhlNc+8 Review: Early Mega Man games are already brutally difficult. I've never beaten a single Robot Master. Coolkid decided that wasn't hard enough for him, so he played using only the base weapon, and then modded it so a single hit would kill him. He absolutely crushes it - taking only two hits. I'm not a huge fan of Mega Man runs, but this one is exceptional. NM: Records do not seem to be kept for 1HKO runs. All Stages Buster Only WR is Coolkid in 25m22s. Mega Man 11 (PC - Capcom 2018) Any% No OoB Normal by Amad [3RH] host Skybilz, couch Karterfreak, Fastatcc 33m19s (est 37m, wr 32m56s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube scrgBCUfQRA+12 Review: The new-wave original-line Mega Man games seem to have a much higher skill ceiling than the originals - or at least they look like it. Amad blazes through the combat here, accompanied by some quality commentary. Nothing too exceptional but nothing wrong with "just" a solid run. Mega Man X3 (SNES - Capcom 1995) Low% by Luiz Miguel [WRH] host Skybilz, couch Teemu 41m52s (est 50m, wr 41m32s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube DOcFZjbHDvw+14 Review: Hey, remember when I said I wasn't a huge fan of Mega Man speedruns? This is kind of why. There's just so little variety here, so little tech. It barely even felt like a low% run! This is a very, very "play the game as intended fast" sort of run, which I've never found particularly interesting. [[[/MEGA MAN BLOCK]]] Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (PC - Neversoft 2004) Story Easy by Biglaw host Skybilz, couch Naze (sp?) 7m56s (est 9m, wr 6m43s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube w5ES2sJnJbQ+15 Review: Maybe I'm an outlier here, but I just don't find Tony Hawk games fun to watch. Like, they're collectathon platformers, essentially, and I could watch SM64 races all day long. But something about the density of these games makes them strangely dull to watch - the screen is full of junk to do, once an arbitrary amount are done you go somewhere else and do it again, and rarely does it seem skillful. As for this particular game... it's an eight-minute run. The level design has gotten so absurd that it's just eight minutes of doing wacky nonsense to get enough points to move on. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (PC - Vicarious 2020) All Goals & Golds All Tours by PARTY MAN X [WRH] host Skybilz, couch biglaw, George, Helix 16m32s (est 22m, wr 15m47s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube Q0S621utp_c+30 Review: Most of my above review applies here, but being a remake of before the series went completely off the rails, it was easier as an outsider to watch. Metroid Prime (Gamecube - Retro Studios 2002) 100% by edzan [3RH] host ateatree, couch IceFire, Skull64, Metroid0925 1h43m06s (est 1h55m, wr 1h36m46s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ciO70uQvkyo+30 Review: A run that's broken in the best ways. Metroid Prime is pretty known for out-of-bounds shenanigans and sequence breaking, but 100% avoids almost all of the outright skips. So I found it to be a very good balance. Solid couch work too, these are fairly inscrutable tricks but they were explained well. Braid (PC - Number None 2008) Six Star [INCENTIVE] by KanBan85 [2RH] host ateatree, no couch 30m19s (est 35m, wr 28m27s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube Vrc9g3Inog0+17 Review: The grandfather of all artsy indie puzzle-platformers. Time control opens up a lot of options for movement and bypassing intended solutions, but it's a bit hard to follow. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (PC - Yacht Club 2014) NG+ by MooMooAkai [2RH] host ateatree, couch Davidtki, Munchakoopas 33m37s (est 40m, wr 32m57s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube wRFVZHBj5Pc+12 Review: Some truly impressive gameplay on display here. A bit repetitive, since it's NG+ he has the best movement options available throughout instead of having to rely on weaker options, but this game has so much tech it almost doesn't matter. And I loved the positive energy from the runner! Cuphead (PC - MDHR 2017) All Bosses NMG by Jason2890 [WRH] host ateatree, couch Grondious, SBDWolf 32m06s (est 35m, wr 29m10s loadless) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ur4k5pvt5cc+17 Review: Cuphead's become one of those perennial GDQ runs, like OoT and Celeste and Super Metroid. But I think, out of the games of that caliber, it's kind of the weakest as a speed game. It's a devilishly difficult game, and stuff like damage boosting to eke out a little bit more speed requires immense skill, but... the division between these top players and the casuals isn't how fast they are, it's how consistent they are, whether they can even beat the game. And that's just not nearly as interesting to watch, over and over. A perfectly fine run to watch if you've not seen Cuphead run before, but if you've seen it the past few GDQs, it's not a must-watch. Hades (PC - Supergiant 2020) [BONUS GAME 2] 3 Weapons by Vorime [3RH] host Doctor No, couch Wriste13, Haelian, Jerds 1h00m14s (est 1h05m, wr 48m35s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube rhyaDZqV1L0+22 Review: The only problem with this run is that the top-level gameplay is too complex to possibly explain in just an hour. It's a glitchless run, as far as I could tell, it's just that things get deep near the skill ceiling. But other than that, it's a great run, with great commentary and some fun meming for the casual watchers. BPM: Bullets Per Minute (PC - Awe 2020) Njord Hard [INCENTIVE] by Bullets [2RH] host Doctor No, couch Meta Doctor 21m04s (est 30m, wr 9m17s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube ec22iBf9JXs+23 Review: This was a thing, I guess. The game sounds interesting but the run made it hard to tell - shouldn't rhythm games have the music cranked up? For a mostly-glitchless run, it was very unpolished; while roguelikes add random elements that make it hard to brutally optimize a run, this was leagues below the Hades run above. And neither runner nor commentator seemed to actually be interested in their own run? NB: WR is for Njord Easy, didn't know there was an incentive for it when I grabbed records. [[[SPOOKY BLOCK]]] Left 4 Dead 2 (PC - Valve 2009) Main Campaigns Solo, Any Difficulty by WaifuRuns host AnEternalEnigma, couch JurasPatryk, VashTSB 59m10s (est 1h10m, wr 48m40s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube vLM5pgnzZrg+11 Review: A surprisingly technical speedrun, not too much of the game-breaking physics Source runs tend towards, but lots of little optimizations. F.E.A.R. (PC - Monolith 2005) Any% by Maxylobes [WRH] host AnEternalEnigma, couch WaifuRuns, KZ_FREW, Bryonato 55m09s (est 55m, wr 51m39s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube 3APTYeIYGeY Review: An excellent all-around run. A good mix of totally game-breaking glitches and as-intended gameplay (although doing it on Easy makes it possible to run through a lot of enemies), accompanied by one of the best couches of the marathon. ------------------------------WEDNESDAY------------------------------ Carrion (PC - Phobia 2020) Any% by teddyras host AnEternalEnigma, couch Ecdycis 25m03s (est 25m, wr 18m54s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 9W_znJ8jc08+103 Review: It's a newer game so the run itself wasn't super polished yet, and it's not that technical a run either. But the commentary was entertaining, save when they were cutting each other off. Axiom Verge (PC - Thomas Happ 2015) Any% by SaberaMesia [2RH] host Baidol, couch NeoMagusX, Tom Happ [DEV], VideoGameRoulette 33m54s (est 37m, wr 30m26s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ROcMq5UJOUM Review: A run that did nothing wrong, but also did nothing to really distinguish itself. The tricks weren't particularly precise, the glitches weren't particularly interesting, the commentary wasn't particularly insightful (even with the dev on the couch!). If you played Axiom Verge, you'll probably enjoy this, but it has little to offer otherwise. Silent Hill 3 (PC - Team Silent 2003) Extra New Game by Punchy [WRH] host zokubun, couch Ecdycis, Maxylobes 40m35s (est 43m, wr 28m31s igt) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube I_m3zpxbR0U+51 Review: It's a bit of a strange category - almost all enemies are just dodged, and bosses melt in seconds. But there are a lot of tricky-looking skips, every one of which got pointed out and remarked on. Great couch work - not devolving into sketch comedy, but still funny when appropriate and informative the rest of the time. Haunting Ground (PS2 - Capcom 2005) A Ending NG+ by Ecdycis [2RH] host samorasie, no couch 1h10m18s (est 1h05m, wr 57m35s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube Xs79m-T9AoU+45 Review: I was not expecting this to be this good. But Ecdycis delivers on his own couch as well as he does on others' - and also gave us one of the tensest moments of Horror Block, possibly even the entire GDQ. Resident Evil: Director's Cut (PS1 - Capcom 1997) Jill (Arrange) Any% NMG by RetroBrando [WRH] host samorasie, couch bawkbasoup, Clix_gaming 1h04m13s (est 1h10m, wr 1h02m29s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube IqYLRyejivI+17 Review: The commentary here seems to assume the audience is far more familiar with Resident Evil speedrunning than most of us actually are. It doesn't help much to point out where items are placed differently relative to Jill Normal Any% NMG, and not talk about basic strats and tech. The run was also beset by commentary lag and a bad audio mix, making for a somewhat difficult listen. PIEN -ぴえん- (PC - Tadasumen 2020) Any% by Swordfish4649 host YoBGS, no couch 4m48s (est 10m, no wr?) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ☆☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube OY4PPwTDbog Review: I don't like shitting on foreign runners for having language difficulties, but... I think I would have understood more if Swordfish had done his commentary in Japanese. I never understood what was going on, why anything was happening, really anything you need to watch a speedrun. The only fun is the sheer baffling weirdness of the game itself - and to be fair, that part is fun. But it would have been more fun with at least a little context. NM: not 100% sure on dev name, relied on Google Translate [[[/SPOOKY BLOCK]]] Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City (SNES - EA 1994) Any% by apathyduck [2RH] host YoBGS, couch Solski, emosaru 25m54s (est 27m, wr 17m14s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube FCmw4yz8LhY Review: A curiously advanced SNES action-platformer. The speed tech is cool - a few different sorts of clips, and some tight routing - but not too impressive overall. And while the bonkers story being read out *could* have been quite good, this particular rendition wasn't great. Ice Age: Scrat's Nutty Adventure (PC - Just Add Water 2019) Any% by yoshipro [WRH] host YoBGS, no couch 18m45s (est 22m, wr 17m49s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 1A3trEcqrbo+17 Review: In the manner of most tie-in platformers, this is a lovely spree of glitches, skips, and an insane story. Unfortunately, this was a casualty of the online format - no couch to react to the wonkiness or to build running gags, and some lingering audio mix issues. It also has too many bland fly-over-level bits, killing the pacing. Into The Breach (PC - Subset 2018) 2-Island% Frozen Titans by RooseSR host YoBGS, couch Grimelios, Blechy 13m03s (est 15m, wr 10m52s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 0g25uEEepeE+18 Review: Is it possible for a speedrun to be too fast? This one seems to be pushing it - I've *played* this game and I could barely even follow what was happening, let alone the strategies in play. It's impressive but you can forget about trying to learn anything from it. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (Gamecube - Camelot 2003) Any% by Bluekandy [WRH] host YoBGS, couch Jonesy, DavidPiano 52m24s (est 55m, wr 50m30s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube 5cK5xjSgO5w+8 Review: Another game with execution so fast and polished it's barely comprehensible. Bluekandy's self-commentary was great. But - and I feel bad saying this, but it's true - it was not the best idea to hand commentary duties off to someone with a severe stammer. Perhaps it was just stage fright from being broadcast to millions of people? Either way, this wasn't an effective couch, and an hour is a long time to watch someone blitz through golf without really shaking anything up. Golden Sun (GBA - Camelot 2001) Any% No Save&Quit by Plexa [WRH] host Argick, couch BowieTheHero 3h50m36s (est 4h04m, wr 3h38m03s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube AGgHfTp8EU4 Review: I think lengthy JRPG runs suffer the most under the pandemic. Even live, it already took incredible effort and talent to keep a run interesting when the game contains multiple hours of tedious cutscenes and has gameplay nowhere near as flashy as a twitchy platformer. Doing that with the friction of telepresence? Plexa and crew made a valiant effort but it was a doomed fight. His menuing was absolutely insane, and the commentary was pretty good... but there's only so long you can listen to donations while a cutscene plays out. Minecraft Dungeons (PC - Mojang 2020) Any% Random Seed by MiphaSR host Asuka424, couch FootCream, YomKoolTV 41m33s (est 1h00m, wr 29m59s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube h0Tgo3s1qic+46 Review: A pretty cool diablolike run. The "blursed" (blessed+cursed) RNG was entertaining - you got to see things go badly and struggle, but also go really well. NM: While I technically watched this and several following runs live, I really wasn't paying attention - look at the date. Reviews are based on a later re-watch. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (DS - Griptonite 2010) Any% by Jaxler [WRH] host Asuka424, couch Mr_Shasta 26m53s (est 30m, wr 25m23s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube 1N8UC-DRISk+74 Review: An unexpected jem of the event. The movement tech in this game is ridiculous, you don't even need glitches to go fast. Combat execution was a bit sloppy and the commentary sometimes struggled to keep up with the run, but a very good performance nonetheless. Spyro Reignited Trilogy: Spyro 3 Year of the Dragon (PC - Toys for Bob 2018) Any% by Zic3 host iggyzig, couch Gnaws 1h02m53s (est 1h05m, wr 48m17s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube H9cGwN8rl3Y Review: Maybe this run seems more impressive if you've played the games, but it just didn't seem too interesting? The routing looked tight, shades of Mario Odyssey, but execution didn't seem demanding. Nothing really wrong with it but nothing particularly grea, either. NM: Not sure I spelled couch's name right, it was never shown in text form Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy: Crash Bandicoot 1 (PC - Vicarious Visions 2018) Any% by DepCow [WRH] host iggyzig, couch Jordy 53m24s (est 1h00m, wr 49m33s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube dNz3fbo_5xg Review: There just isn't much tech to these games. It's a play-good-go-fast sort of run, which I've just never found that interesting. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2 - Insomniac 2003) All Platinum Bolts race Xem [WRH] vs DylWingo [2RH] host iggyzig, couch smloader, scottobozo, Torpedo 1h11m12s, 1h17m04s (est 1h20m, wr 1h09m52s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube VrssIi3_1RM+49 Review: The run was fairly good, but the race part kind of fell apart - a gap opened up early, and got wider over time. But as a solo run, it has some decent variety, going from near-glitchless to heavily broken as they unlocked more items. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (PC - Capcom 2006) Vergil NG by WaifuRuns [WRH] host Bobby Blackwolf, couch Decosmic, VashTSB, Maxylobes 1h00m12s (est 1h05m, wr 58m17s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube VykLzxHBXpU+13 Review: A solid run, great couch banter (especially by online GDQ standards). The gameplay isn't too stunning or complex but they did a good job covering all the little details. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES - Nintendo EAD 1995) 100% by Calco2 [2RH] host Bobby Blackwolf, couch Niakki 2h23m11s (est 2h42m, wr 2h21m28s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube R5hkDxRq13g+16 Review: I found this run very difficult to actually pay attention to, both live and during an attempted re-watch. Calco's pace was stunning, this was very close to a record, but the commentary was so lackluster and low-energy that I zone out almost instantly. Your mileage may vary. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii - Nintendo EAD 2011) Any% by gymnast86 [WRH] host Kungfufruitcup, couch peppernicus 1h26m45s (est 1h40m, wr 1h22m27s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube yQGxlHCFzL4+28 Review: Skyward Sword is easily the most convoluted Zelda speedrun. The explanations gymnast and peppernicus give are great but you can't fit a full lesson on reverse BiT magic into a 90-minute run, so be prepared to not grok everything. And while the knowledge on display is impressive, the run doesn't have many chances to display actual gaming prowess. ------------------------------THURSDAY------------------------------- [[[AWFUL BLOCK]]] Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (CDi - Animation Magic 1993) [BONUS GAME 3] All Cutscenes by Grumpmeister [WRH] [ORH] host Kungfufruitcup, couch AuthorBlues 52m53s (est 1h00m, wr 50m48s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube joQgF_2vvtc+27 Review: Awful Block starts off strong with the infamous CD-i title. It's not too much of a speedrun, since this game is so impossible to control, but it's hilarious. King's Quest: Mask of Eternity (PC - Sierra 1998) Any% by Chuck Grody [WRH] host Prolix, no couch 44m19s (est 45m, wr 38m47s) [NV] Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube Am5Ngrr38LI+48 Review: This was kind of just dull? There was one trick to the game, clipping through walls, and there wasn't even much to joke about. Pinobee: Wings of Adventure (GBA - Artoon 2001) Any% by Mr_Shasta [WRH] host Nichole Goodnight, couch Teddyras 19m21s (est 23m, wr 18m44s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube CCf6q5OA8os+35 Review: A typical shovelware-tier platformer, played basically glitchless. Other than the novelty of "wow this game makes no sense", there's not much to it, but in twenty minutes, there doesn't have to be. Epic Dumpster Bear 2: He Who Bears Wins (PC - Log Games 2020) Any% race Linkums [2RH] vs KowalLazy [WRH] host Nichole Goodnight, couch trysdyn 23m51s, 26m02s (est 29m, wr 19m37s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube WduoOCECYa4+32 Review: An interestingly jank platformer, but not too competitive a race. The only changes of position were from forgetting not to skip the cutscenes. But those cutscenes were pretty funny, so that's perfect for Awful Block. Snow White in Happily Ever After (SNES - Imagitec 1994) Hard by GarbitheGlitcheress [WRH][ORH] host Nichole Goodnight, no couch 14m52s (est 18m, wr 13m26s) Overall ☆☆☆☆☆ Skill ☆☆☆☆☆ Fun ☆☆☆☆☆ Youtube 81MzsH-ZMoI+39 Review: There was just nothing interesting about this run. The game is bad but not in any amusing ways. It's difficult but not in any interesting ways. There's no cool tech or glitches, at least not that were deliberately used, and no tricky routing or nifty execution. Garbi couldn't even speak about anything interesting, just stammer about "this game's not actually that bad" for a quarter-hour. Alcatraz: Prison Escape (PC - Zombie 2001) Maximum Security by tbcr [2RH] host AnEternalEnigma, no couch 9m28s (est 20m, wr 8m15s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube zHfYiaKT0Jo Review: Now this is what Awful Block is supposed to look like. The game is broken right from the first frame, physics in this game is barely even a suggestion. tbcr's commentary was a bit meandering but it was fun. Not the best Awful Game run, but certainly a good one. Mr. Bones (Saturn - Zono 1996) All Cutscenes by Lizstar host AnEternalEnigma, couch authorblues, ZandraVandra 1h12m00s (est 1h20m, no wr) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ☆☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube 8uOmRm7n54w+35 Review: It's more an LP than a speedrun, because this game is like 80% autoscroller. But it's perfect Awful Block material, combining a bonkers story, a weird mishmash of gameplay, uneven production values, and just a bit of technical wonkery. Even with what could have been tons of down time, there was always something to talk about or joke about. And best of all, very few of the puns were of the awful, obvious variety. Shinobi Legions (Saturn - Sega 1995) Cutscene% by Faust4712 [2RH] host LLK, couch Cypherin, BaconOmelette 42m56s (est 50m, 43m51s) [WR] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube TAgxGrW3LqU+4 Review: Most of the fun here comes from the B-movie cutscenes, but there is some skill on display. Movement seems fairly precise and there's some strats against bosses, and there was enough tech and lore for them to not run out of things to talk about. Energy (PCE - Quasar Soft 1989) Any% QoL Translation Patch by GliitchWiitch [WRH][ORH] host LLK, couch ZandraVandra, Fel Temp, Reparatio 25m45s (est 30m, wr 26m25s) [WR] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube Z2yHo5g1Ocs+27 Review: A game as strange as it is obscure. Everything about this seems janky, even *with* the QoL patch - the movement, the AI, the routing, the story. Excellent Awful Block material. The Mummy (PS1 - Rebellion 2000) Hub 1 by Ecdycis host LLK, couch maxylobes, starwin, ivandashsmith 28m11s (est 31m, wr 24m31s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 9ZUfYph_BY8+22 Review: Ah, shovelware tie-in games, how I don't miss you. Cheesy voiceacting, awful design, worse controls, and some truly inexplicable moments make for a decent Awful Block run. Clever idea, having a dev on the couch who's made a different and much better game on the same license - a bit underused in the role, but still good. Vigilance (PC - Postlinear 1998) Any% Rookie - Hex by Fireman [WRH] host Doctor No, no couch 32m28s (est 45m, wr 32m25s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ☆☆☆☆☆ Youtube NuQYbji974k+56 Review: This run was a bit tedious to get through. There's very little tech, pretty much no explanation, just a stream of boring donations while Fireman jumped through levels. The Lawnmower Man (SNES - Sales Curve 1993) Any% by d4gr0n [WRH] host LLK, no couch 24m37s (est 30m, wr 22m39s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube rL9-bIFgBf8 Review: The borders of Awful Block seem to be stretched more and more with each year. This is certainly not a great game but it's more weird than awful. It's a genre mishmash (which keeps the run interesting) and the story is bizarre, but that's hardly unusual for a '93 game. I suppose it fits better here than anywhere else - it's more about laughing at the weird bad game than about impressive speedrun skills - but this would probably have worked better in Silly Block. Sammy Suricate in Lion Land (PC - Suricate 2001) All Levels by rythin [WRH] host Doctor No, no couch 11m16s (est 15m, wr 9m33s) [NV] Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube gph3wEgqeB0+22 Review: A rough end to Awful Block - tech issues meant we didn't see about a quarter of the run, and rythin didn't really seem able to narrate her run well. She seemed to be going for snarky but mostly came across as disinterested, and none of the numerous exploits were really explained, just "instead of actually beating the level I'm going to do this and now I'm at the end". [[[/AWFUL BLOCK]]] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC - Nintendo EAD 1998) 100% No WW No OoB by GlyphDX host Doctor No, couch Alpha-5, Finalflame, Spicefather 1h21m09s (est 1h28m, wr 1h16m47s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube jmz42J9GxkI+33 Review: A solid run. I'm partial to the shenanigans you can get up to with wrongwarps and out of bounds, but this was probably better at showing the actual game. Pokemon Platinum (DS - Game Freak 2008) Any% Glitchless by Etchy [3RH] host Nichole Goodnight, couch Pulse Effects, Shenanagans, swiftalu 4h00m50s (est 4h15m, wr 3h40m01s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube k5QfMjR0_94+27 Review: Like most Pokemon runs, this turns into an elaborate series of in-jokes to fill the vast amounts of time... but there was still some rapid menuing, reams of game knowledge, and some interesting fact drops along the way. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC - Eidos Montreal 2011) [GAME BIDWAR] Any% by Heinki host Brutal_Melo, no couch 45m48s (est 55m, wr 40m18s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube gGr4GrsCXz8+48 Review: This feels a lot like an early HL2 run, maybe minus the bhopping. Lots of physics clips, some AI manips, some sequence breaking, and blitz strats against bosses. Halo 3: ODST (Xb360 via Xb1 - Bungie 2009) NG+ Legendary by Heroic_Robb host Brutal_Melo, couch XeroHR, Harc the Shark, ChronosReturn 1h23m44s (est 1h35m, wr 1h09m40s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ZArL7_UDMWI+49 Review: A mostly as-intended playthrough, just with ridiculous skill. Impressive aiming considering he's using a controller, but nearly 90 minutes it starts to drag a bit. Halo 3 (PC - Bungie 2020) [BONUS GAME 4] Easy by SasquatchSensei [3RH] host Brutal_Melo, couch bryonato 1h14m17s (est 1h20m, wr 1h02m34s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube O53FJktxRlM+3 Review: And as a counterpart, here's a run full of ledge-boosting and flying through levels without shooting people. Half-Life (PC - Valve 1998) WON Scriptless by Muty [WRH] host AnEternalEnigma, couch qckdth 28m50s (est 32m, wr 27m17s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube PZsVRy3zPYg Review: You should know what a GoldSrc run is like by now. Bunny-hopping and explosive-boosting everywhere, skipping a few entire chapters with clever platforming, and not all that much in the way of shooting. Muty does it well, and it's paired with some fairly good (if a bit repetitive) commentary. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC - Respawn 2019) Any% No PBC by Pnash [3RH] host AnEternalEnigma, couch BANGUPJOBASUSUAL, VesperOne 1h45m49s (est 2h00m, wr 1h42m08s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 7z4ua0x2SUA+54 Review: A game unfortunately beset by many, many lengthy cutscenes. This almost feels more like those long RPG runs than an action game, and the way that certain glitches seem to trivialize movement down to "fly from point to point" doesn't help. The commentary brings it back to a decent level, but it's something you'll tune out from frequently. Resident Evil 5 (PC - Capcom 2009) NG Co-Op Amateur coop DECosmic, Avu [WRH] host AnEternalEnigma, couch carcinogensda 1h42m07s (est 1h45m, wr 1h33m52s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 9VQa5vV9TTg+58 Review: A nice mix of content. Quality execution of normal gameplay? Check. Tight, precise routing? Check. Quick-kill patterns? Check. A few glitches to spice things up? Check. -------------------------------FRIDAY-------------------------------- TimeSplitters 2 (PS2 - Free Radical 2002) Hard Story by EmosewaMC [WRH] host ateatree, couch SpecialTots 1h03m37s (est 1h00m, wr 46m46s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube lStwky8k0Ws+58 Review: Sometimes I complain that a run makes a difficult game look too easy, that we don't really get to see how hard a game is. That's not the case here - TS2 Hard is clearly a very difficult game to beat. Pity that comes at the expense of so much else. I Wanna Be The Fangame! (PC - Jessica Trabilsie 2010) Any% Medium by Wolsk host ateatree, no couch 21m55s (est 27m, wr 18m39s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube rG1Ogi7qMTo+21 Review: "Fangames" (can we please get a better name for this subgenre?) are infamously difficult. This one doesn't seem to follow that path? It had a few bits of fake difficulty and it definitely didn't look easy, but it seemed to lean more on the "homage" side of things. Slowdrive (PC - onebraverobot 2017) Any% by Bullets [WRH] host ateatree, couch Metallama 18m37s (est 23m, wr 15m40s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube kykAIdYRwZ8+88 Review: A racing game that actually plays more like a puzzle game, at least as a speedrun. Not super polished but well-commentated and engaging. Alwa's Legacy (PC - Elden Pixels 2020) Any% by OldSchool_Richard [2RH] host ateatree, no couch 9m20s (est 15m, wr 8m35s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube YZfavt19emU Review: A fairly forgettable run, but by no means a bad one. Sheepo (PC - Kyle Thompson 2020) 6 Real Eggs by QueenSnopea [WRH] host ateatree, couch glint 21m52s (est 25m, wr 21m19s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ewoLdRIv9aY+11 Review: The impromptu Chill Block continues with another game that's not super hard, but is "totes adorbz". RITE (PC - Pond Games 2020) Any% by Lincher [WRH] host Michael Macaw, couch PEOPLE MMmSSs (est 30m, wr 24m31s) Review: Skipped? In the post-run of Sheepo and Whipseey, hosts mentioned technical issues and schedule swaps, I'm guessing they were never resolved. Whipseey and the Lost Atlas (PC - Daniel A. Ramirez 2019) Beat the Game by MoD366 [2RH] host Michael Macaw, couch stevetvonline 12m21s (est 16m, wr 11m52s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube 48yHNU3EW64+5 Review: Yet another retro platformer, this time going back to the 8-bit era, and apparently copying the rough controls of the time as well as the graphics. Demolition Man (SNES - Acclaim 1995) Crazed% by Teleo1 [WRH] host Michael Macaw, couch Emagen303, dnk_lionais 13m30s (est 17m, wr 12m47s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube tWfPiqdosNw+1 Review: A very strange mix of genres. Not too much to the run, unfortunately, but it mixes things up enough to not outstay its welcome. Night in the Woods: DemonTower (PC - Infinite Fall 2017) DemonTower Any% by karlgerm [3RH] host Michael Macaw, couch ashewyn 16m47s (est 22m, wr 9m33s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 182QXmvM-2c Review: A minigame hard enough to make into its own run. Perhaps too difficult, though - some of the later levels seemed more luck than skill. And many things felt under-explained. But not a bad run, all in all. Inertial Drift (PC - Level 91 Entertainment 2020) 100% Viv by Sean_A [WRH][ORH] host Bradderfield, no couch 35m18s (est 40m, wr 34m57s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 9XJvn37bhZc+10 Review: An interesting take on the racing genre. Great commentary (especially for self-commentary) and impressive execution. Be sure to watch the incentive afterward for a tense ending. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Gamecube - Silicon Knights 2004) All Dog Tags (Extreme) by Tyler2022 [WRH][ORH] host Bradderfield, couch plywood, bluemetal 1h13m26s (est 1h14m, wr 1h08m18s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube FelNu_qbrJI+7 Review: We've seen a lot of MGS runs at GDQ. This is one of the better ones, but it didn't do as much as I'd like to distinguish itself. It's just more Metal Gear. Nezumi Man (PC - Nezutako 2009) Any% by Nu [2RH] host Bradderfield, couch bjw, Shadax 20m32s (est 26m, wr 18m44s) [NV] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube SniCYPORKnc+13 Review: A goofy little Mega Man clone. Heavily glitched but not in super technical ways, just clipping oob and skipping entire sections. (Including, thankfully, the boss refights, which I always found a slog) Luigi's Mansion (Gamecube via Wii - Nintendo EAD 2001) Any% by HDlax [WRH] host Bradderfield, couch Glitchphd, Jared 11m15s (est 20m, wr 8m21s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube pGWMFiwM_LQ+17 Review: There's a limit to how good a speedrun can be when it consists of skipping basically the entire game. This didn't even reach that limit. It's cool as a "wow you can beat this game this fast?" bit, but not much else. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB - Nintendo R&D1 1992) Any% Glitchless race, AdamFerrari64 [WRH] vs Oh_DeeR [3RH] vs EiP host KonceptioN2, couch typwo, infinitum 26m36s, 26m41s, 27m11s (est 30m, wr 26m14s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube aNnNcDpW4H0 Review: A fairly run-of-the-mill race. The biggest tricks saved only pixels, so it was essentially all determined by a few errors, not very competitive. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB - Nintendo R&D1 1994) Any% by vlacksr [WRH] host KonceptioN2, couch Niakky 24m18s (est 30m, wr 22m52s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube Ru8zi-uEv-I+21 Review: A good run, but commentary was a bit lacking. The game has a good bit of weird tech, but it wasn't too well explained. Wario Land 4 (GBA - Nintendo R&D1 2004) Normal Any% Zipless by Mr_Shasta [3RH] host briesbe, couch node, Niakky 1h02m50s (est 1h05m, wr 46m45s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube OsRI_PrlEIU+38 Review: Not the most complex run, but it's fairly polished platforming, and some great charisma. Donkey Kong Country 2 Unveiled (SNES - Rare 1995; Emptysy 2020) Any% by V0oid [2RH] host briesbe, couch bluebeary26, Emptysy [DEV] 1h06m50s (est 1h15m, wr 57m48s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube GI5Ar_UZeCE+50 Review: A kaizo-ish hack of a non-Mario game, which gives some nice variety. It doesn't look quite as brutally difficult, but it does look rather clever, and the run itself was enjoyable. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (PC - Blizzard 2002) Night Elf by CovertMuffin [2RH] host musical_daredevil, no couch 56m09 (est 1h25m, wr 1h15m13s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ZTnsilUI5hw+28 Review: Not quite the blazing-APM spectacle that you might expect, but a pretty solid run regardless, and CovertMuffin's charisma was barely restrained by being remote. Final Fantasy VII (PC - Square 1997) Any% by Doumeis host THEKyleThomas, couch meesbaker 1h56m15s (est 2h05m, wr 1h51m32s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube lR_pXctfTsY+100 Review: There were surprisingly few glitches involved, the first hundred minutes were basically the same tight routing and encounter manipulation as most 6-hour JRPG runs... and then it hits a glitch that instantly warps to the final boss, from halfway through disc one. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64 - Nintendo EAD 2000) Any% by ClaireLynnD [2RH] host drrock422, couch Dope, Rylie 26m50s (est 30m, wr 24m26s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube Tic8kXvkiGM+38 Review: In a coincidence of timing, this run fixed all the problems the last one had. It's the same "do the few things needed to skip straight to the end" sort of run, except with less slow buildup, more tech in the buildup, and far better explanation. It's still impossible to fully explain during a run, but they'll give you the gist at least. Super Mario 64 (N64 - Nintendo EAD 1996) [BONUS GAME 5] 16 Star Blindfolded by Bubzia [2RH] host PurpleGhostKasper, couch katun24 39m09s (est 55m, wr 24m03s, sighted 14m59s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★★ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube ZcOd82Q6-oU+15 Review: What. What? WHAT? He didn't even rely on many blindfold strats, he was doing things off pure muscle memory that I can't do sighted. Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube - Nintendo EAD 2002) Any% by Nindiddeh [WRH] host PurpleGhostKasper, couch Jeffcompass, Reed 1h16m20s (est 1h22m, wr 1h13m44s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube fcbdTbsLNj8+13 Review: A tightly-executed run, even by the standards of a game build around fast, precise platforming. Commentary was a bit muddled at times but it's not a super hard run to understand. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4 via PS5 - Ryu Ga Gotoku 2016) Any% by Froob [WRH] host Bobby Blackwolf, couch Tapioca 2h24m22s (est 2h30m, wr 2h19m29s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube BQbWQknMLG0+102 Review: Not the most precise or technical speedrun, remarkably light on outright glitches, but Froob's commentary alone could have carried this. A masterful blend of story primer, speedrunning history, and tech walkthrough, delivered with immaculate charm. ------------------------------SATURDAY------------------------------- Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights (Gamecube - Heavy Iron 2002) Any% No CE race Jaxler [3RH] vs SnowyMoogle [2RH] host LLK, couch Nestani 25m17s, 25m35s (est 30m, wr 24m31s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 3WNc1jS1La4+31 Review: A surprisingly good watch. The game is a sort of metroidvania-collectathon, and the speedrun combines the better parts of both. Lots of precise routing to get exactly as many things as needed, but also lots of sequence breaking and unintended routing. Well-commentated, and a quite close race. MediEvil (PS1 - SCE Cambridge 1998) Any% NO DGS by Jacobo the Chocobo [WRH] host LLK, couch Nazzareno, Jaxler 1h03m18s (est 1h05m, wr 43m26s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube 9zB0pZBKrYs+56 Review: A run held back by a few very inconsistent tricks. Wasting a few minutes attempting a cool optional skip is one thing, but the entire run dragged to a halt at one point, until a completely mandatory skip worked, and that just wrecked any enthusiasm. Even before that, it was a routine run at best, not too much in the way of speed tech. Muchi Muchi Pork! 1.01 (Xb360 - CAVE 2011) Harahara by Aquas host LLK, couch Softdrink, Icarus 33m40s (est 38m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 14P5vKw2keQ+44 Review: Another of those high-score shmup runs, rather than a speedrun, but an interesting one nonetheless. It's a typical CAVE bullet hell, for the most part, but I've yet to grow tired of people weaving through impossible patterns. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD (PC - Oddworld Inhabitants 2005, Just Add Water 2012) Any% Clipless by HuhnerSpeed [WRH] host LLK, no couch 37m32s (est 48m, wr 37m05s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube HlH2_LqM-zM+18 Review: A fun run when things were happening, lots of clever tricks that Huhner pulled off with ease... but unfortunately there were long periods where nothing interesting was happening. Squeezing in a few donations is great, handing the entire middle third of the run over for donation-reading is not. I think a couch, or a more confident self-commentator, would have done much better. Serious Sam: The First Encounter (PC - Croteam 2001) Any% coop mr.deagle, kykystas, Override, apple1417 host Prolix, couch Tezur0 24m43s (est 28m, wr 21m56s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube G16EpX7f_jc+7 Review: This is one of those speedruns that completely reshapes what the game is about. Combat? Trivial. Mostly skipped. It's all about breaking out of bounds and lots and lots of damage boosting. Co-op opens up a lot of opportunities for splitting up and multitasking, but the run does devolve into a lot of "wait while one person walks in a straight line to the end trigger", and there's a few obnoxious autoscroller arenas. Serious Sam: The Second Encounter (PC - Croteam 2002) Any% coop mr.deagle, kykystas, Override, apple1417 host Prolix, couch Tezur0 26m38s (est 31m, wr 22m49s loadless) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube xCtABXiEcXE+3 Review: Very much like the previous game run, just with even wider levels. Unfortunately, that makes it a bit more tedious, since the runners aren't *playing* the levels so much as bypassing them. Thief II: The Metal Age (PC - Looking Glass 2000) Any% Normal NewDark by Psych0sis host cartridgeblowers, couch Jayrude 1h00m54s (est 1h05m, wr 52m43s) [NV] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube wLwfCOEimZU+21 Review: A neat run, but held back by a lack of tech variety, and a few simple tricks that required many attempts due to inconsistency (or in one case, a safety save). It's not a bad run by any means, probably a great treat for Thief fans, but nothing remarkable. Comfort Zone (SNES - Nintendo EAD 1990; Orka 2020) All Exits 100% by MrMightyMouse [WRH] host cartridgeblowers, couch Orka Bin [DEV], Glitchcat 42m20s (est 50m, wr 30m52s) [NV] Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube I0vOo4OySvg Review: Probably not the hardest kaizo, or the weirdest, or the best-executed, but still a great run. X-Men (Arcade via PS3 - Konami 1992; 2010) 1CC Console 6P JP Version by LRock617 [WRH][ORH] host cartridgeblowers, couch Dumpling, darkalexandr, Jasper (🐱) 28m49s (est 32m, wr 21m48s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube vanfdKjpmD8 Review: It's an arcade bmup, which is never that great as a pure speedrun. And in fact, LRock describes this as an attempted one-credit-clear rather than a speedrun, but that still doesn't make for that great a watch. What saves this is the quality interactions with the host and couch, brings back a bit of the offline feel. Celeste (PC - Maddy Makes Games 2018) All C-Sides with Dance Pads by PeekingBoo host Nichole Goodnight, no couch 14m41s (est 20m, wr normal controls 4m29s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube T_3f3q1bybQ+12 Review: This sounds like it should have been a ridiculous run, but somehow it underwhelmed. This is a brutally difficult game, but PeekingBoo managed to make it seem too easy. As far as I could tell, there were no concessions made for the unorthodox controller - same route as the normal speedrun - and with several levels being done first-try, it didn't add anything. Perhaps some commentary could have helped sell the difficulty, but with no couch, he frequently threw over to donations so he could focus. Understandable but still a detraction. It's still well worth watching if you've played the game, but it's not the jaw-dropping display I was hoping for. [[[CASTLEVANIA BLOCK]]] Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES - Konami 1989) Alucard [BIDWAR] by freeland host Nichole Goodnight, couch Kutsu Shita, disdonn 27m57s (est 35m, wr 25m43s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube WPspKYWdBig+20 Review: If you've seen a retrovania run, this will offer few surprises, but if you've enjoyed retrovania runs, this will offer more enjoyment. A pretty linear path, precise boss strats, occasional clipping that saves far less time than in most games. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (NDS - Konami 2008) Albus any% by Diagon [2RH] host Nichole Goodnight, couch Frozer, Romscout, brooke 30m53s (est 35m, wr 27m16s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube BcD133GPmdI+16 Review: A more-or-less glitchless run, that still manages to feel busted, simply because teleportation is an inherently busted movement mechanic. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (PC - Inti Creates 2020) Any% Ultimate Episode 1 by The Blacktastic [WRH] host Nichole Goodnight, no couch 27m00s (est 30m, wr 27m49s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube h59B1p997p0+26 Review: A very solid run, done with infectious enthusiasm. [[[/CASTLEVANIA BLOCK]]] Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES - Nintendo EAD 1988) Any% Luigi Only by coolkid [WRH] host Nichole Goodnight, couch Blechy 11m39s (est 12m, wr 8m58s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 7bbFbJU8oRk+30 Review: One of the more obscure Mario games (as much as that's possible), run by a champion and commentated by a legend. Too short to really shine, but you won't find many better runs under a quarter hour. Super Meat Boy (PC - Team Meat 2010) 106% by shredberg host Mr. Game and Shout, couch chaikitty, Fell 1h26m27s (est 1h32m, wr 1h10m16s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ZHCvGVIMFm4+73 Review: A very difficult platformer getting wrecked. A bit unfortunate that there's only two characters used for most of the run, some more variety would have been nice, but other than that it's pretty interesting. The Messenger (PC - Sabotage 2018) Linear No OoB by vlacksr [2RH] host Mr. Game and Shout, couch kyleberry_sr, Miinfin 41m25s (est 45m, wr 39m35s loadless) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube cca381ce1NU+54 Review: A solid run of the Ninja Gaiden-like game. Fairly light on glitches, but still packed with interesting little strategies. Beat Saber (PC - Beat Games 2019) [SHOWCASE] Expert+ by Kungfufruitcup host marphoria, couch Sent 1h11m59s (est 1h15m, no wr - showcase) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 1T6PnJilqq4+31 Review: Not quite as jaw-dropping as the past few rhythm game showcases. It starts off fairly slow but there's some impressive movement towards the end. Tracks Played: Banjo-Kazooie Main Title, LOZ Theme Remix, Megalovania, Mad Monster Mansion, Last Goodbye, Saving Light, Way Too Deep, Overkill, Crab Rave (Camellia Remix), Crystallized, Forsaken City, Lake, Asgore (FalKKonE Cover), The World Revolving Freedom Planet (PC - GalaxyTrail 2014) Any% Milla TAS by Fladervy, Tris255, Revolucoin tasbot dwangoac, tasblock TiKevin83, host marphoria, couch Fladervy [TAS], Tris255 [TAS] ~28m31s, 19m43s06ms igt (est 30m, human wr 30m38s) Overall ★☆★☆★ Skill ☆★☆★☆ Fun ★☆★☆★ Youtube yHCjYfFPxTI+21 Review: A straightforward TAS, in contrast to the wacky antics a lot of TASblocks get up to. Unfortunately it also lasts a bit too long - half an hour doesn't seem like much, but most of the relevant tech is explained within the first few minutes, and then there's few interesting moments scattered among long swathes of fairly samey gameplay. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC - Nintendo EAD 1998) No Wrong Warp TAS by TwistedTammer tasbot dwangoac, tasblock TiKevin83, host marphoria, couch TwistedTammer [TAS], GlyphDX 27m55s02ms (est 30m, human wr 50m58s) Overall ☆★☆★☆ Skill ★☆★☆★ Fun ☆★☆★☆ Youtube bn9rsmaphNI+29 Review: Another pretty "normal" TAS, but much more distinct from the RTA run of the game compared to the last. Lots of tricks, even though this category goes out of its way to avoid the most broken. Commentary was perhaps low-energy but still quite informative - this is by far the better of the two TASBlock games in this event. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC - Nintendo EAD 1998) Warps TAS by TwistedTammer tasbot dwangoac, tasblock TiKevin83, host marphoria, couch TwistedTammer [TAS], GlyphDX ~3m53s (est 5m, human wr 4m34s) Overall ★☆★☆★ Skill ☆★☆★☆ Fun ★☆★☆★ Youtube bn9rsmaphNI+1893 Review: A much more broken run of the same game, not as interesting but it's a nice short spectacle to gawk at. NM: Published is 5m13s06ms, but clearly this wasn't that. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PC - From 2019) Any% race LilAggy [WRH] vs Mitchriz [3RH] host Kungfufruitcup, couch The_Krew, Distortion2 22m20s, 25m27s (est 27m, wr 20m20s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube UbYXCarrwUE+54 Review: A race held back by a large split that opened up early on, and never closed. That also impeded commentary, since one player would finish a section right as the other started it, no real overlap. Not crippling flaws, but this could have been a lot better. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES - Nintendo EAD 1991) All Dungeons Major Glitches by Glan [WRH] host Kungfufruitcup, couch JoshRTA 52m30s (est 1h00m, wr 50m07s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube Mo1GULCny0k+66 Review: When a game bothers to have a "No Major Glitches" category, you know the glitched version is going to be bonkers. This doesn't quite get to the level of ACE, but damn if it didn't come close at times. And yet by requiring all dungeons be beaten, it's a decent-sized run, showing off a wider variety of tech. Super Mario Bros. 35 (Switch - Arika 2020) [SHOWCASE] Survival battle, authorblues vs Iateyourpie vs Kosmic vs adef host Skybilz, couch SpikeVegeta, GlitchCat7 1h30m (est 1h30m, no wr) Overall ★★★★★ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★★ Youtube 9P5aAqUXjB4+46 Review: To watch four screens, covering a hundred and forty people, requires great commentary. What we got exceeded even that. Between Spike's play-by-play and GlitchCat's color commentary, it didn't even matter that none of the runners were miked up. They put on an excellent battle - even in the final few minutes, there were three people who could have won. About the only weak spot is that the game is effectively RNG-heavy, since so much depends on the random public players you're paired with. I think a rematch would still be anyone's game. But it's skill-based enough that the world's best Mario players were all pretty easily making it into the top three each round, and that made for an unforgettable show. Super Orb Bros. (NES - Nintendo R&D4 1988; OrangeExpo 2020) 100% by mitchflowerpower [WRH] [ORH] host cartridgeblowers, couch GlitchCat, GrandPooBear 18m58s (est 40m, wr 36m38s) [WR] Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube trjxQ53znuY+29 Review: A supreme Mario runner just absolutely crushes a difficult Mario romhack. Perhaps the only downside is that he blazed through it too fast for the commentary to really keep up. Pokemon Blue (GB - Game Freak 1996) Catch 'em All by eddaket [WRH] host Brutal_Melo, couch Keizaron, Shenanagans 1h51m43s (est 1h55m, wr 1h34m38s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★☆★☆★ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube fD-4lfa-s_Y+75 Review: A run that's more about insane memory exploits than anything resembling traditional gameplay, but it's still a great watch. It's amazing just how much knowledge of the game you need, to *improvise* a recovery from a mistake in a run like this. And the Pokemon couch continues to be one of the most entertaining groups of people in speedrunning. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64 via Wii - Nintendo EAD 1998) [BONUS GAME 6] All Dungeons SRM by ZFG [WRH] host Brutal_Melo, couch SaveState, DannyB 41m40s (est 50m, wr 36m31s) Overall ★★★★★ Skill ★☆★☆★ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube TAj1cuz7jXs+9 Review: Fifteen minutes of insane reprogramming-the-game glitches, then what's basically a boss rush.