====================SUMMER GAMES DONE QUICK 2024===================== ===========Raising $2,547,330 for Doctors Without Borders============ ========================June 30-July 6, 2024========================= -------------------------------SUNDAY-------------------------------- Yoshi's Story (N64 via Wii VC - Nintendo EAD 1997) All Melons 4-Lap by Dan Salvato [2RH] host Jaypeg, couch CarlSagan42, Wolsk 1h46m40s (est 1h45m, wr 1h40m06s) [NV] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube WwG6oLGa4v4 Review: A bit of a shaky start to the marathon, but after the stage nerves quieted down, a fun one. Not the most technically challenging platformer, but the skill lies in memorizing all these secrets - and we got non-stop commentary on them, with almost no downtime. Invalidated by missing one melon, unrecoverably. Minecraft Dungeons (PC - Mojang 2020) Tower - Adventure, blind playthrough by Shockwve host Jaypeg, couch Amyrlinn, LadyCyndaquill, MonkeyyMan 27m18s (est 40m, no wr) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube HhUIyFLUfK8 Review: Speedrunning usually relies on extensive knowledge of the game, so a runner playing a set of levels they've never seen before is an unusual sight. The gameplay isn't as deep as other isometric RPGs, at least from the explanations we got, but it made for great banter. Mega Man 9 (Wii - Inti Creates 2008) Any% Buster Only [INCENTIVE] by Slurpeeninja [2RH] host Bobby Blackwolf, couch Giygasblues, LVCreed, Starwin 41m03s (est 53m, wr 38m06s rta) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube iInfXtKA468 Review: Slurpee may have been speedrunning Mega Man, but the couch was speedrunning Late Night Madness. Usually you don't see these sorts of absurd chains of non-sequiturs until 3AM a few days in, not two hours into the marathon. There is a solid speedrun hiding under here, but you're on your own when it comes to understanding it. Fortunately, Mega Man's a pretty straightforward game, when you're not using anything but the buster, and you've probably seen runs before. Mega Man 9 (Wii - Inti Creates 2008) Bonus Stage [BONUS] by Slurpeeninja host Bobby Blackwolf, couch Giygasblues, LVCreed, Starwin 4m05s (est 10m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube iInfXtKA468+2599 Review: A quick special stage run, won't make much sense without watching the main MM9 run. Not because they explained all the tech there, just because that's where all the running jokes started. Ratchet & Clank (PS2 via PS3 - Insomniac 2002) All Gold Bolts by marathonman [3RH] host Bobby Blackwolf, couch Djura, Padges, RatchetMania 55m29s (est 1h00m, wr 46m37s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube -IVS4Vle2go Review: The neat thing here is the sheer variety of movement tech on display. It seems like every stage adds some new trick, until the last few just tie everything together. Splatoon 3: Side Order (Switch - Nintendo EPD 2022, 2024) NG+ (Marie's Palette) by TonesBalones host Bobby Blackwolf, couch KingJ0444 28m43s (est 30m, wr 17m23s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube OJi8nJZGqIY Review: A neat sort of roguelike mode to the game, but pretty light on both tech and variety. Splat fans will enjoy it, but there have been better runs for outsiders. NM: 26m46s pb, lol runner is last on the leaderboard Pokemon Violet (Switch - Game Freak 2022) Teal Mask by ThomasPatrickWX host frozenflygone, couch Corvimae, eddaket, Keizaron 1h52m16s (est 1h55m, wr 1h41m16s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube x9-Z54lWxsk Review: Pokemon runs come in three flavors: insane glitch fests, immaculately-routed RPG runs, and "a bunch of maniacs do a podcast while one of them plays through the game". This is the third sort. A good example of the type, I was laughing out loud at several bits, but if you were looking for Gen 1 exploits or Gen 4 memorization, this won't do it for you. Halo 2 (PC - Bungie 2004; 343 Industries 2014, 2019) Legendary by Zoo [WRH] host frozenflygone, couch Chronos, Cryphon [3RH], Nervy 1h23m20s (est 1h30m, wr 1h03m38s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 1ioUKgCOgLk Review: Even having seen Halo runs before, this was impressive. There's a lot of glitches, some entire levels get skipped, but it's never easy. This might be my new go-to recommendation for people looking for a first Halo run to watch. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (PC - Core Design 1996, 1997, 1998; Aspyr 2024) Tomb Raider I Any% Glitched by Beckski [WRH] host JD Puppy, couch Draven12 1h12m14s (est 1h12m, wr 1h05m30s lrt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 1_RG0PRx9o8 Review: A more sedately-paced platformer than we're used to these days. It's still a speedrun - all the glitches and tech from the originals seem intact here - but it's a more chill sort of speedrun. -------------------------------MONDAY-------------------------------- Enter the Gungeon (PC - Dodge Roll 2016) Rainbow Turbo All Floors (No AWP) race, RadRingtail [2RH] vs DanTheVP host JD Puppy, couch doctor_no, lokaihusky 28m28s, 32m56s (est 45m, wr 21m24s igt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube aHjRaOxEp4Y Review: This is a run for the fans. There's some cursory explanations given of the category, and the levels, but this is aimed at people who have sunk more time into the game than I have, not at newcomers. It wasn't the most thrilling race, even with a late push to regain the lead, but that's just the nature of the RNG. Bayonetta 2 (Switch - PlatinumGames 2018) Any% Rosa (Infinite Climax) by a_variety_pack [WRH] host TheKingsPride, couch PippyInATopHat 1h26m56s (est 1h20m, wr 1h25m58s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube OfJCWUV1F3Y Review: An extremely polished performance of this brutally hard, borderline-1HKO category. Bayo players are sure to be impressed, but the game has a bit too many autoscrollers to keep its momentum up, and relies on the same strats for much of the run. It's still good, and Pack absolutely killed it, but it's a run that would have benefited from more brevity. Silent Hill (PS2 - Team Silent 1999) NG All Bosses by DeathTropes [2RH] host TheKingsPride, couch maxylobes, juh0, shmumbler 54m36s (est 58m, wr 31m43s igt) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube fx0AWkDrI7E Review: As a speedrun, it's nothing too special, a lot of just walking in straight lines, but DeathTropes executes it well. The banter, though, really shined - even if the shouting 'Cheryl' jokes wear thin for you, there's plenty of other good chemistry. Afterimage (PC - Aurogon Shanghai 2023) The Essential Restricted/NMG by kurushiidrive [WRH][ORH] host SporadicErratic, couch Helix 51m55s (est 1h15m, wr 48m07s rta) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube GXEJ4vnYxW4 Review: A game I'd never heard of, being run at the late hours, by a GDQ newcomer, who's the only person on the SRC leaderboard. I was not expecting a good run - but I got a great one. Fantastic movement, excellent commentary, some boss-melting strats. And though most of the commentary is focused on the tech, there's some charm to it, not just a recitation, and it sprinkles some humor in. A real hidden gem of the marathon. Smart Ball (SNES - Game Freak 1991) Any% by giygasblues host SporadicErratic, couch slurpeeninja, BuffaloBoone, Starwin 20m25s (est 20m, wr 16m25s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube vCAYZocOOLw Review: Well, 4AM on the first full day of GDQ might be a new record for a sleep-deprivation madness run. Unfortunately, I don't think it was good? It was mostly the couch and host getting caught in giggle-loops. And far more donation-reading than you'd expect from a run this short. Kind of a shame, it looks like it might have been a good run underneath it all, but they kept cutting off anything the runner tried to say. I'm sure there will be some who disagree with this rating and enjoy it anyways, but I found it frustrating and unrewarding to watch. Shinobi (PS2 - Overworks 2002) Joe Musashi Any% Normal [INCENTIVE] by Cypherin [2RH] host SporadicErratic, couch Brutal Melo, DECosmic, PleasantlyTwstd 1h03m33s (est 1h15m, wr 43m55s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube groWT2O3cdY Review: A pretty straightforward play-game-good run, but it's impressively clean and the couch is having a great time, between detailing all the little optimizations that go into it. NecroVisioN: Lost Company (PC - Farm 51 2010) Any% by Gulch2 [WRH] host THEKyleThomas, couch AstridTheHorrorGirl, shmumbler [3RH] 23m34s (est 32m, wr 19m04s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube urI_EybBBw8 Review: A very weird plot for a game, but also a very, very broken speedrun. It's almost all out-of-bounds flings, save for an unfortunately long autoscroller. I wish we'd gotten a bit more about the actual game, because the speed tech got kind of repetitive, but I suppose there was only so much time. Live A Live (PC - Square Enix 2022) Twilight of Edo Japan, Present Day, Prehistory by bramhallthefifth host THEKyleThomas, couch TempestMask1000, CountGooby 49m04s (est 48m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube B3he20DHVrA Review: Not the most difficult speedrun, but the anthology setup makes for a rapid barrage of great bite-sized JRPG runs. You get just enough time to explain the basic story, the gameplay, and the main tricks, and then it's on to something new, with very little in the way of downtime. Puggsy (Genesis - Traveller's Tales 1993) Any% by Drex [2RH] host selcouthmind, couch eon, sharif 26m50s (est 28m, wr 24m22s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube tHSEkDlMrLw Review: This is a hard run to describe, because very little stands out about it. It does nothing wrong, but also nothing special. It has some tricks, mostly abusing physics off items, and it got some mileage out of the bizarre story, but it feels like something I've seen a hundred times before. It's a filler run - and it does the job of filling that time. Fans of odd Genesis platformers should give it a shot, but I won't blame anyone for skipping this. Lone Fungus (PC - Basti 2023) True Ending (Explorer) by Quacksilver [3RH] host selcouthmind, couch allison8bit 33m47s (est 37m, wr 28m27s igt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube UDfx2N9mBEw Review: This doesn't bring anything new to the indie metroidvania speedrun formula. A few sequence breaks, some quick-kill strats, and a back half that's mainly cleaning up required bosses. But it's a formula for a reason, it works, and Quacksilver executes both the game and the commentary well. Turnip Boy Robs A Bank (PC - Snoozy Kazoo 2024) Any% (Playstyle A) by happybythree [2RH] host selcouthmind, couch Carson Kompon [REM][DEV], Jaypeg, EldritchWolfie 30m22s (est 40m, wr 20m52s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube -lNZmH9O3qY Review: Dang. Just a cute little roguelike, pretty simple speed tech but fun to watch. Chameleon Twist (N64 - Japan System Supply 1997) All Levels by LivelyRaccoon host Kungfufruitcup, no couch 23m15s (est 25m, wr 18m40s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube gG3xOaVD650 Review: A very unique sort of platformer, with a set of movement mechanics that provide some novel speed tech. The door clips are maybe the most normal part of the run. At this length, it's worth checking out for that alone. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64 via Switch - HAL Laboratory 2000) 100% by Curtissimo41 [WRH] host Kungfufruitcup, couch graample, Mr_Shasta, swordsmankirby 1h07m22s (est 1h10m, wr 1h06m11s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube t-9Wn32DjYY Review: Maintaining an RNG manipulation over such a long run, makes for a strangely technical Kirby game. The core gameplay is still simple, but the demands for consistency go through the roof. An interesting change of pace from previous Kirby runs I've seen. [[[SONIC BLOCK]]] Sonic Project 06 (PC - ChaosX 2019) Sonic Any% [BIDWAR] by Stelmo98 [2RH] host Kungfufruitcup, couch Gordon Ramsay 33m48s (est 28m, wr 24m32s rta) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube 7nOt9CKc2hY Review: Sonic '06 speedruns are far better than the game itself ever was. But what if the game was good? Turns out, it's still a good speedrun - P-06 has a ton of interesting movement options, nothing broken in the way of the original but still plenty of cuts and tricks. And this debut is accompanied by some breakneck self-commentary, detailing every little bit that goes into going fast. NM: technically unreleased, sr.c lists as 2019 NM: recheck time the actual run ended, went straight into the bonus stuff Sonic Robo Blast 2 (PC - Sonic Team Junior 1998) Sonic - All Emeralds by Argick host Kungfufruitcup, couch Ginnja, Bobbeigh, TinyTim 36m06s, 32m44s igt (est 40m, wr 28m56s igt) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube uA_ubz2yc18 Review: An interesting Sonic fangame, in the Doom engine of all things. A clean play-game-good run, not much in the way of glitches, all set to Argick's patented motormouth self-commentary. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (Genesis - STI 1994) All Emeralds - Tails by TheSoundDefense [WRH] host Mr. Game and Shout, couch Aleck47, Argick, KeiperDontCare 58m12s (est 1h00m, wr 51m58s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube Vrtz4iDDayw Review: After reviewing speedruns for years, sometimes it's good to be reminded just how crazy some of this stuff is. Having a first-time watcher on the couch, to go 'woah' and 'wtf' to the screen wraps and glitches, or gasp at how close the optimal route comes to dying, brings some of that energy back. [[[/SONIC BLOCK]]] Pepper Grinder (PC - MP2 2024) Any% by shovelclaws [3RH] host Mr. Game and Shout, couch BobbyBurm, Talia 31m55s (est 35m, wr 27m00s rta) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube a1E65o5vnYk Review: A really solid run, of what could be a really nice speed game. The movement is fluid, already quite polished but clearly has room to grow, and the levels have enough variety to give it legs. I would welcome seeing this game again, with more time for the run to develop, but it's already quite good. Bomberman 64 (N64 - Hudson Soft 1997) 100% by LivelyRaccoon [WRH] host Mr. Game and Shout, couch Keewy 1h41m39s (est 1h45m, wr 1h24m54s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube jM-4lu85yPE Review: I'm sure there is someone out there who will enjoy this. The soft-spoken commentary, the sedate gameplay, the repetition, this would make excellent background noise. But as a speedrun, on the GDQ main stage? I'm sorry, I was just bored. The only parts that raised the energy levels above lethargic, were the mistakes. Spelunky (PC - Mossmouth 2008, 2013) All Journal Entries by Hectique [WRH] host Jaypeg, couch cloiss, Hobtor 32m14s (est 50m, wr 24m43s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube leHSNbbDqmM Review: Yet another roguelike - seems to be a theme of the day - but the RNG in this one is a bit more manageable. Or at least mitigatable. Between the on-screen tracker and the commentary, it was easy enough for this outsider to follow, but the appeal is probably stronger for fellow spelunkers. Balatro (PC - LocalThunk 2024) [BONUS GAME 1] 3 Deck Random Seed, Skipless by Cixah host Jaypeg, couch Amyrlinn, cloiss [WRH], MonkeyMan 51m53s (est 45m, wr 22m43s) [NV] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube EVJDx8b_EWI Review: A poker roguelike - so RNG stacked on RNG. Not surprising, then, that the run technically failed, but it completed with two out of the three decks so you saw plenty enough. It's all menuing and trying to build a sufficiently busted deck to beat the gauntlet the game throws down at you. NM: assumed 1.0.0 white; runner pb 30m03s Celeste Custom Maps: Monika's D-Sides (PC - Maddy Makes Games 2018; Monika523 2018) Dny% by carrarium [WRH] host Jaypeg, couch AverageImposter, Lmjacks 1h06m09s (est 1h10m, wr 52m24s igt) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★★ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube uO7ERzPirdA Review: I had been feeling rather proud of myself for beating a few B-sides recently. I have not yet attempted any of the even-harder C-sides. The level pack calling itself D-sides? These are bullshit. These are absolute unmitigated bullshit and Carrie *annihilates* them. You should not be able to be this good at video games. Celeste Custom Maps: Monika's D-Sides (PC - Maddy Makes Games 2018; Monika523 2018) Epilogue Moon Berry by carrarium host Jaypeg, couch AverageImposter, Lmjacks ~15m (no est, no wr) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube uO7ERzPirdA+4141 Review: Less a speedrun, and more a walkthrough of the most absurdly difficult challenge in the mod. A good cap-off to the hour-plus of Celeste kaizo madness, but you'll want to have watched the main run first. Metroid Fusion (GBA - Nintendo R&D1 2002) 100% by monkeysmb [2RH] host ateatree, couch KrunchyLex, mikefood 1h37m08s (est 1h45m, wr 1h34m30s rta) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube hxY21m8dNHk Review: A ridiculously clean run, nailing trick after trick after trick. And then some hilarious roasting between runner and couch and occasionally donators. Truly an excellent run. -------------------------------TUESDAY------------------------------- Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3 (PC - Mob 2024) Any% OoB Unrestricted by Nerd_Squared host ateatree, couch Slyton 11m39s (est 20m, wr 9m01s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube Udlq7AXxn4A Review: This is one that will surely impress players of the series, since the game gets absolutely destroyed. But it offers little to us outsiders - the tech is just basic prop-flying to out of bounds, there's a long (relatively) autoscroller, and not enough time for any of the lore I assume this lite horror game must have. It's cleanly executed, but not impressive. Alan Wake 2 (PS5 - Remedy 2023) Alan% (Initiation Only) by suavepeanut host ateatree, couch SweetPeebs, AstridTheHorrorGirl 56m36s (est 1h05m, no wr) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube x35z8csQFAg Review: The best part of this run is the epic shenanigans they get up to, during long live-action cinematics. The worst part of this run is how many long live-action cinematics it has. When there is actually speedrunning happening, it's good speedrunning - we get all kinds of out-of-bounds nonsense, skipping various amounts of the game. But then the pace will slam to a stop so we can watch cutscenes, not even playing the game, let alone speedrunning it. There's still stuff worth watching here, but expect something more akin to old JRPG runs than a modern action game. Doom 64 (PC - Midway 1997; Nightdive 2020) Watch Me Die - Speed by ZELLLOOO [WRH] host hockeybabbler, couch bryonato, peaches 49m15s (est 55m, wr 46m48s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 9fyHwP7H9yg Review: Wow. This was just an incredible run. Even as easy as he makes it look, this still looks brutally difficult, just non-stop classic FPS action. There's a handful of skips, via unintended platforming, and some tech involving spawn manipulation, but 90% of it is SR40 and murdering anything that gets in your way, before it reduces your health to 0. Excellent and entertaining commentary, with the only detraction being a late push for a donation incentive that crowded out the couch chatter. Outlast 2 (PC - Red Barrels 2017) No Checkpoint Killing (Cutscene Skip) by sharkhat87 [WRH][ORH] host hockeybabbler, couch Nerd_Squared, sirkyle95 34m14s (est 45m, wr 37m34s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube a92nnlvcDLc Review: Between the mod, and the suggestibility of walls, this speedrun basically bears no resemblance to normal gameplay. It's very low on downtime, always something going on, but that something is more often clipping through fences or negating fall damage, than anything you'd see in a casual run. It's not uninteresting, but I can see why it's a bit niche of a speed game. Maid of Sker (PS5 - Wales 2020) Console Glitchless (Bad Ending) by Asuka424 [2RH] host hockeybabbler, couch Eiko the Blue, Mouseshy 37m27s (est 38m, wr 34m07s igt) [PB] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 7jzNS1a7ytw Review: A horror game mostly in the vein of Amnesia, with first-person movement and an emphasis on evading enemies. There's no good AI manips in this game, yet, which makes for a hectic, improv-heavy run - which was a great match for the vibes Asuka was bringing to the run. And despite the randomness, it was a very well-executed run, only a few seconds off a WR. Castlevania Legends (Switch - KCE Nagoya 1997, 2023) Any% (Standard Mode) by TempestMask1000 host JD Puppy, couch Leonrecon2, LoZCardsfan23, Cypherin 26m39s (est 33m, wr 19m06s) [PB] Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube gCqC5gfGN58 Review: This run, I think, tried to do too many things. It tried to be a deep, technical run, with lots of commentary, though it didn't seem that complex. It also piled on meme after meme - shouting "orb!", doing the Colossus scream from X-Men, all that. And then it also spent a lot of time trying to be a solemn commemoration. And all of those kept running over each other - tech explainers getting cut off by hollering, then abruptly cutting to a dedication. And to top it all off, this wasn't even that interesting as a speedrun - the best part was the novelty of a Game Boy classicvania, which didn't get touched on enough IMO. Castlevania fans will probably still enjoy this, but I can't say I did. Haunted Castle (PS4 - Konami 1987, 2016) 1CC Attempt by LRock617 host JD Puppy, couch Bobbeigh, Cypherin, Elipsis 12m15s (est 15m, wr 10m39s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 8ZW6cvXIrVQ Review: An obscure arcade entry in the Castlevania series. The movement is even clunkier than most classic 'vanias, and it's quite short, but it's also coin-guzzlingly unfair, so seeing it wrecked like this is fun. Star Trek DS9: Crossroads of Time (SNES - Novotrade 1995) Any% by Sathdresh [2RH] host JD Puppy, couch Cypherin, Xytoriak 33m39s (est 36m, wr 31m05s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube aFYvYf78PUc Review: It's a good run of a game that isn't very good to run. There's not all that much interesting going on - mostly just knowing how to trigger the plot to move forward, and how to get through the maze-like levels. Nor is the plot particularly interesting. But the couch and runner put so much energy into it, that it elevates it to... well, still just "pretty good for filler". Terminator: SkyNET (DOS - Bethesda 1996) Any% by tbcr [WRH] host JD Puppy, no couch 17m16s (est 18m, wr 12m31s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube sTiQfhowoVg Review: I wonder if we could have known this was a Bethesda game, just from the glitches? It has a lot of the broken physics that Daggerfall and Morrowind speedruns use, just not quite as busted in a more linear game like this. Unfortunately, in a run this short, struggling to nail even one trick can sap the pace, and 6AM is a hard hour to bring the hype in, but it's still not a bad run. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PC - LucasArts 2008) Any% by LifeL1ke [2RH] host JD Puppy, couch danejerus, ripchip 23m17s (est 20m, wr 11m43s lrt) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube 1TY6XwdIE7U Review: This run just sort of... isn't good. The main trick is an interface glitch on the level select, to start levels that haven't been unlocked, so the run is, if done properly, just the first level, and the last level. And some sort of technical jank made the loading times (covered up by cutscenes) absolutely abysmal. There was actual gameplay for less than half of the runtime, and it was not even impressive gameplay. NM: pb 10m07s igt Killing Time (Mac - Studio 3DO 1995, 1997) Good Ending by tbcr [WRH] host JD Puppy, no couch 30m19s (est 40m, wr 30m20s) [WR] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ylNKL_x1V4k Review: It lacks in polish, and the commentary is pretty shallow, a lot of "go up this staircase" without going into any deeper strategy. But even for a 2.5D shooter of this era, it's such a weird game, that it's at least interesting to watch and be bewildered by. Virtual Boy Wario Land (Virtual Boy - Nintendo R&D1 1995) 100% [INCENTIVE] by swordsmankirby [WRH] host JD Puppy, couch Allegro 24m01s (est 25m, wr 20m27s igt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube mn8sDLYrlP0 Review: Obviously the draw here is the novelty of the console - this is just the second Virtual Boy run, and the first in-person. But beneath that, it's a solid platformer, not the most technical or demanding, but fluid in motion. It's got a bit too much downtime to be a must-watch, but it's worth seeing for reasons beyond just "is a Virtual Boy game". Dodo Peak (PC - Moving Pieces 2024) All Levels, NG+ by Uncle Slam [WRH][ORH] host spef, couch Asuka424 24m35s (est 29m, wr 23m50s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube dlnEknefglU Review: A basic but charming game - runner described it as "Q*Bert plus Frogger" and that seems apt. The run is just good execution, hitting movement fast and correctly, but it's a neat little run. NM: unreleased? Ninja Gaiden (NES - Tecmo 1988) Low% by The Retro Runner [WRH] host spef, couch Lozcardsfan, Slackanater, Aquas 23m47s (est 20m, wr 12m08s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube RgvNlJc87To Review: This was a fine run... up until it wasn't. Not WR pace, but smooth sailing up to the final boss, in this infamously hard game. And then - death. Restart the entire last level. Death again. And again. Doing even this took more skill in the game than I'll ever have, but it's not fun to watch. Little Samson (NES - Takeru 1992) Any% Normal (No Oob) [INCENTIVE] by Ryan Ford [3RH] host spef, couch stevetvonline, StringBeanString 17m35s (est 23m, wr 12m45s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube spL-pU3v5jk Review: An obscure NES gem getting a nice speedrun. Nothing too remarkable about it, just a fun, clean speedrun. Not everything *needs* something special. Mega Man X5 (PS1 - Capcom Studio 3 2000) Any% by Starwin [3RH] host spef, couch Giygasblues, slurpeeninja, UltraUberness 25m35s (est 27m, wr 20m02 rta) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube y3k0ZRjU_kU Review: This is what happens when running gags trip. Far too much time was given over to lolrandom humor, and even the lack of proper game commentary became a subject for jokes. But I didn't find any of them funny. Kind of a shame, a Mega Man game that cuts out the repeated fights could have been pretty interesting. Mega Man 4 (NES - Capcom 1991) Any% by ColonelFatso [3RH] host lydlbutton, couch MadMegaX381, DarkTerrex, PPotDot1 38m47s (est 43m, wr 36m58s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube hRXCxXIGkVY Review: A pretty straightforward Mega Man run. No big clips or exploits, just playing the game well to go fast. The commentary suffered a bit from a forced running gag, but did enough actual explaining to keep the run engaging. Sunset Riders (SNES - Konami 1991, 1993) Beat the Game (Co-op) - Normal coop by JaekRock, Space Coast Gaming [WRHs] host lydlbutton, couch JohnnyGo, TheRetroRunner 19m29s (est 25m, wr 18m47s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube CN_ULNJiduc Review: A pretty basic coop run-and-gun, not much speed tech besides "not dying" and "knowing where enemies will spawn". So Team Space Rock brought out the big guns with the gimmicks - costumes, fake accents, the whole song and dance routine. It's like a sneak preview of Silly Block. Chibi-Robo! (Wii - Skip 2005) 1v1 Lockout Bingo Race race Kobazco vs Jaxler host lydlbutton, couch shovelclaws, SingleScoop, Haxxi 58m08s (est 1h10m, no wr) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube Ej0BxAQb-aA Review: Not the easiest thing to follow - Chibi-Robo is sort of a genre unto itself - but the commentary and visual aids keep you in the loop. And between the game's novelty, and lockout bingo focusing on arbitrary goals, watching is a very unique experience. Katamari Forever (PS3 - Genki 2009) All Goals (Any) by Harutomo [WRH][REM] host Nichole Goodnight, couch Enzor_AU [REM] 54m45s (est 1h00m, wr 53m06s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube Ibve2lAKvdU Review: It's Katamari. That's really the biggest factor in whether you'll like this or not. Going remote (especially with a non-English-fluent runner) made it less connected, but solo commentary while the runner focuses on the game is also a fine way to do a run. Blazing Chrome (PC - JoyMasher 2019) Arcade Mode (Normal) - Gun by Kirthar [2RH][REM] host Nichole Goodnight, couch PoloDX [REM] 25m30s (est 30m, wr 21m07s igt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube I17h2SGc4_Q Review: A nifty-looking run-and-gun, in the vein of a spruced-up Contra, and no glitches I can remember, just smooth shooting. If that sounds interesting, give this a shot, it's only half an hour. Astral Chain (Switch - PlatinumGames 2019) Any％ by Ratyu [WRH][REM] host Nichole Goodnight, couch Kap [REM], Shemcat [3RH][REM] 41m02s (est 45m, wr 33m25s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube pfefm1qyiY0 Review: A run entirely based on a particular glitch to outright skip 90% of the game, that isn't particularly easy to understand or explain. There's other tricks, and some ordinary combat execution, but that's the core of the run. Quake II Enhanced (PC - id 1997; Nightdive 2023) N64 Maps - Easy - 100% Kills/100% Secrets by Greenalink [WRH][REM] host Nichole Goodnight, couch the_kovic [REM] 34m31s (est 38m, wr 30m22s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube TGCmGvFRCNo Review: A run unfortunately hampered by technical problems. The runner's PC ran slower than normal, causing some issues executing certain tricks. Others were due to being remote, the commentator and host talking over each other. Despite that, it's still a pretty interesting speedrun - part collectathon, part shooter. Dishonored (PC - Arkane 2012) Glitchless by FOK [3RH][REM] host Nichole Goodnight, couch lurven [WRH][REM] 27m21s (est 30m, wr 35m28s lrt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube IrP7SP6Y5JY Review: "Glitchless" does not mean "as intended". The focus is so much on blinking about the map like a hummingbird on crack, that the last few levels are done pacifist simply because it's faster than picking up your weapons again. But wow, it's an impressive feat of movement. Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (PC - Ryu Ga Gotoku 2023) Any% by tapioca [3RH] host Bobby Blackwolf, couch pmcTrilogy, safesea 1h25m42s (est 1h30m, wr 1h20m49s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube l7J09wrJbjs Review: A more gameplay-focused commentary than we've gotten before, in Yakuza runs. Perhaps not the greatest choice - the combat tech leans heavily on a few powerful moves - but it's done with enough vibrancy to keep you engaged through the ninety-minute run. Though - much like the game itself - perhaps more aimed at series longtimers than at newcomers. Mass Effect 2 (PC - Bioware 2010) No One Left Behind NG+ by Sanjan [WRH] host Bobby Blackwolf, couch Corvimae, MikeWave 1h14m02s (est 1h18m, wr 1h10m38s rta) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube R781Wf6E6aw Review: It's a very broken run, this. Two broken weapons (and a busted trick) to blaze through the combat, though not without risk. Frequent though not universal out-of-bounds or other glitches. And then some routing to make sure every party member survives the suicide mission (accompanied by some prop comedy). Outer Wilds (PC - Mobius 2019) 100% Base Game Shipless by ptminsker [WRH] host Mr. Game and Shout, couch Brungo, Jeffrey Yu [DEV], Toesty [DEV] 1h16m07s (est 1h15m, wr 49m19s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube M1wD9R5LJV8 Review: Not as much of a non-sequitur as it sounds - if you've played more than 100 hours of Kerbal, go ahead and give this a shot. The shipless category means doing orbit transfers and high-speed docking with just spacesuit thrusters and excessive recoil. It's ridiculous and I am *here* for it. Plus, some juicy deets from devs on the couch. Undertale Yellow (PC - TeamUTY 2016) All Golden Items [INCENTIVE] by KyoshiCadre host Mr. Game and Shout, couch AstrasEvolution, Shayy, WooffleDee 1h21m20s (est 1h17m, no wr?) Overall N/R Skill N/R Fun N/R Youtube _lXTH-tKgog Review: (not yet reviewed) NM: Was True Pacifist, seems to now be both? ------------------------------WEDNESDAY------------------------------ My Friendly Neighborhood (PC - Szymanski Bros 2023) CEO% by Slyton [WRH] host Kungfufruitcup, couch danejerus, John Szymanski [DEV][REM], Nerd_Squared 36m32s (est 38m, wr 32m16s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube -B2SnfA-zlQ Review: A clean, well-paced run, with excellent commentary (including the main dev!). It's light on both glitches and downtime, no autoscrollers or unskippable cutscenes. It's just a good speedrun, what more can I say? NM: assumed NMG Normal No Cheats Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (SNES - Neverland 1995) Any% NMG No Manip by puwexil host Kungfufruitcup, hockeybabbler, couch dowolf, Gyre, sent 4h16m50s (est 4h25m, wr 3h51m15s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube B4iXiojY7Oo Review: It's missing a lot of the JRPG marathon staples. The menuing is unremarkable. The battle routing involves no flashy combos or game-breaking abuses, just lots of healing and some battle items. But it makes up for it with more intricate overworld movement than any other 16-bit JRPG speedrun - the Zelda dungeon influences are clearly felt. And it's well-commentated, explaining everything that's going on, both in the run and the story. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (SNES - Neverland 1995) Any% ACE [BONUS] by puwexil host hockeybabbler, couch dowolf, Gyre 3m15s (est 5m, wr 51s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ysUHj6k_V1E Review: It's a gimmick run, using some menu shenanigans to trigger the credits almost as soon as the intro cutscene is over, but it's a funny and well-explained gimmick. If you liked the glitch-heavy Gen-1 pokemon runs, this is for you. Or if you just finished the four-hour NMG run and want something for dessert. Gunbrella (PC - Doinksoft 2023) Any% by Ozmourn [3RH] host hockeybabbler, couch allison8bit, blackheartwings, Zic3 1h01m45s (est 1h00m, wr 54m09s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube y4dZeXNoHfA Review: This was not a bad run. The couch was better than you'd expect from early-hours filler. The problem is just that it is a *new* run. There's one really powerful trick, used in a few places, but much of the run is spent playing as-intended, or in long cutscenes. Execution is better than casual, for sure, but nothing compared to other speedruns. If the game gets some better skips, over the less interesting parts of the game, or perfects the movement a bit more, it'll be a real treat to come back and watch this larval version. But as of now? Eh. Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS3 - Sucker Punch 2005, 2010) Episode 1 by Nave357 host OhHeyItsKara, couch XevenstevensX, Zic3 58m59s (est 1h00m, wr 55m55s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube v0TimT6g-uw Review: I'm sure there was a ton of micro-optimization going on here, but all the notable speed tech was just ways to skip cutscenes, often by just restarting the console. And even with that, way too much of this run was cutscenes or autoscrollers to get an easy recommend. At least the cutscenes were funny? Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PS3 - Sucker Punch 2013) Episode 1 Any% by Zic3 host OhHeyItsKara, couch Cinderkit5, Nave357, Ostrava 45m53s (est 47m, wr 42m09s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube lfwxKW2AV94 Review: A pretty straightforward stealthy-action run, no big technical glitches that needed explaining, but a bit too heavy on autoscrollers for me to recommend to the casually interested. Void Stranger (PC - System Erasure 2023) True Ending (Lillie, No Special Brands) by Spirialis [WRH] host selcouthmind, couch aco, koralreef, Evansfight 33m58s (est 35m, wr 28m52s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube MHJdJrL2kVU Review: A very weird sort of game - it has many of the vibes of a heavily-glitched Game Boy run, but this is actually intended gameplay. Kirby Air Ride (Gamecube via Wii - HAL Laboratory 2003) Air Ride All Tracks race 1davidj [2RH] vs Pearstrike [3RH] host selcouthmind, couch mook, thrice 20m14s, 20m19s (est 21m, wr 16m57s igt) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube gICE_Ju0VwE Review: They spent more time on playing up the rivalry than on actually explaining the speed tech, for my tastes, but it did give us some good banter. And the game's not that complicated, anyways. Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (PS2 - Square Enix 2006) Any% by DynamiteDanTNT [3RH] host selcouthmind, couch DECosmic, Maxylobes, NT1_Evolution 1h25m07s (est 1h20m, wr 1h16m21s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ZmlSJYUULek Review: The least-popular entry in the mega-popular FF7 compilation, the speedrun solves some of the problems - tanky bosses are oneshot, not even with a glitch but with maximized mechanics - but not others - the bland, repetitive environments. Maybe a deeper explanation of the plot would have helped, but maybe it's just a consequence of running a bad-but-not-funny-bad game. Still, I can't say I regret having a chance to see the game in action. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (PC - Monolith 2017) Blade of Galadriel Any% by Burnt_Bowser [WRH] host musical_daredevil, couch alanzon28, Bird650, TheR3dSpade 37m36s (est 45m, wr 35m06s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 7tTPirOFiik Review: A straightforward run of this - what do we call it? An Assassin's Creed-like? Lots of RNG with minimal effect, some careful routing, not much speed tech in specific beyond playing fast. Mirror's Edge (PC - DICE 2008) Any% by Blackbeltginganinja host musical_daredevil, couch Odjur, stevetvonline 34m43s (est 40m, wr 28m14s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 4jcf7zMYu9w Review: It made me want to go reinstall the game, which is always a good sign. Though I don't think my run will look much like this, with its out-of-bounds and serious movement abuses. PowerWash Simulator (PC - FuturLab 2022) 6 Players, SpongeBob DLC coop by Biglaw, Enigma Requiem, Acadiel, AngelicKnight, Amyrlinn, enbee host musical_daredevil, no couch 35m10s (est 35m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube xwVq6YMCFas Review: Definitely a goofy sort of run. Six idiots running around Bikini Bottom, hunting for the last bit of grime to hose down. There's some verbal coordination, though not as much as the previous PowerWash run. A lot is just knowing what needs doing, and what to prioritize. TODO: also FF7 DLC? Half-Life 2 (PC - Valve 2004) New Engine - Any% No Voidclip race, Eold [3RH] vs Dirtch host Lanaruse, couch JohannVonVorst, Pr0tal 55m06s, 56m07s (est 1h00m, wr 46m45s rta) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube i7LD4BrEvGg Review: Source-engine madness at its best. Bhopping, Ahopping, door clips, yesclipping, the gang's all here. The race was not so competitive, and the commentary leaned heavily towards inside baseball, so it's maybe not the best entry point to Half-Life speedrunning, but it should still be a fun watch for outsiders. Super "Sonic Saves the World" World (SNES - Nintendo EAD 1990; YMM 2023) Abridged% by Shoujo host Lanaruse, couch Amethyst_Rocks, carrarium, Maddy69xo420 [DEV][REM] 41m27s (est 45m, no wr) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube Ynp9B6pHeyQ Review: Four maniacs and a depraved kaizo SMW hack. Less focus on extreme precision, and more just sadistic game design and some lockdown-era madness leaking through the game, and back into the commentators. Brace for some weird stuff, is all I can say. Kaizo Mario Galaxy (Wii via Wii U - Nintendo EAD 2007; Thegreatwaluigi 2019) Showcase by 360Chrism host Lanaruse, couch Bird650, Dangers, SpikeVegeta 55m41s (est 1h00m, no wr - showcase) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 8daMVVKlwMc Review: I guess Mario Galaxy romhacking tools are a lot more limited than SMW tools, because this looks much more like a hard-mode tweak of existing levels, not breaking new ground. Sure, just spam a hundred enemies here, or take away some intended platforms to force a harder route. It's not easy to execute this well, but it's not as entertaining as the other romhacks on display. Old School Runescape (PC - Jagex 2013) Chambers of Xeric CM Solo by AColdOne host Argick, couch 1davidj, Keizaron, Shenanagans_ 29m35s (est 35m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube rIHcdiSI6vg Review: I guess I haven't played enough Runescape to really get this run. If you just want the spectacle of seeing a game you played as a kid, beaten with way more skill than you ever had, I expect this will do the trick, but without that personal connection, I found little to go off. Hollow Knight (PC - Team Cherry 2017) True Ending NMG race Stratus [WRH] vs Vysuals [3RH] host Argick, couch gwonkee, MrSir71 1h18m10s, 1h18m30s (est 1h20m, wr 1h11m59s rta) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube W30xgmj7jfk Review: An extremely tight, extremely polished race. I had been looking forward to this one, and my expectations were met and then some. Hollow Knight (PC - Team Cherry 2017) Path of Pain race Stratus vs Vysuals host Argick, couch gwonkee, MrSir71 3m10s, 3m20s (est 10m, wr 1m55s lrt) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube hDIc5Bol5wU Review: A bonus run of the hardest single level. If you sank eighty minutes into the main course, this is an easy dessert, but it'll make a poor appetizer I think. Destiny (Xb1 - Bungie 2014) [BONUS GAME 2] Wrath of the Machine - Solo by Jubb Jubb [2RH] host AttyJoe, couch illumiti_, DCSlayerX, TheKoree 1h09m15s (est 1h45m, wr 49m18s igt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 0XjIJ7fgodA Review: Yet another run that probably left every Destiny player's jaw on the floor, but had me mentally checking out far too often. The tricks that are impressive to see executed by a single player, when intended for six? Yes, that's fun to watch. The first time. Seeing it repeated, in order to grind through a squad-sized health bar? Less appealing. The post-run showoff of the hard mode fight is entirely skippable, it's literally just the above, but more so. ------------------------------THURSDAY------------------------------- StarCraft: Brood War (PC - Blizzard 1998) Terran Campaign Any% by shox [WRH] host AttyJoe, couch lordofdabu, Sai 32m19s (est 39m, wr 31m59s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 3yxvxvwyFo8 Review: Blazing-fast APM and absurd micro? Yep, it's a vintage RTS run. This one adds a large helping of AI exploits and softlock-prevention abuse. I don't think it will change the minds of genre skeptics, but it's an excellent showing of the game. The Talos Principle 2 (PC - Croteam 2023) Any% by Pr0tal [WRH] host AttyJoe, couch bobbyburm, Gelly [2RH] 45m21s (est 48m, wr 42m37s rta) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube xmvhmPKFuVU Review: The speedrun just completely breaks this game. There are no puzzles, just different ways to skip through them, and to warp about the map. The constant hyping of "frame-perfect tricks" was overdone, but if you like busted, glitchy runs, this is still a fine watch. C.B.T. (PC - chimp 2023) Any% by teddyras [2RH] host PippyInATopHat, no couch 29m03s (est 30m, wr 24m25s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube iOIp7S_TTsw Review: It's not a Silly Block game, but it sure seems like one. Chalk it up to late-night madness and a janky Super Monkey Ball clone instead. Very sloppy, struggling to get through in places, but it's funny to watch it go off the rails only to somehow get back on. [[[SILLY BLOCK]]] Golf It! (PC - Perfuse 2017) Wrong Hole Only race blondkayvon vs Gondor vs Jaypeg host PippyInATopHat, couch happybythree 20m03s (est 30m, no wr) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★★ Youtube xBgPMc6yOr4 Review: Easily some of the funniest commentary in GDQ history. It's a good thing I only caught this on VOD, because I had to keep pausing to laugh. Monster Party (NES - Human Entertainment 1989) Any% by The Retro Runner host PippyInATopHat, no couch 16m07s (est 20m, wr 15m09s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 3mXj-nrsRVo Review: A quirky little action-platformer, but not silly enough to be a standout in Silly Block, nor a deep enough speedrun to be interesting on those merits. Birds Aren't Real: The Game (PC - USC Games 2023) Any% by allison8bit host PippyInATopHat, couch BystanderTim, Quacksilver as "Deep Chirp" 7m14s (est 9m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube s020frfHrk0 Review: You've got to *commit* to the bit. They had all the ingredients for a Silly Block standout - costumes, props, running gags. They just didn't go hard enough with them, to earn full-on guffaws. Chuckles, sure, you probably won't *dislike* this run. It's just not one of the better runs in the block, this year. Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (PC - Seedy Eye 2024) Any% Casual + Cutscenes by Dynomation [WRH] host PippyInATopHat, couch Asuka424, bramhallthefifth, Dopply [DEV] 32m46s (est 18m, wr 15m55s rta skipping cutscenes) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube JZ9mhWfvdLk Review: Well, we don't quite get the full hilarity of the cutscenes, between skipping optional ones and talking over half of them. But in return we get some quality behind-the-scenes dev commentary, of a game practically tailor-made for Silly Block. Barbie (NES - Imagineering 1991) Any% by Konception host PippyInATopHat, couch PrincessAshfire, sharif, swooce 13m15s (est 16m, wr 12m07s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube wN8ou31x-jU Review: Some games are fun to watch played well, because they have such high skill ceilings that reward better and better skill. This is not one of those. The platforming is downright terrible - it's been in Awful Block before - but Kon (just Kon, for this run) gets through it well. It's mostly just an excuse to make silly jokes, though. Mad Panic Coaster (PS1 via PS2 - Hakuhodo 1997) Any% by Joester98 [WRH] host SporadicErratic, couch Ecdycis [3RH] 34m49s (est 40m, wr 34m10s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube VqpDUwI2cDo Review: A very weird and silly game - but also clearly a hard one. Most of the speed tech is just "don't die", but there's a few other elements that avoid making it just an autoscroller. So it's a rare Silly Block entry that's also a perfectly watchable speed game on its own. Muscle March (Wii - Namco Bandai 2009) All Levels by juh0 [WRH] host SporadicErratic, couch Ecdycis, Shmumbler, Starwin 15m05s (est 18m, wr 14m17s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube NlRi7N0vNaQ Review: An absurdist Wiiware title, pretty much an autoscroller as far as the speedrun goes, but the couch antics are on point. City Bus Driver Simulator (PC - Atomic Fabrik 2022) Any% race, BystanderTim vs SeaAverage host SporadicErratic, couch en_bee, Zic3 24m33s (est 30m, no wr) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube k65ruAOKfjc Review: Just a very crudely-made racing game, full of samey levels and RNG traffic. But it's two buds having a good time. Maybe this is more Awful Block than Silly Block material, but who's going to argue semantics? Leaf Blower Man: This Game Blows! (PC - Unbound Creations 2023) NG+, With Ads [INCENTIVE] by Asuka424 [2RH] host SporadicErratic, couch danejerus 19m36s (est 19m, wr 15m39s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube gSl9prH4mpg Review: An excellently silly game, and not a bad speedrun on top of it. Best I don't try to explain any of the jokes, just enjoy this one. Wild Woody (Sega CD - Sega Multimedia 1995) Beat the Game by Allegro [3RH] host SporadicErratic, couch Brandino 25m48s (est 28m, wr 18m48s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube MBkh92xaD9M Review: A very jank platformer, with some very, *very* 90s CGI cutscenes. Unfortunately it was also marred by some marathon jank - mostly just talking over the parts of the game that they were trying to highlight. It's not much use to tell us the music is good, without being quiet for long enough for us to hear it. SUSHI SOUL UNIVERSE (PC - Tadasumen 2023) Any% by enbee host Quacksilver, couch Amyrlinn, BystanderTim, teddyras 28m18s (est 31m, wr 25m00s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube iHxkN-UBf4E Review: Ah, Japanese surrealist zero-budget indie games, where would Silly Block be without you? The gameplay here is pretty basic, and not even performed particularly well, but it's just such a bizarre experience that it loops around ot being fun again. NM: same dev as pien/paon/"I'm going to die if I don't eat sushi", transliterating name on Steam gives "Kusoisaito" which seems to be the dev's site url, kusoi.site Zoombinis (PC - TERC 2015) 4% (Not Very Hard, Who's Bayou) by Amyrlinn host Quacksilver, no couch 16m57s (est 13m, no wr?) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube U3e27Adc9wM Review: Speedrunning an edutainment game? It's got some novelty factor to it, but I guess I'm a bit too old to remember this one from school. Probably a fun time if you do, though. Stuart Little 2 (PS1 - Magenta 2002) Any% by Jaxler [3RH] host Quacksilver, couch Helix, Kobazco, Nestani 35m56s (est 40m, wr 33m33s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube YAx-sIvW7kw Review: A shovelware collectathon platformer, from the heyday of shovelware collectathon platformers - but somehow, a highlight of Silly Block? There's a decent speedrun here, with the autoscrollers made up for by couch antics, and some hilarious banter to top it all off. [[[/SILLY BLOCK]]] Jitsuroku Powerful Yakyuken Slugger Yamada (PC - Digimecha 2023) All Levels by Sean_A [WRH] host Quacksilver, couch happybythree, killingpepsi [3RH], blåhaj (🦈) 14m31s (est 20m, wr 15m35s) [WR?] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube w7EOOIh3pGs Review: We come now to the frayed edges of Silly Block, with this low-budget baseball-tinged demon-slaying brawler. It's a unique thing, for sure - and not even a bad speedrun. The tech is limited but more than enough to fill fifteen minutes, even if you don't find "low-budget baseball-tinged demon slaying" to be interesting on its own. TODO: confirm wr is valid? Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain (PC - Maddy Makes Games 2024) 100% by TheShadedMaster [3RH] host Quacksilver, couch KingJO444, LaurieDBunnykins, Kevin Regamey [DEV][REM] 8m58s (est 15m, wr 7m32s igt) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ukTQ-BKHdAo Review: Just a tiny bite of gameplay, but turns out Celeste translates wonderfully to 3D. No cutscenes, no tutorials, just pure collectathon platformer challenges. Pokemon White 2 (DS - Game Freak 2012) Any% Challenge Mode [INCENTIVE] by TTS4life [3RH] host OhHeyItsKara, couch EtchyOk, Swiftalu, Tuckerlerat 3h24m58s (est 3h25m, wr 3h13m21s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 5I0YI2xZBqA Review: The upgrade to Challenge Mode (altering trainer's parties to make them harder) makes the battle strats a lot more interesting, and there's some cool RNG manipulation at the start... but this is just such a long run. The early-game energy fades, and then it gets snarled in Team Plasma cutscenes, and then it gets so overleveled that even the Cynthia bonus at the end is a pushover. If you like Pokemon runs on the dry side, focused on gameplay, this is what you're looking for, but it's not for everyone. Mario Kart DS (DS - Nintendo EAD 1 2005) 32 Tracks by Abel [WRH][REM] host Jaidlyn, couch MikeyLORR [REM], puddings [REM] 53m44s (est 55m, wr 52m15s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube AQK_B2vLTDA Review: This felt much less RNG-heavy than past Mario Kart runs. Yes, it still happens, but blue shells can be dodged most of the time, and only one skip seems to require a specific item. Nor is it as full of glitches as the N64 or Wii iterations. It's just an hour of good racing - snaking, drifting, turboing all over the place. TrackMania Sunrise (PC - Nadeo 2005) Puzzle (100%) + Stunts (Any%) [INCENTIVE] by Rastats [REM] host Jaidlyn, no couch 48m35s (est 57m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube -hc288UiFNQ Review: These game modes are a major departure from the normal get-to-the-end-fast Trackmania runs, much more like speed puzzling in a way. Despite a rocky start, it found a groove and went off well, but the accent is a bit thick. Viewers with auditory processing problems may struggle. Tetris The Grand Master (Switch - Arika 1998, 2022) Master Mode by AraneaCharlotte [REM] host Jaidlyn, no couch 14m05s (est 15m, no wr?) [NF] Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube xE71ZIJKNEw Review: High-level tetris play is impressive to watch. TGM is one of the better variants of the game for that lightning-fast, smooth gameplay. This? Wasn't it. The intended run imploded - the speed strats are inherently risky - and the back half was just showing off 20G mode. My biggest complaint was actually the host - cutting off the runner's explanation, then delivering a long ad read over the most critical moment of the run. Rabbit and Steel (PC - mino_dev 2024) 4P Hard Showcase coop by koralreef, aco, Spirialis, frozenflygone host Jaidlyn, no couch 28m52s (est 35m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube L0kVR9AIQqA Review: A weird combination of bullet hell and MMO raid, this is a hard game to read, as an outsider. Maybe better explanations would have helped, but it's too fast-paced for that to help but so much. I think this is just a run for people who've played the game and can grok what's going on. Otherwise, just enjoy the bunny ears, the charming attempts at explaining the story, and the bullet-hell dodging. Rabbit and Steel (PC - mino_dev 2024) 4P Lunar Showcase coop by koralreef, aco, Spirialis, frozenflygone host Jaidlyn, no couch 16m49s (est 12m, no wr - showcase) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube L0kVR9AIQqA+1805 Review: A bonus run at an even harder difficulty, but with fewer explanations, also more difficult to follow. Probably amazing for those who've played the game, but if you weren't enthralled by the main run, you won't miss anything by skipping this. Halo 3 (PC - Bungie 2007, 343 Industries 2014, 2019) 4p Co-op Legendary coop by Chronos, adef, bryonato, NervyDestroyer [2RHs] host Lanaruse, no couch 1h08m33s (est 1h20m, wr 1h03m50s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 32YQWdl-Djc Review: It's hectic to follow, with four screens and four cameras, and a lot of commentary is precluded by the runners needing to coordinate instead. But it's still an impressive thing to watch. Maybe keep a hand on the ten-second rewind button? NM: might have been pb? as of 2024-11-08 still listed as a 1h09m08s, from before this marathon Ken Griffey, Jr. Presents Major League Baseball (SNES - Software Creations 1994) Win A Game by JSR_, Peanut Butter (🐶) host Lanaruse, couch Gruntiatus, Threach 29m48s (est 30m, human wr 10m09s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆★☆★ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube m2FZKJ4QBdA Review: I probably didn't need to review this one, because you already know whether you want to watch this, based purely on how much you like dogs. This is a shameless novelty run, and that's fine. But to analyze it - a dog playing Gyromite worked, because the game was built around commanding a somewhat recalcitrant partner (R.O.B.). Baseball, felt a bit more like JSR was playing the game, via a very laggy and inconsistent controller. I'll give them points for the baseball theatrics, but whether that will carry the run for you is hard to say. It was, at least, more fun to watch than *actual* baseball. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PC - From 2019) Hitless Any% by Mitchriz host Xenadir, couch LilAggy, Parkenharbor 37m05s (est 40m, no wr?) [NV] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 2m-YAWJcjjQ Review: It doesn't quite manage to be hitless, or even damageless, but it's still no easy task to play the game this cleanly, this quickly. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Xb360 - KCE Tokyo 1997, 2007) Reverse Boss Order by Dr4gonBlitz [WRH] host Xenadir, couch adef, CavemanDCJ 1h02m38s (est 1h10m, wr 57m51s) [NV] Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube dyRp6bXnDAA Review: Just a crazy run. Tons of glitches needed just to make it possible, with plenty more used to actually take down the toughest bosses first. It's a lot of setup, a lot of movement, and a lot of pretty trivial bosses towards the end, but it's all paired with quality commentary. Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix HD (PC - Square Enix PD1 2005, 2007, 2014; Alvaro 2020) Critical Any% (PC Modded) by ninten866 host lydlbutton, couch SpikeVegeta, Jhobz, thar_c1 2h30m20s (est 2h35m, wr 2h13m33s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ftBkv6qmyus Review: It's not much you haven't seen, if you've seen previous Kingdom Hearts runs. But it's also a really good iteration of those runs. Smooth but detailed commentary, a mod to cut out autoscrollers, clean execution. It's not as rambunctious as some runs, perhaps, but it keeps the focus on the speedrun. -------------------------------FRIDAY-------------------------------- System Shock (PC - Nightdive 2023) Any% by BloodThunder host happybythree, no couch 31m27s (est 40m, wr 25m19s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube YeQ_8QDyyEw Review: It's a bit simple of a run - turning all the difficulty down, and using some save glitches to get out-of-bounds. But BT makes a good show of it, and it's fun to see the new im-sim hotness on the main stage. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1, 2, 3, and 4 (N64, PC - Edge of Reality, Neversoft 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) 100% (1), All Goals & Golds (2, 3), Any% (4) by PARTY MAN X host happybythree, couch Biglaw 1h15m19s (est 1h16m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube oK5mlpJ6Ubk Review: The first half of this run - the first three games - was one of the best THPS runs I've seen. Engaging, rapid-fire, well-commentated. But when it went into THPS4, the pace suddenly dropped, everything came with dead time, and even the commentary was aware that the run was shifting into low gear. This made me much more interested in future early THPS runs, but reinforced just how much I find the later games boring to watch. Mr. Run and Jump (PC - Graphite Lab 2023) Any% by altabiscuit host happybythree, couch Studio, TonyOgbot 32m33s (est 40m, no wr) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube P2ueAMtaUL8 Review: A neon-tinged precision platformer, just about as pure and simple as it gets. No glitches, no sequence breaks, barely even any shortcuts, just going fast by making full use of a pretty minimal moveset. But it's a clean run and well-commentated. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC - Bethesda 2002) All Main Quests by musical_daredevil host spef, couch AlecK47, Forrest, Zebogo 22m34s (est 26m, wr 16m50s rta) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ky0u39JoDL0 Review: This game frequently gets busted, just playing it casually. As a speedrun? It gets sledgehammered. By the end, it's basically just noclipping to murder everyone that needs murdering. It's hilarious - but still not easy to pull off. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC - Bethesda 2002) Any% [BONUS] by musical_daredevil host spef, couch AlecK47, Forrest, Zebogo 3m35s (est 4m, wr 2m50s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ky0u39JoDL0+1451 Review: Oh, it turns out you can just yeet yourself straight to the end of the main quest, and finish the game in under five minutes. It's too fast to allow proper explanations, so it relies on the previous All Main Quests run to do the heavy lifting, but it also repeats a good bit of it, so consider this an optional dessert. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA - Intelligent Systems 2004) Ephraim Route by Nestani [3RH] host spef, couch PleasantlyTwstd 1h14m44s (est 1h25m, wr 1h03m06s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube 8C8hWvgCVmo Review: The entire run is RNG-manipped, and there's some frankly hilarious glitches being used. But it still demands some precise execution, and then Nestani piles on the charisma. This was funnier to watch than some Silly Block runs I've seen. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (PC - Fair Play Labs 2023) Campaign (NG+) - Garfield [BIDWAR] by limy host spef, couch Helix, Kobazco 24m45s (est 27m, no wr) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 7w7HvNWOhno Review: I found this run underwhelming. Not bad, just... the game doesn't yet have the polish that Smash runs have, the Nick factor wasn't used much, and the unique bit with the roguelike character building, was never explained enough for me to follow. Whatever you might want from this run, I think it offers just enough to tantalize you, but not enough to satisfy you. Crash Nitro Kart (XbC - Vicarious Visions 2003) Any% by McHooper [2RH] host Char_bunny, couch j0kerr 46m47s (est 55m, wr 41m34s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube xgXMEmoUMp4 Review: A pretty standard kart racer - complete with some ludicrous skips. There's levels beaten in seconds, and levels beaten entirely normally, and even one or two levels with decent skips but still normal racing. The bots are unthreatening and there's none of the RNG mess you see in Mario Kart, so if you're looking for a more technical sort of run, this might be just the thing. Stardew Valley (PC - ConcernedApe 2016) Skull Caverns 100 Glitchless 4 Player coop by Piano_Addict, Lichatton, Terpretor, JulsJewels host Char_bunny, no couch 42m13s (est 55m, wr 43m23s) [WR] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube hcFBSP2g5Sg Review: I'm sorry, but it's just really hard to move past a run where more time is spent repeatedly sleeping, to skip through seasons, than actually doing the dungeon crawl the category is supposed to be about? This run was 60% filler, 30% setup, and 10% actual speedrun. And then when things actually happened, they happened too fast to commentate. It had some zany energy but I just couldn't enjoy it. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES - Nintendo EAD 1991) All Dungeons (Swordless) by Glan host Char_bunny, couch Chexhuman, twin 1h13m06s (est 1h00m, wr 47m57s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 4xZdPJqb8oE Review: An extremely glitched run, absolutely full of layer shenanigans and out-of-bounds. Even when things got off the rails, figuring out how to come back showed such deep mechanical knowledge, I was impressed. Crypt of the Necrodancer: Synchrony (PC - Brace Yourself 2015, 2022) All Zones Speedrun Melody 2P coop by Ehseezed, rawsome1234 host savage_octagon, no couch 15m16s (est 20m, no wr?) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube uNeIyEgeEBY Review: Kind of just hard to follow, with two players and so much going on, so quickly. Even as a (admittedly poor) player of the game, I couldn't keep up. But it had some good vibes, if you're fine with just being carried along. Crypt of the Necrodancer: Synchrony (PC - Brace Yourself 2015, 2022) All Zones Speedrun Ensemble 2P [BONUS] coop by Ehseezed, rawsome1234 host savage_octagon, no couch 11m00s (est 10m, no wr?) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube uNeIyEgeEBY+962 Review: Just what this run needed, even more chaos. It's a bit of a mess, but not an unenjoyable one. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii - Nintendo EAD 2006; AECX, lunarsoap5, et al 2023) Co-op Randomizer coop by gymnast86, spikevegeta host PippyInATopHat, couch LunarSoap [DEV], Phantom5800 3h08m51s (est 3h05m, no wr) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube p3PKAh2Yznc Review: One of 3D Zelda's greatest, teamed up with the most engaging goofball in speedrunning, against whatever absurdity the randomizer spits out at them? Yes, please. There's less mandatory tech than, say, an OoT randomizer, but there's still a lot of knowledge on display. Super Mario Bros. (NES - Nintendo EAD 1985) Any% by GTAce host Argick, couch adef 5m23s (est 6m, wr 4m54s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube jOyvv3tf_SE Review: Probably the most skill-dense run of the marathon. This run is hyper-optimized, and GTAce nails... well, he didn't get the sub-five he was hoping for, but he did better than anyone expected of a marathon run. Animal Well (PC - Shared Memory 2024) Any% No Flute Warps NMG by HackaKat [2RH] host Argick, couch taliasr, Wed 14m44s (est 16m, wr 13m10s igt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube XuzAVXp6pUk Review: It can be interesting to watch speedruns in development. The game is new enough that the speedrun will likely look completely different next year - but there's already a good route and some non-obvious tricks. And being still in the zeitgeist, I'm sure many people will have recently finished it themselves, in far more than fifteen minutes. To them, it's an easy recommend. Animal Well (PC - Shared Memory 2024) Any% Glitched [BONUS] by HackaKat host Argick, couch taliasr, Wed 4m31s (est 6m, wr 3m14s igt) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube XuzAVXp6pUk+1036 Review: A pretty quick bonus run, too short to really explain itself. But the base run was short enough, this is an extension worth watching. Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom (PC - Panik Arcade 2024) Any% race, Forrest vs Ouro [3RH] host Argick, couch Moogle, DarkTerrex 28m02s, 29m18s (est 32m, wr 26m56s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube e48D3iHQ8e4 Review: A neat little oddball of a game getting a race, but the game kind of shined more than the speedrun did. Evil Zone (PS1 - Yuke's Future 1999) Tournament Finals competition, Tainam0 vs Alymra vs CavemanDCJ vs Cane host Argick, couch Dr4gonBlitz, bryonato ~1h10m (est 50m, no wr - showcase) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube xvE-p3LRcFE Review: Well, this is new. The finale to an on-site tournament of an obscure PS1 fighting game? I was skeptical but the accessible yet comprehensive commentary pushed this into a recommend from me, especially if you have any interest in fighting games, or just like competitions. Super Mario World (SNES - Nintendo EAD 1990; Alex, blaagon, dansalvato, dtothefourth, fyre150, hiro-soft, HmWhyNot, LightAligns, Maddy69x0420, Margot, Saela, ShaoShao, Snoruntpyro 2024) Kaizo Relay Race by Team Groovy Goombas (TheJavaBrew, YouFailMe, juzcook, GlitchCat7) vs Team Funky Fuzzies (Shoujo, shovda, MarkAlarm, Thabeast721) host frozenflygone, couch Amethyst_Rocks, Doctor No, Hank_Sinatra ~1h45m (est 2h00m, no wr) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube 7Jw8hz0oMgk Review: It's a GDQ staple for a reason - the creativity of the levels, the skill of the runners, are unmatched after thirty-four years of playing the same game. About the only thing separating this from a fifth star, was the one-sidedness of the competition, and a few of the levels being a bit too sadistic, getting stuck on one screen just a bit too long. But it had no shortage of hype moments to rope me back in. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64 via Gamecube - Nintendo EAD 1998, 2002) [BONUS GAME 3] Defeat Ganon No SRM by dannyb host frozenflygone, couch Adef, GoodGortho 23m20s (est 20m, wr 10m30s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube X2rJY4bisuc Review: Definitely a run for those of us that like really weird hacker-style glitches. Some of this is arguably *more* technical than stale reference manipulation. As a programmer I found it fascinating, but even with these excellent explanations, you might find it hard to follow without some skill in the trade. WACCA Reverse (Arcade - Marvelous 2019, 2021) Showcase by nb1rs host Brutal Melo, couch Losermanwins, Orca, Silvi ~1h30m (est 1h26m, no wr - showcase) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube iWkER_JLqpA Review: And now we reach the now-obligatory rhythm game showcase of the run. This was certainly impressive, but it simply did not have the variety to sustain this long a time block. Incremental increases in difficulty are almost impossible to judge, past the point where a novice stops being able to keep up - and obviously this goes far, far beyond that. If it had had more interesting gimmicks, or even just a broader range of music being played, I would have found more enjoyment, but no, it's ninety minutes of Japanese hardcore. nb1rs absolutely proved themself a god gamer, but you can get the same experience by watching the first few songs as an intro, then skipping straight to the "boss" section. ------------------------------SATURDAY------------------------------- Grand Poo World 3 (SNES - Nintendo EAD 1990; Barbarian 2023) All Exits [INCENTIVE] by MrMightyMouse [2RH] host Brutal Melo, couch BarbarousKing [DEV], GrandPooBear 1h48m50s (est 1h40m, wr 1h13m49s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube 0QMOoeOeXow Review: If the blind kaizo race wasn't polished enough for your tastes, this will be more your style. MightyMouse seems to do the impossible with ease, casually one-shotting many levels of this brutally difficult romhack. Even when he sometimes struggles, it just shows how hard this game is. And it's all accompanied by an expert kaizo player and the developer himself. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3 - Kojima 2008) Extreme NG+ by JosephJoestar316 [2RH] host TheKingsPride, couch MetalGlennSolid 1h57m35s (est 2h00m, wr 1h56m20s igt) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube XlZoQT-kHes Review: The unavoidable problem that runs of this game face, is the massive autoscroller right in the middle. That would kill the pacing of even the most exciting runs. But even outside that, this isn't a particularly enthralling game. It often feels as if it's locked into the same speed as a casual run, and even when describing the tech, it comes off more as "tricks to keep the AI from further wasting your time" than anything. Joestar makes a valiant attempt but this just isn't a game that's interesting to watch. NM: pb 1h59m46s TODO: confirm PB Crimzon Clover: World EXplosion (PC - Yotsubane 2011, 2021) Arrange Original by Raelcun host TheKingsPride, couch Char_bunny 31m24s (est 45m, no wr - showcase) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ntsbLX-oi7I Review: The perennial shmup high-score showcase of the marathon. This one had relatively simpler mechanics, but a much harder to read screen, and execution seemed less polished than previous runs, lots of unintended deaths. Enjoyable, but not the best we've seen. Omno (PC - Inkyfox 2021) Any% by Ish host TheKingsPride, no Ozmourn 30m42s (est 32m, wr 26m58s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 2df0hE3X06w Review: It's a run with a lot of skips, of various sizes, all using fairly straightforward (if unintended) movement. Simple to follow, even with some clunky commentary delivery, and short enough to not run out of variety or things to talk about. It's not spectacular, but it's 4AM on the final day, it doesn't have to be. Lords of Exile (PC - Squidbit 2024) Any% Lyria by DanTheVP [WRH] host musical_daredevil, couch Argick, Bobbeigh 32m32s (est 34m, wr 25m45s igt) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube 1le5P2lTT1c Review: A solid little Shinobi-like, at least when playing as this character. There's not much speed tech besides playing the game well, but it's a fun game to watch being played well. Levelhead (XbSX - Butterscotch Shenanigans 2020) Any% by IllegallySam [2RH] host musical_daredevil, couch Quo, BScotchKarl [DEV][REM] 46m04s (est 50m, wr 42m28s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube duBc0SE9A9U Review: A neat little platformer, nothing special, but it's a competent speedrun with some dev commentary. I expect anyone who enjoyed the game, will get a real kick out of this. Hyperbolica (PC - CodeParade 2022) Any% by bobbyburm [3RH] host musical_daredevil, couch Brutal_Melo, Ozmourn 23m01s (est 23m, wr 18m41s) Overall ★☆☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★☆☆☆☆ Youtube fR-M8rqK36o Review: This commentary just doesn't do enough to explain how the game's non-euclidean geometry works. It just presents you with some weird stuff, says "yeah isn't this weird", and doesn't even try to explain it. And having played the game, I'll grant that it doesn't rely often on the details of hyperbolic geometry, especially not in the Any%. But I still came away from this disappointed. It doesn't even do a good job of just presenting you with the weird - the couch member that went in blind, never did much in the way of reacting, didn't ask questions, the way an audience surrogate should. Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils (PC - Colorgrave 2022) Any% - Belle (No Spark Bangle) by Metroid Crime host musical_daredevil, couch Jaypeg 11m32s (est 13m, wr 9m09s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube pAdG7J3a4Oc Review: A pixel-art indie platformer that goes by a bit too fast to actually explain properly. It's neat and it doesn't suffer from dead time, and it was intuitive enough what was going on on-screen, but as an outsider, it was hard to tell if this was normal Curse Crackers gameplay, or if this was like, ridiculously good. But at this length, it's an easy recommend if you've ever played the game. Gravity Circuit (PC - Domesticated Ant 2023) Any% Normal Mode by GaussMkII host musical_daredevil, couch Gordon Ramsay, Stelmo, TempestMask1000 48m42s (est 53m, wr 44m33s rta) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube NuvHgy6mFe4 Review: Yet another entry in the Mega Man-like genre, but one that easily earns its place by avoiding some of the more irritating conventions of the genre. Fast, clean movement, quick boss strats, and a little bit of routing logic. It's light on glitches but great on commentary. Definitely worth checking out, if you're at all interested. Penny's Big Breakaway (PC - Evening Star 2024) Any% Restricted by Mildew [2RH] host happybythree, couch Emerldd, KingJ0444, Odme 1h22m21s (est 1h30m, wr 1h09m55s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★★☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube DphjkpuuADk Review: It's just some really good movement. It's a lot like Mario Odyssey, in terms of just sheer options - and don't think for a moment that "Restricted" means "as dev intended", because there's skips and shortcuts all over the place. It's just all done using the intended toolset, not using infinite-height glitches. Quest For Glory II: Trial By Fire (DOS - Sierra 1990) 100% (Fighter) by davidtki host happybythree, couch Swimfan 21m35s (est 25m, wr 17m54s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ok0D2LliWa4 Review: A pretty basic speedrun, but it keeps moving at a pretty decent clip. Fast menuing and command entry, a few big glitches, and a streamlined route, combine to form a nice run. Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA - Rare 1996, 2005) Any% by Tonkotsu [2RH] host happybythree, couch Glan, V0oid 52m39s (est 55m, wr 49m17s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube mq2clsXBGrg Review: A very clean run, but not the most interesting one. An early slate of levels were trivialized by intended skips, many later levels were broken by unintended skips. A lot of what remained, was autoscrollers, or auto-scrollery bosses. Some of the skips were cool, and the execution was *tight* when it mattered, but there was more dead time than I'd have liked. Kirby's Adventure (NES - HAL Laboratory 1993) 100% NMG [INCENTIVE] by swordsmankirby [WRH] host ateatree, couch Mr_Shasta, Grample 49m41s (est 52m, wr 47m39s) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube X5vxozAwBwk Review: A clean run, but a dry one, not much of particular interest. No crazy tech, not a very difficult game. Fine for Kirby fans, maybe even a good entry point for people interested in the series, but nothing special. WannaFest 22 (PC - Cherry Treehouse 2022) Any% by Wolsk [WRH] host ateatree, couch DanSalvato, IkeSMB, Nambo 54m44s (est 52m, wr 43m43s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube 4CPLpIWEPxQ Review: A high-production-value Wanna Be The Guy game, though it seems to focus much more on the "remixing ideas from other games" than on the precision-platformer sadism. It's a silly watch, but not so grueling as you might expect. Pizza Tower (PC - Tour De Pizza 2023) Any%, Noise, NMG by jadejade host Quacksilver, couch elliejelli, impossablank, SoaringSloth 1h14m04s (est 1h15m, wr 58m21s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube NS7KqK-YWiw Review: A thoroughly enjoyable run. The game lends itself well to speed, lots of maintaining momentum through tight levels. And, of course, it lends itself well to wacky antics. Another Crab's Treasure (PC - Aggro Crab 2024) Any% Restricted race, LilAggy vs spicee [3RH] host Quacksilver, couch Mitchriz, Parkenharbor 49m24s, 50m04s (est 40m, wr 30m18s rta) Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★☆☆☆ Youtube ZF11EyILtgI Review: Up until the final boss, this was a solid run, especially for such a new game. Plenty of tech, including some of a glitchy nature, though not much polish. But - yeah, no getting around it, almost half the run being dying to the end boss over and over? Completely takes the sails out of it, and wrecks any competitive aspect to the race. Super Mario 64 Randomizer (N64 via Wii VC - Nintendo EAD 1996; Arthur Tilly 2019) 10 Star Blindfolded by Bubzia host AttyJoe, couch 360Chrism 43m39s (est 40m, no wr) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★★ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube QfzOc97vYEk Review: I didn't believe it when I first saw it on the schedule. Sure, we've seen Bubzia beat the game blindfolded. He's beaten 120 Star, blindfolded. But a *randomizer*? Even some struggling at the end only knocks this down to a merely excellent run, and not an all-time great, showcasing not just execution, but rapid planning and exploration.The ten-minute star rush afterward was also a joy to watch. NM: stated 29m50s pb, is this also WR? Baldur's Gate 3 (PC - Larian 2023) Honour Mode Glitchless by Chronos host AttyJoe, couch Bryonato, NervyDestroyer, Bisc 1h04m27s (est 1h00m, no wr?) [NV] Overall ★★☆☆☆ Skill ★★☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube ypBqN1VXx8Q Review: Baldur's Gate 3 has indeed captured the spirit of a tabletop RPG, in that abusing mechanics that weren't even designed for combat, can be absurdly busted. This might be glitchless, but don't expect to see anyone throwing fireballs or throwing down with swords - it's the sort of run that would have a human dungeon master going "well, that works, I guess". Invalidated by use of a safety save, after a mistake. Super Metroid (SNES - Nintendo R&D1 1994) Any% race ShinyZeni vs ARC vs Oatsngoats [WRH] vs Imyt host Char_bunny, couch Eddie, TheHockeytowner 42m54s, 44m47s, 44m54s, 45m22s (est 45m, wr 40m36s) Overall ★★★★☆ Skill ★★★★★ Fun ★★★★☆ Youtube AN8Gr0C6MZI Review: The granddaddy of speed games, gets a proper race for the first time in a while. And what a race! It wasn't always the closest, but commentators did a great job pointing out where competitors were gaining on each other, made for a thrilling ride. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch - Nintendo EPD 2019) [BONUS GAME 4] Troll Level Race race, CarlSagan42 vs juzcook host Char_bunny, couch jneen, Marble ~50m (est 50m, no wr - showcase) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★☆☆☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube MKK4fN_8xdk Review: The whole point of a troll level is to make the player look like an idiot. So they're not so much the stars of the show, as the butt of the joke - with the skill being entirely on the level creator's side. Fortunately we had some good work on the couch, to try to explain what was going on. TODO: get level creator names Elden Ring (PC - From 2022) Any% Glitchless by blanxz host Brutal Melo, couch Mitchriz, spicee, LilAggy 1h10m42s (est 1h25m, wr 54m40s) Overall N/R Skill N/R Fun N/R Youtube HxfaFmhzUno Review: (not yet reviewed) Elden Ring (PC - From 2022) Shadow of the Erdtree - Messmer Showcase by blanxz host Brutal Melo, couch Mitchriz, spicee, LilAggy 26m06s (est 30m, no wr - showcase) Overall N/R Skill N/R Fun N/R Youtube fhY7L1y4HgU Review: (not yet reviewed) Super Mario RPG Remake (Switch - Square 1996, ArtePiazza 2023) Normal RTA by V0oid [WRH] host Xenadir, couch Iceblue, pidgezero_one, SpikeVegeta 2h38m18s (est 2h45m, wr 2h30m44s) Overall ★★★☆☆ Skill ★★★☆☆ Fun ★★★☆☆ Youtube z4AK3G4c2B4 Review: Upsides: Lot of precise execution for a JRPG, good commentary, very clean run, incredible enthusiasm. Downside: as the marathon finale, like half the couch chatter is about pushing for the final donation goal.