Games

The Art of Speedrunning Retro Games

May 7, 2024

The Thrill of Defying the Bounds of Possibility

Imagine this: You’re staring at the screen, fingers dancing across the controller like the virtuosic fingers of a concert pianist. The world around you fades away as you enter a state of flow, your entire being focused on the task at hand – beating a classic video game as quickly as humanly possible. This is the world of speedrunning, a niche within gaming that has captured the hearts and minds of a dedicated community of players.

I first stumbled upon the mesmerizing world of speedrunning a few years back, when a friend showed me a video of someone completing the notoriously difficult Dark Souls II in a blistering 1 hour and 6 minutes [1]. I was transfixed, watching in awe as the player effortlessly navigated through the game’s treacherous landscapes, exploiting glitches and employing pixel-perfect movements to shave off precious seconds. It was like witnessing the digital equivalent of a world-class gymnast performing a flawless routine.

From that moment on, I was hooked. I spent hours upon hours scouring the internet, watching speedrunners defy the boundaries of what was thought possible in classic games like Super Mario Bros. 3 [2] and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past [3]. The level of dedication, skill, and innovation these players displayed was truly inspiring.

Cracking the Code: The Art of Glitch Exploitation

At the heart of speedrunning lies a deep understanding of the inner workings of video games – an almost alchemical knowledge of the code and mechanics that govern these digital worlds. Speedrunners are like digital archaeologists, meticulously excavating the hidden layers of their chosen games to uncover shortcuts, glitches, and exploits that allow them to shave precious seconds off their run times.

Take the Super Mario Kart world record holder, Karel van Duijvenboden, for example [4]. With over 17 championships under his belt, Karel has honed his skills to the point where he can complete the entire game in just under 30 minutes. How does he do it? By intimately understanding the nuances of the game’s physics and mechanics, allowing him to execute pixel-perfect maneuvers to skip entire sections of the track.

“It might look like cheating, but there’s actually a lot of technique involved,” Karel explains. “You’ve got to know how the game works and you’ve got to practice a lot to make sure you know the exact frames to make the right moves in. It is a question of milliseconds.”

This relentless pursuit of optimization and technical mastery is a hallmark of the speedrunning community. Whether it’s discovering new glitches, developing innovative movement techniques, or fine-tuning their execution, these players are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible within the confines of their chosen games.

The Speedrunning Community: A Celebration of Shared Passion

Beyond the individual achievements, the speedrunning community is a vibrant and welcoming space that brings together players from all walks of life. From the casual enthusiast to the world-record holder, this community is united by a shared love for gaming and a desire to push the limits of what’s possible.

One of the highlights of the speedrunning calendar is the biannual Games Done Quick (GDQ) event [5], where top runners from around the world gather to showcase their skills and raise money for charitable causes. These marathon sessions, which can last for days on end, are a true celebration of the art of speedrunning – a chance for viewers to witness the pinnacle of human-machine synergy as players navigate through games with superhuman precision.

But the community’s impact extends far beyond these high-profile events. On platforms like YouTube and Twitch, speedrunners have amassed dedicated followings, sharing their techniques, strategies, and insights with aspiring players. Channels like Summoning Salt [6] and Karl Jobst [7] have become hubs for in-depth discussions on the technical aspects of speedrunning, providing a wealth of knowledge for those looking to hone their own skills.

What makes the speedrunning community so special, though, is the sense of camaraderie and mutual respect that permeates it. These players, despite their intense rivalries and competitive drive, are united by a deep appreciation for the games they love and a shared desire to push the boundaries of what’s possible. It’s a community where the pursuit of perfection is tempered by a genuine joy and wonder for the medium they’ve dedicated themselves to.

The Transcendent Art of Speedrunning

At its core, speedrunning is a celebration of the pure, unadulterated joy of gaming. It’s a rejection of the notion that video games are mere vehicles for storytelling or character development, and an embrace of the inherent artistry that lies in the mastery of a game’s mechanics.

As writer Slate eloquently puts it, “If gaming is art, the art is in allowing a player the chance to run, jump, fly, explode, grapple, or fight in a venue where human limitations no longer exist [8].” Speedrunners are the virtuosos of this digital playground, their movements and exploits a testament to the sheer creativity and ingenuity that can arise when the constraints of a game are pushed to their limits.

Whether it’s witnessing a blindfolded player beat Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in just two hours [2] or marveling at the pixel-perfect execution of a Super Mario 64 speedrun [8], there’s a sense of transcendence and awe that comes with watching these feats of gaming mastery. It’s a reminder that the true power of video games lies not in their stories or characters, but in the boundless potential for human expression and achievement within their digital realms.

So the next time you find yourself captivated by the mesmerizing world of speedrunning, remember that you’re not just watching a game being played – you’re witnessing the pure, distilled essence of what makes gaming such a captivating and enduring art form.