Speedrunning has been a category of competitive gaming since the 1970s, though it didn't truly take off until it received the aid of the internet in the 1990s. This means the past 20-30 years' records of speed running could be found any place on the internet.
With how easy and accessible it is for people to record their gameplay and it on popular speed-running competitive sites, talented people all over the world compete to see who could earn the best results. These competitions even sparked speedrun attempts that the internet has made sure people have never forgotten.
Suigi: Mario 64
Super Mario 64 undoubtedly holds the position of one of the most popular speedrunning games in the history of the "sport." Even today, over 20 years since its release, tens to hundreds of speedrun attempts are submitted on the most reliable speedrun archive website, Speedrun.com.
At the top of the infamous 16-star run challenge is the speedrunner known as Suigi. He currently holds first place with a record of 14 minutes and 43 seconds. With over two decades of refinement, dozens of techniques made years ago are regularly used by speedrunners today. That, coupled with phenomenal movement control, inhuman calm, and timing, made for one of the most iconic speedrunning attempts in recent times.
Summoning Salt: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
Speedrunning in itself is an impressive feat, but speedrunning with zero vision of the game is a whole different thing. To prove it's possible, the game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out has a whole category of speedrunners dedicated to beating the game whilst blindfolded.
Wearing what seems to be a thick shopping bag on their head, Summoning Salt was able to beat the game 'blindfolded' with an impressive 18 minutes and 3 seconds. Compared to other speedrunning categories, the only thing players of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out have to rely on is their hearing, a fact all more impressive when considering that the record holder himself wore a bag that may have impaired his hearing.
Blastbolt: Getting Over It
Most games are generally not meant to be completed in less than five minutes, especially not the ones specifically designed to frustrate players to no end, such as the title Getting Over It, which is a title notorious for being one of the hardest games to beat ever.
On July 31, 2022, the speedrunner known as Bastbolt managed to complete the challenge in 1 minute and 1 second. He manages to accomplish this feat with fluid moments, grazing over obstacles with almost no resistance. Truly a sight most impressive and one people should take the time to witness, it is 1 minute after all.
Led_Astray: Portal 2 Solo Co-op
Completing a game made for two people to play together solo is a feat not many people can claim they have accomplished. It's a feat all the more impossible when adding on the fact that along with playing two characters at once, a whole category was directed toward seeing who can complete the game the quickest. Portal 2 is a puzzle game considered to be one of the best couch co-op games to play in which the player must navigate and solve numerous puzzles with the aid of a gun that could create portals.
Watching as Led_Astray alternate between characters, sometimes using both simultaneously, is nothing short of a dance. At least that's how things seem to be conducted as he goes through his world-leading 34-minute solo co-op speedrun. Each of his movements is fluid, as though he knows precisely which portal needed to be placed and when.
Niftski: Super Mario Bros.
In 1985, one of the most difficult games to speedrun was released to the world, Super Mario Bros. To this day, it still holds that reputation, with many of the speedrun skips requiring pinpoint accuracy to use specific techniques that end a run if neglected.
4 minutes and 54 seconds was all it took for Niftski to take first place in the speedrunning rankings. Even while speaking, his movements on the keyboard stay orchestrated. The heart monitor in the corner of the screen makes the scenario more entertaining as the longer the run goes on, the higher Niftski's heart rate is.
EmilySailor: Clustertruck
Clustertruck was a very niche game when it was first released. The premise of the game was simple yet uncommon at the time of its release: ride a wave of delivery trucks to the finish line. It's a weird setup for an indie game, but it works well nonetheless. Carried by the fluidity of the movements and controls, riding the trucks was about as smooth as riding a wave.
EmilySailor, the holder of the first place speedrunning ranking for Clustertruck, made use of the game's many unresolved bugs and incorporated them into her run, making her footage a doozy as she soars through the air, exits and opens the game repeatedly, and navigates through even the most dangerous of maps with ease. It is recommended for viewers of it to take a look at the footage twice in order to comprehend what exactly is happening on the screen.
Cube1337x: Minecraft
Minecraft speed runs require not only skill but luck as well. Whether a player has a good run or not is determined by how the world is generated when a player creates one for their new run. It's a process that is totally random unless manually configured, which, depending on the category, can be counted as cheating.
Speedrunner Cube1337x currently holds the world record of completing a glitch-less Minecraft speedrun with a whopping 9-minute and 23-second run. His run consists of commentary as he navigates the Minecraft world bravely without worrying about dying and having to reset. Watching as he completes what people usually consider the end-game of the title in less than 10 minutes is nothing short of a spectacle; even his audience shares a similar view as the moment he meets completion, his on-screen chat can be seen hyping up the runner.
Pest: Hollow Knight
Every once in a while, a video game comes out that really tests a player's skill more than anything, and a recent example is also considered one of the best platformer games with numerous difficult boss enemies, each with a unique gimmick that players must adapt to using their equipment or with the fluid movement system most platformers possess.
With how much unskippable content the game possesses, the average speed run for Hollow Knight usually lasts somewhere near an hour. Daunting for most players who don't want to risk wasting a potential hour just because of a small mistake during their run. 32 minutes and 16 seconds was all it took for Pest to navigate through the tricky map and defeat every boss of the 47 that exists. His muscle memory carries him as he seems to play in a somewhat trance-like state.
Trofline_Black: Outlast
When thinking of speedrunning most people won't immediately think of speedrunning a horror video game. They are after all designed to be slow-paced and narrative-focused just to draw in the player. Rushing one just seemed inconceivable unless it had sufficient gameplay to warrant it, like maneuverability and a jump mechanic.
5 minutes and 37 seconds was all it took for the speed runner Trofline_Black to complete one of the most iconic horror games of the 2000s, Outlast. This game's speed runs are unique in that they rely heavily on game-breaking glitches to skip cutscenes and encounters. In fact, Trofline himself manages to teleport to the final zone of the game in the first minute since loading in using a bug that requires great precision.
Ryan Lockwood: Goldeneye 007 - Streets
Perhaps the most iconic speed run in all of gaming history, this speed run is unique in that it is categorized on a specific level of a video game rather than completing the entire game itself. The game Goldeneye 007 is, in fact, based on a James Bond film from 1995, only in the game, it is the players who take control of the iconic character and fight a criminal syndicate.
What makes this speed run in particular iconic was not the run itself but the creator who made it, Ryan Lockwood. After recording his feat, he goes on to boast and celebrate while voicing over his run. His audible excitement is charismatic enough for most viewers to go along with his antics.