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10 essential speedruns you need to see
Hold on to your hats as we take you on a top-speed tour of some of the fastest gaming feats..
Watching the best speedruns makes something special happen inside the mind of even the most grizzled and seasoned gamer. A good speedrun hits different to watching even high-end esports gameplay; there's something about the obsessive, perfectionist passion of watching someone obliterate a game in a fraction of its intended time that just appeals: watching gamers that are the best in their field take advantage of every single shortcut and figure out how even the most inconspicuous glitch can be helped to slice of seconds of their overall time... it's tantamount to technical magic.
That special something speedruns manage to capture works across genres. From the biggest triple-A games to even the most obscure retro titles, there's value in watching a speedrun of just about any game you care to mention. Ever seen someone complete the original Legend of Zelda in just 30 minutes? How about watching someone absolutely rinse the notoriously brutal Dark Souls in under 50 minutes. If that has whet your appetite for brilliant games being completed at breakneck speeds, read on – we've got a lot more where that came from.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Any% in 7:48
Ocarina of Time is one of the most popular speedrun games out there. For years, it's been a popular choice for both veteran and green speedrunners, with many players citing a fondness for the game dating back to their childhood as a reason for picking it up. Thanks to some incredible and unlikely strats – such as summoning the Arwing from Star Fox 64 without cheats or mods – that make the Any% category hotly contested. Watching the game get absolutely blasted in under 8 minutes is a treat, and we're sure players are going to find more ways to shave seconds off that time in the future, too.
Cuphead – All S+P Grades in 1:10:00
What makes this speedrun so special is the context. The runner – TheMexicanRunner – doesn't usually play modern games. TMR actually holds a Guinness World Record for completing all 714 officially-released NES games, an accolade he picked up in 2017. From then, TMR started making a name for himself as a serious speedrunner, setting records in games like Contra and Battletoads. His fans suggested he pick up the run'n'gun game, and he quickly found an affinity with it, setting many world records in the game's release period. The showcase at GDQ, above, is one of the best examples of his talents in the genre.
Celeste – All C-Sides (Dance Pads) in 14:
Celeste is an infamous title. For casual and core players alike, the indie darling is known as a game that loves to ramp up the challenge and lay on new mechanics iteratively – culminating in a final section that makes even platforming experts take a deep breath. So attempting all the hardest levels in the game (that is, completing all the C-sides) is a huge challenge. PeekingBoo wants more of a white-knuckle ride in his AGDQ 2021 appearance, though, and opts to throw away the controller and do the speedrun on a full-size dance pad. Even non-gamers will be impressed by the sheer amount of co-ordination and poise a run like this takes. It simply beggars belief, and you need to see it to believe it.
Super Dram World – Any% in 33:03
Playing through regular retail versions of games is one thing, but what about games that have been modded specifically to pose more of a challenge to speedrunners? ROM hacks like this are a pretty common thing in the speedrunning world, and Super Dram World may be one of the most infamous. The hack is a modified version of Super Mario World created by PangaeaPanga that was inspired by the Kaizo Mario World series when it comes to level design and difficulty (that is to say: it's hard). Red Bull athlete GrandPooBear makes short work of the mod in this incredible live footage at GDQ 2017. You can learn more about GrandPooBear's other runs at the link.
Super Metroid – Any% in 40:56
Retro platformers and Metrovanias are a very popular destination for Speedrunners: between a high skill ceiling, the internal fist-pump you do when you nail a sequence break, glitches, and the need for pixel-perfect maneuvering, the games offer everything an eager runner could possibly want. Acquiring power-ups earlier than the developers ever intended you to makes you feel powerful, yet still vulnerable. It's a great mix. As such, going back to the birth of the eponymous genre and seeing a veteran runner make short work of a game many people struggled with back in the day is a very cathartic experience indeed.
Portal – Glitchless% in 15:16
Sure, it's fun to wrap around the levels and exploit sub-pixels in 2D games, but there's a joy to breaking a 3D game, too. You'll see most titles on this list tend to exist in just two dimensions, but watching Shizzal make short work of Portal in a Glitchless run really shows off just what you can do in a 3D game even if you stay within the physical bounds the developers initially set out for you. The rapid, dizzying pace at which the runner spins, shoots and hops through the titular portals is mind-boggling. It's hard to keep up with the run when you're watching it – let alone playing the game itself!
Pokemon Red/Blue – Any% in 1:45:21
We're going with a video here that doesn't have the world record at the time of this article going live, but instead explains the theory behind how this speedrun works. There's a lot of very specific maths you need to know in order to run a Pokemon game, and even then every run can be thrown into jeopardy thanks to critical hits, random encounters, and more besides. The commentary on this video goes into a great amount of detail on what every speedrunner needs to be aware of if they want to beat the Elite Four in under two hours. If this isn't your speed, though, maybe you'll want to see the various Catch 'Em All runs, or even how it's possible to complete the game in under two minutes.
Sonic Mania – Sonic + Tails in 49:42
Considering speedrunning brings retro and modern games together so well, what better game is there to show off just how much older and newer titles have in common than a re-thinking of one of the 90s most inconic titles? Sonic Mania collects levels from the four mainline Sonic games (the original trilogy and Sonic CD) as well as adding a few new levels based on the original formula into the mix, too. Watching Claris blast through the game and show off all the enhancements to this nostalgic project is an absolute delight, and a real showcase of why speedrunning will endure as a gaming niche for years and years to come.
Fallout Anthology – Main Series Any% in 2:16:21
Now, you may look at that 2+ hours completion time and think "isn't this article supposed to be about speedruns?" And that's a fair comment. But consider that this run actually takes us through four full RPGs, and you start to see why it's so impressive. Better than watching someone clear four games that would likely take the average player over 100 hours to complete, though, is listening to TomatoAnus talk about the games. Not content with simply explaining the process, at one point the runner also whips out a 3D model made out of plastic cups to better explain a glitch to the audience. Now that's dedication!
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die – Any% in 29:54
Dark Souls is an action-RPG so infamous for its difficulty, it's even spawned its own genre; the 'Souls-like'. Generally speaking, a Souls-like game will see the player die (a lot) as they play through the main game. Powerful bosses, sadistic level layouts, Mimics, pitfalls, fake-outs... everything is out to kill you. Most players need to adopt a slow-and-steady approach to these games in order to come out on top, but not speedrunners. Watching a World Record run of any From Software game is amazing. But watching a runner that's been trying for years to bear the game under 30 minutes finally break through that goal? It's an amazingly cathartic experience.
