At a hotel in Maryland,Discuss Section about 15 miles outside of Washington D.C., hundreds of gamers gather to play (and watch people play) over a hundred games as quickly as they can, back-to-back, at all hours of the day and night, for a week straight.
This is Awesome Games Done Quick, an annual speedrunning charity marathon that raises money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, and on Tuesday night one of the best runs of the week happened: Sonic the Hedgehogrun by Dr. Fatbody.
SEE ALSO: A look back at 5 of the best moments from Games Done Quick speedrunsThis run is a distillation of what makes speedrunning great — and it just so happens to be a game that's all about going fast.
This original Sonicrun has a charismatic commentator, cool glitches and tricks, and exudes positivity and a strong sense of community. Not only is it impressive to watch Dr. Fatbody complete the iconic 1991 game in just over 20 minutes, the whole segment is imbued with this infectiously warm, welcoming quality.
The way Games Done Quick speedruns usually work is one person plays the game while a group of fellow runners hangs out and talks about the game on the couch behind them.
For the Sonic the Hedgehog run, the couch is stacked with runners, including one who is video-calling in on a laptop, and Dr. Fatbody makes sure to shout all of them out and a handful of others who aren't present.
Speedrunning is a hobby that's built on passion
I'm not even a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehogbut I found myself enamored by the run. The hyper-precise tricks that send Sonic flying through walls and across levels got the crowd and viewers hyped, and shows off the kind of skills and intense practice it takes to master the art of speedrunning.
And while normally runners at marathons try to avoid taking risks, Dr. Fatbody threw caution to the wind and went for a whole bunch of difficult moves to add some extra style to the run and get every hyped up.
The most important part of what makes this speedrun so great is the balance between fun and respect. Dr. Fatbody is clearly a fun guy and is there to have to a good time, but he also clearly cares a lot about this game and its community.
Speedrunning is a hobby that's built on passion. You can't really become a decent speedrunner without dedicating hundreds, even thousands of hours to repeating the same game over and over. Speedrunners know their games inside and out, and you can only really do that without losing your mind unless it's something you truly love.
SEE ALSO: 'Super Mario Bros.' speedrunner hits nearly inhuman 4:55 world recordGames Done Quick events, on top of raising millions of dollars for charities like the Prevent Cancer Foundation, are displays of intense passion, and when channeled through excellent runners, it can be infectious.
It's a passion that inspires people to stay awake until 3 a.m. (or set their morning alarms for 3 a.m.) when they have work or school in the morning to see their favorite games get crushed by talented runners, or tune into a six-hour run of a Zeldagame in Italian (because the dialogue is shortest in Italian) instead of doing literally anything else on a Thursday night.
There's tons of runs worth watching at this year's Awesome Games Done Quick, and still more to come, whether it's to see a favorite game get played by some of the most talented individuals alive or just get caught up in whatever exciting run catches your eye.
And you might even be inspired to try a speedrun yourself.
Topics Gaming
Best Max streaming deal: Save 20% on annual subscriptions
Instagram simplifies its navigation bar, replacing shopping tab with create tab
Microsoft Edge uninstall from Windows now possible – but only if you live here
Thorn Vine on the Wall
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: $40 off at Amazon
Bryan Lee O'Malley on the death of Scott Pilgrim
Foul Matter
Love and Badness in America and the Arab World by Diya Abdo
What cracked the Milky Way's giant cosmic bone? Scientists think they know.
Jonathan Franzen Says No
Astronomers saw one galaxy impale another. The damage was an eye
A Trailer for Jem Cohen’s ‘Chuck
The Art of Memory by Presca Ahn
Love and Badness in America and the Arab World by Diya Abdo
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 5
'Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain' review
Pleasure Principles: An Interview with Carmen Maria Machado
Staff Picks: Fat Ladies, Flowers, and Faraway Lands by The Paris Review
Robin Triumphant
Black Friday Amazon Echo deals 2023
Walt Disney’s Empty Promise by Kent RussellLeaving It All Behind: A Conversation with Makenna Goodman by Alexander CheeStaff Picks: Cardboard Cities, Choral Singing, and CrossThe Crisis Cliché by Hermione HobyWalt Disney’s Empty Promise by Kent RussellStaff Picks: Brownstones, Ballpoint, and Belonging by The Paris ReviewYou Have the Right to Remain Silent by Mary MorrisWhat Does the Sky Feel Like? by Nina MacLaughlinComics as Place by Ivan BrunettiStaff Picks: Cardboard Cities, Choral Singing, and CrossThe Art of Distance No. 12 by The Paris ReviewMasks at Twilight by The Paris ReviewStaff Picks: Tricksters, Transmogrifications, and Treacherous Beauty by The Paris ReviewThe Edge of the Map by Colin DickeyOranges Are Orange, Salmon Are Salmon by Cooking SectionsTexas History by Jill TalbotMasks at Twilight by The Paris ReviewThe Art of Distance No. 14 by The Paris ReviewThe Art of Distance No. 18 by The Paris ReviewThe Flatterer and the Chatterer by Marjorie Garber GoFundMe users have raised $625 million for pandemic relief since March People are disturbed by this Instagram video of a shark being dragged by a speedboat Tesla is first car compatible with Amazon's Ring Car Connect Hey Justin Bieber—go ahead and take a nice, long break Adorable kitten travels the world in an epic Photoshop battle Have an idea for powering NASA on the moon? You could win $5 million. This new dating app wants to help you find love with Twitter celebrities Baby Yoda from 'The Mandalorian' is getting a 1,000 Amazon's 'Utopia' is dark, mean as hell, and poorly timed: Review How to customize your iOS 14 home screen Big questions about raging Western U.S. wildfires, answered Your next Lyft will stop at Taco Bell on the way home Walmart begins trialing drone deliveries for at Google will shut down election ads after polls close in the U.S. There's no ban on carrying comics—or any other type of books—in checked bags In three tweets, Trump bans trans people from military service Apple's next iPad Pro to have mini All 45 seasons of 'Saturday Night Live' are coming to Peacock Warning: The free version of Google Meet will enforce time limits soon Apple fixes iOS 14 bug that resets default browser and mail apps
2.2918s , 10129.9609375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Discuss Section】,Information Information Network