Chances are you've probably played Super Mario Bros. - the classic NES title that helped catapult the little platforming plumber into stardom has been available to play on so many different consoles at this point that we've actually lost count. It's even available on the Switch thanks to the recent addition of NES games in the Nintendo Switch Online service, so you can always give it a try there if you're subscribed.
Despite that fact, though, we doubt those of you who have played it have ever managed to complete it with this level of precision, speed, and skill. Kosmic, a speedrunner who knows the game backwards, inside and out, and presumably every way imaginable, has just beaten the world record time for its completion, somehow making it to the very end in just 4 minutes and 55 seconds. Wow.
You can see his achievement listed here on the world record leaderboards; the run was part of the 'Any%' category which means that any in-game tricks can be used to get to the end, and not all levels have to be completed. He used this to amazing effect, perfectly clearing the first two levels, warping to world four, onwards to world eight, and bam. You can check it out below.
The run was so impressive that Kosmic was actually "tied with the TAS" while playing on level 4-1. 'TAS', or 'tool-assisted speedrun' refers to a tool which can be used to program exact inputs in games, allowing the user to then figure out the best possible time that a game can be completed. This means that, at that point of the run, he had pressed every button to perfection - even an automated computer wouldn't have been able to do any better.
We find it hard enough just to make it to the end of Super Mario Bros., never mind finishing it in less than five minutes. If you're reading, Kosmic, congratulations!
Could you pull off something like this? Have you ever tried to speedrun your way through a game? Let us know below.
Comments 40
Just played it for the first time on switch to be honest
@MasterJay good story, really added to the article.
Well played sir and congratulations!
Happy for the guy, you can tell how much that meant to him.Plus he wasn't jumping around screaming like a mad man like some others do, although that's OK too as that's probably what I would do.
I wonder what the best possible time is in Vs Super Mario Bros? It's a shame a speed run leaderboard wasn't added to the High Score and Caravan Mode. I'd probably be lucky to finish it in an hour.I struggle to make it to the end of 1-2 without losing a life.
I've watched the video and I don't know, there are some bits which make it look like he goes through the piranha plants. If I get anywhere near them I die.
Also is it an emulated version? or is it piped through from an original NES into a video in card in his computer?
But if not, fair play to him, I always forget which pipes to go down on the last level.
I'll accept it. At least he didn't use any tool assists or complete game-breaking hacks that mean you can just skip from the main menu or whatever--the wall skips into warp areas and little things like that are fine because they're at least based on pure gaming skill and timing--that I'm aware of.
I just can't deal with how good he is. Wtf
@Bunkerneath The hitboxes on the plants are actually more narrow then the sprites. (Still requires a lot of precition to hit the sides of the pipes correctly.
This video explains a lot what happens in these speed runs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FQJEzJ_cQw
Its a great breakdown of all the tiny details and tricks that make a world record run possible.
Wow!
@Bunkerneath it’s easy to remember to go down the pipes after every lava pit, aside from the first lava pit
Pfft... I'd have done this last night on Switch Online had I not been distracted by those pesky boarders.
And to think I beat it the first night of NES online in 15 mins and I thought that was pretty good haha
I've have yet to finish this game. I don't mind if it's on NES or VS. Super Mario Bros. But these speedrunnings with insane hitboxes, where Mario goes through Piranha Plants without harm... come on! Impossible to me!
that is insane skill. it looks like the whole thing is running faster than normal though? is it because its an emulated version?
"Our princess has been taken"
Mario: "Give me five minutes"
Now that we're in the topic of SMB speedruns, may I suggest this video of SMB's most infamous level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1AHCaokqhg
It speaks volumes of how dedicated the speedrunning community is when one level has this much history and backbone behind it. Kosmic here managed to execute the 4-2 run flawlessly, and I commend him for that. Good work man!
Seriously amazing! I watch his twitch streams! Congrats!
Looks like he was playing on a computer and is it normal for small Mario to pass through some bricks like that? Nevertheless his jump pattern was very impressive and must have taken him a long time to muscle memorize
Beating a game with glitches and calling it a world record is absolute [removed], but yeah, those categories do exist.
Congratulations, despite that detail, he plays like a pro.
Please mind your language - Octane
@Bunkerneath it is played on a real NES I believe, although certain emulators are allowed for this particular game (it depends on the game/category) The piranha plant hit boxes are really wonky because it’s an old game, you can jump over them I’ve done it. Look it up if you aren’t sure. And the thing at the end is a trick that lets him load the next room and go down the wrong pipe.
@nitake92 I believe he was playing on a real NES. It was streamed live on twitch so maybe his computer there. There are clips and glitches with very precise inputs to pass through blocks. It is 100% legitimate.
@Nintendo_Alski I don’t think so lol. I think he’s just really good
That was fun to watch
@rushiosan Reminds me of a dark souls speedrun that involved glitching yourself above the "ceiling" of the game, then coming back down after skipping all the challenging stuff.
"Wuzzah, I beat dis gaem so fast" /s
Sure that's pretty impressive. But has he beaten the final secret boss of Octo Expansion?
I saw some relics in the video that made it very clear he was using a cybernetic brain implant doped up on Adderall to hack his mind and upload a TAS to his neo cortex. We need to remove this haxed win and give it back to heart rate monitor guy since this guy was clearly cheatering'stve. /s
@Bunkerneath hes on a pc its a rom, and your correct i watch it several times and he definatly hits a turtle or two and definatly hits a piranha plant but goes right through if you want the record play on original hardware, nothing else to me will count just for the simple reason you can mod the roms just enough to do it faster. i could be wrong but definatly feels like a rom to me.
@Almighty-Koz First, it's quite easy to jump through certain enemies like that. I've done it myself after seeing SMB & SMB3 speedruns and thinking it was impossible. It's very possible, and it's not even all that difficult. At least, not for a single level =) Keeping it up for the entire run is obviously insane.
As for emulators, looking at his record, it clearly states it was played on original hardware. Regardless, there are very stringent rules for which emulators can be used. The runs are also examined for legitimacy before being accepted. Frame data is analyzed and input files are required to be submitted if using an emulator. So even if an emulator is used, there almost no change any sort of advantage is gained.
in speed runs are you allowed to take advantages of glitches in the game that allow you to jump from level to level?
@stevenw45 In the Any% category, which this run was completed in, yes. There are other categories for glitchless and 100% runs.
What happened with that Windows menu at the end? Surely that's an emulator?
(5:14 mark)
Truly phenomenal! Congrats to them on this unbelievable WR run!
Even the power of Bowsette caused a new world record. XD Just keep telling yourself she'll bake you a cake if you nab the record. XD
Unless he's trying to ruin his reputation (which he has plenty of), this run is legit. Run on original hardware, probably with split video output which runs to PC, which is windowboxed a set in that arrangement, streamed to Twitch with OBS... That should explain everything... And for those of you who are complaining about emulators, I sure hope you never decide to run this game on a VC port.
@rushiosan @Blizzia: Y'all should know that some of those glitches are frame and pixel perfect. There are glitchless categories for a reason.
That said, congrats to Kosmic on a crazy run, especially without having to grind for it.
I used to think very little of speed running, assuming they all just cheated using glitches and emulators. Then I actually spent some time researching it and watched videos on the subject. I quickly changed my opinion.
These speed runs take a ridiculous amount of skill, thousands of hours of practice and an extremely deep understanding of the games and the way they process their code. It truly is a fascinating subject, and shouldn’t be flippantly disregarded as ‘cheating’.
Man those pixel perfect jumps don't even look real. I have no real reason to doubt this guy, but I mean, we can't see his hands. It just looks so unnatural to me.
But then again, I'm not a speed runner. lol
@GravyThief To be fair though, most do abuse the hell out of glitches. Even playing specific older versions or regional releases that have known glitches that later got fixed. Not saying they shouldn't, but they do.
@SomeBitTripFan Don't particularly care, but good for the speedrunners I guess.
@SomeBitTripFan If it is original hardware, how do you capture the button inputs on that screen overlay to show what buttons he is hitting?
@Heavyarms55 but that’s fine if it’s in a category that allows it, such as Any% if they skip a lot of the game, and not the glitchless category. A lot of glitches I’ve seen take so much skill anyway that an ordinary person still wouldn’t be able to perform them, and I find learning about how the glitches work fascinating. For those not into that sort of thing, the glitchless category would be the way to go.
@GravyThief Hey, like I said, not saying that they shouldn't use them. Just pointing out that they do.
Tap here to load 40 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...