Eight years ago, Games Done Quick started as a handful of sleep-deprived speedrunners unexpectedly crammed into owner Mike Uyama’s mom’s basement. Networking issues had forced them to abandon their planned location at MAGFest’s hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, so they improvised. Back then, the organizers’ chief concern…

Most speedruns showcase the kind of superhuman precision that takes thousands of hours dedicated to repetition and rote memorization. So when a Games Done Quick runner fires up their console at the start of a block, it’s usually a safe bet that they know a hell of a lot more about what’s about to happen than you do.…

Last night, the top two Super Mario Bros 3 speedrunners faced off for a race that ran into problems—including game crashes. Despite the hurdles, speedrunners Mitchflowerpower and GrandPOObear bounced back and showed sportsmanship and skill under stress.

Last night at Summer Games Done Quick, two tricky games were demolished. The runs of Cuphead and Celeste stole the show, giving us all an opportunity to ask, “There’s no way it’s that easy, is it?”

Summer Games Done Quick returns for its eighth year with speedrunning performances across a number of classics, starting with Banjoe-Tooie.