Super Mario Bros speedrunner accidentally sets world record after promising to stream as Mario
By (Image credit: Niftski)
Super Mario Bros. enthusiasts have invested years attempting to create the ideal speedrun. The competition to be the foremost to attain the flawless run has intensified significantly in the previous year, and the now-legendary Niftski has just established a new record that’s merely two frames from the ultimate aspiration of the entire community. The twist? He didn’t genuinely aim to accomplish it – at least not at that moment.
“My supporters contributed $1,000 for me to perform a Mario impression” throughout an entire Halloween stream, as Niftski narrates in the explanation of his record run on YouTube. He diligently finished the stream adorned with a Mario cap and a fake mustache while performing what he acknowledges as “the most dreadful Mario impression ever.”
The entirety of the video is an absolute joy as Niftski gradually realizes that he’s on world record trajectory while donning a ridiculous outfit and adopting a comical voice. “At last, I just-a had to-a lock-in,” he remarks as he warps into level 4-1. The faux facial hair begins to annoy him in 4-2, as he laments that “I wish to shave-a this thing off because it’s-a literally extremely uncomfortable as hell-a.”
Super Mario Bros. Any% Speedrun in 4:54.299 *WR* – YouTube
“I genuinely hope this run fails, by the way,” he states as he ventures into the game’s concluding stages, still on track for that record. By level 8-3, the second-to-last stage, he’s growing desperate. “Please let this-a run fail,” he pleads, “I don’t-a fancy it, I don’t-a wish to get this larping as Mario.”
Nevertheless, he indeed clinches the world record while-a impersonating Mario. “It made me not anxious at all,” he acknowledges, and that might have been the boost he required to achieve the new record. Yet, there are two more frames to trim before the ideal speedrun finally materializes, and I can only speculate what lengths Niftski might have to pursue to soothe his nerves once more.
