Speedrunning is a relatively new term given to video game players who try to complete the games (or complete certain levels/sections of the game) in as little time as possible. The games that are usually played when speedrunning are the much older video arcade games on classic gaming consoles, such as the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis, the Atari Flashback 8 Gold Deluxe, and the Commodore 64, to name just a few.
If you’re looking to get into speedrunning, which is currently growing in popularity at a rapid rate, then you may want to start by playing some of these iconic games that many of you will already be familiar with by now. You can also learn about the two different types of speedruns right here.
What exactly is speedrunning?
Speedrunning is, quite simply put, the act of trying to complete a video game or a certain part/level of a game in the shortest time possible, and it generally involves much older games that have been around for 5, 10, 15, 20, or even 30 years+. There are, in fact, two different types of ‘speedrunning’ out there today. You have ‘regular’ speedrunning and ‘tool-assisted’ speedrunning.
Speedrunning often involves following carefully planned routes, strategies, and specific action sequences or sequences of events to get the job done. Speedrunners also often exploit certain in-game ‘glitches’ that can help them complete their mission(s) even faster. Regular speedrunning, which is also often referred to as real-time speedrunning, involves just one person playing the game at normal speed using just the standard features that were available in the original copy of the game and using the original gaming system.
Speedrunning and gaming
In comparison, a TAS (tool-assisted speedrun) uses video game emulation software plus several other methods to create what is known as a theoretically perfect playthrough. This can include retrying sections of the level using hex editing and savestates, as well as going through stages frame-by-frame to progress through the game even more accurately and precisely. These tools have been designed to eliminate human restrictions and make way for optimal gameplay. Regular speedruns and tool-assisted speedruns are two completely different things and are not in competition with each other.
Speedrunning on casino sites
While there are many dedicated gaming sites that have some popular speedrunning games available, you generally can’t find or play these games at online casinos. To play traditional casino games, such as slots, blackjack, and roulette, you would need to play at a fully licensed online casino, and you would need to be at least 18 years old to sign up to one of these sites. The good news is that it doesn’t matter what age you are to become a speedrunner and play speedrunning games. For more information about where you can play casino games, the best thing to do would be to read the best new casino guide.
What do you need to do to become good at speedrunning?
There are several things you can do to improve your abilities as a speedrunner, and it helps if you love playing video games. It also helps if you have a knack for playing video games fast and being able to complete them quickly. The best thing to do would be to watch the professionals, to begin with, and maybe check out a speedrunning tournament or two on Twitch or YouTube just to see what kind of competition you are up against.
Speedrunning is a very competitive ‘sport’ these days, and the most successful speedrunners can even make money if they end up placing in a cash prize tournament. After you have seen what kind of competition you may face, the next thing to do would be to choose the game(s) that you love the most and just practice, practice, practice. Try not to take speedrunning too seriously, and don’t spend your entire life at the screen because it’s just not a healthy way to live.
Plan your day by setting aside perhaps just a couple of hours for practice, and don’t forget to record your progress. If you happen to break a world record while you’re on your own, it’s much easier to get people to believe you when you have video footage of your extraordinary feat, instead of just telling them that you broke a record.
Popular speedrunning games in the spotlight
If you’re looking to try out speedrunning, there are literally hundreds of games to choose from. In no particular order of importance, here are some of the best speedrunning games to keep an eye out for in 2022:
- Strider (Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Donkey Kong (Nintendo 64)
- GoldenEye (Nintendo 64)
- Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out! (NES)
- Streets of Rage (SEGA Genesis)
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (Playstation)
- Cookie Click (PC – web browser, Android, Microsoft Windows)
- Mario Bros. (NES)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA Mega Drive)
- Minecraft (Xbox)
- Super Mario Kart (SNES)
Other honourable mentions
If that’s not enough to keep you going, then you may also want to try your hand at some of these other iconic games that have also recently become popular with speedrunners, such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Portal. Super Metroid, Dark Souls, Cuphead, Super Mario World, Undertale, Pokémon Red and Blue, and SpeedRunners, are also really popular speedrunner games to check out.
