Given the sheer length of time Mario has been around, it’s not surprising that people are able to beat the original Super Mario Bros. in record time. Speedrunning is a huge part of the gaming community, and the iconic Nintendo game is close to having the perfect run.
Over on YouTube, runner Niftski has set a new world record, beating Super Mario Bros. in just 4:54.631. Watching the challenge itself is quite spectacular, but if you’re curious as to why they’re so elated when they finish the game, it’s due to how near-perfect the run was.
You see, according to Niftski, someone just needs to shave off 0.366 seconds (or 22 frames) for it to be the absolute fastest – the literal limit – anyone can beat the classic platformer. Until now, this time was deemed impossible for human hands. But now a “new era” has begun for the speedrunning community.
Heart-pumping stuff
According to GamesRadar, this particular run is impressive because of something called “framerule.” This is, as the report says, the “hidden in-game timer that checks every 21 frames to see if you’ve completed a level.”
There’s a 45-minute breakdown of how this works from YouTuber Summoning Salt, if you’re interested in learning more. Suffice it to say, Niftski’s record sets a new bar for others who want that perfect speedrun.
Speedrun.com has validated this latest run, which puts it just 0.233 seconds ahead of second place. Things are only going to get tighter, and it’s going to be interesting to see who can come along and essentially do a frame-perfect run of Mario.
