It may have aged over the last 25 years, but the likes of the N64 console heralded in some classic titles that some of the older gamers will fondly remember, with many still playing them to this day. One such game was the rather influential Super Mario 64, which is considered by many to be one of the best Nintendo 64 games of that era. As the first 3D Mario game, it helped raise the bar for other 3D platformers that came after it. One of the things that helps the title's longevity is the fact that people are always speedrunning it to get the best time, and one person has done this, but with a bit of a twist.
In a video uploaded to YouTube a few days ago, a user who runs a channel called Bubzia - Blindfolded Speedruns does precisely what it says on the tin, they do speedruns of games while blindfolded, one of which is Super Mario 64. In this instance, they were able to complete the game in under two hours, clocking in at 1:44:28 according to the clock, and beating their personal best by five minutes. This might not sound like a particularly fast time given that there are plenty of others who have done speedruns, but it is still impressive given that they gave themselves a disadvantage by playing it without being able to see.
This was also a run in which the user completed the game with 70 stars. Recently, another runner managed to finish Mario 64 with all 120 stars, with a time of 1:37:53, which obviously beats Bubzia, but this speedrun was completed without using a blindfold, though is still impressive. According to a report, Bubzia believes that it may be possible to speedrun the game collecting all the stars while blindfolded, something which has not been done before.
Such runs are quickly becoming a lot more common, with the likes of the speedrunning charity Summer Games Done Quick looking to introduce blindfold runs earlier this year. Given the popularity of speedrunning in general, this obviously adds that extra bit of challenge for players, and it's impressive to watch, whether a record is beaten or not.
It's also not the first Mario game to be completed this way. This summer, a user managed to break the Super Mario Bros. record whilst wearing a blindfold, clocking in at 11:55. It shows that the plucky plumber is still something of a favorite among the running community, and despite how old the likes of Mario 64 is now, fans are still keen to challenge themselves or just play it casually, especially given its importance in the mid-to-late 90s.
Super Mario 64 was released in 1996 for the Nintendo 64.
Source: The Gamer
