The Super Mario Bros. speedrunner Niftski has achieved a new world record for the classic Nintendo title on a PC emulator, setting a time of 4:54.565 in the “any%” category. You may well be wondering why I’m bothering to include the hundredths of a second: So many talented players attempt to do something with Super Mario Bros. that new records in the game are measured in individual frames (thanks, Time Extension).
Super Mario Bros. has always been one of the most popular games to speedrun, probably because it’s so ubiquitous, is arguably the first true classic of 2D platforming, and has a bunch of neat tricks that experienced runners love. Niftski’s run is a masterclass in stitching together pixel-perfect hops and glitches and the absolute nerves of steel needed not to screw it up in 8-4, the game’s last level.
Screwing it up in 8-4 had, unfortunately, been something of a theme for Niftski in the days leading up to the new record, with the streamer experiencing some rotten luck and frustration. The world record run begins with the runner joking about his chances with the chat while executing long looped jumps over piranha plants and jamming Mario into pipes, before the tone begins to slowly shift, both Niftski and the audience realising that this is a good one, and he’s hitting every beat and frame skip perfectly.
8-4 is not just crammed with lots of fast-moving enemies and deadly obstacles, but requires several unusual strats worked together for the most optimal route. There’s a moment in 8-4 where he’s briefly underwater, dodging Bloobers and fire chains with exquisite stroke momentum, where the intensity reaches a fever pitch and Niftski’s soon praying for Bowser: Soon enough he’s at Bowser and like all true speedrunners blazes right past him and crashes into the axe.
Then the yelling: If you do watch the video, maybe get the volume control ready for the end of the run. It’s abundantly clear how much this means for Niftski, who basically spends the next two minutes pinballing around his gaming room shouting “we did it!” while chat goes bananas. Niftski had a heart rate monitor attached during the attempt and it peaks at 188 BPM at the end of the run: He later had to clarify that “nerves can skyrocket at any given time due to the pace” of speedruns like this and he’s completely fine and healthy.
“Although the 8-4 could have been a few frames faster with my strats, I am still extremely happy with this time,” said Nifstki after calming down. “This run is now 18 frames, 0.3 seconds off of absolute perfection!”
Niftski also addressed his use of an emulator and keyboard, which is a legitimate method of speedrunning the game. “Emulation for this game is 100% accurate, which means that anything that can be done on an NES is possible on emulator,” says Niftski. “Keyboard offers no advantage, and it is actually debatably worse for speedrunning this game. I use keyboard over controller for personal preference reasons, I have been playing games on keyboard since a little kid, and I have a very good feel for it compared to controller.”
Of course, if anyone wants to doubt Niftski’s incredible skill, take a look at his records and check yourself before you wreck yourself. This guy holds the #1 spot in the following Super Mario Bros. speedrunning categories: Any%, Glitchless, Warpless All-Stars, Warpless, Any% All-Stars, and Minus World Ending. Oh and he’s the world record holder for The Lost Levels to boot. But a speedrunner’s work is never done: “I will push this to 4:54.4xx and lower in the near future,” says Niftski, “but for now, I am very satisfied with this run!”