A gamer who goes by ‘Niftski’ online has achieved a record breaking Super Mario Bros. speedrun by completing the game through World 8-4 in 4:54.631 without using any tools. Just 22 frames, or 0.366 seconds, separates this speedrun from absolute perfection, or what a tool-assisted robot can finish the game in.
Niftski also set the previous record, which stood for 395 days, by completing a Super Mario Bros. speedrun in 4:54.798. This new record may just be a .167 second improvement, but getting through the game even a fraction faster is near impossible for those who do not practice speedrunning the game day in and out. World 8-4 is the only exception to the game’s frame rule system, as it goes to the ending immediately after defeating Bowser instead of waiting for a new 21 frame cycle.
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Another frequently asked question is about keyboard / emulator. Emulation for this game is 100% accurate, which means that anything that can be done on an NES is possible on emulator. 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,” said Niftski.
