The Pain and Pleasure of Speedrunning: Super Mario 64 Runner’s Heartbreak
The life of a speedrunner is mostly filled with pain and suffering, with only a small fraction of joy and excitement. This is something that Clint Stevens, a popular Super Mario 64 speedrunner and Twitch streamer, knows all too well. Recently, he experienced the agony of losing a potential new personal-best time in the final stages of a run.
Stevens was on a roll, surpassing his own previous records and making great progress. By the 53-minute mark, he had reached the final level of the run, Bowser in the Sky.
Feeling confident in his abilities, Stevens attempted a difficult jump on some rotating platforms in an effort to save a few precious seconds. Unfortunately, he missed the jump and fell to a lower platform instead. The frustration was evident in his reaction.
Regretting his decision, Stevens admitted his mistake and accepted that he wouldn’t be able to achieve the desired time this time around.
Opting for the safer approach, Stevens patiently waited for the platforms to complete their rotation. Once at the top, he prepared for a long jump, a maneuver well-known to SM64 speedrunners.
However, Stevens slightly miscalculated his aim and ended up colliding with a Goomba. The resulting knockback sent Mario to his death in the vast expanse of the purple sky.
Helplessly, Stevens watched as his run and Mario disappeared right before his eyes.
Exasperated, he exclaimed, “Oh my god, dude, are you kidding me?” after a deep sigh.
Realizing that the lost progress was too significant to recover from, Stevens had no choice but to reset the Nintendo 64 and start all over again.
speedrunning, Super Mario 64, Twitch streamer, personal-best time, Bowser in the Sky, rotating platforms, regret, mistake, long jump, Goomba, Nintendo 64.