Speedrunning

I've always had some sort of positive relationship with video games, though there's never really been a moment where I would have considered myself a 'gamer'. I never played PC games and was more of a casual Nintendo-first kind of guy.

So then why the hell have I spent so much time watching speedrunning videos on YouTube this past year? One day the algorithm recommended a recording of the world record 100% run of what might be my favorite game ever — Super Mario Sunshine. I figured I'd give it a minute or two. What a sick joke that was. Over two hours later I found myself entirely entranced while watching someone engage with a game I had previously thought to be at least decent at (hilarious), in ways I never thought possible. These are people pushing the games they love to their furthest logical extremes over and over again — not for our entertainment but for their own freakish desires. And even more than that, I was captivated by the lore.

They're doing these record breaking runs WHILE talking at great length about the game, what it is they're doing at any given moment, often times reading and reacting to a live chat or chatting with cohosts of the streams. This became my new trash tv. Who needs 90 day fiancé when you have Super Monkey Ball speedrun compilations. If I'm being honest, I became a little too into speedrunning videos. Not that I was spending too much time watching them or anything but in that I have simply exhausted all the content there is to consume relevant to the games I'm interested in. I've seen it all! Thankfully I have no interest in watching games I haven't played or enjoyed otherwise I would never watch a great film or TV show again.

Put on a run of a game you've once loved and see if it's for you. But be prepared for a slippery slope.