The Top 9 Speedruns of All Time

If you are into video games, you know how fulfilling it is to compete and beat the game. Some players take their love for gaming to a new level via speedrunning. Speedrunning is winning a game or a section of a video game in the fastest way possible.

Speedrunning has been part of competitive sporting since the 1970s. However, its successful take-off happened in the 1990s following the advent of the internet. The internet made it easy for people to record their gameplay and upload them to popular speedrunning competitive sites.

Speedrunning has different approaches and categories that many creators have so far tried out on their favorite games. Some players focus on getting a lot more things to be done, while others are more interested in reaching the end of the game. Read on to learn more about the top 9 speedruns of all time and where they came from.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Speedrun

One of the Best Single-Player Games

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

$32.90

• Considered one of the greatest single-player video games ever created
• Freely explore the changing environment with our hero, Link
• Hundreds of secret treasures
• Fight training course built into the game
• A number of fun mini-games

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11/27/2023 05:01 am GMT

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of the few video games that has earned much recognition. This game is a staple part of most childhoods and is no doubt that many game lovers have attempted to speedrun it.

Complete gameplay of The Legend of Zelda-Ocarina of Time takes about 37 hours, based on the number of side quests you go through. However, only one player, named Murph_E, managed to complete the game in a surprising three minutes and fifty-one seconds record.

Nintendo developed and published this action-adventure game, and its users praise it for its visuals, gameplay, soundtrack, and clear writing. Several publications have also named Ocarina of Time the most excellent video game ever as it continues to enjoy its worldwide commercial success. 

Absurd skips, intricate glitches, wacky warps, and exciting use of movements break down the Legend of Zelda game into mysterious ways that characterize the game. Watch Murph_E’s record-breaking run in the video below!

2. Dark Souls Remastered Speedrun

Genre-Defining Classic

Dark Souls Remastered (PS4)

$25.12

• Remastered version includes the main game plus the Artorias of the Abyss DLC
• Hundreds of combinations of weapons, armor, and magic to design your own playstyle
• Build your character as you hone your playing skills
• Freely explore an unknown world full of hidden passages, dungeons, and mystery
• Multiplayer with up to 6 players on dedicated servers

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11/27/2023 05:06 am GMT

The Dark Souls series is known for its punishing combat and relentless gameplay. The game presents multiple bosses for gamers to face. Dark Souls Remastered is not meant for unskilled players, as it might cost them many attempts before they can clear all the bosses.

Therefore, it is a perfect game for grizzled speed runners to display their gaming skills. The bosses tend to be ruthless, sometimes unpredictable, and extremely strong. Most players view the Dark Soul’s encounter to be a frightening journey characterized by in-game suffering,  multiple frustrations, and deaths.

However, Speedrunner Catalyst views All Bosses as a walk in the park, beating Dark Souls in just 1 hour, 1 minute, and 46 seconds. Catalyst deploys a series of sequence breaks to acquire critical items and get to each boss arena as quickly as possible.

Catalyst uses the moveswap glitch to defeat each boss in a faster-than-usual way. The process also enables catalysts to transfer the rolling, running, and plunging attack from one weapon to another. This technique, if used correctly, can double the damage output of weapons and set up extremely satisfying kill times. Watch Catalyst’s world record speedrun for All Bosses now!

3. Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1 Speedrun

Expansion for Critically-Acclaimed DOOM Eternal

DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1 - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]

$19.88

• The first campaign expansion for DOOM Eternal.
• Standalone product for those who don't own DOOM Eternal Standard or Deluxe Edition
• New mission to restore order to the heavens and unearth universal corruption
• New locations including UAC Atlantica on Earth, the Blood Swamps of Hell, and demon-infested Urdak

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11/27/2023 05:06 am GMT

You might have heard of the game Doom Eternal even if you are not an ardent video game fanatic. The popular first-person shooter game has garnered a massive following of dedicated gamers since 1995. Doom Eternal has been on the market for over 30 years, giving gamers enough time to analyze its nooks and cranny. 

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods is one of the game’s installments with a record of the shortest speedrun in the entire series. TherealPaisano completed the game with a record time of four minutes, and forty-three seconds, shown below.

4. Pokemon Red/Blue Speedrun

First Title in the Pokemon Series

Pokemon – Red Version

$47.41

• Pokemon Red/Blue is the first installment in the franchise
• Ingenious story hook
• Fun gameplay and strategy
• Fantastic replay value
• Brilliant game design

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11/27/2023 05:02 am GMT

Pokemon Red and Blue were released in 1996. Since then, Professor Oak has sent out thousands of fledging trainers on a quest to become Pokemon masters. Unfortunately, none of them achieved the milestone faster than the pokeguy.

The pokeguy beat the Pokemon game in one hour, 45 minutes, and 21 seconds, making him the second-best champion in the all of Kanto. There is a high likelihood that Oak’s grandson, Blue, was always programmed to be first place, as his achievement is impressive.

The best thing about this incredible game is its glitches, meaning, Pokeman did not use in-game exploits to accomplish the milestones. Instead, he only relied on his over-leveled Nidoking to force his way through the game with the help of powerful tactics, such as earthquake and Horn drill, to overpower components, even before they could think of retaliating.

For a game that hardly has a world record, the theory behind its speedrun entails specific math you need to run it. It is essential to note that nearly every run can be jeopardized, especially with critical hits and random encounters.

A few commentaries on the game detail what every speed runner needs to know if they want to win in under two hours.

5. Resident Evil 2 (Leon) Speedrun

Reimagined Horror Classic

Resident Evil 2 - PlayStation 4

$20.95

• Reimagined horror classic is based on the original PlayStation release from 1998
• Rebuilt from the ground up for a more immersive narrative
• New over-the-shoulder camera mode plus original modes from the 1998 original
• 4K visuals powered by Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine
• Engage in combat with enemies, explore haunting locations, and solve puzzles to progress through the game

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11/27/2023 05:06 am GMT

If you love video games, you will agree that Resident Evil games always encourage quick playthroughs. Every game ranks your performance based on your completion time. Resident Evil has drawn many speed runners to Capcom’s grisly zombie franchise, initially graced by Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield in 1996.

Capcom remade Resident Evil, and now Resident Evil 2 (Leon) is the game to watch out for. 7rayD is the latest speedrun title holder, clocking an impressive record time of 52 minutes and 10 seconds. 7rayD entirely relies on his knowledge of the game’s map.

The speed runner quickly traverses the corridors while solving puzzles in an alley filled with flesh-eating creatures. He also uses Leon’s knife to bring down many menacing types of William Birkin effortlessly.

To amateur gamers, 7rayD efforts seem like a mere show-off. However, it is essential to note that the Resident Evil 2 system framerate determines the game’s knife damage. Notice carefully that as 7rayD plays Resident Evil 2 on PC, he can easily reach higher frame rates, dish out massive damage, and significantly reduce the time needed to complete every encounter.

To even make things more exciting, he goes to the extent of running while juggling around the game’s oversized crocodile. Overall, Resident Evil 2, the remake of the 1998 classic, promises you mind-blowing perspectives and multiple new surprises. Check out 7rayD’s world record speedrun below.

6. Celeste Speedrun

Narrative-Driven Platformer

Celeste – Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]

• Single-player adventure
• Help Madeline on her journey to self-discovery in the narrative-driven gameplay
• Mountain setting featuring 700+ screens of platforming challenges
• Unlock brutal B-side chapters

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Celeste is a relatively infamous title in the world of video games. It is a favorite to casual and core players looking for opportunities to ramp up the challenge of getting to the top of the Celeste Mountain while avoiding multiple hazards.

It might not be a short game, but it takes a lot of skill and determination to succeed. Celeste-All Sides has attracted many speed runners looking to claim a world record. The current record holder is Marlin, who achieved an impressive 27-minute, 9 seconds, and 943 microseconds mark.

Marlin only used dash jumps, split-second wall grabs, and secret paths to beat the record. He is so fast that Badeline, Madeline’s ghostly doppelganger, can barely keep up. Watch below!

7. Super Meat Boy Speedrun

Quirky Platformer

Super Meat Boy

$46.99

• Play as an animated cube of meat trying to save his girlfriend made of bandages
• Story mode features over 300 levels
• Find warp zones to warp you into other games
• Over 16 unlockable playable characters from titles such as Minecraft, Bit.Trip, VVVVVV and Machinarium
• Features awesome boss battles

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11/27/2023 05:06 am GMT

Super Meat Boy is another excellent video game whose difficulty is often overlooked. Many new gamers are falsely lured into the deceivingly tricky game with the illusion of security. Before gamers know it, they are hit with the reality that Super Meat Boy is such a difficult game and wonder why someone tried to speedrun it in the first place. 

It’s a platform game where you play as “Meat Boy” (animated cube of meat). Your role is to save your “Bandage Girl” from the evil scientist Dr. Fetus. You have to go through walls, caves, saw blades, and avoid other fatal obstacles to succeed in each level.

However, despite all the above, one player named Matte beat the game in just 17 minutes and 27 seconds. Check it out now!

8. Super Metroid Speedrun

2D Side-Scrolling Sci-Fi Adventure

Super Metroid

• 2D side-scrolling action-adventure game
• Third title in the Metroid series
• Take on the role of outer space bounty hunter, Samus Aran
• Gather power-ups to fight space pirates on the planet Zebes

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Super Metroid is not new to the Nintendo sci-fiction category and speed-running spotlight. It offers a perfect chance for gamers to practice their shooting prowess, and that is exactly what Behemoth87 did to beat the game in just 40 minutes and 56 seconds.

Super Metroid employs the sequence-breaking technique throughout the game. With the method, Behemoth87 acquired power-ups before their intended time, skipping a whole map section.

During the combat, he intentionally runs into his enemies while shooting to trigger the invincibility frames required to take the enemies down without harming himself. Additionally, Behemoth87 incorporates the Samus’ spin jump to dodge through waves of flesh-eating creatures tactically.

It is an impressive scene to watch Samus destroy space pirates and escape the destruction of a planet in just 40 minutes. See for yourself below!

9. Portal

Award-Winning Puzzle Game

Portal - PC

• First-person puzzle action-adventure game
• Create your own Portal puzzles with level editing and mod creation
• Includes two bonus games
• From Valve, the creators of Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike

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The Portal series offers an excellent opportunity for speed runners to strive through the game using the mechanics of the legendary portal gun. Portal speedrunner record holder, Shizzal uses a series of Edgeglitches to beat the game in six minutes, 53 seconds, and 940 microseconds.

Shizzal forces the camera to detach from his body to help him shoot portals on the opposite side from where he is positioned. Shizzal also performs some mind-blowing chamber skips, thanks to the nifty technique performed while standing on top or next to the portal.

Final Words

We cannot deny that the faster the speedrun, the more exciting it is. Speedrunning’s most extraordinary aspect is that it captures works across all genres. Whether it is a Triple-A game or the most obscure retro titles, you can be sure of getting additional value by speedrunning the game.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Matt Robertson Photo/Shutterstock.com.