The Most HYPE Moments From Awesome Games Done Quick 2018
One week, over 150 speedruns: Awesome Games Done Quick bashed and broke our favorite video games for charity and did it with style. Each year has raised more money than the previous year (with the exception of 2016). It was tight until the end, but when the final tally was in, AGDQ 2018 beat last year’s record by $40,000. The event raised $2,263,508.19 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Since you likely don’t have a solid week of spare time to watch the entire thing, here are the best and most memorable speedruns we saw during the event….
One early speedrun made the mindbending promise that all the bosses in Donkey Kong Country could be beaten in reverse order. DKC is such a linear game we didn’t see how it would be possible. But with clever glitch exploitation and RNG manipulation, the player was able to jump around the map and fulfill his promise. The exception was K.Rool, since beating him ends the game.
One of the newest games exhibited was this playthrough of Resident Evil 7. The commentary by player Carcinogen and his buddies makes it memorable, as does the fact that he’s constantly in danger of one-hit kills. The run is not only fun but tense…the way an RE game should be.
The Bad Games Done Quick block returned with a vengeance, headlined by the long-awaited GDQ debut of Superman 64! You wont see much ring-flying, though; turns out there’s an Easy Mode where they don’t appear. The player said going through the rings would have added another hour to the playthrough time, and I believe him.
Another highlight of Bad Games Done Quick: the bear-driving-a-car-simulator known as Enviro-Bear 2000! It’ll change your life.
Among the many amazing feats performed this year: the Battletoads Turbo Tunnel blindfolded (the trick is done near the end). Maybe it’s not THAT impressive since he hits the wall a few times. But in case you need something bigger….
How about Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out marathonned at the SAME TIME by ONE PERSON using ONE CONTROLLER? Some laws of physics had to be broken here…
I thought I’d seen it all in regards to Ocarina of Time, but ZFG (who has played the game at GDQ before) showed off some new glitches that completely tore the game apart. It’ll take a lot to top this one.
One of the more offbeat entries was this playthough, involving a veteran of glitch exploitation teaching someone who had never played the game before how to maniplulate NES Strider to beat it in three minutes. With a little practice, his protegee was able to pull the feat off in five, and the whole lesson was taught live on camera.
For those who miss the festivities already, it’s just a few short months until Summer Games Done Quick, which begins June 24.