4:57.69: New World Record Set for Super Mario Bros.

The original Super Mario Bros. for the NES is an undeniable classic; one that many gamers still pick up from time to time. But did you know that, aside from the casual crowd, some players are constantly competing to beat the game in the fastest time possible?

The term for this type of play-through is called a “speedrun,” and a new record was recently set for Super Mario Bros. by someone who specializes in speedy play — a gamer by the name of “Blubbler,” who went from the opening level to rescuing the princess in 4:57.69. The previous record was 4:58.09.

Watch the speedrun below and be amazed. I played this game a LOT as a kid, and I was nowhere near this good or this fast.

You might have noticed some glitch action happening in certain portions of the game. Blubbler took the time to put together a graphic to explain how he was able to do some of the things he did, which you can view here. The glitches helped Blubbler get Mario through the level as quickly as possible without dying, and, in some cases, allowed him to skip some of the in-game transitions (like walking to the castle).

Now, some of you are probably screaming, “He cheated!” due to Blubbler’s use of warp pipes. Is that a fair accusation? Maybe. But there are different types of categories for speedruns, and this record was set in one called “Any%.” This means that the game counts as finished if the player reaches the end, regardless of how much of the game is actually completed. For instance, there’s an Ocarina of Time speedrun that fits into this category. In it, the player uses a glitch to warp from the beginning of the game to the end, skipping everything in between. It’s wild.

What do you think of this record-breaking Super Mario Bros. speedrun? Leave a comment below.

(h/t Kotaku)