A new Mario 64 world record has been established, this time a 16-star run done exclusively by playing the drums.
Because Mario 64 is a very ancient game and one of the most popular among speedrunners, these records are inevitably becoming more and more complicated. But that doesn’t diminish its significance in the pantheon of Mario 64 world records! In fact, beating the game in under 20 minutes is a feat in and of itself, but it’s never been done on a frikkin’ drum set before.
CZR, a speedrunner who specializes in defeating games with drum sets, is the first to break this specific world record. He actually finished the run a few weeks ago, but a tweet from Full Squad Gaming CEO Jake Lucky drew much-deserved attention to CZR’s marathon. CZR said that it was his “proudest record to date.”
You can see the complete 19:48 run here, which features CZR pounding on a drum set connected to an actual N64. The streamer has attempted multiple times previously to beat the game in under 20 minutes – his previous run came oh so close at 21:09 – so the suspense and expectation in the video is obvious. He utilizes “clipping” vulnerabilities to bypass the 30-star door and complete the game with only 16 stars. Meanwhile, during non-game situations, the creative musician entertains us with nasty drum fills over the musical jingles.
In terms of what’s next, CZR says he’s thinking of speed-drumming Super Mario Bros. 3, Goldeneye, Minecraft, and Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
