After 7 days straight of speedrunning, AGDQ 2023 has closed the curtain on yet another successful marathon. In total, the marathon raised over $2,640,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, thanks to the generosity of the organization and community. AGDQ 2023 day 7 held tons of entertaining speedruns, including retro classics, modern blockbusters, and everything in between. Here’s a list of some of our favorite speedruns of the day!
To watch any of the speedruns mentioned here, check out the official Games Done Quick YouTube channel or Twitch channel. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to catch every speedrun from AGDQ 2023 day 7, so we recommend using this list as a starting point for your speedrun binge. If you want more speedrun suggestions from the marathon, check out our other AGDQ 2023 daily recaps!
The Best Speedruns of AGDQ 2023 Day 7
Super Mario All-Stars Shuffler (All Four Games, Any%, No Wrong Warp) by Skybilz
Imagine playing Super Mario Bros 1, 2, 3, and Super Mario World all at the same time. That’s essentially what Skybilz had to do during their speedrun of Super Mario All-Stars Shuffler. Switching between four games randomly every 30 seconds, the “shuffler” aspect of the game results in a hilariously hectic experience, throwing Skybilz into plenty of unfortunate circumstances. Forced to make many on-the-fly adjustments and quickly recall positioning in complicated levels, Skybilz performed wonderfully, making this one of the best speedruns of AGDQ 2023 day 7!
Final time: 1:24:38
Mega Man 64 (Any% Race) by BlueMetal and Aerlien
Mega Man 64, also known as Mega Man Legends, is way different than your average Mega Man game. Swapping sidescrolling action for a 3D adventure, players must explore, collect zenny to upgrade weapons, and defeat huge bosses. Going head-to-head in an Any% race, runners BlueMetal and Aerlien gave it their all, pulling off tricks and skips with ease. With both runners performing well and sticking close to each other throughout, this was a satisfying speedrun race and one of our favorites from AGDQ 2023 day 7.
Final time: 48:38
The Lion King (Any% Easy) by SBDWolf
The Lion King has a notorious reputation for being incredibly difficult, punishing unassuming children of the 1990s with its challenging platforming and unfair level design. It’s incredibly cathartic to watch runner SBDWolf turn this SNES title into child’s play, piecing apart each stage and rarely missing a beat. Using precise jumps, tactical damage boosts, and even a few clips, SBDWolf bested The Lion King in just over 10 minutes. If you ever had the displeasure of renting this game from Blockbuster several decades ago, definitely watch this speedrun.
Final time: 13:17
Half-Life: Alyx (Inbounds) by Buffet Time
Virtual reality speedruns are absolutely mind-boggling, with highly technical glitches that also require physical dexterity. Runner Buffet Time gave us an “Inbounds” speedrun of Half-Life: Alyx, one of the most celebrated VR games of all time. Using cool tricks that let them clip through walls, skip cutscenes, and more, Buffet Time sped through this immersive shooter in a flurry. Taking some time for classic VR distractions like griefing NPCs and stacking props, Buffet Time kept the tone humorous while pulling off an incredibly impressive speedrun.
Final time: 47:38
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (Old Souls) by Nyk_Style
For how incredibly tough the games are, Dark Souls speedruns are so oddly comfy. Runner Nyk_Style gave us an excellent “Old Souls” run of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, requiring him to kill all four of the Old Lords before finishing the game. With a combination of calculated dodging and expert boss strategies, Nyk_Style performed admirably, rarely making mistakes. This was also the speedrun where AGDQ 2023 hit the $2 million mark, leading to lots of hype during the run.
Final time: 1:12:18
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (100%) by Glan
In the sea of Zelda games, many fans point to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past as one of the best entries in the series. Its timeless graphics, gameplay, and narrative make it a top-tier SNES game that helped push the franchise forward. Doing the game justice by running the 100% category, runner Glan showed off his extensive knowledge of glitches, collecting every item and saving Hyrule along the way. There are so many crazy glitches in this run that it’s hard to keep track of them all, but thankfully, the informative commentary helps make it easier to understand. Wholly impressive and nostalgic as can be, this was definitely one of our favorite speedruns of AGDQ 2023 day 7.
Final time: 1:12:43
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Any% Warpless) by mitchflowerpower
Runner mitchflowerpower is no stranger to the AGDQ stage, having participated in some of the marathon’s biggest moments over the past decade. Pulling out his trusty copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 and running the “Any% Warpless” category, mitchflowerpower closed out the marathon with class, skill, and good ‘ol fashioned NES speedrunning. As a bonus, he also performed an ultra-quick “Any%” speedrun, which will absolutely boggle your mind. For clear mastery of Super Mario Bros. 3 on display, this is the speedrun to watch from AGDQ 2023 day 7.
Final time: 52:54
That’s all we have for AGDQ 2023! If you’re still hungry for more speedruns, be sure to check out the rest of our AGDQ 2023 daily recaps for other speedrun suggestions. We commend AGDQ 2023 and everyone who donated for your overwhelming generosity. We’ll see you for Summer Games Done Quick 2023 later in the year!
