https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BChZORabks
On December 2nd, 2017, the longest-running Goldeneye speed run record was broken after 15 years and thousands of tries, sending streamer Karl Jobst into a fit of tears and celebratory screaming. It’s truly a pure and beautiful thing to see. For years this specific run — Dam, Agent difficulty — has been analyzed and broken down by speedrunners of the Nintendo 64 classic, with most coming just milliseconds from glory. In the end, it was Jobst on an unassuming Saturday afternoon who entered the pantheon of gaming immortality.
The video may seem like a weird bit of professional trolling at first, but if you know this world (and pay attention to the incredibly efficient movement through doors and around corners), you’re aware that speedrunners look up to the sky or in the corner to keep their speed up and not get slowed down by the game’s loading.
These gamers know every inch of this 20-year-old game, every digital pebble. Look at the breathtaking elimination of the lock on the fence at the 51-second mark of the video. It’s utter perfection. And when James Bond makes his famous jump down the dam, you can see Jobst knowing he did well, but likely didn’t beat the 53-second world record, until he does and completely loses it along with that chat room.
There’s a chance this record stands for another 15 years. At least.
(Via Polygon)