# What is Seterra? 

Seterra is a GeoGuesser game that was brought to Speedrun.com on September 23rd, 2022. It allows you to play different game modes and remembers your States and Countries. The following modes that are in the game are:

1. Pin
2. Type
3. Pin (Hard)
4. Type (Easy) 
5. Place The Labels

Seterra has a total of 635 Followers and ~1,460 Players are speedrunning the game at this very moment.

# How did we get to 20,000 Speedruns?

20,000 is a big number - let's go over some WR's that got verified by our amazing moderators.

### Europe: Countries (With Kosovo) - Pin

On June 22nd, 2023, [@Sirixilus Got the WR first with a 34s 859ms. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwE_NqQfqQE)

On November 8th, 2024, [@UNFRIED Got the new WR with a time of a 21s 333ms. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NZR16CnYYo)

### The U.S.: 50 States - Pin

On June 27th, 2023, [@nonamebyprogram Got the WR first with a 1m 16s 605ms](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwjMGueAAo)

On November 3rd, 2024, [@zBlur Got the new WR with a 23s 948ms. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZmQQURxtfs)

### North And Central America: Countries - Pin

On June 29th, 2023, [@Daxzz Got the WR first with a 8s 308ms ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6VRIkFVUVs)

On November 19th, 2024, [@radkouse Got the new WR with a 4s 784ms. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5MuGL5-kGU)

# Which runners have the most runs in the game? 

I picked 5 unique runners who speedrun this game and have a lot of runs on this game.

1. @Daxzz - 790 runs
2. @JobyBabby - 894 runs
3. @BB78 - 1397 runs
4. @Serdzio - 1650 runs
5. @Akuretaki - 2152 runs

# Who has been verifying these runs on this awesome game? 

With 20,000 Speedruns. Who has been Verifying these runs all this time?

1. @Daxzz - Verified a whopping total of 15,175 runs
2. @dha - This moderator has verified 157 runs
3. @Otterstone_Gamer - This moderator has verified 1,736 runs
4. @Shinboy - This moderator has verified 74 runs
5. @Teoinator - This moderator has verified 1,315 runs

I want to thank all of the Moderators and Super Moderators for verifying all 20,000 speedruns and many more to come in the future.

# What is next for Seterra? 

Seterra is still growing strong. We should be able to get to 30,000 Speedruns and get over 1,500 Speedrunners who are going to Speedrun this game. It is an amazing sight to see all of these amazing people speedrunning this game and seeing the Moderators verify these runs as fast as possible to get more and more and more runs.

# Final Words. 

I want to say, thank you so much for allowing me to upload this news article. I remember doing the 1st one when we got 10,000 speedruns and now we are at 20,000 - this is so amazing.  Thank you so much for all the support and appreciation towards these amazing moments.  Big thank you to @starsmiley @Meta @Camcorder and a bunch of other amazing people. If it was not for you amazing people. We would not be here doing what we love doing. I cannot wait to see what is going to unfold in the future.

Showing the best of the best players and showing some Recent WR's that happened on Seterra. 

20,000 Speedruns on Seterra 

The 8th Souls Charity Marathon takes place November 30th - December 1st!



## **What is Souls Charity Marathon?**

The Souls Speedrunning community's beloved charity marathon. It consists of 2 days of back-to-back Souls speedrun content! During the event you can expect high level speedruns, bingo, races, randomizers, and our yearly tradition, the community relay race. The marathon benefits [Save the Children](https://www.savethechildren.net/) and has fundraised a total of $144,000 to date.



## What is the relay race?

The relay race consists of two teams of speedrunners who will race through the entire Souls series. Every year the relay race features a different category for this race, this year teams will speedrun the Any% category of their games. This entire race is projected to be approximately 5 hours, and is not to be missed as it is truly the highlight of the event. The relay takes place on Sunday, December 1st.



## When is the marathon?

The marathon is Novemeber 30th - December 1st, find the schedule [here](https://oengus.io/marathon/scm2024/schedule).



## Where to find us:

**Twitch:** [SoulsSpeedruns](https://www.twitch.tv/soulsspeedruns) **Twitter:** [@SoulsSpeedruns](https://twitter.com/soulsspeedruns) **Bluesky:** [SoulsSpeedruns](https://bsky.app/profile/soulsspeedruns.bsky.social) **Website:** [soulsspeedruns.com](https://soulsspeedruns.com/)



Don't miss out on our 8th annual marathon! Come for the Souls runs, stay for the community.


Souls Charity Marathon is a community speedrun event filled with Souls series speedruns, bingo, randomizers, and our special feature relay race. Come join this one-of-a-kind event in efforts to raise funds for Save the Children.

Souls Charity Marathon is back for its 8th year this weekend!

# The Gold Split Newsletter - Week #21

The Gold Split offers a free, weekly digest of news from the world of speedrunning and beyond.

This **Story of the Week** is all about @Suigi 's sweep of all five main Super Mario 64 categories and was featured in this week's issue. The full post includes **more news**, briefly, as well as this week's top times and a fun fact. Check it out **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-19)**.

## ![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/wzxxw3qz.png)

# Story of the Week ✨

@Suigi is the first person to hold the records of ***[Super Mario 64](https://www.speedrun.com/sm64)***’s five major speedrun categories at the same time. How did we get here? Why did nobody stop him? Is the game truly dead? I’ll give a short overview of the game in general and each category in particular. Let’s dive in!

## Overview / History

*Super Mario 64* is a game that needs no introduction. Because its 3D movement offers such a wealth of options to traverse incredibly diverse levels, it is objectively one of the best games for speedrunning, both as a player and a viewer. Because it has attracted such a big crowd, the competition is fierce, and it takes years of practice to become one of the best.

*0 Star*, *1 Star*, *16 Star*, *70 Star*, and *120 Star* are the five major speedrun categories. They mainly differ in the number of power stars collected before defeating *Bowser in the Sky*, the final level of the game. But the methods *Mario* uses to get there and the glitches allowed along the way vary greatly. Four doors requiring 8, 30, 50, and 70 power stars, respectively, block Mario’s progress until he has collected enough.

In the past, the story of *Super Mario 64* speedrunning has been one of specialists: whether it’s @cheese and @puncayshun in *120 Star* and *70 Star*, @Xiah and @akki in *16 Star*, or @MANNO and @Dowsky in *1 Star* and *0 Star*: dominating performances were always limited to at most two categories. Until @Suigi entered the scene. By June 2023, he already held the record in four of the five categories. Only the most prestigious one was left to claim: *120 Star*.

For each category, I’ll give a short overview and then cover @Suigi 's road to the record. Categories are ordered chronologically by the time his most recent record was set.

## 16 Star

When @Suigi created his account on *[speedrun.com](https://www.speedrun.com/)* on March 8th, 2020, he also submitted his first time to the leaderboards: 30 minutes flat in the *16 Star* category.

*16 Star* is the most popular category for beginners. It’s short and there are a limited number of techniques to learn, providing a solid base of experience to step into more technical or longer categories. The goal is to beat the game as fast as possible with the following restrictions:

- A complicated technique called *[Side Backwards Long Jump](https://ukikipedia.net/wiki/SBLJ)* is not allowed
- The door blocked by the 30 power stars requirement may only be skipped using a technique called *[MIPS Clip](https://youtu.be/TMUuBZ7lOVI)*

16 Star Progression:

![](/static/blob/3ekd0v3z.png)

A few months after his initial time, @Suigi submitted a 00:20:07 in August 2020 and never stopped improving until achieving his first record on November 10th, 2021. He was only dethroned once more by @Weegee shortly after, but then started his quest of domination that ended in March of 2023 with a record that speedrunning content creator *Bismuth* called [the perfect Mario run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMp0VwztcNw): **00:14:35.500**.

This time remains on top of that category’s leaderboard today and is the foundation of @Suigi 's streak.

## 1 Star

This category is the next most technical, the second shortest and uses the *[Side Backwards Long Jump](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Rh63aMJro)* to skip the door requiring 30 power stars. Players still collect one star in *Dire Dire Docks*, the stage blocking access to the second *Bowser* level. This avoids the much more difficult setup needed for the *0 Star* category.

1 Star Progression:

![](/static/blob/xz0d8ome.png)

@Suigi started running this in October of 2021, but it wasn’t until December of 2022 when he began seriously improving and aiming for a better time. The first record of 00:07:04.270 followed two months later in February of 2023, but he managed to shave nearly seven more seconds off that time.

On April 9th, 2023, he set the record that also still stands today: **00:06:57.580**. This marks the beginning of a pattern: when setting a record, @Suigi simply didn’t stop. He continued until he was happy with his performance. And by that time, he’s put himself such an impressive distance away from all the other ranks that it discouraged the competition, leaving them with a significant gap to close. Today, this gap is still over six seconds large.

## 0 Star

This category is basically the *Any%* category of *Super Mario 64*. Everything is allowed, except collecting power stars. It’s similar to *1 Star*, but requires a much more complicated setup for the *[Side Backwards Long Jump](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnTU96zwPJc)* in order to skip *Dire Dire Docks* and go straight to *Bowser in the Fire Sea*.

0 Star Progression:

![](/static/blob/kzwo1k2e.png)

@Suigi picked up this category in June of 2022 and seriously started trying to improve soon after his first *1 Star* record in February of 2023. Two months later, he set his first record, but once again he did not stop there. He kept improving, eventually securing a comfortable lead of over ten seconds ahead of the second place. This is a huge gap for a run that is just over six minutes long. The final record before moving on was set on October 25th, 2023: **00:06:16.600.**

## 120 Star

*120 Star* is without a doubt the most prestigious category. Over the course of more than 90 minutes, every single star in the game is collected. The way in which that is done has been refined unlike any other category in any other game, and there are many different routes for players of different skill levels. *120 Star* demands constant focus, stamina, precision, and especially consistency. If @Suigi could prove here that he’s not just the best in the shorter categories, nobody would be able to doubt his status as a legend.

120 Star Progression:

![](/static/blob/xzdp1v5z.png)

@Suigi made his first tentative steps in November of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. But only after his times in 16 Star, 1 Star, and 0 Star were secured, he began to put a lot of effort into practice.

And the results spoke for themselves: by June of 2024, after just over six months, he achieved a time of 01:37:38, putting him in reach of the record at the time. But it still took four months of more and more promising attempts until it finally happened: on October 26th, 2024, @Suigi set a new record at 01:35:33. Not only was he the first to achieve a time below 01:36:00, he also improved his previous time by almost one and a half minutes.

More than that, he also proved that it was not a fluke by again persevering and setting another record, just eight days later. It’s the record that still stands today: **01:35:28**.

## 70 Star

70 power stars is the amount necessary to get past all of *Bowser’s* obstacles without the use of glitches. The major sequence breaks through the power star doors and the endless staircase are banned, and thus this category is the closest of the five major ones that could be considered glitchless-ish.

Throughout the years, players meticulously identified those 70 stars that can be collected the fastest. Many route variations for various skill levels exist that collect certain power stars at different points in the game, or opt for entirely different ones.

70 Star Progression:

![](/static/blob/1n5345qz.png)

@Suigi played *70 Star* at various points throughout his journey, most notably after he started practising the category in February of 2022 and in June of 2023, when he broke the record for the first time.

At this point in time, @Suigi already held four out of the five records. However, he had not yet mastered *120 Star*, and doing so would take a while. Others were also close to beating his *70 Star* record, and Japanese runner @ikori_o eventually did twice in December of 2023 by a decent margin.

It wasn’t until @Suigi secured his *120 Star* victory that he could return to *70 Star* and complete the full sweep of all major categories in *Super Mario 64*, an achievement almost 20 months in the making. On November 17th, 2024, he beat @ikori_o 's time by two seconds and became the greatest of all time: **00:46:26 🐐**

## Conclusion & Outlook

If you’ve read all of this but are still in search of answers that will explain how @Suigi managed this legendary accomplishment, consider these points:

- His attitude to practice: in the past, many runners would practice the majority of the run by doing full game runs. This made them experts in the more casual sections, but made it harder to consistently pull off the more difficult techniques. @Suigi specifically practised these harder skips until he was able to confidently do them five times or even ten or more times in a row within a certain timeframe.
- The times he had set in *16 Star*, *1 Star*, and *0 Star* were so dominant that there was very little competition to challenge them. That is still true even over a year after they had been achieved.
- Breaking the record in *120 Star* was only a matter of time given his talent. And afterwards it took him just 22 days to also sit on top of the *70 Star* leaderboard. There simply was not enough time for anybody to respond.
- He’s just that good.

After the dust had settled, some said that *Super Mario 64* speedrunning is dead. That everything has been achieved. That there’s no drive to push for more. But I don’t think that’s the case.

While @Suigi 's records in the shorter categories will be incredibly tough to beat, the *70 Star* time is well within reach. And *120 Star* is so complex and long and has so many people consistently at the top that it would be a huge surprise to not see others motivated by his achievement. *Super Mario 64* will remain a shining beacon within speedrunning and will always attract new runners to the scene. @Suigi is incredibly young and likely only the beginning of a new generation of runners, and instead of mourning the past and being pessimistic about the future, let’s focus on making them feel as welcome as possible. If we manage this, we’ll be able to witness many more achievements just like this one.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/rz251jdz.png)

Thank you for reading! If you're curious about more of this week's news or would even consider subscribing to the newsletter, you'll find the full post over **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-19)**.

Finding new stories to cover can be challenging. I encourage you to think about what happened recently in the communities you are a part of. If there are any stories, articles, glitches, events, or other topics I should be taking a look at, go ahead and **[submit them here](https://forms.gle/F1VJ4PG68FTZKqn49)** or in the **[Gold Split Discord](https://discord.gg/SpbFCgsYkU)**! 📨

The Gold Split is a free weekly newsletter focused on speedrunning. This week's main story is all about Suigi's sweep of all five main Super Mario 64 categories.

The Gold Split Week #21: Five out of Five Marios

Here’s everything you’ll want to know heading into the challenge:

**Starting Date:** November 15th, 2024 @ 12:00PM UTC

**Duration:** 9 days, until 11:59PM UTC November 24th, 2024

## **Prize Distribution:**

The $500 prize pool will be distributed among the top performers for fastest completion time in the selected category. The distribution is as follows:

**1st place** - $250

**2nd place** - $150

**3rd place** - $100

Please note that in order to comply with international tax law, **the challenge cash prize may be subject to tax withholding based on the winner's country of residence.**

## **Participation Prizes:**

As usual with our SRC Series Challenges, we are bringing back participation prizes!

First of all, any runner who submits any runs to the BO6 Zombies Speedrun Challenge will receive **one month** of SRC Supporter, if you haven’t heard of Supporter before you may learn more about it[ here](https://www.speedrun.com/supporter)!

Secondly, any challenge participants will be awarded with a unique (and yet to be revealed) title! If you’re unfamiliar with Titles, they are a unique descriptor that goes alongside your username on your profile (as well as profile popovers) which can (as of right now) only be acquired by participating in Challenges right here on SRC. To find out more, check out our last article about Titles! [https://www.speedrun.com/news/17vr795x-introducing-titles](https://www.speedrun.com/news/17vr795x-introducing-titles)

## **Eligibility:**

Open to players aged 18 and above worldwide, with the following exceptions: North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Cuba, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela.

If you are under the age of 18, not to worry! You can still participate and win the participation prizes, but unfortunately you will not be eligible for the cash prizes amongst the top 3.

## **Category:**

The category of choice will be revealed shortly before the launch of the challenge!

## **Submission:**

Record your speedrun and submit it via [our Challenge leaderboard here on Speedrun.com.](https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/xny8nyl5-BO6Zombies-black-ops-6-zombies-speedrun-challenge)

Follow the guidelines provided for video formatting and submission requirements, found in the rules section. Please note that we require that prize eligible runs submitted to this challenge must have been live streamed to qualify.

**Rules and Regulations:**

All speedruns must adhere to the official rules, available on the Speedrun.com Challenge leaderboard.

Contest Rules: [https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/xny8nyl5-BO6Zombies-black-ops-6-zombies-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=contest](https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/xny8nyl5-BO6Zombies-black-ops-6-zombies-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=contest)

Category Rules: [https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/xny8nyl5-BO6Zombies-black-ops-6-zombies-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=challenge](https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/xny8nyl5-BO6Zombies-black-ops-6-zombies-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=challenge)

## **Preparation Suggestions**

To find tips & tricks for the speedrun, visit [the BO6 Zombies leaderboard right here on Speedrun.com](https://www.speedrun.com/BO6Zombies) and/or join [COD Zombies Speedrunning Discord Server](https://discord.com/invite/H2VdDefUrK)!  You can also follow either the game or the challenge to receive notifications about challenge activity!

**Good luck, and have fun!️**

Get ready, zombies fans - our next SRC Series challenge is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies! It's time to face off against waves of the undead in this month's challenge which will test your skills and keep you on your toes.

SRC Series: Black Ops 6 Zombies Speedrun Challenge

Do you live for the thrill of cutting seconds off your best speedruns? Want to tackle new games and win real cash prizes for setting records? Then RapidRuns4Fun is the place for you!

# 🎮 What We’re About 🎮 

- **Speedrun Bounties:** Cash incentives for the fastest times on new and exciting games! Take on a challenge, set a record, and get rewarded for your skills.
- **Active Community:** Join fellow speedrunners for discussions, tips, and camaraderie. We love sharing techniques and celebrating milestones together!
- **Special Events:** Participate in themed marathons, raid parties, game shows, and more. There’s always something fresh and exciting in the works.
- **Weekly Recap Streams:** Join us every Sunday for our community recap stream! We highlight top runs, showcase progress, and bring everyone up to speed on the latest news and events.
- **Indie Dev Connections:** RapidRuns4Fun connects speedrunners with indie developers, shining a spotlight on games that might otherwise go unnoticed. By participating, you’ll not only compete but also support indie creators in the process.

# 💸 How Bounties Work 💸 

Each bounty is a cash prize attached to a specific game challenge. As long as you’ve got the skills, you’re in for a shot at winning. Plus, the more members join, the bigger and better the bounties!

🔗 Ready to Join? Become part of a supportive community, meet speedrunners and developers alike, and earn cash prizes while playing awesome, under-the-radar games. Join RapidRuns4Fun and let’s make every second count! [https://discord.gg/MVYRjgYAHW](https://discord.gg/MVYRjgYAHW)

The new small bounty was just announced today on the weekly recap stream and details can be found in the open bounty discord channel.

## Currently Running: [Kneedle Knight](https://www.speedrun.com/Kneedle_Knight)

## Rewards: 1st Place = $50, 2nd Place = $25

Note: We do bounties and events on a regular basis and tend to keep them short so you will see that the bounty prizes are small for now but the quantity of bounties makes up for it. We have given out a total of over $2000 in rewards since launch. We do have a Patreon and all money earned on that account gets dumped back into the community so these bounties can become larger in time as we grow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slSj1gmT6cQ

This community has many ongoing events including but not limited to speedrun bounties, game shows, and custom speedrunning events with plans to host marathon charity events in the future.

RapidRuns4Fun Community!

# The Gold Split Newsletter - Week #19

The Gold Split offers a free, weekly digest of news from the world of speedrunning and beyond.

This **Story of the Week** is all about the recently released games list for AGDQ 2025 and was featured in this week's issue. The full post includes **more news**, briefly, as well as this week's top times and a fun fact. Check it out **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-19)**.

## ![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/wzxxw3qz.png)Story of the Week

***Awesome Games Done Quick*** needs no introduction. The next annual pinnacle of speedrunning events will take place in Pittsburgh, PA, as well as online from January 5th to January 12th, 2025.

Recently the official committee released the **[list of accepted games](https://gamesdonequick.com/games)**. It’s been distilled from over 2000 individual public submissions down to less than 10%. This ratio is the unfortunate end result of the team still not having figured out how to bend time to their will. A week still only has seven days.

The tl;dr that **you** get exclusively ahead of the story is: it’s great. Amazing even. Not only does it include many of the most popular speedgames, a lot of diversity and showcases you might never see elsewhere again, but there are also so many cool nuances and themes ready to take you beyond the usual and showcase other kinds of gaming excellence.

While I don’t want to take away from the experience of seeing these live, I do want to point out some of the guaranteed hits as well as things you might be interested in but have never heard of. The list will include some videos, so if you want to preserve the wonder that only seeing something for the first time can give you, just ignore them.

### The obvious hits

- **Every single music-themed showcase**
There’s so much entertainment value and creativity on display here. *Crazy Taxi* with a live backing band, *Elden Ring* played with an electric saxophone and completed without being hit, *New Super Mario Bros Wii* controlled by *Joy-Cons* strapped to the runner’s head and foot while they play the game’s soundtrack on a piano. I’ll simply let those descriptions speak for themselves. I’ll also add showcases of rhythm games *Jubeat* and *CHUNITHM LUMINOUS PLUS* here. Do not miss *CHUNITHM*.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1sjLtAk3EU

- **Awful Games Done Quick**
At GDQ events, the awful block showcasing games that are a little… rough around the edges has a long tradition and rich history. There’s a seemingly endless pit from which these games are being dragged onto the big stage. All of them will be relatively short, so I do suggest you stick around for the entire block. Who wouldn’t enjoy a nice and relaxing outing in *Golf With Your Grandmother* or going backwards at uncapped speeds in *Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing*? Once the schedule is released, simply look for these and you’ll find the block.
- ***The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* (No Logic Randomizer) by** @zfg
Randomizers randomize the location of items, shops, dungeon entrances, and more. They’ve long been a great way to add variety to older games and provide a fresh experience. Settings can change how hard it may potentially be to get to certain items and places, and in this No Logic run by @zfg the difficulty has been set extremely high. You’ll be able to take a glimpse into the mind of a genius who has played this game actively for well over 12 years.
- ***Fallout: New Vegas (All Romances) by*** @Tomatoanus
@tomatoanus is incredibly good at providing engaging commentary, so this thirty-minute long breeze where he romances all twelve possible NPCs in a really, really broken game will be such a dense showcase of exactly that ability.

### The solid choices

Too many! Here’s a few things I’ll personally be looking out for:

- ***Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze (Any%, Original Mode) by*** @spikevegeta
DKC is one of the games @spikevegeta is most known for. He has been around for as long as GDQ itself, and for good reason.
- ***Alan Wake 2: Night Springs (All Episodes) by*** @sweetpeebs
- ***F-Zero GX* (All Tracks, Max Speed) by** @Fifa
This is about as fast as racing games go. The level of control is impressive, even if you’ve never played the game(s). But if you have, it’s mind-boggling.
- ***Spyro: Reignited Trilogy (Spyro 1: Any%, NBS) by*** @toastedkat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe33hMO2uS0

- ***Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Tightened Vice) by*** @EBen
Ben is a good friend and prolific runner of *Vice City*. He’s been with the game for a very long time and watched the run evolve many times. *Tightened Vice* is a mod that redesigns every mission and adds a lot of custom content to make the game significantly harder. Typical speedrun strategies are removed from the equation, making this a challenge even for veterans like him.
- ***Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (Legendary Trial), a race between*** @GTAce, @EpicCrossover, @authorblues and @Skybilz
- ***Portal 2 (Single Player, No SLA) by*** @Msushi
@Msushi is one of those people that combines intimate knowledge of a specific game and a great ability to bring that knowledge across through commentary. They’ve created in-depth videos for the *Portal* games for well over four years.

### The hidden gems

There are always a few runs that I’d expect to fly under the radar for most people. Don’t sleep on these!

- ***Fresh Hops (100%) by*** @frozenflygone
I can’t think of a single Kaizo romhack that I didn’t find impressive and interesting. In addition to those attributes, this one also has a really unique theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8dUtk2n3kw

- ***G-Saviour (Any%) by*** @pmcTRILOGY
I might be wrong, but I believe this is the first Gundam game at the big GDQ stage. @pmcTRILOGY is a strong advocate of the franchise and has tried for many years and it’s great to see it finally happen.

- ***Rocket League (Workshop Map Speedrun Showcase) by*** @ThundaSurge
Movement is *Rocket League* is an art form and such a great example for something that’s easy to beat and impossible to master. For a long time the community has created custom maps that are more about traversing and less about scoring goals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPz54Qjb9Ow

- ***Super Mario Bros. (Any% STA), a race between*** @JeremyMKW, @GTAce, @SuperSonic, and @scalpel
This is not your run-of-the-mill race. Don’t get me wrong, any close SMB race would already be great, but here all four Marios are combined on a single screen, with a minimap and timing tower. However, this is not a romhack. All contestants play on augmented NES consoles that pass the signals to a computer, which in turn makes the magic happen.
- **Online runs from all over the world!**
Last, but not least: it’s always very wholesome to see people from all over the world come together. And enabling communities and people to participate that would have a difficult time travelling to the US is a great thing. I already mentioned *CHUNITHM*, which will be one of the online showcases. A few more I wanted to shout out are three speedruns done by people from Japan: ***Crypt Custodian by*** @inari, **ane-san by** @irukan **and** **Castlevania: Dracula X by** @Hensachi_60.

### Final Thoughts & What's Next

There’s obviously loads of other good content that I have not mentioned. That does not mean anything can be safely skipped or isn’t worth watching. The quality of the whole list is incredibly high across the board, and my top picks are of course subjective and might differ from yours. I encourage you to comb through the **[full list](https://gamesdonequick.com/games)** yourself and mark your own favourites. Or maybe wait until just a bit later today (November 8th), when the first draft of the schedule will be released, enabling you to already start filling your calendar.

The best thing about this stacked list is that it’s not even complete! Up next are the mentioned publication of the first schedule draft today, followed by a second public submission phase between November 15th and November 22nd. This phase is exclusive to games that hadn’t been released yet at the time of the first submission phase. I’m hoping for showcases of the *Silent Hill 2* remake as well as *The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom*. The latter was submitted during the first phase and rejected, but I have a hunch that the committee is simply hedging their bets about more submissions of the same game, considering it technically was released after the first submission phase closed.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/rz251jdz.png)

Thank you for reading! If you're curious about more of this week's news or would even consider subscribing to the newsletter, you'll find the full post over **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-19)**.

Finding new stories to cover can be challenging. I encourage you to think about what happened recently in the communities you are a part of. If there are any stories, articles, glitches, events, or other topics I should be taking a look at, go ahead and **[submit them here](https://forms.gle/F1VJ4PG68FTZKqn49)** or in the **[Gold Split Discord](https://discord.gg/SpbFCgsYkU)**! 📨

The Gold Split is a free weekly newsletter focused on speedrunning. This week's main story is all about the recently released games list for AGDQ 2025.

The Gold Split #19 - The Games List is Kind

We’re excited to announce a new challenge for the Seterra speedrunning community! This challenge will take place in the game mode "Pin."

The challenge will run for two weeks, from November 3 at 18:00 GMT to November 17 at 18:00 GMT. During this time, participants will compete to achieve the fastest time on a specific map that will be announced at the start of the event. At the end of the challenge, the top three runners with the fastest times will win a share of the prize pool!

For those interested in participating or contributing to the prize pool, please feel free to reach out or join our Discord server for more information and updates. [https://discord.gg/npBHWCGR](https://discord.gg/npBHWCGR)

### Challenge Rules:

1. Video and Audio Requirements: Runs must include video footage with game audio and be recorded at a minimum of 30 frames per second.
2. Allowed Extensions and Tools: Only Neko’s extension without any additional modifications is allowed. Macros, autoclickers, or any other external tools are strictly prohibited.
3. Platform: Runs may be performed on Web or TouchWeb versions of the game.
4. Participation and Live Streaming Requirement: Anyone can participate by submitting a video of their run. To be eligible for the prize, runs must be live-streamed, and a VOD link must be attached in the submission description.
5. Submission Integrity: The run must remain submitted throughout the verification process. If a run is deleted before verification and payout are complete, the run and the user will be disqualified.
6. Regular Submission Encouraged: Runners are discouraged from withholding their personal best times until late in the challenge. Failing to submit runs throughout the challenge may result in disqualification for top times.
7. Moderators' Discretion: Moderators reserve the right to hold or reject any run they believe goes against the spirit of the rules, even if a specific rule is not explicitly listed here. For example, if a runner uses a trick or strategy that provides an unfair advantage over others and has not been publicly shared with the community, the run may be rejected.
8. Challenge Dates: Runs must be performed between the start and end dates of the challenge.
9. Run Verification: All runs must be verified to ensure they comply with the rules outlined here and will be reviewed by Speedrun.com moderators and staff.
10. Leaderboard Submission: Runs must be submitted on the designated challenge leaderboard, which will be published as soon as the challenge begins.

### Prize Details:

- Community-Funded Prize Pool: The cash prize pool is funded entirely by community contributions. The current prize pool is $80, and donations are open until the end of the challenge for anyone who wants to add to it!
- Prize Distribution: The prize pool will be divided among the top three places as follows:
    - 1st place: 60% of the total prize pool
    - 2nd place: 30% of the total prize pool
    - 3rd place: 10% of the total prize pool
- Tax Compliance: Cash prizes may be subject to tax withholding depending on the winner’s country of residence.
- Prize Payout: All prizes will be awarded in cash via electronic funds transfer once verification is complete.

For more information, please join our Discord server, where we’ll be sharing updates and answering any questions. Good luck to everyone, and we hope to see you in the challenge!

Join the Seterra speedrunning community's latest challenge! From November 3 to November 17, compete to achieve the fastest time on a surprise map and win a share of the community-funded prize pool!

Upcomming Seterra Community Challenge

# The Gold Split Newsletter - Week #18

The Gold Split offers a free, weekly digest of news from the world of speedrunning and beyond.

This ***Story of the Week*** is all about an introduction to the world of tool assisted speedruns and superplays and was featured in this week's issue. The full post includes **more news**, briefly, as well as this week's top times and a fun fact. Check it out **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-18)**.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/wzxxw3qz.png)

## Story of the Week

**[Two weeks ago](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-16)** I teased the introduction of a new section reserved for TAS movies, and today you’re getting at least the first part of that: a simple introduction to the world of tool-assisted speedruns (or superplays).

As we learn, I’ll adopt as much of the common ***[TASVideos](https://tasvideos.org/)*** nomenclature and conventions as possible. *TASVideos* is the #1 resource and gathering point for creating and watching tool-assisted speedruns and superplays. First off, “movie” is simply the term for any one speedrun or superplay on the website. You’ll pretty much never hear the term used to describe Real Time Attack (RTA) speedruns, so it helps in telling the two apart. Movies are first submitted to the website, and then verified and published if they meet certain criteria.

### What’s a TAS anyway?

I’m glad you asked. TAS is short for tool-assisted speedrun or superplay. And the use of tools is not just allowed, it’s necessary. While creating a real time speedrun takes exactly as long as the run itself, creating a TAS can take weeks, months or even years of meticulous planning and careful execution. The one tool that’s used for all movies is the emulator, but there’s no limit to how many one might use. Emulators can pause the game at any time and come with other handy features such as save states, frame advance, memory watch, and the ability to record the TAS file.

- **Save States**: At any point, a game can be saved or loaded again from a previous save state. This can be used to right mistakes or minimise the randomness of certain outcomes.
- **Frame Advance**: By advancing the game one frame at a time, TAS authors are able to choose exactly which buttons should be pressed and which direction the analogue stick(s) should be pointing at for every single frame. Games may run at 60 frames per second. That’s a lot of possibilties!
- **Memory Watch**: Watching the game’s memory provides a closer look into the effect an action might have. It’s very common for TAS authors to program actions that modify the game’s memory in ways that don’t affect what you would see on the screen at all.
- **Recording**: The result of a recording in the world of real time speedrunning is usually a video file, because the output is recorded. But for a TAS, it’s the input that’s more relevant: the dataset of which buttons are pressed at every frame until the end. The result is an input file that others can download and replay in an emulator. If they get the same result as the person who created the input file, the TAS is called sync-verified, an important step.

### A Culture Shift

Leaderboards don’t exist on *TASVideos*. When a faster movie for any combination of game and category gets submitted and becomes verified and published, the older and slower version will become obsolete. That doesn’t mean that its page is deleted, it’s just no longer being featured the same way as before.

Each TAS movie on the website comes with its own page, where anybody can read up on the history and detailed explanations, download video and emulator replay files or access links to the movie’s forum thread, similar movies and more. Especially the author’s notes help the judges tremendously when deciding whether or not a movie should be published.

Every movie submitted to *TASVideos* has to undergo a verification process. It begins with checking whether or not the provided input file can be sync-verified and ends in a possible publication on the website. As TAS tools have become more sophisticated, lowering the barrier to entry and allowing the creation of movies for games that were previously impossible to TAS, the amount of submissions have increased. But the manual process is still the best way to maintain the impressive quality standards of the site.

Movies can be categorised in many different ways. In the following section, I’ll try to boil it down to three somewhat arbitrary classes and give you some examples.

### The Tool-Assisted Speedrun

Exactly what you might expect: tool-assisted speedruns achieve superhuman speed due to every single input being frame-perfect. They reach times and use strategies that are impossible to pull off in real time. They mark the theoretical limit of how fast a game can be completed… at least until new discoveries are made. Besides simply completing the games as fast as possible, categories like 100% or All Bosses exist here just as in real time speedrunning.

A good first example for a superhuman TAS that still preserves the original gameplay is the movie for ***[Celeste](https://tasvideos.org/3899M)***.

Others use so many glitches that very little of the intended gameplay remains. In this movie, beating ***[Super Mario 64](https://tasvideos.org/4490M)*** with only one key, some of it is at least still recognisable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXT7Wyt94Ek

There’s something for everyone, between movies without many glitches, and those that rely heavily on them. Few movies simply fall into either category.

### The Tool-Assisted Superplay

I would categorise movies that don’t conform to the more standard speedrunning categories but still have a clear goal as superplays. The goals may just be arbitrary and chosen to only showcase a certain part of the game. For example, in a movie of ***[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time](https://tasvideos.org/3537M)***, the author completes all dungeon with the restriction of never opening a door.

High score attacks also fall under this category, and ***[Star Fox 64](https://tasvideos.org/5169M)*** is a great example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3yx3gj6CVs

### The Art Form

I won’t say that the movies for the other categories are not also expressing the author’s creativity through controller inputs, but some do go further. They’ll go as far as the game’s engine and the system its played on will allow. These showcases often have no clear goal and aim mostly to entertain. Arbitrary code execution in ***[Pokémon: Yellow](https://tasvideos.org/3358M)*** is a great example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZCqoHHtovQ

It’s difficult to comprehend, but everything you see would be possible on a GameBoy Colour. Every frame is crafted through button inputs. This is my favourite category and includes many of the ***[TASBot](https://tasvideos.org/TASBot)*** showcases we saw at various speedrunning marathons over the years, so I will recommend a few more:

- ***[Family Feud](https://tasvideos.org/1248M)*[ "playaround"](https://tasvideos.org/1248M)**** by *Heisanevilgenius*
- ***[International Superstar Soccer Deluxe](https://tasvideos.org/1438M)*[ "playaround"](https://tasvideos.org/1438M)** by *Markokarty*
- ***[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time "Triforce% ACE Showcase”](https://tasvideos.org/7726S)*** by *Sauraen, dwangoAC, Savestate* & more

### Go forth and immerse yourself

Now you should be equipped to head over to ***[TASVideos.org](https://tasvideos.org/7726S)***. There’s an incredible amount of good content, with a comprehensive search function, tags and filters that help you find what you’re looking for. There is a rating system and each year, the team gives out awards to the best movies and authors in many different categories.

Good places to start are their **[Welcome page](https://tasvideos.org/WelcomeToTASVideos)**, significantly expanding on my short article,**** and the **[Newcomer Corner](https://tasvideos.org/NewcomerCorner)**. Alternatively, jump straight to the **[Movies page](https://tasvideos.org/Movies)**, use the filters and find something that inspires you. Enjoy!
![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/rz251jdz.png)

Thank you for reading! If you're curious about more of this week's news or would even consider subscribing to the newsletter, you'll find the full post over **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-18)**.

Finding new stories to cover can be challenging. I encourage you to think about what happened recently in the communities you are a part of. If there are any stories, articles, glitches, events, or other topics I should be taking a look at, go ahead and **[submit them here](https://forms.gle/F1VJ4PG68FTZKqn49)** or in the **[Gold Split Discord](https://discord.gg/SpbFCgsYkU)**! 📨

The Gold Split is a free weekly newsletter focused on speedrunning. This week's main story is all about an introduction to the world of tool assisted speedruns and superplays.

The Gold Split #18 - TAS 101

Hello there!

The games of the second edition of **Run Arena** have been revealed this Friday. Let's discover them and the categories chosen for the event:

![](/static/blob/qzpp73rz.png)

### Bloody Hell - NMG Any%

Bloody Hell is a top-down shooter about an Angel on a Bloody Bullet-hell mission to kill Satan! During your journey in hell, you will acquire some different upgrades to become stronger.

In the category, you must beat the final boss God. The "Machine Gun" glitch is not allowed.

### Katana ZERO - All Stages

Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. Slash, dash, and manipulate time to unravel your past in a beautifully brutal acrobatic display.

In the category, you must do the 11 stages to obtain the standard ending of the game.

## Paperball - Intermediate

Paperball is a rolling game with a ball of paper. You navigate tricky passages, pull off crazy stunts and maybe fall off a lot!

In the category, you must complete the 30 levels of the Intermediate stages.

## Skator Gator 3D - Any% Glitchless

Skator Gator 3D is a 3D platformer with some skating on pipelines! You need to stop the mayor from polluting the swamp in a short adventure!

In the category, you must beat the game's 13 story levels and beat the final boss as quickly as possible. Glitches are not allowed.

### Grapple Dog - World 1

Grapple Dog is a 2D action-platformer with an amazing tool: the Grapple. You can jump, swing and zip your way through colourful levels.

In the category, you must complete all 6 regular stages in World 1 from a completed game file.

That's all for the games! The five games cost $30 for the moment. If you want to try some of them without purchasing, Bloody Hell is free, Paperball and Skator Gator 3D have a demo. You will find other informations about Run Arena on our website: [https://www.run-arena.com/](https://www.run-arena.com/)

Let's have fun on competitive speedrun!

The second edition started this Friday, October 25th with the reveal of the five new games

Run Arena #2: The games have been released!

# Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun 

## Open Speedrun Tournament: November 16th - 17th

Calling all Fog Runners! Brace yourselves for a chillingly competitive event as the **Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun Tournament** descends upon us next month. This two-day tournament, hosted by prominent speedrunner Sneevil, welcomes all runners, novice and seasoned alike, to navigate the twisted streets of Silent Hill and compete for a slice of the $1,000 prize pool.

## Embrace the Fog and Find your Wife

- **Open Submission:** Submit your attempts in the **PC Any% New Game Restricted Standard** category.
- **Top 12 Qualify:** The twelve fastest runners during the submission period will clash in the live tournament finale.
- **Crowdfunded Glory:**  The initial $200 prize pot set by Sneevil and boosted by Roxas, has swelled to a thrilling $1,000, distributed among the top four finishers.
- **Join the Competition or Fuel the Fog:** Head to the [Matcherino page](https://matcherino.com/tournaments/133376) to contribute to the prize pool.
- **Stay Tuned:** Join the official tournament [Discord server](https://discord.gg/x8F4yuEVtZ) for updates, announcements, and run submissions.

## Eligibility:

- **Open to All:** This is an inclusive tournament; anyone can participate. The top 12 runners in the chosen category will be invited to compete.
- **Livestreaming is Mandatory:** All runs must be live-streamed on Twitch, YouTube, or a similar platform. Tournament participation also requires livestreaming on Twitch on the designated days. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

**Submission Deadline:** Runs must be submitted via [Discord's #submissions channel](https://discord.gg/MGW2rrVFVz) by Thursday, November 14th, 11:59 PM EST. Submitting only your personal best highlight, not the entire VOD, is encouraged.

- **Respect the Deadline:** Late submissions will not be accepted to ensure smooth scheduling and bracket creation. Consider submitting your runs to Speedrun.com as well.
- **Stay Connected:** Monitor your Discord and email for updates and respond promptly to DMs, especially as the tournament nears.

## Category:

PC Any% New Game Restricted Standard: Only PC runs are eligible, with end times determined by LiveSplit.

## Rules

- **[Speedrun.com](https://www.speedrun.com/sh2_2024?h=any-pc-standard-restricted&rules=category&x=wdmjg8xd-onv50yrl.lmo40rm1-0nwmv308.q8k0n43q-ylpy0kvl.qox36xxq) Compliance:** All runs must adhere to the category rules and eligibility criteria on Speedrun.com. Rule violations may lead to disqualification.
- **Adapting to Change:** The SH2R speedrun category on Speedrun.com may undergo revisions. Stay tuned on Discord for updates on rule changes and their impact on the tournament. Sneevil will strive to accommodate both changes and runner needs.

## Commitment is Key:

- **Two-Day Availability:** All participants must be available on both tournament days. Sudden unavailability necessitates immediate notification of Sneevil for a possible replacement.
- **Tournament Brackets Subject to Change:** Sneevil aims for 12 participants, but may adjust to include 10 or 8 if necessary. The focus is on participation, fostering competition, and pushing the boundaries of the speedrun.

## The Tournament Schedule:

**November 16th Day 1: Quarter Finals (QF) 12pm - 8pm EST:**

- (QF) Round 1: 4 Runners Down to 2
- (QF) Round 2: 4 Runners Down to 2
- (QF) Round 3: 4 Runners Down to 2

**November 17th Day 2: Semi-Finals (SF) and Finals (F) 12pm - 8pm EST:**

- (SF) Round 4: 3 Runners Down to 2
- (SF) Round 5: 3 Runners Down to 2
- (F) Round 6: Top 4 Runners from Semi-Finals

## Prize Pool Distribution:

- 1st Place - 60% of Prize Pool
- 2nd Place - 25% of Prize Pool
- 3rd Place - 10% of Prize Pool
- 4th Place - 5% of Prize Pool

Sneevil invites all participants to join this tournament, not only for the thrill of speedrunning but also for the friendly competitive spirit it fosters. Whether you qualify or not, enjoy the experience and strive to improve your times.

Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun Open Speedrun Tournament

Super Mario 64

Dark Souls

Seterra (Geoguessr Version)

Kneedle Knight

Silent Hill 2 (2024)

Fatzke

Contos

4m7jny51

Ashewyn

VexGamingTV

roxasunbanned

Daxzz

j5y0ly9k

SpeedRunFan2022

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies

Submissions will be available 2 weeks after the official release (November 8th). These 2 weeks serve to help the moderation team create main categories, the IL leaderboard and respective rule-sets. Until then feel free to join and help the community with your findings and personal bests on the freshly opened SXS Generations-[Discord](https://discord.gg/M6CyCfC6M7)

Shadow Generations

UFO 50

Submissions will be available 2 weeks after the official release (November 8th). These 2 weeks serve to help the moderation team create main categories, the IL leaderboard and respective rule-sets. Until then feel free to join and help the community with your findings and personal bests on the freshly opened SXS Generations-[Discord](https://discord.gg/M6CyCfC6M7)!

Sonic Generations (2024)

The leaderboard is under an embargo period for 2 weeks after release. This is to allow players to enjoy the full experience of the game casually without feeling like they have to rush into developing the speedrun right away. Please take your time and enjoy the game!