Mario Kart 64 Speedrunner Finally Holds Every Record
While most of us would struggle to get even one record on Mario Kart 64, imagine holding a total of 32 and being the first person to even conquer the 1997 racing classic. Speedrunning Nintendo 64 games is more popular than ever, and not long after a speedruner beat Super Mario 64 with just a drumkit, Mario Kart 64 is grabbing headlines all over again.
Although Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has become the best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time, its success is still a long way off the cult legacy of Mario Kart 64. Delivering the franchise's first 3D entry, Mario Kart 64 also gave us beloved courses like Banshee Boardwalk, Wario Stadium, and a revamped version of Rainbow Road.
How did someone break the Mario Kart 64 record?
Over on Twitch, Mario Kart 64 speedrunner Daniel Burbank shared the moment he scored an impressive 1'55"07 on Sherbet Land. This tied him in first place with fellow speedrunner Matthias Rustemeyer, but more importantly, it was the last piece of the puzzle Burbank needed to get him a full sweep of all 32 speedrunning records.
In Mario Kart 64 circles, there are a total of 16 courses. To claim this specific record, you need to have the fastest lap time without using any cheats or shortcuts. The record also takes into account your total three laps - meaning there are 32 records to try and topple. Burbank's endeavour has been a labour of love, and after A LOT of tries, he's finally got all 32.
Fellow speedrunner Summoning Salt has been keeping an eye on proceedings and wrote, "It has happened. Dan just achieved 32/32 non-shortcut records in Mario Kart 64. He only reached 31/32 once, and converted it to 32/32 later the same day".
How long will the Mario Kart 64 record stand?
While Burbank is the first to complete this fearsome feat, it's unclear how long he'll keep the title. Over the years, we've seen Rustemeyer become the prodigal son, who has come within the record with a total of 31/32 on several occasions. Sadly, the internet drama of the brutal Mario Kart community was like a real-life evil Luigi meme come to life.
As soon as Rustemeyer looked like he could claim the keys to Princess Peach's castle, he'd be sniped by another speedrunner who was determined to stop him. With Rustemeyer having a blue shell target painted on his pack, it's allowed Burbank to sneak up on the inside.
Last year, a lengthy video from Summoning Salt explained a bitter rivalry that goes back years. In 2013, a group of Mario Kart 64 speedrunners banded together and vowed to stop Rustemeyer from being the first to secure all 32 records. Specific players that were pros on specific courses made sure that Rustemeyer could never achieve his goal.
It's unclear how/why Burbank escaped the wrath of the vengeful Mario Kart community, however, some point to his secret quest to snipe Rustemeyer. With Burbank knowing how competitive Mario Kart 64 racers can be, he was collecting his world records offline and uploading them all at once to overwhelm the leaderboards from nowhere.
Some have called out Burbank's covert methodology and branded it unsportsmanlike, but either way, securing all 32 records is an amazing piece of gaming history.
