Mario Kart 64 World Record Is Broken In the Weirdest Way
We're waving the checkered flag on Mario Kart 64 because one player has just broken the game's speedrunning world record. 2021 marks 25 years since Bowser, Mario, Peach, and all the rest raced onto the Nintendo 64. Following in the footsteps of 1992's Super Mario Kart on the NES, Super Mario 64 gave us more tracks, more characters, and more action thanks to the introduction of 3D. While Mario Kart 64 has since been overtaken by the likes of Mario Kart Double Dash and Mario Kart 8 in terms of favouritism, it was 64 that really put the pedal to the metal.
When it comes to classic N64 games, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and GoldenEye 007 are all favourites of the speedrunning scene alongside Mario Kart 64. Only recently, someone discovered a secret shortcut on Mario Kart Wii's Rainbow Road that has been hidden for 13 years. Finding the quickest lap has become a mission of some hardcore gamers, while the Mario Kart games are known for their glitches and hacks to make it happen.
How did someone break the Mario Kart 64 world record?
Posting on YouTube, speedrunner Beck Abney showed off their record-breaking attempt. Going by the name abney317, he set a new record on Luigi's Raceway by using a particularly unique way to cross the line in just a hair over 21 seconds. More impressive than this, Abney actually set several records when he consistently smashed his previous record during a livestream. He rounded off with the jaw-dropping 21-second victory by repeatedly crashing into a wall.
In the video, Abney explained the shortcut was first covered by speedrunning historian Bismuth. They'd covered a whole host of new Mario Kart 64 shortcuts, with the Luigi's Raceway one being first uncovered by Forest64. The technique involves using something called a "half clip". Clipping is often used in speedrunning to get through walls and other obstacles, while the half clip tricked Mario Kart 64 into thinking Abney was through the wall and coming back around the other side after having completed a lap.
Can the Mario Kart 64 world record be broken again?
Pulling off the half clip isn't as easy as it sounds and requires hitting the wall at a specific angle and speed - hence the repeated crashing. Abney is regarded as one of the best Mario Kart 64 speedrunners, and with his last endeavour, it's easy to see why. There's been a recent flurry of activity trying to conquer Luigi's Raceway, with Abney trouncing the previous record (from 2017), that clocked in at a sluggish 1'12"11. Prior to that, the records go back decades, meaning besting Luigi's Raceway has largely been forgotten to the ages.
The discovery of Mario Kart 64 clipping shows just how broken the beloved game really is, but back then, it's no secret that titles weren't as advanced as they are these days. There are whole tournaments based on speedrunning, with there being some weird and wonderful ones out there. Only recently, someone did a Breath of the Wild speedrun based on who could collect the ingredients and bake a loaf of bread the quickest. As clipping continues to be a speedrunner's best friend, we'll have to wait and see whether Abney remains the undisputed king of Luigi's Raceway.
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