Awesome Games Done Quick has so much to offer. At Twin Galaxies, we love ourselves a record-breaking speedrun like those set by Jaku and Uematsufreak, but there are times that the spectacle of AGDQ will push viewers to stand up and cheer, as well as sigh when a major trick is missed or when a runner finds themselves unable to perform. That, and there is usually some cringe when it comes to interviews and prize discussion; it’s a good cringe though. The whole experience can be a roller coaster of emotions for those running, attending, or watching at home. To celebrate another awesome event, here are five excellent runs of the event that are worth watching the archives.

Just to note, that there is so much content at each of these events, that it’s almost impossible to keep up and surely something amazing slipped through our visage. These are arranged in no particular order. 

Silent Hill by Punchy

Punchy was performing later in the evening, meaning a lot of viewers may have missed this fantastic run. This hilarious player reminds everyone throughout the run that listening to logic is silly in Silent Hill. The strategies are also deceptive with a lot more happening that what it appears to be. 

Laughing at his explanations on how doors work in the game and the general energy shown by him and his couch crew was one of the most entertaining and live runs we’ve seen in ages. Things like dodging monsters and the weird movement in the original Silent Hill makes for some unique inputs that are just fascinating. That and Punchy coming out on top using just the right amount of ammo was awesome. 

Mega Man X Any % Race

This race in particular had a few reasons for making it stand out. For starters, there were three racers, and prominent runner Caleb Hart predicted the winner from the outset from the couch. His reaction at the end was just priceless and the hype could be felt from home.  

Not only that, but the race was exceptionally close throughout. Walrus_Prime ended up taking the gold, by just a few seconds. Even after making detrimental mistakes, Tokyo98 was cheered on to finish the run, spurred on by the folks in the room and really highlighting the general goodness shared by runners. 

It goes to show that even fairly optimized runs can still be interesting when framed as a race. 

Rayman by Glackum

The Rayman games fluctuate in their popularity. While the newest games have gotten much praise, they rarely come up naturally in my conversations on platformers, making this run a celebration of an underdog of a hero. Glackum has shown mastery over many of the Rayman titles, but he does especially well in the original game. Glackum was accompanied by Spikevegeta, Jaku, and Glitchcat7, all of which are excellent members of the speedrunning community in their own right. 

The original Rayman was also kinda strange with items popping out of thin air after arbitrary triggers are hit. Speedrunning a game like this features a lot movements that seem counterintuitive, making it a lot of fun to watch. The Rayman community even donated during the run to show their support, making for a heartwarming moment. This game’s community may be small, but they are clearly a passionate bunch. 

Super Mario World, No Cape, No Star World Race

What a fantastic race! Calco2 definitely had a bit of an edge in this category due to his world record, which was almost beat in the race, but it was a close one throughout. Each runner was only a couple minutes off from each other and there was a ton of inside jokes being tossed out by the commentators. 

Overall, it was a good representation of the Super Mario World community and a ton of fun to watch players clip through walls and rarely stop running right. 

Super Dram World 2 100%

Run by the absolutely legendary Grandpoobear, this Super Dram World 2 speedrun is the purest form of the Mario Twitch community. Yump, Orbs, Yobby, and donations based on the amount of deaths created a wonderful run for the last day of the event. Creator of the hack PangaeaPanga was also on the couch, as well as Linkdeadx2, among others. 

Grandpoobear is just so much fun to watch, as he is constantly providing commentary with a ton of energy. On top of this, he’s showing off his well-honed skills over arguably the most challenging style of Mario levels out there. Folks should also take a look at the Warp World Podcast hosted by Grandpoobear, Xwater, and Jaku. 

To make things even more special, this run was a donation incentive, so the community wanted to see it bad enough to donate for it. Those thinking they can take Grandpoobear’s records, could even find themselves mailed a custom championship belt! 

All in all, these sort of runs are what makes Twitch so special. The final donation totals of nearly 2.3 million dollars to help the Prevent Cancer Foundation in their altruistic goals is a warm bonus.

Congratulations are in order for the runners, volunteers, and everyone involved with making Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 one for the books.