Games Done Quick is an organization that helps to gather players from the various corners of the Speed Running community from across the world and gives them a place to demonstrate their skills twice a year. They do this insuring a pair of weeklong charity events. Each of these events involves the week-long takeover of a hotel conference room while players from across the world gather to show off their skills. The event would be cool enough on their own, but they also use their time and energy to help raise money for charities along the way.
One of the two events they held is called Summer Games Done Quick and is held during, you guessed it, the summer months. The other event is called Awesome Games Done Quick and takes place during the winter.
The events themselves are logistical marvels. They consist of a huge list of streams that include games from across the breadth of the history of gaming and all of it is streamed live on YouTube and Twitch.
We had our kids comb through the list and pick the streams that they think everyone would want to see.
Take a look below and see if your favorite is on the list. If it isn’t, then go to the official AGDQ schedule and see what else is playing.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Jan 8th 1:10 pm EST
The Legend of Zelda is one of the first games featured during every event. This time araround they are featureing The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D. This is an almost flawless remake of the N64 game.
If you have fond memories of the original Ocarina of Time, or maybe you enjoyed the original and never got to see it in 3D, then this is a stream that is worth checking out.
Shovel Knight
Jan 8th 6:37 pm EST
Shovel Knight is one of our favorite games in recent memory. It managed to highlight everything we loved about a multitude of classic NES era video games.
This is a great stream to watch if you enjoyed NES games and want to see some incredibly talented platformers.
Kalimba
Jan 9th 7:15 am EST
Kalimba is a platforming game that involves carefully timed jumps and carefully crafted rhythms. Watching a skilled player blast through this game is almost mind-warping. It is definitely worth a look even if it is only to check out the game’s super-neat art style.
Pokémon Emerald
Jan 9th 6:49 pm EST
Pokemon is all the rage recently. So it makes sense that one of the highlights of the 2017 Awesome Games Done Quick event is a Pokemon game. This stream is a bit on the long side, but it is a glitchless run which means that the runner will be burning through the game in three hours based purely on their knowledge of the game and its systems. You will definitely learn a lot about Pokemon and how it works watching this run.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Jan 10th 10:50 am EST
This is a neat one. Super Smash Bros. Melee is a fighting game that features unique mechanics compared to games like Street Fighter. It does, however, include a number of special events and mini-games are part of it.
This speed run features all of those events and mini-games being completed at breakneck speeds. This is a great way to watch and learn some of the deep secrets and mechanics of Melee because the streamers will be using every trick in the book to complete the game quickly.
Super Mario Bros. + Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
Jan 10th 9:37 pm EST
How do you have a speed running marathon and NOT include the grand-daddy of them all: Super Mario Bros.?
Simple. You don’t.
Watching true experts play Super Mario Bros. And Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is a wonder to behold as they prove that the original games were all but designed to play more like Mario Run than the often careful and plodding platformers that we remember from our child hood.
Final Fantasy
Jan 10th 11:19 pm EST
Final Fantasy is 30 years old this year so it has been thoroughly torn apart by speedrunners. Every block on the map has been examined, experimented with, and documented.
Watching someone who knows about all of the research burn through a massive RPG in a little bit more than only 4 hours is a sight to see.
A lot of people might not be interested in watching a 4 hour stream, but this is a great candidate for YouTube viewing later. All of the streams from each event are hosted there shortly after they are initially recorded. So you can definitely watch this one in parts.
Mega Man X
Jan 11th 6:16 pm EST
This is a four way race to complete the game that features some of the very best Mega Man X players in the world. This is always a treat to watch because Mega Man X is a game that lends itself very well to speed running.
Super Metroid
Jan 11th 9:45 pm EST
If you watch a Games Done Quick event for any length of time you will hear the hosts read off donations from people watching the stream. You will hear just about everyone weigh in on whether someone should “save the animals” or “kill the animals.” This is a reference to the end of Super Metroid where the player is forced to choose between escaping an exploding planet quickly, or taking the time to save the animals there.
Regardless of what the viewers choose, the Super Metroid run is always the crown jewel of the event. The game itself is a masterpiece and watching a skilled player who knows all of its secrets is glorious. Make sure not to miss this one!
1 comment
I haven’t played Zelda in a really long time, but I know I’d love to watch someone play through it. Maybe I should also show this video to my brother, especially since he loves video games. It would be cool to be able to relive that experience and also see the reactions of the person playing it.