Early highlights from SGDQ 2021

We’re just a few days into Summer Games Done Quick 2021 and things got off to an incredible start! At the time of publishing, the marathon has raised more than $380,000[update!] for Doctor’s Without Borders.

You never can go wrong with GDQ but with so many great runs to choose from, we’ve narrowed down a few highlights worth checking out just in case you missed them!

Sunday

Dragon Age: Inquisition -- Any% - PC by Lemuura with commentary by A Flyin Coconut, bryonato and LettersWords (0:39:02)

How many times have you seen a speedrun switch game patches mid run? Combine a fascinating run with Lemuura’s excellent execution (including a ridiculously quick final boss fight), and this is definitely worth checking out.

F-Zero -- Snaking All Tracks - Gamecube by 1davidj with commentary by Valyssa0, Naegleria, and AKC12 (1:06:43)

Somehow this run manages to be pretty chill considering it features 1davidj flinging his F-Zero machine off of the track only to land on a later portion as well as an intentional death at the end of the track in order to send the vehicle careening over the finish line. The run ended up just 14 seconds behind 1davidj’s PB.

Spyro the Dragon (1998) -- Any% - PS1 by Dayoman (0:45:03)

Dayoman brings heaps of charm and skill to this classic Spyro title. In addition to the entertaining run, make sure to checkout Kungfufruitcup’s interview with Dayoman which can be found here.

Monday

Sundered -- Resist% - PC by JeviLevee with commentary by Denezen, dyindude and Medlife (1:08:35)

Jevilevee moves with swift grace through the procedurally generated pathways of Sundered with a friendly virtual couch commenting the whole way. Keep an eye out for when Thunder Lotus Games, the gamedev collective behind Sundered, pops in to donate $1000 and wish JeviLevee good luck!

Cave Story 3D -- Reverse Boss Adventure - 3DS by Supreme Dirt (1:16:34)

Check out this fun performance of a lesser-known 3DS remake Cave Story to learn some of the interesting history of Supreme Dirt’s efforts to route the run. “Almost all of my routing of this game happens in a hex editor," she says.

Shadow of the Colossus -- Any% Hard - PS4 by TikTak with commentary by RUBIEHART and FoxyZilla54 (1:41:11)

Not only is this game always a cinematic treat to watch, but TikTak and the virtual couch have so much fun and friendly chemistry. This is a great showcase from the Team ICO Speedruns community. Additionally, the donation incentive to pet the in-game horse, Agro, raised more money than the total raised at the first GDQ back in 2010!

Paper Mario -- Stop 'n' Swop - N64 by JCog with commentary by Iycewynd and Rain (0:26:12)

It might be confusing at first to see a Paper Mario speedrun that begins with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time but thanks to some clever usage of the N64’s expansion pak, JCog is able to use a game crash from one cartridge to execute code in another. Ok, even after watching the whole thing it is still pretty confusing but fascinating nonetheless and worth a watch!

Tuesday

FAITH -- 100% - NES by Vynn (0:05:53)

The spooky vibe of this short run alongside the calming commentary by Vynn is perfect for anyone who likes some horror in their speed games. Vynn shows off a few of the game’s endings without missing a step.

Gone Golfing -- True Ending - PC by Teddyras with commentary by Jeff_in_3D (0:13:06)

This short run is not hiding anything. It starts off just like any other mini-golf game with Teddyras putting one hole at a time. Then it moves into a dark, industrial space where he has to run from a human-sized golf ball named Mr. Golfy. Enjoy equal parts scary and funny with the relaxing commentary you would expect for gold. In the words of commentator Jeff_in_3D, “I’m seeing some comments from the chat saying that they’re questioning how much this is golf. Umm, y’all it might have been a long time since a lot of us have gone outside and seen sports, it’s been about a year and a half, but rest assured this is normal golf play.”

Battletoads by TheMexicanRunner with commentary by JC586 (0:35:43)

TMR delivers a skilled performance including that incredibly tense "Turbo Tunnel Blindfold" segment of the run. The chat, along with JC586 and host Skybilz provided tons of positivity while TMR does a fantastic job with a truly grueling game.

Grand Theft Auto III -- Any% - PC by KZ_FREW with commentary by Anti (1:16:29)

Between flipping cars and driving on train tracks, this run is as hilarious as it is explosive. Just what you might expect from a GTA speedrun. Expect jumping through concrete and mildly disorienting camera shifts, plus an KZ_FREW tosses a grenade through a car window in just one try. Definitely worth the watch!

There are still more incredible speedruns to come and plenty of more opportunities to tune in and support Doctors Without Borders. Tune into SGDQ here.

Header image includes the GDQ logo, and at the bottom, a segment of the SGDQ interactive crowd, a clever solution to create a digital, interactive audience while the event remains fully online.