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How many hours would you stand around in Super Mario 64 waiting to do something that’s never been done before? Five? Ten? A whole day? A speedrunner who goes by Marbler recently clocked in over 80 hours with the Nintendo classic to be the first ever player to beat it without pressing the jump button even once. This incredible feat required meticulous planning and waiting several days for a platform to slowly rise. Video game speedruns are known for their wild glitches and the harrowing dedication of the players behind them, but few rise to the level of complexity and diligence required to complete them as Super Mario 64 ’s “A Button Challenges,” which see players aim to complete the game (or specific stages) with as few presses of the jump button as possible.

Jumping is integral to the design of the game’s 3D levels and the hunt for its collectible stars, so naturally speedrunners have long wondered how few jumps they could get away with and still complete the game. The history of the challenge dates back decades and is full of incremental discoveries and improvements . While there are specific strategies developed for various stars and particular sections of the game, much of the difficulty revolves around the precise use of Mario’s other inputs, including the B button mid-air dive, to maneuver through intricate levels.



Marbler completed a two A button press run of Mario 64 last fall and has worked with the rest of the community to eliminate those two presses and.

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