Speedrunner “Blubbler” has set a new world record for the original Super Mario Bros. with his run of 4:57.69, a 1.6 second improvement over the previous record-holder andrewG.
Blubbler’s time falls into the “any%” category which prohibits the use of tool assistance but allows warp tunnels and in-game tricks like mob glitches. In fact, the latter, specifically the “perfect bullet bill glitch” seen in world 8 – 2, is what Blubbler attributes his record-breaking run to as it allowed him to skip Mario’s multi-second walk to the castle.
A frame-by-frame breakdown reveals that there is still room for improvement for future "any%" runs. Nobody has yet to reach the fabled 4:57.00 mark, so avid runners have a chance to snatch Blubbler’s title.
[via Kotaku]