SPIKE Collection - Speed Runs

Legend of Zelda - Speed Run

The Legend of Zelda is the game that spawned one of the most enduring franchises in videogame history, rivaled possible only by Mario. It introduced the idea of battery-saved games, due to the difficulty of finishing in one sitting. Add to this it pioneered the open world, sandbox gameplay that has become a staple of modern gaming.

This week's run was performed by Mike Damiani.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

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Castlevania - Speed Run

The original monster hunter was the epitome of an old-school platformer. You had a whip, and things needed whipping. Throw in some cameos by classic monsters and you've got quite an adventure.

This week's run was performed by Jeremiah Jones.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

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Bionic Commando - Speed Run

Here's a novel concept: a videogame where the player can't jump. Mario would be turning over in his grave. Still, he can certainly put Spider-Man in his place.

This week's run was performed by Scott Kessler.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

Runtime: 00 hrs 21 min 07 sec

Metroid - Speed Run

Just in case you've downloaded the original Metroid on the Wii's Virtual Console last week and can't figure it out, here's the solution. Metroid is one of the earliest games to encourage speed runs, as different endings could be earned by completing the game quickly.

This week's run was performed by Blake Piepho. Note that a code was used to display Samus without her suit.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

Runtime: 00 hrs 21 min 06 sec

DuckTales - Speed Run

The fondly remembered DuckTales was one of those games that could be played over and over again. Similar to other Capcom games such as the Mega Man series, DuckTales let you choose your own way to becoming the world's richest duck.

This week's run was performed by Freddy Andersson.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

Runtime: 00 hrs 10 min 38 sec

TMNT IV: Turtles in Time - Speed Run

In 1991, those Foot Soldier kicking Ninja Turtles made one of their last 90s console outings with a journey through time. Despite a fighting game that would come out later, this game was basically the swan song for the classic Turtles, though a remarkably similar The Hyperstone Heist on the Sega Genesis would come out the next year.

This week's run was performed by Mike Uyama.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

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Contra - Speed Run

Released in 1988, Contra was the first game to bring the fabled "Konami Code" into gamers' repertoires. The game, so known for its difficulty, virtually required 30 lives to play through, even with a second player. This would be especially true if your were playing with an uncooperative player and made it to the waterfall level.

This week's run was performed by Freddy Andersson.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

Runtime: 00 hrs 12 min 45 sec

Doom: Episode 1 - Speed Run

As a successor to Wolfenstein 3-D, Doom brought the burgeoning FPS genre to a whole new level. And arguably it can be noted as the game that created the Speed Run concept. Quake may have popularized it years later, but Doom was the founder. Demons from Hell invading Mars never looked so scary.

This week's run was performed by Drew DeVore.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

Runtime: 00 hrs 09 min 02 sec

Grand Theft Auto III - Speed Run

When it was released, Grand Theft Auto III virtually defined a new genre of gameplay. Sure, full-world roaming had been attempted before, but GTAIII got the formula just right. With the explosion of sandbox-type games in recent years, it seems safe to say that developer Rockstar Games is a powerhouse in the gaming arena... if they can just avoid the controversy that seems to be one of their defining features.

This clip is only a part of the full game speed run. For the rest, visit the Speed Demos Archive

This week's run was performed by Tim Symanczyk.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com

Runtime: 00 hrs 14 min 09 sec

Sonic the Hedgehog - Speed Run

Welcome to week three of our Speed Run feature. This week's run brings the one character who actually gave Mario a run for his money. And now they're set to appear together in a game about the Olympics. Here is where Sonic got his start, and hopefully he'll soon get the bounce back in his step.

This PAL version run was performed by Mike McKenzie.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com.

Runtime: 00 hrs 31 min 39 sec

Battletoads - Speed Run

Here we have the second in a weekly feature of speed runs. This week we feature Battletoads, which has the reputation as being one of, if not the, most difficult NES games ever released (the less Ghosts 'n Goblins mentioned, the better). Battletoads resulted in many NES controllers colliding with the wall, a trait that used to inflict Wii owners.

The run was perfromed by Marc Dziezynski.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com

Runtime: 00 hrs 24 min 42 sec

Super Mario Bros. - Speed Run

The inaugural clip for Speed Run Fridays from the game that brought video gaming back from the dead: the original NES classic, Super Mario Bros.

This run was performed by Andrew Gardikis.

Speed Run Fridays brought to you by speeddemosarchive.com

Runtime: 00 hrs 05 min 00 sec