Faster than the Speed of Mario

A few days ago, I found myself watching a YouTube video history of speedruns of Mario 64. I was astonished when I realised I was coming to the end, the 50 minute mark, having intended to watch just a few minutes.

The video premiered six days ago and it already has over a million views. It details attempts to complete the old Game Cube Mario game in less and less time over the course of twenty years. A small group of speedrunners from America and Japan consistently started to take the top spots about ten years ago. But you know this thing must dominate the focus of many people's lives. I don't mean to sound superior when I ask if these boys didn't waste a significant portion their existence. We could as well ask that of the people who honed their skills at prehistoric games over the course of a lifetime. Even the original performers of Shakespeare's plays can't be appreciated now.

I would say any of Shakespeare's plays enriches the viewer or participant in more ways than Mario 64. But that's not a fair comparison--most things don't come close to Shakespeare but achieving skill in a game isn't necessarily comparable to the profundity of an art. I guess you could say a great waitress can go to sleep at night knowing she helped make the evening better for hundreds of people.

Now video games are increasingly becoming a spectator sport. Many of the students at the schools I work at here in Japan spend their free time watching gamers on YouTube playing games they may never hope or desire to play themselves.

I find it kind of fascinating that the YouTuber I was watching, someone named Summoning Salt, has taken it upon himself to make a series of little documentaries, weaving a story from all these mad people dedicating themselves to finding new little glitches or ways of spinning Mario around at key points to shave another second or another half second from the runtime. I'm often fascinated by the complexity and variety of internet subcultures. It makes sense that a community would naturally produce a historian from among its ranks.

Where are we going with this world of ours?

Twitter Sonnet #1467

Returning storms obstruct the current flow.
In time the screens repulse their image sheet.
The stoppers work to thwart the thought of go.
A power grows in bubbles 'cross the street.
His mighty feet could crush the surface grace.
His knees were pachyderms with extra tusks.
His belly button boasts a human face.
His necklace joins the heads' internal husks.
The cheaper chicken carries extra rice.
The curtains part and show the bowing head.
A supper bell reflects the monster twice.
Machines can carry sleeping fawns to bed.
Repeating screens create a living dream.
The green of life explodes the tidy seam.