When you read the word "speedrun" in any article about video games these days, there's nothing too special about it, right? Speedruns happen all the time now. But perhaps this specific speedrun of Nintendo's Super Mario 64 might be a little more interesting.
A YouTuber by the name CZR just attempted a 70-star speedrun of the classic Nintendo title Super Mario 64 using a modified drum kit as a controller, according to a report by GameRant. And what's even crazier is that he actually achieved the 70-star goal in less than an hour and a half. Nuts.
Now, you might think that this isn't an inherently amazing achievement. To put this in context, the current world record for a 70-star speedrun set on a basic N64 was just under 47 minutes. That's with a typical N64 controller.
While CZR didn't beat the record, it's the immense skill you need to have to do what he did that's already amazing in its own right. But how did he do it, exactly?
A Little Hardware Tinkering Goes A Long Way
CZR was able to achieve this feat using a modified kit that doesn't actually make drum sounds. According to Screen Rant, CZR's kit was specifically made for playing video games.
He controls Mario by performing actual drumming techniques, though. For instance, he makes Mario move forward by doing a slow drum roll. And considering that the character also does backflips, long jumps, and glides, CZR's drumming skills are actually on full display with how he manages to perform these moves. In fact, it's even more amazing to see him do this firsthand, so check out his video on YouTube.
As for the technical aspect, CZR didn't really share much information about how he made his drum kit do what it does. Though from a quick look, it does seem like the kit uses some sort of rhythm-based inputs; that is, a certain drumming pattern corresponds to a specific button press on a typical controller.
Unusual Control Setups Galore
What CZR did with his drum kit is not the first and only one of its kind, however. Other people have had unusual controller setups before. For example, there's this one YouTuber named ThioJoe who played Elite Dangerous using an electric guitar, which likely uses the same rhythm-based control principle. The video on his channel is pretty interesting to watch, as well.
But that's not the end of it. Others have had even more unusual (and frankly unnecessary) control setups to play video games before. Case in point, ever heard of someone playing the OG Doom game using a Porsche 911 as a controller? Yep, that happened, and it really works too.
Alternative Control Schemes And Improved Accessibility
What CZR, ThioJoe, and other people did with their weird game controller setups is more or less a showcase of technical talent. But that's not all there is to it. In fact, alternate control schemes can actually help make video games more accessible. Microsoft, for instance, is among the leaders in this field.
There are a lot of disabled gamers out there, and the existence of alternative control schemes ensures that they can enjoy video games as much as able-bodied folks can. This is the future of the gaming medium, and frankly, we're not complaining.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
