Mario Speedrunner Breaks Own World Record in Full Costume on Halloween

Speedrunner Niftski has broken his own world record for Super Mario Bros. while in full Mario cosplay on a Halloween stream, according to IGN. The run, which he performed while speaking in a Mario-inspired voice, brought his time down to 4:54.299.

Kotaku reports the new record is only two frames, or 0.33 seconds, faster than his previous best. The runner reportedly joked at the start of the stream that getting a record would be a silly outcome.

Per IGN, Niftski stated the two lost frames occurred from imperfect fast accelerations in the game's opening rooms. This leaves the run just milliseconds away from what is considered a theoretically perfect, tool-assisted speedrun (TAS) time.

The runner attributed his success to the silly costume and voice act, saying it eliminated his nerves and made the attempt feel casual, as reported by both outlets. He now holds the top records in multiple categories for the classic 1985 game.