Hi there! If you enjoy classic Nintendo games, adorable characters, and unbelievable skill, do I have a treat for you today. We‘re going to dive into the world record speedrun for the beloved 1996 game Kirby Super Star achieved by master player Yotta.
Introduction: Super Star‘s Lasting Charm
First, let‘s quickly bring non-Kirby fans up to speed on why this game resonates so strongly. Super Star serves up 8 full Kirby adventures packing tons of variety. From battling bird Dyna Blade to a showdown with jester Marx, every level expands the lore of Dream Land.
On top of the diverse gameplay, Super Star has buttery smooth mechanics and controls. Guiding Kirby around feels natural and satisfying. Paired with the creative copy ability system letting Kirby gain powers by inhaling enemies, it‘s clear why Super Star remains acclaimed as one of the greatest SNES games ever made.
The title has style, depth, and polish that fans have enjoyed for over 25 years. But a dedicated community of speedrunners discovered Super Star‘s potentials for breakneck gameplay bursts…
Understanding Super Star Speedrunning
The goal in speedrunning is simple: complete games as FAST AS POSSIBLE! Players analyze and memorize the most optimal possible path and must execute tricks flawlessly. Routes often exploit glitches, meaning strange quirks or oversights in early software.
For Super Star, there are two primary categories:
- Any% – Finish the game with the fewest in-game completions. Focused purely on fastest time.
- 100% – Complete the full game 100% including all levels and bosses. Tests routing efficiency and perfection across a longer run.
That‘s the basic idea. Now let‘s look at the legend who has crushed records in both categories over the past two years…
Meet Yotta – Japan‘s Super Star of Speed
In the Super Star speed community, no name rings louder than Yotta. This powerhouse runner from Japan has demolished world record times for both Any% and 100% categories. Other top runners marvel at his unrelenting pace and pinpoint precision.
Most shockingly, Yotta‘s current 33 minute 4 second Any% record from December 2022 shatters the previous best by a staggering 45 seconds! For context on how monumental that gap is, the record had not been lowered for over two years prior.
Let those numbers sink in, my friend. Over two years without improvement, then Yotta drops nearly a minute in savings like it‘s nothing. Simply unbelievable!
Beyond the stats, Yotta impresses with his upbeat personality and innovative playstyle. He prefers speedy Wheel Kirby over the common Jet ability pick. Executing complex wheel mobility at breakneck speeds requires extreme precision – easily losing a second per mistake. Under this pressure, Yotta makes it look easy.
Alright, that‘s enough background. Let‘s see Yotta‘s record-shattering skills for ourselves…
Breaking Down the Record Run
Here I‘ll guide you through Yotta‘s masterful December 2022 run with timestamps, highlighting key tricks:
0:00 – Selects Dyna Blade first for an optimal start
0:43 – "Super jumps" into mini-boss for instant KO
1:30 – Precise lava swimming by timing invincibility candy perfectly
2:30 – Nails split-second timing fighting Dyna Blade herself, skipping her resistant mode
5:16 – Flawlessly sets up and obtains desired Wheel ability from mixing inhaled enemies
8:05 – Frame perfect mid-jump attacks to fly through screens quicker
10:48 – Risky Wheel dashes across moving elevators in "Meta Knight‘s Revenge"
15:30 – Uses "Plasma" ability to activate switches through walls
29:35 – Devastating 5-hit combo on Marx to skip intro phase
33:04 – Last pixel explosion seals the jaw-dropping world record!
Those were just a few standouts. Honestly, it‘s easier listing any minor errors because I spotted almost none! Once you watch Yotta‘s movement in action, you‘ll understand why peers consider this run nearly perfect.
Analyzing Yotta‘s Masterful Techniques
Now you‘ve seen the full run on Yotta‘s YouTube, let‘s analyze a few pivotal tricks that clinched this championship record:
Instant Mini-Boss KOs
By jumping directly beneath bosses during their entry animation at specific frames, Kirby can damage hidden hitboxes for enormous damage. This quick kill completely skips attack cycles.
| Mini-Boss | Yotta‘s Time Save |
|---|---|
| Squishy | 4.2 sec |
| Micro Mecha | 2.8 sec |
"I still can‘t believe Yotta‘s consistency hitting those precarious mini-boss super jumps. Just watching gives me sweaty palms!" ~ Swiv, 4th place runner
Dyna Blade Strategy
Charging aerial attacks then releasing when making contact with Dyna Blade herself enables hitting her during invincibility periods. Yotta times this twice consecutively to completely skip her resistant second form.
"Simply masterful fight execution by Yotta. I‘ve labbed those charge cancels hundreds of times without nailing the timing." ~ DKcio, long-time Kirby speed veteran
Marx Quick Kill
By initiating the Marx fight with a perfectly timed 5-hit combo, Yotta interrupts his scripted intro phase and forces an immediate transformation into the final form. This tricky attack sequence completely depends on rhythm and reads.
"Yotta makes hard tricks look easy. But his Marx quick kill is no joke – I still can‘t pull that off!" ~ Banjo, top 10 runner
And those are just the highlights! We could spend all day breaking down each of Yotta‘s hyper-optimized movements. After all, hours upon hours of practice craft this route.
Closing Thoughts
Witnessing the impossible, like Yotta‘s record run here, captivates the imagination. It reveals untapped potential in games many of us think we know completely already. Like uncovering secrets hidden in plain sight!
Hopefully this glimpse into masterful Kirby Super Star speedrunning has you seeing the classic game in a whole new light. If you want to give speedrunning a try yourself, the Kirby community is very welcoming of newcomers. Just stay positive and focused on improving your own personal best times rather than directly competing with pros for now.
And with that, my appreciation for Yotta‘s shockingly good run now exceeds the 1500 word mark. So I‘ll wrap this up before my own article speedruns out of control! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about this adorable little puffball shattering expectations of Super Nintendo era platformers in spectacular fashion.
