Niftski

Niftski is an American speedrunner who has held world records Super Mario Bros., and was the first person to beat that video game in less than four minutes and fifty-five seconds.

Background

Niftski lives in the United States.[1]

He started gaming when he was three years old, on PC, including flash games.[2] He started playing Super Mario Bros. around six years of age.[3]

Speedrunning

Niftski began speedrunning in 2019.[2]

He set his first world record in the Any% category for Super Mario Bros. in 2020, with a time of 4:55.430, more than a fifth of a second improvement over Kosmic, the former world record holder. He set the record during a four hour live stream.[4] Justyna Janik notes the practice and study it would take to set this record.[5]

In April 2021, Niftski reclaimed the record from fellow speedrunner Miniland.[6] This time, he brought the time under 4:55, to 4:54.948,[7] a feat that Kyle Orland of Ars Technica compared to the four-minute mile.[6] The 4:55 barrier is expected to be the last "full second" barrier for Super Mario Bros. speedrunning.[6] The community called the milestone "historic".[8] Orland writes that the video of the run is worth watching to hear Niftski's exclamations. Elizabeth Henges of Eurogamer also notes the emotion shown by Niftski upon reaching the milestone.[9]

After claiming this record, Niftski declared his goal to set world records in other categories, including minus world and blindfolded runs.[6][8]

In late 2021, Niftski reclaimed the world record, again from Miniland. He then improved upon it in August 2022, reducing the time by exactly 5 frames.[10]

In September 2023, Niftski broke his own world record in the game again, lowering the time to 4:54.631. To make this time, he had to add a technique called "Lightning 4-2" to his run, which shaved fractions of a second off that stage of the game. The technique was established by a speedrunner named HappyLee who used emulation tools. Niftski himself updated that method, and development of the method used in this run was aided by KingOfJohnnyBoy.[11] This record is the first time a human has achieved the best result with respect to "frame rules", however there is still time to save in 8-4, the game's final stage.[12][13]

Orland describes Niftski's video showing a heart rate of 188 BPM, and his tearful reaction following the run, telling himself to "Get oxygen, dude".[11] Dustin Bailey of GamesRadar+ describes Niftski's reaction at the end of the run "a genuine all-timer that really helps sell the significance of the accomplishment."[13]

Niftski has also held world records in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and he also speedruns rom hacks.[2]

Equipment and publication

Niftski usually plays with a keyboard rather than a gamepad,[10] emulated on PC.[14]

Niftski live streams his runs on Twitch.tv,[8] and publishes on YouTube.[10]

References
  1. "Niftski - About". Speedrun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  2. Bennett, Jason (May 16, 2021). "A Q&A Session with the Speedrun champ of Super Mario Bros". Twin Galaxies. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  3. Yang, George (January 31, 2023). "Inside the Art of 'Breaking' Video Games". Rolling Stone. No. 1371. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  4. Burtt, Gavin (Nov 14, 2020). "Speedrunner Niftski Sets New Super Mario Bros World Record". TheGamer. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  5. Janik, Justyna (2020). "Negotiating Textures of Digital Play: Gameplay and the Production of Space". Game Studies. 20 (4). Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  6. Orland, Kyle (April 9, 2021). "How a speedrunner broke Super Mario Bros.' biggest barrier". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  7. Elker, Jhaan (July 13, 2021). "Speedrunning's starting line: An intro guide to gaming's seemingly intimidating subculture". Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  8. Hernandez, Patricia (Apr 7, 2021). "'Perfect' Super Mario Bros. speedrun beat after two years". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  9. Henges, Elizabeth (15 Apr 2021). "The Super Mario Bros. speedrunning community just broke the 4 minute and 55-second mark - why does that matter?". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  10. Notis, Ari (August 8, 2022). "Super Mario Bros. World Record Now Just A Half-Second Short Of A Perfect Run". Kotaku. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  11. Orland, Kyle (September 8, 2023). "Record-breaking Super Mario Bros. speedrun approaches robotic perfection". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  12. Phillips, Kara (September 8, 2023). "A new Super Mario Bros. speedrun record has been set". Tech Radar. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  13. Bailey, Dustin (September 7, 2023). "There's a new Super Mario Bros speedrun world record, and it's only 22 frames away from literal perfection". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  14. Jacevic, Milan (2022). A Study in Practice (PDF) (PhD.). The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
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