Blindfolded Super Mario 64 Speedrunner’s Near-Record Run Invalidated by Webcam Failure
In the world of speedrunning, precision and adherence to rules are paramount. Blindfolded speedrunner Bubzia, renowned for his expertise in Super Mario 64, recently experienced a heartbreaking incident where a technical glitch nullified a near-record-breaking run.
On 10th February 2025, during an attempt to surpass his own blindfolded 70-star world record, Bubzia was on an impressive pace. Approximately 24 minutes into the run, unbeknownst to him, his webcam ceased functioning. In blindfolded speedrunning, continuous visual proof is essential to validate that the player is indeed not seeing the game. Without this verification, runs are deemed invalid. Bubzia, unable to notice the malfunction due to his blindfold, continued the run, ultimately finishing just seconds shy of the world record. It was only after completing the run that he realised the webcam had failed, rendering his effort void.
Yesterday, it finally happened. My webcam died in the beginning of a 70 Star run, and I did not know until I finished an hour later. Luckily, it was a few seconds behind World Record 😅😅 pic.twitter.com/7BJzFwYHVH
— Bubzia (@Bubzia1) February 11, 2025
This incident underscores the unique challenges faced by blindfolded speedrunners, where not only in-game performance but also reliable equipment play crucial roles in successful attempts.
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