Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
It's a brand new year and that means that the people at Games Done Quick are once again getting together to raise money for charity. Awesome Games Done Quick is an annual event, held at the beginning of January, where the world's best speedrunners come together to plow through games of the past and present as quickly as possible, while raising money for charity in the process.
This year kicks off a new era for Awesome Games Done Quick, as this year's event is being held in an all-new venue. The week takes place from the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel in Rockville, Maryland. They will be raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The event is about to begin, so Shacknews is here with a handful of noteworthy runs from throughout the week that should not be missed.
Here's the full schedule for Day 1, taken from the Games Done Quick website, along with a handful of noteworthy runs to check out:
| Time (All Times PT) | Game | Run | Runner(s) | Target Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | Pre-Show | -- | -- | 30:00 |
| 9:00 AM | Hollow Knight | True Ending, No Major Glitches - PC | Vysuals | 1:35:00 |
| 10:50 AM | Kirby & The Amazing Mirror | Any% - GBA | swordsmankirby | 32:00 |
| 11:42 AM | Donkey Kong Country | Any% All Stages - SNES | V0oid, stew_ | 37:00 |
| 12:29 PM | Mario Kart DS | 32 Tracks - DS | Keverage | 1:05:00 |
| 1:49 PM | Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter | Any% Co-op - PC | mr.deagle, The Master | 33:00 |
| 2:32 PM | Mega Man Zero 2 | Hard Mode Any% - GBA | Krankdud | 1:10:00 |
| 3:52 PM | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | Any% - Wii VC | popsquidward | 1:25:00 |
| 5:32 PM | Portal | Inbounds Race - PC | alex_sr, ConnorAce | 15:00 |
| 6:02 PM | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | European Extreme - PS3 | Tyler2022 | 1:35:00 |
| 7:47 PM | Shadow of the Colossus (2018) | Boss Rush (NTA) - PS4 | ChurchNEOH | 50:00 |
| 8:47 PM | God of War II | Any% NG+ - PS3 | RagnellGoW | 1:10:00 |
| 10:07 PM | Bomberman 64 | Any% - N64 | Puncayshun | 30:00 |
| 10:47 PM | Fe | All Songs - PC | CorundumCore | 1:00:00 |
| 11:57 PM | Spike Hike | 100% - PC | SecksWrecks | 5:00 |
| 12:12 AM | Cat Bird | Any% All Worlds - iPad | MrUppercaseT | 28:00 |
| 12:50 AM | CometStriker | Arcade, Hard - PC | MrCab | 35:00 |
| 1:35 AM | Khimera: Destroy All Monster Girls | Race Mode - PC | snapcase | 20:00 |
| 2:05 AM | Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition | Any% Glitchless - PS4 | Brandooates | 15:00 |
| 2:30 AM | Monster World IV | Any% w/Magic Merchant - PS3 | Cyclone | 1:10:00 |
| 3:50 AM | Mega Turrican | Any% Normal - Genesis | d4gr0n | 20:00 |
| 4:20 AM | Ecco: The Tides of Time | Any% - Genesis | chronoon | 17:00 |
| 5:10 AM | Vectorman | Any% - Genesis | chronoon | 17:00 |
| 5:37 AM | Generations Lost | Any% - Genesis | Nubzombie | 13:00 |
This year's AGDQ doesn't waste any time getting into the good stuff. Hollow Knight was one of the best games of the year in 2017, both for its charming aesthetic and its crushing difficulty. In 2018, more people discovered the wonder of this game, thanks to its debut on consoles. Now Games Done Quick is bringing further spotlight to this phenomenal Metroidvania, with Vysuals aiming for a true ending in just a shade over an hour and a half. If you're looking to see what the fuss is about with this game, this run is a good place to start.
It's been over a decade since Valve graced its audience with The Orange Box and Portal's innovations are still affecting gaming to this day. The original still holds up amazingly well and is a blast to watch when two speedrunners are racing to the finish. The first day of AGDQ sees alex_sr and ConnorAce looking to see who can finish GLaDOS' tests first. I can only assume the loser will be incinerated.
Speaking of games that still hold up, Shadow of the Colossus continues to impact generations of players with its boss rush style and its vast, scenic world. Its timeless nature is a good reason that Sony keeps trotting it out for newer consoles. Those looking to behold the beauty of the recent PS4 remaster can check out ChurchNEOH's run, as he attempts to complete the whole thing in just under an hour.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2019 will take place from now through Saturday, January 12. For more, check out the Games Done Quick website and be sure to watch all of the action from Twitch. Also, be sure to check out our TwitchCon interview with GDQ's Matt Merkle.