Peanut Butter the dog will speedrun a Nintendo classic at AGDQ 2024
A very speedy boy
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In a proud moment for good doggos everywhere, a Shiba Inu called Peanut Butter will be attempting an unassisted run of 1985 puzzle gameGyromitefor the Nintendo Entertainment System. This will come as part of speedrunning organizationAwesome Games Done Quick’s latest event: AGDQ 2024.
Peanut Butter is companion to streamer and speedrunnerJSR, who trained Peanut Butter to press colored inputs when prompted. Though the Shiba Inu’sfirstGyromiterunwas “directed” by JSR, this adorable canine made all the inputs himself without “assistance, autofire, macros or save states” - according to aYouTubevideo description.
“This took years of training”, the description continues. “I wanted to train him to do something special, when I realized as a puppy that he was much smarter than most other dogs I’ve seen. Since I’m a speedrunner (and PB was literally named after, you know, getting a “PB” in a speedrun) it only made sense to me.”
Gyromiteis an old-school puzzler where players have to guide a scientist through his lab, picking up dynamite along the way to prevent unwanted explosions. Quite why there’s dynamite in a controlled laboratory environment we don’t know, but we do know that Peanut Butter is a master of the title, boasting a completion time of 25 minutes and 29 seconds with the game. This impressive feat earned him a place onSpeedrun.comin the special “dog assistance” category. While he currently has no rivals for the number-one spot, perhaps we’ll see more canine speedrunners emerge in the future to challenge this post-modern Air Bud.
We’ve seen our fair share of quirky speedrunning trends over the last few months. Back in August, we reported the emergence of a subgenre ofBaldur’s Gate 3speedrunning where players would compete toromance companion NPCsas fast as possible. We also saw gamers go head-to-head in aKFC-themed speedrunofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.Fans of completing games in weird and wonderful ways have certainly been eating well, lately.
Looking to play the very best titles? Check out our guide to thebest single-player gamesand our list of thebest co-op games.
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An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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