The new edition of SpeedDons started tonight, for the second consecutive year. The event, organized by MisterMVfollows a very simple concept: for 3 days, and without interruption, speedrunners will shatter our childhood memories by going through around fifty games as quickly as possible (you can find the detailed program on this page). At the same time, spectators have the opportunity to make donations, which will then be donated to Médecins du Monde.
Last year, just over €600,000 was collected thanks to SpeedDons for the organisation. Joel Weiler, director general of Doctors of the World, specified this evening, at the time of the opening, the interest of these donations: to initiate international actions, whether for Ukraine, or other human tragedies in the background, particularly in the Central African Republic. He will come back tomorrow in more detail on these various projects.
Unlike last year, this second edition is open to the public, and that changes everything. The exchanges between the spectators and the players, stimulated by the excellent animation of the presenters, ensure a hyperpositive atmosphere. The difficult phases (a game that crashes following five minutes for example) become more bearable for the players with the support of the public, who know how to be silent in the more technical moments to allow the good concentration of the competitors.
It is in this context that shrewdParisian speedrunner, started the marathon in the most beautiful way by setting a new world record on Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, with a unique strategy, revealed for the occasion.
In the process, Porin showed us all his talent on Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, a game particularly appropriate to grasp the level of play of all these participants. We notice, speechless, their sense of timing, their knowledge of game mechanics in detail, and their extraordinary reflexes allowing them to bypass the usual paths.
The runs of Monkey Balls are always impressive and that of @porinu_ no exception to the rule! ???? #Speedons
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— SpeeDons (@SpeeDonsFR) April 15, 2022
More than €30,000 have already been donated for this second edition, in less than four hours, proof if it were needed of the generosity of this community of players and streamers.
For our part, we will follow this event very closely. With a program that might not be more varied, including in particular Deathloop, Rayman Origins, Sonic Adventures 2: Battle, Celeste or even Super Mario 64, etc… you should be able to find in this eclectic selection a game that you have already played, that you will discover from a new angle.
Behind the illustration of the perseverance of these players, the speedrun has a magical quality: revealing to us a whole hidden and somewhat mystical aspect of works that we thought we already knew by heart.