Day four of AGDQ 2021 continued the tradition of fantastic speedruns for a good cause, drenching viewers in a surplus of speedy games live-streamed on Twitch. The big highlights of AGDQ 2021 were the horror games block, a grab-bag morning of variety, along with some classic PlayStation platformers and a couple of Nintendo favorites. We did our best to catch every run we could, so we compiled this list of our picks for the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021 day four. As always, this is just a small selection of the speedruns of the day, so we suggest you check out some of the runs not listed in this article. We’re sure you’ll find a hidden gem or two!
If you want to watch any of these speedruns, you can find the replays on Games Done Quick’s Twitch channel or their YouTube channel. If you’re reading this during the time of the marathon, we also encourage you to check out the live stream and join the fun. The weekend days of AGDQ 2021 are almost upon us, offering some of the most anticipated runs of the entire marathon. With that said, here are our picks for the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021 day four!
The Best Speedruns of AGDQ 2021 Day Four
Silent Hill 3 (Extra New Game) by Punchy
The horror games block got even better during this run of the creepy survival-horror game Silent Hill 3 by Punchy. In this dark and ominous third-person title, players must navigate the haunted realm of Silent Hill, dodging enemies, collecting items, and solving puzzles. With his signature quick-witted commentary style, Punchy provided a comedic trip through this exceptionally broken horror game. Using a variety of out-of-bounds glitches and enemy manipulation, Punchy was able to skirt his way through the grimy streets of Silent Hill, doing his best to make it out alive. Silent Hill 3 is also a game extremely prone to glitches, especially when you start to break the rules. As Punchy tip-toed around potential game-crashing moments, it was hard not to get a little anxious, making this an excellent addition to the horror block. If you’re looking for a goofy horror game with some excellent commentary, the Silent Hill 3 run will get it done.
Final time: 40:35
Resident Evil: Director’s Cut (Jill, Arrange, Any% NMG) by RetroBrando
Although the Resident Evil games usually get their share of the spotlight at GDQ marathons, the Director’s Cut version of the original Resident Evil on PlayStation 1 hasn’t been seen in a while. Runner RetroBrando gave us a great look at this timeless yet incredibly silly horror game, opting to run the “Arrange” category, which offers a much different route than the normal game. Showing off his expert evasion and shooting skills, RetroBrando ran around the iconic Spencer Mansion, dodging all manner of undead beasts and baddies. Throughout the run, comedic commentary was delivered by RetroBrando and his couch of buddies, providing a chill and funny atmosphere. Thanks to RetroBrando’s endearing humor and the laughably bad in-game voice-acting, this Resident Evil run quickly became one of our favorites of AGDQ 2021 day four.
Final time: 1:04:13
Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure (Any%) by yoshipro
This speedrun of Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure is one of those runs that you turn on purely out of curiosity, only to watch the entire thing due to its absolutely ridiculous nature. As you might expect, Scrat’s Nutty Adventure is a pretty mediocre adventure game based on the popular movie franchise, offering ho-hum gameplay with some obnoxious sound effects. What made this run so entertaining was the ample amount of glitches, many of which runner yoshipro was surprised to pull off. Every few minutes, yoshipro would get flustered and excited after pulling off some ridiculous trick, surprised that it even worked in the first place. From start to finish, the Ice Age speedrun offers an unexpectedly hilarious and completely broken experience, making it an excellent addition to our list of the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021 day four.
Final time: 18:45
Golden Sun (Any% No Save & Quit) by Plexa
Some of our favorite speedruns at GDQ events are the super-long JRPG speedruns, which are perfect for a relaxing second-screen watch. Runner Plexa offered a lengthy run of the classic Game Boy Advance RPG, Golden Sun, running the “No Save & Quit” category. Using some smart manipulation, expert fight strategy, and a handful of super cool tricks, Plexa was able to smash through Golden Sun in just under 3 hours. To be honest, JRPGs aren’t usually our favorite speedruns, but there’s something special about getting comfy and hunkering down for a handful of hours while you watch the JRPG gods work their magic. If you’ve never played or seen Golden Sun, definitely check this run out, as it’s one of the best JRPGs to ever grace a video game system, handheld or otherwise.
Final time: 3:50:36
Spyro Reignited: Spyro 3 Year of the Dragon (Any%) by Zic3
Spyro 3 Year of the Dragon offers the most variety out of any of the original three Spyro games, with a handful of unique playable characters, bright and imaginative levels, and of course, skateboarding. Runner Zic3 gave us a peek at the classic “Any%” category of the Spyro 3 remake (part of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy), where they sped around the various fantasy levels in search of 100 dragon eggs. Although there were some big glitches, a big part of this run was straightforward and impressive platforming gameplay. If you grew up with a PlayStation, you’ll probably get plenty of nostalgia (as well as some excitement) from this super clean run of Spyro 3.
Final time: 1:02:53
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (All Platinum Bolts, Race) by Xem and DylWingo
There have been quite a few excellent races so far at AGDQ 2021, and this run of Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando for the PlayStation 2 is yet another. Competing in the race were runners Xem and DylWingo, two extremely talented Ratchet players, so we knew it was going to be a good one right off the bat. There’s a lot of movement techniques, glitches, and various pieces of info that make Ratchet & Clank runs easier to parse, so we were lucky to have such a great cast of commentators. Both runners did an excellent job, pulling off a handful of exceptionally dangerous tricks and performing consistently tight and precise platforming. Ratchet & Clank runs can get pretty hectic visually, with explosions and particles galore, and this run was no different. The combination of fantastic gameplay and uproarious action made this one of our favorite runs of AGDQ 2021 day four.
Final time: 1:11:12
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (100%) by Calco2
Yoshi’s Island has been a longtime staple of GDQ events, providing some of the most hyped and impressive runs in marathon history. Although we’ve seen this SNES classic run in a race format in recent marathons, it has been quite a few years since we’ve seen this lengthy “100%” category run. Luckily, runner Calco2 gave us quite the showing of Yoshi’s Island skill, breezing through the game while making sure to collect every coin and keeping their health as high as possible. While Yoshi’s Island might look cute and cuddly at first glance, it’s incredibly challenging, requiring pinpoint platforming precision, quick reflexes, and some impeccably accurate egg-tosses. Calco2 had an exceptionally good run with all things considered, coming very close to beating their personal-best time. We had a nostalgic blast watching this run, easily earning its spot on our list of the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021 day four.
Final time: 2:23:11
Those are all of our recommendations for AGDQ 2021 day four. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to catch as nearly as many runs as we wanted to, so we suggest you take a peek at the rest of the day’s runs and watch a few that sound interesting to you. By the end of the day, the marathon has raised over $600,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. We expect that number to double by the start of the weekend! As always, we’re amazed by the kindhearted generosity shown through the plethora of donations.
If you’re watching AGDQ 2021 live, be sure to stop by our Twitter page (@official90skid), where we’re geeking out over the marathon all week long! If you missed them, check out our articles on the other days of AGDQ 2021. Enjoy the rest of the marathon!
