The Best Speedruns of AGDQ 2021 Day One

The first day of AGDQ 2021 has come to a close, and we couldn’t have asked for a stronger start to this annual speedrunning marathon. Once again, streamers from around the world combined their efforts to put on a wonderful all-day stream of modern and retro speedruns, all streamed live to raise money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The entire day was loads of fun, with a great variety of games to check out. Listed below, you’ll find our picks for the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021 day one. Keep in mind that these choices are simply a small selection of the speedruns that were shown, so we recommend using these picks as a jumping off point.

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. The first day of AGDQ 2021 was tons of fun, and we’re super thankful for all the runners and stream organizers for putting this together year after year. With one day down and at least five more left, there’s no shortage of great speedruns still left to be played. If you’re looking for some great speedruns to watch, get comfy and check out our picks for the best speedruns fo AGDQ 2021 day one.

The Best Speedruns of AGDQ 2021 Day One

Donkey Kong Country (Any% No Major Skips Race) by Eazinn and DadLovesBeer

This incredibly close race of Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo kept the speedy atmosphere going at the start of AGDQ 2021. Speedrunning the “Any% No Major Skips” category, both runners Eazinn and DadLovesBeer absolutely nailed their quick journeys through this classic platformer developed by RARE. Utilizing a plethora of movement optimizations, both runners dashed their way through every level of Donkey Kong Country, with their paces synced for almost the entirety of the race. At any given time, there were only ever a handful of seconds between the runners, resulting in one of the most consistently close races of any GDQ event ever.

Final time: 41:24

Ratchet & Clank (2016) (NG+) by PerilousPeanut

It’s fun to watch games get beaten quick, but if you’re anything like me, it’s equally impressive to watch a game exploited with tons of glitches and out-of-bounds tricks. This speedrun of the Ratchet & Clank PS4 remake by PerilousPeanut was packed with wacky glitches that skipped over entire sections of the game, wrapping up this normally 10 hour adventure in just over 30 minutes. The expert gameplay combined with lighthearted commentary made this run a pleasurable Sunday afternoon watch.

Final time: 31:01

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Main Quest Order Race) by Hetfield90 and Skarfelt

Just like the Donkey Kong Country race from earlier in the day, this “Main Quest Order” race of Ori and the Will of the Wisps by Hetfield90 and Skarfelt was incredibly close and thoroughly intense. Not only is Ori and the Will of the Wisps one of our favorite games from 2020, but it’s also exceptionally pretty to look at, making this an exciting and aesthetically pleasing speedrun race. The excellent commentary makes the action easy to follow and the tricks simple to understand, ensuring you never get lost in the fast-paced platforming fun. If you like speedrun races but prefer modern games over retro games, give this run a watch!

Final time: 1:06:06

Diddy Kong Racing (100%) by Obiyo

Diddy Kong Racing is my preferred Nintendo 64 kart-racing game, easily besting Mario Kart 64 by a mile. This 100% speedrun by Obiyo provides as much DKR as one could hope for, with fast-paced races, exciting collectible missions, and a handful of neat tricks and glitches. Even if you’re not a huge fan of racing games, this Diddy Kong Racing run is well-worth the watch, thanks to the colorful graphics, groovy music, and generally impressive gameplay. Watching Obiyo drift around the snowy curbs of Frosty Village or blistering through the luminous Treasure Caves was an absolute treat, igniting a the fiery burn of nostalgia deep in my heart. If you have any love for the Nintendo 64 or Diddy Kong and family, check out this wonderful 64-bit speedrun.

Final time: 1:47:42

Those are our picks for the best speedruns from AGDQ 2021 day one! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to catch every run of the day, so we recommend that you check out any speedruns from day one that sound interesting to you. By the end of AGDQ 2021 day one, the stream has raised over $90,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. It’s always great to see the consistent selflessness shown by the GDQ events and the surrounding community. If you’re watching the stream live, be sure to check out our Twitter page (@official90skid) for live reactions! Don’t forget to check back every day, as we’ll be posting daily recaps throughout AGDQ 2021. Enjoy the marathon!