The Best Speedruns of AGDQ 2021 Day Two

The second day of AGDQ 2021 offered the first full 24 hours of speedrunning, continuing the marathon with entertainment and excitement into the week. There was a great collection of speedruns to watch, including some retro Sega games, a fantastic block of Sonic the Hedgehog titles, and much more. AGDQ 2021 day two was also a day packed with brand new world records, offering some of the fastest gameplay ever seen at a GDQ marathon. Overall, we had a great time watching the stream and picking out our choices for the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021. As always, we recommend you use these selections as a jumping-off point, as we were unable to catch every speedrun of the day. Listed in no particular order, here are our picks for the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021 day 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. With four more days left, there’s no shortage of great speedruns still left to be played. With that said, if you’re looking for some surefire speedruns to quicken your daily pace, here are some of the best from day two of AGDQ 2021.

The Best Speedruns of AGDQ 2021 Day Two

Ghostbusters (Any% Genesis) by RetroBrando

Games based on movies are rarely good, but thanks to RetroBrando’s speedy run of Ghostbusters, we got a succinct look at one of the better retro adaptations. Based on the classic comedy film Ghostbusters, this Sega Genesis title challenges the player with some simple platforming and side-scrolling action, resulting in a game that looks like a slightly spooky version of Mega Man. RetroBrando showed off his mastery of this 16-bit gem by utilizing boss quick-kill strategies, damage boosts, and more. While there aren’t many glitches to see, this speedrun of Ghostbusters was a chill and nostalgic trip in the early morning of AGDQ 2021 day two.

Final time: 31:17

Taz-Mania (Any%) by coolkid

This speedrun of the retro Sega Master System has everything we like about GDQ speedruns. Not only is it super quick, both in gameplay and in total time, but runner coolkid offers relaxed and informative commentary while pulling off some cool tricks. Generally speaking, we don’t see a ton of Sega Master System speedruns at GDQ, so it was nice to get a bit of variety during AGDQ 2021 day two. We’ve had a pleasure watching coolkid speedrun at GDQ events for several years now, so it’s always great to see the latest retro game he’s working on. If you only have a few minutes and you need a speedrun fix, this Taz-Mania run is perfect.

Final time: 8:32

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (24 Bees) by hedweg

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair was one of the most underrated games of 2019, so we were super excited to watch this stunning “24 Bees” speedrun by hedweg. This modern side-scroller pays homage to classic games like Donkey Kong Country and The Legend of Zelda, combining colorful and challenging platforming levels with a rich overworld packed with secrets. In order to beat the appropriately named final level, the Impossible Lair, hedweg used all manner of sequence-breaks, tricks, and glitches to obtain 24 bees, each providing him with an extra hit of health. Overall, this speedrun will satisfy viewers who enjoy glitches, impressive gameplay, and cheeky jokes. If you’ve never heard of Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, I highly recommend you check out this speedrun and the full game.

Final time: 50:53

Sonic 1 (2013) (Tails: Beat the Game) by flying fox

It’s not a speedrun marathon without a little bit of the blue blur himself, Sonic! In this wonderful and quick run of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game (re-released on Android), runner flying fox pulled off some exceptionally clean gameplay, combining expert precision with a handful of time-saving tricks to boot. She even showed off a bit, pulling off some cheeky jumps and moves just for the performance. As a speedrun, Sonic is all about going ridiculously fast and doing your best to avoid inevitable deaths, but flying fox did a fantastic job by clearing the game without too many mistakes. She did such a great job in fact, that she managed to nab a brand new world record! New world records aren’t very common during live marathons, so big props go to flying fox for the incredible performance. If you love classic Sonic, definitely give this run a watch.

Final time: 20:03

Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited (Any% Sonic + Tails) by Zaxon96

Sonic 3 has always been my favorite Sonic game, and this fan-remaster dubbed “Angel Island Revisited” brings that classic Genesis experience to modern PCs. The exceptionally talented runner Zaxon96 gave us a hell of a performance, netting another world record in the Sonic block. This is mostly due to a huge time-saving glitch that was discovered just a few days prior, allowing him to shave a few seconds off the current world record time. Like other Sonic runs, this run of Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited offers bright and vivid graphics, fun glitches, and some of the speediest gameplay you’ve ever seen. Any fan of classic Sonic games should give this speedrun a watch!

Final time: 34:24

Darksiders (All Chosen Bosses) by heny

If you like speedruns that use out-of-bounds tricks, then this run of Darksiders by heny is a must-watch. For those unfamiliar with this fantastic action-adventure franchise, Darksiders is basically God of War with a bunch of inspiration taken from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. There are lengthy dungeons full of puzzles, items to collect, and a sprawling map of interesting locations. This speedrun skips almost all of that, using a handful of ultra-suspenseful out-of-bounds tricks. A handy “infinite jump” glitch combined with infinite air-dashes allows heny to navigate Darksiders with a surprising amount of freedom, stopping only to collect essential items and fight key bosses. From the very first level to the very end fetch-quest sequence, heny busts Darksiders wide open, abusing glitches in some wickedly precise ways. When it comes to glitches and out-of-bounds gameplay, this is easily one of the best speedruns that AGDQ 2021 has to offer.

Final time: 1:25:32

Dishonored 2 (Any% Emily) by DemonicRobots

This brief run of the first-person action/stealth game Dishonored 2 is “blink and you’ll miss it” fast, with levels beaten in just a few minutes. The great part about Dishonored is the level of freedom that it affords the player, offering a wide variety of ways to complete assassination missions. Runner DemonicRobots uses this immersive playground to his advantage, quickly traversing the open environments using a few incredibly useful movement tricks. By manipulating various characters, items, and pieces of the level with pinpoint accuracy, DemonicRobots was able to speed through the main game in a blaze of deadly fury. Despite the ultra-fast movement and tons of techniques being used, both the runner and commentators were able to provide useful information, letting no trick go unexplained.

Final time: 30:14

Those are our picks for the best speedruns from AGDQ 2021 day two! By the end of the day’s events, the marathon has raised over $250,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. While a quarter of a million dollars is impressive, we expect to see that donation total skyrocket throughout the week. It fills our hearts with joy to see the incredible generosity from the viewers and streamers at Games Done Quick.

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 it, you can also check out our picks for the best speedruns of AGDQ 2021 day one. We’re super excited for the rest of the marathon, and hope you are too!