GamesPlatformerSuper MarioLegendary Super Mario 64 speedrunner tries to beat the game blindfolded on a dance pad and fails, but not as badly as you or I wouldWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesPlatformerSuper MarioLegendary Super Mario 64 speedrunner tries to beat the game blindfolded on a dance pad and fails, but not as badly as you or I wouldWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Bubzia, the Super Mario 64 speedrunner primarily known for running the game blindfolded, has just embarked on a new challenge. He’s now running Super Mario 64 blindfoldedon a dance pad. The first attempt didn’t exactly go well, but I guarantee it turned out better than you or I could’ve managed.
All of Mario’s controls were mapped to the dance pad, but these things don’t havequiteenough buttons to handle a full N64 platformer, so Bubzia also kept hold of a standard controller to manipulate the camera and pause the game. He also needed to keep a hand free to hold on to a piece of furniture so he wouldn’t just fall over during all the ridiculous movements he needed to handle. “I need to multitask,” he explained. “I need to hold with one hand, game with my feet, and operate the camera with the controller. It’s a mess.”
The challenge was intended to be a 16-star run, and Bubzia began the run without much confidence. “I am very confident we will not manage to get the actual 16-star run fully, but we’re gonna try our best,” he said. That insecurity turned out to be pretty well justified when the first star challenge saw him forget the game’s most basic mechanics. “Wait, how do you ground pound?” Bubzia asked aloud. “My understanding of the Mario physics is gone. What do you do to ground pound? What button do you press? Just A and Z, right?”
He did ultimately figure out how to grab that first star, and several more besides, but none of them came easily. Turns out that Mario is difficult to control with your feet, and rewiring your brain to turn all those analog stick controls into toe taps is no joke. “This is so much brain work,” Bubzia noted at one point. “This is much more mentally taxing than physically.”
I played Super Mario 64 on a Dancepad… - YouTubeWatch On
I played Super Mario 64 on a Dancepad… - YouTube
I played Super Mario 64 on a Dancepad… - YouTube
Just beating the first Bowser battle ended up taking over three hours and 33 minutes. Bubzia’s blindfolded16-star record using a normal controller is just 19 minutes and 43 seconds. If you’re wondering whether there’s a speedrunning record for beating Mario 64 on a dance padwithouta blindfold - well, of course there is. That record belongs to PeekingBoo, who beat the 16-star categoryin 20 minutes flaton a DDR pad back in 2022.
Yet it seems combining dance pads and blindfolds just makes for a bad time. “I knew it was a bad idea and it turned out to be an even worse idea than I initially thought,” Bubzia said.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”