Paws and Pixels: Peanut Butter the Shiba Inu Breaks Speedrunning Records in Epic Gyromite Run at Awesome Games Done Quick!

While Awesome Games Done Quick is set to continue for the remainder of the week, a standout moment in this charity speedrunning event may have already occurred with a unique run led by Peanut Butter, an adorable Shiba Inu. Operating a custom-made controller and motivated by commands and treats, Peanut Butter not only captured our hearts but also etched his name in the annals of speedrunning history with a groundbreaking run of Gyromite – marking the first-ever speedrun conducted by a dog.

Gyromite involves guiding a sleepwalking scientist through his lab, manipulating colored pillars with button presses to clear the scientist's path. Successfully completing a level requires precise timing to avoid getting squished by pillars and navigating around menacing creatures known as "smicks" that can instantly eliminate the player.

During the run, Peanut Butter skillfully pressed red, yellow, or blue buttons on a pad to control the pillars, receiving tasty rewards like ham, kibble, and cheese. JSR, Peanut Butter's human companion and a speedrunner himself, revealed that he had been training Peanut Butter for over a year, teaching him commands and instilling the patience and focus needed for the run.

In the initial stages of the run, Peanut Butter was on track to break the world record, despite occasional human errors where JSR mistakenly provided Peanut Butter with incorrect commands. In the unpredictable realm of live speedrunning, the impact of a game's randomness, often referred to as RNG (random number generator), can throw runners off course. PB's world record pursuit faced an unexpected hurdle when an enemy smick blocked his path at the finish line, leading JSR to exclaim the familiar phrase, "That's never happened before." Despite the missed world record, PB's 70,000 Twitch viewers celebrated his successful run.

As is customary with Awesome Games Done Quick, funds raised from the event will support the Prevent Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to global cancer research and early detection initiatives. Last year, AGDQ raised $2.6 million, contributing to the organization's impactful work.

With four more days of the weeklong marathon ahead, there's still much to anticipate, including a Hades run, a relay race of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask on Friday, and the eagerly awaited Baldur's Gate 3 run on Saturday. AGDQ's charm lies not only in mainstream games but also in exploring lesser-known titles. The marathon's schedule offers a chance for viewers to discover hidden gems beyond the usual suspects.

Games Done Quick has witnessed numerous unconventional runs in its decade-long history, such as a Celeste run using a dance pad, two-player one-controller runs, one-handed runs, and blindfolded runs. Peanut Butter's Gyromite run stands out not only as the pinnacle of these quirky runs but also exemplifies why Games Done Quick remains one of the premier video game events each year.