(Image credit: Nintendo/Bubzia)
Last month, the blindfolded speedrunning virtuoso, Bubzia, casually shattered three world records in a span of four days. Now, he has reached a new pinnacle in Super Mario 64, having absolutely obliterated his previous 70-star record by over three-and-a-half minutes. With this incredible achievement, Bubzia is gearing up for an even more demanding challenge that initially took him over 11 hours and remains uniquely unchallenged by others.
Dominating the blindfolded Super Mario 64 speedrunning arena for years, Bubzia holds the world record in every category, relentlessly pushing his own limits. Focused on new records in the 70-star category, he’s been on a relentless grind, gradually reducing his time to 1:22:09 and then 1:20:12, where the record had remained since March 2.
Today, Bubzia set an unprecedented 70-star record, breaking the 1 hour, 20-minute barrier for the first time with an astounding 1:16:41. Saving over 3 minutes in such a tough category seems almost incredible, yet Bubzia pulled it off. In a Bluesky post following his run, he declared, “70 Star is DEAD!!! New world record by more than 3 minutes, absolutely obliterated it!”
As Bubzia reached the climactic showdown with Bowser, it was evident this run was exceptional. The moment he confirmed the time by swiftly removing his blindfold was charged with anticipation. After celebratory exclamations, silence filled the room.
“I’m done,” Bubzia finally voiced, overwhelmed. “I’m done with this shit. I’m completely, honestly done with this shit. Oh, god, dude, my heart. I had like a 150 heart rate for the past half-hour, I think. I’m completely dead. What did I just do? Well, this is, I guess, a sub-1:20 – what we wanted – by a bit of a margin. A bit of a margin, dude.”
The run wasn’t flawless; Bubzia stumbled in the red coin section of Rainbow Ride, losing several lives and over a minute. He speculates a sub-1:15 time was within reach without those errors. For now, he’s content with his performance.
“I’m so happy with this time,” Bubzia said, reflecting after the run. “I’m so, so happy with this time. I will take this, and honestly, I think I’m done. I think I’ll put 70-star to rest for now. We said maybe the goal would be 1:15, but I think I’m done. For now. There’s still improvement to be done, but… Jesus Christ, what was this run, dude? Three-minute barrier skipped in one run.”
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Bubzia’s next ambition is to break the record for the 120-star category, again completing the game blindfolded. His previous record in this mammoth challenge is an astonishing 11:22:42. Being the first and only one to attempt it, the speedrunning community eagerly anticipates what this determined speedrunner will achieve next.
All of this serves to alleviate the blow of a webcam mishap he faced in Super Mario 64 recently, showcasing Bubzia’s resilience and commitment to his craft.