Super Metroid Will Not Be Run at Awesome Games Done Quick 2018

Super Metroid did not make the cut at the new Awesome Game Done Quick, bringing an event-wide tradition to an end.

10

Games Done Quick has released the list for January's Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 lineup. There are several highlights to be found, but there's also one controversial omission. This will be the first time in the event's history that Super Metroid will not be run.

Since the charity speedrunning event's inception back in 2010 with Classic Games Done Quick, Super Metroid has made an appearance in some capacity. It would often be played on the final day in some variation, with Games Done Quick taking donation incentives on whether the runners would "save" or "kill" the animals. This is in reference to the final "Escape from Zebes" sequence, in which Samus can take a quick detour to release the world's wildlife from captivity and allow them to flee the exploding planet. Both sides of the incentive would often go neck-and-neck each year.

The trouble with Super Metroid in recent years is that speedrunners have had a tendency to die in mid-run. Because saving takes up precious time, speedrunners don't hit any save points, meaning if they die halfway through the run, there isn't enough time to start over. One example came just a few months ago at Summer Games Done Quick, where runners oatsngoats and Overfiendvip both died at about the half-hour mark, with zoast nearly dying himself at several points, at which point the "Save/Kill the Animals" incentive would have never gotten to play out.

Having had several close calls in recent years, it looks like Games Done Quick is erring on the side of caution this year and will not run the game at all at AGDQ2018. Some thought it was an oversight, but it looks like the organization itself has confirmed that this was no mistake.

And as one would expect, Twitter users are expressing disappointment.

Awesome Games Done Quick 2018 is set to run from January 7-14 from Herndon, VA and will raise money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. To get a look of the games that did make the cut, check out the Games Done Quick website.

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

From The Chatty
  • reply
    October 11, 2017 10:15 AM

    Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Super Metroid Will Not Be Run at Awesome Games Done Quick 2018

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 10:50 AM

      Boooooo

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 10:51 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 10:56 AM

      Good now we dont have to lissen to them contemplate the fate of the animals all week

      • reply
        October 11, 2017 3:38 PM

        Glad I'm not the only one who gets tired of hearing that. I find most of the donation messages annoying tbh

        • reply
          October 11, 2017 7:24 PM

          I can guarantee that this will not deter those messages.

          • reply
            October 11, 2017 7:25 PM

            I know. I can still gripe though :D

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 12:22 PM

      It's ok, it's a short game as it is and there are about a billion speed runs out there.

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 12:24 PM

      will probably help the other donation incentives out

      • reply
        October 11, 2017 12:28 PM

        Lets hope it does, and doesn't instead somehow raise less. They could use a few other options for a show-ending drive than just the save/kill the animals bid war.

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 12:27 PM

      They've got a Hollow Knight 40 minute run scheduled. That's insane.

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 12:43 PM

      I'm okay with this. There are tons of great games to run, including other classics.

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 1:30 PM

      That is going to be very strange, as that game is a staple of GDQs and usually the save / kill incentive brings in a good percentage of the overall donation amount. Hopefully they have something planned for the end of the marathon that they think will be just as big.

      They seem to have a few interesting games planned though:
      Duke Nukem 3D
      Enviro-Bear 2000 5 Person 5 Year Relay
      Left 4 Dead 2 4 Player Main Campaigns Co-op
      Mega Man 1 - 3 Team Relay Race (18 racers - 6 per team?)

      Also they are having these recent releases:
      Star Fox 2
      Splatoon 2
      Sonic Mania

      I'm hoping Cuphead will also be an incentive run, seeing that The Mexican Runner will be there and he recently got a sub 28 minute world record in that game.

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 1:37 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 1:39 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 2:39 PM

      Good. Too many damn readouts of saving/killing the animals.

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 3:29 PM

      Oh, if you want to see some amazing gaming skill, watch this:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5J9lNd8RU Day 1
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v02Shi6msjE Day 2

      (yes, it is nearly 10 hours long, but there is some down time you can skip)
      It is a recent Mystery Blind Race Tournament Top 8 stream.
      A Mystery Blind Race is a race between two runners to complete a goal (typically complete the game or get to a certain stage in the game) in games that neither racer has played (and likely never even heard of). This is set up by each entrant suggesting a game and goal for that game that is not a widely known game, when they enter the tournament. The game needs to be free to play, and typically is a game from a Ludum Dare ( http://ludumdare.com/compo/ ) entry or from https://itch.io/ . The games and goals are screened before the competition begins, and can be modified by the judges. The games kept secret from the runners until just a few minutes before the race (and care is taken so that no one races a game that they suggested). Both players must stream their run.
      They started with 64 players in a double elimination setup. The videos above are of the top 8 players. The semi-finals are the day 2 video, where each match is a best of 3 games, with the finals being a best of 5.

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 3:33 PM

      I honestly was sick of the save / kill the animal stuff with every donation

    • reply
      October 11, 2017 7:44 PM

      This is the first time I recall being suggested an article from Shacknews
      http://chattypics.com/files/shackbrowseUpload_85rcibpx12.jpg

Hello, Meet Lola