Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
It's the beginning of a new year and that means that it's time for Awesome Games Done Quick. This year's AGDQ is being held under unusual circumstances. While the speedrunning world previously returned to in-person speedrunning for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic back at SGDQ, the uneasy political climate in Florida led to an unprecedented decision to take AGDQ online this year. Despite that, the mission remains the same as it always has. The top runners in the world will look to speed through some of the most recognizable games of the past and present in front of a worldwide audience on Twitch and they'll do it for charity.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 Online takes place from the homes of many of the world's best runners. This year's event is raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Shacknews will be watching all week and we'll make sure to bring you the daily schedule each day. Plus, we'll highlight the noteworthy runs worth watching.
You can watch all of the action in the embed below!
Here's the full schedule for Day 1, taken from the Games Done Quick website, along with a handful of runs to check out:
| Time (All Times PT) | Game | Run | Runner(s) | Target Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | Pre-Show | -- | -- | 30:00 |
| 9:00 AM | Splatoon 3 | Any% - Switch | LonTr0 | 1:05:00 |
| 10:30 AM | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Any% - Switch | Player 5 | 29:00 |
| 11:14 AM | Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy | Crash 3 Any% - PC | Murcaz | 50:00 |
| 12:19 PM | Mirror's Edge Catalyst | NG+ - PC | CodeNameMeteor | 55:00 |
| 1:29 PM | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | Any% - Xbox 360 | Dr4gonBlitz | 35:00 |
| 2:19 PM | Borderlands: Game of the Year Enhanced | Any% Unrestricted - PC | zzrules21 | 1:40:00 |
| 4:14 PM | Bonus Game 1 - Cuphead | 300% - PC | Jason2890 | 1:25:00 |
| 6:04 PM | Donkey Kong Country 3 | DKC3 Any% Race - SNES | Bluepen49, laff____, Shaaf | 55:00 |
| 7:14 PM | Daily Recap: Sunday | Recap% - Live | Interview Crew | 15:00 |
| 7:29 PM | Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes | Perfect Stealth/No Kills NG+ - PC | JosephJoestar316 | 35:00 |
| 8:19 PM | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky | Randomizer 10 Dungeon Blitz - DS | EpicYoshiMaster | 1:00:00 |
| 9:34 PM | Blade II | Any% NG+ - Xbox | Mattmatt | 55:00 |
| 10:39 PM | Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines | Any% Nosferatu - PC | Vysetra | 45:00 |
| 11:34 PM | SSX (2000) | All Race Golds (Single Event) - PS2 | junior | 23:00 |
| 12:15 AM | Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy | Any% - PC | Kainalo | 30:00 |
| 12:55 AM | Dust: An Elysian Tail | Any% Warps - PC | AggytheAron | 25:00 |
| 1:30 AM | Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe | 100% - Game Gear | sharif | 35:00 |
| 2:15 AM | Cyber Hook | Full Game Marathon - PC | squeali0 | 35:00 |
| 3:00 AM | Gungrave | Any% - PS2 | DECosmic | 35:00 |
| 3:45 AM | Armored Core: Project Phantasma | Any% - PS | pmcTRILOGY | 40:00 |
| 4:35 AM | Bomberman 64: The Second Attack | Any% - N64 | EiP | 35:00 |
| 5:20 AM | Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny | Any% Easy No Ultimate - PS2 | Woadyb | 1:12:00 |
AGDQ isn't wasting any time with the more recent hotness. Splatoon 3 just released in September and features a differently structured single-player campaign than its predecessors. That's what makes this particular run from LonTr0 so fascinating. Be sure to check it out and get ready for the full week of GDQ excitement.
We're used to seeing the NES Castlevanias during these marathons, but let's not forget that the best game in the series is arguably Symphony of the Night. Ask yourself what a man is and watch Dr4gonBlitz run through this in just a little over a half hour.
This year's AGDQ will set the tone early with epic races. Get ready for an intense three-way race for the Super Nintendo's swansong. Donkey Kong Country 3 is the final entry in the SNES trilogy and it may not be the best (arguably! Some might say otherwise), it's still DKC and it's still a lot of fun.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 Online will take place from now through Saturday, January 14. For more, check out the Games Done Quick website and be sure to come back all week to Shacknews for more on this week's marathon.