On the Internet, no one can know you’re a dog. Except if you activate your cam. But let’s be honest: none of us would mind finding out that our conversation partner on the other side is a dog. Everything is better with dogs. They are adorable, loyal, and if we call them “man’s best friend,” it’s for a reason. That’s why if a dog has decided to become a speedrunner, we can only come here to tell you about it and celebrate it.
Because that’s exactly what happened. A Shiba Inu named Peanut Butter is going to do a solo speedrun in the upcoming Awesome Games Done Quick event. He’ll be playing Gyromite, a 1985 NES platformer. If you’ve never heard of it, that’s normal because it’s not exactly one of the console classics, not even in the speedrunning scene. But it’s not that uncommon either. There are many speedrunners who specialize in niche games. And if this little dog has decided to do it, who are we to judge?
Of course, Peanut Butter won’t be alone. He’ll be accompanied by JSR_, a speedrunner and also his owner, who will also participate in AGDQ 2024 by playing a slightly less niche game: Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Does that mean Peanut Butter has assistance? No. JSR_ directs Peanut Butter’s actions, but he is the one executing all the necessary movements, just like a speedrunner would use instructions from another speedrunner in a run where they had their eyes covered.
In any case, this isn’t the first time Peanut Butter is going to speedrun Gyromite. Last July, he managed to complete a run in 25 minutes and 29 seconds, which has even been officially recorded on Speedrun.com, confirming him as the first dog speedrunner. This achievement, as his proud owner comments, can be seen in a video on JSR_’s channel.
To watch him in action, we’ll still have to wait until Awesome Games Done Quick 2024, which will take place between January 14th and 21st, 2024. All the funds raised during the event will be donated to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. And as always, we’ll keep you updated, especially with such handsome speedrunners like Peanut Butter.
