Streamer beats Mario 64 in under 20 minutes with a sick drum solo

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This world record was 2.5 years in the making

Super Mario 64 drum set world record
(Image credit: CZR/Nintendo)

A new Mario 64 world record has been set, and this time it's a 16-star sub-20-minute run completed entirely by playing the drums.

Look, Mario 64 is a very old game, and it's one of the most popular for speedrunners, so naturally these records are getting more and more convoluted. But that doesn't make this one any less significant in the pantheon of Mario 64 world records! In fact, beating the game in under 20 minutes is an accomplishment in its own right, but until now it's never been done quite so fast on a frikkin' drum set.

Speedrunner CZR specializes in beating games using drum sets, and so it's only natural he'd be the first to break this very specific world record. He actually completed the run a couple of weeks back, but a Twitter shout from Full Squad Gaming founder Jake Lucky brought much deserved attention to CZR's run. In response, CZR said it was his "proudest record to date."

You can watch the entire 19:48 run here, which shows CZR bashing away at a drum  set that's been rigged up to an actual N64. The streamer has attempted to drum his way through the game in under 20 minutes several times before - his previous run came oh so close at 21:09 - so the tension and anticipation in the video is palpable. He uses exploits called "clipping" to skip the 30-star door and beat the game with only 16 stars. Meanwhile, the talented musician treats us with sick drum fills over the musical jingles during scenes without gameplay.

As for what's next, CZR says he's considering multiple games to speed-drum, including Super Mario Bros. 3, Goldeneye, Minecraft, and Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Thanks, TheGamer.

Guess where Mario 64 landed on our list of the best N64 games ever made.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.