A Shiba Inu called Peanut Butter will soon be competing at speedrunning event Awesome Games Done Quick, playing retro Nintendo platformer Gyromite - and I couldn't be prouder.
This week, speedrunner JSR_ announced that their talented dog, Peanut Butter, will compete at AGDQ in January 2024. The Shiba Inu is no stranger to the sport and actually holds the world record for finishing the classic SNES game Gyromite (Game B) in just under 25 minutes and 30 seconds - which can be found on Speedrun.com. This is, of course, an impressive feat but, at the time of writing, Peanut Butter is actually the only pooch to have attempted the 'Dog Assistance' challenge.
To announce the good boy's participation at the event, JSR_ uploaded a video to their YouTube channel titled 'A Shiba Inu will speedrun at AGDQ 2024' which not only announces the upcoming challenge but also reveals how Peanut Butter can play the Nintendo game at all. Back in July, JSR_ uploaded a video called 'The world's first TRUE speedrunning dog speedruns a game in 25:29!' which showcases how Peanut Butter got his world record we mentioned earlier.
In the video's description, JSR_ reveals that all inputs in the impressive speedrun were performed by Peanut Butter (who got his name after 'PB,' as in personal best in speedrunning terms) using a custom controller with no assistance, autofire, macros, or save states being used. Getting PB to hit the right button at the right time apparently "took years of training" and came about due to their owner wanting to "train him to do something special" - JSR_ certainly has the right breed of dog to do this as Shiba Inus are known for being very intelligent.
I'm behind Peanut Butter 100% and believe that he's more than capable of beating his personal best when Awesome Games Done Quick rolls around early next year. You can find out who else is competing during the event as well as the schedule (as of Oct 20) by heading to the GDQ website.
This story reminds me of the Elden Ring-playing goldfish that managed to beat both Malenia and Godrick without laying a fin on the controller.
