The Complete History of the A Button Challenge

Name: The Complete History of the A Button Challenge
Uploaded: 2022-12-20T16:00:21Z
Duration: 5 h 22 min 14 s
Channel: Bismuth
Description: This documentary details the history of the A Button Challenge, explaining the complex bugs, exploits, and math used to beat Super Mario 64.

Bismuth

272K subscribers • 4 videos on Hallway

YouTube

Recommended by 3 people: 3 on Hacker News.

Intermediate. Assumes working knowledge.

2.3M views3 years ago3 recommendations

Game development History and culture Retro games and consoles Game programming Algorithms

This documentary details the history of the A Button Challenge, explaining the complex bugs, exploits, and math used to beat Super Mario 64.

Additional Notes: docs.google.com/document/d/1jVsd5qwnA3uR_oPdK-7vuIccVmr_b-4E… Patreon: patreon.com/bismuth9 Twitch: twitch.tv/bismuth9 Twitter: twitter.com/Bismuthi Discord: discord.gg/HuVcquK Bismuth Music: youtube.com/channel/UCrVqrUwMzW8d15a6jFmRH1Q Bismuth Speedruns: youtube.com/channel/UCrCz0ox1dGFIZXpA6ivL6eQ Additional Notes: docs.google.com/document/d/1jVsd5qwnA3uR_oPdK-7vuIccVmr_b-4E… Chapters: - Chapter 1: The Early History - Chapter 2: The Pannenkoek Revolution - Chapter 3: From Challenge to Science - Chapter 4: The Genius of Tyler Kehne - Chapter 5: Mario enters Parallel Universes - Chapter 6: The Modern Era - Chapter 7: The Final A Press Saves - Chapter 8: The remaining A presses Additional Notes: pastebin.com/37v1GKSR Patreon supporters: Kosmic Mittenz rictic Punchmaster KingParity Jacher vivas5 DENtoABEtoPDX Znernicus Tungul Veegie Curtis Fraley William Tryon Jeremy Marquis andoalon Skyehoppers Neil Stevens (PresJPolk) SnaccHBG Evil Lucario 최의혁 Слави Боянов Joshua Inwald Tactical96 Jeteye JC Mauve Justin G. John Chandler Tomas Abrahamsson William K. Leung Milan Durnell Mark S. Alexander Roper CatCube Drew Chris Connett GTAce99 charliebrown64 lizard-socks wisteria fall Elroy Dolleman Sariya Melody Raattis Karl Pettersson Fadi G. Greg RR Kyle Flavio Kindler Daniel Briggs Ryan Clancy Amanda Knipfing Robert Smith Brandon Patram SushiElemental Stephen McLaughlin Nrtomarte Khaaan Shelby Coulter Nicolas Berube Rob Volgman Kris Irons Jeffrey Pierce Adam Peter Rieke Lapiosankari John Frazer Jim Avery Linh Pham Steve Bartholomew dunkshire DaveThe? Boris Nick Beckley Moosie Cal Alluminy Jordan Zink alex Tree_05 Utsarga Sikder Adrian Edelen Oscar Friberg johannes Jack Mumby Winter Jason Howell five cooodies Simon Goldeen (CheezyBob) Daniel Sattler Maurycy Zarzycki LoupphoKtm Dany Lachance Quirion Skazzy Jems pizzo Charlie Imhoff Benjamin Sisko UltraLuigi pintex Demure Nicolas Daoust Claire Treece TheyAreChris Cfox Lawaleeth Kris Irons Morgan Ross Niuco Frosty Aaron Anderson David Wigram Dan Park SmilesBlue Splax Rosheeki Thayet Simon Coogan Shaun Carroll Lucas Leal Mendonça Jacob Hulen heris runs Antoine Joulaud Michael Matt Lawrence LoremasterMotoss Cody Renton JZwizzles BennyTheGreat Sophie William Rieger Done Zak Parrish TomThelen Matilde Park Notorious revolutionary, Tommy J

Why it's here

3 people recommend this

What people say. Recommended as a fascinating deep dive into game physics, memory manipulation, and the extreme optimization of speedrunning.

pestson Hacker News • 3 years agoRecommends

On “Super Mario 64 – Watch for Rolling Rocks – 0.5x a Presses [video]”

Complete History of the A Button Challenge link to this video It's over five hours long. I put it on in the background or to pass the time. The amount of knowledge and abuse of bugs these guys are performing is insane.

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houseatrielahon Hacker News • 2 years agoRecommends

On “Ask HN: What niche YouTube rabbit hole do you recommend?”

Langlangs program (The Dream: Riemann Hypothesis and F1 (RH Saga S1E1)) link History Dose (The Mongol vs. Order of Assassins War) link Beat Mario64 without hitting the A-Button (5h22m long!) link to this video

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g___on Hacker News • 2 years agoRecommends

On “Super Mario 64's invisible walls explained [video]”

For over a decade, the author of this video has been leading an effort to complete Super Mario 64 with the smallest amount of A presses, often using extremely complex strategies. Here's a 5h video with the history. Bismuth says the history video took roughly 1500-2000 hours. link to this video

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TheRoqueon Hacker News • 3 years agoMentions

On “Programming Is Hard”

> Games only hold a challenge until the game-writer's secrets are broken. Games ultimately are code themselves, and you can manipulate it to some extent, creating other infinitely complex interactions (source: advancements in speedrunning or various game challenges like the A press challenge 1) 1 link to this video

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fl0kion Hacker News • 2 years agoMentions

On “Super Mario 64's unopenable door has been opened [video]”

That was Bismuth, not pannenkoek2012 link to this video Though Bismuth does spend some time explaining why pannen took a break from making videos, which I'm very glad to see was temporary.

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