For many gamers, the idea of catching all 151 original Pokemon evokes fond childhood memories of spending countless hours with Pokemon Blue and Red. But for an elite subset of gamers known as speedrunners, the goal is to catch ‘em all as fast as humanly possible. The current world record for the "Catch ‘em All" category in Pokemon Blue stands at an astonishing 1 hour, 55 minutes, and 20 seconds, set by French speedrunner Grogir in April 2022.
As a digital technology expert and avid gamer myself, I‘ve always been fascinated by the technical skill, deep game knowledge, and sheer dedication required to optimize a run to this degree. Let‘s take a closer look under the hood of a world-class Pokemon Blue speedrun, examining the techniques and strategies used, the tools of the trade, and the human element behind the superhuman feat.
The Nuts and Bolts of a Pokemon Speedrun
At its core, speedrunning is all about completing a game as quickly as possible, often through a combination of raw skill, intricate planning, and clever exploitation of the game‘s mechanics and programming. Some key techniques frequently employed by Pokemon speedrunners include:
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Damage Optimization: Perfectly aligning type matchups, critical hits, and damage ranges to defeat opponents in the fewest possible turns. This often involves precise damage calculations and knowledge of the game‘s underlying stats and formulas.
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RNG Manipulation: The Random Number Generator (RNG) in Pokemon games determines everything from encounter rates to stats gained on level-up. By studying and influencing these seemingly random patterns, runners can manipulate luck in their favor.
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Sequence Breaking: Finding ways to access areas or obtain items earlier than intended by the game designers. A famous example in Pokemon Blue is the "Ditto Glitch" which allows duplicating rare Pokemon like Mew.
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Save State Abuse: On emulators, speedrunners will often utilize save states to practice and perfect small sections of the run. While this is prohibited for "official" records, it‘s invaluable as a training tool.
Credico, a prominent figure in the Pokemon speedrunning community, explains: "A huge part of the run is having all these backup strats and damage ranges memorized. Knowing exactly what to do if something goes slightly wrong is what separates the good runners from the great."
The Importance of Tooling
While some purists insist on playing on original Game Boy hardware for authenticity, the rise of emulators and online leaderboards has undeniably accelerated the progression of speedrunning records.
Emulators like BizHawk not only allow for the use of time-saving tools like save states, but also provide detailed memory searching and scripting capabilities. Runners will often use these to display useful in-game stats, automate tedious processes, or even write code to play optimally in specific scenarios.
"The amount of customization and raw information you have access to with emulators is a huge boon for routing and theory-crafting," notes Gunnermaniac3000, a well-known tool-assisted speedrunner. "It allows us to understand the game on a much deeper level and discover new optimizations."
Routing and Practice
Of course, having the best tools is pointless without the knowledge and skill to leverage them effectively. Top-level speedrunners will spend dozens if not hundreds of hours planning out the optimal path through the game, a process known as "routing."
"Routing a speedrun is like a massive puzzle with a nearly infinite number of pieces," explains Shenanagans, a respected member of the Pokemon speedrunning community. "Every little thing you do, every menu you open, every step you take, it all has to fit together perfectly if you want that top time."
This meticulous planning process involves things like:
- Determining the ideal stats and movesets for each Pokemon
- Calculating precise damage ranges to ensure key fights go smoothly
- Pinpointing the exact tiles to stand on for optimal movement
- Memorizing backup strategies for when RNG doesn‘t cooperate
Even with a perfect route, execution is vital. Speedrunners will practice individual segments hundreds or even thousands of times to nail them down to muscle memory. A single mistimed input can cost valuable seconds and ruin an otherwise record-pace attempt.
The Progression of a Record
When it comes to the "Catch ‘em All" category in Pokemon Blue, the progression of the record has been nothing short of staggering. In 2009, the first recorded run stood at 4 hours and 53 minutes. By 2014, runners like Werster and Shenanagans had pushed that time under the 3 hour mark.
Fast forward to the present day, and the top runners are flirting with the 1 hour and 50 minute barrier, a time that would have seemed inconceivable just a few years prior. Here‘s a brief snapshot of that progression:
| Runner | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exarion | 4:53:41 | 07/20/2009 |
| Werster | 2:59:22 | 02/02/2014 |
| Shenanagans | 2:37:53 | 04/21/2015 |
| Gunnermaniac | 2:17:06 | 10/22/2017 |
| Eddaket | 2:02:03 | 09/07/2020 |
| Grogir | 1:55:20 | 04/04/2022 |
This steady progression is fueled by a combination of new glitch discoveries, route optimizations, and the sheer skill and dedication of the runners. With each new breakthrough, the community works together to incorporate it into their runs, steadily chipping away at the record.
A Software Engineer‘s Perspective
As someone with a professional background in computer science and software engineering, I can‘t help but appreciate speedrunning from a technical perspective. So many of the skills and mindsets from programming carry over into the world of optimizing video game performance.
Take the concept of a "frame perfect trick" for example. In speedrunning, this refers to a technique that requires an input to be executed on a specific frame of the game‘s run cycle – a 1/60th of a second window for most games. The precision and timing required is not dissimilar from performance-critical code that must execute within strict timing parameters for a piece of software or hardware to function properly.
There‘s also a strong culture in the programming world of collaboratively tweaking and improving shared pieces of code to optimize performance. Speedrunners embody this same mentality, constantly building off each other‘s routes and techniques to collectively push the boundaries of what‘s possible.
Even concepts like debugging and reverse engineering have their speedrunning equivalents. When a runner encounters a crash or a run-killing glitch, they‘ll often methodically test different theories and use tools to examine the game‘s internal state to identify the root cause – not unlike a software engineer diagnosing a nasty bug.
The Human Element
While the technical aspects of speedrunning are impressive, it‘s the human element that really makes it compelling as a spectator sport. Watching a runner pour their heart and soul into a run, nailing pixel-perfect movement and lightning-fast menuing, all while providing entertaining commentary, is uniquely engrossing.
The heartbreak of a last-second mistake that ruins a promising run. The elation when a risky play pays off. The stunned chat spam when a seemingly impossible trick is pulled off. It‘s these moments that elevate speedrunning from an impressive technical feat to a captivating form of entertainment.
"I think what draws people to speedrunning is the combination of nostalgia and superhuman skill," muses Grogir. "Seeing your childhood favorites pushed to their absolute limits, under full control of a master, it‘s just magical to witness."
The Future of Pokemon Speedrunning
As the Pokemon franchise continues to evolve and expand, so too does the speedrunning scene around it. With each new entry in the series comes fresh categories, routes, and tricks to be discovered and mastered.
But even as newer games attract attention, the classic games like Pokemon Blue continue to be pushed forward. Dedicated communities are still unearthing new glitches, still shaving off seconds, still redefining what‘s possible. It‘s a testament to the enduring appeal of these games and the indomitable spirit of the speedrunning community.
So the next time you see a top-level Pokemon speedrun, take a moment to appreciate the immense skill, dedication, and passion that goes into it. Because in the end, that‘s what speedrunning is all about – a love for the game, a drive to be the best, and a desire to share that passion with others.
