Super Mario 64 Speedrunner Bubzia Sets New Blindfolded 1-Star Record on Nintendo 64

In the world of Super Mario 64 speedrunning, achieving new milestones is no small feat.

Last week, renowned speedrunner Bubzia etched his name further into the history books by breaking the coveted 11-minute threshold in the game's challenging 1-Star blindfolded category—an achievement celebrated across the Nintendo and gaming communities.

This remarkable run was performed on the original Nintendo 64 hardware and showcases not only skill but also intense dedication and perseverance. Super Mario 64, developed and published by Nintendo, remains one of the most influential platformers since its 1996 release on the Nintendo 64.

The game's vibrant speedrunning scene has continued to thrive with a variety of categories, with the 1-Star category standing out for requiring players to collect only a single Power Star to reach and defeat Bowser.

Conducting this run with a blindfold adds yet another layer of difficulty—demanding acute auditory memory, spatial awareness, and near-perfect execution. Bubzia, a prominent figure in the blindfolded speedrunning community, posted his groundbreaking 10-minute 32-second run on his official YouTube channel.

This eclipsed his previous best of 11 minutes and 24 seconds, a record he had spent nearly half a year trying to surpass.

The triumph marks the fastest completion of the Super Mario 64 1-Star blindfolded category to date, earning widespread recognition from fans and fellow speedrunners alike. Sharing his excitement, Bubzia expressed immense satisfaction in a message posted on BlueSky, saying, “We finally did it! The 11-minute mark is officially history.” This succinctly reflects the dedication and perseverance behind his months-long pursuit of the record. GamesRadar, who reported on the achievement, highlighted the significance of this moment within the broader context of Bubzia’s journey.

Just weeks prior, Bubzia faced an emotional setback when a promising blindfolded run—potentially under 10 minutes—ended in disappointment due to unpredictable Bowser behavior in the final encounter.

That attempt, which the runner later described as his best blindfolded performance to date, fell short as Bowser repeatedly jumped instead of executing the critical attack, demonstrating how both skill and luck factor into blindfolded speedrunning on the Nintendo 64. Despite previously announcing his intent to step away from the category after breaking the 11-minute barrier, Bubzia’s latest achievement demonstrates that new heights are always possible.

His commitment continues to inspire a new generation of speedrunners within the Nintendo community and underscores the enduring appeal of Super Mario 64 on original hardware and digital platforms like the Nintendo Switch eShop. As speedrunning evolves, Bubzia’s success in the Super Mario 64 1-Star blindfolded category stands as both a personal milestone and a testament to what the global Nintendo community can accomplish with skill, patience, and passion.

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