One of Super Mario 64's most insane challenges has finally been beaten – for the first time ever, someone has completed the N64 classic without pressing the A button (thanks, GamesRadar).
Just in case you needed reminding, the A button makes Mario jump in this 3D adventure – a pretty essential input in a game which revolves around platforming and leaping on enemies to defeat them.
Known as the Super Mario 64 A Button Challenge, this particular pursuit started in the 2000s, with one of the earliest recorded attempts being in 2006. The fact that it has taken this long for someone to actually pull it off is a testament to how difficult it is to beat the game without jumping.
But it has happened, finally. Twitch streamer Marbler pulled it off this week and was forced to get seriously creative with known exploits and tactics in the game, discovered by such speedrunner luminaries as Mr_Robert_Z, Bottles704, Thiago Trujillo, Mp16z, and bobmario511, who have all put in hours of valuable research into the A Button Challenge. This particular run involves collecting 70 stars to complete the game.
The catch is that it took an agonising 86 hours to pull off this particular run, not to mention all of the practice runs that Marbler had taken part in prior to achieving this successful one. For example, eight months ago, the same streamer managed to complete the game in a run where A was only pressed once.
It's worth noting that this feat took place on the Wii Virtual Console version of the game, which is the only confirmed version where it's possible to pull it off.