Speedrunners turned Day 5 into a love letter to Nintendo’s legacy—all while racing toward a $1M charity milestone

Day 5 of Summer Games Done Quick 2025 (July 10) blended Nintendo’s classic charm with cutting-edge speed tech, delivering unforgettable moments across Zelda, Donkey Kong, and even Mario Paint. As the marathon’s fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders soared past $800,000 , these Nintendo runs stole the spotlight:

Standout Nintendo Runs

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)

• Runner: Kholdstare
• Time: 10:49 AM ET / 7:49 AM PT
• Tech Highlight: Mastered touch-screen glitches to skip entire temple segments, including a notorious “boatless ocean skip” using stylus input lag . Crowd roared when the runner beat Bellum without the Phantom Sword!

Nintendo Puzzle Collection (GameCube) – 3-Game Relay Race

• Runners: TBAvsZelda, TetrisGrandMaster, PuyoPop
• Time: 2:23 PM PT / 5:23 PM ET
• Chaos Factor: Teams swapped between Dr. Mario, Yoshi’s Cookie, and Panel de Pon every 5 minutes—requiring whiplash strategy shifts. Highlight: A last-minute garbage block clear in Panel de Pon secured the win .

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Switch)

• Runner: MightyKac
• Time: 3:28 PM PT / 6:28 PM ET
• Remaster Tech: Exploited HD-exclusive physics to “barrel-cancel” through volcanic stages. The “Mine Cart Mayhem” segment shattered expectations with frame-perfect jumps .

Mario Paint (SNES) – Bonus Game!

• Runner: DotsAreCool
• Time: 4:05 AM PT / 7:05 AM ET
• Unlocked By: $25,000 viewer donation incentive
• Creativity Showcase: Speed-created a Splatoon-inspired artwork using only the mouse, timed to the Gnat Attack minigame’s soundtrack. Chat dubbed it “speedrunning ASMR” .

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Charity Impact

• Mario Paint’s bonus run triggered a $32,000 donation surge overnight, proving even “non-games” inspire generosity .
• Total Raised: $800,000+ by Day 5—on track to smash SGDQ 2024’s $2.5M record .
• Hardware Spotlight: Phantom Hourglass ran on original DS hardware, while DK Returns HD showcased Switch performance boosts .

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Upcoming Nintendo Runs (Don’t Miss!)

• Super Mario Maker 2 (July 11, 5:59 PM PT): Kaizo relay race with player-designed nightmares .
• Mario Kart World (July 12, 8:55 PM PT): Switch 2 debut! “Knockout Tour” mode on next-gen hardware .
• Pokémon X/Y (July 11, 9:48 AM PT): Any% glitchless race .

“Watching Kholdstare break Phantom Hourglass with a stylus was like seeing a magician reveal their tricks—except the trick saves lives.”
– SGDQ 2025 couch commentator

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Tune In Live: GDQ Twitch
Donate: Support Doctors Without Borders’ crisis relief efforts

Day 5 proved Nintendo’s library—from DS gems to Switch remasters—holds boundless potential for speedrunning artistry. As SGDQ charges toward its finale, the fusion of nostalgia and innovation keeps turning pixels into humanitarian impact. 🍄