Metroid: Zero Mission’s 100% run ignited a record-breaking charity surge during Nintendo’s dominance on Day 6
Day 6 of Summer Games Done Quick 2025 (July 11) saw Nintendo titles become the engine of a historic charity milestone, propelling total donations past $1 million for Doctors Without Borders. While the marathon entered its final stretch, three Nintendo-centric runs showcased technical mastery, nostalgic reverence, and community collaboration .
Standout Nintendo Runs
Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA) – 100%
- Runner: monkeysmb
- Time: 11:05 AM PT / 2:05 PM ET
- Duration: 1h 12m (Target)
- Tech Triumph: Monkeysmb executed pixel-perfect sequence breaks, including an early Varia Suit grab via diagonal bomb jumps. The run climaxed with a nail-biting Ridley fight using only 5 energy tanks—a high-risk strategy that saved 47 seconds . Chat erupted when the $1M milestone alert flashed during Kraid’s demise.
Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch) – Relay Race
- Runners: Team Perfect Pixels vs. Team Fast Frames
- Time: 12:42 PM PT / 3:42 PM ET
- Chaos Factor: Custom kaizo levels designed for SGDQ forced runners to swap every 10 minutes. The “Spike Rain Symphony” stage—featuring timed thwomp drops synced to the Super Mario Bros. 2 overworld theme—became the day’s viral moment . Viewers could play these levels post-show using codes displayed on-stream.
Pokémon X/Y (3DS) – Any%
- Runner: Headbob
- Time: 6:46 AM PT / 9:46 AM ET
- RNG Mastery: Headbob manipulated trainer AI to avoid battles and exploited the “Lumiose Save Glitch” to warp to the Pokémon League. A critical moment came when a shiny Pidgey appeared mid-run—prompting a $5,000 donation spike to nickname it “GDQShine” .
Charity Impact
- Metroid’s Milestone: Zero Mission’s run coincided with the $1M donation alert—triggering a 30-second standing ovation .
- Incentive Power: Mario Maker 2 was a bonus game, unlocked only after fans hit a $38,000 incentive. Donations during the relay exceeded $52,000 .
- Nintendo’s Legacy Boost: Day 6’s Nintendo block contributed 23% of the day’s $210,000 total donations .
The Nintendo Grand Finale: Day 7 Preview
- Mario Kart World (Switch 2) – Knockout Tour
- When: July 12, 8:55 PM PT
- Historic Debut: The first public Switch 2 gameplay demo, featuring open-world skips and dynamic weather exploits .
- Super Mario 64 (N64) – 120 Star
- When: July 12, 4:48 PM PT
- Record Potential: Runner “Simply” aims to beat his 1h38m personal best.
“Watching monkeysmb dissect Zero Mission with such elegance reminded us why Metroid speedruns are GDQ’s nervous system.”
– SGDQ 2025 commentator during the $1M celebration
Tune In Live: GDQ Twitch
Donate: Every dollar supports Doctors Without Borders’ medical crisis response
Day 6 proved Nintendo’s timeless appeal—from GBA classics to collaborative Switch experiments—remains unmatched in converting frame-perfect skill into humanitarian impact. As SGDQ 2025 races toward tonight’s Switch 2 debut, the fusion of speedrunning passion and charitable generosity continues to redefine gaming’s cultural legacy. 🏁💨
0 Comments