The annual charity speedrunning event The Amazing Game Don Quick kicks off this week, and as always, there are some incredible speedruns on the schedule. The winter edition of the Summer Games Don't Quik is taking place at the Wyndham Grand in Pittsburgh from January 5-12 and is raising money for the Cancer Prevention Foundation.
The full schedule for the event was just released, so let's take a look at some of the most interesting categories from this year's AGDQ.
Astro Bot Any% – Sunday, January 5 at 3:30 p.m
This will be the first Game Dawn Quick event since Astro Bot came out, and it's one of the games I'm looking forward to seeing. Astro's playroom baked time trials and leaderboards into each level to act as a great introduction to speed running, so I was surprised to see that Astro Bot only offered five post-lunch time trial levels.
One of my favorite things about Speed Race is seeing my favorite games played in new ways, and with Astro Bot being so fresh in mind, it'll be cool to see how great players find ways I've never considered. Some games make great speedruns because they're unpredictable, but Astro Bot was a great speedrun game from day one.
Resident Evil Survivor Wednesday, January 8th at 1:22 AM
Another thing I love about Game Done Quick is that it can highlight unique games with unique games, and Resident Evil Survivor is one of the most unique. This PS1 game is the first in the Gun Survivor series of light gun games, but unlike House of the Dead and Time Crisis, you have full control of your character… sort of.
By aiming at the screen and using the D-pad behind the light gun, you explore a zombie-infested island as Resident Evil's forgotten hero, Ark Thompson. Survivor takes the awkward tank controls of old Resident Evil to the next level, and I can't wait to see how Pro handles it in this speedrun.
Elden Ring Saxophone Controlled Boss Showcase – Saturday, January 11 at 12:52 PM
Speaking of wacky peripherals, no Game Done Quick is complete without someone playing a Souls game on something that doesn't have to be a controller. This showcase features 20 minutes of Twitch streamer DrDootPhD playing the best of Elden Ring bosses with electronic saxophone.
Crazy Taxi with Live Backing Band – Saturday, January 11 at 1:27 p.m
Stick around right after the Alden Ring for one of this year's headline events: a 16-minute crazy taxi ride with a live band. Crazy Taxi has one of the most iconic soundtracks in video game history, so getting a four-piece band to play some Bad Religion and The Offspring is the perfect way to turn this speedrun into a must-see event.
Metroid Prime Any% Inbounds Race – Monday, January 6th at 3:00 PM
The Metroid series is a staple of Game Dawn Quick, so with Metroid Prime 4 right around the corner (hopefully), it's the perfect time to give the original Metroid Prime the spotlight. The live speedruns at AGDQ are always high stakes for the runners, but the race format makes them even higher by pitting multiple runners against each other. It's fun to watch different people run together because you realize how important every input and millisecond really is. Prime races are much rarer than Super Metroid races in Games Done Quick, so don't miss it.
