Chapter 1
The birth of breaking games
Chapter 2
The physics of glitches
Chapter 3
The precision of tool-assisted speedruns
Chapter 4
The global community and charity
Ch 2 · The physics of glitches
diegoplays Moving at extreme speeds or using specific items causes clipping, letting players bypass collision detection to skip massive map sections.
Quiz
What is the term for the invisible boundaries that video games use to detect physical contact between characters and walls?
Quiz
What is the speedrunning term for passing directly through a solid wall or floor due to a collision detection failure?
diegoplays Classic 2D games track movement using subpixels smaller than a single screen pixel.
Fun Fact
Infinite speed glitch: In Super Mario 64, the backward long jump glitch can build up so much speed that Mario can travel across entire maps in a single frame.
Quiz
Which 1996 Nintendo 64 game features the famous Backward Long Jump glitch used to bypass the Endless Stairs?
Glossary
clipping (noun)
The act of cutting, trimming, or shearing something, or a piece that has been cut off. In 1996, Super Mario 64 speedrunners exploited clipping to bypass locked doors by building up backward velocity.
The act of cutting, trimming, or shearing something, or a piece that has been cut off. In 1996, Super Mario 64 speedrunners exploited clipping to bypass locked doors by building up backward velocity.
Quiz
How do speedrunners execute Arbitrary Code Execution in games like Super Mario World?
diegoplays Coined in Metroid Prime, sequence breaking lets Ocarina of Time runners skip the adult questline and warp to Ganon's Castle.
Quiz
What is the term for completing game events or acquiring items out of the developer's intended order?
Quiz
Which landmark 1998 Nintendo 64 game is famous for extensive sequence breaks that allow players to skip almost all of its dungeons?