Niftski, the player behind the speed run.

There is something truly special about a gaming achievement.

We have all had some kind of gaming victory. Some of us have had many. Some very few. But universally, gamers can appreciate how good it feels to finally defeat that enemy that gave you so much trouble or to finally defeat your real-life rival in a competitive game they usually destroy you at.

Many of those rivals are dear friends and family members.

So, it is remarkable to hear the audio of the live-stream current world record run of the original Super Mario for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Played with absolute precision on a keyboard, Speedrunner Niftski seemed to be walking on air the entire playthrough. 

This is, without a doubt, the smoothest any human has ever played Super Mario. It is a flawless performance of gaming art that symbolizes just how deeply games can challenge the mechanical abilities of the people that play them.

Or, maybe, it is just a job well done after tireless hours of training.

Watch at twitch.tv/Niftsky

To end, a quote from Niftski, the gamer has mastered Super Mario:

"I honestly don't know what to say, other than this was THE [clutchest] speedrun I've ever pulled off. Before I got this, it would've been absurd for me to think that I'd clutch this out my very first run past 8-2, but that's exactly what happened. This run is exactly everything I wanted in this game. Hug."