Google made headlines over the weekend when it changed its iconic Google Doodle into a fully playable, interactive video game in honour of the Tokyo Olympics. And in the spirit of healthy competition, gamers were quick to speedrun it.
Personally, I’m a bit of a nerd for Google Doodles. As a young child, I saved every Google Doodle (including a pretty extensive back-dated collection) to my family PC and categorised the collection in a way that would make even Marie Kondo jealous. But even I — a Google Doodle archaeologist — was impressed by the Tokyo opening ceremony Doodle.
While this wasn’t the first time we’ve had a Google Doodle game, it was by far the most detailed we’ve ever seen, complete with seven different sports and dozens of in-game quests to complete. Not to mention, you play as a calico ‘cathlete’ (see: cat athlete), which makes the experience all the more enjoyable.
Naturally, the game made headlines for being particularly cool and exciting, which quickly prompted the gaming community to turn it into somewhat of its own Olympic sport. And so, competitive Google Doodle speedrunning was born.
According to the r/Speedrun subreddit, the official speedrun record for Google Doodle’s Champion Island climbing game is an impressive 11 seconds.
However, we’ll have to split the metaphorical gold medal in three because the record is jointly held by three different players: ExaminationMassive95, stratpat1964 and dishadow99, who all shared their achievements on the r/speedrun subreddit.
This isn’t the first ode to video games we’ve seen at the Tokyo Olympics, and it likely won’t be the last, considering the opening ceremony was speckled with tributes to the country’s gaming heritage.
Reckon you could beat the world record? Well, you’re in luck because the Doodle is still playable for a few weeks during the Olympics. You can try your hardest to beat the record here.
If you get an impressive score (even if its not the world record) be sure to post it in the comments below.
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