Niftski Breaks Super Mario Any Percent Record
The 22-year-old speedrunner cut 0.33 seconds off his own prior world record during a Halloween stream.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Running
Speedrunner Niftski broke the Super Mario Bros. any percent world record with a time of 4:54.299 during a Halloween stream, dressed as Mario. The run beat his previous record of 4:54.332, set in August, by 0.33 seconds.
Why it matters
The run finished just two frames away from a perfect performance, showing how close the game's speedrunning community has come to its theoretical limits. Niftski also holds the warpless and glitchless Super Mario Bros. records, marking continued progress on a game released in 1985.
The new any percent time of 4:54.299 is 0.33 seconds faster than the previous 4:54.332 record set in August 2026, and sits two frames from a perfect run. The extraction does not specify whether the time has been independently verified.
The players
Niftski
A 22-year-old speedrunner who holds the warpless, glitchless, and any percent Super Mario Bros. world records.
Andrew Gardikis
A speedrunner who brought the Super Mario Bros. any percent record below five minutes around 2010.
The details
Niftski completed the run while dressed as Mario and speaking in a Mario voice, which he said helped calm his nerves. He said the two lost frames occurred in the opening stretch of the game during a five-hour Halloween stream.
Timeline
2010: Andrew Gardikis first brought the any percent record below five minutes.
August 2026: Niftski set the prior any percent record at 4:54.332.
October 31, 2026: Niftski broke the record during a Halloween stream.
Season Trajectory
The record continues a decade-and-a-half progression that began when Andrew Gardikis first brought the any percent time below five minutes around 2010. Niftski's latest run leaves little room for further gains, as it sits only two frames from a perfect execution.
The record leaves little room for further improvement in the any percent category, so future world record attempts will likely focus on shaving milliseconds rather than seconds. Viewers following speedrun leaderboards will see the current benchmark set at 4:54.299.
The takeaway
The record shows how close competitive speedrunners are getting to theoretical limits, with the latest time just three milliseconds from a perfect run. Following the category's progress offers a clear view of how incremental optimization shapes a long-running game's competitive history.
Further reading
For more on the competitive side of this hobby, explore our Running coverage.
