No Games Done Quick event is complete without having that run. At this year's online Summer Games Done Quick 2020, speedrunner NoseJones ran the 2000 title Rocko's Quest, and this was that run.
Live to nearly 50 thousand viewers on Twitch, NoseJones and his commentators, JohnnyThaGod, BumHoboKarl and Moose73 delivered an unforgettable 15-minute experience of this horrendously broken game. While the run itself was solid, beating the estimated time by a little over four minutes, it was the commentary and technical difficulties that so many will remember this speedrun for. The audio and video quality of the run, while not great, added to the experience so much. NoseJones appeared to be calling in via iPhone from the ISS through the duration of the run, while the video quality early in the run resembled a bad Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, leaving many of the game's frames up for imagination.
As the video quality got better, the ramblings got weirder and weirder. It sounded straight out of a skit. Immediately from the introduction of the runner and commentators, Moose began dry heaving, coughing loudly and blowing his nose into the microphone, a bit which carried through the full duration of the run. Jones told the host that timing starts upon hitting "Start Game" in the menu, then said two and half minutes later after the opening cutscene that time was to start then, confusing everyone. It was during the cutscene that the run tone was set with the abysmal video quality and constant apologies.
At one point during the run, the host interjected, asking if he could read a donation aloud, which is done regularly through runs at GDQ to thank the donors. The host was met with something unforeseen in GDQ runs: a harsh, incredibly awkward "No". The hijinks continued as Karl told a story of his dog vomiting on the floor, Jones placed his microphone directly in front of a jet engine and Moose blew his nose directly into the microphone. The swearing and repeated interruptions over the commentary added to the already unsalvageable commentary, and likely landed them in some hot water, as swearing is incredibly discouraged by the GDQ staff. Johnny's unprovoked rant about Gandhi in Civilization V during one of the final levels of the game, highlighted by Moose's continued dry heaving was likely the high point of the run.
The entirety of the run was a disaster, likely an intentional disaster to garner attention, but it was executed beautifully. It was simply too good to not be a troll, a couple of friends having a laugh, and with this year's event being done in an online, less-controllable environment, it was inevitable. Speedrun fans all over loved the run for how much of a mess it was, though it's unfortunately very likely that we won't be seeing any more from NoseJones in future GDQs because of it.
Watch the full run here.
Source: Games Done Quick