Games Done Quick hit us with a bit bad news/good news today. Let’s give you the good news first! GDQ announced today that it will be hosting a mini-marathon, Corona Relief Done Quick.
CRDQ will take place from April 17 to April 19. Sure, it’s not a week-long marathon, but that’s still three full days of speedrunning bliss. Plus 100% of the donations that GDQ receives during the event will go to Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization that helps people affected by poverty or emergencies (like this pandemic). And don’t worry, the speedrunners will be playing safely from home.
If you follow this column regularly, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of this speedrunning organization, which puts on marathons that bring in donations for charity, raising millions of dollars in the process. The last Summer Games Done Quick raised just over $ 3 million for Doctors Without Borders.
But to be less altruistic, I also love GDQ because it’s a great celebration of retro gaming. Sure, they showcase speedruns of modern games too, but much of the focus is on older titles. It’s a great way to relive memories of some my favorite games. It’s also an awesome way to experience some retro titles that I’ve never played before.
GDQ runs two major events each year. Summer Games Done Quick 2020 was supposed to be the next, and it was going to take place from June 21 to June 28. Obviously, with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the country, it’s not a big surprise to see that GDQ has delayed the event. It will now take place from August 16 to August 23.
Speedrunning for relief
It’s a bit of bummer knowing that we’ll have to wait a couple of extra months for Summer Games Done Quick. But we won’t be without a speedrunning marathon for long thanks to Corona Relief Done Quick. We don’t know which games or speedrunners will be a part of the event yet, but GDQ always puts on a good show. I’m sure we’ll get another one here.
And if it includes some Mega Man of any kind, you know that I’ll be happy. I also we hope we get at least one classic RPG run that’s like 8 hours long. I always enjoy those.
Anyway, it’s always nice to see communities come together to help people during tough times, and good for GDQ to make the best out of a rough situation.
Plus, I’ll now have something to watch when I’m deep into April isolation.
The RetroBeat is a weekly column that looks at gaming’s past, diving into classics, new retro titles, or looking at how old favorites — and their design techniques — inspire today’s market and experiences. If you have any retro-themed projects or scoops you’d like to send my way, please contact me.
