Super Mario speed record video is a sight to behold

Watching a young software engineer set the speed record for “Super Mario Bros.” will restore your faith in human potential.

Going by “Darbian” on YouTube, the record-setter casually flies through the NES game, chatting with virtual onlookers throughout the video, recorded this week.

Darbian tenses as the game’s end nears, his goal of shaving fractions of a second off his previous record (4:57.427) in sight.

“Holy cow,” Darbian yelps, leaping out of frame, hands on head in disbelief.

It took three years just to cut a half second off the 2013 record of 4 minutes 58 seconds, and now the record has been bested again, maybe for the last time.

“Holy cow,” he repeats, stunned by the achievement he’d dedicated much of his free time to.

Onlookers cheer in the suddenly crowded observers chat room.

“Hi reddit!” says one, anticipating the video’s instant legend status. “I’m famous,” writes another.

Using computer assistance, Super Mario Bros. speedrun aficionados have determined the fastest theoretical run 4:54:03, so you can see why it might take some time for Darbian’s record to be broken.

As for Darbian, his mission is complete.

“I have reached my potential in this category,” he wrote after completing the record. “I'm done! My quest is over.”

Watch the record-setting attempt:

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 9:36 PM with the headline "Super Mario speed record video is a sight to behold."