The highlight of Summer Games Done Quick was a very good dog playing 16-bit baseball

Summer Games Done Quick concluded complete nan weekend, raising $2.5 cardinal for Doctors Without Borders. While nan fig didn’t break immoderate records, nan speedrunning kindness arena deed a awesome milestone, reaching a life full of complete $50 cardinal raised crossed each events and charities successful its 10-plus-year history.

With nan wide news retired of nan way, let’s talk astir nan item of nan weeklong stream: a shiba inu named Peanut Butter.

You whitethorn retrieve him. He was a awesome item of Awesome Games Done Quick 2024, erstwhile he became nan first canine to participate, moving Gyromite pinch nan assistance of his owner, JSR, and a civilization controller. Peanut Butter and JSR completed nan tally remotely, but for their Summer Games Done Quick run, they attended successful personification pinch a brand-new controller and a caller game: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball for nan Super Nintendo.

I was really worried astir this in-person run. To play nan game, JSR, pinch nan thief of immoderate kibble, instructs Peanut Butter to deed a fastener pinch nan correct timing to either onslaught retired a batter aliases deed a location run. The patience and attraction required to execute analyzable tricks for illustration that is astir apt stressful capable for a dog, moreover without nan disruption of a ample and large crowd of people. But Peanut Butter managed nan distractions beautifully. Whenever nan dog’s attraction started to wane, JSR refocused him pinch nan eventual treat: immoderate food connected a stick.

Halfway done nan run, it was looking grim for Peanut Butter, who was down 0–1 successful nan sixth inning. But aft loading nan bases, we each held our activity arsenic we waited to spot if Peanut Butter would yet score. He did, and nan power from nan crowd was truthful infectious, I felt it 3 clip zones away.

There was a infinitesimal erstwhile it didn’t look for illustration Peanut Butter would complete his nonsubjective to triumph nan game. Tied and successful other innings, immoderate people from nan machine would instantly consequence successful a loss. But Peanut Butter proved he is nan champion of boys, winning nan crippled successful melodramatic manner pinch a walk-off location tally successful nan bottommost of nan 12th inning, scoring pinch Ken Griffey Jr. himself. The hype was truthful awesome it couldn’t beryllium contained to conscionable nan Games Done Quick audience, and beautiful soon Peanut Butter’s exploits appeared connected ESPN.com and Canadian sports transmission Sportsnet.

There are, of course, different nosy runs to watch successful summation to Peanut Butter’s Big Baseball Score. The Super Metroid race was beautiful breathtaking and incredibly close. There’s a Baldur’s Gate 3 tally done on nan hardest difficulty and without exploiting immoderate glitches. And there’s a tally of Super Mario 64 wherever nan runner is blindfolded and each star’s location is randomized. Every tally is disposable arsenic a VOD connected YouTube, and pinch complete 150 runs, you’re guaranteed to find thing interesting.

It sounds a small saccharine, but there’s thing sublime astir watching a canine play video crippled shot pinch thousands of different people. I person an incredibly soft and tender spot for dogs, particularly ones that look for illustration and are arsenic smart arsenic Peanut Butter. It’s difficult being astir them, moreover done a machine screen, without getting wholly overwhelmed. And though I had to do it done a curtain of tears, watching Peanut Butter eased a condolences I still can’t sanction straight moreover a twelvemonth later.

What a bully boy.