In the fast-paced world of speedrunning, where players push games to their limits to achieve the fastest times, credibility is king. Modern technology makes it easy to prove your record-breaking runs, but back in the late 90s, the story was very different. For one Japanese speedrunner, a world record on the Nintendo 64 remained in doubt for 15 years—until an unexpected piece of evidence emerged from his attic.
Wave Race 64: A classic worth racing for
The game at the heart of this incredible story is Wave Race 64, a jet-ski racing title released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996. Praised for its groundbreaking water physics and engaging gameplay, it became a cult classic. Speedrunners have since focused their efforts on Sunny Beach, the game’s first track, aiming to shave off milliseconds in its deceptively simple oval course.
In the late 90s, players like David Wonn posted impressive times on Sunny Beach, with Wonn clocking in at 1’05.427 in 1997. But it wasn’t until the early 2000s that competition truly heated up, with players like hayate64 and Illudude pushing times into the 1’04 range. The competition hit its peak in 2011 when Illudude broke the 1’04 barrier with a 1’03.975, only for the baton to pass to newer speedrunners like ShibbyPod, who eventually set a record of 1’03.186 in 2017.
But all of this excitement masked a shocking truth: another player had already achieved a world-class time on Sunny Beach—back in 1999.
A claim that no one believed
In 2015, a Japanese speedrunner named misuken submitted a time of 1’03.763 to Speedrun.com, claiming to have achieved it on June 3, 1999. If true, this would have made it the third-best time globally at the time of submission. Misuken provided a photograph of an old Japanese gaming magazine, which had listed his name and time as the top score on Sunny Beach.
However, gaming magazines from that era weren’t known for their reliability, and the lack of video evidence led the Wave Race 64 community to reject his claim. Without proof, his record was dismissed as another unverified relic of gaming history.
The VHS tape that changed everything
Determined to validate his record, misuken embarked on a quest to find evidence. After months of searching through old boxes, he uncovered an unlikely relic: a VHS tape. In September 2017, he uploaded footage of himself completing Sunny Beach in 1’03.763. The grainy, distorted visuals were unmistakably from an old VHS recording, matching the aesthetics of the late 90s.
While the exact date of the recording couldn’t be conclusively verified, the community accepted misuken’s claim in good faith. His video demonstrated no intention of deception, and his performance aligned with the skills required for a time like that in 1999.
The longest-standing Nintendo 64 record
Misuken’s run officially held the world record on Sunny Beach for an astonishing 5,667 days—more than 15 years—until it was surpassed in 2014. This makes it one of the longest-standing records in Nintendo 64 speedrunning history.
The story has since become a celebrated moment in the speedrunning world, proving that even decades-old achievements can still surprise us. It’s a reminder that every great performance deserves recognition, even if it takes years to uncover the truth.
A legacy in the speedrunning community
Misuken’s journey is more than just a tale of perseverance; it’s a testament to the passion and dedication that define the speedrunning community. Whether it’s finding an old VHS tape or battling for milliseconds on Sunny Beach, the spirit of competition and camaraderie keeps these games alive.
For gamers chasing records today, the story of misuken is both inspiring and humbling. It shows that even in the digital age, proof of greatness might just be waiting in the attic.