I Wanna Be the Boshy is notorious as one of the most punishingly difficult platformers out there. So when legendary speedrunner BBF shattered the long-standing record in this sadistic game earlier this year, it sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Read on as I breakdown BBF‘s blistering sub-30 minute run and all the precise tricks that made gaming history.
All Hail BBF – Conquering Platformers One Record at a Time
Before diving into BBF‘s epic I Wanna Be the Boshy run, let me introduce you to the man himself. Benjamin "BBF" Bauer has been playing and streaming games professionally for over 15 years. He specializes in quickly conquering brutally hard platformers that make most gamers tear their hair out.
Over his career, BBF has dominated speedrunning leaderboards on classics like:
- They Bleed Pixels – set records across multiple categories
- Volgarr the Viking – cut boss route time nearly in half
- Super Meat Boy – top 10 on all-levels speedrun
But BBF‘s biggest accomplishment was undoubtedly his recent 29 minute, 59 second run on one of the most sadistically difficult platformers ever made – I Wanna Be the Boshy.
Welcome to the Masochist‘s Dream – I Wanna Be the Boshy
Let‘s take a quick overview of the game itself and why it strikes fear into casual gamers everywhere:
Release Date: 2010
Developer: Solgryn
Platforms: Windows PC
Genre: Precision Platformer
Gameplay: Jump, dodge, kick through 700+ single-screen rooms over 6 areas, filled with instant-death traps and enemies. Controls mirror classic NES games.
Influences: Inspired heavily by I Wanna Be The Guy. Also pays tribute to Contra, Mega Man, Ghosts N’ Goblins with homages throughout.
Reputation: Considered even MORE difficult than I Wanna Be The Guy thanks to sadistic level design focused on frustrating players. One of the hardest platformers ever created.
Think you have the skill to conquer this masochistic tribute to 8-bit challenges? Many have tried, few succeed. But speedrunners like BBF have made an art form out of dancing through Boshy’s death traps.
The Games Speedrunning Hall of Fame
Dedicated gamers recognized Boshy‘s potential for speedrunning right away. Let‘s take a look back at some recent record-holders:
| Date | Runner | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2010 | holyspooked | 40:58 | First recorded run |
| April 2012 | witwix | 38:15 | First sub-40 |
| March 2013 | Poundif | 34:55 | 33 minutes barrier broken |
| Jan 2016 | Witwix | 32:24 | Sub 33, stood for over 8 years |
| June 2021 | BBF | 29:59 | First ever sub-30! |
As you can see, BBF was the one to finally crack the 30 minute barrier after years of tiny optimizations by top players. Definitely a historic gaming achievement!
Dissecting BBF‘s Record-Shattering Speedrun
So how exactly did BBF shave nearly 3 minutes off a record that stood for over 8 years? Let‘s analyze some of the key strategies and routing decisions that allowed him to secure the world record:
Optimized Early Levels
- Level 1 – Precise enemy bounces to maintain top speed
- Level 2 – Early damage boosts without losing momentum
- Level 3 – Perfected wall jump routing to skip 2 ladders
See comparisons vs old records
| Level | BBF 2:59 | Previous Best | Time Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0:45 | 0:52 | 7 seconds |
| 2 | 1:26 | 1:39 | 13 seconds |
| 3 | 2:34 | 2:51 | 17 seconds |
Faster Vertical Sections
- Level 7 – Found new wall jump sequence to scale shafts faster
- Level 16 – Manipulated wind speeds to control air momentum better
Compare level 16 times
| Runner | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BBF | 1:11 | Perfected wind redirection |
| dram55 | 1:24 | Previous record holder |
Strategic Boss Optimizations
- Level 12 – Defeated in 12 hits instead of 15 using damage boosts
- Level 20 – Manipulated attack patterns for quicker phase 2
Level 20 boss fight comparison
| Runner | Time | Hits/Phase 2 |
|---|---|---|
| BBF | 0:58 | 13/31 sec |
| Witwix | 1:12 | 16/49 sec |
BBF‘s analysis of movement speeds and animations allowed him to create openings for additional damage in the same time period.
As you can see, BBF left no stone unturned in his relentless crusade to conquer Boshy at record pace. His precision movement through deadly corridors along with optimized routing and combat strats make up the 32 seconds he saved.
Gearing Up For Your Own Speedrun
After watching BBF blaze through Boshy so gracefully, you may feel inspired to attempt speedrunning it yourself. Based on conversations with the man himself, here is his advice:
Learn from the best – Study BBF‘s route as well as tutorials from top runners like dram55. Join the Boshy speedrunning Discord to access these resources and more.
Prepare for pain – Expect frequent deaths and lots of frustration even with practice. Breaking records requires immense patience and mental fortitude.
Iterate strategically – Run levels individually focusing on small optimizations before tackling full game runs. Review footage of each attempt.
Stay resilent – Bounce back from failures quickly without getting discouraged. Top players fail countless times on the path to success.
With dedication and BBF‘s wisdom to guide you, who knows – you may go from bronze to world record holder one day too!
Credit: witwix, speedrun.com
