For many 90s kids, catching ‘em all in Pokémon Blue on the classic Game Boy was merely a childhood fantasy. But last June, renowned Pokémon speedrunner Grogir accomplished this monumental feat faster than anyone ever before. Let‘s explore his revolutionary world record run highlighting techniques that push the game to its absolute limits!
Setting The Stage: Pokémon Blue‘s Cultural Legacy
Before analyzing this legendary speedrun achievement, it helps reflecting on the sheer popularity and influence of that little 1996 game released internationally 30 years ago.
Beyond just dominating schoolyards for months thanks to its compelling monster catching gameplay loop, Pokémon Blue specifically laid vital groundwork. It established series pillars like trading to enable collaborative social gameplay. Its hidden depths supported a thriving competitive scene that continues even today.
Really, Pokémon owes its position now as the highest-grossing media franchise ever to the rock-solid foundation laid by this humble Game Boy title.
[Gameplay montage showcasing major battles against Gym Leaders Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge from original Pokémon Blue]That‘s why it‘s so inspirational seeing dedicated fans like Grogir continuing to push these retro classics to their limits decades later. Passionate speedrunning communities keep uncovering techniques nobody dreamed of back in the 90‘s!
Before we fully analyze Grogir‘s historic run, let‘s explore exactly what makes Pokémon Blue such a compelling game to speedrun.
Competing Across Distinct Challenge Categories
Speedrunners aim to complete games as efficiently as possible, but Pokémon Blue has a diverse range of categories based on specific restrictions. These include:
Any% – Finish the game through any means necessary. Even major sequence breaks via game-crashing bugs/glitches are allowed. This tests pure game knowledge and technical execution.
Any% Glitchless – Complete the game WITHOUT major out-of-bounds tricks. Minor glitches still permitted.
Any% No Save Corruption – Ban both major glitches AND save state exploitation. Prevents corrupted save files.
Catch ‘Em All – Obtain all 151 Pokémon legitimately within a single save file before defeating the Elite Four.
| Category | World Record | Holder | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any% | 25min 32sec | werster | April 3, 2022 |
| Any% Glitchless | 1hr 50min 32sec | Keizaron | December 23, 2021 |
| Any% No Save Corruption | 1hr 27min 17sec | Keizaron | August 28, 2021 |
| Catch ‘Em All | 2hr 41min 04sec | Grogir | June 18, 2022 |
Out of all categories, Catch ‘Em All shows the deepest game mastery due to major restrictions
Catch ‘Em All is undoubtedly the most grueling category – it effectively encapsulates a maxed-out Pokédex completionist run. This requires immense familiarity across encyclopedic spawn locations, spawn condition manipulations, luck mitigating strategies, and more.
One tiny mistake can instantly invalidate hours of progress towards the 2+ hour finish time. It‘s undoubtedly the ultimate flex of Pokémon Blue knowledge.
Next, let‘s highlight exactly why Grogir‘s world record run last June established him as the Catch ‘Em All king!
Grogir‘s Historic Catch ‘Em All Achievement
Since 2016, esteemed Pokémon speedrunner Grogir diligently chipped away at the Catch ‘Em All world record time. But last June, he cemented history by winning the most prestigious honor in this category forever!
His final in-game time? A staggering 2 hours 41 minutes 4 seconds!
Across 10 grueling hours of real-world playtime, Grogir utilized immense field expertise to exploit Pokémon Blue intricacies nobody else could even dream of. Let‘s analyze the Run-defining tricks enabling this legendary feat:
Obtaining Version Exclusives Through Map Wrapping
Catch ‘Em All requires obtaining version-exclusive Pokémon only available in the alternate Pokémon Red game. Unthinkable without trading right?
Well by luring specific NPCs towards map edges, then warp zone transitioning to despawn and respawn those characters on the other side, it‘s possible to inch them steadily towards exclusive monster spawn points!
[Side-by-side comparison clip showcasing NPC map wrapping in Pokémon Blue]This map wrapping technique enables catching oddities like Bellsprout/Meowth very early. But it‘s extraordinarily precise – the runner must frame count steps/transitions up to the individual pixel without a single mistake! One error loses literally hours.
Grogir leverages this beautifully to accelerate version exclusive catches required for his world record pace. Truly masterful manipulation!
Optimizing Rare Spawns Through Badge Boosting
Attempting Catch ‘Em All means encountering at least one of every Pokémon evolutionary line…including coveted rare spawns like Chansey/Tauros. Handling these makes up the category‘s biggest time sink.
Some species like Clefable only appear as overworld spawns under extremely narrow level conditions. But by obtaining certain badges while intentionally skipping others, runners can finely tune enemy levels optimizing for rare spawns specifically.
We call this intricate act "badge boosting", which often provides the essential extra nudge. Grogir even supplements with in-game slot machine tree manipulations to farm mounds of bait for luring out stubborn monsters! This balancing act enables catching various rare Pokémon like Chansey exponentially quicker compared to casual play.
[Pokémon Blue gameplay clip highlighting Grogir badge boosting to spawn lucky Chansey catch]Every second matters when you‘re aiming for the Catch ‘Em All world record!
Closing Out The Run
After executing more advanced manipulations like duplicating key items with buffer overflows to access remaining exclusive move tutors, Grogir‘s fateful moment finally arrives.
In the clip below, watch his exhilarating finishing catch sequence, evolution to Dragonite, and subsequent defeat of the Elite Four champion to make history:
[YouTube embed showcasing Grogir catching his final MissingNo required Pokémon, evolving Dragonite, and defeating the Elite Four]Incredible perseverance coupled with otherworldly expertise. Completing the Pokédex faster than any previous challenger is no easy feat, but Grogir triumphs mightily!
Closing Thoughts
Revisiting nostalgic classics often unveils hidden depths unnoticed initially. For Pokémon Blue, witnessing innovative techniques the speedrunning community discovers pushes boundaries tremendously.
Seeing frame-perfect inputs manipulate RNG, spawn condition analysis, creative badge boosting – it‘s gameplay mastery at astonishing levels! The sheer passion and familiarity required makes watching Catch ‘Em All record pace attempts incredibly rewarding.
Here‘s hoping future challengers can surpass Grogir‘s milestone someday. But it may stand the test of time as a historical milestone in the world of Pokémon Blue speedrunning!
