Run has been rejected. This is now a dispute thread for the 5:33 run in question
Hi folks,
After some further analysis, I had decided that the 5:33 run is too suspicious and cannot be accepted on the leaderboards. Please see my reasoning below.
MegaBenefactor257 is the user who recorded the 5:33 run. His YouTube channel name is MegaBenefactor257 and can be found here https://www.youtube.com/user/Gennady25n73/videos . He has 3 uploaded runs for The World's Hardest Game:
All recorded runs Run 1 February 27th, 2016 9:40 (13 deaths)
Run 2 February 27th, 2016 7:33 (4 deaths)
Run 3 March 24th, 2016 5:33 (0 deaths)
9:40 and 7:33 Runs Now as to why two runs were uploaded on the same day I do not know. His previous upload before those two runs happened almost two years ago when he uploaded some world's hardest game level editor in August of 2014. It is most likely that these runs were recorded on different days. The 9:40 run is also labelled as a walkthrough, whereas the 7:33 is labelled as a walkthrough / speedrun. Perhaps the 9:40 run was intended to show safer strategies which would allow new players to duplicate so they themselves can complete the game, but it does not explain the rookie deaths seen throughout the video.
7:33 to 5:33 in 1 Month To then go from a time of 7:33 to 5:33 in just under a month is an almost unimaginable feat. The contrast in play styles and strategy is just too great, most notably on levels 10, 18, 20, 24, 26, and 28. The routes used in those levels are tremendously difficult to execute and hard to believe that a person could learn and perform these in the one run in just under a month.
Erratic Mouse Movements Before beginning levels 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30, you are shown a 'tip' screen and required to press the 'GO' button to proceed. On the Coolmath version of the game you can simply press space to proceed, but MegaBenefactor257 appears to play the version hosted on snubbyland. In this version, you are required to click the 'GO' button with the mouse.
In the 5:33 run, the speed at which the mouse moves into frame, clicks the button, and then exits the frame is incredibly fast and suspicious. If you watch screens 5, 10, and 15, this entire sequence happens under the span of just 10 frames with inhuman movement. On levels 20, 25, and 30, the mouse appears much more human-like and does not resemble the extremely quick movements we have previously witnessed. After trying this myself it is possible to simulate the fast mouse movements as clicking anywhere in the bottom half of the screen will advance past the 'tip' screen, but it seems odd the player would go from these fast movements to then a much slower style.
Pre-game The 5:33 footage starts at the 'BEGIN' button screen which is only shown when you first load the game. This is just a small thing, but it is hard to believe that a player who is attempting such a challenging run with a high chance of needing to restart would load the entire game again only to watch an optional 15 second intro cutscreen. The player then hovers over each button on the main menu which is odd and is perhaps trying to give the impression that the run is legitimate.
No In-game Music The original audio of the gameplay has been replaced by a soundtrack. As a result, we cannot hear the game music or any effect sounds such as picking up a coin or completing a level. It is a shame as original audio would help in verifying the run.
The World's Hardest Game 2 Speedrun I'd also like to bring up the fact that MegaBenefactor257 had uploaded a 13:10 speedrun for The World's Hardest Game 2 on March 3rd, 2016. This occured inbetween his 7:33 and 5:33 WHG runs and only a few days after the 7:33 run. WHG2 has double the amount of levels as the original (60 levels), many of which are far more challenging than the original game. Not only does MegaBenefactor257 manage to complete all these levels, but he does it at incredible speed and precision and without a single death. The level of a control from his 7:33 run, and then to this WHG2 run just a few days later is surely impossible. There are also some very odd mouse movements in this run which suggest TAS / segmented footage. Just take a look at the mouse at 5:42 in the run here and watch levels like level 54 (11:55)
MegaBenefactor Speedruncom Account I also do not believe that the 5:33 run was submitted by MegaBenefactor257. This run was submitted by @MegaBenefactor. This account is just 6 days old. The location for this account is Wisconsin, USA. The linked YouTube account (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDxS4RkIp42QRGJKfNFNWsw) goes by the name of JG ULTIME, has videos uploaded in Spanish, and has the channel location as Spain. The MegaBenefactor257 YouTube channel has Russian titles. The JG ULTIME YouTube account was created on May 29th, 2016. The most recent upload to MegaBenefactor257 was on June 16th, 2016.
Verdict As it stands, I cannot accept the run as legitimate due to the issues presented. I must admit my initial approval of the run was a bit rushed and premature. You can see my original response and reasons for the approval below. This run will remain as suspicious and believed to be a TAS / segmented run. I will leave this thread open as a means of discussion on the run and for any players to dispute my decision. Again this is not an attempt to hold on to any records or exercise mod corruption; I am just trying to maintain the integrity of the leaderboards. If MegaBenefactor257 wishes to create an account and provides evidence of his ability to perform these maneuvers he is more than welcome to do so.
Thanks and have a great day,
~Pzula
