A world -class RTA runner, a professional researcher, learned how to play “Super Donkey Kong” [Hardcore gamer interviews]

– “Hardcore”. This word is used to refer to “core”, “core”, “strong hard -acting”, or “extreme” or “dangerous”, and sometimes “aggressive”.

In the past, the Daikiri project called “The difference between ordinary gamers and hardcore gamers” held at GAMESpark in the past “It’s time to compete in the time (m) to clear the game (MS). Answers such as “hardcore gamer” * were sent. “Hardcore gamers” have various forms, but “extra -level players” may also apply to one condition.

In this serial project “Hardcore Gamer Interviews”, an independent interview focusing on “gamers with hardcore hobbies and backbone” were conducted irregularly. In the second round following the SM Queen in Shinjuku, who pours a passionate affection for “Resident Evil”, an interview with a world -class record in the RTA (real -time attack) of the “Super Donkey Kong” series **. I also asked about how to work on RTA, the real face as a gamer, and the “glitch technique” that symbolizes the RTA scene.

— First, please introduce a simple self -introduction. Please tell us about your profession, hobbies, and “your favorite game”.

Tonkotsu: The name of Tonkotsu is mainly distributed on Twitch. My job is a research job, and my hobbies other than games are playing golf a little. I also like watching baseball.

– What kind of title is your favorite game?

Tonkotsu: It’s “Yoshi Island”. I like the world view and BGM.

–Is that so! I thought it was the “Super Donkey Kong” series, but… “Yoshi Island” was not RTA.

Tonkotsu: That’s right. Regarding “Yoshi Island”, I wondered if I could play casually.

– When did you want to start RTA in the Super Donkey Kong series?

Tonkotsu: It was around 2018 four years ago. I decided to start “102%(category to complete clear)” of “Super Donkey Kong 2” by a friend. At that time, it was before the newcomer event was held, so I decided to start to get out.

–So that’s it.

Tonkotsu: , but I think that it was the “last push” for me, and I would have tried RTA sooner or sooner without any trigger. At the University of Tokyo, I have a lot of friends from the gamer. The “Extreme Strategy Study Group”, which created the word “RTA”, has a deep relationship with the University of Tokyo. I think that the impact of spending time in an environment surrounded by beautiful gameplay, including not only RTA but also low -level clearing and score attack is surrounded by beautiful game play.

When I was younger, I guess there was “summer vacation homework” when I was in elementary school. That’s the type that starts to solve as soon as you get it. Homework RTA. The diary was a bit sloppy, but I looked at the weather forecast and filled it up to the future (laughs).

――After that time, you have qualities! It is an efficient play that parents can smile.

Tonkotsu: I think that RTA is suitable as a profession. My main business is a research position, but RTA is also a “intellectual optic target”. I have theoretical interest in how fast I can solve one game.

――Whose you meet for the first time, but the personality is quite easy to understand.

Tonkotsu: It may be. In RTA, the results of the practice appear in the numbers as they are. I’ve always been loved to make efforts to achieve the numerical goal and make it possible to achieve it.

―― Sure, I felt that RTA play is very suitable for research skin. However, on the other hand, there are also “random elements” in games. The so -called random gimmick can affect the time, but how do you feel this?

Tonkotsu: I think random elements are like spices. Without at all, there is a place that lacks fun. In particular, “Super Donkey Kong 2” has two random elements in the boss battle in the early and middle stages, which is very good. I like the place where the balance between random elements and ability elements is good.

―― Please tell us about the record as an RTA runner in the Super Donkey Kong series. According to Speedrun.com, DKC2: WarPles is second in the world, 3rd in DKC: Reverse Boss Order, and the GBA version is the world’s number one record. This “warpless” and “Reverse Boss Order” are categories (special rules for RTA).

Tonkotsu: Yes. “Reverse Boss Order (commonly known as RBO)” is the opposite of six normal bosses appearing in “Super Donkey Kong”, “6 → 5 → 4 → 3 sides → 2 sides → 2 sides”. It is a category of defeating in order. On the other hand, “WarPless” is cleared without using warp barrel or glitch.

――How did this “Reverse Boss Order” category born? It seems like a messy rule that is impossible if you play normally…

Tonkotsu: In “Super Donkey Kong”, you can warp from a certain stage to another stage by the gratch “Getting Non”. In 2016, the “return from 6 sides to one side” was found, and by combining it with the warp that had been known until then, it became a hot topic among players, saying, “You can clear from the reverse order!” I went.

–So that’s it. While it was interesting, the flow was “Let’s aim for a record in this category”.

Tonkotsu: I participated in the category in 2019. The world record at that time was in the 30 -minute range, but it took six months to rebuild the route from 0 in cooperation with domestic and foreign experts, and now it is in the 27th minute. The “SGDQ 2022” held in late June will also participate in this “Reverse Boss Order”. By the way, I am the only runner who runs all of the main categories of the Super Donkey Kong RTA.

– The only world in the world is terrible…!

Tonkotsu: “Donkey 1” is 9, and “2” and “3” are all 17 types, each of which is four. I like to complete that kind of thing. I also like “trilogy”. The “306%” category has a world record on Speedrun.com.

――It is a category of RTA from “Donkey 1” continuously from Donkey 3. It seems to be a long time.

Tonkotsu: “306%” is about 4 hours and 11 minutes.

— Honestly, are you tired both physically and mentally?

Tonkotsu: It is quite a long -lasting place. But I don’t get tired of doing RTA.

―― It seems that you will spend a lot of time practicing as well as production.

Tonkotsu: When practicing, we set a little goal that can be executed. In the trilogy, after the first goal time, how much practice time is poured into which works from “1” to “3” and how to achieve the section time goal of each work… I will think. It is a style that achieves big goals by accumulating.

―― This is a play that has a clear personality.

Tonkotsu: Sure, it may be. If you have been playing such a play style for many years, you will gradually understand the future. Before starting, “How many hours in this category would be possible to shorten this time.”

–(Smile).

Tonkotsu: That’s not interesting, so you may start a new game or unknown category for stimulation.

– How many hours do you play the Super Donky Kong series every week?

Tonkotsu: When it comes to the most, it’s more than 50 hours? The total is about 5,000 or 6,000 hours. Even when I wasn’t practicing, I thought about the route, or listened to it while sleeping and soaked the timing into my body.

――The sleep learning is also performed…!

Tonkotsu: There are also RTA techniques that rely on BGM, so I listened and played in my head. There was a time when I practiced that kind of practice for about a month.

— Sleep learning or sleep training normally.

Tonkotsu: After that, I put a CRT in my parents’ house so that I can practice when I return home. I sometimes practiced “Super Donkey Kong” on a portable machine during the lunch break of the company.

――I can’t imagine how to explain when you see your colleagues. What do you say when you were told, “What are you doing?”

Tonkotsu: I’ve never been asked for now (laughs).

―― Please tell us about the play environment of RTA. If you just play the “Super Donkey Kong” series, I think Nintendo Switch (Switch online version) is also an option, but why does Tonkotsu use a actual supernimicon?

Tonkotsu: First of all, many runners use the actual machine. In that case, it is easy to compare. The “section time” between the specific stage to the stage is easier to compare, and it can be said that there are many examples.

–So that’s it. In the switch version, the flashing expression of light became loose, but there are RTA -like benefits in such a place.

Tonkotsu: The switch version has a short load, so it is difficult to compare. The reason was that when I started, I had no “Nintendo Switch Online”, and I was worried that there was a delay in the controller.

――The many examples are important for competitive play. After all, do you also check the other distributor’s RTA? There are many overseas runners…

Tonkotsu: Personally, I often watch overseas play. In Japanese core time, I am distributed.

――Is there a side connection with overseas runners?

Tonkotsu: I think there are so many. Even if you are watching my distribution, about 20 % are viewers from overseas, and they are also connected to Discord. I’m also a community moderator, and I often exchange opinions.

――― The other day, you have participated in “DKC2 ANY% TOURNAMENT 2022”, but please tell us your impressions again.

Tonkotsu: As a result, it was a runner -up, but I was very happy to be able to fight the top player called V0OID in the final. I’m the most respected “Super Donkey Kong” runner. He also fought with him in “Awesome Games Done Quick”, and at that time he won one second. However, the other day, the “DKC2 ANY% TOURNAMENT 2022” Grand Final, I got an unusual time of a world record + 6 seconds… I was completely defeated.

――At world record in one shot is intense!

Tonkotsu: , but I was able to recognize the difference from the V0OID, and the motivation to get closer to it became even stronger. After that, I was very happy that 60 players could gather and get excited at the game tournament 27 years after the release.

— Sure, “Super Donkey Kong” is a “retro game” without hesitation.

Tonkotsu: The rest is… RTA is a mental game. When it comes to racing, you may be wondering how much the difference with the other party is and you may not be able to play everyday. Both me and the V0OID are 100%focused on their play without looking at the opponent’s screen, and the results can be understood after the goal.

–So that’s it. I think that there were some offline events and the monitors were lined up side by side, but online is a solo type.

Tonkotsu: That’s right. It looks like you can open the lid and finally understand.

――In “Playing for Record” and “Event Performance”, what kind of places do you make a difference in playing?

Tonkotsu: When aiming for a record, the target time is set first. From there, we calculate back and select the necessary skills to achieve the target time. Considering the problem of risk and return, considering that “this is 0.2 seconds, but the success rate is higher than other techniques…”.

–So that’s it.

Tonkotsu: On the other hand, in the one -off “event performance”, we avoid all high -risk techniques.

――Do you have a difference in taste depending on the runner?

Tonkotsu: That’s right. People who always choose the “offensive route” feel uncomfortable with the unfamiliar “stable route”, so they attack in the actual performance. Some people dare to run in the same way as when aiming for a record. It’s a way of running that I can’t imitate.

I think there are various types of runners, but do you have any points to feel that this is your own strength?

Tonkotsu: Even in large events such as “RTA IN JAPAN”, I think that it is a strength that you are not nervous at all. First of all, if tens of thousands of viewers look at it, it will be exciting and motivated. In addition, before the event, we are preparing more carefully, so we are working with the confidence and pride of “we can do it as usual.”

――It means that your efforts up to that point back.

Tonkotsu: On top of that, I also have the feeling that the production can fail. Success in the event is not the goal, but the goal is to grow yourself through the event. Even if it fails, it is mentally called OK if you can grow it as a food, so I wonder if you can demonstrate the usual performance in the actual performance.

―― ― ― ます は 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際 際

Tonkotsu: While penetrating low -risk playing, you do things like “fascinating play”. At the opening of the stage 7-1 of “Super Donkey Kong 2” and the “Screathe Lace”, there was a great technique called “THE JUUUMP”. I wouldn’t do it if I was aiming for a record, but the audience will be excited and I will show you that kind of technique.

――Who do you pay attention to when watching the RTA of other runners?

Tonkotsu: We are paying attention to how to work in a long span instead of each run. If there is a player who keeps out the results, I want to update the methodology to improve based on that idea, so even if it is an overseas runner, I will listen directly in DM. In the past, you have held an event called “RTA SUPERSTARS” by gathering players who personally respect you.

— It’s an online RTA event sponsored by Tonkotsu.

Tonkotsu: Through the event, I have interviewed the top players of Super Mario World, Yoshi Island, and Super Donkey Kong 2. It also connected to my RTA motivation.

―― I am looking forward to participating in the “SGDQ 2022” held from late June. Please tell us about the highlights of “Reverse Boss Order” that Tonkotsu runs.

Tonkotsu: “Reverse Boss Order” is a category that can be called a glitch exhibition. In an interesting category that makes use of almost all kinds of known glitches. If you haven’t seen such a play, you’ll be able to witness a scene that is impressive. The scheduled time is 35 minutes.

――I want to expect it very much! I really liked the feeling that the game I was familiar with when I was a child was a glitch and messed up, so I started to be interested in the RTA scene for that reason. In a sense, I think it’s Meha…

Tonkotsu: Even if you like hard RTA without a gritch, I love gratch anyway! Some people say. As a viewer, I like glitches, and I’m excited to see unbelievable behaviors. As a runner, it is fun to polish the technique purely with an RTA without a glitch.

– I will change the topic a little. In the past, during the distribution of Twitch, he said, “I was about to be tendonitis due to overdoing RTA.” But if I couldn’t do donkey at all, I was stressed, so I played a donkey with one right hand in my breath. ” After all, is RTA runners required physical training?

Tonkotsu: That’s right. Recently, I have a menu for the RTA of Ring Fit Adventure to form a menu and train to gain the necessary muscles for button hitting.

――A again, it’s a ridiculous star player. What kind of part do you specifically train…?

Tonkotsu: I am doing general training with the forearm. In addition, you need to train your upper arms and pectoralis major.

–Is that so! I imagined something like a so -called grip strength training.

Tonkotsu: By the way, I also do muscle training before starting the event to move and warm my body. Testosterone is secreted and motivated, and your head rotates faster.

――It’s an image of pumping up both physically and mentally.

Tonkotsu: In addition, in terms of physical condition management, long RTAs have toilets problems. In the recently running “Marilui”, we refrain from water content and not take caffeine before starting. With about 4 hours of RTA, there is no break time.

–So that’s it! It was a blind spot.

Tonkotsu: The rest is a so -called hardware story, but I bought a set of 50 Super NES controllers. I’m using the 13th car now.

—It’s a tremendous number…!

Tonkotsu: So, as a personal routine, I’m going to sleep together before starting using a new controller. I sleep and sleep to get used to my hand. Do you say that you can communicate with you (laughs).

— After all, is the controller often broken? It is an old game console, and it seems that there is no substitute.

Tonkotsu: That’s right. After all, the rubber part is bad. But I personally like the controller that is moderately damaged than a new 1. The push of the button is just the right salt plum for me.

– In other words, the “controller expiration date” for Tonkotsu is probably shorter than others. It is better to be approaching tattered due to aging.

Tonkotsu: That’s right. That may be one of the reasons for playing on the actual machine. By the way, I only have about 4 software.

―― I will ask a question with a slightly different t1. What kind of work is Tonkotsu’s first game in life?

Tonkotsu: It’s “Super Donkey Kong 3”. At that time, I was still a child, so it was incredibly difficult and hard…

— Sure, it was a very hard action game for children.

Tonkotsu: I was playing together with my family, but when I cleared the difficult stage of my parents, “Coin Dozer Mori”, I was very praised. I remember the joy at that time.

―― It is a heartwarming episode! Such “Donkey 3” is also played as an RTA. Do you look back on your childhood memories while playing hardcore by making full use of various techniques? “I’ve come to a great dimension…”

Tonkotsu: I look back well in the distribution, but it’s paralyzed after a long time (laughs).

– In addition to “Super Donkey Kong”, it also has records such as “Mario & Luigi RPG4 Dream Adventure”, but what kind of genre do you like?

Tonkotsu: I love Nintendo -based works. In terms of genre, I played a lot of actions and RPGs.

–So that’s it.

Tonkotsu: Also… I’m just a type that gets strong in the game. In an action game called “JUMP KING”, when the character fell, I also fell out of the chair. The boss of “Zelda’s Legendary Tact” was uncomfortable, and the horses came out.

――In the game you play as an RTA, does such a “dust” happen?

Tonkotsu: There is no such thing for doing RTA. You can predict what will happen if you are doing it. I know that it will fall when it falls.

――Are there any games that are going to challenge RTA in the future?

Tonkotsu: For the time being, it’s a work that I haven’t done yet in the Mario & Luigi RPG series. I also want to do a remake for GBC/GBA of “Super Donkey Kong”.

– What do you pay attention to when you decide to “try RTA in this game”?

Tonkotsu: The best is that it is a “favorite game”. If you don’t like it, it won’t last. The second is BGM, and it is important that songs that you want to listen to flowing all the time will flow. After that, it is one of the criteria whether “RTA technique” feels good. When the technique is decided, there are a lot of cool substances in the brain, and you can feel good.

– It’s a fun guy in the dangerous direction! In “Super Donkey Kong 2”, the technique of “acquiring nothing” is a strong impression of the viewer’s feelings. One of the viewers who are exciting, how do the players do “acquisition”?

Tonkotsu: That’s exactly nothing. I’m used to “getting nothing” and I’ve been doing it tens of thousands of times. But I’m very grateful that the viewers will get excited. It’s very nice to get hot on my favorite games.

――Do -RTA does it interfere with gameplay and daily life when it’s not RTA?

Tonkotsu: When playing RPG, you will have a habit of hitting an important conversation scene repeatedly. Because of that, the next purpose is unknown and clogged. Also, in office work during work, I sometimes measure the time like RTA. There is a timer called “LIVESPRIT” used in RTA, but you want to put it on your company’s PC (laughs).

――If you cut it out, it looks like a very motivated company employee. I’m impressed to work while measuring the time.

Tonkotsu: It may be (laughs). After that, when you play a game you play for the first time casually, you may find a glitch. In the GBA version of “Super Donkey Kong 3”, I accidentally found a glitch, and the route on almost all underwater stages changed dramatically.

――It is different from “debugging”, such as so -called “hitting the wall” or “trying to bury it in a gap”?

Tonkotsu: That’s not true. Even if you play normally, you will find it. For some reason, it is easier to find a glitch than other people…

――While it seems to be an RTA runner, it was born under such a star… I feel a little enviable.

Tonkotsu: Also, this is a habit as an RTA or a distributor, but when you make a mistake during work at the company, you may be loud. He says he will take the same reaction as a mistake in the game distribution.

―― Then, I will move to a question of the RTA scene in general. In recent years, RTA culture has been greatly excited, and events/groups such as “RTA in Japan” and “JAPANESE RESTREAM” are expanding the scale. Please tell me the “impression of the recent RTA culture” as seen from Tonkotsu.

Tonkotsu: First of all, I feel that the number of runners and viewers has increased due to the catastrophe. The community is getting more and more active, and there are many amazing newcomers. We hope that those people will also excite the RTA scene of the “offline” that have been held for the past two years.

I am also grateful that many people are not the runner who contribute to the event management in the form of volunteers. I am always grateful as a runner and respect.

–So that’s it. I haven’t participated in offline events yet, so I’m sure I’m looking forward to it.

Tonkotsu: On the other hand, the popularity of “RTA in Japan” has increased, so I feel that the number of players who have set the final goal of “participating in specific events” has increased from the beginning. It’s good to have a big goal, but I personally think it’s a little wasteful.

――What is the “wastefulness” in that sense?

Tonkotsu: The winning ratio is increasing year by year at a large RTA event, but I’ve seen people who are more depressed and lost when they are lost. Or even if you break through the narrow gate, you will be burned out and quit by participating in the event.

Of course, how to enjoy it is individual, but it’s a waste. Participating in the event is only one side of how to enjoy RTA, and there is a feeling that RTA is a way to enjoy it from more angles.

– Tonkotsu -san often explains the “Super Donkey Kong” RTA, but are you interested in so -called “casters” and “live commentary and commentary”? In e -sports culture, such positions are also attracting much attention.

Tonkotsu: I think I’m just a player, and it doesn’t seem to be the main commentary. However, “Super Donkey Kong” is especially gratch heavy, and simply speaking, it is a “game with many bugs that I do not understand”, so if there is a solid explanation, the activity of the community including the viewer’s understanding and the entry of new players. I think it will lead to conversion. It would be great if it could go around and lead to your own fun.

– If you are a player, you will be excited about the community even in public relations.

Tonkotsu: We also create commentary articles, videos, and tutorials. After that, I recently started going to voice training to improve the quality of the commentary.

――The story of Eunwata’s repeated training, but physical training is also very important. Speaking of RTA players, it was a bit surprising because I had the impression that the game was repeatedly practicing the game.

Tonkotsu: Because I really like that kind of approach, I really like it. If the same thing is repeated, there is no limit of growth. I don’t want to stop growing. And I think RTA is the ultimate game love.

――Is it “ultimate love”!

Tonkotsu: I think there are various forms of “love for games”, but RTA runners are quite familiar with the game they have noticed. Because the driving force has “love”, you can work on thousands of hours. I also do RTA because I want to be able to play my favorite games as much as possible.

–So that’s it.

Tonkotsu: So, in order not to stop the growth of “the game is good”, we work in new categories and titles, and use other players. I have been a runner for 5 years, and I am always conscious of not narrowing my field of view by being trapped in my successful experiences.

Not only RTA runners, but also reading to learn from top runners in other fields. The book I recently read was Yoshiharu Hanyu’s “Determination” (KADOKAWA), which was very helpful.

―― I have never been a RTA runner, but I would like to refer to GAME*Spark as an editor! This is the last question, but please let me know if you have any future prospects as an RTA runner or commentator in order to further expand the Japanese RTA scene.

Tonkotsu: In the future activities… I can’t talk about the details yet, but I would like to do one thing I would like to do, so I’m glad if you can pay attention to the future activities.

Also, “AGDQ 2022” held in late June will be the third online participation for me. After all, I would like to realize offline participation in “Games Done Quick” someday. Thanks to RTA, more overseas friends have increased.

――It seems to be fun to participate in overseas events! I would like you to cover GAME*Spark.

Tonkotsu: In addition, I also work as a Twitch partner, so I have a feeling that I want to be an entrance to get RTA to know through my game distribution.

– Thank you for asking for a valuable story today! Finally, I have one additional request…

Tonkotsu: What is it?

―― As I have talked about, I am a fan of Donkey RTA. However, I didn’t actually play, so I was a “meha” fan in a sense. But… I would like to graduate from “Video” after this interview. Could you tell me some RTA techniques for “Super Donkey Kong” as the first step?