10 Times YOU Made A Video Game Impossible

2. No A Button - Super Mario 64

Now this is where things get truly ridiculous. The man, the myth, the moustached legend, Mario. He’s a plumber that’s not a plumber, and his favourite thing to do aside from stamping on turtles and sliding down flagpoles is JUMPING. So why would you attempt to remove this fundamental feature of a Super Mario game when trying to complete it? Well, that’s what many have attempted to do in Super Mario 64.

The title is hugely popular with speedrunners and glitch hunters. One strange challenge is to get as many stars as possible without pressing the A button at all. Mario’s moveset in 64 does still allow him to move about and gain some height or speed with rolls and slides, but normal jumping, the ability to ground-pound, swimming, and even the ‘confirm’ action aren’t possible when trying out this challenge.

Players have gotten so far without glitching, warping, or triggering skips in the game, but it’ll always eventually come to that when attempting this ridiculous feat. As to whether it’s possible to beat Mario 64 entirely without jumping is something I believe the 64 community are still trying to establish, but there are a select few who are still finding ways around what would normally be rudimentary jumping puzzles.

In a more recent spin on this challenge, players have managed to beat Super Mario Odyssey without jumping. However, this is based on the in-game jump counter, which doesn’t include jumping as a captured creature, or many of Mario’s extra moves, similar to ones still legal in the no A button 64 run.

While Mario 64’s no A button challenge might be a stretch, getting a cold, hard 0 on the Mario Odyssey jump stat is possible. Go and try it, I dare you.