Chasing Clocks: How Regular Players Are Shattering Records on Arcade Games Nobody Expected to Go Competitive
A growing wave of amateur players is tearing through decade-old arcade titles with stopwatches and strategy guides, turning forgotten classics into full-blown competitive arenas. What started as a niche internet hobby has ballooned into a legitimate scene with world records, dedicated Discord servers, and thousands of viewers tuning in to watch someone shave milliseconds off a Pac-Man run. Here's how speedrunning found its second home in the arcade world.