That's a helpful resource. Thank you. I appreciate it! :)

Looks like this particular forum doesn't see a lot of activity, but I'll ask anyhow. I've recently settled on PRBoom+ as my port of choice (since GZDoom corrects certain glitches that are used in speedrunning). Since there is a lot of customization, it makes me wonder what is considered a legitimate run. For example, I am not fond of characters being infinitely tall. I see it as a flaw in the limitation of the technology when the game was first brought about. I'm more fond of being able to jump over enemies if I'm on a ledge 20 feet above them. Is this considered unacceptable for a run? Is it not pure enough to count on a leaderboard? I mean, I'm not nearly good enough to get on one yet anyhow, but it's good to know how I should be practicing. :)

I can't say for sure, but I believe the only difference between the classic versions of Ultimate Doom / Doom 2 and the BFG Edition bundle is Nightmare mode. Not sure if it's only a console thing and not a PC thing, but I've seen complaints about fast monsters and projectiles not existing in Nightmare mode on the console versions of 1 and 2 on BFG Edition. Not sure if that holds true for PC.

Other than Nightmare, though, I believe the games are identical to the standalone versions.

Hrmm... I hadn't really considered the SNES / Genesis overlap. I imagine some of the games are virtually identical, but on the other hand, games like Aladdin, Beavis and Butthead, Ghosts n Goblins, etc. are completely different on each system.

As for how I'm going to get all of the games... I'm not well-versed in the rules of the forums as I've only lurked periodically. I won't go into specific detail, but there are some sites that have hosted these games for a good 15 years without being a place you have to worry about getting viruses or bad roms. Plus, Nintendo has gotten my money many times over. I mean, I've bought Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past five different times, as an example. Between SNES, GBA, virtual console, losing games as a kid and having to buy them again, etc., I tend to not have any ethical concerns in this regard. My apologies if that rubs anyone the wrong way. For what it's worth, pretty much anything on a console 1996 and later I refuse to emulate, and with PC games, even the oldest games can be played with legit copies in a virtual machine and the like. I guess we've all got to draw our line in the sand somewhere. :)

It sounds like I'll have to do what The Mexican Runner did in terms of determining completion. Come up with a reasonable case by case method of saying "This game has been completed." Championships in sports games make sense. Getting to the highest level in Tetris makes sense. Things like that.

I suppose it doesn't have to be too hard and fast since I'm doing it for fun anyhow. I appreciate everyone's input, and I hope to spend more time here this coming winter (and possibly beyond).

Now to get back to some classic Doom for the remainder of the evening. Quite possibly my favorite old school PC game. See you all around! :)

That's probably good advice. Thankfully, most games interest me, and there are many classics I just never got around to playing. Not really stoked about the idea of some of them, but I suspect only 5% of them I'll downright dislike. I'll save those for last and if I give up in the end, I give up. :)

Well, it's only insane if I pull it off. Otherwise, it's just a dream. I've seen a good handful of themexicanrunner's runs, so I know what you mean about him being good at them. I'm nowhere near even close to the level of many experienced players here, but I'm figuring 5 years sounds reasonable? I'm still a rookie with many games, and the ones I am most familiar with, I haven't played in years, so who knows how it'll go.

That said, I'm more than happy for any advice anyone can throw my way. Speedrunning on its own I'm somewhat weak on, because my nerves get the better of me much of the time, but I'm hoping to take some methods I've seen to help in my quest.

I'm starting this now, because winter is coming and to be frank I don't go out much in the winter. Have to do something to keep from going mad. =D

While not explicitly speedrunning, it seems like that would be the best method for accomplishing my challenge. I am considering beginning a quest to reach the end credits of every NES, SNES, and Genesis game officially released in the US. I put together a handy spreadsheet for this task:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xVDghMrJhs27oAdrd-8hHQGXt6HDkJRzCdd4YAR0o1c

You are all welcome to use that if it helps you in tracking classic gaming in one way or another. Throw another column in there for a "Personal Best" if you prefer. Saves the trouble of having to go through Wikipedia then format it to your liking.

But back to my point. I'm hoping to complete every NES, SNES, and Genesis game released in the US. I know this is something which would take years, and I haven't decided on rules yet beyond not using cheat codes.

My biggest concern is some games are not really beatable in a sense. Tetris is perhaps a great example. At what point does one say "I've completed this game?" I imagine there are many games where that is a concern in making this challenge work. Would it be best to set up broad rules for myself, or will there be some games that just have to be done on a case by case basis for what "seems fair?"

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Any feedback from experienced runners would surely help in this quest.

It would seem this is the place for introductions. I am Allen Stenhaus, owner of Stenhaus.net (currently directed at my YouTube channel). I've been dabbling with YouTube stuff for four years now, and I've decided I'm going to start mixing things up. I cut back on my gaming time for a few short years after having children, but I'm realizing I'm just a much happier person when I allow myself to have fun. So, I've been getting back into it in the last year or so.

I've been really enjoying a lot of speedrunning videos I have seen, and it amuses me how easy some of the experts make games look. I'm especially enjoying the old school speed-runs, likely because I'm in my mid-30's and have many fond memories of these older games.

Anyhow, that's me in a nutshell. I'm thinking of trying a little speed-running. I doubt I would have the time or energy to devote to setting records, and as a very anxious person, I would likely let nerves get the better of me in the end. Still, I love competing, especially with myself (which is probably why I like disc golf). I want to revisit many games I enjoyed some time ago, and many others I've always wanted to get better at. For example, I've never gotten a Flawless Victory in Contra on the NES (I've come SOOO close), and that's one of the many things I want to do.

On the plus side, I'm quickly finding a lot of people who may enjoy watching me try to meet these goals, so I might as well make myself known.

So, in the words of Jubal Early "Well... here I am."