Hello! I've enjoyed playing SMG casually for a long time now, and I could finally actually speedrun the game without having to buy an outdated system and game. One thing I have wanted to see as a speedrun category for a bit has been Powerless - an Any% category where you cannot grab anything that alters Mario's abilities. For example, the Fire Flower, Ice Flower, and Bee Mushroom (and other items like them) are considered "power-ups" and are banned, but Koopa shells and the Manta are considered external objects and are legal. I know the route would not differ much from the regular Any% route, but I found it fun to do a playthrough of SMG with this limitation back when I was playing on the Wii. Certain stars are incredibly difficult to pull off, but still possible, while others are completely unnattainable. Thoughts?

https://www.speedrun.com/smgce Ask here, they allow the all stars version

Thanks! Unfortunately, on their category extensions request thread, they require three separate runners to post runs of them playing a new category for it to be considered.

I've done some Mario Galaxy Any% in 3DAS, and that sounds like a cool category! I don't really have any good way to record runs, which is why I have nothing submitted, but I would be willing to run this so it could be a category. I could maybe record it very simply, like with my phone. I would need to learn the route and it wouldn't be very good, but it would exist.

Powerless is just putting restrictions (no power) on a no-restrictions category (any%). There is absolutely no reason to have this unless it's a category extension on the SMG board (not 3DAS).

there are lots of categories that are just putting restrictions on a no restrictions category, and it would be a category extension obviously

As pertains to the route being very similar to regular any% - I know that, and I addressed it in my original post. You're allowed to think whatever you'd like about it being fun or not, though. As far as what the actual routing would be, I'd have to do some research into the any% route for SMG and make modifications as needed. I'm relatively busy at the moment, but when I have more time I will look into it. I'll be moving this discussion to the SMG page soon, so it's in a better spot.

I just want to add that some stars need power ups in order to get them. I highly doubt u could even beat the game without and power ups whatsoever, but who knows

I think you might be able to do with none, but at least min powerups would be cool. There are a lot you can skip or avoid if you think about it.