Backwards Long Jump

About

Backwards Long Jump, abbreviated as BLJ, refers to a speedrunning technique in 1996 platform video game Super Mario 64. One of the best-known speedrunning exploits, Backwards Long Jump is often referenced in memes in the gaming community, particularly due to a specific "ya-ya-ya-ya" shout Mario produces while the jump is executed.

Origin

On June 23rd, 1996, platform video game Super Mario 64 by Nintendo was released in Japan.^[1] In the years following the release, the game gained popularity as a speedrunning discipline.

In November 2000 issue, Club Nintendo México magazine reported on a Super Mario 64 trick discovered by José Angel Ruíz Villareal and Dante Iván Ruíz (shown below, left).^[2] The trick allowed the players to skip a significant portion of the game by performing repeated backward jumps to climb Endless Stairs, an obstacle which normally only opens to those players who progressed further in the game by collecting additional Power Stars. On March 16th, 2003, GameFAQs forum user gera2000 reported on the glitch (shown below, right),^[3] providing video proof of the exploit on March 18th.

Spread

Since its discovery, the glitch, also utilized in several other locations during the playthrough, became an essential part of Any% category in Super Mario 64 speedrunning. On December 22nd, 2012, YouTube user Glitch Fish uploaded a demonstration of the glitch, which has since gained over 1.1 million views.^[4]

On February 7th, 2017, Twitter user @leyawn posted a meme referencing the Backwards Long Jump, which gained over 7,400 retweets and 17,200 likes in two years.^[5]

On July 14th, 2017, YouTube channel Summoning Salt posted a video summarizing world record progression in the category, mentioning the Backwards Long Jump as the earliest major trick discovered by the Super Mario 64 speedrunning community.^[6] The video gained over 2.2 million views.

You go on the stairs and face towards the camera, then do a long jump. Instead of going forward, though, you push up the stairs and move backward, and then mash the A button over and over again. You're now doing backwards long jumps.

The trick has often been referenced in memes, with many examples poking fun at how Mario's signature "Yahoo" shout turns into "Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya" when the jump is properly executed.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References