The iShowSpeed ​​​​and Kai Cenat marathon, when pro gamers need 35 hours to beat a Mario game

 

On June 25, streaming powerhouses IShowSpeed and Kai Cenat embarked on what would become a legendary, and brutally humbling, 35-hour marathon of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. What began as a playful challenge quickly turned into an endurance test of epic proportions, with the duo accumulating a jaw-dropping 892 deaths before finally defeating Bowser. Viewers tuned in by the thousands, equally curious and horrified to see two of the internet’s fastest rising talents reduced to pixelated puddles of frustration.

Rather than soldier on in grim silence, IShowSpeed and Kai Cenat leaned into the chaos. They paused to slip into full Mario and Luigi costumes, ordered pizza deliveries to keep their energy up, and even cleared a space in their living room for a spur-of-the-moment real-life Mario Kart race, rubber hearts and all. Each misjudged jump or unexpected plume of lava became a spectacle, transforming failure into must-see entertainment.

What makes their struggle so deliciously ironic is that both are celebrated for conquering far more complex challenges. In December 2024, they spent nearly two full days hunting down that elusive Fortnite Victory Royale, finally triumphing on match number eighty. Not long before that, they survived an astonishing 105-hour Minecraft Hardcore run, facing off against the Ender Dragon itself. Yet a classic Nintendo platformer, built around pixel-perfect timing and relentless precision, proved more unforgiving than any modern battle royale or blocky boss.

This is a story about two streamers failing repeatedly while having fun, but it's also a testament to the genius of Mario’s design. New Super Mario Bros. Wii disguises its brutal difficulty beneath a colorful veneer, teaching that every level is a lesson in patience as much as reflexes. Their constant face-plants into lava pits and mushroom-courting mishaps became instant memes, reminding viewers that shared failure can be more compelling than effortless mastery.

Above all, the marathon shattered the myth that “pro gamer” is synonymous with invincibility. Watching IShowSpeed and Kai Cenat wrestle with deceptively simple levels reminded us why Mario endures: the thrill of triumph over a challenge that seems almost too basic to defeat, until it humbles you. For 35 straight hours, their very human flubs and flails proved more entertaining than any record-breaking speedrun.

Looking ahead, fans are already speculating about the next conquest. Will they tackle Super Mario Galaxy under the same marathon rules, perhaps trading 2D jumps for gravity-bending orbs? Could a fresh competitor join in to try and break their newfound death record? Or might they swap platformers for a rhythm game endurance run, where one missed beat feels as humiliating as a bottomless pit? Whatever comes next, one thing is certain: after witnessing this gloriously torturous Mario saga, they’ll never underestimate a classic level again.