What is the Current World Record Speedrun for Ocarina of Time?
Current World Record Speedrun for Ocarina of Time
The current world record speedrun for Ocarina of Time is held by CountLG with a time of 0:03:47 using the JP Wii VC version.
In recent developments, Ocarina of Time’s fastest speedrun has introduced its first new route in three years. Notably, the technique used in any% speedruns is known as Stale Reference Manipulation (SRM). This allows players to exploit the game’s code to achieve times under four minutes.
- Back in 2021, a method was discovered that utilized Lightnode SRM to warp instantly to the game’s credits from the starting area of Kokiri Forest, resulting in a four-minute speedrun. This technique was exclusively possible on the Wii Virtual Console version due to a bug in the N64 emulation.
- Recently, MrCheeze has found an SRM filename that works on Wii U, potentially paving the way for a new any% world record on that platform. However, it remains uncertain whether runners will transition to a different platform for a mere two-second time save.
Moreover, the current rules stipulate that “throughout the duration of any speedrun, you are only allowed to use one controller with one analog mapping per controller port.” Given this, the controller manipulation techniques used in the Wii U run are currently banned, prompting much debate within the Ocarina of Time speedrunning community.
In addition, glitchymon recently improved their own record time to 3 hours 44 minutes and 6 seconds, setting it almost exactly one year after a previous record on July 6, 2022. CountLG also holds the record in the 100% SRM category with a time of 3 hours, 0 minutes, and 39 seconds, maintained for three consecutive years.
How Long Does it Traditionally Take to Complete Ocarina of Time?
Completion Times for Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time is a game that would take a normal player around 30 hours to beat.
When focusing on the main objectives, the time is about 27 hours in length.
If you are a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 381⁄2 hours to obtain 100% completion.
Speedrun Completion Times
- The most skilled speedrunners aim to play the game as fast as possible, and they can beat it in around three hours and 40 minutes without glitches.
- In the Any% category, which allows players to complete the game regardless of methods used, the record is down to three minutes, 54 seconds, and 566 milliseconds.
- Additionally, the 100% Glitchless World Record is 5:39:49, set by Smaugy on Oct 26, 2022.
Speedrunning Community and Techniques
Ocarina of Time has a robust, dedicated speedrunning community that has allowed the game to thrive with new developments for decades after it was originally released.
Exploits like Stale Reference Manipulation (SRM) have been pivotal in advancing speedrun techniques. This exploit rearranges the game’s memory to check your character’s name instead of the usual requirement, facilitating faster completion times.
Moreover, at events like Summer Games Done Quick 2022, speedrunners showcased their skills by reprogramming the game on the fly, displaying new graphics, playing new music, and even utilizing a Twitch chat overlay.
While these exploits trivialize some challenges normally associated with beating a game quickly, they also highlight the incredible technical expertise and community effort involved in dissecting and analyzing beloved games.
What Techniques Speedrunners Use for Ocarina of Time?
Speedrunning Techniques for Ocarina of Time
Speedrunners utilize a variety of techniques to optimize their gameplay in Ocarina of Time.
- Glitchless Category: This is one of the longest standing speedrun categories for Ocarina of Time. Many people have issues with calling it “glitchless” since many aspects of the game are still exploited. An example is Power Crouch Stabbing, which is allowed despite being a glitch, as banning it would be infeasible.
- Allowed Techniques:
- Power Crouch Stabbing
- Roll Invincibility
- Jumpslashing while mid-air for more distance
- Shield-dropping held objects
- Momentary Antigravity
- Hookshot Extension
- Rolling from the blue switch in Jabu Jabu’s Belly
- Damage Buffering
- Passing through one-sided collision
- Twisted sidehops or backflips via siderolls
- Holding target to swim while sinking with iron boots
- Remote Wall Interactions
- Swimming laterally while wearing Iron Boots
- Climbing ladders or vines during cutscenes
- Banned Techniques:
- Infinite Sword Glitch
- Megaflipping
- Extended Antigravity
- Ground Jump
- All forms of superslide
- Hovering
- Going Out of Bounds
- Passing through collision from the front
- Cutscene diving to sink into water
- Flame storage
- Item Manipulation
- Dying to achieve anything other than a deathwarp
- Skipping cutscenes by any means
- Item Skips: Several items that many new runners might consider “unskippable” in glitchless runs are actually skipped in the best route. These items include the slingshot, lens of truth, fire arrows, and the zora tunic. The route explanations will assume the skipping of the lens of truth, fire arrows, and zora tunic to save time.
- Stale Reference Manipulation (SRM): This glitch allows players to overwrite certain parts of the game’s actor data and code to arbitrary values by unloading actors and loading something else in their place. This exploit has fundamentally changed the approach to Ocarina of Time speedruns.
- Historical Context: In the early days of speedrunning Ocarina of Time, the initial goal was to reduce existing seven-hour runs to the five-hour mark.
Which Game Versions are Best for Speedrunning Ocarina of Time?
When considering the best game versions for speedrunning Ocarina of Time, it is essential to examine various factors based on performance and glitches. Here’s a breakdown of the most favorable versions:
- Japanese Wii Virtual Console (Wii VC):
- This version is widely regarded as the best for speedrunning. Runners in the top 15 for most categories consistently use it.
- The Wii shop has closed down, so finding a Japanese Wii with Ocarina of Time downloaded may be challenging unless you resort to modding.
- Original Japanese N64:
- While it works fine, it is slightly slower compared to the Wii VC. However, it presents unique glitches beneficial for speedruns.
- NTSC Version 1.0:
- This is the first Japanese/North American version and has many unique glitches that support speedrunning techniques.
- NTSC Version 1.1:
- This is the first update and has several glitches fixed, making it less favorable for speedrunning.
- NTSC Version 1.2:
- This version corrects more glitches and is often considered less favorable since many glitches beneficial for speedruns have been patched.
- Gamecube Versions:
- Although similar to the NTSC 1.2 version, they present new tricks due to improved hardware, which can positively affect speedrunning.
- Emulators:
- Allows you to play whichever version you want. On Virtual Console, the only legitimate version is 1.2.
- Using the latest version of the Wii emulator, Dolphin, with specific settings can also be advantageous for speedrunning.
- Overall Recommendation:
- The Wii VC is the best overall option, being faster by a few minutes in most categories.
- The Wii U VC is faster than Wii VC but suffers from input lag, leading to its rarity in use.
For additional resources, a modded or hacked Wii is now allowed on the speedrunning leaderboards, and you can find information about specific versions of Project64 at Speedrun.com.
Lastly, consider exploring the 3DS version if emulated on a capable PC, or Ocarina of Time Redux which is highly customizable with the Patcher64+ Tool.
What are the Key Milestones in Ocarina of Time Speedrunning History?
Key Milestones in Ocarina of Time Speedrunning History
- The first public full speedrun attempt of Ocarina resulted in a time of 5 hours 45 minutes (NTSC) by Mike Damiani, probably in late 2003 or early 2004. This run was never fully converted to digital format and was superseded in late March 2004 by Mike’s first serious run, which achieved a time of 5 hours 25 minutes.
- On April 21, 2004, this run became the first Zelda run to be hosted by the Speed Demos Archive. Consequently, it brought Ocarina speedrunning to the attention of the speed-running community at large.
- On September 5, 2004, after extensive research and radical route-restructuring, Mike Damiani reduced his record to 5 hours 4 minutes, coming within an ace of breaking the barely-reachable five hour barrier.
- On November 15, 2006, Mauri Mustonen, using a PAL system and several new tricks discovered since, broke Mike’s record, obtaining the current single-segment world record of 4 hours 46 minutes.
- On July 20, 2014, the best time with Large-Skip glitches was set at 0:15:22 by Cosmo Wright.
- On June 28, 2014, during the live speedrunning event Summer Games Done Quick, Skater82297 and Cosmo Wright participated in a race, finishing in times of 23:42 and 21:09, respectively. This run was commentated by both runners, giving viewers insight into the glitches performed.
- The best 100% time with Large-skip glitches was recorded as 6:35 by Oskar ‘YautjaElder’ Lundquist on July 4, 2007. Mauri Mustonen also holds another best time of 4:46 for the European version.
- In a notable achievement, Ocarina of Time presented its first main category completed in under 10 minutes. The game has consistently showcased landmark occasions for speedrunners.
- Additionally, a run of 3 minutes and 54 seconds long was achieved by Murph_E. Utilizing a bug in the game, speedrunners can warp directly to the credits.
