The world of speedrunning in video games has always been filled with innovation and creativity. One of the most popular games for speedrunning is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Over the years, speedrunners have found new and inventive ways to optimize their runs and achieve record times. The latest discovery in the Ocarina of Time speedrunning community involves the use of a Wii U GamePad and a rubber band to shave off precious seconds from the current world record.
Speedrunners of Ocarina of Time have long been using a technique known as Stale Reference Manipulation (SRM) to manipulate the game’s code and memory through specific characters in the save game’s filename. By using this manipulation, players can trigger the end credits to roll after completing a series of specific inputs in the game. This technique, known as Lightnode SRM, is crucial for completing an Any% speedrun of the game. Previously, speedrunners used the Wii’s Virtual Console for this technique due to a bug in its N64 emulation. However, a recent discovery by speedrunner MrCheeze has found a filename that works on the Wii U, taking advantage of the console’s improved framerate to improve speedrunning times.
The latest discovery in the Ocarina of Time speedrunning community involves the use of a Wii U GamePad and a rubber band to achieve faster times. The Lightnode SRM technique requires incredibly precise button inputs, with the final move involving holding the joystick at a Y-43 angle. To ensure accuracy, speedrunner bradyONE discovered that using a rubber band to hold the joystick in place is the most effective method to hit this angle consistently. By utilizing the Wii U GamePad’s ‘TV Remote mode,’ speedrunners can set the joystick in place with the rubber band, start the speedrun with a different controller, and then deactivate the mode to allow the GamePad to perform the final input.
While the new technique using the Wii U GamePad and rubber band may seem like a stroke of genius, it has stirred up some controversy within the Ocarina of Time speedrunning community. Current speedrunning rules state that players are only allowed to use one controller with one analog mapping per controller port, prohibiting the switching of controllers or mappings during a run. The use of the GamePad’s TV Remote mode raises questions about whether it constitutes switching controllers or simply optimizing the console’s input settings.
As the Ocarina of Time speedrunning community grapples with the decision of whether to allow the new technique, it remains to be seen how future speedrunning attempts will be affected. Will the use of the Wii U GamePad and rubber band be deemed too close to breaking the rules, or will it become a standard practice among speedrunners looking to achieve record times? Only time will tell how this latest innovation will shape the future of Ocarina of Time speedrunning.
The evolution of speedrunning techniques in Ocarina of Time continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the game. Whether the use of the Wii U GamePad and rubber band will be accepted by the speedrunning community remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain – speedrunners will stop at nothing to achieve the fastest times possible in this beloved classic game.
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