It’s not unusual to imagine Link fromThe Legend of Zeldagoing up against the anthropomorphic animal pilots ofStar Foxthanks to the immense character roster inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate—which has six more fighters coming before 2022. However,Ocarina of Timespeedrunner zfg1 has managed to make this match-up occur in the Nintendo 64 classic by spawning an unused Arwing enemy in the game’s code without the use of a cheating device.
Zfg1, who primarily playsThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeandOcarina of Time Master Quest,is one of ten dedicated streamers for the Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) esports team. Some might recognize him for completing a four-and-a-half hour 100% run ofOcarina of Timeat Awesome Games Done Quick 2018.
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Using a process called arbitrary code execution (or ACE), through which a player can force the game to run unused code by making it the save file name, zfg1 loaded an entire fleet of Arwings to do battle in Kakariko Village. The same method has been used to drop theOcarina of TimeAny% speedrunfrom 17 minutes last Julyto nearly under 12 minutes as of a run by Lozoots uploaded to speedrun.com on Monday, January 20.
The general consensus behind a fully programmed, laser-firing Arwing being inOcarina of Time(echoed by Reddit user thestickystickman in their post re-uploading the clip captured from zfg1’s stream) is that it was originally used to develop the Fire Temple’s boss Volvagia, as the two entities share identical movement patterns. It’s a crazy easter egg not many casual players might know about ina 20-year-old game that’s still at the top of its series' sales chart.
A coded Arwing existing is not new information. There are decade-old videos showcasing the sci-fi ship in Link’s world, such as this one where a member of Team Star Fox is attacking Kokiri Forest.
Zfg1’s feat stands out because it doesn’t use a GameShark to summon the Arwing. That ACE method being used to help cut downOcarina of Time’s speedrun is great both for people looking to hold world records andfor events like Awesome Games Done Quick that raise millions for charity.
The first 3D Zelda game is undoubtedly still a fan favorite, one of the most played game on speedrun.com (where zfg1 is currently its fifth fastest runner) andbeing modded into modern-day tech like VR. With discoveries like ACE changing the way people approachThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, it will certainly stay in the public’s consciousness for a long time to come.
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