The Legend of Zelda: Top 10 Challenge Runs In The Series
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The Legend Of Zelda Top 10 Challenge Runs In The Series
Beating a Zelda game is usually challenging enough, but some players like to raise the stakes! Since the dawn of gaming itself, there have been players who seek the thrill and accomplishment of challenges for any and all types of games. is one of the founding fathers of modern gaming and hence has had countless of player-created challenges throughout the years. From the NES to the Nintendo Switch, Zelda has remained as one of Nintendo's strongest IPs, having countless fans from around the world. However, Zelda is a series with quite a long development time, so fans make the best out of whatever games they have, making new and fun experiences for their favorite titles. Which self-imposed challenges seen in the Zelda series stick out from the rest? THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY Zero Deaths Challenge
This self-explanatory challenge run also happens to be the only one that is required in a Zelda game to unlock something, being the . There’s no catches or quirks, just complete the game as Link would in any normal universe without the magical video game powers of saving and respawning. It is usually a requirement to restart your entire save file upon death, making the beginning of your journey way more careful and slower-paced, and boss fights become a heart-pumping, high-stakes battle. Survivalist Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild’s inclusion of Master Mode was, unfortunately, a bit on the disappointing side, with a fairly linear approach to increasing difficulty. This self-imposed challenge turns Link into Bear Grylls, having to use every resource possible to ensure survival without the help of a mini-map or radar. Rupees lose all monetary value, as Link is only able to use resources collected from the great Hylian wild, meaning that Beedle will be a little lacking in business. Stables essentially become nothing but landmarks, as comfy beds become a restricted luxury. If you’re feeling particularly sadistic, disabling the usage of teleporting with the Sheikah Slate makes planning trips around the vast Hyrule an absolute necessity. Pacifist Run
This type of challenge run is most familiar in games like Undertale, but the same basic principles apply here. This rendition of Link is feeling particularly peaceful this time around, avoiding any and all enemy encounters that aren’t required to further progress the game. Bosses and mini-bosses are pretty much the only exceptions, as most enemies are completely optional in almost every game. In games like Breath of the Wild, gameplay becomes very heavily focused on stealth and coming up with creative ways to avoid monsters, making for an odd but different experience. No Shields Run
This is pretty much contained in the 3D Zelda adventures, leaving our hero to rely on his sick acrobatic skills to avoid incoming damage. Like going from Dark Souls to Bloodborne, it creates a far more aggressive style of play. While some games allow for the unequipping of a shield, others require the burning of a wooden shield to artificially unequip one, which can be a bit of a nuisance at times. Unless one is required to complete something like a light-based puzzle, this challenge brings forth all-out offense and honed dodging capabilities. Fat Stacks Run
A bit opposite from the Survivalist run, this challenge run has and rely solely on monetary skills. Instead of picking up hearts and magic or cooking food to eat, Link is only able to use bought goods, be it potions or items. Since a lot of Zelda games end up leaving Rupees feeling useless by the end of the game with your mass of accumulated wealth, this forces the player to place more value on their money and gain a sense of accomplishment from finding a purple Rupee, instead of the typical “ugh, another Rupee”. Swordless Run
One of, if not the oldest challenge run comes in the form of the Swordless Run. As the name implies, swords of any kind are strictly forbidden. In the original game for the NES, you can skip right over the Old Man's kindness of bestowing you a weapon and charge head-first into Hyrule. Having to heavily rely on items like bombs or arrows, this is a huge spike in difficulty and is also a fan favorite among speedrunners and casual players alike. The next time someone starts to brag about beating your favorite game on the highest difficulty, just ask them, "oh yeah? have you beaten Zelda without the SWORD?". Reverse Dungeon Order
As a bit of an oddball entry, the Reverse Dungeon Order Run takes a bit more effort to complete. In the original Zelda, there's nothing stopping you from completing dungeons in any order you like, making the beginning of the game massively challenging. It's certainly possible in later games as well, however, some will require cheats or glitches to complete. This is also another popular choice within the speedrunning community, as it changes up the formula of the game so drastically that it creates an almost entirely new experience that will challenge even the most seasoned of veterans. Use What You See Breath of the Wild
This type of challenge is very popular in other Action RPG series like Dark Souls or Elder Scrolls, and it forces the player to pick up and use any weapon that they spot. In Breath of the Wild, you can be forced to use any weapon stemming from a torch to a knight's broadsword, and with the game's weapon durability mechanic, it ensures that you won't be stuck with a crappy weapon for too long. The game has a wide variety of weapon choices that tend to be overlooked for the cooler or more powerful options, but this challenge run will turn you into a Drop Everything at New Towers Breath of the Wild
Activating a new tower in Breath of the Wild brings a huge feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, as a whole new area of the map opens up to be thoroughly explored. But, what if every new area meant failing a TSA check, making it feel like starting a new game. In this run, activating a new tower means dropping all weapons, armor, bows, materials, etc, making Link take advantage of the new area and forage for new supplies. It'll force the player to become extremely familiar with the new area, and some of them can be particularly challenging in areas with extreme weather. Three-Heart-Run
From MasaeAnela on YouTube Possibly the most famous challenge run in Zelda history, the Three-Heart-Run is extremely simple to do and can be done in just about every game in the series. As it states, you're allowed no more maximum hearts than what you begin within the game, and it is usually accomplished by skipping the congratulatory Heart Container after a boss fight and ignoring all heart pieces. Most enemies will now be able to defeat Link in about two or three hits, with boss fights posing a way higher challenge. Legends say that completing every Zelda game with a Three-Heart-Run will bestow the player with the title of "True Hero".