Nearly a quarter-century after the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, a remarkable achievement has surfaced in the gaming world: a player has successfully guided the blue dog to victory in a race without resorting to cheats or glitches. Within the unique realm of this Zelda installment, players can engage in various races at the Doggy Racetrack, where betting on a winning dog adds to the excitement. While players may receive hints, the results remain largely unpredictable, with the blue dog notoriously deemed the least capable contestant to secure a win.
This long-standing belief was challenged when speedrunner falkush accomplished the improbable feat of having the blue dog emerge victorious in August. Capturing the winning run was a testament to skill and perseverance, and the entire endeavor can be viewed on falkush’s YouTube channel. For an in-depth look at the strategies employed in this unprecedented success, Vidya James has created a comprehensive video recap.
The Blue Dog’s Historic Win in Majora’s Mask
The 25-Year Journey to Victory for the Blue Dog
The mechanics governing the Doggy Racetrack are intricately designed, as thoroughly explored in the aforementioned video. Each dog possesses a defined base speed that randomly fluctuates during the race, and players can utilize the Mask of Truth to gain insight into which contestant might prevail. However, it’s interesting to note that the gold dog boasts the highest base speed, while the blue dog has the slowest. Consequently, the gold dog has the highest win probability, relegating the blue dog to the bottom of the rankings, with other competitors closely vying for second place.
Statistical analysis reveals that dogs initiating dialogue with “Ruff”tend to perform better in races. Yet, falkush set out to change the fate of the blue dog. He meticulously created conditions to optimize the blue dog’s race setup while ensuring that the other dogs were placed at a disadvantage. With the aid of BizHawk, a powerful tool for speedrunners, falkush simulated numerous races, ultimately achieving the desired outcome. Surprisingly, the entire endeavor took just three days, leading to a triumphant blue dog victory.
Our Perspective: The Enduring Legacy of The Legend of Zelda
The Enthusiastic & Dedicated Zelda Speedrunning Community
This recent blue dog victory is likely not the first of its kind. Considering the extensive player base around the globe, it’s probable that other players have achieved similar results without documentation. The inherent difficulty in winning with the blue dog has resulted in such victories being overlooked or unrecorded. This achievement is also not unique; players have previously encountered and conquered various improbable challenges throughout the Zelda series, from mysterious glitches in A Link to the Past to secrets in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom remaining hidden for extended periods.
The capacity for unlikely discoveries, combined with the carefully crafted progression across Zelda titles, establishes The Legend of Zelda series as a prime candidate for speedrunning. The vibrant speedrunning community consistently showcases innovation, creativity, and unwavering commitment, whether it’s unveiling new strategies that significantly reduce completion times or assisting the once-ignored blue dog in clinching victory in the mini-game of Majora’s Mask.
Sources: falkush/YouTube, Vidya James/YouTube
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