The Original Legend of Zelda Can be Beaten in Four Minutes Thanks to a New and Elaborate Glitch

Speed runners will often take their journey to new heights by using glitches to progress through a game faster. The Legend of Zelda is no different, as fans have been using glitches in the game for years. Recently, a new one has been discovered that will allow players to get to Princess Zelda and essentially beat the game in under four minutes. This glitch only works on version 1.1 of the Japanese Famicom version, so unfortunately most of us won’t be able to try this out ourselves.

The glitch involves naming the second and third files various bits of code, but to name the first one “Zelda” to activate the Second Quest. Once Link obtains the whistle, you can head to the graveyard. The whistle can be used here to override the screen limit of eleven sprites, which causes memory in the game’s code to be altered. That is a very basic explanation, but for a more detailed breakdown you can watch the video above.