New Breath Of The Wild Speedrun Could Be The Hardest Zelda Challenge Yet
We're packing our paraglider, drawing back our Great Eagle Bow, and sharpening our Master Swords as we once again swoop down onto the Hyrule Plains for another round with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While most of us polished off the open-world behemoth when it first released alongside the Nintendo Switch in March 2017, the game's community is alive and well - constantly finding new ways to lure us back.
While we wait for Breath of the Wild 2's mythical release, more and more fans are heading back into the OG to remember what made it so great in the first place. Up there with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, BotW isn't only a defining Zelda game, but one of the most influential games ever made. One way to get fans back in their Extravagant Saddle and riding across this vast wilderness is speedrunning. Although Breath of the Wild speedruns are nothing new, the latest could be the hardest ever.
What is the new Breath of the Wild speedrun?
According to Speedrun.com, the current record to complete Breath of the Wild at any percent in the original game is a nippy 26m 0s, but if you want to 100% the title, it'll take a whopping 18h 26m 27s (and that's the fastest). If you're looking at the extended version, that grows to 22h 50m 30s. Basically, speedrunning BotW sometimes isn't that speedy. The latest speedrun is even more of a challenge as you have to mount every creature in the game.
The brainchild of speedrunner Joedun, the mount% speedrun was originally born from the idea of riding the fan-favourite Sidon. Those who've played the game will remember the hunky Zora prince helps you get to the Divine Beast Vah Ruta when you ride him like a jet ski. Joedun's original plan was to have players simply get to riding Sidon as fast as possible. However, knowing the speedrunning community would demand something with a little more substance, he added the rule that you had to ride every mountable beast. That's where the real challenge comes in, thanks to the inclusion of the Lord of the Mountain horse.
Why is the Breath of the Wild speedrun so hard?
Joedun's mount% speedrun is extra hard thanks to the unpredictable spawn of the Lord of the Mountain. The brilliant white steed only spawns once, which is on the day of a waxing crescent moon. It can show up at any point during this 24-hour period in-game, and only if you're not in the Satori Mountain region. In the video, Joedun said, "Turns out the length of the time it spawns for is also random". This explains why some players have reported seeing it despawn in a flash. It's something Joedun called a "pain in the ass" during his run. You can make this a little easier by changing the time as soon as you can, but still, it's a tricky one.
In the video, Joedun briefly goes over some of the weird and wonderful BotW speedruns, including our personal favourite ("Butter Dog Dog Wit Da Butter On Him%") where you have to try and land a stick of butter on a dog as fast as you can. If you think you can beat Joedun's impressive mount everything time of 58m 18s, he's offering a reward to wannabe speedsters between now and May 6. The fastest time will win you $100, while second place gets $5, and third earns $20. If you think you're the No.1 Zelda fan, you might as well give it a shot. Will you take on the challenge of mount%'s Breath of the Wild speedrun gauntlet?
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