[TAS] NES The Legend of Zelda "Swordless Challenge" by Lord Tom in

This is a tool-assisted speedrun. For more information, see tasvideos.org/...
TAS originally published on 2016-12-24
Of all the challenging ways to play Legend of Zelda that people have attempted on a NES console, one of the most famous is the "swordless" challenge. In this challenge, the player must beat all of the game, up until the final boss Ganon, without using a sword. It is not possible to damage Ganon without a sword however, so many swordless runs reach Ganon's room to die there.
In order to actually complete the game, Lord Tom ( tasvideos.org/... ) does pick up a sword and kills Ganon. However, the sword is only obtained shortly before attempting the final level, and even then, the sword is not used until absolutely necessary. In the meantime, sit back and watch a run which relies heavily on luck manipulation and effective bomb usage to beat the game very quickly. For more details, see the author's comments ( tasvideos.org/... ).
This is a 34-second improvement over the previous ( tasvideos.org/... ) movie by Baxter ( tasvideos.org/... ).
View this movie played back on a real NES right here ( • [TAS Verified] NES The... ).
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The official encodes feature commentary by the author as soft subtitles.

[@lambda494]

Old Man: Let's play money making game. Link: Let's play RNG manipulation.

[@andre_601]

Old Man: Perhaps I should put the 50 rupies somewhere other than the middle? Nah. He sure won't pick that each time.

[@bjoern_eberhardt]

Thanks for the subtitles!!! They're excellent to understand what's going on here. Thank you!!!

[@tomfrost6049]

Thought this was a smart arse remark, but was pleasantly surprised when I turned them on and got actual explanations. Gg wp.

[@matthewstone2545]

I love how he tried to disguise the fact he had to use a sword for the Ganon fight by switching to the wand the next frame each time lol.

[@ohmwithanomega]

Quite impressive, but I'm really disappointed Swordless Link didn't TAS this first

[@LordTom77]

Swordless Link tried a test-run, but as soon as he acquired the Wooden Sword he vanished in a puff of logic...

[@DigiEggz]

Great TAS! I really hope that someday we find a way to defeat Ganon without a sword. Then it can be a true swordless run!

[@MikeOShay]

What? Impossible, that'd be like getting into the SM64 basement without the first key!

[@GigaBowserNS]

Can't tell if sarcasm :P

[@princegoatcheese9379]

Getting into the basement in SM64 is possible.

[@Ofreshco]

@@MikeOShay it's actually possible

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

@@MikeOShay guess this comment after four years didn't age well... Ope

[@asdfghyter]

I love how Link ends up with zero rupies, zero keys, and zero bombs at the end. Nothing unnecessary was picked up. Same with zero rupies after the last shop visit at 8:19.

[@ashmenser7959]

So happy to see a run that gets the magical rod. It has the same strength as the white sword and it’s so helpful in a casual run. Especially in those rooms that have a bunch of those red skull guys that take away your sword ability.

[@klutterkicker]

Many people find the swordless game difficult. Some, however, would just be slowed down by a sword.

[@miguelsilveira6623]

*Goes get the sword after clearing 8 dungeons - Hey dude, take the sword, its dangerous otherwise... lol

[@zekephoton599]

The CDI bombs guy must be so proud of Link.

[@gren4586]

Lamp oil. Rope. Bombs? You want it? It's yours, my friend, as long as you have enough rubees. By the way, his name is Morshu.

[@DatKooby]

This is just NES binding of isaac, without tears. Love it

[@Unit_00]

are you aware of the fact that tboi is literally, and I mean literally, inspired by zelda 1?

[@ToonLinkGaming]

lord tom, major props on the insane rng manipulation brother

[@joeschmoe2843]

It's dangerous to go alone, take this with you. Nah, you need it more than I do.

[@chriswinkler284]

Link...The new Bomberman :P

[@lance64206]

21:17 bro just said "pardon me"

[@woodfamily5229]

What is it called when someone beats this game without jumping screens and through blocks? I want to see a speed run like that. Thanks. -Clearly not a big gamer but lover of Zelda.

[@billyjoejimbob75]

Warpless, glitchless, no warp, no glitch(es). Here's one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqaWZnVvjNVrgrM

[@-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-]

i never knew the wand was so powerful; i used it so little in the game.

[@goldwolf0606]

It’s the same strength as a white sword. This dude has some kind of cheat code on

[@zazelby]

@@goldwolf0606 No cheats. The captions explain what he's doing (If you hit with the wand and the wand beam at the same time, it ignores the enemy's invulnerable frames and deals double damage)

[@cb7622]

24:10: Ganon: What is that? What are you doing? Link: Attacking you. Durr. Ganon: But you don't have the sword Link: Sword? Ganon: Ugh, you know, guy in the cave, dangerous to go alone, the. The sword, damnit! Link: Oh, that thing, yeah, I just left it there. It seemed unnecesary. Ganon: You what? How did you? What? You went through all nine of my dungeons? Link: Yeah Ganon: Killed hundreds of my minions. Link: Yeah ha Ganon: All without a weapon? Link: I have my smashing board Ganon: That's a shield Link: Nope, smashing board. Ganon: A smashing board? ugh, it's a shield, a shield, it's for defense. (bludgeoned with smashing board)

[@bubbykins4864]

Like shields? Want to eliminate the competition with one? Well, now you can! For as low as 28.88 USD, you can get a buckler! Crack the skulls of your enemies whilst blocking the strikes of those who try and use your tactics to get the one only you can have. So what are you waiting for? A war? BUY NOW WHILE SENPAI IS STILL IN STOCK!

[@cb7622]

@@bubbykins4864, mark it down to 26 and throw in the 2 year limited warranty and you got yourself a deal. As for shipping and handling, I'll pay for handling, but not the shipping. Just give me your word that you'll handle it.

[@fernandomaldonado4519]

No sword, no hearts, no money, no clocks, no boomerangs...... AMAIZING!!!!!

[@bbloodjh]

At 6:08, can someone explain why Link goes out the castle and enters again?

[@uknownada]

In only the first dungeon, if you leave through the entrance, the top door will unlock.

[@LordTom77]

Entering the 1st dungeon a second time like that unlocks the door we have to go through, which saves 1 key. It's not done in the any % TAS b/c there are faster ways to get the # of keys needed

[@bbloodjh]

uknownada That's interesting. Thanks!!

[@bbloodjh]

Lord Tom Thank you for explanation. Great TAS! I really love it.

[@renakunisaki]

Lord Tom why does that happen?

[@holden5507]

Finally an easy way to beat this game

[@StarTropicsKing]

I guess it wasn’t dangerous to go alone.

[@atrain910]

Please please please at @21:09 explain to me how he just randomly walks through the blocked area into the staircase? Glitch move or what I'm on the original NES

[@jongyon7192p]

Sub 25 hype!!!

[@prosto_a_user]

That's not Link, that's Tavish Degroot with Chargin Targe and Loose Cannon, without Cannon and some Halloween spells i guess

[@daisybuckmartinez3821]

You got a sword

[@MrMoonMath]

How does someone even figure this out? Crazy lol

[@derekwaller8237]

We can. We will

[@retrogameroom9019]

Why sword if no sword

[@MichaelFazio]

It's like Link becomes Neo.

[@broznar1019]

bomber man

[@markrich7693]

The rules dose employ as using a sword when I play the game for myself

[@stefan5035]

Swordless until Ganon

[@glarynth]

What do you know, it *was* dangerous to go alone.

[@arfansthename]

I'm making the same TAS, same inputs, the difference being the TAS made on an FDS rom (V1.0).

[@darkotter109]

So, how does link glitch from one side of the screen to the other? Also, is it possible for a human to do it?

[@scribblenaut19]

Matt j basically you have to be extremely close but not too close to the edge of the screen, turn around in one frame, then go across the screen. This is actually very precise, so it's usually only used in TAS runs, but it's possible for a non TAS to do it, just hard.

[@LordTom77]

The best human players are good enough at it that they use it routinely in their runs. To wrap around the left side of the screen: face, left, and walk over to be 5 pixels from the left side of the screen. Press up or down briefly; if you're at the correct spot, you'll turn around to face RIGHT. Now just press and hold left and you'll walk over to the other side of the screen. Same technique works left/right/top/bottom; just press perpendicular to how you're facing.

[@AlcyonEldara]

Sure, check the swordless run at SGDQ 2015.

[@hax4dayz1]

hey link ur low on health! BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

[@TheMISTIK2000]

Who needs a sword anyway ? Sword is for casuals.

[@truepixelgamer8779]

+themistik Everyone, to beat Ganon.

[@chaoskiller6084]

@@truepixelgamer8779 Just skip to the end with a credits warp

[@Chris-tk9hy]

You forgot to take the sword...

[@azsquare]

Super Bomberman

[@braddockakalatis2]

Can anyone explain to me what TAS means.? thanks.

[@adamb89]

Tool Assisted Speedrun. It's where they play the game using an emulator that has features which allow you to do things a normal human couldn't do, such as pixel-perfect lineups with 100% accuracy, save-state reloading if you make a mistake, seeing how memory values change so you can manipulate the random number generator, etc. It's technically not the same as cheating, because it doesn't let you do anything the game normally wouldn't let you do.

[@mokey4218]

Why is he not grabbing hearts

[@airtioteclint]

Because if he waste even one second grabbing a heart somebody else will beat his time by not grabbing it. Duh

[@xxEzraBxxx]

Its just a waste of time and not needed

[@matthewstone2545]

And also because "he" is a frickin' robot for crying out loud, it could sweep through the whole game and not get hurt while still going really fast.

[@xxEzraBxxx]

@@matthewstone2545 TAS isnt a robot. the only TAS robot is TASBot, which just plays input files (like this) on a real console.

[@zokizoki9042]

HOLY SHIT

[@foxsky4336]

Legend of Zelda 1 Legend of Zelda 1 Legend of Zelda 1

[@Dekaide44]

I like how he avoids the heart containers at the end of the dungeon

[@goldwolf0606]

How’s this dude just walking through blocks and statues? And through mountains? And the bombs don’t even need to touch the walls to break the doors? And how is every middle choice 50 rubies when gambling?

[@jamescox2894]

The fact that no one replies to you....means...you're the only one who doesn't know how. In short..glitch, glitch, glitch, and rng manip.

[@JSYMUSIC]

I'm ashamed this took me 3 days..

[@meldreynolds]

Not super impressed. We used to beat this without a sword, just to get an interview for Nintendo of Americas help line job. In other words, ad nauseam.

[@somerandomidiot1864]

*Beeps intensify*

[@asdfghyter]

20:00 !!!

[@mariaalmeida7105]

Who took the sword back?

[@l-i-a-m9232]

''Swordless challenge'' well, its not really a challenge. TAS can do this eyes closed one - handed. If it was human, anyway...

[@Enniix81]

sonicpro1991 You don't know what TAS mean

[@l-i-a-m9232]

I actually do know what TAS means, thank you. It means Tool-Assisted Speedrun. Thats why I put ''If it was HUMAN, anyway''. So please, shut up. It was a joke. Jeez, can't people get a joke anymore?

[@gren4586]

lmao gottem

[@AxelGame]

Because only noobs take swords.

[@njtbfl03]

Totally cheating by not waking correctly

[@victoraparicio205]

Fake!!!!

[@chaoskiller6084]

It's not. You see this is called a TAS (Tool Assisted Speedrun). Basically, somebody goes into an emulator and tells it what to press at every frame (1/60 of a second) to pull of inhuman inputs. This is why you can see it teleport on screens in the overworld and other tricks. Now for manipulation; many older games track inputs from the moment you start to set values for random things to happen (like enemy movement), item drops aren't random, every enemy is set in a certain group and depending on the order of killing enemies, you get drops or nothing.

[@Dylan_thebrand_slayer_Mulveiny]

Click bait. Doesn't count, you can clearly see he uses the sword against Ganon. Why lie? Yes I'm aware beating Ganon without the sword isn't possible...thus a sword-less challenge isn't possible. This category literally and thus this video clearly cannot exist, because it's absolutely not possible. Thus there's no point in posting this video or claiming it's a sword-less challenge, because it's clearly not.

[@xxEzraBxxx]

Well TASVideos.org requires you beat the game, so he didn’t pickup the sword till absolutely necessary.