Mere days after its release, speedrunners have begun exploiting the Nintendo Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, discovering new tricks and sequence breaks that weren't possible in previous versions. The remake's addition of a dedicated jump button and other adjustments have opened up a playground for the speedrunning community, leading to discoveries ranging from super-powered leaps to bizarre visual glitches.
One prominent new technique, dubbed "actor jumping," allows players to achieve significantly higher jumps than normally possible. This glitch involves standing on a movable object, or "actor," such as a chest or tombstone, then using an aimable tool like the hookshot. By timing a jump precisely after aiming and locking on, Link can be propelled much higher, enabling players to skip large portions of levels. This trick is reportedly easy to perform and has not yet been patched by Nintendo.
Beyond high jumps, other exploits are also emerging. Players are finding that interacting with open chests in specific ways can launch Link like a trampoline. Reports also indicate that manipulating inventory items mid-air can cause Link to float, defying gravity and potentially allowing for endless airtime. One runner noted that this mid-air floating bug "shouldn’t exist lol" and predicts it will "break speedruns."
More complex sequence breaks are also being explored, with the potential to skip items, entire temples, or alter the game's intended progression. Some players are experiencing visual glitches where cutscenes from adult Link are triggered as child Link, and vice-versa, leading to distorted character models and what one report calls "neanderthal" appearances. One significant breakthrough allows players to access the Shadow Temple as child Link, which then automatically transforms him into adult Link, a potential major time-saver if further roadblocks can be overcome.
As is typical with beloved games, particularly those with a history of quirky physics and exploitable code, the speedrunning community is rapidly testing the limits of Ocarina of Time's remake. While the ultimate impact of these glitches on official speedrun times remains to be seen, the early discoveries suggest that the remake will provide ample opportunities for creative exploitation and surprising discoveries.