Update: Watch the full showcase in the video down below!
This past week, Games Done Quick featured a beta showcase of Ocarina of Time titled “Triforce%,” and this amazing tribute to Zelda fans is nothing short of a technological marvel.
Triforce% uses an original copy of Ocarina of Time on an original Nintendo 64 with no previous alterations. Instead, it heavily relies upon a speed running technique called Arbitrary Code Execution, or ACE, to unlock the beta content. ACE is a process of using fast and precise controller inputs to alter the code of a game to achieve a goal. This is most notably used in speed runs of Ocarina of Time, where players use seemingly random controller inputs to change the code and trigger the credits in under ten minutes. In Triforce%, it is used to unlock the beta content.
At first, the content is pretty tame, showing cut store items such as a butterfly. Most of these things fans have been aware of for years, but it is really neat to see it running natively on an original copy. However, the presentation of Triforce% was just getting warmed up.
As the demonstration continued, it became clear that Triforce% was not exclusively beta content, but a complete ROM hack packed with fan creations. Using this hack, it is now possible to change between the Child and Adult eras on the fly, unlock a brand new story about the infamous Mail Man, and learn completely new ocarina songs.
But all of this pales in comparison to being able to enter the Unicorn Fountain and the Sacred Realm in order to obtain the Triforce. These locations and events have been rumored to be in the game as a large part of the mythos surrounding Ocarina of Time for almost as long as the game has been out. And after twenty years, these urban legends have now become “real.” It should be noted that this content is not a part of the game’s original code, but rather a fan ROM made by altering the base game with button inputs using a special tool to achieve results not possible by a human.
After obtaining the Triforce, the player is given three listed options: “become king,” “rupees,” and “see the future.” The final option is picked, which takes the game to a brand new cutscene featuring Link and Zelda from Breath of the Wild looking out over a horizon filled with chat messages from GDQ’s Twitch channel.
It is undoubtedly a crazy time to live in. A full ROM of Ocarina of Time is now created using ACE, and many fan dreams have come true. It was certainly odd how this happened with little fanfare or marketing beforehand, but it is without a doubt a welcome surprise.
Be sure to check out the full showcase down below to witness everything this amazing experience has to offer.
And for a much deeper dive into how exactly Triforce% works on a technological level, be sure to check out this video by Retro Game Mechanics Explained.
