Streaming Star Dedicates Thirty-Seven Straight Attempting to Conquer <em>Tears of the Kingdom</em> Using a Single Stick

You might assume that after two years since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrived, fans would have run out of novel challenge runs that impose unique rules on a gameplay session. However, while many gamers have attempted to finish Tears of the Kingdom using only a stick, streamer PointCrow stands out as the individual who endeavored to beat the game with a one branch—meaning, the exact same one from start to finish.

PointCrow is famous for such difficult playthroughs, such as the instance he played the game solely with bombs or the effort where he aimed to defeat the story with zero energy. A one-branch playthrough, though, seems impossible at first glance. There's the opening sequence, which requires the hero to wield the legendary blade. Then, there's the whole durability mechanic, which is especially important when dealing with the most fragile weapon in the entire world. Yet if the branch shatters, that's it. It's over.

So, How?

So, how? The simple explanation is exploits. The complete story, I kid you not, is alternate dimensions. Apparently, you can tweak Tears of the Kingdom's save file system to have separate playthroughs that impact one another. So PointCrow does a “preparation” save where he progresses normally, and the actual file, where he's restricted. The preparatory save has him completing the intro and first tutorial island, and this character acquires maximum endurance and hearts. From here, he starts a cinematic and halts midway through to instruct the game to load an automatic save from the branch-only file. The game gets confused and creates a new save file that merges the conditions of the original two.

That creates new problems, however. The fused file has a Link that did not obtain the ability to access shrines. Luckily, this is an issue that the save glitch fixes easily, but executing it means depending on an unstable version of the title that refuses to open certain areas. Like other obstacles, he has a technical workaround for it: He starts the game on its early version 1.0, and then patches the software midway through to ensure it starts functioning correctly.

Bypassing Durability and Other Challenges

Interestingly, the introductory version of the hero is coded so that he is unable to damage any tools he uses, presumably to prevent a scenario where the player gets trapped at the start of the game. But that's also how PointCrow bypasses the wear issue, as the Link he pulls between dimensions is the version from the start of the story. It's a smart technique, but not a method that eliminates all possible friction. The branch is still a weak weapon that renders encounters onerous. But at that point, it's all a question of grit and dedication. It also aids that there's a copying exploit that grants him an plentiful supply of items to improve his strength, or accumulate on healing spirits. He also employs a glitch that allows him to clip through the world. A few would consider these methods grounds to question the validity of the attempt, but to my view, he's a resourceful player who is ready to do anything necessary to engage his audience. He also implements a safeguard of kinds stating that, for each fairy he employs, he'll remove a viewer from his live stream, establishing an incentive to avoid overly rely on them.

Major Battles and the Last Encounter

PointCrow manages to get through many of the game's main enemies, but the fights appear painful. The YouTube version of his quest spares the audience sit through the whole fights, which is a blessing when some of them take several long hours. A particular boss fight, a powerful foe, takes an astonishing 23 straight. The Ganondorf showdown, which erases Link's hearts as it progresses, is a memorable tense moment. The unbreakable branch is still just a piece of wood. He is unable to always duplicate items midway the fight.

So, is it possible? Technically, he does overcome the dragon version of Ganon. But the game compels the user to wield the Master Sword as the last strike, so strictly speaking, it's not quite fully a stick-only playthrough. But where's the challenge in that?

When everything is said and done, PointCrow banned more than 1,000 users in his live stream. Rest in peace.