Categories

These are the categories commonly run for A Link to the Past. They are broken up into 2 major sections, categories that allow the use of Major Glitches and those that do not.

No Major Glitches Categories

Full Game

• Any% (NMG, No S+Q): The most commonly run category, the goal is to complete all of the intended content.
• 100% (NMG, No S+Q): Collects all menu items - only the max upgraded items and all heart containers are required.
• Low% (NMG, No S+Q): Complete all of the intended content with the minimum amount of items/upgrades.

Partial Game

• Master Sword (NMG): A short and very popular goal to race for beginners.
• Cane of Byrna (NMG, No S+Q): A goal in which you get the Cane of Byrna as soon as possible.
• Mirror Shield (NMG, No S+Q): A fun race category that involves item collection and low health.

Major Glitches Categories

• Reverse Boss Order (RBO): Beating all the bosses in reverse order, starting with Ganon and ending with Armos+Triforce. All glitches are allowed.
• Swordless All Dungeons: Beat all the dungeons in the game without ever collecting a sword. All glitches are allowed.
• All Dungeons (No EG): Beating all the dungeons while still using OoB.
• Defeat Ganon: Uses EG to defeat Ganon quickly.
• Any%: Beating the game the fastest way possible, uses EG to beat the game in about 2 minutes.
• Any% (No EG): Beating the game with the only restriction is not entering the EG layer.
• Any% (No OoB): Allows for some forms of YBA, which skips some dungeons and Overworld content.

Rules and Definitions

Major Glitches includes OoB, YBA and EG, which are all glitches that allow you to skip a large chunk of the game's content.

• S+Q (Save & Quit): In categories where it is not allowed, beneficial (Overworld) death warping is also banned.
• EG (Exploration Glitch): Walking on the wrong layer through walls.
• YBA (Yuzuhara's Bottle Adventure): Using a potion during a screen transition, which can have a number of different effects.
• OoB (Out of Bounds): Passing through game designed boundaries and walls.
• Semi-EG: A form of EG that includes wrong warps, door rewriting, YBA/Mirror/Somaria Block screen scrolling and pulling statues through doors.

Overall rules for No Major Glitches categories

1. ZSNES (all versions) and SNES9X (1.43 and below) are banned.
2. Only official Japanese, American and European versions are allowed.
3. Turbo, emulator specific functionality and techniques that simultaneously press Up+Down or Left+Right are all banned.
4. All major glitches are banned (EG, semi-EG, YBA and OoB).
5. Saving and quitting (S&Q) and intentionally dying to emulate a S&Q are banned, unless (S&Q) is stated in the category name.
6. Timing starts on file select and ends upon entering the Triforce room, unless otherwise stated in the individual category rules.

Specific rules for No Major Glitches categories

• 100%: 100% requires a full inventory with all maximum level items, 20 hearts and 1/2 magic. Intermediary upgrades and the bomb/arrow upgrades are not required.
• Low%: Low% requires skipping all items and upgrades which are not essential to beat the game.
• Master Sword: Timing starts on file select and ends upon collecting the Master Sword.
• Cane of Byrna: Timing starts on file select and ends upon collecting the Cane of Byrna.
• Mirror Shield: Timing starts on file select and ends upon collecting the Mirror Shield.

Overall rules for Major Glitches categories

1. ZSNES (all versions) and SNES9X (1.43 and below) are banned.
2. Only official Japanese, American and European versions are allowed.
3. Turbo, emulator specific functionality and techniques that simultaneously press Up+Down or Left+Right are all banned.
4. All major glitches are allowed (EG, semi-EG, YBA and OoB) unless otherise stated in the category name.
5. Saving and quitting (S&Q) and intentionally dying to emulate a S&Q are allowed.
6. Timing starts on file select and ends upon entering the Triforce room, unless otherwise stated in the individual category rules.

Specific rules for Major Glitches categories

• All Dungeons (No EG): All dungeons are required, including Agahnim's Tower and Ganon's Tower. Collecting all of the pendants and crystals, as well as rescuing Zelda in Hyrule Castle, are required.
• All Dungeons (Swordless): All dungeons are required, including Agahnim's Tower and Ganon's Tower. Collecting all of the pendants and crystals, as well as rescuing Zelda in Hyrule Castle, are required. Obtaining a sword is banned.
• RBO: Bosses must be beaten in reverse order, starting with Ganon and ending with Armos Knights. Collecting all of the pendants and crystals are required.