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.

You can find more information and a complete list of the most commonly run categories on speedrun.com: ALttP and ALttP Category Extensions

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.

Restricted Major Glitch Categories

• Any% (RMG): Beating the game with OoB.
• Reverse Boss Order (RBO): Beating the game in reverse boss order. All glitches are allowed.
• Defeat Ganon: Uses EG to defeat Ganon quickly.
• All Dungeons (RMG): Beating all the dungeons while using OoB.
• All Bosses (No EG): Beating all the dungeons while using OoB, DG and WW.
• All Dungeons (Swordless): Beat all the dungeons in the game without ever collecting a sword. All glitches are allowed.
• 100% (All Heart Pieces): Collects all menu items and defeating all dungeons/bosses while using glitches.
• Any%: Beating the game the fastest way possible, uses EG to beat the game in about 2 minutes.
• Any% (No OoB): Allows for some forms of YBA, which skips some dungeons and Overworld content.
• 1 100% (RMG)

Rules and Definitions

Major Glitches

• EG (Exploration Glitch): Walking on the wrong layer through walls.
• DG (Door Glitch): Bypassing or corrupting a door transition on the underworld.
• WW (Wrong Warp) : Using a hole in a room to transfer the player to a room which is not intended to be accessed from the former.
• OoB (Out of Bounds): Passing through game designed boundaries and walls.

See this speedrun.com guide for a more in-depth definition of the glitches.

Other category restrictions

• S+Q (Save & Quit): In categories where it is not allowed, beneficial (Overworld) death warping is also banned.
• Swordless: Obtaining a sword at any point is banned.
• All Dungeons: You need to kill all bosses and collect their heart container, and also collect all pendants and crystals.
• All Bosses: This is the same as All Dungeons.
• All Heart Pieces: You need to collect each individual and unique heart piece in the game, as opposed to using a glitch to get 20 HP quickly.
• Reverse Boss Order: Beating all the bosses in reverse order, starting with Ganon and ending with Armos. You end the game by grabbing the Triforce after killing Armos.

Overall rules

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. Saving and quitting (S&Q) and intentionally dying to emulate a S&Q are banned, unless (S&Q) is stated in the category name.
5. Timing starts on file select and ends upon entering the Triforce room, unless otherwise stated in the individual category rules.