The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time: Mask & Skulltula run

In 2005, videogaming scorekeeping authority Twin Galaxies offered a selection of cash bounties for various videogaming feats. One of these, #90, was for OoT on the N64. I quote:

Bounty (90) - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Bounty Prize: $100.00) for Nintendo 64-bit (N64)

  • Challenge Rating - 4 (out of 5)
  • Challenge - fastest completion of game while accomplishing BOTH of the following tasks...
    1. obtain all 100 "Skulltulas", and
    2. complete the "Mask" quest.
  • Rules and Settings - player must start game from a new file; completion of other non-essential quests and tasks, as well as finding non-essential items, is not required.
  • Special Rules - player is not allowed to use "Fayore's Wind" to skip the boat sequence in the "Shadow Temple."
  • RULE CLARIFICATION - all 100 different skulltulas MUST be found; using the trick to whack the same one multiple times is BANNED.
  • Bounty Prize - $100.00 Bounty
  • Payable Date - January 31st, 2006

TG scorekeeper Robert Mruczek had offered this bounty mainly because he had never managed to obtain either all the Skulltulas or the Mask of Truth himself while playing the game.

I found this pretty tempting. Ignoring for the moment the fact that the console's name is "Nintendo 64" not "Nintendo 64-bit" (hah!) and that "Farore's Wind" is misspelled, this seemed pretty tempting to me. Given also that current Ocarina of Time record holder Mike Damiani had stated he wasn't going to participate and my conviction that route efficiency would be more important than raw skill in this challenge, early in the year I decided to go for it.

My route

I spent a horrifying amount of time preparing my route. I decided to take the optimal world record route and drop as many Skulltulas onto it as possible, then add in a minimal number of diversions to account for the mask trading sequence and the remaining Skulltulas. Here is the route I ultimately came up with. Between instructions, it can be assumed that I follow the standard Zelda speed run route described in my guide.

Some additional items are needed to collect all the Skulltulas and I get the Sun's Song as this proves helpful too. There is almost certainly a faster, more efficient route than this, and there are definitely easier ones (as I still don't get the Lens of Truth)! This is merely the route I personally used.

This can also serve as a list of Skulltulas and a guide for completing the Mask of Truth subquest, depending on how you use it.

  1. Complete everything as normal until you reach the top floor of the Deku Tree. Here, take a quick diversion to the Compass room. Activate the rising platforms and hop over to the alcove on the left to collect a Gold Skulltula and light a torch to return to the main room.

    When you fall down to the lowest floor there are two Skulltulas on the wall. Ignore these for now - you'll be returned with the Boomerang later and you can collect them faster then.

  2. Beat Gohma and leave Kokiri Forest. As you enter Hyrule drawbridge, stop and enter the guardhouse on your right. Roll into the crate to the guard's right to collect another Skulltula. Carry on into town but ignore the Happy Mask Shop as it isn't open yet.

  3. Before talking to Malon outside the Castle gate, roll into the lone tree to her right to knock a Skulltula out of its branches.

  4. Endure the immense Zelda cutscene and head to Kakariko Village. Stop off at the Graveyard and play Zelda's Lullaby at the royal grave to get the Sun's Song. The Sun's Song is absolutely critical for this run because many of the Skulltulas will only come out when it is dark, and you don't have time to wait around for night to fall every single time - especially in the areas like Zora's Fountain where time doesn't actually pass at all!

    Collecting the Sun's Song involves playing it once. As it was daytime when you arrived the Graveyard will be dark on the way back. This means you can collect and equip the Hylian shield on the way back to Kakariko Village if you so wish (I did, as I'm not particularly l33t). It also means a variety of Skulltulas will have come out to play in Kakariko Village. Collect the first one from the construction site.

  5. Head towards the Death Mountain gate. On the ladder of the big lookout tower you pass, turn back and Slingshot another Skulltula, then climb up to retrieve it.

  6. Get another token from the Skulltula on the side of the house on the left as you head for the gate.

    Talk to the guard, who will drone on about shields even if you already have one. This conversation also incidentally causes the Happy Mask Shop to open for business.

    Trek all the way to Goron City and then to the Sacred Forest Meadow for Saria's Song. After learning Saria's Song, play the Sun's Song to instantly return to the Sacred Forest Meadow entrance, saving a little time. Bomb your way into Dodongo's Cavern...

  7. In the first room with Baby Dodongos, blow up the weak wall on the right with a dead Baby Dodongo. Go in the room behind it for another Skulltula but beware the bats.

  8. There are two Skulltulas at the top of the room with the giant staircase but only one of them can currently be reached - the one on the vines.

  9. After entering Giant Dodongo's skull, you'll soon come to a room full of walls. On the far side is a weak wall - bomb it and enter the door behind it. There's a stone statue thing (Armos?) guarding the Skulltula which will also need bombing to move it out of the way, although it's not necessary to defeat it.

  10. After Dodongo's Cavern you'll climb Death Mountain. At the top, go right and into the Crater briefly. Roll into the nearby crate to retrieve another Skulltula before you die. Exit back to the Mountain and visit the Great Fairy before descending using the owl shortcut. It should be dark when you come down the mountain.

  11. On your way to the Hyrule Field exit, on the window of the House Of Skulltula is another Skulltula.

  12. Roll into the tree near the middle of the village too to collect another Skulltula.

  13. Roll into the tree very near the bottom of Zora's River too.

    You will need two Magic Beans to collect later Skulltulas, so pay HYR30 to buy these from the Magic Bean Salesman. Don't plant either of them yet, though, as you're not at the right place yet.

  14. At the top of Zora's River near the waterfall is a ladder which has a Skulltula on it only at night.

    Complete the Diving Game, get the Silver Scale and dive to Lake Hylia. Collect Ruto's letter-in-a-bottle and also use this opportunity to play a simple Scarecrow's Song to the front Scarecrow in Lake Hylia. You will need the Scarecrow's Song to collect several later Skulltulas. I recommend the song left-right-left-right-left-right-left-right as being easy to remember and fast to play.

  15. The next Skulltula is not until you're inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly. With Ruto you'll reach a room with a water trench and a switch to raise the water. The spider is on the nearby vines - Slingshot it. Unfortunately you need the water raised to reach the vines to climb up, which means you need to be QUICK to collect the Skulltulaand escape in the same water cycle, although this can definitely be done.

  16. After dropping through the hole where the green tentacle used to be, there is a Skulltula on the wall. Use the Slingshot to kill it and the Boomerang to retrieve Skulltulas like these from now on.

  17. There is another Skulltula in almost exactly the same place as the previous one.

  18. The last Skulltula inside Jabu-Jabu is in the last room before the boss. After the Boomerang switch, the vines you climb down have a Skulltula on it. I recommend backflipping off the top and collecting the Skulltula once you reach the bottom over trying to hit it from above.

  19. After Barinade you'll need to collect Farore's Wind from the back of the lake. Roll into the tree on that piece of land there to collect a Skulltula on your way in.

  20. Collect Farore's Wind and exit. Once you return to Zora' Fountain, if it's daytime, play the Sun's Song to turn day to night. Then, on your way back to the Zora's Domain, exit, climb the log sticking out of the water and look on the wall for another Skulltula.

    Take the stairs on the way back through Zora's Domain and collect a Deku Stick from the last pot on the left.

  21. Stop off at Lon Lon Ranch on your way back to Hyrule Castle. Play the Cucco game and get an additional Bottle. You'll use this to carry Blue Fire and/or Bugs later on - it's not strictly necessary, but it doesn't take much time to get and you need to be here at Lon Lon Ranch anyway. Set day to night on the way out of the ranch house. There are four Skulltulas here and most of them only come out at night.

    The first is on one of the ranch house's windows - look up and left on your way out from the Cucco game.

  22. The second can be found by rolling into the lone tree near the back of the ranch house.

  23. The third is on the back of the feeding shelter towards the back of the corral in the middle. Run around the corral to the left to get this one.

  24. Look out for birds on your way to the fourth one which is high on the rock wall to the right of the silo which is at the far end of the ranch. Use Sun Song to return to the ranch house very quickly, then head to Hyrule Castle and - over the course of another immense cutscene - become adult Link.

  25. Your route as adult Link will be TT GY FI FO IC WA RS NS PL SC SH SA, as per a standard speed run. Collect the Hookshot from the Graveyard at Kakariko Village and collect the Song Of Storms on the way out from the windmill - you will need this for several later Skulltulas.

    Blow up the funny-looking wall at the bottom of Death Mountain Trail for a Skulltula on the way up towards Goron City.

  26. Once you get to Goron City, stand on one of the ropes and Hookshot the Skulltula hiding behind where the Goron Ruby is supposed to go.

    Get the Goron Tunic and enter the Fire Temple.

  27. In the fiery room with the rope bridge, after collecting the Small Key from the room on the left, play the Song Of Time to move the blue block above it. Climb up to enter a room with spinning tiles and a Skulltula, then proceed as normal.

  28. When you get to the room with many rolling rocks, the usual plan is to head right, get a Small Key, then cross all the way to the other end of the room for another Small Key, then leave by the door into the central column. Take a break shortly before the second Small Key to blow up the weak wall to the far north of the room and collect another Skulltula.

    There are two further Skulltulas to be accessed by ascending from this room, but as you do not yet have the Scarecrow's Song activated, you can't get to them yet. You will return later. Just proceed as normal until...

  29. Just before the second Flare Dancer you'll pass through a second room with spinning tiles. Collect the Skulltula on your way through.

  30. After the Fire Temple head for the Forest Temple. Once you get to the Sacred Forest Meadow, set day to night if it's not night already. After you pass the maze section, turn around and climb the ladder. Face left and use the Hookshot to retrieve a night-only Skulltula from the wall.

  31. In the very entrance of the Forest Temple, look on the right of the first vine wall you climb for a Skulltula.

  32. After crossing the room with the torches and lift, look up high and right when you get the door for another Skulltula.

  33. In the northeast courtyard (that's AFTER hitting the red switch and BEFORE entering the drained well) is a raised island separated from the "mainland" by a kind of moat. There's a Skulltula on the wall at the back of this island but it is out of Hookshot range and apparently can only be reached via a door from the far side. However, there is a chest on this island. Kill the nearby enemies, stand on the highest point of the mainland and very carefully Hookshot the farthest point of the chest you can manage (Hookshooting the near side will result in you falling in the water). With skill and practice you can use this to end up standing in front of the chest. Ignore the chest, but collect the Skulltula before proceeding down the well.

  34. Sometime later you will return to the northwest courtyard entering from the second floor. Ordinarily you head right along the balcony and kill a Deku Baba - take a moment to jump forwards along the narrow columns and reach a Skulltula here.

  35. In the final room before the boss is the rotating wall puzzle. It's pretty simple to alter the standard speed method here to pick up the Skulltula from one of the alcoves en route: Rotate one click anticlockwise, visit the alcove thus opened, repeat a second time, repeat a third time, repeat a fourth time then head for the boss room. Job done.

  36. You'll arrive outside the Great Deku Tree. Set day to night if necessary, then head back through Kokiri Forest. Use the Hookshot to collect a Skulltula from the back of the House Of Twins on your way to the Ice Cavern.

  37. Use two bottles to collect Blue Fire from the first flame source you reach. When you return to the spinning ice blade room, go left first instead of right to visit the room with the Heart Piece and Compass. There is a Skulltula in a niche in the wall - use the Hookshot to collect it. Grab another bottle of Blue Fire and return to the spinning blade room.

  38. There's another Skulltula in the spinning blade room itself, behind a bunch of icicles.

  39. An additional Skulltula is on the wall in the room with the ice block pushing puzzle. Since you have two sets of Blue Fire your route here to collect all the silver rupees and exit is extremely simple. First, jump off the pushable block to collect the rupee directly ahead. Push it right, backflip onto the tiny pillar and jump out for another rupee frozen inside red ice. Lastly push the block all the way around the rest of the room to be underneath the exit, collecting all the remaining silver rupees and one last Blue Fire on the way.

  40. Your route through the Water Temple is different because of the Skulltulas to be collected en route. When you enter the Temple, set Farore's Wind at the top, drop to 1F East, speak to Ruto, rise, play Zelda's Lullaby to lower the water to 1F, shoot the torches to enter the room with three clams and get the first Small Key.

    Next head to 1F south and bomb the floor to reach a room you ordinarily don't visit on a speed run. Hit the switch to raise the water level and spin-attack the next switch to open a gate to a Skulltula. Now warp back to the entrance.

  41. Jump down to the 2F balcony and shoot fire into the torch to enter the central column. Set a warp point here. Play Zelda's Lullaby to raise the water level to 2F, then drop down into the water underneath to defeat some enemies and collect a second Small Key.

    If you have enough magic for TWO further casts of Farore's Wind left, warp back to your warp point and set it again; otherwise just swim and float back to it. Leave the central column. Perform a Hookshot Ascent to the 3F balcony and then a High Grab to reach the third Triforce point. Raise the water level to 3F and warp to your warp point, which is in the central column and now underwater. Float up and Hookshot the Skulltula here.

  42. Use your Iron Boots to sink down and return to the main room. Set a warp point in the first corridor leading towards Dark Link, with the Hookshot steps. There's a Skulltula on the right wall here which you can't reach yet. Keep going past all the puzzles, collect magic from the pots just before you beat Dark Link, get the Longshot, and descend into the snake river. On the left wall in the river is a Skulltula - best way to hit it is to stand on the floor of the river with your Iron Boots and Longshoot it.

  43. Get the Small Key from the end of the snake river and collect one more from the room adjacent to the whirlpool room you arrive back in. Now warp back to your warp point in the room with the Hookshot steps. Now you CAN reach that Skulltula on the wall, so kill it. Now re-enter the main room and set your warp point again.

  44. Drop down to 1F north and go through all the rigmarole of collecting the Boss Key. There's a Skulltula on the wall just before you reach the Boss Key room. Warp back to your warp point on the top floor, beat Morpha, endure the cutscene...

  45. Change day to night and Longshoot your way into the branches of the dead tree near the Lake Hylia warp point for another Skulltula.

    Swim out and activate the Scarecrow's Song. Then visit the Lakeside Laboratory.

  46. Roll into the crate at the very bottom of the diving chamber in the Lakeside Laboratory for a Skulltula. Use the Longshot to kill it.

  47. Run all the way to Gerudo Valley. After crossing the bridge, there is a night-time-only Skulltula on the wall behind the tents on the right.

  48. There is another night-only Skulltula behind the stone pillar on the left.

  49. Rescue the first three carpenters as normal. After the third, set day to night if necessary and look on the nearest wall at the back of the fortress for another Skulltula.

  50. After the fourth carpenter is rescued it should still be night time. Run all the way out to the furthest target on the horseback archery range and shoot the Skulltula on the front of it. Play the Sun's Song to turn night to day and quickly return to the fotress.

  51. Head into the Haunted Wasteland. Follow the flags and collect the Skulltula from inside the stone structure in the middle of the wasteland. Proceed through to the Desert Colossus - you have no Lens of Truth so this bit may take practice.

  52. At the Desert Colossus, stand in the oasis to the left to avoid being run over by Leevers and turn day to night to make a Skulltula appear in the tree. Learn the Requiem of Spirit.

  53. This is where the route seriously begins to diverge from the regular speed run route. After getting the Requiem of Spirit, warp to Death Mountain Crater. Hammer some rocks to leave via the top exit instead of through Goron City - I collect a magic upgrade from the Great Fairy on the way, but you don't have to if you're confident.

    On the way down Death Mountain Trail where the rocks rain down, take the Megaton Hammer to the red rock sitting flush with the wall on the left. Turn day to night if necessary and a Skulltula will appear.

  54. Near where there was a Bomb Flower which you used as young Link, there is now a red rock. Hammer this too for another Skulltula.

  55. Jump down and enter Dodongo's Cavern for some uncollected Skulltulas. Set Farore's Wind at the entrance and go into the first room - the one with the exploding baby Dodongos, remember? Play the Scarecrow Song and Longshoot Pierre to reach a previously inaccessible Skulltula.

  56. Return to the main room and this time head for the room with the giant stairs. Activate them as usual and then make your way around to a position where you can Longshoot the Skulltula hidden in the dark opening to the back of the top of the room. It's a long shot but it can be done. Warp back to the entrance and leave Dodongo's Cavern.

  57. If it's not night when you reach Kakariko Village, make it so. Longshoot to the top of Impa's house and collect a Skulltula from the back wall.

  58. Exit and enter Kakariko Village through the Hyrule Field gate to trigger the Nocturne of Shadow cutscene. Leave for Hyrule Field again. Head right in the Field to find a lonely tree between Kakariko and Hyrule Castle. Bomb the tree to open a grotto and find a Gold Skulltula guarded by one of its big brothers (which you can probably ignore and shoot past).

  59. Return to the Temple of Time and become young Link again. Buy the Keaton Mask at the Happy Mask Shop en route to Hyrule Castle. Sneak in and get Din's Fire, then keep going in until you reach the lone tree at the corner where the moat turns ninety degrees. Play the Song of Storms to open this up and bomb the LEFT wall to get a Skulltula. Also open the FRONT wall and Bottle yourself some Bugs. You'll need these to flush out some Skulltulas.

  60. Warp to the Graveyard, turn day to night if necessary, and look on the left wall for a Skulltula. Carry on into Kakariko Village and present the Keaton Mask to the guard.

  61. Head up Death Mountain Trail, again. Drop bugs at the dirt patch at the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern - three bugs will drop out. Immediately Bottle one of them to replenish your Bug supply (this is the infinite Bug trick!) while the other two burrow into the dirt patch and cause a Skulltula to pop out. The best way to beat them is to charge a spin attack after dropping the Bugs and release it when the dirt patch "burps" slightly.

  62. Continue up the trail to Goron City and head left on the top floor to find a passage leading to a room full of rocks. Bomb the right rock to begin with, then proceed in an S of sorts (you should use about five bombs altogether). Roll-attack the crate you reach at the end for another Skulltula.

  63. Warp to Death Mountain Crater and drop Bottle Bugs into the dirt patch near the warp point for another Skulltula.

  64. Warp to the Temple of Time and go to the Happy Mask Shop (it's only open during the day). Get the Skull Mask and warp to the Sacred Forest Meadow. Make your way back to the Lost Woods and go left-right-right to reach a secret area with a dirt patch. Use Bottle Bugs to flush out a Skulltula and also plant one of your two Magic Beans here.

  65. Go right-right-left-right-straight-right to reach the place where Skull Kid is playing his flute. Stand on the small pedestal and play him Saria's Song - he'll give you a Heart Piece. Then put the Skull Mask on and talk to him again to give him the mask.

    Leave this area through the door you didn't enter by to reach another dirt patch. Drop some Bottle Bugs for a Skulltula. If it is daylight, play the Sun's Song to turn it to night.

  66. Return to Kokiri Forest. Head to the back of the Know-It-All Brothers' house and use a jumping attack to get high enough to grab the Skulltula here instead of wasting time with your Boomerang.

  67. Go to the dirt patch near the Kokiri shop and use Bottle Bugs for another Skulltula. Don't forget to pick those bugs up again!

  68. Re-enter the Deku Tree and drop down the central hole. Slingshot then Boomerang the Skulltula on the grating.

  69. Slingshot then Boomerang the Skulltula on the vines too. Jump across to the block and run around this hole to take the crawlspace to the next room.

  70. Burn the webs and bomb the weak wall in the room with the Gohma larvae. Use the Boomerang to collect the Skulltula on the wall behind you in the next room - ignore the big Skulltula.

  71. Warp to the Temple of Time again. Go to the Happy Mask Shop and get the Spooky Mask. Warp to the Graveyard and give the Spooky Mask to the kid who patrols there.

    Use Bottle Bugs on the dirt patch in the Graveyard for another Skulltula.

  72. Go into the windmill in Kakariko Village and play the Song of Storms to drain the well. Enter the Bottom Of The Well. No, you're still not getting the Lens of Truth, although it may help to play through this bit once WITH it just so you know where you're going and what holes need avoiding. Go left once you get to the main room and butt against the right-hand wall until you find the hidden alcove with the Small Key in it.

    Leave the alcove and keep following the corridor as it turns right. On your left you'll see another route which leads to a flooded area with a grille. Dive under the grille to the far side. In the next room are several coffins and mummies. Light the torch to open the far coffin on the left to collect a Small Key - beware bats as you exit back to the main room. Find the invisible hole in the wall you're now facing to reach the "inner sanctum" area of the main room.

    There are two locked rooms in this central area. To your left is the first one. Ignore all the enemies inside it - just use the Slingshot and Boomerang to collect the Skulltula.

  73. Return to the inner sanctum and go in the OTHER locked room. Kill ALL the bats and follow the invisible path of safety which runs around the OUTSIDE of the pit to grab the Skulltula with the Boomerang.

    After leaving this room, go left to leave the inner sanctum, turn right in the corridor, and find another hidden alcove with a Small Key in it.

  74. Go left after leaving the alcove and head to the far right corner of the main room, avoiding the invisible hole under the skull sign. You'll end up in a room with various enemies and a maze of invisible holes. The main plan is to stick to the extreme left until you approximately line up with the Beamos, then turn right and run until you're past it, then run for the door - but you really SHOULD practice before attempting it. At the very least, cast Farore's Wind here before stepping out into the unknown - if you fall into oblivion, just warp back to this point and try again.

    You'll reach a room with a Like Like - kill it before collecting the Skulltula on the wall. That's the Bottom of the Well clear.

  75. Warp to the Temple of Time and collect the Bunny Hood at the Happy Mask Shop. Leave Hyrule Castle and run across Hyrule Field to the right of Lon Lon Ranch to find the Running Man. There's no need to roll-attack while running - you can easily catch him up just running at normal speed and you'll have to run alongside him for a while before he decides to sit down and rest anyway. Give him the Bunny Hood, then carry on towards Gerudo Valley.

    There's a circle of rocks near the entrance to Gerudo Valley (you have to double back to reach it, you'll see what I mean) - bomb this open and use Din's Fire to burn the webs on the right, revealing a Skulltula.

  76. Continue into Gerudo Valley. Change day to night and use the Boomerang to retrieve the Skulltula on the right wall as you walk up the plank towards the bridge.

  77. Pick up the handy nearby Cucco and use it to float down to the dirt patch at the bottom on the far side of the chasm. Use Bottle Bugs to flush out another Skulltula.

  78. Jump into the river and float down to Lake Hylia. Swim around to the Lakeside Laboratory, climb out of the water and get another Skulltula from the dirt patch here.

  79. Stand on the bridge facing the back of the Lakeside Laboratory and change day to night to collect another Skulltula from here.

  80. If you hurry you can run/swim out to reach the Skulltula on one of the posts on the square island while it's still night time.

  81. Warp to the Temple of Time and get the Mask of Truth from the Happy Mask Shop.

    Warp to the Desert Colossus and get one last Skulltula from the dirt patch near the entrance to the Spirit Temple. Don't bother collecting the Bugs afterwards this time around. Plant your second Magic Bean here.

  82. In the young Link section of the Spirit Temple, you'll reach a room with a pit, a fence, and a bridge you have to activate - there's a Skulltula on the NEAR side of the fence.

  83. After climbing the wall to 2F turn around to collect another Skulltula from the opposite wall.

  84. On your way up the final set of stairs leading to the Iron Knuckle, turn around and kill a Skulltula on the wall above the door. You won't be coming back this way - collect the Silver Gauntlets, warp to the Temple of Time and return to being adult Link...

  85. Warp to Death Mountain Crater. Enter the Fire Temple and ascend all the way back to the top level of the room with the rolling rocks. Play the Scarecrow's Song near the door at this level to summon Pierre. Longshoot him to reach another platform which will take you up to a previously inaccessible 5F room. There's a Skulltula on the ladder leading up still further from this room.

  86. You'll reach another enormous round room like the one with the Megaton Hammer in. Look on the inner wall near the entrance to find the Fire Temple's last Skulltula.

  87. Warp to the Sacred Forest Meadow, turn day to night if necessary and run back to the secret glade in the Lost Woods. Take the flower you planted in the past up to collect a hidden Skulltula.

  88. Continue to Zora's River. Just after the rope bridge, very high on the right wall as you descend the river, there's a night-only Skulltula. You don't stand a chance of collecting this Skulltula along with the next one in the same night, unfortunately.

  89. Descend Zora's River until you reach the very narrow fast section with the small ledge and ladder on the right. Climb the ladder up to the top of this tall platform. High on the right of the rock wall near here is another night-only Skulltula.

  90. Ascend the river again and enter Zora's Domain. Go to where the Diving Game used to begin, and look on the lower left wall to find another Skulltula.

  91. Make your way all the way to back of Zora's Fountain again. Use the Silver Gauntlets to pick up the otherwise immobile grey rock lying here, set a Bomb to blow open the small hole and drop down. Make your way up this secret passage to find the most inconvenient Skulltula in the game. Beware, the passage is occupied by big invisible Skulltulas!

  92. Back on the regular route now. Warp to the Graveyard and enter the Shadow Temple. Complete the Temple as normal until you reach the enormous dark room with the procession of guillotines. When you get to the end with Stalfos, go left (instead of right) across two invisible platforms to a usually-ignored room with a set of invisible spinning blades. You have to kill everything in the room to get the grate leading to the Skulltula to open.

  93. When you get to the "stone umbrella" room, there's a Skulltula in the alcove on the left. The Hookshot is needed to collect it as it's slightly too high to reach.

  94. When you blow up the huge flaming skull, collect a Skulltula from behind it at the same time as the Small Key inside it.

  95. Stand at the front of the enormous boat and look up and left to see a Skulltula near a Scarecrow point. Longshoot the spider - the Scarecrow is unnecessary unless you want those rupees too.

  96. In the room with the invisible walls there's a door which you never usually take on a speed run - directly opposite the entrance. Visit this between collecting the last Small Key and the Boss Key and get a Skulltula from behind the three flaming skulls which are in this room.

  97. After finishing the Shadow Temple, warp to the Desert Colossus and ride the Magic Bean plant which has now grown here. Jump off at the second rock you pass and change day to night to call out a Skulltula.

  98. In the Spirit Temple you'll reach a room with perpetually rolling rocks. Collect all the silver rupees, then play the Song of Time to move the blue block and get a Skulltula from behind it.

  99. The last Spirit Temple Skulltula is best collected after you get the Small Key from the enormous sand goddess statue's right hand. Climb to the top of the staircase which young Link usually uses and play the Scarecrow's Song to summon Pierre, then Longshoot him to reach the Skulltula.

  100. The very last Skulltula is just outside Ganon's Castle, on the far side of the ruined outer gate. Use the Longshot to retrieve it. After this it's all business as usual.

How my run went

Having begun planning very early in 2005, taken a break to study for my college finals and graduate, and continued planning/procrastinating through the summer, my run was finally made on 13th December 2005.

It was a marathon session. I was getting very tired (and hungry!) towards the end. There were pauses where I had to use the lavatory, and plenty of mistakes, although thankfully I never actually forgot a Skulltula and got forced to return to collect it at the end, as I had in both my trail runs. Nor did I die. I did get revived by a red fairy in the Fire Temple when I was trying to be clever and beat it without putting on the Fire Tunic, but that was me being cocky, and luckily it doesn't count against me.

I had hoped to beat the seven hour mark but eventually it took over eight hours. I used three different 240-minute tapes, divided up as follows:

  • Tape 1: roughly 3 hours, 50 minutes. Paused to switch tapes at the first Blue Fire point in the Ice Cavern.
  • Tape 2: roughly 3 hours, 35 minutes. Paused to switch tapes right after defeating Twinrova. Time elapsed: roughly 7 hours 25 minutes.
  • Tape 3: roughly 52 minutes up to the final blow against Ganon. Time elapsed: roughly 8 hours 17 minutes.

Of course, I was playing on a PAL N64 version of Ocarina of Time which is well-established as running 5/6 as fast as a regular NTSC copy or a GameCube copy. My time of roughly 8 hours 17 minutes translates to roughly 6 hours 54 minutes in "real money". Under seven hours, but still rather longer than I'd hoped it would be.

It remains to be seen what the official Twin Galaxies word on my time is. My tapes have been sent in - well before the due date, in case you're worried. I still have yet to receive confirmation that they arrived, though. As for money? Nope.

Update

As of March 8th 2006 I have had an email from Rob confirming that I scooped the OoT bounty! Yay! Still no word on what my final time was and no money forthcoming, despite the payment date being January 31st 2006. According to the forums Rob can be up to a year late with bounty payments... which is kind lousy when you think about it.

Update 2

It is now October 14th, 2008 and I have finally received a cheque from Rob for the sum of this bounty. Wow! Only two and a half years late! Nice going, Twingalaxies.