Streaming Star Dedicates 37 Straight Trying to Conquer <em>Tears of the Kingdom</em> Using a One Stick

One could think that after two years since Tears of the Kingdom debuted, fans would have run out of novel self-imposed challenges that apply unique restrictions on a playthrough. However, while many gamers have tried to finish the game with just a wooden stick, content creator PointCrow holds the record as the player who aimed to beat the adventure with a one stick—specifically, the exact same one from start to finish.

The streamer is famous for such difficult playthroughs, such as the instance he went through the title using only explosives or the attempt where he tried to beat the game with no energy. A single stick run, though, seems impossible at first glance. There's the game's introduction, which requires the hero to wield the Master Sword. Then, there's the whole weapon wear system, which is especially important when working with the most fragile tool in the whole game. But if the branch shatters, that's the end. Game over.

So, How?

How did he do it? The straightforward explanation is exploits. The complete answer, I kid you not, is alternate dimensions. Apparently, you can tweak the game's save file system to have separate playthroughs that impact one another. So PointCrow does a “preparation” file where he progresses normally, and the real save, where he's restricted. The preparatory save has him completing the prologue and initial tutorial island, and this Link gains maximum endurance and hearts. From here, he triggers a cinematic and pauses partway through to tell the game to load an auto-save from the branch-only file. The game gets confused and creates a new game file that merges the conditions of the original two.

This causes new problems, though. The merged save file has a Link that did not obtain the capability to enter shrines. Fortunately, this is an issue that the save glitch addresses readily, but pulling it off means relying on an unstable version of the title that fails to load certain areas. As with everything else, he has a technical workaround for it: He begins Tears of the Kingdom on its early 1.0 build, and then patches the software partway through to ensure it starts working properly.

Overcoming Durability and Other Hurdles

Interestingly, the prologue version of Link is programmed so that he cannot break any tools he wields, likely to prevent a scenario where the player gets stuck at the start of the game. But that's additionally how PointCrow bypasses the durability issue, as the character he transfers between universes is the version from the start of the story. It's a clever technique, but not a method that eradicates all possible friction. The branch is still a ineffective weapon that renders battles onerous. But at that stage, it's entirely a question of grit and dedication. It also aids that there's a copying exploit that gives him an plentiful number of consumables to boost his attack, or accumulate on revival fairies. He also makes use of a glitch that enables him to phase through the world. Some would find these means reason to discredit the legitimacy of the run, but to my view, he's a resourceful gamer who is willing to do whatever it takes to engage his viewer. He also uses a safeguard of kinds stipulating that, for each fairy he employs, he'll ban one fan from his live stream, establishing an incentive to not overly rely on them.

Boss Fights and the Last Encounter

PointCrow manages to defeat several of Tears of the Kingdom's bosses, but the fights look grueling. The YouTube version of his quest doesn't make the viewer endure the entire conflicts, which is a good thing when a few of them take several long hours. One boss fight, Queen Gibdo, takes an astonishing 23 hours. The Ganondorf battle, which erases Link's health as it progresses, is a notable nail-biter. The unbreakable branch is after all just a piece of wood. He is unable to necessarily clone objects during the battle.

So, is it possible? Technically, he does defeat the dragon version of Ganon. But the software compels the player to wield the legendary weapon as the final attack, 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, the streamer banned over 1,000 users in his live stream. Rest in peace.