My new favorite way to spend my evenings is the Zelda 1 Randomizer 2024 Winter Tournament. Allow me to share my joy and maybe convince you to join in!

The game is streamed on Twitch, on a modded version of the original NES Legend of Zelda. The overworld map is the same, as are the locations of the dungeons and hidden secrets. What is in each location is different, though; the official second dungeon might hold a store, while the actual second dungeon might be in a wall you have to bomb open. The items in each dungeon and the location of the triforce is random too. You still need the bow, silver arrows, and completed triforce to defeat Gannon. You start at a random overworld screen, and have the choice of one of two random items to start the game with along with the sword, say, the ladder or the blue candle.

Each round, two players launch the same randomized level and start exploring. They’re looking for secrets, where the dungeons are, and will inevitably run into blocks - the room with the triforce might need a ladder, which is in a dungeon they haven’t found yet. The first player to find all the needed items, kill Gannon and find Zelda wins.

The randomized levels introduce chance and luck and are what make this competition fun to watch. There’s skill, yes, and it’s astounding to watch these defeat rooms full of wizards with little more than four hearts and a wooden sword. If the game were a copy of the original game, though, it would merely be a demonstration of skill. Instead, one player may find a dungeon with a critical item quickly, while another burns minutes finding the triforce in an especially hard dungeon. We worry when player one is behind by three dungeons while the other is about to enter the last dungeon, only for player one to find the critical item player two needs in a secret area they’d skipped, and now we anticipate when player two will realize their mistake and how much time it will cost to find it. Games have been decided methodical versus rushed playing styles, by luck of which dungeons are found first, by choosing to clear a room versus rushing through to keep exploring, even by an errant arrow costing a player critical seconds.

The commentators add to the joy. They’re previous competitors themselves, and generous with their knowledge of tactics and answering spectator questions. The best ones, though, are as enthusiastic as the players, moaning in disappointment when the player meets a dead end, and often chiding the players like annoyed parents when they go into the wrong direction. They make the games worth watching just for the conversation!

I can’t speak for the other games the SpeedGaming organization runs. I’ve tried watching them, but either they’re not randomized or the games don’t have the same pull as the NES Zelda for me. This competition has brought me a lot of joy over the past few days, though, and I’m going to see it through! 🎮