In 1998, a rather interesting RPG released for the Nintendo 64 called Quest 64. It was one of the early 3D RPGs, and it boasted a number of unique mechanics. The battles were a mesh of turn-based and real-time, and leveling up was conducted through taking specific actions rather than just experience points. Reception and reviews for the game were mixed, as many RPG staple systems like money and multiple party members were nowhere to be found. Despite this, the game has its following (don’t they all), and a brand new world record just broke the surface the other day. So we’re going to learn how to speed run this unorthodox and many would argue underappreciated game ourselves. Here to help us with that is Patrick Scheffel.
This tutorial doesn’t demonstrate the latest route for any percent, but it’s a fine starting point and showcases the key glitches used in the run. In particular, spirit duplication to raise your elemental skill level, and the first out of bounds glitch comes at around the 45:30 mark where Patrick uses an enemy encounter to push his movement off the map. Quest 64’s glitches aren’t immediately obvious but are practically a necessity for speedrunning. The categories for Quest 64 include any percent, all spirits, and 200 elements. The save corruption and low% (no treasure chests or spirits) are empty.
Quest 64 is an oddball in every sense, and its limitations, while a drawback for the RPG genre, also lead to the development of new strategies and careful planning, even for casual play. A reboot with more fleshed-out mechanics would be an interesting thing to see, but considering the game’s old and not widely lauded, it will be staying on the shelf for the foreseeable future.
If you’re up for something more nitty-gritty, here’s a speedrun of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. See, gritty. Because sand. Gritty sand… Don’t hate me.