While the ‘memory storage glitch’ sounds a little vanilla, it’s certainly going to have huge ramifications for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild going forward.
Now, of course, Breath of the Wild has been a true juggernaut for Nintendo Switch. Though the game also released for the poor old Wii U (which is now nothing more than a source for enhanced ports), it was instrumental in the Switch’s success. As one of the hybrid handheld’s most successful titles, this expansive adventure has left an impression on a generation of franchise fans.
The world of Breath of the Wild has expanded thanks to the recent release of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which set the scene for Hyrule’s devastation (and also seems to have DLC in the works). Even with all the hype surrounding Age of Calamity and the upcoming Breath of the Wild 2, the original game still has some fascinating secrets to be uncovered.
So you thought you’d seen everything in Breath of the Wild, over your painstaking hundreds of hours of exploration? Well, think again. A new glitch has been found, and it’s a doozy.
As reported by Nintendo Life, this latest exploit has effects similar to a New Game+ mode, allowing players to carry forward equipment and gear that they’d otherwise have to relinquish. The all-powerful Bow of Light (infinite durability! Absurd damage!) included.
In essence, this glitch allows players to transfer data between saves. YouTube’s own LegendofLinkk discovered this amazing trick, which is very complicated indeed to pull off. Fellow YouTube Channel Gaming Reinvented has created an in-depth explanation of the so-called ‘memory storage glitch,’ which can be seen here:
The setup is simple enough, with the player required to have upgraded the Sheikah Sensor, acquired the Travel Medallion, one Memory, one Hyrule Compendium entry, and any sidequest. After some inventory-wrangling as detailed in the video, the ‘view memory’ menu will appear.
After some more fiddling with the menus, Link must meet his demise and reach the game over screen. Begin a new game after that, and you’ll notice that you’re unable to save. Play through while unable to do so or be defeated (uh oh), all the way to Dark Beast Ganon. Once there, and while you have the Bow of Light in hand, you must watch a Memory mid-fight before continuing. Change bows while taking the final shot, then load the save again after the ending has played out.
With this whole convoluted process completed, Link will (somehow) arrive back at the very beginning of the game with all the gear from the previous playthrough!
Needless to say, this is entirely impractical and for very experienced players only, but what a neat discovery! Zelda fans: is there anything they can’t do?