Zelda II: The Adventure of Link/Challenges
Several challenges have been attempted by runners of Zelda 2. Generally, they involve not leveling one or more stats, and are named according to either the constraint(s) "Attack 1" or the maximum allowed level "1-8-8".
The Healer glitch and Thunderbird skip are disallowed by default, any runs that use either should be marked as glitched.
Organized by challengers alphabetically
Actual completion levels shown, rather than which challenge intended. Deathless claims have not been verified.
Elad Difficult
(1-8-8) 2:28:48
Feasel
(1-3-1) no video
Myask
(1-8-7) 3:20:29.8
(1-8-7 NG+ glitched) 10:52.5
Pro_JN
(1-7-7 deathless) 1:19:40
(1-1-8) 1:43:06
(1-1-8 deathless) no video
(1-3-1) no video
Simpoldood
(1-8-5) 1:32:05
(8-1-1) 1:56:03
(1-8-1) 2:37:16
(1-1-8) 2:30:41
(1-3-1) 3:11:02.18
(2-1-1) 2:44:45.14
Unwary
(1-8-8) 1:53:35
(1-1-8) no video
(1-8-1) no video
(1-4-1) no video
Organized by challenge, then time
Roughly in increasing constraint order.
Attack 1 NG+ glitched
Showing Attack 1 has practically no effect on run difficulty or completion time for NG+ glitched.
10:52.5 Myask
Attack 1
No Attack leveling. Life and Magic freely leveled, aka "1-8-8" though those levels are not always reached. 1-1-8, 1-8-1, and 1-3-1 runs (below) also complete this category.
1:19:40 Pro_JN (deathless)
1:32:05 Simpoldood
1:53:35 Unwary
2:28:48 Elad Difficult
3:20:29.8 Myask
Magic 1
No Magic leveling. Attack and life freely leveled, aka "8-1-8". 8-1-1, 1-1-8, and 2-1-1 runs (below) also complete this category.
No runs only attempting this.
Life 1
No Life leveling. Attack and Magic freely leveled, aka "8-8-1". 8-1-1, 1-8-1, 1-3-1, and 2-1-1 runs (below) also complete this category.
No runs only attempting this.
"8-1-1"
No Magic or Life leveling. Attack may be leveled. Requires backtracking to Carock after New Kasuto Magic Container, as Reflect costs 7.5 containers at Magic 1. 2-1-1 runs (below) also complete this category.
1:56:03 Simpoldood
"1-8-1"
No Attack or Life leveling. Magic may be leveled. 1-3-1 runs (below) also complete this category.
2:37:16 Simpoldood
Complete (no video) Unwary (1-4-1)
Complete (no video) Unwary (1-8-1)
"1-1-8"
No Attack or Magic leveling. Life may be leveled. Requires backtracking to Carock after New Kasuto Magic Container, as Reflect costs 7.5 containers at Magic 1.
1:43:06 Pro_JN
2:30:41 Simpoldood
Complete (no video) Pro_JN (deathless)
"1-3-1" Minimum Level variant
No Attack or Life leveling. Magic is allowed to be leveled up to 3. Requires precise up+A after bosses but getting key, to avoid level. No Carock backtrack required: Magic 3 is minimum to cast Reflect with 7 containers.
3:11:02.18 Simpoldood
Complete (no video) Feasel
Complete (no video) Pro_JN
Not Quite (no video) Unwary (1-4-1)
"2-1-1" Minimum Level variant
Requires precise up+A after bosses but getting key, to avoid level; as well as backtracking to Carock after the eighth Magic Container in New Kasuto, as Reflect costs 7.5 containers at Magic 1.
2:44:45.14 Simpoldood
"1-1-3" Minimum Level variant
Requires precise up+A after bosses but getting key, to avoid level; as well as backtracking to Carock after the eighth Magic Container in New Kasuto, as Reflect costs 7.5 containers at Magic 1. Theoretically possible, as the 2-1-1 run shows that you may get the key and pause before 400 experience have ticked up, which is when you'd be required to level.
No runs
"1-1-1" no-levels
(Probably) requires Game Genie or other game modification, as grabbing each post-boss key, pausing, and hitting up+A to save the "boss killed" flag without being forced to level from the experience gained thereby (having to cancel at 50 and 100, and up+A before 200) would be incredibly difficult.
In case one wishes to gain no experience, OZKSTGSV+AAKSZGPA+EAKIYGEL as Game Genie codes should do the trick. At least Palace 1 has been verified to not give experience from enemies, pointbags, Horsehead, or the crystal with these active.
No runs
A note on Low-level runs that do not have a level 8
Bosses must be killed, and several give more experience than you can afford to take. The solution is to up+A before the experience reaches an un-cancelable level. However, the "boss-killed" flag is only set once you grab the key that drops after the experience starts ticking up. Thus, it requires a well-timed jump, preferably with Jumpspell, to grab the key before you're stuck with either a level or reset. Horsehead (50) and Helmethead (100) do not give enough experience to be a worry, but that leaves Rebonacks (2-3 x 301), Carock (301), Boss Gooma (500), Barba (700), and Thunderbird (1000). The Rebonacks and Carock are also not a problem for 2-1-1, obviously.
Experience ticks at 10/frame.