ALTTPR: A Complete Guide to Stuckpushing

ALTTPR: A Complete Guide to Stuckpushing

The guide explains how to use a mis-slotted Hookshot to pull Link through obstacles in A Link to the Past Randomizer. A stuck push has three phases:

1. Set the search index with an item such as the Lamp or Powder.
2. Create a stuck Hookshot by filling all five front ancilla slots and firing two Hookshots. One gets mis-slotted, interrupting the other so it remains stuck on an object.
3. Release the stuck Hookshot by overloading its front slots. The game then reads the existing Hookshot’s direction and length, pulling Link forward.

The Hookshot’s original length determines how far Link travels, so set it up in the direction you intend to move. Avoid standing in the Hookshot tip’s path when releasing it, as this can cause a terminator issue that stops the push.

Setting the Index

The index determines which slots can receive mis-slotted items and sparkles.

• High index: Generally above 9. The Lamp can set this, and Powder can also do it if its animation is interrupted—for example, with a save-and-quit or a ledge “pog.” High index can reach all five back slots and works with sword sparkles, but can be more vulnerable to intangible hooks.
• Low index: Below 7. The Lamp facing east sets index 7; Powder in slot 2 sets index 6. Low index is usually easier to set with Powder and is less prone to some intangible-hook problems, but cannot reach as many back slots.
• To put Powder in slot 2, first fill the two preceding slots. Common methods include two wall arrows, a red boomerang or silver arrow, or a cane block followed by a Powder dash.
• A ledge pog can set high index with Powder or Mushroom: begin an item animation, jump a ledge, switch items in midair, then hold left on landing.

Sword sparkles need high index. Silver-arrow sparkles can work with low index, and many other setups can be adapted between index types.

Filling Slots and Making the Stuck Hook

The main goal is to fill all five front slots while producing sparkles in reachable back slots. Those sparkles let the Hookshot be mis-slotted. Useful ancilla include:

• Cane block: Can fill four front slots when split, making it an especially useful filler.
• Red boomerang: Fills two front slots and produces six sparkles; its wall impact can add another ancilla. It is free to use, making it a strong option.
• Bombs: Reliably fill two slots, but always try to occupy slots 0 and 1.
• Bow and silver arrows: Wall arrows can fill three slots; a flight arrow fills one. Silver arrows also produce sparkles.
• Ice Rod: Can provide shots and sparkles, but its slot coverage can be inconsistent. An Ice Rod in slot 2 resets the index, so fire Ice Rod shots first if using two.
• Powder dash, Lamp flames, Fire Rod, and sword beams: Can fill a final slot, though some disappear quickly. Sword sparkles are useful for high-index setups but do not reach low-index slots by themselves.

Common setups include:

• Three wall arrows, two bombs, and sword sparkles.
• Two bombs, two arrows, and a silver flight arrow, which supplies its own sparkles.
• Cane block, boots dust, and sword sparkles.
• Two Ice Rod shots and two bombs, especially when Ice Rod is the main available option.
• Red boomerang and sword sparkles, which can fill all ten slots without using consumable resources. This setup can be inconsistent, so it is easy to retry.

Ancilla do not all last the same amount of time. Place long-lasting items, such as bombs or cane, first; use faster-disappearing items near the end. Sword sparkles can help make sparse sparkle patterns—especially Ice Rod setups—more reliable. Quick-swapping instead of opening the menu can also preserve sparkle timing.

For resource management, the guide recommends favoring free or magic-based options when practical. A suggested priority is boomerang, cane, arrows, then bombs; arrows and bombs can be difficult to replenish late in a seed.

Releasing the Stuck Hook

To release the Hookshot, fill four front slots: the stuck Hookshot already occupies one. Avoid using sparkles, which could let a new Hookshot replace them instead of triggering the stuck one.

Important release cautions:

• Do not throw a boomerang during a normal release; it changes the Hookshot slot data.
• Do not push an active cane block. That can cancel the stuck Hookshot. If needed, destroy and replace the block carefully.
• Be cautious with wall arrows: they are replaceable, and the Hookshot can overwrite one if the search index reaches it.

Common release methods include:

• Splitting a cane block to fill four slots; usually the simplest method.
• Using two bombs and two Lamp flames.
• Using two bombs, one flight arrow, and boots dust.
• Using wall arrows with a dust hook, an advanced option. Watch for the third arrow being replaced; that indicates the index is low enough to proceed.

Diagnosing Failures

• A regular Hookshot fires instead of a mis-slotted one: The front slots probably were not all filled, or the index caused an arrow to be replaced.
• The Hookshot dry-fires with no sound or projectile: The index likely did not reach a sparkle, or the necessary sparkles were not produced.
• A regular Hookshot fires during release: A release slot was left open, often because an ancilla disappeared too soon.
• The push stops short: Check for a terminator issue; Link may be in the Hookshot tip’s path.

Intangible Hooks

An intangible hook passes through an object instead of attaching. The guide describes four causes:

1. Five-slot conflict: A cane block, flight arrow, or sometimes boomerang in a front slot can conflict with a mis-slotted Hookshot five slots away. Low index or a lower index can help.
2. A slot-9 Hookshot’s brief collision window: A second Hookshot can temporarily make the first ignore collision. On very short pushes, it may pass through a pot or enemy. A lower Hookshot slot or standing farther away can avoid this. The effect can also be exploited to hook past a mole in the Ice Palace.
3. A boomerang hitting a wall mid-flight: A boomerang impact can corrupt Hookshot travel data and cause an intangible hook. Avoid the impact, wait for it to happen before firing, or time the Hookshot so it does not overlap the impact.
4. A mis-slotted boomerang wall impact: A mis-slotted tank can make a front-slot Hookshot intangible and, in an especially unlucky timing, cause an EG. Avoid letting a boomerang tank during the critical part of the push.

Variations

• Double mis-slotted hooks: Both Hookshots mis-slot and freeze. Firing another Hookshot can make them resume; once one attaches, Link is pulled in its direction. This can bypass the normal release phase and save resources. It works best when sparkles remain available, so sword-based setups are less likely to produce it.
• Instant stuck pushing: Fire another Hookshot after the mis-slotted hook pulls Link forward but before the stuck hook attaches. If the second hook attaches in time, it immediately pulls Link without a separate release. Delay the second shot as long as possible, clear the pot, and avoid spinning.
• OA pushes: After setting a stuck hook, throw the boomerang up-left to set the Hookshot slot to OA. A bomb in slot 0 supplies changing distance data, producing a long northward or southward push. Bomb placement and layer determine the direction; keep bombs away from walls and release promptly before they finish exploding. This can also help with ordinary pushes when other release items are unavailable.
• Active Hookshot-slot manipulation: This advanced technique combines stuck-pushing with cane-pushing-style distance setting. Boomerang direction selects a Hookshot slot; a beam placed in that slot supplies the direction and distance. The guide’s most practical example uses two bombs, a blue boomerang thrown left, and a beam to push into Armos from the Eastern Palace entrance. Step forward two pixels to avoid the terminator, then fire while the slots remain filled.

Gamers and Sources Featured

• MrByer — presenter of the guide.
• Fox — author of the referenced Ancilla guide.
• Malmo — credited with pointing out an intangible-hook application.
• Mama — named in connection with referenced clips of mis-slotted boomerang tanks.

The subtitles render the names “Malmo” and “Mama” this way.