Save and Quit

Save and Quit, also frequently abbreviated S+Q or S&Q, is a mechanic that allows the player to save their progress and retreat back to the game's main menu. When the player selects their file again, the game won't load where they left off. Instead, depending on the exact situation, it'll either load a specific screen or prompt the player for a choice of where to spawn.

Because save and quit can effectively "warp" Link to different places, it can be a powerful time saving technique.

Execution

To do a save and quit, the player need only press Select to open the menu and then choose the second option. The game will save the player's progress and go back to the main menu.

Unlike most inputs in the game, the Select can always be buffered and the save menu will open the moment the player gains control. An example of this is during a cutscene, the player can hold Select during the cutscene and as soon as it's over, the save menu will open.

On a save and quit where the player gets a prompt for where to spawn, the prompt selection can be "wrapped." This is useful for when the player has unlocked the 3 savewarp spots in Light World and wants to select Death Mountain, which is third in the list. Instead of tapping twice, the player can tap once.

Savewarps

The primary utility of save and quit during speedruns is their ability to "warp" Link to different places. The exact place a save and quit will put you depends on your game progress as well as where exactly you are when you save and quit.

Saving and quitting in the opening phase of the game is functionally useless. It doesn't save any player progress. It's as if the player just selected a brand new file. If the player is indoors during the opening state, Select won't even open the save menu.