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Many video games offer significant difficulties, yet dedicated gamers repeatedly develop techniques to amplify the complexity through atypical strategies. Throughout gaming history, we've seen extraordinary achievements like the challenging RPG getting beaten using a instrument-based input device, content creators reaching level 100 in World of Warcraft by employing a foot-based input device, and numerous other difficult game/unusual controller pairings.

Most recently, popular digital entertainer the musical gamer successfully completed the challenging platformer using an electronic wind instrument.

Instrumental Background

Dr. Doot employs an "computer-connected saxophone with the same button arrangement as a conventional saxophone" for his playthroughs, as he detailed through email. The "Dr." in his streaming identity isn't merely decorative - he has legitimately acquired the credential; Dr. Doot possesses several music degrees, one being a advanced degree in musical arrangement.

He commenced playing the digital saxophone during pandemic lockdowns, when working together in-person with other musicians became difficult. He also began getting into content creation around this era, and promptly added his musical device into his streams.

Controller Setup

He utilizes a joystick-style "adjustment dial" on the rear of the electric saxophone for character movements, and custom Bome MIDI Translator program that "converts the musical data delivered from the controller to the PC into standard computer controls" for everything else.

When starting out, Dr. Doot realized it "enabled you play games by performing music on the instrument."

He tested it out with the beloved adventure game and the notoriously challenging the run-and-gun platformer, "realized it actually kind of worked, and then completed an complete boss run of Dark Souls 3 as my initial serious sax-controlled endeavor."

Streaming Accomplishments

Dr. Doot has tackled other challenging action games on the electric sax, like Elden Ring, and his most recent accomplishment is completing Silksong with maximum progress.

However, his initial attempt resembled countless gamers' experiences: "White-knuckling through the difficult section on launch day. I spent HOURS trying to beat the challenging enemy virtually without upgrades — it was extremely challenging."

Technical Challenges

Part of the reason it was "extremely difficult" — beyond the title already being a difficult undertaking — is because the application he uses "knows *exactly* how inaccurate my playing is" and a incorrect tone may spell doom.

Nevertheless, he says "it's shocking how minimal delay there is between the electronic sax and the game, which is what permits me to do various actions that alternative expert gamers can do with a standard input device."

It's not perfect, nevertheless, as "false or missed inputs" are something he must manage, and the wind sensitivity in the controller is so responsive "moderately loud sounds (like human sounds) can potentially activate the device and create commands without my mouth actually on the device."

Dr. Doot says those erroneous actions have resulted in him "accidentally fall off a cliff or hit a non-player character unintentionally."

Additional Technical Challenges

Running other applications at the concurrent period as the Bome MIDI Translator can cause it to get "unpredictable," creating problems for commands while streaming.

Beyond that, his primary difficulties are the identical as "all expert gamers would encounter when studying a quick finish/perfect attempt, which is just learning the game on a very deep level."

Next Plans

Dr. Doot notes beating the challenging game on the instrument was his toughest challenge to date, while "Music-driven Nightreign attempts were super exhausting."

He's accomplished damageless playthroughs for Dark Souls 2 and the final chapter and was attempting a no-hit run for the initial title before Silksong came out, which he'll be returning to after he's completed Hornet's journey.

While he's sunk countless hours into Silksong, the "incredible work" Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is nonetheless his favorite game of the current year.

Nevertheless, don't expect him to attempt it on the instrument, as its input system doesn't lend itself to instrument control; it would be "relatively boring to perform."