I have never played Majora's Mask. Being a young teenager when it was originally released back in 2000 I didn't quite have the funds or means of getting every game I wanted to play, but always managed to get the ones I really wanted. Majoar's Mask was a bit different however because it wasn't the price of the game that was the issue, it was that damn expansion pack that you would have to pop in the front of the console that was required to play it. I assume I wasn't able to convince my loving mother to spend extra money on the much needed accessory. I was able to watch a friend play it occasionally, however, I wasn't really fond of the idea of a timer and was a bit turned off. As I grew older my urge to play this game grew more and more now.
Grizzo is once again behind the helm, the team that worked on Ocarina of Time. Since both games are very similar with sounds, visuals, and models it was only a matter of a time before Majora's Mask got some TLC. There was no perfect opportunity to finally play it. Although there are a lot of similar aspects to this game and the prequel, Majora's Mask takes a trip to creepy town with strange characters, dialog and weird animations that separates itself from previous installments, giving off a peculiar vibe.
As mentioned, this game is a direct sequel set sometime after the events of Ocarina of Time when Princess Zelda returns adult Link back to his child self. As he looks for a friend with his trusty horse, Epona, his travels are interrupted by pesky Imp and his annoying sidekick fairies Tael and Tatl. With all the commotion going on Link is knocked from his horse unconscious as the Skull Kid steals his Ocarina and falls back into the forest. The mischievous Imp was trouble prior to these events and you find out that a Mask Salesman also encountered him and cashed in on his five fingered discount by stealing a mysterious but evil mask granting the user unspeakable power. When Link awakens and peruses Skull Kid he is transformed into a Deku Scrub but eventually breaks the curse when he and the Mask Salesman cross paths and in return must return the mask in 3 days or the Moon will crash down destroying everything. If there was an award for creepiest moon, this would win hands down.
Time traveling is part of the games core mechanics. Previous games allows you to go through time, or slip between two worlds but there was never a limit on time. Link's Ocarina can manipulate the flow of time by slowing it down, moving it forward or before the moon crashes down, reset time to the beginning of the first day. Doing this not only resets the time but you will lose almost everything besides key items. An interesting wrinkle in the series that works absolutely wonderful. There is a sense of urgency even though you can control time as you hopelessly glance down at the bottom of the screen to see how much time you have left praying you can finish this dungeon before time runs out.
The other main entry to the gameplay is the addition of Masks that transform you into a couple of races found within the series. A Deku Scrub, a Zora, or a Goron. Due to there only being 3 Masks (technically 5 but those are only scripted) that transform you, there are only 4 dungeons. Each dunegon corresponds to that specific mask you gain in that area. Each has their own special ability that will prove to be extremely useful throughout the game. The Goron is a power house that can walk on lava, and roll like a ball, the Zora can swim very fast and has a boomerang type attack, and the Deku Scrub can blow snots... Usually when you find weapons in a dungeon it will set the tone and most be required to complete it, but with the addition of the transforming masks it adds a lot more depth and creativity to level design that may be better than the other games. There are still the very familiar weapons like bombs, arrows, and the hookshot but they play second fiddle. I would love for Nintendo to possibly go back to this style once more because there is so much that they can do now that they couldn't do back in the early '00. There are also other masks that down distort poor Link's body but all have their own usefulness and many found by doing the side quests.
Side quests are surprisingly addictive. You will learn about most quests by talking to these young boys located in Clock Town once you complete the main quest. Talking to each boy will reveal secrets and locations of certain quests that are all jotted down in your 'Bombers Notebook', which keeps everything nice an organized so its easy to find. There are a lot of people to help ranging from a wide variety of problems. You sorta feel good when once you complete their little quest. Near the end I found myself side tracked because I couldn't stop helping them. Also, you will have to do some time traveling because some quests are only available during one of the three days and each day feels like a totally different experience. Characters act differently, moods change, and the town gets a different feel, pretty interesting stuff.
Majora's Mask is like what Zelda II was to the series. They were games that didn't follow the formula that was set by previous installments. Majora's Mask provides a refreshing experience that every series needs once in a while. The powers of the masks made level design a little bit more complex and creative, and the flow of time induces a small sense of panic while staring at that maniacal looking space rock. I wish there was more Masks and dungeons because the gameplay was that enjoyable, and I also wish that there was a Master Quest upon completion to give you another reason to replay the game once again. With that said, with updated visuals and made for portable gaming, there hasn't ever been a better time to dive into this game if you never experienced it before. Don't be met with a terrible fate by missing out on it again.
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I am a huge Zelda fan and love them all, but for me Ocarina Of Time is the greatest and my second all time favourite game after Final Fantasy VII.
You sir, have good taste in games :)
I also love all of the Zelda games but I adore Windwaker (Specifically the HD version on WiiU) most of all. It is a close run thing with Breath of the Wild though.
Special mention to Cadence of Hyrule too, what an awesome spin off title that was!
Cheers Spuds, yep i love Windwaker too, beautiful artstyle, and i loved sailing and finding all the secrets out there.
Agreed. For me top 3 of all time is.
1. ocarina of time
2. Final fantasy Vll
3. MGS1
Oh gee can't imagine what Number 1 is
....
A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker etc is better than Breath of the Wild.
I think it really depends on what you're looking for. If you want a traditional Zelda game then OoT or WW would be better to you. But if you want a Zelda game that really leans into adventure and exploration, and if you want intelligent systems/logic, BotW would be the better game.
I enjoy both. I understand why some people aren't fond of it but for me it was a breath of fresh air that I really needed. I'd become so burnt out on unimaginative games and BotW sort of made me appreciate games again, as weird as that may sound.
Right...so let's pretend ocarina of time didnt have exploration, secret dungeons and other secrets. Complex boss mechanics and exploration rewards. At least a traditional Zelda has dungeons.
What point are you attempting to make? At no point did I say that OoT didn't have any of that. However, the level of exploration and sense of adventure are vastly different between OoT and BotW.
Majora's Mask still holds as my favorite to this day, despite being the black sheep of the series.
I love them all, but Wind Walker, Link to the Past and Minish Cap are my favorites
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is an intimate story about life after loss.
Half-Glass Gaming: "Production of the 3DS has been discontinued as of September of 2020, but there’s definitely an argument to be made for adopting the system in 2021, especially if you just really like playing awesome video games."
I don't care for this game at all. I bought this game again for the 3DS. I am willing to buy just about anything Zelda, but this game just doesn't click with me. I hate the time mechanic of the game and just wish they would have avoided that whole aspect. It's my lease favorite in the series although I've never played Zelda II (I do own the game on NES though). Just something about this game isn't fun for me. It's a chore to play through.