Last Update: 6/13/07
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
After the astonishing success of Ocarina of Time, gamers were hungry for more Zelda. A mere sequel could never top the original. So instead of simply trying to just stack some new content and features on the Ocarina of Time formula, Nintendo decided to take the series sideways, and tried something slightly different.
In this game you once again play as Link, more specifically the younger Link from Ocarina of Time. After being robbed of his Ocarina by a Skull Kid wearing a strange mask he finds himself transformed into a Deku Scrub in the strange parallel universe of Termina.
This is only the beginning, as Link finds himself being recruited by a mysterious traveling mask salesman forced to try and find a way to recover the strange mask and stop the moon from crashing into Termina, which is set to happen in three days from Link's arrival. The player once again has access to many songs for the Ocarina, including songs to manipulate time which enable the player to re-live the 3 days leading up to the destruction of Termina until the player has all the tools required to save it.
This games sets itself apart from earlier Zelda titles by introducing a large amount of side-quests involving NPCs with very specific schedules in the three days leading up to its destruction. Many of these people have problems and of course it's up to the player to help Link solve them.
Many of these quests are optional but you will find some that are required in order to advance the plot of the game.
Finally, the many masks in this game add a large number of shapes and abilities to Link's arsenal.
In this game you once again play as Link, more specifically the younger Link from Ocarina of Time. After being robbed of his Ocarina by a Skull Kid wearing a strange mask he finds himself transformed into a Deku Scrub in the strange parallel universe of Termina.
This is only the beginning, as Link finds himself being recruited by a mysterious traveling mask salesman forced to try and find a way to recover the strange mask and stop the moon from crashing into Termina, which is set to happen in three days from Link's arrival. The player once again has access to many songs for the Ocarina, including songs to manipulate time which enable the player to re-live the 3 days leading up to the destruction of Termina until the player has all the tools required to save it.
This games sets itself apart from earlier Zelda titles by introducing a large amount of side-quests involving NPCs with very specific schedules in the three days leading up to its destruction. Many of these people have problems and of course it's up to the player to help Link solve them.
Many of these quests are optional but you will find some that are required in order to advance the plot of the game.
Finally, the many masks in this game add a large number of shapes and abilities to Link's arsenal.
Publisher: None/Unknown
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Bottom Line: Play it! For many people this Zelda game is one you either love or you hate. I loved it. It starts out with Link setting off to find Navi for some reason (I guess he likes to be nagged). So you're riding along on Epona when suddenly a Skull Kid jumps you and steals your horse. Link runs after him and the Skull Kid uses the power of his freaky mask to turn Link into a Deku Scrub. He's set into the world of Teremia and must save it in three days from a giant moon crushing it.
Obviously you can't save the whole world in three days...or can you? Using an interesting time system brings a whole new level to this Zelda game. If you don't complete a temple within the three day time limit, you have to do it all over again when you use your ocarina to turn back the clock. But compared to OoT, all the temples are pretty darn short, so making it in three days isn't impossible. But there's more to it than that, Link must also collect masks from people, and each mask serves a special purpose during the game. To get the masks Link usually has to lend a helping hand to someone first before he can aquire it. Many of the masks require him to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. When you're first playing the game it's usually just luck that you happened to be loitering at the right place and the right time. Three of the masks are Transformation Masks and can change Link into a Deku, a Goron, or a Zora. Each has it's own special powers that he can use to his advantage during the game. Time and masks and puzzles are a big part of this game, and that's what makes it so unique and fun to play. It also has a great deal of replay value because remembering how to get all the masks is pretty hard to do and can be just as challenging the second time around. I'd have to say that this is a great Zelda game with plenty to do and see, and many many unforgettable characters that Link interacts with. Awesome game...go forth and play it. Learning Curve: Instant!
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