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[EverydayBeast]

The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask (2000)

First off, don’t say that Majora’s Mask is a bad game, it’s remaster sold out, but it is just for a certain type of gamer, Majoras Mask might not be even ok for casual Zelda gamers (side quests that you must be patient for, the fact you’re under a time limit etc.) a lot of hard work was put into this game.

The whole point of the game is in wearing different masks that possess powers for Link, and you spend a lot of time farming masks also every side quest feels like an important episode and can overwhelm the casual gamer. Completing them is certainly unspoken in the Zelda community, as you power link up with hearts, magic etc. the more power Link has the more power you have over boss battles. You need bottles for potions, you need hearts to keep link alive so completing side quests is how the game is constructed. Milk road, and romani ranch is legit, I do wonder what they were thinking with the aliens, considering sharpening & upgrading your sword is an interesting experience (clearing the snowhead temple, and winning the goron races) I liked that a lot and it's all design to make Link stronger.

(You get a heart piece of teaching these twin girls this dance)

I give Majora’s Mask credit on its schedule, it tries to keep you on track. The schedule won't let you stay in one location for long and the argument is with so much to do why would you want to make the mistake of camping out an area? When you have fairy, a horse to roam around on you often want to discover new things.

There’s 4 temples and 4 bosses, the swamp kicks off the quest in the Woodfall Temple and it offers an opportunity to try out new weapons. There's still enemies(deku baba's, black poe's, dragon flies, dinoflos etc.) most you can knock out in a hit or two, nothing shocking and really light enemies, you'll lose some hearts but the good news is the woodfall temple is the perfect starting area to begin.

The rest of the games areas (snowhead temple, great bay and stone tower temples) throw a little bit more enemies at Link (freezards, keeses, skulltulas etc.) by this point solving puzzles, defeating enemies etc. is second nature to Link at the same time the game is getting more difficult.

Yoshiaki Koizumi and Eiji Aonuma are the architects and were heavily involved in game design and overall decisions (they spent a lot of time on it) it’s remarkable what they did. They offer a little sense of humor, show-boat, moments, stuff that makes it a great game.

Termina is Hyrule field with a better atmosphere and continues to offer potion shops, game stores etc. certainly a top 5 location just a beautiful town a lot of detail and a lot to see.

The game is a powerhouse of originality and was apart of the 90s early 2000s gamings golden years. Zelda today has still been mostly Windwaker just with different art styles, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, BotW all look the part and maybe are some of gamings best but Majora Mask reminds me of smart game design, a little edgy, risky and is good at keeping eyes on it. I can't figure out why the game hasn't influenced next gen Zelda installments the way Nintendo takes stuff from Wind Waker, Twilight, Skyward (collecting, characters, enemies, music etc.) into the next Zelda release.

 

[DGrayson]

Once u get over the fact there is a timer (admittedly it took me a bit to get over this) this is a masterpiece.

 

[Manus]

Best Zelda game.

 

[nkarafo]

Once u get over the fact there is a timer (admittedly it took me a bit to get over this) this is a masterpiece.

The timer isn't an issue after you learn how to control it. It's only there for the time loop story and NPC scedules.

 

[Calverz]

I played this back in the day but i used a guide. I did 100% it (obviously) and really enjoyed it. But i dont think i would have stuck it out without a guide. I also remember the bosses being a bit meh.

 

[Birdo]

Ah, the Ocarina of Time DLC.

It's an interesting game with a good atmosphere, but it's let down with too many design flaws from the obvious development restraints.

 

[rubenburgt]

First off, don’t say that Majora’s Mask is a bad game

Wait. There are people who think Majora Mask is a bad game?

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Wait. There are people who think Majora Mask is a bad game?

There can be no light without dark, sadly.

People who quit MM because of its incredibly lenient and totally manipulatable time limit disappoint me to no end.
The game does tike some time (heh) to click, but when it does, it’s arguably the deepest Zelda game ever.

 

[Bakkus]

Best Zelda game

 

[SantaC]

Didnt they gimp the remaster?

 

[Illo]

Still my favorite game of all time. Dying for a 4k Remake handcrafted by Nintendo in the future.

 

[JimiNutz]

10/10

 

[MisterBrimstone]

It's just one of those games that despite some annoying aspects is completely special and unique. After Ocarina of Time who could've guessed this complex dark brooding masterpiece was going to come out?

It's the opposite of safe, it's amazing. Actually, it's something I would not expect out of Zelda anymore. Sadly.

All in all, games like this one is the reason I play games.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I didn't fall in love with OoT so I never bothered playing this until the 3DS remake. It's amazingly complex. Nintendo was really trying something special with using the 3-day cycle for puzzle solving and worldbuilding.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Komatsu]

The Empire Strikes Back of Zelda games. A dark, brooding masterpiece. Better than its (admittedly larger) predecessor in every way that counts.

 

[teezzy]

My holy trinity for Zelda will always be Wind Waker, Ocarina, and Majora in that order. However, that's not to pretend as though this game isn't fantastic.

Much love

 

[Cutty Flam]

What was your favorite area in the game EverydayBeast ?

It’s one of those games where they couldn’t replicate it if they tried imo. The fact that it was made less than two years after the release of Ocarina of Time and measures up to its predecessor is unheard of. I’m waiting for a February announcement of a Collector’s edition for TLOZ; Majora’s Mask will definitely be included

 

[SpiceRacz]

Great write-up EverydayBeast . This is one of the few Zelda games I've never played. Not surprised it's so beloved. I always felt Nintendo is at their best when they're just going for it, rather than spinning their wheels.

 

[Camreezie]

I would love it if the did a Zelda 3D All Stars with Ocarina , Majora and Windwaker for the next series anniversary. I never finished Majoras Mask but I love the themes and world and am down for giving it another go. OoT is my favourite game of all time

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

It is a great Zelda but it falls a little short for me. The three day cycle and rhythm of the people's routines were simultaneously excellent and frustrating. Spending 3 day cycles on mini-games, beating the Snowhead boss to thaw the mountain, and other repetitious activities began to wear on me after a while. While some quests like Romani Ranch and Anju-Kafei were excellent others felt really trivial-a lot of work for little reward. The Deku scrub mini-game in Clocktown was particularly frustrating to waste a few days on. That said, when it came to the characters the game absolutely nailed it. The aforementioned Romani Ranch and Anju-Kafei stories were engrossing in ways that no other Zelda has achieved; the player really has a moment to connect with the characters and sympathize with their plights. Some of the stories were downright heartbreaking. When the three day cycle is committed to one of these stories the game really shines. The melancholy and hopelessness in the game really reach out and grab you.

An overall excellent game with some glaring flaws. Fantastic tone, characters, and themes held back by frustrating repetition. Imperfect but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Tchu-Espresso]

Once u get over the fact there is a timer (admittedly it took me a bit to get over this) this is a masterpiece.

After all these years I still hear this. Is it a timer if you can just go back in time and slow time?

it’s just a story element, not a gameplay one.

 

[Saber]

I already said in countless threads like this that they wil never gonna make something as majestic as Majoras Mask.
One game that has a dark story, without being edgy or overlydramatic. The time mechanics keeps you in check, to make you move instead of simply going around farming/goofing like theres no tomorrow.

Mini games where mostly fun, but the best part is that you aways have a reward waiting for you. It doesn't matter if the challenge can be a little tricky or difficult, everything gets better when you beat it and the game rewards you with a heart piece.

Anju quest is superb and requires a lot of the player, making it sounds like it should be the last quest you should do before facing Skull Kid(I did when I was a kid).

The mask mechanics is another good point. Taking form of the well know races in the game was brilliant. Even the weak Deku Scrub can be really useful against some bosses and level design.

For me the best thing, that differs from the boringness of Ocarina of Time is the fact that Gold Skulultas are set in one place.

Boss are mostly easly as soon as you learn how to deal with them. One of main reasons(alongside others) that Majoras Mask for 3DS is so stupid and pathetic is that they rework bosses and put weak points on them(big ass eye). Which I have my doubts if they one day remake this game, they gonna "dumbfy" it.

The timer isn't an issue after you learn how to control it. It's only there for the time loop story and NPC scedules.

The only time when I was a kid that I did let the timer goes to zero was to see what happens when the moons crashes the planet. I never let this happened and frankly if someone had problems with it, should be a very casual gamer.

 

[teezzy]

I love that EverydayBeast is out here reppin a John Cena avatar and playing through classics on a Wii U in 2020

Not all hope is lost

 

[Thurible]

One of my favorite zelda games between windwaker and skyward sword. So many things to do with the sidequests and so many different power ups with the mask mechanic. I loved how you could transform into a few different races that each had their own useful skill set and It's unfortunate this isn't concept isn't really explored again. The story was surprisingly dark and very well put together, you really get to see more depth to the characters with the knowledge of their impending doom in what they do in their final hours and how they react emotionally. For example, we see the brave swordsman cower in his secret cubby in the final hours, Cremia giving her little sister Romani some Chateau Romani (which is meant for adults apparently, so it was given under the assumption the two would die together and this would be the only chance Romani would be able to drink the beverage she was always looking forward to), the whole anju and kafei sidequest that I absolutely refuse to spoil, and just about every npc reacts to the moon falling. The dungeons are also pretty well designed, especially the stone tower temple and it's upside down mechanic. Goht is one of my favorite bosses as it's incredibly fun chasing this robotic bull and ramming into it as it frantically shoots lightning, sets off bombs, and drops stalagtites on you.

Majora's Mask is just an awesome game.

 

[nkarafo]

Wait. There are people who think Majora Mask is a bad game?

Admittedly, the game doesn't really click the first half hour or so. You are stuck as this weird Deku character and the default pace of the timer is pretty fast with no indication of what's really going on. I imagine this would turn some people off, especially ones with a lower attention span.

We need topics like this so these people know what they are missing though.

 

[jigglet]

I really loved this game but couldn't bring myself to play it for long on the 3DS even though I bought it.
I hope it comes to Switch.

 

[Kazza]

I bought a 3DS recently, and was surprised to see that this game is so much more expensive than the OoT remaster (3 times the price on the eshop, iirc). Strange.

I've heard that the 3DS version made lots of changes that people don't like, so I'll probably play the soon-to-be-complete PC remaster instead:

 

[BlackTron]

This game has a lot going for it. I've started it about 4 times since it came out, but could never finish it despite a few serious attempts. But I was always too stubborn to use a guide and the MASSIVE focus on side quests and specifically timed events always burned me out before making it to Skull Kid.

Maybe I should just suck it up and use a guide to finally to stare down all the side quests so I can tick off this game after 20 years. I think in some aspects it's better/more experimental and interesting, but as for the overall package Ocarina is still my favorite.

 

[Shifty1897]

I've tried to play this game three times now but every time the time mechanics repulse me to the point of dropping it. I guess I'll try again next year.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Going to play this for the first time since release. I didn’t get very far, really hated the timer and wasn’t a big fan of sidequests compared to OoT’s dungeons.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Admittedly, the game doesn't really click the first half hour or so. You are stuck as this weird Deku character and the default pace of the timer is pretty fast with no indication of what's really going on. I imagine this would turn some people off, especially ones with a lower attention span.

We need topics like this so these people know what they are missing though.

Back in the day, after Ocarina of Time, I couldn't believe there could be a better game. The first 3D Zelda from Japan and it was a home run. I had the gold cartridge at launch and I had both strategy guides. I did everything in that game. Majora’s Mask was a game I did not get and I knew why. Fast forward beyond the speed runs and numerous people throwing some light on why it’s so good. I have had it on 3DS, but I sold it. I have it on Wii U VC.

It is rough around the edges. I am going to use a guide. I dislike not having more of a linear beginning and then having it open up. I rage quit because transitioning to different parts of the town get really annoying. I generally have an appreciation once I feel it and this one is going to need a guide book. I noticed there are some nicely drawn maps and I own the e-guide off Prima’s website. I have to say, the guide helps with the overall enjoyment of the game.

 

[justiceiro]

Nope, nah, still a uncomfortable experience most of the time. Everything looks dirty. Swamps, abandoned industrial complexes, etc... It's ugly, it's derivative, and it's weird.

Of course, it's a enjoyable game, but it's one of Zelda lows.

 

[Azelover]

Majora's Mask was so awesome! I can't believe it was made so quickly.

And even though they used a lot of the same assets from OoT, every inch of it feels fresh. Its world is a completely different experience. It's like shinning a new light on pre-existing things. They just take on new life.

 

[dr_octagon]

Best Zelda game.

i never believed this until i played it. i thought it was a lazy game mechanic and wrote it off initially.

ocarina of time is still enjoyable, twilight princess has amazing bosses, skyward sword has cool mechanics, breath of world is open world etc.

majora's mask is thematically dark, it draws you into the repetition, there is nothing quite like it. donnie darko and groundhog day parallels are clear. it stands apart from the other games in the series. everything is working towards the overall story and broke away from the traditional hero and adventure.

 

[SuperGooey]

My favorite Zelda game, my favorite game of all time, and the most unique and compelling Nintendo game from its concept alone. It's a masterpiece of gaming. Nintendo will never take as big of a chance as with any of their AAA franchises as they did in 2000 with MM.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Once u get over the fact there is a timer (admittedly it took me a bit to get over this) this is a masterpiece.

This was the hardest part for me as a 12 y/o. I hated the timer. It felt like it put too much pressure on me and I just gave up on it. Loved a lot about the game, art direction was on point, and that fuckin' moon was terrifying to look at. I should go back and replay it.

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Are there any issues playing it on the Wii U? May have to dust that bad boy off.