I was six years old when I first played Majora's Mask, my Dad got it the day it came out I believe. I remember watching my Dad and older brother play it, they wouldn't let me play it because there were only two profiles and I guess they thought I was to young and they didn't want me to mess up their game, which I did, accidentally of course. If I remember correctly, my brother just started playing the game and he was at the part where Link is stuck in the body of a Deku scrub and you have to figure out what to do before the moon crashes into Termina. You have three days to figure it out which is 54 minutes real time, unless you use the inverted song of time which would give you 2 hours and 42 minutes. But really you only need one day to figure it out, two at the most. But anyway, when he wasn't there I went on his profile and was just messing around and didn't really think much of the music that was playing where there were only five minutes left till the world was going to be destroyed I guess, considering that I didn't stop playing till I let the moon crash into Termina. When my brother found out he was furious, considering that he now has to do what he did all over again and also the fact that knowing he let it happen even though it wasn't necessarily his fault, I was just a kid after all.
But there were other times where no one was around when I could go on to someones profile and just explore and experience the very unique and interesting world that is Termina. I remember one night I was at the inn at midnight and I experienced something truly terrifying, in the washroom there is a hand that comes right out of the toilet when you enter the room. When I saw this I quickly paused the game tossed the controller down and hid behind the couch shocked at what I had just seen. It wasn't just that thing that frightened me, also the ReDeads or in Majora's Mask the Gibdos. Also some of the music in Majora's Mask made me very uneasy, mainly the music in Ikana Canyon. Something that I have just realized recently is that the music in The Southern Swamp, Snowhead, Great Bay and Ikana Canyon all have the same melody. The music in Majora's Mask in my opinion is the best soundtrack from any Zelda game. Song of Healing, Clock Town, Astral Observatory, Termina Field, Great Bay Temple and Pirate Fortress just to name a few. The overall feel of Termina is just so unique and at the same time intimidating. The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask isn't just my favorite Zelda game, its also my favorite game of all time and probably always will be.
The first time I really started to play the game was around the age of thirteen I believe. My older brother lost interest in the game, and so I thought I would just start where he left off, which was in The Southern Swamp. I used a walkthrough of the entire game which I now really regret doing, and the weird thing is, after I finished the game I started a new one and did the exact same thing. So I was fourteen when I started a new game if I remember correctly, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Around that time I was going through a lot, and so every dark aspect of the game was really getting to me. The constant worrying of getting something done, mainly Great Bay temple considering that I think it is the hardest dungeon in the game, unless your getting all the fairies, then it would be Stone Tower Temple. I remember playing the Song of Soaring a lot, considering that it helps a lot to get from one place to another and without it the game would be almost impossible in a way. But that song always seemed to get to me, if you played the game I'm sure you know what I mean, maybe. And of course being so in love and immersed into the game, even though I was terrified or stressed out, or both most of the time I was playing it, I still had to get every fairy and every mask. I'm not sure if I got all of the heart pieces or all of the bottles though. But the whole experience was truly one to remember, and so when it came out on the 3DS I just had to get it. It had been about nine years since I last played, and so this time I decided not to use a walkthrough at all, other then some of the heart pieces and bottles, which of course I now regret doing. But now after I had done everything in the game, other than talking to everyone and seeing all the dialogue in the game, I am now upset with myself because I keep going back to that game just to walk through Clock Town, play mini games and just talk to people, even though I have talked to them many times before. As I said the music in Majora's Mask truly is incredible, that's one of the reasons why I like to visit Termina every know and then. But knowing that I could have spent hours trying to get the heart pieces and the bottles on my own really bothers me, but I promised myself that I would never do anything like that again, because it pretty much ruins the game. I have spent 111 hours and 4 minutes playing it on my 3DS and probably about the same on the Nintendo 64 considering that I finished it twice while collecting all of the fairies and masks, but as I said earlier I don't think I collected all of the heart pieces or bottles, but I'm not sure. But I know I didn't spend hours just messing around and doing the same things over and over again, like getting a room at the inn or hanging out with Cremia and Romani at their ranch, or riding around Termina on Epona. Truly this game deserves as much attention and admiration like Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time. But I know why it doesn't, the game isn't for everyone. The constant threat of the moon and only having a short amount of time to complete a dungeon or to get a certain mask and the stress and panic that you can experience, or seeing so many people in pain. Like Anju hoping that Kafei will show up, the guards not being able to seek shelter as well as the postman, or Romani if you didn't fight off the aliens and protect the farm.
But to review the game for its game play, I would have to give it a 10/10. Everything from collecting the masks, bottles, heart pieces and that they don't feel like a nuisance, but rather a worth while task that helps you progress through the game and the satisfaction that it brings when you have collected everything. And the fairies that are in the temples are a nice touch as well, instead of just completing the dungeons you also have the option to collect the fairies and if you collect all of them and make it to the fairy fountain in time you will be rewarded greatly. As for the masks, every mask has its own story and very unique process of collecting them. For example, the Bunny Hood is one of the most important masks in the game, because it gives you the ability to travel very quickly, and its especially useful considering that you only have a limited amount of time to complete tasks. Another really useful mask is the Bomb Mask or the Stone Mask or even the Mask of Scents. And of course there is the dungeons which are incredible as always, from the music, sounds, atmosphere, puzzles, items, enemies, bosses and fairies, every dungeon in Majora's Mask is flawless. And how they added a limited amount of time to complete things, it must have been very difficult to put that all together, but thankfully they gave us more than enough time. The game can be very intimidating at first, but after a while I got used to it. And of course the fighting mechanics in the game are flawless, as well as the process of collecting certain items and figuring out how to use them and the different ways that there are to fighting certain enemies, there is so much to explore and experience, it never gets boring.
There are people who are debating on which one was better, but personally I think that overall the 3DS version is better and I'll tell you why. First of all the graphics, how you can keep track of everything in the Bombers Notebook, how you have to use the Goron Mask to get a room at the inn which makes much more sense considering that the room was reserved for a Goron, how in the the Clock Tower there is the Sheikah Stone which helps you keep track of things, how there are more areas to save your game, how certain masks are obtained, Zora Link being able to swim more easily and not having to use magic to do so and the bank being in a much better spot. But there is one thing that I liked better in the Nintendo 64 version, and that's the boss fight in Stone Tower Temple, but other than that I would say that they improved the game in every way possible.
Now on to the soundtrack, I would give it a 10/10. Every song in the game is unique and very well put together and goes perfectly with the atmosphere of every location. I would say that the soundtrack for Majora's Mask is Nintendos greatest accomplishment, with Ocarina of Time being very close behind.
And for the story, I would also give it a 10/10. The game speaks for itself. Only having three days to save the world from being destroyed by a moon that's being pulled down by a Skull Kid wearing a demonic mask that gives him supernatural powers. Need I say more?
This game isn't for everyone, but if you like a challenge and want to experience something truly unique and unforgettable, I would recommend giving this game a try. Overall, this game is flawless. 10/10