Majora's Mask doesn't entirely follow the "real Zelda formula", but it's still one of the best Zeldas ever.
Released on the Nintendo 64 on October 25th, 2000
Released on the Wii's Virtual Console in May 2009
Note: This review was written based on playing the Virtual Console version of this game. The Virtual Console retains all of the gameplay, music, and dialogue of the original game, so I basically just played the same game with a different controller.
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As many people know, the Legend of Zelda franchises is one of the most popular video game series in history. Today, it ranks within the Top 10 bestselling video game franchises of all time, and some Zelda games are within the Top 50 highest-rated games ever, according to sites like Gamerankings. But even with the high sales of every Zelda game, some installments in the series still manage to get overshadowed by others. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is one of those games
Majora's Mask is not an obscure game by any means, but it's still often overlooked by Zelda fans and gamers alike for being released fairly late in the Nintendo 64 lifespan, and for living in the shadow of Ocarina of Time, quite possibly the most well-known Zelda game out there. For those who did actually play Majora's Mask, many put the game to shame for "not following the real Zelda formula" and for being filled with "stupid gimmicks". I personally disagree with these sorts of people, because after playing Majora's Mask for the first time, I already have no trouble calling it one of my three favorite Zelda games.
Majora's Mask is intended to be directly after Ocarina of Time in the Zelda timeline, with the player taking control of a younger Link after Ocarina's events have passed (and yet like every other Zelda game, Link seems to have lost all of his items and physical fitness since his last adventure). Link is just minding his own business in the woods one day when he gets sucked into yet another world-saving adventure. Link is asked by a Mask Salesman to return Majora's Mask to him, a powerful evil mask stolen by the Skull Kid, who is using the mask's powers to make the moon crash into the nearby Termina Field. Link only has three days to journey through temples and use the powers of four godesses to stop the inevitable destruction of the Earth.
This is where of the main "gimmicks" of Majora's Mask comes in. With no possible way to do everything in this game in only three days, Link has to use his Ocarina of Time to travel back to the dawn of the first day at any time he wishes, which is essential to completing the game. Not only does traveling back to the first day save the game, but it also retains all "important" items that Link has collected on his adventure. He will still have all of his collected Heart Containers, weapon upgrades, and general items, but he can't keep any of his rupees, arrows, bombs, or anything other small details. Some people hate the game for this "Three Day" concept, but I think it adds a unique twist to the game. There are also many sidequests throughout Majora's Mask that involve being in a certain place at a certain time, which adds a lot more depth to the world that the game takes place in.
Another feature to Majora's Mask is, well...masks. There are about 20 unique masks to collect in the game, and they each have their own abilities. There are 3 transformation masks, which allow Link to actually turn into different species (Deku Scrub, Goron, and Zora) and use their powers to his advantage. All of the other masks maintain Link's human form, but let him do things like negotiate with certain people or disguise himself from enemies. The masks are a really cool part of the game, and the task of collecting them all offers a lot of different sidequests.
Speaking of sidequests, Majora's Mask is FILLED with a lot of extra things to do. Some have said that Majora's Mask is "90% sidequests, 10% story", and in a way, this is true. There are only 4 dungeons to play through in this game, and if one were to breeze through Majora's Mask while doing as few sidequests as possible, the game would only take a few hours to beat. But for those who are looking for a lot of fun sidequests in a Zelda game, this is the perfect choice. Like I said earlier, the game's three-day concept has you doing certain minigames at certain times of day, which is an interesting idea because you usually have to play a minigame three times, once per "day" in order to get a mask or an upgrade.
In terms of graphics, Majora's Mask has a very similar look to its predecessor, Ocarina of Time. The 64-bit graphics of this game still hold up pretty well today, and don't like blocky or blurred like some games from the 64-bit era may look to a modern-day gamer. I was fairly impressed with the visuals of Majora's Mask, and seeing how I just played this game for the first time this year, it shows that the graphics still look pretty decent in modern times. Majora's Mask sound, however, excells even farther. Sure, there's no voice acting other than a few grunts or yells, but the original music of Majora's Mask is great. You can even find yourself humming along to songs like the Clock Town theme or the Stone Tower music, and the sound effects of Majora's Mask are just as realistic and fitting as they were in Ocarina.
Although there are only four dungeons in Majora's Mask, the great level design of the dungeons more than makes up for their number. Each dungeon has its own "element" (by that, I mean forest, mountain, water, etc.), and like anyone would expect, they get progressively more challening. In each dungeon you'll obtain a new inventory item, and every dungeon requires you to make use of your transformation masks to solve the puzzles (Heck, the last dungeon, Stone Tower Temple, makes you use all 3!). After beating each dungeon boss for the first time, you can also return to the first day and warp from the dungeon entrance straight to the boss, which is helpful since some sidequests require you to have beaten certain bosses to trigger some events in the game.
At it's core, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has the same "traditional Zelda formula" that many Zelda fans would want, but it also has some ideas of its own that make the game even better. Majora's Mask has one of the deepest and most well-designed worlds of any Zelda game, and I would highly recommend Majora's Mask Zelda fans and gamers alike.
Breakdown by category:
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 10/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Fun Level: 9/10
Pros and Cons
+ Well-designed dungeons
+ The three-day concept and the masks are really cool
+ Great music
+ It has everything Zelda fans will love and more
+ Lots of great sidequests
- The sidequests take up a good chunk of the game, so those looking for a longer main adventure may be disappointed
- Some parts of the game make you use certain Ocarina songs so many times (I'm looking at you, Elegy of Emptiness)
Overall score: 9.0/10