The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Nintendo 64, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U)
Release Date	Nintendo 64 JP April 27, 2000 US October 26, 2000 EU November 17, 2000 Wii Virtual Console EU April 2, 2009 AU April 2, 2009 US May 18, 2009 Wii U Virtual Console PAL June 23, 2016 JP June 29, 2016 US November 24, 2016
Genre	Adventure
Gallery	GH Gallery
Rating	ESRB: E

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is the sixth game in the Zelda series and the second Nintendo 64 installment. Developed on the same engine that was used in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask adds a unique gameplay system in which the same three days are replayed over and over again.

Story

While searching for a friend in the Lost Woods, Link is robbed by a Skull Kid in a mask. Chasing after the Skull Kid, Link stumbles into a mysterious land called Termina. He catches up with the Skull Kid, but the Skull Kid turns Link into a Deku Scrub.

Link quickly discovers that Termina is doomed. The moon is going to crash into the world and destroy it. So, Link faces his greatest challenge yet: stop the moon in three days.

Gamplay

Majora's Mask is a unique game which focuses more on sidequests than a sprawling adventure. The player starts in Clock Town, which acts as the central hub of Clock Town. The game runs on a timer which marks the passage of the three days until the moon crashes into Clock Town. Each minute corresponds to an hour, which adds up to a total of 72 minutes. Before the end of the third day, Link must play the Song of Time to return to the first day. This not only ensures Link's survival, but it is the only way to save the game. There are also other songs which play around with time, as the Inverted Song of Time slows time down to double the time limit, while the Song of Double Time will allow the player to skip ahead. Link spends his first cycle trapped in Deku Scrub form and must be spent exploring Clock Town to find the Skull Kid in order to retrieve the Ocarina.

The game contains only four dungeons, as the game is more about journeying through the different regions to each temple and completing as many sidequests within the allotted three days. When going back in time, all of Link's tasks will be undone. However, he will keep all of his inventory (aside from Rupees, replenishable items and event items) which includes the reward from completing a dungeon. The game also contains a variety of collectible masks, most of which are earned from completing sidequests. These masks give special powers with varying degrees of usefulness. There are also several transformation masks which are vital to the story and contain another gameplay variation for this installment. Link can find Deku, Goron and Zora Masks which can be used to assume the form of the corresponding species. These forms all have their own distinct abilities and disadvantages. Deku Link can skip across water, spit bubbles and float through the air after firing himself from certain buds, but is weak against fire. Goron Link can attac enemies with punches and can get around by rolling, producing spikes with enough magic power. Zora Link is mostly useful for exploring water, but this form also has boomerang fins and an electrical force field. One last transformation mask is available at the end of the game and is only used for boss fights. It is the Fierce Deity's Mask, which turns Link into a powerful adult figure who can fire sword beams.

Version Differences

There are several differences between the American and Japanese versions of this game. In the Japanese version, there was no interrupt save. This allowed for three files, while the American version only had two.

Continuity Notes

• This game acts as a direct sequel of Ocarina of Time, following the Hero of Time's adventures after being returned to his childhood at the end of Ocarina of Time. This marks the first game in the branch of the official timeline that is referred to as the Child Timeline. The next game taking place in this timeline is Twilight Princess.
• This game contains various characters who are identical to characters from Ocarina of Time, which is explained by Termina being a parallel world. One exception is the Skull Kid, who implies that he is the same Skull Kid who learned Saria's Song from Link in Ocarina of Time. It is also possible that the Happy Mask Salesman and Kaepora Gaebora are the same as their counterparts from Hyrule.
• Link is teamed with Epona (the Hyrule Historia explaining that he borrowed the horse before his journey) again, and the same Princess Zelda from Ocarina appears in flashback. Link is also said to be looking for Navi following her disappearance after the ending of Ocarina.

Legacy

One lasting legacy of Majora's Mask is it's darker tone, which later influenced The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Its sidequests also seem to have influenced the handling of sidequests in later games, and it established more of the characters who would be recycled throughout the series.

Ports and Rereleases

• In November 2003, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was included in The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition promotional disk for the Nintendo Gamecube. This version was known to have several altered sound effects, a lowered frame rate and a higher chance of freezing up.
• It was released for download on the Wii as part of its Virtual Console in April 2009, and it was later released for the Wii U through its own Virtual Console in 2016.
• It received a 3DS remake in 2015, known as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D.
• In February 2022, it was added to the digital library of games that could be played on the Nintendo Switch through a subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack service.

Sequels

The next game in the Zelda series was actually a pair of handheld games that were released at the simultaneously: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. The next console game would be The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Nintendo Gamecube.