The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Developer(s)	Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto Eiji Aonuma
Engine	Ocarina of Time
Release date(s)	^JP April 27, 2000 ^NA October 26, 2000 ^EU November 17, 2000
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: E (Everyone) ELSPA: 11+ OFLC: G8+
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64 Nintendo GameCube
Media	256 Mbit (32 MB) N64 cartridge Nintendo GameCube Game Disc
System requirements	Expansion Pak (Nintendo 64)
Input	Gamepad

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (ゼルダの伝説ムジュラの仮面, Zeruda no Densetsu Mujura no Kamen^?) is a video game for the Nintendo 64 console. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, in North America on October 26, 2000, and in Europe on November 17, 2000.^[1] The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first week of sales in Japan^[2] and it went on to sell three million copies in total.^[3]

Majora's Mask is the sixth installment in The Legend of Zelda series, which began with The Legend of Zelda in 1986. It was the second Legend of Zelda video game to feature 3D graphics. Majora's Mask features a broader and darker story as well as deeper game-play than its predecessor, Ocarina of Time. The protagonist of the series, Link, is placed in the land of Termina, rather than Hyrule, where most of the series is set. A mysterious mask-wearing imp known as the Skull Kid has persuaded a moon to abandon its orbit and crash into Termina. The player repeatedly lives through three days by utilizing time travel in order to prevent this catastrophe. Majora's Mask is widely known as the darkest game in the Zelda series to date, largely due to its plot leading to an impending apocalypse and the deaths of numerous characters along the way.

The gameplay is centered around a repeatedly played three-day cycle and the use of masks, some of which are required to proceed and complete the game. A variety of songs control the flow of time and open passages to the four Temples that Link must complete. Unlike Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask requires the use of the Expansion Pak, which allows for a larger number of on-screen characters and improved graphics. Majora's Mask was generally received well by critics, who cited the graphic improvements as well as a deeper storyline.

1 Gameplay
2 Plot
- 2.1 Setting
- 2.2 Story
3 Development
- 3.1 Differences from Ocarina of Time
4 Reception
5 Differences from versions
- 5.1 GameCube re-release
6 Notes and references
7 External links

[edit] Gameplay

Link has three days to prevent the moon from abandoning its orbit and crashing into Termina.

The game-play in Majora's Mask expands upon that of Ocarina of Time; while retaining puzzles based on the use of different weapons and music, Majora's Mask also includes masks, character transformations, and the limit of a three-day cycle to add further difficulty and variety to many quests in the game. A useful step in navigating this strange way of playing would be to break down a quest into segments. The first four bosses have the following basis:

1. The receiving of a mask, or a quest to get additional masks. 2. A quest to get to the main dungeon, most likely to learn a song as the "key" to getting inside. 3. The dungeon and its boss 4. An optional side quest after beating the boss.

It usually takes a player 3 "days" to complete quests one and two on normal time, and 2 "days" on slow time. It is wise to rewind time after step two has been completed for this reason: after finishing the dungeon a small glitch occurs. Example: If you learned the song for the first dungeon after saving the prisoner, rewound time, and completed the dungeon, it will be like you did the whole thing without rewinding time. This is extremely useful, and sometimes necessary advantage.

Link maintains a repertoire of basic actions including walking, running, somersaulting and limited jumping. As in previous installments of the series, Link uses a variety of weapons to battle enemies and to solve puzzles. The sword is his standard weapon and is the most frequently used weapon in the game. Link has several different sword techniques and several more can be learned throughout the course of play. The shield is used for defending. The bow and arrows are typically used to attack a distant enemy or to activate a switch, although they can also assist in close-range combat. Link can stun enemies with deku nuts, then inflict damage with another weapon. Bombs can be used to damage enemies and clear other obstacles, while the hookshot is capable of latching onto an enemy and pulling it towards Link or vice versa.

Because of the 3-day time system, Majora's Mask is the first game in the Zelda series to have a boss replay feature. After defeating a boss and playing the Song of Time, the player could reenter the dungeon and be invited back to the boss room via a warp pad that lies very close to the dungeon's entrance.

[edit] Masks and transformations

Masks first appeared as a sidequest in Ocarina of Time, but they play a much more important role in Majora's Mask. Whereas Ocarina of Time has a few masks of which only one can be carried at a time, Majora's Mask has a complete inventory of twenty-four masks, of which six are necessary to progress through the game. Some masks are invaluable, others are helpful, and a few are used only once.

Link in his Goron form, fighting with a Dodongo in the northern Termina Field.

Unlike previous Zelda titles, Link is not limited to his human form; three special masks allow Link to transform into different species: the Deku mask transforms Link into a Deku Scrub, the Goron mask into a Goron, and the Zora mask into a Zora. Each transformation grants unique abilities: the Deku Scrub can perform a spin dash, shoot bubbles from its mouth, and skip on water a limited number of times. The Goron transformation can roll around at high speeds, punch with deadly force, and stomp the ground with his massive body. The Zora transformation can use its sleek body to swim rapidly, throw boomerang-like fins from his arms and generate a force field. Many areas of the game can only be accessed by Link's use of these abilities.

Link and his three transformations receive different reactions from various non-player characters. For instance, the Goron and Zora are allowed to exit Clock Town, but the Deku Scrub looks like a child and the guards do not permit him to pass. Many animals also interact differently with all four forms of Link. For example, Link's normal form receives an indifferent response from dogs, which will go about their business as they would in Ocarina of Time. The Deku Scrub transformation, however, will be attacked if he goes near a dog, the Goron transformation will frighten the dog away, and the Zora transformation makes the dog chase him happily.

Link in his Zora form, playing a fish skeleton guitar.

A special mask called the Fierce Deity's Mask can be obtained at the end of the game if all of the other masks have been located. The Fierce Deity's Mask transforms Link into a larger, more powerful version of himself, with characteristic face markings, malicious-looking white eyes, a silver tunic, and mystical torso armor. He also uses a large two-handed sword which is capable of shooting bursts of energy when targeting an enemy. To counter its power, the mask may only be used during boss battles. The Fierce Deity features the same voice as Adult Link from Ocarina of Time.

It should be noted that a minor mask known as the Giant's Mask found as a second treasure in Stone Tower Temple (the first being the Light Arrow) also carries the same single limitation that the Fierce Deity's Mask has. The Giant's Mask causes Link to instantaneously grow to the size of a giant in order to combat the boss of the dungeon on its own terms. The Giant's Mask could be considered a transformation mask as the subsequent animation of Link putting on the mask and being overwhelmed by the power within is present. Due to the extreme changes of Link's body when wearing the mask Link is only able to wear it in the boss room where Twinmold dwells, aiding Link significantly against its immense size.

Aside from the transformation masks, many masks provide some sort of situational benefit. For example, the Great Fairy's Mask helps retrieve the stray fairies scattered throughout the four temples; the Bunny Hood allows Link to run faster; and the Stone Mask turns Link invisible to most non-player characters and enemies. Less valuable masks, however, are usually involved only in optional sidequests or very specialized situations. Examples are the Postman's Hat, which allows Link access to an item hidden in a mailbox, and Kafei's Mask, which initiates a long and complicated sidequest that offers several masks as prizes.

[edit] Three-day cycle

Since its debut, the Legend of Zelda series has always placed a heavy emphasis on free, open-ended exploration. The Legend of Zelda (1986) is a vastly different game from Super Mario Bros. (1985): the timed, linear levels of the latter are replaced with an expansive world that the player may explore at will, provided he has the tools to reach his destination. Link may revisit areas he has been to and proceeds with the game only when he is ready. The game has no numerical score, just the satisfaction of finding hidden treasures and collecting every item. This concept is retained in Majora's Mask, but for the first time in the series (excluding the Legend of Zelda titles released on Nintendo's Satellaview), a time limit of sorts is imposed. Link is not free to wander around a Temple forever; by the end of the third day he must travel back in time, restarting from Clock Town. Players must plan what to accomplish in one cycle; attempting to complete too much could result in running out of time half-way through a task. That in turn could result in being forced to abandon it and start over in another cycle. While players of previous Zelda titles had to get used to this, they also had a pleasant surprise; Majora's Mask is the only Zelda game in which one can fight a boss battle over again without starting the save file over. There is also a secret shrine containing 4 mini-bosses from previous dungeons, so that the battles can be enjoyed repeated times on the same file.

Link can easily keep track of time by a persistent timer at the bottom of the screen. One hour in the game is approximately one real-time minute. Before the end of the seventy-two game hours, Link must return to the beginning of the first day to repeat the cycle. By doing so, Link is stripped of minor items collected during that cycle, but major items such as masks, key event items, and weapons remain.

Link is not the only character who are concerned with time. Non-player characters have schedules they follow during the cycle and most of them are in need of help in some way. Using a schedule book of sorts (the bombers notebook) given to him in Clock Town, Link can keep track of the schedules of multiple people and identify the crucial points at which he may intervene to assist. By timing his actions to arrive at the correct moment and resolve problems ranging from providing a soldier with medicine to reuniting an engaged couple, Link can earn masks and other beneficial items to aid him.

[edit] Songs

The Ocarina of Time, a mystical instrument given to Link, plays an important role in Majora's Mask. As in the previous game, Link learns to play magical songs from those he meets in order to gain special abilities, ranging from controlling the weather to such powers as teleportation and time travel. Each transformation mask uses a different instrument: Deku Link plays the Deku pipes, Goron Link plays a set of bongo drums, and Zora Link plays the fishbone guitar.

The most important song in the game is the Song of Time. It is used to return Link to the beginning of the first day; this is the only way to revisit the three-day cycle and permanently save one's progress; and playing the song notes in reverse will make time flow slower, while playing the first three notes twice each will make Link advance in time, to the next dawn/night. Other songs are primarily used for a plot-related effect, such as opening a new path. The Elegy of Emptiness is unique in that it is used extensively as a puzzle in one of the dungeons. Also, the Song of Healing is used in both the main storyline as well as several side-quests to unlock more items. Finally, songs like the Song of Soaring exist for the player's convenience, allowing teleportation to major locations and making it easier to do the many odd-jobs and available sidequests.

[edit] Plot

[edit] Setting

Main article: Termina

Further information: Characters from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

A map of Termina. Areas are revealed as the player buys maps from Tingle.

Termina appears to be an alternate version of Hyrule: the majority of the Ocarina characters were reused in Majora's Mask with slight differences. For example, the younger and older versions of Malon from Ocarina of Time appear as sisters named Romani and Cremia living on a farm on Milk Road. Also, the unnamed red-head whose Cucco could be retrieved for a reward in Ocarina of Time, is a resident of Clock Town named Anju, and is a key element to a very intricate sidequest. Several other characters were also reused in Majora's Mask, some of which include the Ocarina vagrant, who administrates the Clock Town bank, The gravekeeper Dampé, who runs the Graveyard in both games, and the Ocarina carpenters, whose occupations remain the same.

The land of Termina contains a wide variety of terrain. Clock Town lies at the center of Termina and is the place Link starts from when he returns to the beginning of the three-day cycle. The centerpiece of Clock Town is the large clock on Clock Tower that counts down the three days before the Carnival of Time. Termina Field surrounds Clock Town; beyond lie a swamp, a mountain range, a bay, and a canyon in each of the four compass directions. The main portion of the game features Link traveling to dungeons in these areas and defeating the boss within.

To the south of Clock Town is the Southern Swamp. The resident Deku population has set up a hereditary monarchy within the confines of the jungle-like area. The most prominent feature of this area is the Woodfall Temple, an ancient shrine that has fallen into disuse and now plays home to various monsters that have been poisoning the local swamp. North of Clock Town is the Snowhead mountain range where the Gorons live. Though normally temperate, the area has been experiencing an unusually long winter caused by a monster in Snowhead Temple. The western area of Termina is the Great Bay. The Zoras live here along with a society of Gerudo pirates. Unfortunately, a monster in the Great Bay Temple is causing a large number of storms and contaminating the water. The Ikana Canyon lies to the east. It is a desolate and barely inhabited area filled with the wandering spirits of the dead. A monster from the Stone Tower Temple is casting an evil aura over the land.

[edit] Story

The Skull Kid wearing Majora's Mask.

Majora's Mask begins with Link riding his horse Epona through the Lost Woods, searching for his fairy friend, Navi. He is ambushed by a Skull Kid wearing a strange mask and his two fairy friends, Tatl and Tael (which, when said one after the other, make tattle tale). They steal Epona and the Ocarina of Time from Link and run off into a mysterious cave. After a transition sequence analogous to Alice in Wonderland, Link catches up with them, only to be changed into a Deku Scrub through the Skull Kid's mysterious power. The Skull Kid and Tael race off, but Tatl is left behind after a door closes in front of her. Because she is a fairy, she cannot open it and appeals to Link for help. Tatl apologizes and offers to aid him in restoring his natural form. Link proceeds past the cave's obstacles with Tatl as he comes to terms with his new body.

Link travels across the land of Termina at sunrise.

Link chases the Skull Kid through the cave and somehow ends up in an alternate dimension called Termina. Inside some sort of clock tower, Link meets the Happy Mask Salesman, who says that he can help Link if he retrieves the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask from the Skull Kid. As they leave the clock tower, Link and Tatl find themselves in the middle of a city named Clock Town, which is preparing for its annual festival, the Carnival of Time. Link learns that a looming catastrophe is threatening Termina: the moon in the sky has abandoned its orbit and is travelling towards the land. In just three short days, it will crash into Clock Town and destroy Termina. Link eventually locates the Skull Kid and Tael at midnight on the third day at the top of the clock tower. He manages to retrieve his Ocarina of Time from the Skull Kid but is unable to get the mask. Instead, he plays the Song of Time and its power sends him back in time to the beginning of the first day he arrived in Termina.

Link goes to see the Happy Mask Salesman, who teaches him the Song of Healing, a melody that is capable of curing anyone who has been cursed. With the Song of Healing, Link returns to his human form, transforming the curse into the Deku Mask. However, Link was unable to recover Majora's Mask. The Happy Mask Salesman tells Link about the story of Majora's Mask: Majora's Mask is an accursed item from legend, said to have been used by an ancient tribe in its hexing rituals. The Mask grants its wielder's wishes, but possesses them with an evil, apocalyptic power. According to this legend, the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great that the ancient ones, fearing catastrophe, "sealed the Mask in shadow forever", preventing its misuse. However, the legendary tribe vanished and the origin and the true nature of the Mask were lost forever. Skull Kid, possessed by Majora's Mask, was the one who drew the moon out of its orbit, threatening to destroy Termina. Link realizes that the only ones who can stop the moon are the Four Giants, the ancient protectors of Termina. Once Link discovers how to travel back to the beginning of the three days, the real adventure begins. Link has to fight, solve puzzles, and think his way through the four major lands of Termina: a poisonous swamp, an icy mountain, a murky bay, and a deserted canyon. Each region contains its own dungeon that Link must go through. Once he successfully defeats the masked boss at the end of a dungeon, Link obtains the friendship of one of the four giants. During his journey on Termina, Link learns about happiness and friendship.

When the dungeons are completed and a sequence of events are triggered, Link is able to call the giants, who halt the moon's passage towards Termina. Skull Kid, in an attempt to free himself from Majora's Mask, collapses and is left unconscious. Tatl and Tael are reunited, thinking that the danger is over. However, Majora's Mask rises from Skull Kid, taking life in its own. Majora's Mask says that Skull Kid's role as a puppet is over and enters to the moon. The moon then becomes too heavy for the Four Giants to hold. With the help of Tatl, Link must then enter the moon and face Majora's Mask itself to determine the fate of Termina.^[4] In a long and fierce battle, Link defeats Majora and the moon is destroyed in a large and glowing rainbow that flies across the skies of Termina. Link finds the now-freed Skull Kid, who says to the Four Giants, his old friends, if they have forgotten him. The Four Giants say that they haven't forgotten him and that they are still his friends, and return to their sleep. Tatl and Tael reunite with Skull Kid, who says to Link that having friends is a good thing. The Happy Mask Salesman regains Majora's Mask, revealing that the mask has been purified and its evil power has been destroyed. Also, he says to Link that the masks he collected are filled with happiness, a happiness that is stronger than any power. The Happy Mask Salesman walks away and vanishes, but not before telling to Link that he should return to his world now. Link gets on Epona, waves goodbye to Tatl, Tael and Skull Kid, and rides away. The Carnival of Time finally begins, and a great celebration ensues across Termina. Link rides through the Lost Woods, and returns to Hyrule. The game ends with a drawing of Link, Tatl, Tael, Skull Kid and the Four Giants.

[edit] Development

Scenes featuring the fairies Tatl and Tael were some of the first introduced into the video game's production.

Following the release of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening in 1993, fans waited five years for Ocarina of Time, the active development of which took four years. By re-using the game engine and graphics from Ocarina of Time, a smaller team required only two years to finish Majora's Mask. According to director Eiji Aonuma, they were "faced with the very difficult question of just what kind of game could follow Ocarina of Time and its worldwide sales of seven million units", and as a solution, came up with the three-day system to "make the game data more compact while still providing deep gameplay."^[5]

Majora's Mask first started to appear in the media in May 1999, when Famitsu stated that a long-planned Zelda expansion for the 64DD was underway in Japan with no release date set. This project was tentatively titled "Ura Zelda", "Ura" translating approximately to "Hidden" or "Behind". This expansion would take Ocarina of Time and make changes to the level designs, similar to how the "second quest" of The Legend of Zelda expanded upon the original game.^[6] In June, Nintendo announced that "Zelda: Gaiden", which roughly translates to "Zelda: Side Story", would appear as a playable demo at Nintendo's SpaceWorld exhibition on August 27, 1999.^[7] It was assumed by the media that Zelda: Gaiden was the new working title for Ura Zelda.^[7]

Screenshots of Zelda: Gaiden released in August show unmistakable elements of the final version of Majora's Mask, such as the large clock that dominates the center of Clock Town, the persistent timer at the bottom of the screen, and the Goron mask.^[8] Story and gameplay details revealed later that month show that the opening story of Link's travel to a parallel world where the moon is threatening to crash as well as the use of masks to transform into a Goron, a Zora, and a Deku Scrub are already in place.^[9]

That same month, Miyamoto confirmed in a Famitsu article that Ura Zelda and Zelda: Gaiden are separate projects.^[10] It is unclear if Zelda: Gaiden is an offshoot of Ura Zelda or if the two were always separate. Ura Zelda would become the Master Quest outside Japan, eventually released on a bonus disc for the GameCube given to those that preordered The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; a PAL/NTSC Nintendo 64 release was cancelled due to the failure of the 64DD in Japan.

In November, Nintendo announced a "holiday 2000" release date for Zelda: Gaiden.^[11] By March 2000, new tentative titles were announced that would become the finalized titles: The Legend of Zelda: Mask of Mujula in Japan and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask elsewhere.^[12]

[edit] Differences from Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask runs on an upgraded version of the game engine used in Ocarina of Time and requires the use of the 4MB Expansion Pak.^[13] The requirement is thought to be due to Majora's Mask's possible origin as a 64DD title, which would necessitate an extra 4MB of RAM.^[13] The use of the Expansion Pak allows for greater draw distances, more accurate dynamic lighting, more detailed textures, more detailed animation, complex framebuffer effects such as motion blur, and more characters displayed on the screen.^[13] The expanded draw distance permits the player to see extremely far in Termina, and eliminates the use of fog to obscure distant areas that had appeared in Ocarina of Time.^[13] IGN considered the texture design to be one of the best created for the Nintendo 64, saying that although some textures have a low resolution, they are "colorful and diverse", which gives each area "its own unique look".^[13] Finally, all building interiors are rendered in real-time, unlike the fixed 3D featured in Ocarina of Time.

The music was composed by Koji Kondo and Toru Minegishi,^[14] whose score featured new interpretations of familiar melodies from Ocarina of Time and other previous titles in the Zelda series along with new material. The main overworld theme from the original Legend of Zelda returned, after being conspicuously absent from Ocarina of Time.^[15] Fujiko Takimoto, who contributed to the voice of Link in Ocarina of Time, returned for Majora's Mask. Nobuyuki Hiyama, who voiced adult Link, contributed to the voice of Fierce Deity Link and Zora Link.

[edit] Reception

The original, gold-colored cartridge had a holographic label.

The game sold approximately 314,000 copies in its first week of sales in Japan,^[2] and has sold three million copies worldwide.^[3]

Despite superficial similarities to Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask is often described as different from and much darker than the rest of the series. Edge magazine referred to Majora's Mask as "the oddest, darkest and saddest of all Zelda games".^[16] Reviews were generally favorable, although opinions are mixed regarding whether the game is as good as its predecessor. Some feel that Majora's Mask is significantly better than Ocarina of Time in certain areas. According to Famitsu, "The difficulty level of the game is drastically improved [from Ocarina of Time], the limited saves, and the time limit to finish the game all help to make the game more enjoyable to play".^[17] IGN described Majora's Mask as "The Empire Strikes Back of Nintendo 64. It's the same franchise, but it's more intelligent, darker, and tells a much better storyline". ^[13] Majora's Mask was one of the last major titles for the Nintendo 64, and may have suffered in terms of popular interest due to the familiarity of the technology. Nevertheless, GamePro described the game as "living proof that the N64 still has its magic". It has been ranked the 7th-greatest game of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly, where as Ocarina of Time was ranked 8th.^[18] One common criticism is that Majora's Mask is not as accessible as Ocarina of Time. GameSpot, giving Majora's Mask a slightly disappointing 8.3/10 compared to the 10/10 that was given to Ocarina of Time, wrote that some might "find the focus on minigames and side quests tedious and slightly out of place".^[19] Game-Revolution wrote that it "takes a little longer to get into this Zelda", but also that "there are moments when the game really hits you with all its intricacies and mysteries, and that makes it all worthwhile".^[20]

[edit] Differences from versions

In Japan, three files were shown. The only way to save the game was to play the Song of Time to return to the first day. By the time the English version was developed, Nintendo added an interrupt save feature so the players can quit and pick up where they left off. If they continue the game but without saving an owl statue, they lose everything up to that point. One of the files was removed, making it the last Zelda game to feature two files rather than three.

Another difference in the versions was in the story. In the English version, Skull Kid placed a curse on Kafei to make him into a child. In the Japanese version, he stole the Sun's Mask from the Happy Mask Man and the Happy Mask Man turned him into a child.

[edit] GameCube re-release

In 2003, Nintendo re-released The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask on the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Collector's Edition, a special promotional disc which also contained Ocarina of Time as well as the original two 8-bit NES Zelda games, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.^[21] This disc could be purchased with a GameCube console, as part of a subscription offer to Nintendo Power magazine, or through Nintendo's official website by purchasing and registering a certain number of Nintendo-published games.^[22] The offer expired in early 2004.

Similar to some other GameCube re-releases, the game is not a port in the traditional sense, but rather the ROM of the original game running on a software emulator.^[21] The only differences are the colors of the action buttons due to the GameCube's green A button and red B button and the pause screen's use and depiction of the L button as the left page scroller, as opposed to Z. Also, the manual states that due to the emulation some of the sounds have been altered from the originals. Aside from these, because it is only emulated (rather than altered for the new console), there are some timing discrepancies between the two consoles; some of the music sounds inaccurate on the GameCube and the frame rate is noticeably lower. The game also has a habit of freezing, unlike Ocarina of Time, causing unsaved data to be lost (though this problem is mostly eliminated by disabling the rumble feature). ^[21] Furthermore, the GameCube's controls are different from the Nintendo 64's. This results in occasional difficulties in performing maneuvers such as back-walking. Despite these problems, the GameCube version has a cleaner look since it runs at a higher resolution than its Nintendo 64 counterpart.^[21] In addition, the GameCube version supports component video connections and progressive scan (480p) or in PAL territories, 60 Hz.^[21]