Majora's Mask: An overlooked game? In the shadow of Ocarina of Time. (with a little poll)
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For me, even though I don't like time limits, that wasn't a big deal. Rather than dislike Majora's Mask, I just liked OoT more. The deciding factor for me was the atmosphere of the game.
In OoT, right at the game's opening line you feel drawn in. You realize you're the 'child of destiny' and the world just seems more magical. I found it to be more sublime and epic, I guess. Majora's Mask is good too, though. Its feel was, for me (as many of you have said) darker, as well as kind of twilight-zone feeling, such as under the Clock Tower or in Ikana. When you look at the symbolism in MM (a good way to summarize all this is listening to the grandmother's story) it kind of feels more like... I don't know, the game's atmosphere made me feel like it was a sum of tales out of Eastern European myth and fairy tales. Which was interesting, I just liked the grandeur of OoT more; it was the difference between an epic tale with a White Knight, something you'd find on a tapestry (and do in Wind Waker), and a fairy tale of demons that come to snatch children in the night.
Sorry if this is tl;dr, I just couldn't think of any other way to express the feel of these games for me.
EDIT: right after I posted this I realized the guy above me had summarized what I said in fewer words. damn.
In OoT, right at the game's opening line you feel drawn in. You realize you're the 'child of destiny' and the world just seems more magical. I found it to be more sublime and epic, I guess. Majora's Mask is good too, though. Its feel was, for me (as many of you have said) darker, as well as kind of twilight-zone feeling, such as under the Clock Tower or in Ikana. When you look at the symbolism in MM (a good way to summarize all this is listening to the grandmother's story) it kind of feels more like... I don't know, the game's atmosphere made me feel like it was a sum of tales out of Eastern European myth and fairy tales. Which was interesting, I just liked the grandeur of OoT more; it was the difference between an epic tale with a White Knight, something you'd find on a tapestry (and do in Wind Waker), and a fairy tale of demons that come to snatch children in the night.
Sorry if this is tl;dr, I just couldn't think of any other way to express the feel of these games for me.
EDIT: right after I posted this I realized the guy above me had summarized what I said in fewer words. damn.
I fucking LOVE Majora's Mask.
I would definitely put it in my top 2 or 3 games of all time.
It just had everything I love in a game; a deep story, great characters, and good bosses. The story was by far the darkest in all of Zelda's history (Come on, its about the apocalypse), deep characters that you actually feel for where you have to heal them with one of the most beautiful songs in video game history, and (where most people will disagree with me) it's one of the longer Zelda games. After you finish all of the quests, get all the masks, and get all the sword upgrades, it comes out to around 50 or so hours (at least for me)
I would definitely put it in my top 2 or 3 games of all time.
It just had everything I love in a game; a deep story, great characters, and good bosses. The story was by far the darkest in all of Zelda's history (Come on, its about the apocalypse), deep characters that you actually feel for where you have to heal them with one of the most beautiful songs in video game history, and (where most people will disagree with me) it's one of the longer Zelda games. After you finish all of the quests, get all the masks, and get all the sword upgrades, it comes out to around 50 or so hours (at least for me)
But the thing is, Ocarina of Time had a lot of character stories as well. A lot of the characters had intentions and ways in which you could intervene and help them along with earning awards for it, like Majora's Mask. Maybe not as many as Majora's Mask (Where almost everyone had a side story you could help them with), but it was still quite a few to keep you busy. It's those side-quests where you help out other characters that do make LoZ a good series I find, along wioth other stuff obviously.Boneasse said:
A man after my own heart. Rofl :-DJulianking93 said:
That's true. I'm not saying MM invented the side quests in the 3D-Zelda's at such. I just found the sher amount of stories and characters so in-detal and complicated that it suited me a bit betterZombie_Fish said:
Wow, that's almost exactly what I was gonna say to that guyBoneasse said:A man after my own heart. Rofl :-DJulianking93 said:
That's true. I'm not saying MM invented the side quests in the 3D-Zelda's at such. I just found the sher amount of stories and characters so in-detal and complicated that it suited me a bit betterZombie_Fish said:
It was undoubtedly my favorite Zelda game of all time. Of course my Nostalgia for OoT is far weaker than most, due to me being to young to beat, and really even remember it.
Majora's mask which was So much fun, although it's the first game I ever lost a controller to (and N64 controllers we're pretty durable. It took a full on (accidental) through out a second story window to break it. It was supposed to hit the wall. oops.).
The time limit added stress and challenge where many other Zeldas had none. It added the challenge and sense that you are running out of time that i feel a "Save the world" plot should have. Masks added dozens of unique abilities that never show up in other Zelda games, giving you powers other than boomerang, slingshot and hook shot. Not to mention the tons of side quests and other things to figure out and do.
Top 3 N64 games of all time, probably top ten of all time.
Majora's mask which was So much fun, although it's the first game I ever lost a controller to (and N64 controllers we're pretty durable. It took a full on (accidental) through out a second story window to break it. It was supposed to hit the wall. oops.).
The time limit added stress and challenge where many other Zeldas had none. It added the challenge and sense that you are running out of time that i feel a "Save the world" plot should have. Masks added dozens of unique abilities that never show up in other Zelda games, giving you powers other than boomerang, slingshot and hook shot. Not to mention the tons of side quests and other things to figure out and do.
Top 3 N64 games of all time, probably top ten of all time.
I'll agree with you on that though, there were a lot deeper characters in Majora's Mask than Ocarina Of Time and their stories were a lot more interesting, I will say that.Boneasse said:That's true. I'm not saying MM invented the side quests in the 3D-Zelda's at such. I just found the sher amount of stories and characters so in-detal and complicated that it suited me a bit better
Majora's Mask, while excellent, is still very much overlooked as a result of Ocarina's brilliance. I think Ocarina's accessibility just puts it in front of Majora's, but MM's superbly told story, astonishing design and odd, sad tone mark it out as one of the most emotionally stirring games ever. Anyone who has not played it needs to experience it.
EDIT: I honestly don't get what people's problem with the 3 day mechanic was. You always had more than enough time to complete a dungeon, outside of which you could roam about and essentially play it like any other game, only you needed to keep an eye on your clock to catch events. If you missed an event, you could always just rewind time and skip forward at leisure, so it was never too restricitve and certainly not a bugbear for me.
EDIT: I honestly don't get what people's problem with the 3 day mechanic was. You always had more than enough time to complete a dungeon, outside of which you could roam about and essentially play it like any other game, only you needed to keep an eye on your clock to catch events. If you missed an event, you could always just rewind time and skip forward at leisure, so it was never too restricitve and certainly not a bugbear for me.
YESSSSBoneasse said:
the world of MM was just felt so alive, there is no better zelda game, probably no better game period. I still haven't played a game with so many things happening at once with such elaborate subplots
almost every charachter had a story, alot of them were verry dark and sad and i liked that alot, helping them felt extremely rewarding, i still remember the wedding subplot with Kafei and Anju
i might be overeacting because it was so long ago but it's still my favorite game from my childhood
They were both extremely well made games, and they were good for different reasons.
Ocarina of Time was just all around a fantastic game, utilizing a unique storyline, interesting items, boss battles and terrain.
Majora's Mask was also quite unique, with more puzzles than its predecessor. The masks added a new element, finding hidden things by using a certain mask and so forth.
Ocarina of Time was just all around a fantastic game, utilizing a unique storyline, interesting items, boss battles and terrain.
Majora's Mask was also quite unique, with more puzzles than its predecessor. The masks added a new element, finding hidden things by using a certain mask and so forth.
Majora's mask is a very short game if you compaire it to ocarina of time.
But still, I think both games are the same level, with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Even thought Majora's mask wasnt as well embraced by some people, it must isnt a game that is bad nor is it easily forgotten.
( In my oppinion, I had more fun with the mask collecting in majora's mask, then I had with the entire ocarina of time game. )
But still, I think both games are the same level, with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Even thought Majora's mask wasnt as well embraced by some people, it must isnt a game that is bad nor is it easily forgotten.
( In my oppinion, I had more fun with the mask collecting in majora's mask, then I had with the entire ocarina of time game. )
Majora's Mask is my very close second favorite to Wind Waker (seriously, Wind Waker barely beats it).
It's just so deliciously dark compared to any other Zelda game. People were saying "Twilight Princess with have a much darker atmosphere than Majora's Mask!". Bull. Fucking. Shit. Ocarina of Time was darker than TP.
It's just so deliciously dark compared to any other Zelda game. People were saying "Twilight Princess with have a much darker atmosphere than Majora's Mask!". Bull. Fucking. Shit. Ocarina of Time was darker than TP.
I absolutely adored MM. Not only did it break from the routine of "Collect X of item Y, fight the bad guy, lose, get the master sword, collect A of item B, fight the bad guy, fight the bad guy again, save the princess (optional fight the bad guy again)" formula of pretty much every Zelda game since LttP, it offered up something I still haven't seen outside of an MMO, and even then rarely within one.
A believeable persistant world.
Yup. Pretty groundbreaking stuff. Sure, the persistant world was on a three day clock and repeated itself every time you reset it, but it was there... more to the point, learning the routine meant you could interrupt it, play out the possibilities. A perfect example;
I also ended up loving the time limit. Initially, the idea that I essentially had to complete the game within that set three days was a daunting prospect, and one I hated it. Even rewinding time came at the incredibly painful cost of losing all your ammunition and sometimes cash, which was often a good way to motivate me into turning off and coming back later, but I would come back.
The story, too, wasn't the typical Zelda fare. True, you were the only one who could save the world, but rather than being the mythical hero the world had been waiting for, you were just the one guy with the capability, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Link became John McClane, essentially.
In terms of characters, the fact that every single NPC in the game was living out their life on a three day schedule, regardless of whether you were there to see them or not, gave the world a truly organic feel I've never felt in a game since. Sure, GTA has rush hour traffic, it has civilians running to avoid the rain and ethnic groups living in certain areas of the city, but you'd never be able to follow one of those NPCs as they went about their day, talking to their family, worrying for their loved ones or risking their lives.
Link had a personality, of sorts, too. Rather than a quiet village boy essentially forced into a hero's role, imbued only with whatever personality gifted to him by the player, he was a loner, turning his back on the society he'd single-handedly saved in an attempt to seek out the one true companion he felt a bond with - ironically probably the most annoying character of OoT.
MM delivered in spades the things most people perceive Zelda games to be lacking. Complex, yet rewarding puzzles, dungeons that challenge without becoming impossible - no OoT-esque Water Temple - and a refreshing break from the Zelda narrative. No Ganondorf, no Zelda and no Triforce. Just two kids on opposite ends of a spectrum, looking for friendship.
MM was a game, I feel, for a thinking gamer, whether they're a Zelda fan or not. It was dark, often morose and incredibly sombre in places. But there were story-telling gems there... for all watching the moon hurtling towards Termina, moody music and all, could bring me to tears, the same scenario after completing one of the particularly challenging and lengthy side quests was one of the most heart-warming and endearing pieces of video-game narrative I've ever seen.
A believeable persistant world.
Yup. Pretty groundbreaking stuff. Sure, the persistant world was on a three day clock and repeated itself every time you reset it, but it was there... more to the point, learning the routine meant you could interrupt it, play out the possibilities. A perfect example;
Arriving at the inn when Anju is shaken up after receiving the postman's letter... so shook up she doesn't bother to check you in properly, so you end up stealing another guest's reservation, a guest you later see sleeping outside on the street.
I also ended up loving the time limit. Initially, the idea that I essentially had to complete the game within that set three days was a daunting prospect, and one I hated it. Even rewinding time came at the incredibly painful cost of losing all your ammunition and sometimes cash, which was often a good way to motivate me into turning off and coming back later, but I would come back.
The story, too, wasn't the typical Zelda fare. True, you were the only one who could save the world, but rather than being the mythical hero the world had been waiting for, you were just the one guy with the capability, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Link became John McClane, essentially.
In terms of characters, the fact that every single NPC in the game was living out their life on a three day schedule, regardless of whether you were there to see them or not, gave the world a truly organic feel I've never felt in a game since. Sure, GTA has rush hour traffic, it has civilians running to avoid the rain and ethnic groups living in certain areas of the city, but you'd never be able to follow one of those NPCs as they went about their day, talking to their family, worrying for their loved ones or risking their lives.
Link had a personality, of sorts, too. Rather than a quiet village boy essentially forced into a hero's role, imbued only with whatever personality gifted to him by the player, he was a loner, turning his back on the society he'd single-handedly saved in an attempt to seek out the one true companion he felt a bond with - ironically probably the most annoying character of OoT.
MM delivered in spades the things most people perceive Zelda games to be lacking. Complex, yet rewarding puzzles, dungeons that challenge without becoming impossible - no OoT-esque Water Temple - and a refreshing break from the Zelda narrative. No Ganondorf, no Zelda and no Triforce. Just two kids on opposite ends of a spectrum, looking for friendship.
MM was a game, I feel, for a thinking gamer, whether they're a Zelda fan or not. It was dark, often morose and incredibly sombre in places. But there were story-telling gems there... for all watching the moon hurtling towards Termina, moody music and all, could bring me to tears, the same scenario after completing one of the particularly challenging and lengthy side quests was one of the most heart-warming and endearing pieces of video-game narrative I've ever seen.