I actually started up a new game over the weekend to relive some of the nostalgia of my early teens. Even when the game came out in 2000, I enjoyed it more than OoT (which was my first Zelda game), but it really wasn't until this weekend that I could figure out why. So here's my reasons
Story
Majora's Mask is probably the most personal of the Zelda stories (at least from the ones I've played). This one has Link setting out on his own with his own personal goals, rather than using destiny as an excuse. With that in mind, it really exemplifies his noble self-sacrifice, that he's a hero by his own accord, and not just because that's what destiny dictates. I mean he could have just found a way to leave Termina after learning the Song of Healing and continue on his quest to find Navi, but he stays behind and gives every ounce of his strength to try and save this alien world... and he's 10 (my estimate).
I think that's what strikes the biggest chord with me is all the responsibility that rests upon him. He's 10 and he's been given mastery of time, bending it to his will and creating a Groundhog Day like effect. Yet this comes at a cost, because every time he has to go back, all the progress he's made is gone. He might have cleared the monkey's name or saved the Gorons from freezing/ starving, but in an effort to save the entire world he has to undo all that progress, all the while his only friend being an initially hostile and feisty fairy that has no qualms about calling him an idiot. It's like all the responsibility of adult Link's story in OoT, but played out from a child's point-of-view, and that really makes him stand out as a hero to me.
I also think Majora's Mask has some of the best fleshed out NPC's, all with their own routine that you learn more and more about as you continually travel back in time. There's also a lot of work put into changing up their attitude and demeanor on the different days, which really creates a reason to talk to each of them in each different form, on each different day, which really helps compact the story in a way.
Gameplay
It's pretty much lifted straight from OoT, except now kid Link can use weapons that were only available as adult Link. Overhauling the Mask mechanics from OoT was a really bold move and added a whole new approach to the game. It worked in some areas, but not in all, I thought the Woodfall Temple boss was pretty boring considering you mostly fight him in your human form rather than like the next two bosses which utilize your mask powers.
Of course the biggest feature was the timed mechanic which I thought was really intriguing, because it really does create a sense of impending doom that you don't ever really get in a lot of games. Sure NPC's in Skyrim will tell me that the Civil War is tearing the province apart, but wandering throughout the game map I never see this ever playing out, I don't see burned down villages or the aftermath of bloody battles, I just see the occasional prisoner caravan and maybe a group of three Stormcloaks fighting a few legionaries. Not exactly feeling the pressure to accomplish anything, whereas in Majora's Mask there's nothing but pressure. Even with playing the Inverted Song of Time, you have a very limited amount of time to accomplish anything before you have to watch it all be erased, and that can really add a damper to your spirit and sense of achievement. I generally avoid playing on the Final Day because it's at this point that people are so resigned to their fate and are just... depressed that it makes me sad to play it because I feel like I've let them down. That's some pretty amazing game design right there, especially at a time with limited budgets and tech power.
Side Quests
Majora's Mask also probably features some of the best incorporated reasons to actually do side quests. It helps flesh out the world around you and it's occupants, while also giving you an edge in combat for the latter stages of the game. I mean you can just rush through it, completing the four dungeons and then doing battle with Majora's Mask, but you'll only be going into it with 7 hearts and maybe two bottles for fairies. This kind of forces you to go out of your way and find the secrets of the land and explore it, which a lot of games only have because it's expected of them. Some of the quests to get the masks are incredibly rewarding, like the lengthy one for The Couple's Mask, which is easily one of the best parts of the game.
Music
While the game does recycle a few of the same songs from its predecessor, I think the original music of Majora's Mask is some of the best ever featured in a video game. The Song of Healing and Oath To Order are songs I never tire of hearing, and there's just parts of the game that are forever cemented in my head, like the Deku Palace music. The Woodfall Temple has some great ambient music that really fits the aesthetic design of both the temple and the temple boss. Snowhead Temple felt very minimalist and tense, which worked given the nature of the temple with that main room with the elevator like device. It's been too long since I've played the last two temples so my memories are pretty rusty, but regardless the point stands that the music from Majora's Mask had a more minimalist/ minor approach to it, which really made the dark nature of the story and the major time mechanic stand out.
Villain
I think Majora is a better villain than Ganondorf/ Ganon. While Ganondorf did completely destroy the town in OoT, he at least spared Kakariko Village and the forest areas, insinuating that he only desired power, not complete destruction. Conversely, Majora wants nothing but destruction, destruction and humiliation, as evidenced by all the acts he does over the course of three days like cursing Kafei, or attacking Kotake in the Woods of Mystery. Ganondorf is a one note kind of villain who's only real motivation is power, which is definitely understandable and the desire to see him punished is great, but I've always enjoyed a villain who's only motivation is destruction. It's the reason why we loved Heath Ledger's Joker so much in The Dark Knight, trying to understand a villain's motivations and being completely perplexed. It not only makes them seem that much more dangerous, but it makes your resolve much higher now that you know you must defeat them. Add in The Skull Kid element, a mischievous and possibly misunderstood perpetrator of everything and it adds a whole new layer to the villain, is it all Majora's fault, or is The Skull Kid as much to blame, with the mask just acting out the darker feelings that reside within the Skull Kid?
So that's my little breakdown of the game that I came up with this weekend. I'm glad a got a chance to actually get it all out, and I do like how a lot of other people seem to share my thoughts at least to some regard.
Story
Majora's Mask is probably the most personal of the Zelda stories (at least from the ones I've played). This one has Link setting out on his own with his own personal goals, rather than using destiny as an excuse. With that in mind, it really exemplifies his noble self-sacrifice, that he's a hero by his own accord, and not just because that's what destiny dictates. I mean he could have just found a way to leave Termina after learning the Song of Healing and continue on his quest to find Navi, but he stays behind and gives every ounce of his strength to try and save this alien world... and he's 10 (my estimate).
I think that's what strikes the biggest chord with me is all the responsibility that rests upon him. He's 10 and he's been given mastery of time, bending it to his will and creating a Groundhog Day like effect. Yet this comes at a cost, because every time he has to go back, all the progress he's made is gone. He might have cleared the monkey's name or saved the Gorons from freezing/ starving, but in an effort to save the entire world he has to undo all that progress, all the while his only friend being an initially hostile and feisty fairy that has no qualms about calling him an idiot. It's like all the responsibility of adult Link's story in OoT, but played out from a child's point-of-view, and that really makes him stand out as a hero to me.
I also think Majora's Mask has some of the best fleshed out NPC's, all with their own routine that you learn more and more about as you continually travel back in time. There's also a lot of work put into changing up their attitude and demeanor on the different days, which really creates a reason to talk to each of them in each different form, on each different day, which really helps compact the story in a way.
Gameplay
It's pretty much lifted straight from OoT, except now kid Link can use weapons that were only available as adult Link. Overhauling the Mask mechanics from OoT was a really bold move and added a whole new approach to the game. It worked in some areas, but not in all, I thought the Woodfall Temple boss was pretty boring considering you mostly fight him in your human form rather than like the next two bosses which utilize your mask powers.
Of course the biggest feature was the timed mechanic which I thought was really intriguing, because it really does create a sense of impending doom that you don't ever really get in a lot of games. Sure NPC's in Skyrim will tell me that the Civil War is tearing the province apart, but wandering throughout the game map I never see this ever playing out, I don't see burned down villages or the aftermath of bloody battles, I just see the occasional prisoner caravan and maybe a group of three Stormcloaks fighting a few legionaries. Not exactly feeling the pressure to accomplish anything, whereas in Majora's Mask there's nothing but pressure. Even with playing the Inverted Song of Time, you have a very limited amount of time to accomplish anything before you have to watch it all be erased, and that can really add a damper to your spirit and sense of achievement. I generally avoid playing on the Final Day because it's at this point that people are so resigned to their fate and are just... depressed that it makes me sad to play it because I feel like I've let them down. That's some pretty amazing game design right there, especially at a time with limited budgets and tech power.
Side Quests
Majora's Mask also probably features some of the best incorporated reasons to actually do side quests. It helps flesh out the world around you and it's occupants, while also giving you an edge in combat for the latter stages of the game. I mean you can just rush through it, completing the four dungeons and then doing battle with Majora's Mask, but you'll only be going into it with 7 hearts and maybe two bottles for fairies. This kind of forces you to go out of your way and find the secrets of the land and explore it, which a lot of games only have because it's expected of them. Some of the quests to get the masks are incredibly rewarding, like the lengthy one for The Couple's Mask, which is easily one of the best parts of the game.
Music
While the game does recycle a few of the same songs from its predecessor, I think the original music of Majora's Mask is some of the best ever featured in a video game. The Song of Healing and Oath To Order are songs I never tire of hearing, and there's just parts of the game that are forever cemented in my head, like the Deku Palace music. The Woodfall Temple has some great ambient music that really fits the aesthetic design of both the temple and the temple boss. Snowhead Temple felt very minimalist and tense, which worked given the nature of the temple with that main room with the elevator like device. It's been too long since I've played the last two temples so my memories are pretty rusty, but regardless the point stands that the music from Majora's Mask had a more minimalist/ minor approach to it, which really made the dark nature of the story and the major time mechanic stand out.
Villain
I think Majora is a better villain than Ganondorf/ Ganon. While Ganondorf did completely destroy the town in OoT, he at least spared Kakariko Village and the forest areas, insinuating that he only desired power, not complete destruction. Conversely, Majora wants nothing but destruction, destruction and humiliation, as evidenced by all the acts he does over the course of three days like cursing Kafei, or attacking Kotake in the Woods of Mystery. Ganondorf is a one note kind of villain who's only real motivation is power, which is definitely understandable and the desire to see him punished is great, but I've always enjoyed a villain who's only motivation is destruction. It's the reason why we loved Heath Ledger's Joker so much in The Dark Knight, trying to understand a villain's motivations and being completely perplexed. It not only makes them seem that much more dangerous, but it makes your resolve much higher now that you know you must defeat them. Add in The Skull Kid element, a mischievous and possibly misunderstood perpetrator of everything and it adds a whole new layer to the villain, is it all Majora's fault, or is The Skull Kid as much to blame, with the mask just acting out the darker feelings that reside within the Skull Kid?
So that's my little breakdown of the game that I came up with this weekend. I'm glad a got a chance to actually get it all out, and I do like how a lot of other people seem to share my thoughts at least to some regard.
