Zelda: Majora's Mask

I know you may all be anticipating the promised reviews for Professor Layton on the DS and Crazy taxi on the PS2, but I thought it was about time I got retro with you all…not too retro, where the chances of you knowing the game I review is very slim, but I mean the kind of retro which would make you think “Oh I think I remember that…”

So onto the review for Zelda: Majora’s Mask (Z.M.M). Released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000, this title came out about a year after Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Now this particular Zelda is very different from the previously released games and it seems that it may have been overlooked simply because of how AMAZING Zelda: Ocarina of Time was. So I thought I’d give the ‘underdog’ a review instead.

This story follows Link as he is thrown into an alternate universe, called Termina, after a brief encounter with a mischievous Skull Kid who is wearing the evil Majora’s Mask. Upon your arrival, you learn have 72 hours to not only retrieve the mask but to also stop the moon from crashing down on Termina. Now I know you’re probably thinking that this would be near impossible to achieve this feat…which it actually would be for there is way too much to do in this game. So that’s where your ocarina comes into effect. Once you’ve learnt the “Song of Time” you have the chance to relive the 72 hours all over again and save the world from its inevitable doom. This song also allows you to skip through time and more importantly, slow it down.

Also in this game, you get to collect up to 24 masks, which you get from doing good deeds and beating bosses. Many of these masks are essential in order to actually progress in the game and there usually straight forward to get. The other masks you find are for doing good deeds for the many towns’ people in Termina. The general misconception of this is that a lot of people believe that you need to get them all before you can finish the game, which is not true. You can get to the end without all masks and finish it without any problems but if you can get all 24 masks, you can get the final mask, the Fierce Deity, just as you go to fight the final boss, Majora’s Mask. Here’s a tip, if you can get the final mask it will make the final fight a hell of a lot easier so keep looking!

Now I’m currently still playing this game and it has been years since I’ve played it and I totally forgot how hard it can actually be. You’re constantly looking at the time while trying to complete the task at hand before the 72 hours are up, for of course, when you go back in time any progress made will be lost. And before you worry, you do get to keep the items and songs you’ve acquired so no need to panic. This game I think is a definite for any Zelda fan out there, who doesn’t mind a slight change to the normal Zelda format. The land of Hyrule is not being saved and Zelda doesn’t make as much of an appearance this time, but it still manages to hold its own and offer any fan the same thrill that the Zelda series gives. When playing the game you do notice that it seems to be divided into two parts; fighting bosses and collecting all the masks. Yet it does blend the two together so it does balance out.

Now I do apologise that I am biased for this particular Zelda for I did love it when it was first brought and now I’m getting back into it now, I’m falling in love with it all over again. I guess the only downside to it would be that you have to relive the 72 hours over and over again. It’s even more of a pain when your in the middle of a fight, or in my case, trying to get to the boss, and you run out of time and you have to repeat it all again (but don’t worry, I got to the end with 6 hours to spare..pheew!). Its also a shame that when you have completed any tasks, its not saved. But it is great if you enjoyed that particular mission.

So what score does Z.M.M get I hear you cry?! Well, the game still maintains many of its Zelda qualities while being able to have its own unique twist. This game has managed to live up to my expectations without leaving me feel disappointed (I refer you my blog for Metroid 3…my heart is still broken!). As you may of guessed it, I couldn’t find much to fault this game, only the downside is repeating the 72 hours so for that Z.M.M gets a healthy U.F.G score of 4.5. May the Triforce be with you!