"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"
Many Zelda fans have that quote etched into their memories as being part of one of the strangest entires in the long running Nintendo franchise. It just recently celebrated it's 29th Anniversary and people still hold it as one of the greatest series to ever grace video games as a whole. Honestly, I can't blame them. Ever since Ocarina of Time 3D was released alongside the 3DS' initial launch, fans have been clamoring for its sequel to get the same treatment. I've had a copy of the original N64 version through the Collector's Edition that released back when Wind Waker was released back on the Gamecube as a special incentive treat for pre-ordering (if memory serves). I was always scared away from this game due to the signature element of HEY, YOU GOT 3 DAYS TO BEAT THIS DUDE!
You're set in the parallel world of Termina after come crazy mishap with an imp known as Skull Kid who not only stole your Ocarina and horse, but transformed you into a Deku Scrub. After running into an odd fellow of a salesman, you strike a deal to get back Majora's Mask which was stolen in exchange for getting your human form back. Course he's only in town for 3 days and what a coincidence, the entire land is about to be destroyed in that amount of time from a giant Moon. Seriously I think he has some anger issues, his face man, *shudders*. Throughout playing this game, many of my friends were right in saying that the entire game is designed so you're able to handle the doomsday timer.
Once you get your Ocarina back, you pretty much become the lord of time and can manipulate it to speed up, slow down, and revert back to the first day. The only way it harms you is in it forces you to redo everything. The items and masks you gain however remain in your possession. Certain items and your Rupee count are reduced to 0 after each trip back through time (Arrows, Bombs, Deku Sticks for example).
Another new addition is the interplaying with all the masks. Since you're Link in his young form, he's only equipped with the Hylian Shield and his Kokiri Blade. The masks you get allow you to take on forms of those that they represent. The Goron Mask transforms Link into a Goron with the abilities of a fallen Goron warrior. The main 3 masks change you into some of the main races in the Zelda lore. Each of which have traits that suit to the various areas throughout Termina. The entirety of this land is actually, very short. Everything is condensed in a circular area with Clock Town as a hub centered in the field. Hyrule Field in OoT was I believe a bit bigger than that.
Another thing this game prides itself on are the side-quests. Dear lord are there more things than you can possibly handle while going through the main story quest. If it's also alright to make another comparison, Majora's Mask's story is much shorter than OoT. It's 4 main dungeons then the final area. So what do you do between all that? Side Quests and hunting for Pieces of Heart. After a few days of playing through and getting the songs that transform me into the Doctor, I got the hang of slowing down time after every reset in the 3 Day Cycle. There's also the fact that some side-quests have you wait through each day to trigger certain events. Disclaimer: yes I used a walkthrough because a game like this I wanted to make sure I did everything right along with keeping an eye on the time.
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| This Zora was one heck of a rockstar. |
Some of the other masks are helpful even if they're not required to advance through the game's main plot. The Bunny Hood for example gives you a boost in running speed which allows you to get through areas at a much faster pace. The story is different from past Zelda games in that it's definitely darker in tone. The game makes use of the 3DS with the touch-screen dedicated to all your items, gear, and the map. From the very little time I spent on the N64 version, the graphical comparison is pretty easy to describe. 3DS Port > N64 Version, it's also much brighter. The 3D also works well though I've had to turn it off at certain points mainly when I had to point to things with the Bow and Hookshot. I imagine some people have been playing this on the New Nintendo 3DS which released at the same time.
The camera was sometimes a pain when I had to move the 3DS when aiming with certain items but not too much of a struggle. Some of the side-quest stories are very touching and tragic as you get to know the residents of Clock Town. As you repeat the same cycle, you sometimes might feel bad for the NPC's around you thinking "Do they have a sense of Deja Vu?". You memorize locations and routes certain people take. Lots of people and even sites have stated to new players of the game to not stress out at all about the 3-Day timer. I can fully attest and agree with those statements, your Ocarina provides you to slow down time so I highly recommend you do that at the start of every 3-Day Cycle. You have plenty of time to clear each dungeon with time slowed down.
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| The game utilizes the moving gyroscope and camera when using certain items! |
With both this version and Ocarina of Time 3D, I feel that Nintendo wants to take these classic games and re-introduce them to a new generation of Zelda fans. At the very least, draw in people who have played them and trigger all the nostalgia feels. Playing these ports are the best way to experience them course the latter game is now hard to find due to its very limited run.
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| WHY MOON? WHY!?! |
Should you Play this Game?
Yes! Majora's Mask 3D is a worthy port to a cult classic in the Zelda series. It's different tone and story make for an interesting game. The new gameplay elements included are something that hasn't been replicated in a new Zelda game yet. Fans new and old will definitely discover the excitement in playing this game.
