The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask

[Porkman]

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.

Welcome to my fist official game review for our very own, Nintendo 3DS Community. Well as most of you may know already, I am a huge fan of the Legend of Zelda series so upon seeing that Majora’s Mask had been requested by our members, I decided to take action!

Note:
So let’s get things started by saying this…THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! *Seriously the game is really old, so yeah…*



Plot:

Firstly, let’s begin with the plot. The game begins with our well known hero Link, wandering aimlessly in a foggy forest on his trusty horse: “Epona”. This being the sequel to Ocarina of time’s Child timeline, it begins with Link on his search for the friend he lost at the end of Ocarina of time (Navi the Fairy). Upon his search his horse is attacked by two small fairies, knocking Link off of his horse during the struggle and rendering him unconscious. Shortly after the forest Imp appears from the fog revealing him to be allied with the two fairies. They search Link for any valuables and find Link’s “Ocarina of Time” given to him by Princess Zelda in the previous game. As the Imp starts to play with the Ocarina, Link gets up and tries to snatch it back to no avail. The imp (revealed by now as “Skull Kid”) jumps onto Link’s horse and runs off into the forest with Link grabbing onto the horse’s side trying to apprehend Skull Kid. Link is eventually knocked off of the horse and continues the chase on foot. Link then travels into an oddly shaped opening in a tree and falls through dropping down a portal like space.

Link finds the Skull Kid and learns that it “Disposed of his horse”, Skull Kid then shakes the mask on his face putting Link into a trance and then transforming him into a Deku Scrub. Skull Kid then vanishes through a door accidentally leaving one of his fairy companions in the room with Link. The fairy who reveals herself to be called “Tatl” panics and asks Link to help her get back to her brother (the other fairy). The two team up and escape and appear in a giant Clock Tower where they meet up with a man who begs Link for his help. He explains how a cursed mask was stolen from him by a Forest Imp and that in three days, the mask (controlling the wearer) would destroy their world “Termina” (which is a dimension aside of Hyrule). The cursed mask (known now as “Majora’s Mask”) was a mask full of evil energy from a destructive tribe who were destroyed by it in the past. Link agrees to help and is freed of the curse after retrieving his Ocarina from the Imp and by learning a magical song (the song of healing) from the Man (who reveals himself as “The Happy Mask Salesman).
Link and Tatl then set off to counter the Mask and Skull Kid’s Evil plan to destroy Termina, the two are to seek 4 legendary beings at 4 locations scattered around Termina…but they only have three days to do it.

Ok so what’s my take on the plot? On a scale of 1 to 10.

Overall Plot rating: 8/10

The plot seems simple enough, but has a very strong impact, especially as you near the end. The game has a great plot that will keep you guessing on what’s going to happen next. It’s a lot fun, and I absolutely love it.
Cool, huh? Well, let’s get on with the review!



Gameplay:

The gameplay is that of your traditional Legend of Zelda title. Though, this game focuses on a nice little set of gimmicks; the first being the use of Masks to alter your form and abilities. You will need to collect masks in order to progress. There are 4 main masks you will NEED to acquire. Each plays their own special role in each of the games 4 main locations. The second gimmick being that you only have three days (in game time, not real time *1 real life minute=1 in game hour*). You can alter the flow of this time with your Ocarina of Time which can slow or speed up the time. It can even revert time, sending you back to the first day (keeping any masks or songs you aquire). You will have to play the song of time many times in order to complete this game (it is impossible to beat the game in the three given days in one go, the song MUST be used).
Time management is a huge factor, you will often revisit a dungeon a few times before you actually complete it. I guess you could call the last gimmick the in-game sidequests. There are plenty of them and they greatly improve the game’s plot and will have you caring for a lot of the in-game characters and their problems as they slowly begin to accept their impending doom that will arrive in three days.
This game consists heavily of building your arsenal of masks, songs, and weapons, money and or course Heart Pieces in order to become stronger. You will feel as if you are growing stronger as you slowly approach your goal, solving puzzle after puzzle, and defending Termina from the evil threat…


Phew…so here’s the verdict.

Overall Gameplay Rating: 9/10

Simply put, the gameplay is the same masterpiece it was back when it was released. It really is a treasure in its genre of game. Solid mechanics, nuff’ said.




Graphics:

We all know this game is rather old, so the graphics aren’t the nicest thing to look at, but at the time, these were considered to be pretty impressive. This game actually pushes the Nintendo 64 to using an expansion pack in order to handle the amount of content in this game. There is use of a lot of 3D models and there are plenty of environments to explore that are visually appealing. So…graphics! My verdict on the graphics of this title, on a scale of 1-10

Overall Graphics Rating: 6/10

“But Porkman! You love the Legend of Zelda!”

Keep your pants on, let me explain. Like I said before, the game is pretty dated and it’s starting to show, especially after the remake of Ocarina of Time on the 3DS. There are a few occasions of graphical slow-down when things get crazy and there are some pretty jagged looking textures. I know it’s old…but people want an honest review, and Gamer’s expectations are changing. Personally I think the graphics have their own unique charm and I love em’.

Let’s continue!




Music

Oh yes, the backbone of every video game, the music. Let me start by saying, you will love every second of this game’s musical masterpiece of a soundtrack. This game has so many memorable themes that you’ll be humming them before you know it. Now what better way to prove my point than to post some examples!

Deku Palace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f72iBfWWqlE


Clock Town Day 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRjRvFietdc

Magic Hag's Potion Shop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePcppdYsVPI

Song of Healing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G_aaak-tDE


Overall Music Rating: 10/10

I absolutely love this game’s music and I have no problem giving the music a solid 10. It’s quality stuff. Get on youtube now! Feed your ears the flavor of delicious sugar coated Zelda Music. GO!



Difficulty:

"WOAH! Dodge, Link!"

Not much to say here. It’s actually quite a bit harder than its prequel “Ocarina of time” due to the time management and mask usage. There are fewer dungeons than its predecessor, but the dungeons will feel quite a bit more challenging. Nothing too hard, but it isn’t what you’d call easy. It’s above average in the difficulty department.





Replay Value:

With all the collectable items, heart pieces, upgrades, side quests, and masks…there will be plenty to do. Oh and for those of you who don’t know already…Each dungeon is completely replayable along with its boss. Heck, you can skip tight to the boss if you please. There is a portal that opens up at the beginning of every dungeon after being completed once that allows you to go straight for the boss. Oh and there is a prize for collecting every mask.

“No problems here, this game has its fill of content.”

Overall Replay Value Rating: 10/10


The Verdict:

Come on, it’s “The Legend of Zelda”, You can’t go wrong. What this game lacks in detail, it more than makes up for with story, music and gameplay. It’s a classic gem in most gamers hearts and a personal favorite of mine, though its not for everyone. It’s a much darker take on the series and really pushes the emotion of despair and tragedy. It also has s sort of learning curve to it due to the time managing and mask usage. It’s not a completely different game experience from other Zelda titles, but it is unique and will cause you both joy and pain. Not bad pain, the kind of pain a gamer shares with his game persona during difficult dungeons and mind twisting puzzles. If you haven’t played The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask then give it a shot, it’s well worth the time. If you’re a true Zelda fan…then I shouldn’t have to say anything about this game to you…you already know this game…if not. GET TO IT! What’s wrong with you!?

I give this title an:

8/10 "Awww Yeah!"

The game is a true masterpiece, but it is quite outdated and may scare a few people off with its different take of time. It’s not the perfect Zelda Title, but it sure is a great one worth your effort..

Take a few moments to let this review sink in. Be sure to let me know how I did on my first review. Maybe I’ll do some more in the future.
Porkman, signing out.

 

[NintenDan]

That was a really great review! Partly because it wasn't a giant block of text and shook things up to keep the reader (AKA moi) interested!

I haven't ever played this game, so I had no idea what I was in for, but now I've gained some more knowledge about this game and almost feel compelled to somehow give it a whirl sometime, haha. Thanks for the awesome review!

I also found the top banner very amusing, heh.

 

[Porkman]

Glad you enjoyed it. I'll be making more for other games. As far as the banner goes, it'll be my theme. I'll use the same layout with graphic swaps. I also have to add the platforms the game is on to my reviews.