LogFAQs > #933766689

#79. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask


Its rather fitting that were approaching our second Game of the Decade contest as I write this because the only reason I ended up playing Majoras Mask to completion was that it won the first contest. I did the same for Ocarina of Time after it won in 2009, so I suppose I ought to play Undertale at some point (as well as the winner of GOTD2 if by some miracle it isnt Breath of the Wild!) to make things fair! Anyway, I actually got Majoras Mask shortly after it originally came out back in 2000 because the previews and ads for it made it look really cool. I played it for maybe an hour, and I absolutely hated the three-day system (I tend to hate time limits in games in general), so I dropped it and didnt touch it again for another decade. However, I was determined to finish it on my second attempt, no matter what.

And boy, am I glad I did! Once you learn to get around the annoyances of the three-day limit (primarily the song that slows down time), Majoras Mask becomes really interesting. Clock Town is a fascinating hodgepodge of events, sidequests, and strangely endearing NPCs, and trying to memorize which character is where at what time over the three-day period is an oddly compelling challenge. The concept that rewinding time completely undoes everything Link has accomplished up to that point (except for certain key items, because otherwise it would be nearly impossible to actually beat the game) was a really intriguing twist on the time travel formula. In my mind, I created a pragmatic Link who takes advantage of the situation to get the thing he needs, and then he rewinds time without a care in the world for the consequences or for bringing back the plight of the people that he just saved them from. After all, hell just rewind time again anyway!

I dont remember the individual dungeons very well. The main things I remember are accidentally sequence breaking in Snowhead Temple and getting frustrated with Great Bay Temple because it was the only one I couldnt beat the first time without having to rewind time. To me, the main appeal of Majoras Mask was the Bombers Notebook. I got addicted to filling it out and completing every quest in that thing. Fittingly enough, the Anju/Kafei sidequest was the last one I did, and that one stirred me up way more than I thought a Zelda game could. In fact, I refused to rewind time after completing it and went straight into the endgame because in my head canon, Links cold heart was melted, and he refused to undo the good he had accomplished for them.

I think its fairly well-known on Board 8 that Im not a huge Zelda fan, but I enjoyed Majoras Mask primarily because it deviated so much from the traditional formula (in general, I tend to enjoy it when a series takes a risk and breaks from tradition to try something different). To me, it wasnt about the dungeons, the cool gear (and masks, in this case), or anything like that. It was this charming town with its diverse cast of quirky characters, which was the last thing I expected from a Zelda game.

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