BBCode is used here too? I'm used to HTML dammit! Anyway, god's apparantely yelling at me to start a blog here and after listening to the amazing retroforcego podcasts on Zelda I thought I might as well make it about Majora's Mask. This is my favorite Zelda game and if you don't agree well, you're a conformist! Not really, I can see why a lot of the Zelda faithful hated this, but I just liked it's weird spin on the whole Zelda formula. I wrote this about a month ago and it's some of my thoughts on it. If it sucks oh well, you wasted your time reading it. If you enjoyed it tell me and I'll write more video game related crap here for all y'all to enjoy. I'mma shut up now and copy it now! Yay!



Majora's Mask is an experience unlike anything else I had ever experienced before. It was the first truly "dark" game I ever played. Knowing that I had only three days to stop the end of the world was a very scary task to fulfill for a nine year old kid. When I first played it, I never really went anywhere with it. The furthest I got was to the second dungeon and had to return it soon after to Hollywood Video. Upon venturing back to the rental store I cautiously grabbed it once more instead of a new game. I had to restart as it wasn't the copy I had played before. I got to roughly the same area as before and had to return it. About a year later I bought it, finally I was able to surpass that damn dungeon and move forth. I got to the end of the third dungeon, but didn't understand the gear puzzle; I was young and thought that I needed a guide book to beat any game. But the book made the puzzle sound overly confusing so I didn't even attempt it. I moved on to the fourth dungeon and completed. All that was left was that gear puzzle. It was too daunting a taste for my little kid mind to grasp so I sold the game, only to buy it back a few years later along with most of the games I had sold.

My first exposure to The Legend of Zelda lies with A Link to the Past. It's far from my favorite, but it was still my first taste of what would become a favorite series of mine. I only beat this once on my first play through; even after taking the GBA port from my cousin I still never beat the game again. In fact, I've beaten every Zelda game from Ocarina of Time and beyond multiple times, none of the Pre-OoT games; I think I'll have to remedy this soon. Anyway, this game opened my eyes to a whole new world of gaming. Before this I pretty much only knew of platforming, puzzle games and Mortal Kombat. It's kind of shocking, I'm incredibly knowledgeable about games and their history and pretty much everything gaming, but I only gained this knowledge as of two years ago (2005). Most people met me after I was this incredibly well informed geek, so it's kind of odd to hear me say I didn't know anything besides Mario, Donkey Kong, Tetris and Mortal Kombat. Regardless, I played it all the way through to the final epic encounter with Ganon. I didn't understand what was really going on. I was this little guy who had a sword and when I had full hearts I didn't have to be next to an enemy to hurt them. I had a whole slew of equipment to deal with challenges, it was a very different game than what I was used to. I loved every moment of it.

The next game to be released was, as you all know, Ocarina of Time. I bought this as soon as I could and played it through multiple times. I was old enough to understand the story know and know what I was doing. It blew my mind. It was the first 3D game I ever played and once again changed how I thought about gaming. I loved Ocarina of Time when I played through it over and over again, but then a new challenger approached, the semi-sequel Majora's Mask. I didn't understand all the new story arc's and side story's going on, but I knew that this game was epic. Every chance I got I rented it, and never made it any further. I secretly fell in love with this game, though I wouldn't beat it for another four years. Eventually though, the game sort of faded away, after I sold it I moved on from gaming overall for a year or so, luckily I got back into before my life devolved into a spiral of meaninglessness.

One day while cleaning my room I found my old N64 my mum convinced me not to sell, one of the best decisions I ever made. I quickly started going back and buying games that I loved and other gems I missed. Eventually Majora's Mask came back to me. This time though I managed to pull through. I beat it and loved every minute of it. After I beat it, I beat it again and again, getting everything all three times. The game was something else, the atmosphere, the characterization, the plot, Ganon wasn't involved, Link was looking for his lost partner Navi. All of it just collided in the end to form a game that once again changed how I looked at gaming. This would also be the last time a Zelda game thoroughly impressed me save for Wind Waker and earlier entries I had yet to discover.



Whenever someone asks what my favorite game is and I reply by saying Majora's Mask they don't understand. Truthfully, I don't understand how they couldn't love this game. Sure it's different than Zelda, but why would you just want to play A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time over and over again? I personally loved the change, I wanted (and still crave) a sequel for this game so badly, (luckily my second favorite Zelda installment is getting one). Of course, my wish well never be granted. Link saved Termina. He righted all the wrongs, he collected all the masks, he unlocked the power of an ancient Deity, he destroyed the mask of evil…

But he also destroys Ganon each and every game too, but I digress. This isn't about Majora's Mask 2, it's about why I love the game so damn much. All the characters serve a purpose. Even if it's not directly tied to the central plot they exist to prove something. To prove Termina is a true to god, breathing world. It accomplishes this. The long, but rewarding Anju and Kafei quest is quite possibly the most touching that an N64 title can get. Saving the ranch, and thusly the lives of all the ranchers is simply epic (of course the fact that they used the Malon model doesn't hurt since I luff me some Malon). The Deku Palace proving that, at least in this alternative universe, Deku weren't just crazed seed spitting enemies, or cowardly business men. They have their own history and their own government. As do the Gorons and Zoras, though, both of those have been explored prior to this game. Needless to say, this game adds a lot to the Zelda universe that no one really takes notice to. It added a lot of emotion that you'd be hard pressed to find in Twilight Princess (which, while an average game, was a major let down in my opinion).

The overall plot in Majora's Mask is huge and seemingly an actual threat. In other Zelda games you don't really witness Ganon's influence spread as time passes, only after certain parts of the game are passed. In Majora's Mask the threat was right above you, staring at you, the whole game. You knew you only had a precious little amount of time and it constantly reminded you of it. The designers added a lot to this game as well that well probably, and sadly, never be explored again. Who is this Fierce Deity? What exactly is Majora's Mask or Majora for that matter? Who are the Four Giants? Why did they befriend a Skull Kid of all things? The mysterious aspect of this game easily beats out all the other Zelda games. As does the feeling of a tight-knit world, government and other such things that shouldn't really be important in a game about a fairy boy I suppose.

I really don't know how to end this, I could ramble on and on endlessly about how much I just love Majora's Mask, but anyone reading this would probably get annoyed right quick by that, so I guess I'll just end it with… Why all the hate?