Collection essentials #411: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64)

Sometimes Nintendo consoles are only graced with a single Zelda game. But after the success of Ocarina of Time, Nintendo decided that the Nintendo 64 needed a second one, to be developed in much less time, under two years. To help save time, many assets from Ocarina of Time were reused. The basic gameplay elements and physics are all the same, too. And so, at a brief glance, this game may seem like an Ocarina of Time clone. But guess what? Majora’s Mask is actually one of the most unique and creatively-designed games in the series. 

The story begins not long after the events of Ocarina of Time. Link is ambushed by a Skull Kid, a type of forest-dwelling humanoid first introduced in the previous game. This Skull Kid is wearing a strange mask. This mask grants special powers, and the Skull Kid places a curse on Link, turning him into a creature called a Deku Scrub. Link then travels to the game’s central location, Clock Town in the land of Termina, and meets a mask salesman there who had that powerful mask stolen from him by the Skull Kid. The salesman warns Link of the dangerous evil power of this mask and that it must be returned to him. It turns out that the Skull Kid used the power of the mask to set the moon on a three-day collision course with the land of Termina, threatening to destroy everything. Near the end of three days, Link encounters the Skull Kid and manages to get the ocarina back, quickly playing the “Song of Time” to magically travel back in time to the dawn of the first day when these events first unfolded. The salesman manages to lift Link’s curse, restoring him to his normal form, and Link sets out to try and find a way to stop the Skull Kid’s plan.

Link is always able to play the Song of Time to jump back to the same point in time at the beginning of the three-day countdown. And this is the defining feature of this game. Majora’s Mask is perpetually played with a time limit. If you fail to play the Song of Time and three days pass, you get to watch a cinematic of the moon crashing, and the result is a game over. Not surprisingly, time passes much faster in the game than it does in real life. Normally, it takes about 18 and a half real-life minutes for a day to pass in this game, meaning that it’s about 54 and a half minutes of total time from the start of the first day until the end of the third. Link is able to play the “Inverted Song of Time” in order to make time time flow three times slower than it normally does, so one in-game day lasts as long as the entire three last without it. 

This time limit is not meant simply to put pressure on the player, oh no. You see, everything in Majora’s Mask operates on a schedule. All characters in this game will always be in the same places at any given time, and the same events will happen unless Link intervenes. This is a major focus of the game. Early on Link is even given the “Bomber’s notebook” which logs the schedules of various people he meets. Technically, players don’t actually have to engage with much of this stuff at all. But…why WOULDN’T they? Not only is it very interesting, but there are always rewards in store for Link as well if he succeeds in helping people out.

With this special emphasis on sidequests, Majora’s Mask cuts back on dungeons. Typically a Zelda game has at least eight dungeons, and they are a major part of the experience. But Majora’s Mask only has four. Despite this, a typical player will get roughly the same amount of play time their first time through Majora’s Mask as they will with Ocarina of Time. 

Not only is this game’s main villain masked, but masks in general are a major part of this game. The concept of “mask” items was first introduced in Ocarina of Time, but they only played a minor role. In this game, there are a total of 24 masks for Link to collect. They perform a wide variety of functions, with some giving Link special powers while others being as simple as changing how different characters respond to Link when he talks to them. 

The most significant masks are the transformation masks. Link starts out the game as a Deku Scrub, which controls differently than regular Link. Upon getting cured of the curse, Link gets the Deku Scrub mask which he can wear to change back to Deku Scrub form at will. Later in the game he gets a Goron mask and then a Zora mask for more transformations, with each one granting a radically different set of abilities. This provides some very welcome gameplay variety, not to mention the fact that being able to play as other creatures previously seen in the Zelda universe is just really darn cool.

Majora’s Mask is also notable for introducing Tingle, an eccentric man who can be found hovering in the air thanks to a balloon tied to his body, which Link can pop to bring him down, after which he will offer to sell Link a map. Tingle went on to be a significant side character who even went on to star in his own spinoff video games.

I do need to mention and give props to the fact that Majora’s Mask effectively sets a rather mature, dark, grim tone which is unusual for a game made by Nintendo. The game is somehow rated “E” for everyone, which it got away with since it doesn’t have any bad words and lacks blood and gore. But Majora’s Mask can be pretty unsettling, with some creepy moments, not to mention the fact that it prominently features characters dealing with things like death and loss.

Since Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask both came out on the Nintendo 64 and share much of the same DNA, it is common for fans to compare them. The truth is, that’s a bit difficult to do because despite huge similarities the games ultimately attempt and succeed at very different things. Ocarina of Time sold more copies and seems to have a higher reputation among the general public. Majora’s Mask is probably at least a little bit more narrow in its appeal, but it feels creative in a special way that Ocarina of Time does not. As for my personal preference…it’s honestly extremely hard to choose. I feel like Ocarina of Time is an easier game to simply jump back into at any point, and is a great game to just kinda “chill out” with. I feel like I don’t ever want to play Majora’s Mask unless I’m truly ready to start from the beginning and really sink my teeth in it, but it’s also extremely impressive in a unique way which leaves a very strong impression. Some days I may find myself leaning towards one of these games, but something as simple as a conversation with someone who prefers one of the two can temporarily sway me towards that direction. The truth is, there truly isn’t a wrong answer when you have to pick.

Majora’s Mask would also receive a remake many years later, which I will cover at some point. I’ll save details for that time, but at least I will say that the original Nintendo 64 version is by no means obsolete and could still reasonably be considered the best way to play this game still.

I think I first discovered Majora’s Mask when my cousins down the street first got the game shortly after its release. I also remember reading about it in Nintendo Power magazine when I first subscribed to it in 2001, though I’m a bit foggy as to whether that was before or after I owned the game myself. I got the game for Christmas from my parents, and I’m not sure if that was 2000 or 2001. The cartridge shown in the photo is the very same one from my childhood (with a beautiful holographic label), and my original save file is still intact, just slightly short of 100% completion. The box and manual I acquired later while shopping at the now-defunct “Revolutionary Gamer” in Ware, Massachusetts. I did love Majora’s Mask back then, but I struggled with it a lot. Back then I wasn’t great at figuring out video games, and I would get stuck so easily. Eventually, while stuck on the second dungeon, I got my hands on a strategy guide from BradyGames, which I still own.

Majora’s Mask rightfully sits alongside its brother Ocarina among the peak of Nintendo 64 greatness. It is perhaps not for everyone, but for many it proves to be an unforgettable experience. It’s one of the greatest classic video games, and another true quintessential essential.