Welcome to another new feature which we like to call, What You Missed. With these articles we review an old Nintendo classic which you may have missed due to not even being conceived when the game was released, or just simply not being interested at the time. These games are usually ones which we hold dear from the past. So, what’s the first game which will take the honour of being first, it’s none other than Majora’s Mask!

First, some background info on this old gem. Majora’s Mask was originally released on the Nintendo 64 back at the beginning of the Millennium [that’s the year 2000 for those who have difficulty with numbers]. It was the sequel of Ocarina of Time which is set in a parallel version of Hyrule. If you missed out on it, never fear, as back in 2009, Nintendo released it on the Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console [can also be accessed on the Wii U’s Wii Mode] and it is still up for a total of 1000 Wii Points! Now, on with the review! If there was one game that stood out to me as a child it would have to be The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.  It truly took what it’s predecessor and prequel, Ocarina of Time, did and added a very dark twist to the series. The three day time mechanic and the dark atmosphere have truly added a level of complexity to the Zelda series that still has yet to be replicated today.  The game itself only has four dungeons, but what it lacks in dungeons, it makes up for with side quests, storyline, and just overall feel of the game.

You start your quest going through the Lost Woods in search of Navi… But, an encounter with a Skull Kid, who is wearing Majora’s Mask, completely derails your journey and you end up in a parallel land to Hyrule called Termina. Upon entering Termina you meet up with the Happy Mask Salesmen who tells you the Skull Kid had taken an evil mask from him called Majora’s Mask. Once you enter Clock Town (essentially the Hub of MM and the first area in the game) you see an ominous Moon lurking above that inches closer as 3 days pass.  Through out the quest you will be able to transform into a Deku, Goron, and a Zora who all have different abilities and are used to solve various puzzles and challenges. Again, the game has a lot of emphasis on side quests and MM holds one of the deepest side quests that spans over the 3 days and involves a good amount of the characters in Clock Town. Something I want to add that I haven’t seen spoken about enough is the time mechanic. This has been a debate among the Zelda fanbase and is looked at in one of two ways… Love it or hate it. Now, you will have the ability to slow down time, speed up time and go back in time so the stress of the time limit is completely up to you (I always slow down time so I can enjoy everything the game has to offer).

The game itself is now 14 years old, so because of that, the graphics are blocky and textures are streched… But it still looks good to this day due to the art style Nintendo went with. Like I mentioned earlier, the gameplay of Majora’s Mask is something I have yet to see recreated in any of the Zelda games…It’s story and gameplay holds up very well even by todays standards. It goes to show that Nintendo is truly a master of their craft if their old games hold up today. This is a game I highly recommend, if you haven’t played it yet do yourself a favor… Pick up an N64, Gamecube or download it on the Wii Virtual Console.  It is an amazing game and I would rate it a 9.5 out of 10 (1 being the lowest, 10 being the highest). Nintendo showed with Majora’s Mask it can take a light-hearted franchise, add over looming elements of death and despair, and create one of the oddest and best games I had ever played.

I hope you enjoyed the review, if you have anything to add please leave your opinions in the comment section.

THANK YOU!

http://youtu.be/MSzaraz5RVU

Chris

Ummmm…Wait, what am I supposed to do here again?