You've got a plan that could never go wrong. Taking a long vacation
away from the world you just fought so hard for is what the doctor
ordered. Exuberantly, you get on your steed and ride into the horizon.
Yet darkness always waits unsuspectingly for the great Hero of Time, no
matter the circumstance. Trekking slowly into an enchanting realm
within a lush forest, you seem to detect something, but pay it no mind.
There are ethereal spirits and wisps fluttering about the night sky
creating an unsettling feeling, as if this is no ordinary place. You
are finally coming toward your destination when your horse suddenly
rears, sending you flying. An eerie creature grabs your belongings and
rushes off ahead, leaving you in the dust. Taking heed, you quickly
rush off toward the demon to confront him. However, things don’t go
over so well when you finally corner him. In an unspeakable manner of
sorcery you are suddenly thrown into a vision reverting you into a
pitiful Deku scrub.
Could this be a nightmare?
Luckily, one of the two fairies that was traveling with the odd
sorcerer is now left behind with you. Wanting to be reunited with her
brother and the dark being again, she joins up with you for the moment,
giving helpful advice along the way. Finally, after you make your way
back to town, you confront a jolly man who seems to be a mask
collector. He is determined to transform you to your former self as
long as you retrieve a particular mask for him. By his description, it
is the same mask worn by the very monster that put the curse on you. As
you begin your quest to return to normal, you notice the moon, but it
has a terrifying face. A strange premonition comes over you, and
through hints and clues, you find out that the star will crash into the
planet in three short days -- better get moving.
Putting you in a dire situation in a dark new world is what one would
think of as a positive addition to the Zelda line. Majora's Mask is
really the first title in the series to go down a separate path, rather
than the tiresome "rescue the princess" charade. So, in an astute
sense, it is the story of this game that drives it along. However, it
is the supposed sequel to the timeless classic, Ocarina of Time. How on
earth can you bounce back from such an enormous hit? Of course the idea
seemed simple enough. Put Link in a completely different world and
situation but keep the main elements of the original Nintendo 64
classic in tact. While it all sounds well and good, one cannot shake
the sense of mediocrity emanating from the overall design. Majora's
Mask certainly tries to be innovative, but takes on the curse of trying
to do too much at once.
On a positive note, the battle system from Ocarina of Time is used
again in this installment. With the lock-on targeting system in place,
combat has never felt more in depth. The fluid movement and simple
controls coincide with an excellent camera that brings everything into
an incomparable unison. But, one cannot help but feel a pre-emptive
sense of déjà-vu throughout the progression from area to area. What
makes matters worse is the fact that this new land feels much smaller
than Hyrule, and the people that inhabit it are nearly identical to the
citizens of such. Even though there are new towns and different
environments to progress through, it is safe to assume that Nintendo
overused the copy and paste button a bit too much.
This assumption is made apparent again as you journey through lands
inhabiting previously seen races. The rocky Gorons, plant-like Deku,
and enchanting water humanoids known as the Zora make their appearance
again and it makes you wonder -- are these the only beings in
existence? What makes you forget about these troublesome rehashes is
the fact that you can actually play as them. With the arrival of each
new mask, the fundamentals of play from the original seem to slowly
vanish, bringing a somewhat fresh element to the table. All in all,
there are four temples in the game with intriguing puzzles and platform
situations that help contribute to the use of these masks. At times you
may have to transform into a Goron to roll over that narrow hill,
engage the Deku scrub's helicopter technique to cross a canyon, or use
the boomerang fin trait of the Zora to hit a far-off switch. The
classic puzzles that have become a staple in the Zelda series are all
here, and the timing of them in each dungeon brings together a feeling
of balance.
The other half of the proverbial pie for this series has always been
exploration. From the early days on the NES to the fairly recent
release of Wind Waker, sighting new territories and searching through
every nook and cranny has always been part of the series' tradition.
However, as much you may want to explore this unique world, your
concentration will always be distracted by one controversial detriment.
This being, the falling moon and the time system deriving from it. Why,
oh why do you add something like this into an adventure title that just
begs to be seen? Maybe it would be easily ignorable to some, but that
constant pressure of being rushed really speeds up the play, and
shortens the value much more than it could have been.
That's not to say there aren't options available to deal with this
nuisance though. Using your ocarina, you can slow and speed up time, or
play unique songs which help contribute to puzzle solving. The essence
of the clock moves in a similar fashion to games like the Harvest Moon
series. Meaning a couple minutes in the real world is an hour or two in
game, adding up to maybe five or six hours before the third day
strikes. Learning how to control the clock at the right moment is
interesting, but with one slip you can end up wasting a lot of time
just trying not to lose your belongings. This correlates the save
system to the balance of time, and you will need to revert to the first
day to save . . . every single time. In the process you lose minor
items such as arrows, rupees, and bombs, in addition to the people you
met in that particular run forgetting your face. Also, certain events
will only happen at particular moments, meaning you may have to wait
prolonging periods of time, in boredom, until the situation eventually
occurs. Yet, if there is a saving grace to this variation of ups and
downs, it would have to be the boss fights.
From the enormous mechanical beast Goht to the maniacal sword toting
shaman Odalwa, the confrontations do not disappoint. In fact, ignoring
the simple enemies and ongoing ticking of the clock is key if you
desire to get to these epic clashes. Each antagonist has their own
style of combat and the masks play an integral role in finding unique
ways to damage them. Think of Ocarina of Time's bosses but with more
strategy involved and much more concentration required on your part.
The bosses are even replay-able after you conquer them, which is an
option its predecessor could have benefited with.
The music truly mirrors what is happening on screen, and definitely
keeps you entranced throughout. Brand new ocarina tunes can be heard
echoing alongside the classic Zelda theme, which was disappointingly
absent from Ocarina of Time. The slow, melodramatic notes that play
within the various temples will keep you on your feet, while a new
remix of the Kakariko Village theme helps liven the consistent visits
to Clock Town. Sound effects remain the same as the game’s predecessor;
with sword slashes, bomb explosions, and deku nut flashes all sounding
like they normally would. There isn’t any voice acting and the
inclusion of a few more fresh ocarina songs would have been nice, but
overall the audio certainly doesn't falter.
Another impressive feature that Majora's Mask has going for it is the
ability to update your weapons. While you may remain a kid throughout
the whole duration of the game, it is the sword upgrades that make up
for this. And the missions behind their creations help bring about the
only sense of challenge that coincides with the time rush. So it may
just be worth it to continue progressing along, no matter how much you
may dislike the new game-play system.
Majora's Mask is truly a double-edged sword. The dark and overshadowing
theme mixed with excellent boss fights and great battle mechanics bring
the short-lived experience alive. Yet, the menacing time system and
abundantly reused character models bring down the charm a bit. If you
have never played Ocarina of Time, then by all means play this one
first. The similarities may get to long time fans of the Legend of
Zelda, but newcomers will not be affected by this in any way. And while
it may lack polish and seem like a rushed effort at times, it is the
mere point that it is a quality Zelda title that drives the force
behind a confident recommendation.
