The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Developer(s)	Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Release date(s)	Nintendo 64 April 27, 2000 October 26, 2000 November 17, 2000 Virtual Console April 7, 2009 May 18, 2009 April 3, 2009
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64, GameCube, Virtual Console
Media	256 MB cartridge
Preceded by	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Followed by	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Credits • Gallery

Click here for more information on Majora's story line and how the mask came to be.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a video game developed and published by Nintendo that was released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000 and later released on the Wii Virtual Console in the PAL regions on April 3, 2009 and in Japan on April 7, 2009. North America got its release on May 18, 2009 as their 300th Virtual Console release in that region. It is arguably the sixth installment in the Legend of Zelda series, and basically proceeds The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which was released two years prior. The game takes a more dramatic approach to the franchise, giving it a darker tone and story, plus including a much more innovative gameplay aspect of having to repeat the same three days over and over throughout the course of the video game.

The game, as all in the series do, stars the proclaimed Hero of Time Link. The antagonist is Majora's Mask, who's claimed Skull Kid as his victim to possess. In the game, Link will don various masks that alter his appearance and abilities to fit those of three different species - Gorons, Zoras, and Deku Shrubs.

Majora's Mask requires the Expansion Pak, which will allow for certain things such as improved graphics that couldn't be done otherwise.

A notable change from Ocarina of Time is the limited saving. While Ocarina of Time allowed the player to save anytime, Majora's Mask only saves when tasks are accomplished. This is one of two games to use this feature, the other being Four Swords Adventures

Contents 1 Story 2 Gameplay 2.1 List of Transformation Masks 3 Regular Masks 4 Reception 5 Virtual Console 6 Trivia

[edit] Story

The Hero of Time has just returned the Master Sword to its pedestal, and Ganon is sealed away in the Sacred Realm. All is well, except Link's closest friend is gone. Navi. After he returned the Master Sword, Navi realized Link did not need her help anymore, and flew off to an unknown place. Saddened by this, Link decides to go search for her, and is determined to find her no matter what the cost.

Princess Zelda is told of this, and decides to entrust Link with the Ocarina of Time once again to protect him, and as a memory of her. Link then heads off to the Lost Woods with Epona to see if he can find Navi.

All is going well until Link is hit in the head by something. He then falls off of Epona, unconscious. When he wakes up, he sees the Terminaid]] with two forest fairies looking through what he has. Link is enraged when the Skull Kid takes his Ocarina of Time, and dives at him, but misses.The Skull Kid steals Epona, and runs off, with Link grabbing onto Epona's legs. After awhile Link loses his grip and falls off. Having nowhere to go but follow the Skull Kid, Link chases after him, but somehow manages to fall into a hole that takes him to the parallel world to Hyrule; Termina. A Mask Salesman tells Link of a Mask called Majora's Mask that was stolen from him that has dark powers, and the impending doom of Termina. A moon will crash into Termina in three days, and if Link doesn't get back Majora's Mask before then, Termina will be no more.

In order to save Termina Link must journey to four temples in each of the compass directions and find the imprisoned Four Giants, creator of Termina because they are the only ones who can hold the moon back to save Termina. At the end of the game, the Four Giants are unable to hold the Moon back for too long, so Link journeys into the moon. The inside of the Moon is actually a large meadow with four children playing in it. Link must "play" with each of these children and battle the child wearing Majora's Mask, who has three forms. Majora's Mask, Majora's Incarnation, and Majora's Wrath.

After he destroys Majora, the four giants are able to push the Moon back into space. Link finds himself outside of Clock Town, where the Skull Kid and the Four Giants are waiting for him. The Skull Kid realizes the Four Giants still thought of him as a friend and all of his fears disappeared. He then befriended Link, saying that Link smelled like a fairy kid who played ocarina with him once. (A reference to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time During the credits, Anju and Kafei get married during the Carnival of Time, and soon Link goes back into the Lost Woods, where he notices a carving the Skull Kid made of Link, Tatl, Tael, the Four Giants and himself walking through Termina Field.

[edit] Gameplay

The gameplay is once again focused in a 3D world, though there are plenty of contradictions to Ocarina of Time to keep the player interested. First and foremost are Link's abilities to change his form, and the three day time limit. Link's commands greatly reflect that of Ocarina of Time, allowing him to move around freely, though only being able to jump when need be (and automatically, without the player having to press any buttons whatsoever). In his human form, Link is capable of utilizing his weapons and items, with his main essential being his sword and shield, among others. The weapons that Link wield in the game cannot be used when he is in any of his inter-species formations, as they each have their own unique abilities which will be referenced below. Saving has also been limited to whenever Link completes a task, rather than at any point like in Ocarina of Time. There are temporary save locations throughout the game, however.

[edit] List of Transformation Masks

• Deku Scrub Mask - The Deku Mask is the first transformation mask as well as the first mask in general you receive. This mask allows you to transform into a Deku and spit deku nuts, which you have an unlimited supply of, at enemies. The melee attack is a spin attack that you can do while moving backwards, forwards, side to side, and diagonally. When you arrive at a deku flower, you can dive into it and glide through the air. You can also launch out of it and hit an unsuspecting enemy. Many people view you as a child when this mask is equipped.

• Zora Mask - The Zora mask is the third transformation mask you receive. You receive this mask by playing the song of healing to the Zora named Mikau. The ranged attack for this mask is that you throw your fins, that are partially attached at your elbow, and they do a circle like manuveur and hit the enemy possibly twice. You can also swim like a dolphin with this mask.

• Goron Mask - The Goron Mask is the second transformation mask you receive. You receive this mask by playing the song of healing for Daruni's ghost. When you put it on, you can roll up into a ball-like form and roll around. If you roll around enough, without hitting anything, you can form spikes around yourself, doing damage to enemies and allowing yourself to go faster.

• Giant's Mask - The Giants mask is obtained by the way of a treasure chest in the Ikana Canyon dungeon. There is only one area that allows you to transform into a giant. You use this mask to fight the boss, Molderm. When you equip this mask, you transform into a giant form of Link. When you are in Giant's form, you use up magic power fairly quickly.

• Fierce Deity Mask - The mask transforms Link into his ultimate form, Oni link, but can only be used in boss rooms. In this form, Link can use sword beams if he is locked on to an enemy. The sword beams will go through your magic power fairly quickly however.

To obtain this mask Link must give all the masks to the children on the moon except for the Deku, Goron, and Zora masks.

[edit] Regular Masks

• All Night Mask - This mask is useful for staying up all night, even when you are listening to Anju's grandmother.

• Romani Mask - This mask is used to enter the Milk Bar. You receive it from Cremia after protecting her from bandits while she delivers milk to the bar on the second night. However, you can only initiate this event on the same three day cycle that you helped to save the cows from the alien invasion on the first night. The mask is more of a hat that is shaped like a cow.

• Kafei Mask - A mask given to Link by Mayor Dotour's wife, whom is also Kafei's mother. She gives this mask to you hoping that you can gather clues as to the location of her missing son. If you speak to Anju while wearing this mask on the first day if you have a room key, it will initiate the longest sidequest in the game. The mask is shaped like Kafei's head, only with a white face.

• Keaton Mask - When wearing this mask and cutting grass that is in a circle formation with a patch in the middle, a Keaton will appear after the grass disappears. The Keaton will ask you several trivia questions. The mask resembles the head of a Keaton.

• Great Fairy's Mask - Given to you by The Great Fairy. When wearing this mask, nearby fairies come to you. The mask resembles the head of The Great Fairy.

• Stone Mask - A mask obtained by a solider named Shiro near Ikana Canyon, who is standing in the middle of a cirlce of rocks. Shiro is invisible, and can only be seen when using the lens of truth. After you give him a red or a blue potion, he will give you the stone mask. When wearing the stone mask, you are also invisible. The mask is a round mask with unevenly shaped eyes, and it has colors like a stone.

[edit] Reception

The game was praised by critics for its increased difficulty and enhanced graphics. However, many players believe this to be designed only for those who had mastered Ocarina of Time. New gamers have found the limits on saving and time frustrating. These limits contributed to the decreased sales of Majora's Mask, at 3.36 million, compared to the 7.6 million for Ocarina of Time. Regardless, Majora's Mask ranks 9th on the overall bestsellers for the N64.

[edit] Virtual Console

Majora's Mask was released to the Virtual Console in 2009. Strangely, the game uses fewer blocks than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, despite the original game requiring the Expansion Pak. Also, despite the game's darker ambience, the game was rated E as opposed to E10.

[edit] Trivia

• Some of the masks that the Happy Mask Salesman has on his back resemble various characters such as Mario and Falco Lombardi.