Like many gamers, I’ve held Majora’s Mask on something of a pedestal. I’d borrowed it from a friend back in the day and got all the masks. Revisiting it now it holds up; a true classic, and this is most likely the definitive version. It just didn’t quite fulfil the high view it had been built up to.
In fact, playing it now made me retroactively appreciate Ocarina of Time a little more. I can’t say that MM is strictly superior to its predecessor; it’s very purposefully doing something different, which is especially great in the Zelda series. Of course, it’s divisive: such criticisms as the 3-day system breaking the pace or feeling, when in fact I feel it is fundamental to the pace and mood of this particular game. Or that it’s too short, whereas I appreciate a more compact experience from time to time (I certainly don’t want something that drags like Skyward Sword).
You can’t look at this game critically without considering its origins as a rush job, reusing assets from Ocarina to meet a deadline. The way they twisted it makes this work very well for the story though, especially if you’re familiar with the prequel. Termina can feel very unsettling with its old faces in new roles, and said roles are much richer for the most part.
To elaborate, the minor characters and your interactions with them are deeper due to the sidequest system and the day cycle which gives them routines and events. There are less major characters with emotional impact like the Sages though; and perhaps intentionally, using your transformations and masks often acts as a barrier between Link and other people—I’m thinking especially of how Zoras and Gorons will actively mistake you for Mikau and Darmani when transformed. This gives a melancholy feel to proceedings since you know they’re actually dead.
So there is an emotional depth to the game, and I felt very driven to complete my final cycle after I’d got the Fierce Deity mask “perfectly”, Groundhog Day style. What a great movie. Anyway, I pulled it off for the most part: clearing the dungeons a second time is very quick due to boss warps. I especially wanted to finish the Romani Ranch and Anju sidequests while I was at it; I skipped Kafei’s final task though because he’s a selfish prat and if his pride is too much to go to Anju that’s his own damn fault. Sorry, I’ve got opinions. I’ve also got headcanons that the Hero of Time returns to Termina in his adult years and marries Cremia.
Ahem. As an evolution and expansion on Ocarina, MM is pretty much perfect, much better than Ura Zelda would have been. It’s also great as a Zelda series experiment. Maybe not a great jumping on point though. The additions to this version are also great; the improved Bomber’s notebook, all the little tweaks, the fishing holes. Of course, there’s too many rare fish which makes completion a bit of a chore, and the Zora swimming is severely nerfed. But overall, super nice game. One moon out of one.
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