Majora's Mask Review
As I replay Majora's Mask and I muse on what works so well about this game, I find myself realizing that what I have to say so positively about this game is not necessarily unique to Majora's Mask. The macabre tone is more prominent than in other games due to the impending doom which hangs over the game in the most literal of ways, yet that alone is not what I remember about the game and why I view it so fondly.
This game's emphasis is not unlike viewing the Zelda series as sliders. There is a core of what Zelda is, something of a platonic ideal which was established over multiple entries (mostly with Ocarina and codified with subsequent entries) and the games tend to play with these sliders in order to create a unique yet cohesive experience that fits in with the rest of the series.
A few of the sliders which Zelda plays with are:- Dungeon exploration, which Majora's Mask turns down in comparison to every game before it. It emphasizes density over quantity. I don't believe that quality over quantity is the right way to view this, as I believe there are better dungeons in games with a higher quantity of dungeons, but they are extremely dense and tight dungeons all the same.
- Unique characters with off-beat personalities and stories, which is turned up to the series maximum. Many point to this as being a standout for Majora's Mask, yet it's something which is a core tenant of the series. Zelda from the first game includes strange characters which are some of the most memorable parts of the game, and games like Link's Awakening continue this lineage. What Majora's Mask does is that it puts an emphasis on this which is not seen anywhere else in the series.
- Exploration, which is largely turned down for this entry. The game is fond of creating closed spaces which are explored in something of a vacuum. It embraces a very game-y structure of having 4 distinct biomes in cardinal directions in a nearly perfect circle. The exploration is certainly there, but it is primarily in interacting with the characters in those environments. This can largely be explained with the games short development time, yet I also don't view it as a critique. Other Zeldas, such as Wind Waker, emphasize this aspect.
Item collection and usage, something which Majora's Mask has roughly equal to something like Ocarina but executes it in different ways. Major item collection is associated with the transformation masks, and as for the actual items Link receives, they almost always come from outside the dungeons. All dungeon items are related to the bow, either being the bow itself (the only standalone dungeon item) and then subsequently the arrows. The arsenal of actual weapons is downplayed quite a bit, but the functionality which one could argue is lost is merely found in the unique abilities granted by the transformation masks. This is a significant shakeup of the series norms as dungeons are re-contextualized. The standard trope of going to a dungeon, receiving an item halfway through which changes the way you interact with the dungeon, and then fighting a boss which uses the item. The item is then used for some overworld exploration, and is then subsequently sidelined save for occasional overworld or dungeon usage. Changing the rate of item accrual further emphasizes this game's unique structure.
I think Majora's Mask is certainly a forerunner when analyzing the series through this lens due to being the most standout example, but I believe that most games in the 3D lineage of Zelda can be viewed. Having these various aspects emphasized and downplayed certainly isn't an indictment of the game or its quality. It's merely a lens which the series can be viewed within. And, with what we have on offer, we're given one of the most unique Zelda games which stands tall as my favorite 3D Zelda game. It's a unique experience which we likely won't see again, due to being a product of its era.
While you have been met with a terrible fate, so too has the land of Termina itself.
The residents of Termina stand as the most memorable part of the game, despite being inherently a copy of what was done before. Despite almost all major residents not being 'new', their stories result in them becoming what I think of when I see those characters. The stories which are told are not necessarily this rich, dense tapistry, but are effective in creating engaging situations which have largely stuck with me since I first played the game as a child so many years ago. In larger RPGs like Fallout, they wax poetic on their sidequests, and many of them end up being great. The ability for Majora to create engaging sidequests despite significantly less text and being overall generally short (save for one notable exception) is a feat which few other games in the Zelda series have managed to do. The impending doom which the game emphasizes is certainly a major factor for these stories being so memorable. You're helping some people with their 'last wishes' before all is going to be lost. Helping a man's chicks grow up results in him being content with his life, and he is ready to die happy because of that. You help two lovers find each other again and wed before all is naught. There is a beauty inherent to the plot of Majora which is played upon perfectly.
Even at the close of the game, there is a certain empty feeling due to the cyclical nature of the game. Saving the monkey and removing the poison from the swamp, causing spring in the Goron village, and helping Lulu with her eggs are undone when you're done with the cycle. While the credits make it look like Link successfully helped these people, it's established that this is not what happened. Unless you're an exceptionally kind individual who beats ever boss in the game before fighting the end, Termina is not entirely saved. They have their lives, but still face some amount of hardship. It's not difficult to imagine Link going to help them after the moon is returned to its rightful place, but this is in the place of headcanon. Again, I need to emphasize this is not an indictment. To me, it furthered the tone of the game. Even in its ending, there is still room for dour indication.
