The time mechanic is where Majora’s Mask really breezes past its other green tunic-wearing heroes, as it not only works as a wonderful framing device for the stories but also the gameplay. Having only three days to finish everything needed forces players to plan out their journey in advance, making sure every precious second isn’t wasted. While this can be a bit frustrating at first, once players begin to understand these new mechanics it allows this game to shed any trappings of it just being another Ocarina of Time which released two years prior.
This gameplay concept goes beyond a simple gimmick, as it feeds into every aspect of the game itself, from the missions to the dungeons and even the NPCs’ routines. What could simply be slow crawls through dungeons are now timed races to the finish. By doing this, Nintendo has made these massive puzzles more perilous and foreboding, as it requires players to adapt and think on the fly in order to succeed. Tie this in with the rather stellar boss fights, minus the giant fish Gyorg, and you have a set of dungeons that feel truly unique within the series.
Along with these fantastic dungeons are some rather interesting foes that test your combat prowess and skills. While it may not be as refined as Twilight Princess, it’s serviceable enough and doesn’t ever feel truly cumbersome when playing. Majora’s Mask also offers a wide variety of monsters to slay as each one has a different attack pattern, weakness, and style that users will have to contend with. Many only show up in specific areas, which helps keep players on edge and always ready for the next foe to come round the corner.
Masks also serve as a unique addition that builds upon the foundations of Ocarina of Time in new and interesting ways. It gives players a sense of experimentation, as they will constantly be swapping through different masks to see what works and what doesn’t. There’s a good sense of organic problem-solving in Majora’s Mask, as each puzzle is vague on how to solve it and progress. They’re an interesting mechanic that helps add another layer of depth to the actual gameplay beyond simply using your bows, bombs, and gear to survive certain areas.
Yet, the real brilliance behind the masks is how they are made personal to both Link and the player. Unlike say, the Hookshot that is never framed as something deep or important narratively beyond “It’s a really useful weapon you get in a graveyard.” Masks, on the other hand, are typically always tied to a story or character in some manner. The Zora Mask is given to you when the guitarist seemingly dies, which helps make it more than just another tool in your bag. This is a personal item that, in many ways, is the Zora himself as Link will physically transform into the man when he’s wearing it. You are a living embodiment of that fallen person, not just a kid wearing a mask he found in a chest somewhere. Majora’s Mask never forgets that idea, as the entire world revolves around these decorative items, each one designed to convey some sort of story to the user. Other Zelda titles rarely put emphasis on the gear beyond their mechanical function, which is why the masks and how they’re used is genuinely inspired.
That’s not to say other concepts in Zelda games aren’t fun like being able to transform into a Wolf in Twilight Princess, but Majora’s Mask’s unique idea bleeds into every part of the game. Being a wolf in Twilight Princess or on a boat in Wind Waker are all fantastic ideas, but they usually only serve specific sections of the game itself. Time is apart of everything in Majora’s Mask and that not only makes it a more intruiging mechanic, but one that isn’t afraid to try bold new ideas.
Finally, it’s important that we address the gorgeous art direction as it wonderfully takes the models, designs, and concepts from Ocarina of Time and infuses them with new life. Instead of a rather bright and sunny color palette, the use of gem tones gives each of the five main areas a specific feeling. The Southern Swamp is full of deep greens and purples, which reinforce the sense of toxicity that many of the enemies embrace. Great Bay is a beautiful paradise that contrasts the rather dark and dreadful themes that appear in every aspect of the game. It all works wonderfully and offers Majora’s Mask a unique identity among its predecessors. While the Zelda series has always had fantastic art, the dark and twisted ideas brought in this game is like nothing we have ever seen before or since in this franchise.
It’s creative and gives the game a completely different personality that separates it from other Zelda titles like Ocarina of Time, Breath of the Wild, or Twilight Princess. Most of the Zelda titles do not let the actual art of the world really tell the stories within, while every mask, enemy, and piece of architecture in Majora’s Mask helps build upon the lore. Clock Town is beautifully represented, the massive clocktower in the center not only acting as a way for the player to keep track of the hour but a physical representation with how time factors into this world. Enemies like Gyorg when defeated seem to warp back in time to when they were just a small fish and beautiful colors of the masks help them all feel truly distinct. It’s art direction unlike anything in any other Zelda game and while the graphics may not be mind blowing, the use of colors and visual cues help offset this problem.
Yet, we cannot make the claim that it’s the best of the Zelda games without addressing that rather large Goron in the room that is Breath of the Wild. In essence, Breath of the Wild shares many of the same themes, ideas, and even attributes that Majora’s Mask does. It’s not afraid to get heavy with its narrative and the impact the events have on the various people involved. Yet, due to the game being so vast this sacrifices the pacing of the story itself. It can take a players dozens of hours to get to a main story point if they get distracted adventuring which can lessen the impact. Since Majora has a rather alarming time frame from the beginning, players are more focused on the world, direct narrative arc, and thus it allows for the events to have more emotional weight. Even skilled players can bypass much of the story since you are free to complete in any order, as you see fit meaning it’s possible that entire elaborate narrative moments can be avoided entirely.
Even though Majora’s Mask failed to make the cultural impact as titles like Ocarina of Time or the cartoonish Wind Waker have, its smart design and focus on storytelling make it far more memorable. It’s hard to walk away from the game and not draw your own conclusion, especially since the ending is not exactly definitive on what just happened. There hasn’t been a game in this series since that has produced such an intriguing and thought-provoking story. Even without its solid gameplay mechanics, level design, and sound, Majora’s Mask would still stand as one of the best Zelda experiences offered by Nintendo. The world of Termina may have descended into madness, but Majora’s Mask’s brilliance couldn’t be any clearer.
