Game

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

2000 · Wii · Nintendo 64 · 64DD · Wii U · Puzzle · Adventure

88IGDB player score
876 ratings

Previously Take

An 88 average across 876 ratings. Firmly in the "everyone should try it once" tier. Horror that commits, from Nintendo — fantasy atmosphere, real dread, and scares that aren't cheap. No multiplayer, no problem — the campaign carries the whole thing. From 2000, back when games shipped finished.

About this game

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, it utilizes the same engine and visual style as its predecessor. The game retains the traditional elements of Zelda games as well as those introduced in Ocarina of Time, such as active blocking with a shield, various throwing items, and the usage of melodies played on the ocarina to solve puzzles. Compared to the previous Zelda games, this installment is more oriented towards interaction with NPCs and has a larger variety of items, optional quests, and mini-games. It also includes a time system that spans three days, and this cycle must be reset periodically to progress through the game.

After the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link departs on his horse Epona in the Lost Woods and is assaulted by an imp named Skull Kid who dons a mysterious mask, accompanied by the fairies Tael and Tatl. Skull Kid turns Link into a small plant-like creature known as Deku Scrub and takes away his horse and his magical ocarina. Shortly afterward, Tatl joins Link and agrees to help him revert to his native form. A meeting with a wandering mask salesman reveals that the Skull Kid is wearing Majora's Mask, an ancient item used in hexing rituals, which calls forth a menacing moon hovering over the land of Termina. Link has exactly three days to find a way to prevent this from happening.