The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask


 * This article is about the game. For the object and antagonist, see Majora's Mask (Object). For other uses, see Majora's Mask (Disambiguation).

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is the sixth main installment of, first released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Unique among The Legend of Zelda series, the game included a 3-day time system (72 hours in total). is one of the few Zelda games that Ganon does not play any role whatsoever. Princess Zelda is only seen once in a flashback scene.

is the sequel to the popular first 3D Zelda game,, and uses the same engine, as well as many art resources. Many of the conventions pioneered in are present in, including characters, enemies, and items.

On November 5th, 2014, a 3DS remake of the game was announced on Nintendo Direct,.

Arrival to a Doomed Land
opens with a scene of Link leaving the land of Hyrule on a personal quest. The opening to the game states that he is searching for a beloved and invaluable friend, Navi. His trip is interrupted by the Skull Kid, an imp possessed by evil contained in, which he wears after having stolen it from another traveler (with the help of two Fairies, Tatl and Tael). The Skull Kid knocks Link unconscious, making him fall off his horse, Epona, and steals the. When Link awakens, the Skull Kid takes off and leads Link on a chase.

When Link eventually catches up with the Skull Kid, he tells Link that he "got rid of" Epona, and uses the dark magic of Majora's Mask to transform Link into a Deku Scrub. He then leaves Link, while Tatl continues to beat the helpless Deku back. However, her delay causes her to be separated from her brother and the Skull Kid. She then insists that Link take her with him, so that they can work together to find the Skull Kid and Tael. With limited abilities, Link enters Clock Town where he meets the Mask Salesman. The Mask Salesman reveals that the Skull Kid stole Majora’s Mask from him and that he can return Link to his human form if he finds the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. He also warns Link that he must leave in three days, and that Link must retrieve the Mask and the Ocarina by then. Link sets off in his Deku form, finding himself in the parallel world of Termina.

Link is able to do little around Clock Town, but with the help of Tatl and the Great Fairy, he manages to find the Skull Kid hanging around the top of the enormous Clock Tower from which Clock Town's name is derived. Link also hears rumors and whispers of the Moon, which bears a grimacing and ominous face, steadily growing closer to the Town as Skull Kid pulls it out of its orbit. At midnight on the Final Day before the Mask Salesman's departure, Link is able to reach the top of the Clock Tower for a face-off with the Skull Kid. Upon arriving, Tatl demands that the Skull Kid give back Link's Ocarina. Seemingly not hearing, Tael delivers an enigmatic warning to Tatl, to find four beings from the "swamp, mountain, ocean and canyon."

The Skull Kid, in response to Tael's outburst, hits the Fairy aside. He then laughs about how even if "they" were to come, they could not stop him. He then points Link and Tatl's attention to the Moon and challenges them to stop it from falling. With an unearthly shriek, he begins to bring it down to the land. Taking advantage of this, Link fires a magic bubble, a skill learned earlier, at the Skull Kid, causing him to drop the Ocarina of Time. On picking it up, memories of Link's departure from Hyrule flood back to him. Link remembers Princess Zelda bidding him a sad farewell and telling him that the Goddess of Time is watching over him. After being snapped out of this reverie by Tatl, Link plays the "Song of Time" and is immediately thrown back in time to the morning he first entered Clock Town, three days prior.

Link heads back to the Mask Salesman, who teaches him the "Song of Healing". Playing this song with the Ocarina of Time returns Link to his regular self, with the only remnants of his time as a Deku being a Mask, which he can don to become Deku Link once again. After aiding Link, the Mask Salesman asks that Link uphold his part of the bargain and return the Mask that the Skull Kid stole. Upon learning that Link could not recover the Mask, the Salesman grows furious, berating Link and wildly informing him that the Mask, known as Majora's Mask, is an ancient artifact that possesses an apocalyptic power. He again requests that Link recover the Mask, stating that he believes that Link can do it.

The Four Giants
To stop the Skull Kid, Link and Tatl work on the only clue they have; the four places stated by Tael. Upon venturing into the Southern Swamp, Link finds the area poisoned, apparently due to the disappearance of the Swamp's guardian god. After venturing through the Deku Kingdom and Woodfall Temple, Link faces down the dark being Odolwa. Upon defeating his foe, Link frees an "innocent spirit" from the Mask worn by the monster. Link and Tatl find themselves facing a sorrowful and powerful Giant. Tatl then surmises that the Giant was one of the "four" that Tael spoke of, as Link learns the "Oath to Order".

The two head to Snowhead Mountain, a place that has experienced a longer-than-usual period of winter, to save the next Giant. While there, Link heals and takes on the soul of a Goron warrior (who tried to find a way to save his people, but died in the attempt), which enables him to free the Giant from the evil spirit of Snowhead. Link next requires a horse to get to the ocean, and finds that Epona has been found and taken in by the sisters Romani and Cremia at Romani Ranch. However, to recover Epona, Link must arrive on the First Day, so that he can find the little girl Romani in a well-enough state to give him back his horse. Link then heads to the cursed Great Bay, where the ocean is in disorder due to calamity at the Great Bay Temple. Link also finds the near-dead body of a Zora guitarist, and manages to adopt his soul too. By finding the stolen Zora Eggs (belonging to the vocalist of The Indigo-Go's, Lulu) in a fortress of pirates and a nest of sea snakes, the young hero manages to find the whereabouts of the third Giant and frees him.

Link finally ventures to Ikana Canyon, where he faces down the restless spirits of the dead, so that he can climb Stone Tower and save the last Giant. He then ventures to the Clock Tower at the end of the Final Day, summoning the Four Giants with the "Oath to Order" to stop the Moon. Even though the Giants hold back the Moon, Majora's Mask leaves the Skull Kid, who passed out at the Giants' coming, and rises into the Moon. There, the Mask possesses the Moon and attempts to consume all of Termina. Link follows the Mask inside, finding a surreal field, in which there is a tree and five children. After talking to the child who wears Majora's Mask, Link proceeds to face the demon. After a harsh battle, Link destroys the spirit, and the Moon is destroyed.

When Link comes to the "Dawn of a New Day", he learns that the Skull Kid and the Four Giants had once been friends. The Skull Kid also remarks how Link smells like a kid who taught him a song in the forest, clearly implying that this is the same Skull Kid to whom Link taught "Saria's Song" in. The Mask Salesman states that the evil has left Majora's Mask, and then mysteriously disappears, bidding Link a fond farewell. Tatl then tells Link that he should get back to his original quest, and the two part ways. The story ends with Link riding off into the forest on Epona once more, and "Saria's Song" echoes as a carving of Link, the Skull Kid, the Fairy siblings, and the Four Giants is shown.

Gameplay
The gameplay of is much the same as in, although new features including the new Mask system, items, skills, and more are included. For example, several of the items that Link could only access as an adult in are now available to him throughout the game in the child form (such as the Hookshot or the Bow). Additionally, Link is slightly more acrobatic than he was in previous games, as seen when jumping off of ledges; Link will automatically do flips in the air instead of just a normal jump.

Three day cycle
Unlike the previous installment and arguably one of the major departures from the traditional Zelda gameplay, implements a time system. The time system cycles three days, the time until the destruction of Clock Town by the Moon, which is plummeting to earth because of influence from the Skull Kid. With the Ocarina of Time, Link is able to play the "Song of Time" to reset the cycle and return to the first of these three days as many times as he needs to. Link is the only one affected by the time-travel; other inhabitants live as if nothing has happened. When traveling back in time, Link loses all Rupees, quantities of items (although not the items themselves; e.g. Arrows but not the Bow, etc.), dungeon progress (Dungeon Maps, Compasses, etc. unless, of course, the dungeon is completed) and most interactions with others (except for his Fairy, Tatl, and a few other exceptions). Going back to the First Day by playing the "Song of Time" also saves the game, the only way to permanently save the game; except in the Japanese release of the Nintendo 64 version, players can also quicksave at Owl Statues.

At the bottom of the screen, a clock is displayed, which keeps track of the time. In the center, the day number is displayed. Surrounding in a semi-circle is a revolving sun or moon (symbolizing day or night). This small icon moves around the clock and shows the hour of the day.

Several more "hardcore" players of the game have found it entertaining to attempt beating all four dungeons and the final boss in a single three-day cycle, though it is an extremely difficult task and requires very extensive knowledge of the game.

Masks and transformations
Link appears in his younger form, originally seen in, despite using a Shield seemingly larger than the Deku Shield. However, in, Link does not have the ability to transform into an adult. 24 different Masks with different functions and purposes can be found throughout Termina, of which several allow Link to take the form of another race; Deku Scrubs, Gorons, and Zoras. Because the transformation Masks are based on deceased characters, the game is one of the few where the player can control different characters besides Link. Each Mask, when used, depicts a face of agony.

Deku Link is the first transformation Link receives, and is based off the spirit of the long-missing son of the Deku Butler. In Deku form, Link can stun enemies with the spin attack, helpful to leave them defenseless. He can also shoot bubbles to attack aerial foes and to hit certain targets, although their firepower and range are more limited than those of the arrows. Usage of Deku Flowers is also possible, and they grant Link the ability to fly temporarily, as well as to release Deku Nuts and use them as Bombs. He can also use the Nuts on land. His instrument in this state is a set of Deku Pipes and, although optional, he can confront the boss of the Woodfall Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. The weakness of Deku Link is fire.

Goron Link is the second transformation Link receives, and is based on the spirit of the tragically fallen Goron hero Darmani III. In Goron form, Link can curl his body up in a ball to travel faster. He can perform a Ground Pound, useful for offense and for puzzle-solving, and can generate magic-based spikes for speed and offensive capabilities when rolling. He can also use his powerful punches to attack enemies and to hit hardened targets. Only Goron Link can use Powder Kegs. His instrument in this state is a set of Drums of Sleep and, although optional, he can confront the boss of the Snowhead Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. The weakness of Goron Link is water; falling in it will cause Link to sink and take damage.

Zora Link is the third transformation Link receives, and is based on the fallen-in-battle guitarist Mikau. He has multiple abilities (more so than the other two forms), including a stylized combat moveset using his bladed fins which also double as a set of Boomerangs, the capacity to swim incredibly fast, electric barriers that can be generated while swimming or standing, and the ability to freely dive and walk underwater. His instrument turns into the Guitar of Waves and he is helpful to confront the boss of the Great Bay Temple, the dungeon where he is the protagonist. Both fire and ice are lethal to him.

With the exception of the Giant's Mask, the rest of the Masks either give Link new abilities (i.e. the Blast Mask's instant explosion) or disguise him. After completing the game up to the point before Link fights the final battle against Majora's Mask, it is possible to complete several side dungeons in which Link plays a game of Hide and Seek with a series of children, at the cost of progressively giving up all of the Masks collected prior (although they are still available after the game is completed). Finishing this sidequest rewards Link with the Fierce Deity's Mask, which turns him into an adult form with devastating capabilities, but is only allowed during boss fights, Majora's Mask included.

Emphasis on sidequests
is also a noted game for its many optional (secondary) sidequests throughout the game, which, should Link complete, explores many more sub-plots and stories. These include helping a distraught troupe leader, returning a kidnapped Deku Princess to the palace, helping five Great Fairies be restored to power, and, perhaps the most intricate sidequest in any Zelda game, helping an engaged couple reunite moments before the Moon falls on Clock Town. These sidequests are recorded in the Bombers' Notebook. The number of mini-games is also higher and more complex in execution than those of, and there are more optional or secret areas where extra mini-bosses or Gold Skulltula hunts may be available. Completing sidequests is usually rewarding to Link, as the conclusions to many of them are shown during the end credits, but only if Link has managed to complete that sidequest.

In retrospect, the game currently features the highest amount of Heart Pieces in the series: 52 in total, while is next with 45. Additionally, it features the highest number of empty Bottles: Six in total. With the exception of SS undefined and which both feature five, all other Zelda games feature up to four.

On the negative side, the emphasis on sidequests also translates into a lower number of dungeons, which is a potential point of criticism for some players.

Game style
is generally regarded as one of the darkest entries in the Zelda franchise. The game's storyline contains much heavier themes than those seen in prior games of the series, with somber melodies and a myriad of tragic situations. Link is faced with the knowledge that the world of Termina will be destroyed within three days, and the only means in which to prevent this from occurring is by playing the Ocarina of Time to restart everything from the dawn of the First Day. goes even further by delving into the emotional and psychological state of Termina's denizens, each of whom responds to the circumstance of their impending doom in an idiosyncratic but realistic manner. Link and Termina's denizens are continually confronted with elements of death, loss, and abandonment over and over and over again as the three-day cycle repeats continuously.

Link must go through this as a living, breathing character, being the only one with any awareness of the events that will transpire within each three-day cycle. Everyone has their suffering renewed whenever the "Song of Time" is played, and are entirely oblivious towards everything that happened during the previous 72-hour period. The foreboding atmosphere of world destruction is always present in, conveyed largely through the game's soundtrack and artwork. The desire to rescue the world from certain peril serves as an additional motivation for completing the game.

Development
After the release of, Shigeru Miyamoto was planning to release another version of the game for the Nintendo 64DD with remade dungeons. However, Eiji Aonuma did not like the idea of remaking the same dungeons, so he secretly started working on new ones instead. After asking Miyamoto if he could make a new game, he replied that he could do it as long it was made in one year.

While thinking in ideas for the game, Aonuma met Yoshiaki Koizumi, who proposed a system of time passing where the same moments would be played over and over again. Thus, the three-day system was created. However, an entire week was originally planned, but was later shortened to only three days to make it easier to remember the character schedules. During development of, some ideas were not fully utilized, including the use of masks, so Aonuma decided to further expand this concept in.

The original name of the game was. Prior to its North American release, the game was referred to as The Legend of Zelda: Mask of the Mujula and The Legend of Zelda: Gaiden on the official Nintendo website. The former was a direct translation of the Japanese title, and the latter the game's aforementioned working title.

Graphics
The graphics are slightly improved in from, possibly due to the necessity of the Nintendo 64's Expansion Pak (a memory-increasing add-on). As the second Zelda game with 3D graphics, uses the same engine as its predecessor, and even uses some of the same character and enemy models. Eiji Aonuma, a key developer of the game, had stated that reusing many aspects of allowed his team to program the game in less than two years (as  took no less than four years of development). The vast areas the game features have an improved definition in comparison to those seen in the previous Zelda game; the fog distance is nearly nonexistent, enemies are more detailed, and the overall atmosphere is more realistic. Another achievement from the Expansion Pak is that multiple non-playable characters can perform different tasks without impacting on the framerate, larger level design was possible, and many more enemies are present at the same time (most notably in Termina Field, contrasting to the barely populated Hyrule Field from the previous Zelda game). However some textures are less detailed in other locations, and the framerate may sometimes lower.

Setting
Termina's world is a parallel dimension to Hyrule's world. There are some characters here that also have counterparts in Hyrule, except for Link, Epona, the entire Kokiri tribe, and (possibly) the Mask Salesman, who are all residents of Hyrule. Skull Kid is confirmed to be from Hyrule as at the end of the game, he familiarizes Link as the one who taught him "that song" in the Lost Woods. Termina consists of five large lands (or "worlds", as stated by Anju's Grandmother). The central region houses Clock Town, Romani Ranch, and Termina Field. Clock Town provides many forms of entertainment, featuring important attractions, and numerous recreative zones and tourism. It is also there where the annual Carnival of Time is celebrated. Romani Ranch is a large rural zone where various animals are taken care of, and milk is produced for its distribution to Clock Town.

The Southern Swamp is located south, and is where various monkeys and monsters live, while the Deku tribe practices its monarchy in the Deku Palace. The swamp's waters are poisoned because of the creature living in Woodfall Temple. The Snowhead Mountain is located north, and is inhabited by the Goron tribe (who puts into practice a patriarchy, not unlike in Hyrule's Death Mountain). The mountain's weather indicates an extremely low temperature because of the creature living in Snowhead Temple. The Great Bay Coast is located west, and is inhabited by the proud Zora tribe (living in an underwater reef, and are known for their artistic linage in the musical department), as well as by Gerudo Pirates (living in a sinister complex, and are known for their reputation of hunting treasure at all costs and by all means necessary), and humans (living in the coast itself, and doing miscellaneous activities such as scientific research and fishing). The coast's waters become murky because of the creature living in the Great Bay Temple. Finally, Ikana Canyon lies east, and the entire region is invaded by undead entities because of the creatures living in the Stone Tower Temple. It used to be inhabited by humans before this, but now the only living people found there are Sakon, Pamela and her father.

Japanese Versions
The release difference between the Japanese versions and the North American version was a full six months, the longest release wait among all 3D Zelda games so far. Despite this, there are not too many noticeable differences between the two versions.

In the Japanese version, Owl Statues simply serve as a destination for the "Song of Soaring"; players cannot use them to quicksave. While the Japanese version has three save file slots, the international release only has two due to the addition of quicksaves. The Japanese version of includes two save files and quicksaves, like international releases.

Cartridge Versions
In the United States and Canada, all versions of the game came with gold cartridges; however, only the ones with the Collector's Edition logo on the box came with a moving hologram effect on the cartridge label, while the ones without the logo came without it.

In Europe, the PAL versions of the game also came with gold cartridges, but were not named Collector's Editions and lack the hologram effect on the cartridge's label. The only PAL Collector's Edition was released in Australia where it had the logo and the North American cartridge label, although they lack the moving hologram effect.

Limited Edition Adventure Set
A limited edition Adventure Set was also released. Limited to 1,000 copies, it included a copy of  Majora's Mask, the original soundtrack, a watch, a shirt, two pins, a poster, a sticker, and a certificate of authenticity. It was available only in Europe.

Timeline Placement
The events of are placed shortly after those of, and are considered to be the starting point for what is called the "Child Timeline", which is eventually continued with Twilight Princess and then  centuries later. In-game connections between the game and are relatively scarce, because of the different setting and story, and include recurring characters like Mask Salesman and Kaepora Gaebora, as well as some of the songs being remembered ("Song of Time", "Epona's Song" and the "Song of Storms"), rather than learned for the first time.

Sales
The game sold approximately 314,000 copies in its first week of sales in Japan, and has sold 3.36 million copies worldwide, fewer than its predecessor (which sold over 7 million copies), likely as a result of its release during the final years of the lifespan of the Nintendo 64, the system the game was launched for, as well as fan skepticism.

Reviews and Awards
In terms of critical reception, response to the game was mostly positive, as reviews were in favor of the game; however, opinions are divided regarding whether it is as good as its predecessor. Edge magazine referred to as "the oddest, darkest and saddest of all Zelda games". Some feel that is significantly better than  in certain areas. Japanese magazine Famitsu awarded the game a high 37/40 score, although the other games in the series scored higher. IGN described as "The Empire Strikes Back of Nintendo 64. It's the same franchise, but it's more intelligent, darker, and tells a much better storyline". As mentioned above, was one of the last major titles for the Nintendo 64, and may have suffered in terms of popular interest due to the familiarity of the technology. Nevertheless, GamePro described the game as "living proof that the N64 still has its magic". It has been ranked the 7th-greatest game of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) in the Top 100 Games of Time seen in their 100th issue, where was ranked the 8th best.

One common criticism is that is not as accessible as. GameSpot, giving a score of 8.3/10, significantly lower compared to the 10/10 that was given to, wrote that some might "find the focus on minigames and side quests tedious and slightly out of place". IGN justified that they did not give the game a perfect ten (giving instead a still very high 9.9) just because the major innovations were seen in. Nintendo Power ranked it eleventh in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games, criticizing the time-based concept while still praising the improved graphics and the transformation concept. Regardless, Game-Revolution wrote that it "takes a little longer to get into this Zelda", but also that "there are moments when the game really hits you with all its intricacies and mysteries, and that makes it all worthwhile".

Fan Reception
The game has also received good reviews from regular fans of the series, including a current reader average of 9.7 on IGN and a current user score of 9.3 in Gamespot, among others. Graphics, storyline, challenge, music, gameplay, depth and overall quality are only some of the praised aspects of the game. Additionally, it was ranked 42nd on IGN Reader's Choice of the Top 100 Games Ever, where it is cited as one of the most underrated video games in history, but also as one of the best. In autumn of 2010, the game won Game of the Decade (2000-2009) in a contest held on GameFAQs.com, defeating in the finals after a narrow semifinal victory over. In fact, prior to its launch for the Virtual Console, it was the second most requested title, only behind, providing that those who did not play it wanted to do so now. However, some fans also expressed firm complaints, tending to agree that while it is regarded as a good game, it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Other elements of criticism included the low number of dungeons and the restrictions of the time limit, as well as the need for an Expansion Pak.

The Virtual Console version of the game (see below) received similar praise from critics and fans alike, earning the distinction of being the 300th VC game to be available ( was the 100th one), and being so after nearly two years since the launch of the other classic Zelda games to the same service.

Ports and Remakes
has been ported to several other systems since its release.

Collector's Edition
In 2003, Nintendo released a GameCube bundle. This bundle had the main GameCube system as well as which included. However, due to poor quality emulation, this version of the game reportedly suffers from minor glitches not present in the original Nintendo 64 version, some of which freeze the game entirely. Like the original, this version only allows two game save files (per memory card), even though it would have been possible to have more.

iQue Player
In 2004, was translated to  (with  text) and ported to the region's exclusive iQue Player. However, the Chinese government halted its production. The government deemed the game's dark undertones violated the country's censorship laws.

Virtual Console
was also released for the Virtual Console. It was released on April 3, 2009 in Europe and Australia, April 7, 2009 in Japan, and on May 18, 2009 in North America, which had thus also marked the 300th content to be released on the American Virtual Console.

According to a few players who have played from the PAL Virtual Console, several glitches from the Collector's Edition version have been present in the Virtual Console release, including freezing, making it possible that the Virtual Console release may be a direct port from the Collector's Edition. However, some players have reported that theirs runs perfectly and smoothly. According to IGN, the NTSC version of the game is glitch-free, and players are encouraged to download it with confidence.

3DS Remake
A Nintendo 3DS remake, titled Majora's Mask 3D, was announced by Nintendo through their Nintendo Direct stream on November 5, 2014. Similar to, the remake features updated graphics and other additions. The remake was released on February 13th, 2015 in North America and Europe, and on February 14th, 2015 in Japan and Australia.

Legacy
Being the second 3D Zelda game on the Nintendo 64, was not as influential as its immediate predecessor, and some of its characteristics have not been shown again in later installments. However, it still made the following contributions:


 * was the first Zelda game to impose any sort of time limit.
 * It is the first game in the series where Tingle and the Postman appear. The latter character, by extension, also marks the first time a mail system is portrayed in the series.
 * The first playable character besides Link, Kafei, is in the game. This idea became fruitful for.
 * It is the first Zelda game where the boss battles can be replayed anytime.
 * Many properties of this game were borrowed by, including a stage, soundtrack, and several Trophies.

Trivia

 * Along with the Kokiri Sword, Tunic, Boots and Ocarina of Time, the Stone of Agony is one of the few items that Link preserves from, since the game will still rumble near a secret area. No reference to it is ever made, unlike the other items. Also, Link can pick up Bomb Flowers, suggesting he also kept the Goron's Bracelet, although it is not seen on his model.
 * Sakon is the first non-playable character that can be murdered by Link. This can be done with an Arrow targeting at the stolen Bomb Bag.
 * contains the least amount of main dungeons in any Zelda game, being 4 in total. In addition, all items obtained in main dungeons pertain to the Bow.
 * The impermanent flow of time in the first three-day cycle as Deku Link is 1.66 times faster than normal. When the time is altered to be at this rate during the first cycle, no enemies or NPCs will appear in Termina Field. This cannot be seen normally in gameplay as Link is confined to Clock Town during the first three-day cycle, which is almost entirely scripted.
 * Flat, a Poe appearing in Ikana Canyon, mentions that his brother Sharp "sold his soul to the devil". This is interesting considering that there is no known deity in Zelda who is directly referred to as "the devil." It is possible that only Terminians believe in this deity, or he refers to another deity such as Majora. Nonetheless, "the devil" plays some sort of role in Terminian media. He may not be referring to a god at all.
 * The Wii Virtual Console version uses fewer blocks than, as data compression for Virtual Console games had been improved since the release of on the Wii Virtual Console. However, the Wii Virtual Console release of  uses three blocks for save data, which is three times the amount of space that the Wii Virtual Console release of  uses.