The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (ゼルダの伝説 ムジュラの仮面, Zeruda no Densetsu Mujura no Kamen) is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo‘s Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first week in Japan, and has sold three million copies worldwide. The game was rereleased for the Nintendo GameCube as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition, and the Wii‘s Virtual Console service in the PAL region on April 3, 2009, Japan on April 7, 2009, and North America on May 18, 2009.
Majora’s Mask is the sixth installment in The Legend of Zelda series and the second using 3D graphics, the first being The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the game’s predecessor. The game is set in Termina, an alternate version of the usual series setting of Hyrule, where the Skull Kid has stolen Majora’s Mask, a powerful ancient artifact. Under its influence, the Skull Kid causes the land’s moon to slowly fall towards Termina, where it crashes after three days. The main protagonist Link repeatedly travels back in time to the beginning of the three days to find a way to stop the moon from destroying Termina.
The gameplay is centered on the perpetually repeating three-day cycle and the use of various masks, some of which allow Link to transform into different beings. Link learns to play several melodies on his ocarina, which have a variety of effects like controlling the flow of time or opening passages to four temples, which house challenges Link must overcome. Unlike Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask requires the Expansion Pak, which provides additional memory for enhanced graphics and more on-screen characters. Majora’s Mask was well received by critics, who praised the graphics and deep story.
Plot
Majora’s Mask takes place several months after Ocarina of Time and begins with Link searching for an unnamed friend in the woods on his horse, Epona. The masked Skull Kid and his fairy friends, Tatl and Tael, steal Epona and the powerful musical instrument, the Ocarina of Time, from Link. Link follows them into a dark cave, where he falls down a deep hole. At the bottom, the Skull Kid turns him into a Deku Scrub and runs away with Tael, abandoning Tatl. Upset over the betrayal, Tatl agrees to help Link return to normal.
Link follows the Skull Kid through the cave to Clock Tower in Termina. There he meets the Happy Mask Salesman, who says he can help Link if he retrieves the Ocarina of Time and Majora‘s Mask from the Skull Kid. Link and Tatl exit the Clock Tower in the center of Clock Town, which is preparing for the Carnival of Time. Link learns that the moon of the alternate world that this land resides in will crash into Termina in three days. He confronts the Skull Kid and Tael at midnight of the third day at the top of Clock Tower, not long before the moon is set to crash. Link is unable to take the mask, but retrieves the Ocarina of Time. He plays the Song of Time on the ocarina, which causes him and Tatl to return to the moment they first arrived in Termina.
The Happy Mask Salesman teaches Link the Song of Healing, which returns Link to his human form and leaves him with the Deku Mask. Link then tells him he did not get the mask and the salesman becomes enraged. He tells Link that Majora’s Mask has an evil, apocalyptic power inside that was once used by an ancient tribe in hexing rituals. The ancient ones, fearing catastrophe caused by its great power, “sealed the Mask in shadow forever” to prevent its misuse. This tribe vanished and the origin and nature of the Mask was lost. The Skull Kid, manipulated by Majora’s Mask, is responsible for the moon threatening to destroy Termina.
Link travels between Woodfall, Snowhead, the Great Bay, and Ikana Canyon. In each region he enters a dungeon and defeats a boss that gives Link the power of one of the Four Giants that can save Termina. With all four bosses defeated, Link summons the Giants, who halt the moon’s passage toward Termina. Majora’s Mask rises from the Skull Kid and possesses the moon. With Tatl at his side, Link follows and defeats Majora’s Mask, destroying the moon. The Four Giants return to their sleep and Tatl and Tael reunite with the freed Skull Kid. The Happy Mask Salesman takes Majora’s Mask, stating it has been purified of its evil power. Link rides away on Epona while the people of Termina celebrate the Carnival of Time and the dawn of a new day. The game ends with a post-credits scene depicting a drawing on a tree stump of Link, Tatl, Tael, the Skull Kid and the Four Giants while a snippet of “Saria’s Song” plays briefly in the background.
(Source Wikipedia)
