🗡🛡 The Legend Of Zelda : Majora's Mask - Review and Retrospective
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- The Legend Of Zelda - Majoras Mask Review and Retrospective on Nintendo 64. This was the second N64 game after ocarina of time and took the series in a very unexpected direction.
00:00 Intro
01:55 Game Development
10:23 My Experience
12:31 Storyline
19:51 Graphics
22:22 Music, Audio and Soundtrack
24:01 Controls
24:27 Lasting Impressions
26:03 Closing Questions
#majorasmask #zelda #urazelda - Hry
I have a funny memory of the game. I was about 7 when the game came out, so I was old enough to read, but was young enough to still be gullible and imaginative. When I read that the world would explode in 3 days, I really thought the game had entrusted the power of saving the world to ME personally, and that I had ONLY 3 DAYS to beat the game or I PERSONALLY would be responsible for the destruction of the real world I lived in. When the first night came within 20 minutes or so, I was like "that's not fair! That wasn't a day!". I began to feel extreme anxiety on the third night, and shut the N64 off, so I couldn't be responsible for what happened to the world.
Lmao
I still remember tearing the wrapping off Majora's Mask on Christmas day when I was 13 or so, and thinking with relief "they found it!". It was always up in the air whether or not my parents would be able to find the hottest games at Christmas time. My sister and I were given the game and the strategy guide, which I have to this day. Because we were only bought one game a year at Christmas time, the game we got at Christmas was always a very big deal. We would then spend the rest of Christmas Day playing it.
Thanks again for drawing me back into nostalgia, Glenn!
Luckily it had a lot of side quests
thats good that the game is quite a long one when you have to really get as much out of the game as possible like that
Hands down one of the best games ever made and so unique in its surreal atmosphere and somber tone. Crazy to think that it was developed in just one year!
I remember back in the day, people generally agreed that MM was a great game, but almost everybody seemed to like OoT better. I was one of the few weirdos that prefered MM. It has been interesting to see how many people have since come around and changed their opinion because, in hindsight, they recognized how special MM is.
its hard to follow up OOT and when I think about it now, personally for me they havnt (im yet to play BOTW)
@@n64glennplant Oh man, you gotta play it! It's obviously very different from OoT and the usual 3D-Zelda formula, but the feeling of freedom, exploration, and discovery is simply unparalleled. Not only is it my favourite Zelda, but my favourite game of all time.
@@n64glennplant you're missing on soooo much man, play it.
The HD texture pack by Nerrel really breathes new life into this game without changing anything, the amount of effort put into all of the textures ensuring they reflect how they were intended to look and updating them at the same time is truly amazing and worth checking out!
Meh
yeah it looks great IMO
Regarding the soundtrack, I always thought it was very nice that the clock town theme would change depending on the day. It's one of the only "upbeat" tracks in the game, but by the time of the third day, it's extremely fast, just to make you feel a little bit more on edge. Then they rub that in with the increased frequency of construction sounds (very nice touch), and then towards the very end of the last 5 minutes, the sound of the moon getting closer becomes audible, just to make you feel even more tension.
thats a very good point, I liked dynamic soundtracks in games the N64 had a surprising amount of them
After playing Ocarina of Time, I just had to have Majora's Mask when it first launched. I feel like it perfectly blended the new ideas that the team at Nintendo were coming up with, together with the familiarity of controls and gameplay of OoT. I loved the darker, melancholy tone of Termina, and the 3 day cycle limit just added to the sense of urgency and unease. But I loved getting to learn about the background of Majora's Mask here, and the origins of the game's planning. Thanks for the fascinating retrospective on this great game 💜
Great comment. If you played OoT, you know that it was amazing for the 3d, but also kind of easy. Majora’s gave back the difficulty with the countdown timer as well as some unique and difficult dungeons. What fun for lifelong LoZ fans as well as new fans from OoT.
very well put Neko - there's so much lore with this game and I hope they return to Termina one day for a Zelda
Been waiting on this review for years.
Decided to drop it today to get back to some n64 normality 😄
@@n64glennplant well it's a good choice for review I'll give you that, but I do like the fact that you're branching out into other Nintendo systems as well.
Same! My favorite game of all time. 🙌🏻🙌🏻
@@JasonsBasementBand while it's not my favorite Zelda game I do personally think it's the most unique of the series. I love its atmosphere and characters. I also love its sense of morbid dread mixed with the denial of impending doom from the games characters.
@@bigkmoviesandgames I feel that! I loved Oot, but it was too pure for me. The darkness of majoras mask is perfect. It’s just one of those games that have “haunted” me. I beileve nostalgia plays a big part in why I love it as much as I do. I just get a weird sense of comfortability from this game. Could be the music, or the time loop of the same 3 days over and over again. I just have an undying love for this game that I have felt since I was a kid back in 2000 when it first came out, all the way till now. I still play it atleast once a year just to beat it and collect the masks. Such a gem.
Wonderful video Glenn.
thanks Matt
I finally played Majora's Mask for the first time last year on Wii Virtual Console, and it has become one of my favorite games ever. I didn't play it when it came out, since I was just one year old at the time 😂. I really loved the gameplay, and specifically the progression coming from Ocarina of Time. The game was designed for players familiar with that game in mind, and for me it worked perfectly. Delving into the main story and the side quests was really satisfying, and while the game is difficult, it was perfectly balanced for me, and satisfyingly challenging. I also never had to look at a guide to progress, except for one confusing side quest, and a fairy location in the final dungeon.
I won't go much into the story here, as this comment is long already, but I love every aspect of it. Especially the themes of loss and Link's relationship with all the characters.
In my opinion, this game is a true masterpiece on a practical and technical level. It truly shows what the N64 could achieve, given enough skill and effort.
Now I need to track down a copy for N64, and replay it on my CRT retro setup!
the fact that new people play it to this day for the first time and still love ti shows just how amazing it is in my opinion!
@@n64glennplant yeah, there's more to it than just nostalgia.
Definitely gonna grab a snack for this review.
Keep up the good work!
Hope you enjoy!
The magazine reference had me laughing my balls off. Another great video! I love how you always peel back the curtain and, describe the logistics behind the game. Such a subtitle touch
Thanks for noticing! Appreciate that
I've been waiting for this video!! Thanks for your channel Glenn! It's been fun this year watching your reviews of games I love and also discovering new games. I'll never tire of the N64 and I hope you never tire of making this excellent content.
Agree
thanks Braden ill always have some n64 stuff coming
Sadly, I never played this game. Since it required the expansion pak to play it. My parents thought it was a waste of money and refused to buy it...I only got one second hand a few years ago. And now carts for this game aren't cheap.
Maybe one day.
haven't you managed to find time to play it yet?
@@n64glennplant sadly no. Not even on emulators. I've missed the boat I think
I bought it on day one and loved it. I bought it again day one on 3DS and still loved it.
the 3ds one changed a few too many things for me
OoT was my first Zelda game, played it when I was around 6 and I love it to death. That said MM is my fav out of the two. Good video as always, sir.
OOT always for me
Thank you Glenn seriously thank you this was the review I have been waiting for since I found your channel I love Majoras Mask its my favorite Zelda game
My pleasure!
I always felt like
major’s mask was a complement to ocarina. Ocarina of Time introduced me to concepts I personally never saw a video game before like the day/night cycle, and exploring one giant world and the time traveling. Majors mask took all that and really fleshed it all out. The world was so immersive, seeing the moon no matter where you were constantly getting closer, the fact that you knew stories and events were happening in real-time , that all the NPCs all had lived and stories. I wish Nintendo would come up with something like this for a Zelda game again
imagine if one day they could somehow link the 2 games (pun intended) and then create like one universe type game and properly link the storylines
@@n64glennplant that would be a perfect remake (rather then those “remakes” on the 3DS)
Not to forget the Atmosphere. This is by far the darkest, most depressing Zelda of all Times. Even Twillight Princess or Twillight Princess seem like Sunshine and Rainbows compared to this Game.
Everything in this Game... The Story, the Moon, the Time constantly running out, the Music, the Graphics...
Heck, I didn't like Majoras Mask as a Child because it would scare the Hell out of me. As an Adult however I came to truly appreciate the Game.
And they managed to pack all of that Atmosphere into that Hardware with all of it's Limitations. You know they did a fantastic Job, when after more then 20 Years the Game still makes you Goosebumps.
Majora's Mask is 1 of my favorite N64 games [not my favorite as that honor goes to Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest... DON'T JUDGE ME!!!!]. But I remember having the VHS promo tape of Majora's Mask. I was intrigued, so my Aunt & my Mother bought 2 copies of Majora's Mask for my younger cousin & I as Christmas presents. Unfortunately I haven't finished Zelda Majora's Mask since 2003, so my memory of the game is not as good as it could be.
yeah its one of those zelda games which if you don't play for a while you won't really remember too much of the puzzle type stuff to help you replay it which is also a blessing if you anted to feel like a new game
Finally! This game is a masterpiece just like its twin Ocarina of Time. In my book they are equals. Imho the two best games of all time. One is an epic and heroic adventure and the other one is a weird, atmospheric, melancholic and personal tale. I love those two games so much.
they compliment one and other perfectly
Glenn… you absolute legend. Thank you for all you do🌻
thanks Bear I appreciate that
Finally Majoras Mask, and you did not disappoint. Half the video spent on the important behind the scenes story, to set up the mood. All perfectly captured by the game. You get a great sense of everything that was going on with Eiji Aonuma, that man's heart and soul are in here. The game does indeed feel personal, and the chances of us ever getting that same type of experience is never gonna happen again.
I was only a few years younger than you so I was still heavy into games. I was following this one closely, and so I new much about what was going on with the masks and the moon. Funny thing that back in those times there was a lot of end of the world hype from Y2K. The advertisements for the game captured the vibes at the time. Anyways, I still consider consider OoT and MM as my two all time favorites in the franchise.
yeah I think its perhaps at times more important than the game itself because it was such a unique Zelda game in terms of its creation
Glenn Plant! You're one the most articulate eloquent and colourful reviewers out there and what other game is more deserving of your attention? Majora's mask is an astonishing achievement. You're so well researched and this was a review much appreciated.
Thanks David, hope to be well enough to be able to return soon
I managed to nab a near perfect pre owned copy from GAME just after release back when I was a teen. I still own it. It's tales pride of place in my collection and still stands as my second favourite Zelda ever.
be worth a ton now
I had overlooked Zelda till Majora's Mask.
Watching my stepbrother play as the Deku form got me into trying it, then I went back and played the other games, including OOT.
I started with the SNES Era in the 90s btw.
Still my Favorite Zelda, and one of the Darkest.
what's your 2nd fav Zelda?
Great retrospective. I got MM on the day of release as I had OOT. I followed the hype through the numerous N64 magazines and was super excited to play a Zelda in a different land. Like many I wasn't prepared for how different in tone it would be, but I loved it. I felt incredibly attached to the characters you meet, and when comparing against other main titles, what sets it apart is how it deliberately strayed from the formula, and is all the better for it.
yeah I would love to see them try taking another risk like this but seeing how huge they are now I think they're playing safe far too often now
Was not expecting you to get to this one for at least a couple more months! What a pleasant surprise! :)
Had to put down a comment before this video blows up, but I can't wait to watch this after I get off work. Been eagerly -- but patiently :) -- awaiting to hear your thoughts on Majora's Mask ever since seeing your OoT video, which actually gave me a greater appreciation for a game I already loved, while also helping me articulate to others why I love it so much as well.
Being a Player 2 (shout out to all the younger brothers!), I spent a lot of time sitting with my older sibling as they played MM while I watched, but we journeyed through and experienced this darker version of Hyrule together... which is a memory I'll always cherish. (Being the younger sibling, I struggled to get much further than the first temple on my own save file lol).
I loved exploring Clock Town, and just *existing* in it, for all of its ambiance. This was also one of the only games we ever reserved ahead of time -- that gold cartridge was too sweet haha. I remember when we played the game for the first time, and reached the third day, and neither of us believed that the game would actually kill you if the Moon got to close! We expected it to trigger some sort of scripted event, like in the first fight with Vile in Mega Man X , where you're supposed to die to advance the game XD . Dying like that was a mind-blowing experience for us. I've never done well with timed tasks, especially in games, so having the countdown timer was definitely stressful for me, and did make the game hard for me to play when I was younger as I naturally wanted to spend all of my time exploring things. But I still love the game, and fell back in love with it when it came out on the 3DS and I got to play it again, after finally being old enough to get past the first temple ^_^'
thanks Gribb, I wanted to get it out before year end as there's still some huge titles on the system ive got to tick off
This game will always have a special unique place in my heart. I still have not anticipated a game more in my life this one. I was 14 and I remember my mom ( God Rest her soul.) and I rode a bus to the mall in the next city over the day it launched. I had preordered it months in advance at Babbages. We didn’t get home till that night and I stayed up till like 1130 almost midnight to complete the first 3 day cycle. My mom was watching me play almost as sucked in as I was. Or maybe she was just enjoying seeing me happy. One of my favorite gaming memories and worth the tired bus ride to school the next early morning.
I'm not the biggest Zelda fan out there, but I love Majora's Mask. It's tone isn't really ever quite matched on the 64 or any other Zelda game for that matter. What a fantastic and grim experience.
▪
Yea I see it the same way about ocarina , but I did like the artwork of majora. The n64 zeldas are the ones I've really gotten into .
🟥
@@2NDFLB-CLERK I think I would really struggle find a Zelda after maybe Windwaker that I would have any interest in playing. I feel like the buck really stopped with the N64 for the most part. But that's coming from me who's not its biggest fan
WW was amazing wasn't it, love that
Dude , I’ve searched your videos a few times wondering why Uve never covered this game .
Can’t wait to enjoy this one . Cheers
haha glad I could finally deliver jimmy
I thought you’d already done this!
Not yet! 😄
@@n64glennplant Well today suddenly got better!
Damn this is timely. I’ve just started this on the 3ds (have it for n64 but for convenience sake kept it in the wardrobe). I love Zelda. But this is taking some getting used to. I’ve done the first 2 dungeons, but haven’t been on the game for a month now. There’s just something about it that makes it feel a tad like a chore. Maybe I need to revisit it and be patient.
I will say this. Hats off to Nintendo for having the testicular fortitude to do something totally different with a winning formula. They carried the experimentation into the GameCube era with Windwaker! Which I loved.
Majora's Mask on 3ds made some decisions that negatively impact gameplay. You have much less time to accomplish anything - even if you slow the clock - and the swimming controls were butchered. The boss patterns and behavior were all changed, just for the sake of being different...it's far better on N64, even with the worse graphics and framerate.
its funny because I loved wind waker too but at the time I remember the pre release news going bonkers about the art style
It's finally here!
The review I've looked forward to the most
glad I could finally deliver
Honestly my favorite N64 game, just behind Perfect Dark. (Though I played the GameCube version of it). It approached side quests in a way I've never seen before, and the darker elements made the happier moments hit harder. Majora feels more like a Metroid villain, very cerebral and was refreshing for the series. And while OOT is more epic in scope, it has a few too many lulls for me and I appreciate the more focused MM. Both are groundbreaking games though. I wish Nintendo made a direct sequel to MM.
BTW there's a science fiction game called Outer Wilds that has a similar time loop concept. Highly Recommended.
I have played outer worlds for a few hours but really didn't click with it
After a childhood of wonder - I decided to check out some of the "official timeline lore "about the origins and aftermath of Termina... Only finding it to be unnecessary, and disappointing. Leads me to wonder what exactly is the problem with having things left as a mystery?
From the Wiki "History and Mythology The tale of the Four Giants Transformation of a world into the land of Termina The combination of the burdens in the heart of Skull Kid and the evil magic inside Majora's Mask transformed a world into the land of Termina.[13] The world created had a distinct culture influenced by Majora's ancient tribe and was inhabited by races and people constructed from Skull Kid's memories and imagination.[14] The Four Giants central to Termina's legends were originally friends of Skull Kid who, like Termina itself, were recreated by the Mask.[15] Termina's existence was tied to that of Majora's Mask. When the evil in the Mask was defeated by Link, Termina disappeared soon after he left."
TL/DR Turns out it was all in one character's head, and nothing else existed. All of the characters you met were never in any danger because they weren't real. There is no real lore to this land or its people apparently? This cheap explanation robs the world of most of its depth and all of its mystery. Seriously? Why bother giving more information about a story if it's not going to add anything to its depth and lore, but rather actually DETRACT from it, just so we can clear away the fog of mystery and KNOW the "real lore" for the sake of knowing, and no other reason? When meanwhile the fog of mystery was essentially the framework on which the greater EXPERIENCE of this game was built, and without it the experience crumbles into a pile of pointless hours.
Note. I still enjoy playing this game so the hours aren't exactly "pointless", but in doing so I outright reject the official explanation and continue pretending like I know this place is still full of mystery, as to why it is the way it is...
who knows maybe nintendo will return to Termina one day and throw some new mysteries into the mix
The quality of these reviews shows why Glenn is #1 talking about N64 on the internet.
These videos should have a million views and the channel should have AT LEAST 100,000 subscribers (we want the plaque). Where are the N64 fans around the world and what are they doing that they don't subscribe to?
Thank you 🙏🏼 maybe one day I’ll get the 100k plaque which would be amazing to have
@@n64glennplant You deserve it
I actually didn't get into OoT until late, but after enjoying it so immensely I made sure to get MM on day one. I remember in the months leading up to the release I would frequent a Zelda fansite that would post teaser screenshots back when it was still only known as Zelda Gaiden. One in particular I remember was a screenshot of the potion hut in the swamp with the author speculating "Could this be Saria's house?" It was quite the shock when I fired up the game to find the only familiar face from OoT being the creepy mask merchant. It eventually became my favorite N64 game (tied with Conker's Bad Fur Day, to be completely honest) and all the talk of BotW2 taking a similar path as Majora's Mask has me excited.
that was part of the fun of magazines trying to link together what the hell the screen shots were actually showing
When I was first introduced to Majora's Mask, I had too much anxiety about time limits both in and out of video games to play this game. It wasn't until years later when I got that GCN version from reserving Wind Waker and had started to hit my gamer stride that I gave it another chance. Even armed with the knowledge of being able to slow down the game's time and being quite proficient in OoT, my comparatively older self was pretty anxious about the time limits (I couldn't even handle the urgency of Pikmin!) until around the point that I finished the first proper dungeon in MM. At that mark, everything felt doable. I had finally internalized that every time I gained something "key," such as a mask, tool or song, I could have saved and picked up pretty much at that point. The game goes out of its way to make it easy to quickly replenish consumable items, like Rupees, Arrows, Bombs, Fairies, etc. at warp points. Around that point, the oppressive urgency completely disappeared, for me. The game could be played at as relaxing a pace as OoT and I didn't even use the Owl Statue saves because it confused me. I went from dreading the main mechanic of MM; being too intimidated by it, to discovering that it's my favorite Zelda title, due to refined features, such as the quick-Spin Attack, how the dungeons kept requiring past tools (which OoT barely did) and most of all, helping me grow into being more comfortable with time constraints both in and out of video games.
This game pushed me beyond my previous limits and because of that, it's my third favorite game of all time. My favorite and second favorite games also did similar things, but probably more, which is why they hold that place in my heart.
WhT are your two other favorite games??? Is it pikman. You didn't say!!!
do you still suffer with the same time anxieties. for me its being chased in games I always hated it and its stressful ha
I was just about to enter high school the first time playing MM and to be honest it felt overwhelming and hard to understand. It wasn't until 2003 that I ended up getting it for my 18th birthday that I sat down and fully absorbed it. It didn't hurt that I printed out helpful guides. I've beaten OoT more times than I can count but there is something about MM that just can't be replicated. Even though there's only 4 dungeons, discovering the lore and mystery of Termina through sidequests and character interactions was such a unique experience. There's a constant uneasiness and lonely feeling. It's such a sad world. I love the fact that it's not your typical Zelda game.
I guess its more quality over quantity with dungeons in this one
The best Zelda on the N64, personally.
OOT for me always :)
Majoras Mask has always been my favorite of the entire series. It hit me hard at a strange point in life. I'll always remember my first play through. I was Link this year for Halloween and learned a bunch of songs on the ocarina. Happy 35th anniversary to the series.
what's your 2nd fav Zelda?
BotW for sure with OoT close behind for 3rd. I hope the N64 online drops Majoras Mask soon and it's a decent port but I'm not holding my breath.
Just started playing Majoras mask for the first time. Perfect timing!
ideal timing!
I still have my original copy I bought 4 days after it came out on my birthday. Majora's Mask has ALWAYS been my favorite Zelda from the first time I played it and i love the attention it's been finally getting in recent years.
its so cool that you still have the cart after all those years
That one line about MM being more about depth than breadth says everything about the game as a work of art
Amen to that fella!
Friday night and a Zelda MM video? Sign me the flip up!!!!
grab your ticket
DAY ONE GOLD CARTRIDGE !😎
how about the PAL collectors pack? :P
Had MM since first week of its release. It's a very well done indepth mature of understanding characters who act more like real people in response to relationship, horrible events that has happened to someone, a some what philosophical gamer take on how "You" the player would go to prevent these kinds of events from happening altering history.
It's also a pretty good coming of age story where link has to leave his friends behind and set his sights else where to live and grow as a person rather than be confined to one place and have constant fame and glory of being a hero, I feel that zelda still feels some sort of grief with the realisation she will never see him again. She must've felt like she lost not only a hero but a friend or possible husband (tho the only extra bit of lore we hear on that part of hyrule lore is the mural lore in the Wind Waker opening.)
Skull kid, represents a youth who's lost his way in the world, his friends got sick of his antics and kicked him out. He was left alone in a foreign land filled with his own not explained events that have made him more sad leaving him alone with no support from anyone other than Tatl and Tael.
Those two fairy siblings is what reignites that love for carefree life and goes bac to being a wandering mischief monster kid. Also during his existence (idk what actual year era it happened) he's also become a nuisance to the 4 giants who once threatened to kill him if he causes big trouble again and that he should grow up and stop being so wreckless.
This is what makes the ending of Majora's Mask so powerful because even during his possession there are some subtle hints that he has regreted being tempted with the power of the majora's mask and after seeing how much destruction he's caused with having his host body taken over by the evil spirit he really regrets his actions and tho this scene is briefly he becomes friends with link.
There is a massive list of other issues with many other characters that really makes this game click with alot of people and it makes us the player/viewer react. Some people are daredevils to the situation, while others cower in fear among many other feelings. Majora's mask's NPCs always has a personality that represents what you would feel and in your situation.
I really love the time mechanic tho for the more casual person it is annoying but unfortunately time is never a great thing, we want more time to do more cool things we wanna do but sadly we all must push on to other things. I do think the 3DS version personally ruins the reason to play Majora's mask but when thinking of being in the shoes of a casual player who doesn't have time for all the bullshit and wants to save almost at any time is a good idea.... what I don't like in the remake is how nerfed some of the features in the game, Also the more brighter colours just ruins the dark and grungy visuals which really helps with the original game and it's re-releases.
I actually spent so many hours as a lil kid just speeding in the ocean as zora link.
This along with Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark, SF64 still hold up to this day which I cannot say for all N64 games. It's well directed art style, writing, adventure and presentation still holds up strongly and is still a better dark mature zelda than Twilight princess will ever be.
beautifully put, I always felt sorry for skull kid but in MM man he was creepy AF at times with mask on
Melancholy and the infinite sadness is amazing
A masterpiece for sure
I remember opening the game on a cold Christmas day and not having the expansion pack. I played it the Easter of the next year following having grown further (and after my step dad arduously had finally gotten hold of the kit to play it. The mystery and wandering themes of the game paying off for me. A very personal journey for me, and I loved it. I loved this as well. Cheers.
oh man I bet that was a bummer!
This was a great video thank you for the effort and work and for another episode. 👍
thank you for watching Dario
Hey! I just came across an idea and don't see much in the channel (maybe am mistaken) but I would love to see videos about some N64 Rom Hacks, maybe some background story and playthrough, I think it would be awesome seeing that, I know that they are a lot of them, maybe the ones you find interesting or worth playing.
Just a random thought.
A fan from Argentina.
Check out the n64 beta project videos ✌️
@@n64glennplant thanks! I will do!
Ah, changing magazine habits. I remember those days
haha :)
Absolutely my favorite Zelda game. I just love the tone and find the whole cohesiveness of Termina to be unique.
yeah its certainly a place id like them to revisit but it would be hard I think
One of my top five favorite games of all time! You did this game justice!
I learned a lot of new things and Everytime I even see a screenshot or artwork for MM I get super tempted to fire it up again.
And I can't tell you how many times I find myself whistling the clock tower theme around the house.
Oh yeah the end credits of ocarina was so good. Majora took me a whole year to understand the mechanics and I had gotten an player's guide for having nearly every Item and Mask. But damn this game was bizarre and dark af. I love the n64 version a bit more than the 3DS is remake, even the og Version is aged a bit badly. 3DS Remake got some curious changes about jumping mechanics of deku link, swimming was different and the boss battles modernised, which I don't like it. I'm glad I got my N64 and my PAL Game here😃
yeah the 3ds remake has some weird changes, they altered too much for my liking compared to what they did with the OOT 3d release
This has been my favorite Zelda ever since it released. I can't believe how much creativity and design brilliance was packed into a game in such a short development time.
I'm coming back to enjoy this later this evening. But just wanted to say I properly discovered your channel recently and have been binging the content over the last few days. Love your takes on these classic games - something quite relaxing about it all. Looking forward to watching this later!
thanks Toby! hope you managed to find time to watch
@@n64glennplant Certainly did - loved it! Something very special and stressful about playing Majoras Mask.
Ocarina of Time is Tolkien. Majora's Mask is Lewis Caroll.
great way to put it
Those N64 Zelda games were pure magic. The series has always been solid, but that moment in time right there was just the pinnacle of what is great about Zelda mixed with pioneering 3d gameplay ideas. Lightning in a bottle.
Couldn't agree more!
This game still stands as my favourite Zelda game of all time.
Good old Zelda
Can’t beat em
@@n64glennplant no way
Never had the pleasure of playing this one. Gutted when a HD remaster wasn't released for the switch
got to happen someday I think
Oakarayna Of Time.
Now I've got that out of my system... Been waiting for this video for a long time. Good work.
Tomarto tomayto 🍅 🙃
@@n64glennplant I absolutely agree. All jokes aside, I can't even tell you how many times I've watched your OoT retrospective. Really glad you did this video.
It makes me happy to see these reviews still coming out-keep it going!
I will certainly try
I've never heard anybody make Majora's Mask sound so much like Shenmue :D
haha is that a good or bad thing
This game was way ahead of its time
I think so too
It's one of my favorite games of all time I played it when I was a kid I was a annoying kid I couldn't really make friends expect for the people who tolerated me I learned from this game from a friend and I loved it ever since I connected to skull kid somewhat it's a personal game for me I only go back to it when things get bad for me thank you Glen for making this video I really enjoyed it
what a cool memory to have and also one thats very personal at the same time
Farout i miss being a kid in the 90’s and playing ocarina of time for the first time in 1998 . Wish i could go back to that time in my life . It was the best time of my life and i didn’t even know it until i got older I’m now 35 and it makes me sad that I’ll
Never feel like that again
Amen to that, that’s how I feel
@@n64glennplant 35 now ! Still haven’t had that feeling like ocarina of time gave me
I've been waiting for this video. Fantastic review. I actually happen to be playing through Majora's mask right now and I'm really enjoying it. I grew up on Ocarina and love it to death, but I was never able to experience Majora's mask until more recently. With how well I know Ocarina of Time inside and out, I am very well able to draw a lot of connections between the two given that this is a direct sequel to that game. I know many people don't like Majora's mask because of how different it is but I feel that it really does add a lot to Link's character and is an essential game to play.
do you find it easy to remember what to do or are you struggling to remember the order to do things in
Awesome video for an awesome game! My favourite Zelda game ♥️
thank you Richard
My mum bought me this for xmas back in the day. She also got me the strategy guide with it and i finished it the same day. I was gutted
A gift and a curse at the same time!
I have been re-watching a few of your reviews lately, along with some I hadn't watched. Was pleasantly surprised to finally see your take on Majora. I quite enjoyed the history lesson at the start. It definitely gives some real context for the thematic choices for sure.
Plus I'm not sure if the universe was dishing out real life Easter Eggs for you, but the irony of the part where you mentioned that you "knew I had three days to jump back into Hyrule" was not lost on me. 😃
I got my own 64 very late in the lifespan of the console, but my best mate had one from release that we basically shared. So, after smashing OoT together, MM was an absolute no-brainer, day one pickup for him and me.
I remember reading a review at the time on the net where the reviewer panned the game for being too easy, only to later go on to admit that they had played through with the official guide! - which granted was a cool book that even had this section at the back of "secrets" that was sealed inside some perforated pages. But still, seemed a little disingenuous to slam the difficultly without figuring it out on their own.
Majora is hands-down the best Zelda in my eyes. A hallmark of a what a sequel should be, where it has a certain level of familiarity but changes just enough that it becomes its own unique entity, distinct from the prequel. Which just works on a whole new level given the bad dream type of motif MM has going on.
Something Dark Souls 3 could have learned a lot from.
This is awesome content. I think your passions for this game equally match my own 🤘🏾
good to hear kahn
Majora's Mask gave me what Ocarina of time didn't. More deep interaction with the masks which had a huge influence on the gameplay, but we still had the ocarina! It blew my mind back in the days. Plus the general topic which was perfectly underlined in audio and video design. I also love how they used the psychological model of the stages of grief to include more depth into their story telling. It is just so well thought about and well developed in that one year they had. Love it.
its incredible that it ever happened at all isn't It
Bizarrely my first times playing this game was on a TV with a weird glitch. If you'd go to the AV channel from channel 0 it would glitch out and go black after some time. Enough time to get into clock town and run around a bit but nowhere near enough time to get anything done. Assuming the game was glitching and being a kid I just kept resetting the game over and over.
This is the first time I've ever realized how absurd it is that this happened while playing MM 🤯
Hahaha was this the only game it did that on?
@@n64glennplant No it did it regardless but the tv was also new at the time. I'm pretty sure MM was the first game I tried playing on it. After some days/weeks (idk) I finally figured out that going to the AV channel from channel 79 -> AV instead of 0-> AV fixed the glitch.
I first played majoras mask a couple of years after release on N64, and as I knew nothing about the game expected somthing similar to Oot (which was/is my favourite game of all time).
I seemed to struggle with the time limit and even though I liked it, I could not get on with the game and I don't think I even got to the first dungeon!
A few years later I found out that you could slow down time so you can explore and complete the quests with a good amount of time - I somehow missed this when I originally tried to play it!
Once you realise how to approach the game you can explore and figure things out then rewind time and slow it down to get things done - it is essentially groundhog day.
Majoras mask became the fantastic experience that Oot had been and a lot of this game even surpasses it especially the music.
Majoras mask is a great sequel to Orcarina of time once you give it a chance and 'Get' the game.
When I hear people say they wished they could go back and play Oot for the first time again, if you never played Majoras mask or gave up like I first did - Then this is your chance to play this fantastic zelda game for the first time!
I think at least with the NSO expansion pack service getting MM soon it'll start to get a lot more appreciation
@@n64glennplant Thank-you for another great video, I wasn't sure how you would feel about this game but had been looking forward to this since your Oot video, and so has everyone else by the sounds of it!
Did not expect this so soon!
The NSO service, as you say should give this more exposure, even to players who have played Oot in the past but not Mm,
For me though it has to be played on my original N64 and crt for that perfect old experience.
Thank you Glenn, thank you. I´ve waiting for years for this.
thanks for watching Max
Remember being on a September Holiday with my parents in 2000 and I got the 64 Magazine that had a feature of Majora's Mask the Japanese version preview.
I loved reading it and I encouraged myself to start saving up for the game leading up to December.
I was around my mid teenage years so knowing about the game before it came out was one of those special moments in my teenage life.
that was all part of the fun wasn't it, the hype was real where as now devs show off way too much I think before the games out
@@n64glennplant True, back in the day just hearing about the first level and none after that was enough for the hype to be real.
As long as it wasn't a major spoiler, we didn't mind having a glimpse into the first part of the game.
Sometimes I wished that gaming to go back to those days where all we got was just the first level before release, but keep all other parts of the game top secret until the game it finally released.
These days the first trailer reveals some major spoilers.
i loved ocarina of time when it came out, but this game blew my mind.I love everything about it, the sidequests are amazing, fantastic rewards.
Exploration is great and and the 3 day cycle is also fantastic. the music is top tier.... might be my favorite game of all time.
when they first shoved us midnas mask in TP i recognised the majoras mask inspiration right away and i hoped it would connect the two games somehow.
Hope the go back to the atmosphere and repeating days system sometime in the future.
haha see I didn't like TP all that much, it was actually one of my least favourite Zelda games perhaps even to this day
This is a great review Glenn, especially the parts about its development - I had no idea about those! OoT was my first Zelda game and I was a little confused with it so played most of it with a guide. Unlike you I was religiously buying N64 Magazine every month in the build up to the release of Majora's Mask and bought it on release from Woolworths after school having saved the £50 (a huge amount for a 14 y/o). I remember running home on that dark November night to play it. Fantastic memories. Loved how the NPCs had been fleshed out so much. I am hopeful that BotW2 is similar to MM in that it builds on what made the original so good but goes down a different path.
Ah, the good old teenager days when mom was getting the new Nintendo releases along with a guide in case she got stuck. Always considered it a worse successor, but in hindsight I am not so sure. Only managed to get through the entire game last year when I sat down and forced myself to stick with this and not get distracted by playing other games alongside and man, was it worth it.
The music especially is noteworthy as it has the Morrowind quality, you can humm along for hours and not get bored by it. Some tracks just fit the atmosphere nicely, others give you that AHA! moment as you realize the theme from earlier titles... amazing composing work.
What prevented me from really enjoying the game back then were the obvious time constraints and the 3 day deadline, but once I noticed just how much time that one song gave you, it changed everything. Sure, some of the "quests" in town still required you to be on time, but most of these were optional anyway and overall time was no longer much of an issue.
Exploration is key in this game and this may have been what kept me going even 20 years after its original release. In fact, this title is even more open that its predecessor, as it does not hold items and skills back as much and gave you more freedom earlier on. This was probably due to the game not having such clear story sequences that made you stronger over the course of a long journey as in OOT. Some parts like the ice bridge with the blowing wind made me pull my hair out (and get an HDMI adapter to play on the bigger monitor to finally see crap), but once I made it, I was enjoying more beloved snowy areas fully. And what could be more satisfiying than icy mountains, frozen lakes and rivers and snowy fields? Nothing, of course.
This game was and still is a true masterpiece and, unfortunately, one of its kind.
yeah its interesting to see how many different people tackle completion of this game as everyone seems to have their own paths
I got this for Christmas shortly after it's release. I had been reading about the development in magazines and would keep re-reading them as I was so excited. I still remember looking at those blurry screenshots thinking this game is taking a complete different direction. Upon the day I received it the game became an obsession. Back then, I thought this was so much better than OOT. It still is a masterpiece and I prefer the more true to life story elements of hardship and sorrow. I loved just following around each character in the 3 day cycle to plan out their interactions. It was so much fun for a child. But as an adult, I can see why this would not be appealing as its such a time sink.
yeah I think OOT could be played by younger gamers oK but the time mechanic here was certainly more suited to slightly older players as a minimum
I thought I was the chosen one as my game cartridge was GOLD! Great retrospective x
Haha like do you mean you opened the box not knowing it would be a gold cart?
@@n64glennplant Yep - no idea. Thought I was Charlie and the chocolate factory.
@@n64glennplant Just wanted to add, the way you framed the game being about coming of age while being that age where you're too busy, but still trying to hold onto the things you loved as a kid - beautiful framing, it reminded me of how I felt at the time.
@@GATMachine haha that’s so amazing
I mean no disrespect to OoT because it is still one of my favorite games, but something about Majora's Mask really resonated with me. It is still to this day my favorite Zelda experience and one I enjoy going on whenever I find myself with a weekend of free time to sit down with a game.
there's comfort in the strangeness of Termina I think
Why yes, CZcams, I would love to watch the yet another video essay on Majora's Mask.
Can’t get enough of that Zelda stuff 😃
Listening to melancholy and the infinite sadness while I watch one of ur videos for the first time, then u bring it up. Hah!
Now that’s pretty smart! Maybe I should do a video that syncs up to it 😂
I got the game early on but didn’t realize it needed an expansion pak. I was so disappointed I couldn’t play it that my dad left immediately and came back in what felt like was 5 minutes with the pak. So awesome.
In retrospect, I should have told him DK 64 came bundled with it but I didn’t know that at the time.
I was so young that the game was too scary for me so my older cousin would help me play and let me borrow the strategy guide. He passed away recently so I’ve preserved his save file in his memory.
Beautiful music
I think so too
Awesome! One of the GOAT games. Thanks man.
thanks Jesse
Majoras Mask is certainly a great game.. In my mind it never soared at the heights of OoT but it is a Zelda game on the N64 and specifically the succsesor of OoT and this alone speaks volumes about it. I remember getting mine in December of 2000 and having to also buy DK64 around the same period in order to get the memory expansion pack since it came with it and was in great demand that month! (couldn't get it any other way) Other than that MM is really an intense experience in a darker tone as you mention in your vid. I hated the 3 day system it never lets you feel like you ''get a proper grip'' on the world of Termina imho, and for me its the element that spoils the overall experience of the game. The mask system is like having Link on steroids depending the enviroment or the situation hes in... e.g. i loved using the fierce deity mask on last boss so satisfying! or swimming like a Zora! All in all its a rly good game a good twist of Zelda fiction but it lacked the publicity and excitement build-up factor OoT had and also gameplay-wise felt smaller and restrained due to the 3day system. MM=an innovative Zelda game in a darker tone with weird mechanics...OoT as we can all agree in this comment section is King.
wow this an DK 64 thats like a million hours of gameplay right there :)
As much as I appreciate the themes, creative new ideas and overall darker tone of MM, I can’t help but feel stressed the f out the entire time I’m playing it! I enjoyed the relaxed, “go at your own pace” nature of OoT. So playing MM when it first came out was a real curveball for me and I didn’t really enjoy it. While I’ve come to appreciate it much more as an adult, whether intentional or not, this game evokes a lot of anxiety in me that I normally use video games to escape from. That said, great review and retrospective on a truly unique and important game.
its 100% intentional. they even speed up the music for Clock Town each day, giving you that sense of anxiety and stress.
This was my first 3D zelda and I got it on wii virtual console in 09 .
I didn't know about it's cult following until I was 16 two years later but I played this all the time , I also didn't use any guides either I beat it 2 years later.
It is so much better than botw though I would say that always until Nintendo gets better side quest , dungeon design and enemy variety in their newest zelda , also more story and better bosses like the odowa boss fight in the n64 classic
im yet to play BOTW but really need to I think
@@n64glennplant its fun but I'm just burnt out after two playthroughs I've seen everything in in after nearly 400 hours and I never felt that way about a zelda game .
It's actually very fun for your first playthrough I recommend you play it
MM stands alone as being the most unique Zelda game and one of my favourites of the series. Some would say that Twilight Princess was similarly dark, but I always thought that game's "darkness" was more surface level.
As for returning to Termina, I wouldn't want to see that as I think it would cheapen what this game did, I also don't think it would really work. That said, a return of the happy mask salesman in another game would definitely be an interesting approach to take, maybe even giving a bit more background into just who, or what, he is...
Oh and kudos of mentioning Mellon Collie. That's one of my all time favourite albums too! :)
11:23 The absolute mad lad. Zoomers will never understand what it was like the thrill of getting a forbidden magazine or VHS and the BS you did to hide it (buried magazine in the bushes or in the dirt somewhere). It is a lost art, my friend
haha I know right, those were the days
Hell yeah, after so long!!!!
I know right
Random fact, the Majora's Mask mini guide came with Issue 50 of N64 Magazine, and I was the big winner of the N64 Mag monthly challenge that issue 🏆 🥇
So cool what did you win remind me…..I’m sure I have the issue somewhere
@n64glennplant It was the Mario Party 2 Mecha Marathon and I won a golden N64 mirage controller, but mostly bragging rights
holy crap that is SWEET! miss nintendo powe in the old days! nostalgia!@@Zeldasarmy
Great review! I remember getting this and super mario 64 on christmas 2001, greetings from Mexico.
Hola! Feliz navotas 😄
@@n64glennplant close enough! Merry christmas!
i was one of the first buyer. its indeed a classic... also, since there is less fog in this game, maybe the nso will be better for this one... most of the problem for oot was the removal of that fog.
That’s a very good point, it’s coming soon to nso ep
Great review! It's a fantastic game, despite being so different to OOT. I might play it soon 🤠
hope you do and enjoy it!
Legend Of Zelda Link To The Past is my favorite, Majora's Mask is my 2nd favorite. Ocarina of Time is the 3rd favorite.
WW would be in my top 3 I think
What's that song that plays from 8:02 to 9:08? It sounds like Dearly Beloved, but different.