Majora's Mask

[Hero-of-Time]

WOW!! I never noticed this before!

 

[Guest Captain Falcon]

GC Pad >>> Classic controller, this goes for all N64 games.

 

Dunno about that - I found Sin & Punishment a pain with the GC pad, but it is fine with the CC (though I'm sure it's not as good as the old N64 controller).

[S.C.G]

WOW!! I never noticed this before!

 

 

heh nice find there HoT.

 

Dunno about that - I found Sin & Punishment a pain with the GC pad, but it is fine with the CC (though I'm sure it's not as good as the old N64 controller).

 

But... the sticks on the CC are rubbish in comparison to the one on the GC pad - they are placed slightly too high as well - plus GC pad layout >>> CC pad layout for N64 games.

 

Imo, GC pad = N64 games CC = SNES games etc.

 

Anyway, I'm about to tackle the final temple now, just stocking up on fairies then it'll be onto getting the rest of the masks in preparation for the final battle. : peace:

[Sheikah]

heh nice find there HoT.

 

 

 

But... the sticks on the CC are rubbish in comparison to the one on the GC pad - they are placed slightly too high as well - plus GC pad layout >>> CC pad layout for N64 games.

 

Imo, GC pad = N64 games CC = SNES games etc.

 

Anyway, I'm about to tackle the final temple now, just stocking up on fairies then it'll be onto getting the rest of the masks in preparation for the final battle. : peace:

Have you been getting the faeries for each dungeon? That added a lot more to the depth of the dungeons, which was a big improvement over OoT.

[S.C.G]

Have you been getting the faeries for each dungeon? That added a lot more to the depth of the dungeons, which was a big improvement over OoT.

 

I got all the faeries for the first dungeon, the second one annoys me the most though, so much so that finding them in the third and fourth dungeons is much easier in comparison, for me anyway, but I will go back for them, especially as I only now remembered about being able to play the inverted song of time to slow the time-flow... >>

 

Agreed on the added depth though, it's all of the things like that which add up to MM being a more engaging game than OOT, even though they are both brilliant in their own rights.

[Sheikah]

I got all the faeries for the first dungeon, the second one annoys me the most though, so much so that finding them in the third and fourth dungeons is much easier in comparison, for me anyway, but I will go back for them, especially as I only now remembered about being able to play the inverted song of time to slow the time-flow... >>

 

Agreed on the added depth though, it's all of the things like that which add up to MM being a more engaging game than OOT, even though they are both brilliant in their own rights.

Well I thought the third and fourth dungeon were harder to get the faeries for since the third involved switching water channels and whatnot (water dungeons...) and had a hard to locate faerie somewhere (it was above the ceiling of something, IIRC) and the fourth dungeon had the switching upside down and back to get them all, making it a notch harder than the others.

 

Only just remembering you can use slow time but done the water dungeon? You using a guide or something? :p

[S.C.G]

Only just remembering you can use slow time but done the water dungeon? You using a guide or something? :p

 

No, I've played the game through before around 2 or 3 times, but I literally just forgot about the slowing time thing until about the third dungeon which I did last night. :/

[Sheikah]

Ah, still that's quite impressive to manage to do the whole of that dungeon in regular time (if you remembered how to do it after clearing it). I've done it a couple of times but it's still a bit of a long one and there's always the odd bit that stumps me.

[S.C.G]

Ah, still that's quite impressive to manage to do the whole of that dungeon in regular time (if you remembered how to do it after clearing it). I've done it a couple of times but it's still a bit of a long one and there's always the odd bit that stumps me.

 

Yeah, it's just as well that I remembered around the time of the water-based dungeon though because that one always seems to take longer to complete - as is tradition in Zelda games - the final dungeon in MM I really love though, it's one of, if not the best dungeon in any Zelda game Imo.

[Sheikah]

This talk reminds me how much I love this game. Anyone I know who has done all there is to do in MM agrees with me that it trumps OoT by a long shot. There's such a level of immersion with this game; you even get the feeling that NPCs have developed personalities, what with their daily schedules and audio skits that play when you initiate a conversation with them.

 

Having all the masks to get as well as the heart pieces, bottles and sword upgrade added buckets to the longevity of the game that again wasn't there with OoT. I think that MM took the best bits from OoT and added so much more, producing one of the finest games of all time.

[S.C.G]

I think that MM took the best bits from OoT and added so much more, producing one of the finest games of all time.

 

Definitely, getting 'all' the masks and then finding that you have one space missing and THEN finally finding out how to get the last mask and what it does is one of the finest moments in Zelda for me and just obtaining all of the masks alone in your first playthrough can takes ages.

 

I also love that you end up interacting with nearly all of the NPC's in MM in so much more of a deeper way than you did in OOT, every character has their own story to tell - and usually quests for you to help them with - it just makes it that much more immersive.

 

Then you have the heart pieces, upgrades, faeries, skultullas - now in their contained mini-dungeons - and even more on top of that, theres just so much to do and whats more is that when you first play it, you will want to see it all and get everything and won't rest until it's all complete lol basically just like in OOT but better.

Edited April 5, 2009 by S.C.G
Automerged Doublepost

[darksnowman]

Gotta agree with what you guys have been saying about MM.

 

I'm gonna add my two cents in about what controller to use with it on the VC though. I've three N64 games on my VC and I find that the classic controller works really really well with Waverace 64- probably even better than the N64 controller. Its an outrageous claim to make, but seeing as Waverace doesn't need too many buttons it fits on well and I've found the joystick on it to be great for steering! Then I got Sin & Punishment. Its a difficult game to feel totally in control of with either the GC controller or the classic. I had most joy with the classic but didn't feel 100% in control of what I was doing- I'd hope S&P worked a lot better in its original form on the N64.

 

Then MM which I just downloaded. I've only played it so far with the classic but seeing as I played OoT on the GC I think I can still do a comparison. At this point (just done the first three days, returned to Link form and saved) I've had no problem with the classic. I found it weird on the GC using the C-stick and I reckon it will be just as weird on the classic when I get fully into playing tunes and switching between weapons. Other than that, I think it will serve me well enough- the game is by no means unplayable- but I don't think the GC pad is significantly better suited to N64 games. I miss rumble. I'm sure I've asked before but I'm gonna ask again: does the GC controller rumble with N64 games that supported the rumble pak?

 

I'd forgotten just how freaky the happy mask salesman really is.

Edited April 5, 2009 by darksnowman

[S.C.G]

I miss rumble. I'm sure I've asked before but I'm gonna ask again: does the GC controller rumble with N64 games that supported the rumble pak?

 

 

Mmmm... still no rumble yet no, Nintendo are too lazy/can't do it/can't be arsed to do it/won't do it/are contemplating charging us for it...

 

For whatever reason they still have not managed to emulate the rumble pak and I really fail to see why this is... after playing MM since Friday though I don't really miss it anymore, it's just that it would be that much sweeter if it did have it...

 

Edit

 

VC Weekly #91 is live for those interested, featuring my review of Majora's Mask. : peace:

 

http://www.n-europe.com/news.php?nid=13073

[darksnowman]

VC Weekly #91 is live for those interested, featuring my review of Majora's Mask. : peace:

 

http://www.n-europe.com/news.php?nid=13073

 

Great work. Loved how you said managed to mention Link's Awakening. :wink:

[S.C.G]

Great work. Loved how you said managed to mention Link's Awakening. :wink:

 

Thanks and yes lol I saw the opportunity and just 'had' to take it.

 

Majora's Mask was genuinely as much a joy to review as it was to play. : peace:

[Tigerdust]

God I loved this game, truly epic it was. When the marriage took place between the two young lovers I was on the verge of bawling my eyes out. No other game has managed to make me feel so emotional than this one. I simply loved that eerie music that played on the final 12 hours before the moon was going to collide. That sound sends chills up my spine every time I hear it. I even recorded it onto a CD as the last track of a mix I made.

 

But tell me, is it worth getting this game on VC when I already have the game on the Legend of Zelda Collectors Edition Bonus disk? I've noticed that N64 games look real nice downloaded off the VC. They seem sharper and clearer. Plus I've heard people complain about the disk version glitching and crashing on occasion. Oh, what to do?

Edited April 7, 2009 by Tigerdust

[darksnowman]

I played MM on and off all this evening until about an hour ago. I only got through one, slowed three day period but what I achieved was still satisfying. I'm ready to rock into the first temple (Woodfall) and doing the opening stuff with the witches was good fun. Twas nice just to see some characters again because as we well know, MM is all about the NPCs. To reacquaint myself with them, as I begin to remember what they get up and what their individual stories are is a good feeling. Tbh, I had time to do Woodfall but I just ended up spending a day and a half pottering about, talking to people and getting their entries into the notebook. It may not have been anything epic, but like I said its nice just to ease in and catch up with the NPCs again.

[Sheikah]

In regards to the dark aspects of the game, I suddenly remembered

 

the musical house in Ikana Canyon and the little girl called Pamela. How she was desperately protecting her father from people that would perceive him as a monster. And then the moment where you opened the cabinet and he squirmed about, moaning like a Gibdo. It was pretty disturbing at the age when I was playing it, and it still is now.

 

In fact, often when you played the Song of Healing the reason would be quite grim, e.g. seeing the hero Darmani weep in tears over the joy he had during his life, or Mikau departing from the world and leaving his girlfriend behind. This kind of stuff just didn't show up in OoT. Rather dramatic and moving scenes and more developed NPCs. OoT to me is the Final Fantasy VII of the Zelda series. It's the most popular by a long shot, but it shouldn't be. Or at least, not by a long shot.

 

Edited April 8, 2009 by Sheikah

[Haden]

Man downloaded this recently just wanted to share some love.

 

While I think OT and TP are great games I adore this zelda. For me it is actually the most alive of all the Zeldas the NPCs feel alive. They have their own routine and are facing apocolyptic circumstances. They each have their own story and bit part to play. I also find the fact that if you help them or say save a temple its almost tragic because you reverse time in the end and all of the help has gone. You can help find the missing person or save the swap but when you reverse time it all means nothing.

 

I also find the game world so rich visually and the audio is stunning. Some of the music is intense and haunting, the visuals are great they are really bright and unique unlike say the sepia drenched world of TP.

 

This and Wind Waker I think are my fave Zeldas just because I really love sidequests and the feeling of a coherent world which I feel these two games deliver in spades. But Majoras Mask is in some ways really unique and I don't think we will see a game like it published by Nintendo again its very dark.

 

Anyway I played this on the N64 back in the day but never completed it so its great to be back playing.

[Jimbob]

All this talk makes me want to play this great game again, and i may do over the weekend. That is once i've beat Twilight Princess, which i may complete over the weekend, something i should have done 2 years ago.

 

Majoras Mask in many ways is the better Ocarina. Like S.C.G said, Nintendo took the backbone of Ocarina and built upon that making this great game showing a darker side of the franchise.

 

I thouht this was the better of the two N64 Zelda games, ok it didn't have a fishing hole like Ocarina had but it had many more mini-games, some of which re-invented for use with the transformation masks (aka. the one in East Clock Town when Goron Link was used). We had a bank to save Rupees before saving the game, because some items including ammo and rupees were lost when travelling back in time.

 

The only creepy occurance of which Ocarina had equal to Majoras Mask i can think of right now was the back alley soldier who "died" defending the Royal Family of Hyrule. Majoras Mask had all sorts of occurances including the Song of Healing to "heal" the cursed like the music house guy in Ikana, Darmani and Mikau to name a few.

 

This game only looked so good thanks to the help of the Expansion Pak, which was required to play this game at the time.

 

I already own this game on the Collectors Edition disk, so probably will miss this purchase on the VC.

[darksnowman]

In regards to the dark aspects of the game, I suddenly remembered

 

the musical house in Ikana Canyon and the little girl called Pamela. How she was desperately protecting her father from people that would perceive him as a monster. And then the moment where you opened the cabinet and he squirmed about, moaning like a Gibdo. It was pretty disturbing at the age when I was playing it, and it still is now.

 

In fact, often when you played the Song of Healing the reason would be quite grim, e.g. seeing the hero Darmani weep in tears over the joy he had during his life, or Mikau departing from the world and leaving his girlfriend behind. This kind of stuff just didn't show up in OoT. Rather dramatic and moving scenes and more developed NPCs. OoT to me is the Final Fantasy VII of the Zelda series. It's the most popular by a long shot, but it shouldn't be. Or at least, not by a long shot.

 

Good memories.

 

I spent some time with Majora there this evening. Went in and did the Woodfall Temple (with all the fairies! Took me a while to get the last two which were... inside beehives. I think it took me a while to get them back on the N64 too, lol) then returned the princess and got the Pigma Dengar mask. Twas sad hearing about the butler reminisce about his son, who, not that the butler knows, is supposedly that freakish looking tree you come across right at the beginning of the game.

[Sheikah]

Good memories.

 

I spent some time with Majora there this evening. Went in and did the Woodfall Temple (with all the fairies! Took me a while to get the last two which were... inside beehives. I think it took me a while to get them back on the N64 too, lol) then returned the princess and got the Pigma Dengar mask. Twas sad hearing about the butler reminisce about his son, who, not that the butler knows, is supposedly that freakish looking tree you come across right at the beginning of the game.

Yeah! I was going to mention the Deku bulter's relation to the tree in the news article comment section, but wasn't sure if I was giving away something. It really shows the attention to detail there - a seemingly menial tree (who met an unfortunate end) at the very beginning of the game that you'd almost forgotten about; and then they hit you with that. The butler had lost his son, and IIRC he was never even told of his fate. Well, Tatl certainly didn't do any talking.

 

I think one of the sad things about the game is that even with the power of time at your disposal, you still can't undo it all. That tree, Mikau and Darunia are all dead (IIRC) at the end of the game. At least, they don't appear in the staff roll. Damn, I love the staff roll music...especially the jazzy section.

 

 

 

One thing I feel the need to strike out against is those who complain about the lack of dungeons in the game. For a start, there seem to be far more meaty 'mini' dungeons (e.g. under the well, Gerudo Fortress, the skultula huts, Ikana Canyon and the skull heads). Secondly, the dungeons in MM are really so much more difficult and time consuming. I just think about the last dungeon on OoT (technically the Shadow Temple) and how easy and quick it was to complete. Then compare this to the final dungeon on MM....hoo boy. Factor in faeries and you're talking about so much more gameplay to sink your teeth into.

 

Then I'm not even getting started on the moon. Especially if you wanted to obtain all the heart pieces there...that was immense. I remember the Goron section being incredibly frustrating, too. This game really covers all levels.

[CooInTheZoo]

This may come across as THE dumbest question ever. In the manual for the N64 game i remember it saying "Link was looking for a dear lost friend" or something to that effect. Who was that?! I remember assuming it was Navi or Saria, or SOMEONE OOT based. But I can't remember him ever finding anyone at the end. Was it literally just Epona who was stolen for a couple of minutes?

[S.C.G]

This may come across as THE dumbest question ever. In the manual for the N64 game i remember it saying "Link was looking for a dear lost friend" or something to that effect. Who was that?! I remember assuming it was Navi or Saria, or SOMEONE OOT based. But I can't remember him ever finding anyone at the end. Was it literally just Epona who was stolen for a couple of minutes?

 

No I believe it was Zelda, unless I'm mistaken, because they did part ways at the end of OOT.

 

[Nicktendo]

I thought he was looking for Navi??