Majora  Tagged Articles RSS Feed | GameSkinny.com Majora  RSS Feed on GameSkinny.com https://www.gameskinny.com/ en Launch Media Network Rewind Review - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask https://www.gameskinny.com/xfmjv/rewind-review-the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask https://www.gameskinny.com/xfmjv/rewind-review-the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask Tue, 08 Sep 2015 11:42:17 -0400 David Fisher

We are now on week 6 of the Legend of Zelda Rewind Review, and that means we are visiting one of the most overlooked - and recently remastered - Legend of Zelda titles ever: Majora's Mask.

Okay, admittedly, Majora's Mask has been receiving a lot of attention lately. In fact, thanks to the remake more people than ever have been paying attention to Majora's Mask than ever before. That is why - after much debate - I have decided to not review the 3DS version as the reviews I have read cover just about anything that I could say. However, I do plan on tackling one question that I'm certain will be on some people's minds: which is better?

As with all Rewind ReviewsThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask will undergo a review process through the eyes of a modern critic. No nostalgia glasses, no excuses, no rationalizing hardware limitations, and no sparing myself from angry fans and readers. Nothing will excuse this game from anything that we - as modern gamers - would expect to see in the genre today.

With that said, let's travel back to the dawn of the first day, and stop Majora's nefarious plans in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask on the Nintendo 64 and 3DS.

The Plot

Majora's Mask continues the tradition of story-driven gameplay that has been around since Link's Awakening. Acting as a direct sequel to Ocarina of TimeMajora's Mask follows the tale of the very same Link who vanquished Ganondorf with the aid of the Seven Sages. After being sent back to his own time, Link has been on a quest to find his best friend - Navi - who was taken away after his adventure in Ocarina of Time was complete.

Already, we have Link's motive for going on this quest, and it is a believable one at that. Although not all players will sympathize with Link's kinship that annoying fairy, it is not outside the realm of possibility that the young Link would want to have his friend back considering everyone else he ever cared about is now a sage.

As for the Quest in Majora's Mask itself, Link is thrust into the adventure as a result of - to quote the Happy Mask Salesman - meeting a terrible fate. After the Skull Kid steals the Ocarina of Time, and Epona, Link pursues him into the land of Termina. There, Link is bound to his adventure for multiple reasons, namely: he needs Epona back, he has been turned into a Deku scrub, and the Ocarina of Time is in the hands of a malevolent being. All of this makes for a compelling story, one that I would consider among the best in the series yet.

Afer being turned into a Deku Scrub, Link's adventures in Termina begin on a very hopeless note for the once great hero of Hyrule

If this introduction synopsis is not enough to convince you, then I suggest you play the game to meet the many quirky and three-dimensional characters. Since the game has an actual relationship with time, many of the characters change over the course of the three days. Main, secondary, and side characters alike all have some form of character development, and many of them are flawed characters as well. It makes for not only a compelling story of a doomed land but also a very fleshed out world as well.

Gameplay

Note: For the sake of saving both my time and the time of readers, assume that anything unsaid in this section for Majora's Mask is the same as Ocarina of Time. This is because Majora's Mask runs off of the same engine as Ocarina of Time. If you would like to recap what was said, you can find the Ocarina of Time Rewind Review here.

The Beautiful:

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a unique title in the Legend of Zelda series. The reason for this is the fact that it is the only Legend of Zelda title to incorporate an actual sense of time. This means that everything in the world is active, even if you are not. As such, an idle Link can actually result in the end of the world. While this is often seen as the most infuriating part of Majora's Mask, I find it is the game's most charming feature.

Time stops for no man, including Link. Every moment wasted is time that cannot be reclaimed until Link restarts time, erasing his efforts from history.

The reason for this is simple: a sense of difficulty and urgency. As a result of the 3-day mechanic, players are forced to always be taking action. While Majora's Mask could have simply gone with a "the world ends in 3 days" storyline, the game's developers instead decided to make the game end in 3 days.

This beauty of game design also extends into the world itself. As a result of the 3-Day structure, NPC characters are interacting with the world at the same time you are. This can result in some things such as seeing relationships bloom, chaos come from misconduct, or even watching every character's individual reaction to the end of the world. It is a truly wonderful mechanic that must be experienced in order to appreciate.

Clock Town is a busy place filled with characters from all walks of life. They will go about their own business. Just like other areas in the game, these NPCs will follow their duties with or without Link's involvement.

The other major feature of Majora's Mask are the in-game masks Link can acquire - in particular the transformation masks. These masks do a number of things ranging from causing Link's face to explode to helping Link run at two times his regular speed. The three transformation masks - Deku, Zora, and Goron - also provide an interesting gameplay change since Legend of Zelda titles rarely let players control anyone other than Link. This feature could have landed in "the good" on the grounds that they are technically just extra items, however, it deserves to be in "the beautiful" simply because the developers put in the effort to ensure that each Link plays differently with a set of weaknesses and advantages each.

The nightmare-inducing transformation sequences in Majora's Mask are both memorable, and effective in visualizing Link's pain during the process

The game is also sports an impressive, unique enemy count of 81 (86 if you count varieties). This is a very slight improvement over Majora's Mask's predecessor. However, considering the fact that all enemies in this game are encountered as Young Link as opposed to being divided between the two Links in Ocarina of Time, this is actually a great leap in variety for a Legend of Zelda game.

The Good:

The Bomber's Notebook is an interesting feature in Majora's Mask. Unlike other Legend of Zelda titles, the Bomber's Notebook keeps track of what side quests Link has completed or reset due to his time traveling. This is a very useful feature as it makes sure players know which characters will give them masks, what heart pieces they have acquired, and which characters must be talked to if the player ran out of time before completing the side quest chain.

The Bomber's Notebook updates each time Link finishes part of a subquest, keeping track of everything from events to rewards

Also, since Majora's Mask does not have an equipment submenu like Ocarina of Time did, the game does not suffer from the flaws originating from said submenu. Instead, items are linearly upgraded in a similar fashion to Link to the Past. The item screen also does not have a surplus of unnecessary items since many of them are reused in later temples, and the elemental arrows have been buffed up a bit to make them useful throughout the game.

The Subjective

The magic meter returns in Majora's Mask, but this time it feels a bit "cleaner" so to speak. Since the game does not have a wide variety of spells like Ocarina of Time, the few abilities Link does have are balanced by the use of the meter. These abilities include: elemental arrows, the Goron Roll, the Zora Barrier, and the Deku Bubble Shot.

The Zora Electric Barrier is great for killing weaker enemies in your path while swimming, but little else...

While the abilities are necessary at times, they are typically used to make certain sections such as bosses or puzzles easier. The Zora and Goron abilities are useful for cutting down travel time on land or in the water, while the Deku Bubble Shot is pretty much nothing more than an arrow substitute.

As such the magic meter doesn't act like a hindering feature, but rather a source of ammunition for certain abilities - as it should.


The Goron Roll is both fun and practical as it can be used to quickly cover ground or used in the Goron racing mini-game on Snowhead.

However, with that said many of the magic meter reliant abilities are rendered useless as the game progresses. With the exception of the Goron Roll, the magic meter abilities find limited use since there are few times you will run out of arrows or in open areas while underwater. As such, this feature gets placed in "the subjective" as your opinion on the magic meter can fluctuate depending on how much or how little you rely on the special abilities of each mask.

Personally, I think it's one of the most practical uses of the magic meter to date. However, I do have my grievances on the Goron roll being virtually useless without having any magic. I can understand not having the ability to damage enemies without the spiked hide ability, but does it have to slow down so much?

The Bad

If I had one complaint to make about Majora's Mask, it's that it is very short. The game only has 4 major temples, each one possible to complete within 1 1/2 in-game days if you know what you are doing. This makes Majora's Mask perhaps the shortest Legend of Zelda game in history, making it feel more like a Metroid game in terms of gameplay length and execution.

Bosses in Majora's Mask are among some of the more difficult and unique in the series thanks to the reliance on masks, but since there are only four dungeons their great designs are pretty short lived...

I understand that this was a result of adding in the 3-day system, as well as the wide variety of sub-quests, but surely something could have been done to extend the main quest a little bit. Considering the fact that the game is so great, and has so much potential, it's a little disappointing that it has so little content. If this game was released nowadays, it could be almost considered an expansion pack or DLC for Ocarina of Time.

The Presentation

The 3DS version of Majora's Mask adds some relatively small changes and fixes when it comes to the bigger picture. These changes don't really affect the gameplay that much unless you really have a hard time figuring out where you are in relation to the ground as Deku Link, you can't read an analog clock, or you just can't fathom a 3D Legend of Zelda that has no fishing. That is why I have decided to focus solely on Majora's Mask's presentation to determine which game is better.

In my opinion, the only thing Majora's Mask 3D has over the original Nintendo 64 title is a higher frame rate. While the former title also has better graphics, they're not exactly aesthetically better. Call me out on nostalgia if you really want to, but there's something about the lower polygon Nintendo 64 models that adds something to the eerie nature of Majora's Mask that the remastered version just can't accomplish.

I think the evidence for this is best seen in the image of the moon (provided above) which just seems to be trying too hard to look creepy when compared to the original.

The 3DS version is also a lot more colorful, rounder, and better lit when compared to the N64's edgier and darker graphics. This is evident in the design of Majora's Mask itself which looks much rounder, softer, and overall less threatening than it did in the N64 version. In the end, all of this is purely subjective, so I would recommend the following: if you want a polished and "better looking" game, get the 3DS version. If you want a game that is much more eerie, and you don't mind a lower framerate, get the N64 version via emulator or cartridge (if you can find it).

Sound design is equal between both games - as always - and so basically you're competing for graphics alone.

Speaking of which... music. This game's music is perfect for the quirky, somber, and overall creepy world of Termina. Every song helps immerse the player in ways that no other Legend of Zelda title has ever done. I believe the best evidence of this is the Clock Town theme that actually changes with the passing of each day. The soundtrack becomes progressively more urgent as the days pass by, and so it also helps make the player more panic-stricken when their last moments are coming to a close. This is especially effective on the first 3-Day cycle the player experiences as it makes you feel frantic since you do not know what to expect as the world shakes and the timer ticks down.

You can listen to the soundtrack for yourself below:

The Verdict: 

Majora's Mask is not for the feint of heart. If you collapse from stress, or you don't like time management, then this is not the game for you. Otherwise, Majora's Mask is among the top 5 must-play games in the series. The story, gameplay, and overall environment that the game immerses you in is one that must be experienced. The only flaw of the game is that it is relatively short, but since the price of the game is much lower than at release it's perhaps the best bargain Legend of Zelda I can recommend.

As such, Majora's Mask gets a 10/10 from Rewind Reviews. I know, many are surprised that this game bested Ocarina of Time by 3 whole points, but from a purely non-nostalgic point of view Majora's Mask is virtually superior in every way possible with the exception of Ocarina of Time. The story is better, the world is extremely immersive, and it is truly the most unique Legend of Zelda in the entire series. It is a game that deserves more attention than its prequel does, and it is a shame that it did not get as much attention back in the day as it does now.

Oh yeah, and for those still wondering what my personal choice between the 3DS and N64 versions is: I would pick the original. As I said, it just has some quality of eerieness that the polished and more colorful version cannot accomplish. I concede that they are both equally great in different ways, but I'll let you - the players - decide which is your favorite.

With that, I bring Week 6 of my Legend of Zelda Rewind Review to a close. What do you guys think about Majora's Mask? Does it deserve to get a 10/10 compared to my lower Ocarina of Time score? Would you recommend the N64 or 3DS version to your friends? Leave your opinions in the comments section below!

Also, be sure to check back on this article or the GameSkinny front page for future reviews, as well as swords and sorcery action as we make our way from the original 1986 release of The Legend of Zelda on the NES to the 2013 release of A Link Between Worlds on the 3DS!

 

Reviews in this Series:

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Majora's Mask: The Observatory and First Skull Kid Fight https://www.gameskinny.com/dp4gw/majoras-mask-the-observatory-and-first-skull-kid-fight https://www.gameskinny.com/dp4gw/majoras-mask-the-observatory-and-first-skull-kid-fight Tue, 22 Oct 2013 17:57:46 -0400 J Nicole Miller

In this section, we'll go over getting to the observatory, the beginning of a long series of trade quests, your first fight with the Skull Kid, and your first trip back in time. It sounds like a lot, but time moves quickly in this game. So let's begin!

Your next stop is Clock Town East, so head over there and talk to the Bomber guard. He’ll ask for the code, give it to him, and head down the ramp. Once you’re down in the tunnel, cross the water in the passage on the right by hopping from platform to platform.

Once across, I recommend walking in the shallow water on the left side of the passageway. If you walk on the right, a Giant Skulltula drops down and hits you.

Follow the passage as it turns to the right and enter the chamber beyond. On the wall across from you, there is a ladder with a balloon in front of it. It is framed on either side by torches, and there are two pots next to each torch. Use a bubble blast to pop the balloon blocking your way, and be sure to break the pots to replenish your magic bar and gain a couple of rupees.

Climb the ladder and head through the passage at the top into the Conservatory. Break the pots, bypass the Scarecrow, and climb the stairs. At the top, the astronomer is standing on a platform and looking through a telescope. He mentions the Skull Kid and says he’s probably by the Clock Tower. When prompted, say you’ll look through the telescope. Find the Clock Tower, and zoom in on the Skull Kid who is standing on top of it.

The camera pans up to the, frankly, terrifying face of the moon and shows a fiery object falling from its eye. The astronomer informs you that this is a Moon’s Tear. Head through the door at the base of the platform and out into Termina Field. Directly to your left is the Moon’s Tear. Walk up to it to pick it up. It’s about to become invaluable.

Open your inventory, equip it to one of the C-buttons, and make your way over to South Clock Town. Walk over to the yellow Deku Flower and trigger the cutscene.

An Akindo Nut stops you before you can even touch the flower. See, it’s his. He owns it, and he’s not too fond of sharing. He is, however, okay with selling it…for the right price. Give him your Moon’s Tear, and you’ll become the proud owner of a Land Title Deed. This gives you unlimited use of the Deku Flower. Yay!

This Deku Flower is vital to completing the game. You have to use it in order to reach the entrance to the top of the Clock Tower when it opens at midnight on the Third Day. That is when you will face the Skull Kid. Since it’s not yet the Third Day, though, you’ve got some time to kill. Head over to West Clock Town and turn left. Walk until you see the man in green who is kneeling on a platform. While he seems completely insane, he’s also the only way you have to keep your rupees.

When you get the ocarina and reset time back to the First Day, you lose all your items and money. However, any rupees given to this guy will be recorded, and you can withdraw them whenever you like. Don’t ask me how that works because I have no earthly clue. I just go with it.

Anyway, deposit all your rupees and then head through the door directly across from him. This is the Trading Post. You’re not here to buy anything. How could you, anyway? You just gave some crazy guy all your rupees. Talk to the Scarecrow immediately to your left when you walk in. He’ll ask if you’d like to pass the time by dancing. Say yes, and he’ll dance as the Lost Woods song plays. Each time you dance with him, it will transport you to the next twelve hour marker. Keep doing this until it becomes the Night of the Third Day. It gets a little annoying, I know, but once you get your ocarina, you never have to do this again to pass the time.

Make your way to South Clock Town. Burrow into your Deku Flower and float up to the platform above the door leading into the Clock Tower. There is a Piece of Heart on this platform. After that, it’s just a waiting game. When the clock hits midnight, the Clock Tower transforms, and a passage opens. You can only access it from this platform. There’s a handy timer at the bottom of the screen that counts down the minutes you have until Game Over. Head through the passage, and you’ll meet the Skull Kid. He’s got your ocarina.

Tael, Tatl’s brother, is with him. He gives Link a cryptic message which basically boils down to "Go beat the four dungeons and free the Four Giants so that they can stop the moon from falling and save Clock Town."

Also, if you couldn’t tell from how close the moon has been getting over the course of the three days, the Skull Kid is trying to bring it down so it will crash into Clock Town. You’re going to stop him from doing that, but not yet.

Right now, just focus on hitting the Skull Kid with a fully charged bubble blast so he’ll drop the ocarina. Extra magic can be found in the pots around you. Pick up the ocarina, and a flashback cut scene will be triggered. You’ll relearn the Song of Time, too. When the cut scene ends, play it, and you will be transported back to the Dawn of the First Day.

In the next installment of this guide, I’ll walk you through turning back into Human Link and your second visit to Clock Town.

Previous Installments

Getting to Clock Town Guide

The Great Fairy and Hide and Seek with the Bombers

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Majora's Mask: The Observatory and First Skull Kid Fight https://www.gameskinny.com/dp4gw/majoras-mask-the-observatory-and-first-skull-kid-fight https://www.gameskinny.com/dp4gw/majoras-mask-the-observatory-and-first-skull-kid-fight Tue, 22 Oct 2013 17:57:46 -0400 J Nicole Miller

In this section, we'll go over getting to the observatory, the beginning of a long series of trade quests, your first fight with the Skull Kid, and your first trip back in time. It sounds like a lot, but time moves quickly in this game. So let's begin!

Your next stop is Clock Town East, so head over there and talk to the Bomber guard. He’ll ask for the code, give it to him, and head down the ramp. Once you’re down in the tunnel, cross the water in the passage on the right by hopping from platform to platform.

Once across, I recommend walking in the shallow water on the left side of the passageway. If you walk on the right, a Giant Skulltula drops down and hits you.

Follow the passage as it turns to the right and enter the chamber beyond. On the wall across from you, there is a ladder with a balloon in front of it. It is framed on either side by torches, and there are two pots next to each torch. Use a bubble blast to pop the balloon blocking your way, and be sure to break the pots to replenish your magic bar and gain a couple of rupees.

Climb the ladder and head through the passage at the top into the Conservatory. Break the pots, bypass the Scarecrow, and climb the stairs. At the top, the astronomer is standing on a platform and looking through a telescope. He mentions the Skull Kid and says he’s probably by the Clock Tower. When prompted, say you’ll look through the telescope. Find the Clock Tower, and zoom in on the Skull Kid who is standing on top of it.

The camera pans up to the, frankly, terrifying face of the moon and shows a fiery object falling from its eye. The astronomer informs you that this is a Moon’s Tear. Head through the door at the base of the platform and out into Termina Field. Directly to your left is the Moon’s Tear. Walk up to it to pick it up. It’s about to become invaluable.

Open your inventory, equip it to one of the C-buttons, and make your way over to South Clock Town. Walk over to the yellow Deku Flower and trigger the cutscene.

An Akindo Nut stops you before you can even touch the flower. See, it’s his. He owns it, and he’s not too fond of sharing. He is, however, okay with selling it…for the right price. Give him your Moon’s Tear, and you’ll become the proud owner of a Land Title Deed. This gives you unlimited use of the Deku Flower. Yay!

This Deku Flower is vital to completing the game. You have to use it in order to reach the entrance to the top of the Clock Tower when it opens at midnight on the Third Day. That is when you will face the Skull Kid. Since it’s not yet the Third Day, though, you’ve got some time to kill. Head over to West Clock Town and turn left. Walk until you see the man in green who is kneeling on a platform. While he seems completely insane, he’s also the only way you have to keep your rupees.

When you get the ocarina and reset time back to the First Day, you lose all your items and money. However, any rupees given to this guy will be recorded, and you can withdraw them whenever you like. Don’t ask me how that works because I have no earthly clue. I just go with it.

Anyway, deposit all your rupees and then head through the door directly across from him. This is the Trading Post. You’re not here to buy anything. How could you, anyway? You just gave some crazy guy all your rupees. Talk to the Scarecrow immediately to your left when you walk in. He’ll ask if you’d like to pass the time by dancing. Say yes, and he’ll dance as the Lost Woods song plays. Each time you dance with him, it will transport you to the next twelve hour marker. Keep doing this until it becomes the Night of the Third Day. It gets a little annoying, I know, but once you get your ocarina, you never have to do this again to pass the time.

Make your way to South Clock Town. Burrow into your Deku Flower and float up to the platform above the door leading into the Clock Tower. There is a Piece of Heart on this platform. After that, it’s just a waiting game. When the clock hits midnight, the Clock Tower transforms, and a passage opens. You can only access it from this platform. There’s a handy timer at the bottom of the screen that counts down the minutes you have until Game Over. Head through the passage, and you’ll meet the Skull Kid. He’s got your ocarina.

Tael, Tatl’s brother, is with him. He gives Link a cryptic message which basically boils down to "Go beat the four dungeons and free the Four Giants so that they can stop the moon from falling and save Clock Town."

Also, if you couldn’t tell from how close the moon has been getting over the course of the three days, the Skull Kid is trying to bring it down so it will crash into Clock Town. You’re going to stop him from doing that, but not yet.

Right now, just focus on hitting the Skull Kid with a fully charged bubble blast so he’ll drop the ocarina. Extra magic can be found in the pots around you. Pick up the ocarina, and a flashback cut scene will be triggered. You’ll relearn the Song of Time, too. When the cut scene ends, play it, and you will be transported back to the Dawn of the First Day.

In the next installment of this guide, I’ll walk you through turning back into Human Link and your second visit to Clock Town.

Previous Installments

Getting to Clock Town Guide

The Great Fairy and Hide and Seek with the Bombers

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Majora's Mask: The Great Fairy and Hide and Seek with the Bombers https://www.gameskinny.com/sci9d/majoras-mask-the-great-fairy-and-hide-and-seek-with-the-bombers https://www.gameskinny.com/sci9d/majoras-mask-the-great-fairy-and-hide-and-seek-with-the-bombers Fri, 18 Oct 2013 23:42:37 -0400 J Nicole Miller

And so begins part two of this Majora’s Mask game guide. We’ll continue from where we left off: The Dawn of the First Day.

Okay, so you’ve made it to Clock Town! As you exit the Clock Tower into South Clock Town, note the yellow Deku Flower diagonally to your right. You won’t be using it now, but it’ll be very important in a chain of trading quests. It is also absolutely essential to our end goal of the first three days.

If you walk forward, you’ll see a staircase in front of you and to the right. It’s in the corner of the area, and there is a bright red mailbox right next to it. Ascend the stairs and pass through the opening to the Laundry Pool.

Floating above the water is a little glowing fairy-like thing. This is a fragment of the Great Fairy of Clock Town. If you had gone to the Fairy Fountain in North Clock Town like Tatl wanted you to, the fairy fragments there would have requested you go find this fairy. So it’s like skipping a step.

Deku Link has the handy ability to hop across water. He only has three hops before he drowns, so it’s kind of annoying sometimes. However, in this case, it’s perfect. Hop across the water near the fairy, and you will, for lack of a better word, collect it. The fairy will beg you to return it to the Fairy Fountain, so off we shall go! Return to South Clock Town.

Once back in South Clock Town, head toward the yellow Deku Flower. Don’t get too close, though, or you’ll trigger a cutscene that you don’t need to see until later. Walk straight past the Deku Flower and head up the ramp behind it. Turn right, and notice the Owl Statue to your right; go up another ramp, and pass through the opening to your left into North Clock Town.

Turn left as you enter North Clock Town to see the entrance to a cave at the top of a set of ramps. Head over to it. Through this opening, you will find the Fairy Fountain. By bringing the fairy fragment to the others, the Great Fairy of Magic can pull herself back together.

She’s so pleased with you that she gives you the bubble blast ability. Basically, you blow a bubble and use it to hit things. This power is controlled by your fancy new magic meter (another gift from the Great Fairy). Your Magic Power can be replenished by potions or green jars that sometimes spawn from grass.

The Great Fairy also points you in the direction of the man in the observatory which can be reached through West Clock Town. He has knowledge of the Skull Kid, but you can’t get to the observatory to see him without joining a secret society.

The Bombers are a group of five little boys who do good deeds and help people. When you exit the Fairy Fountain and return to North Clock Town, you’ll see their leader (Jim) trying to pop a balloon by shooting at it.

Before you go about joining the Bombers, shoot down the other balloon (the red one) that has a man in green dangling from it. This is Tingle. He is a thirty-five year old man who believes he is a fairy. Yeah, I know. But he makes awesome maps.

You should probably have the five rupees you need to buy his map of Clock Town, but there is a circle of grass behind him which you can destroy with your spin attack to get some more.

You’re done with Tingle for the moment, so return your attention to Jim. To impress him, use your fancy new bubble blast power to pop the bubble and speak to him.

In order to join the Bombers, you have to win a timed game of Hide and Seek. Don’t worry, though. You only have to do this once. Ever. Well, unless you’re crazy like me and decide to play through this game again multiple times. You also have to play it again as Human Link if you want the Bomber’s Notebook. It records the secret code as well as other side quests that arise, so it’s pretty handy.

See, the Bombers have this secret code that you have to know. One of the members guards the entrance to the passage that leads to the conservatory, and you have to tell him the code before he’ll let you pass. The code is made up of the digits 12345, but they are in a random order that is different for every save file.

You could spend a few hours guessing random combinations, but I, personally, believe that playing Hide and Seek is easier.

Anyway, talk to Jim after popping the balloon, and he’ll ask you if you’d like to try to pass his test. Say yes, and he’ll explain the rules. Basically, just find them all as soon as possible.

And the game begins!

The Bombers can be found in North, East, and West Clock Town. My strategy is simple: catch the ones in North, then work your way clockwise (get it?) through  East and West Clock Town to get the others.

One of the Bombers is over by the tree near the ramp leading to the Fairy Fountain. Jim is in the opposite corner. All you have to do to catch them is come in contact with them. Of course, they’ll run from you to make it harder. Woo.

Anyway, after you’ve caught the first two, head through the doorway directly across North Clock Town from the Fairy Fountain. This will take you to East Clock Town. There’s a bomber standing in front of what looks like an alley. He’s directly across from you as you enter East Clock Town. He is, however, not a participant in this game, so just ignore him for now. Later, you’ll tell him the secret code to gain access to the passage behind him which leads to the conservatory.

There are two other Bombers in East Clock Town. Head up the stairs to the right of the Bomber guarding the passage. One of the Bombers is at the top. When he sees you approaching, he’ll use the Cucco he’s holding to safely drop down to the ground beneath him. Jump off after him and try to catch him as he lands. If you, like me, have trouble with this, just chase him around. You’ll get him eventually.

In East Clock Town, there is a building shaped like a giant treasure chest. Next to it is a small, raised area with a Deku Flower. Use it to launch yourself up to the awning nearby and catch your forth Bomber.

Head down the stairs behind the treasure chest building and enter South Clock Town. You’re just passing through, though. Go toward the Clock Tower, up the ramp to the left, and through the passage across from the Owl Statue you saw earlier. This will take you West Clock Town. The final Bomber will be right in front of you. Catch him, and you’ve won the game.

Unfortunately, even though you’ve won, the Bombers are horribly racist and won’t let a Deku Scrub join their ranks. They once let a non-human join, and it didn’t work out too well for them. This non-human was, of course, the Skull Kid.

But they'll still tell you the code. Write it down. I’ll repeat that for emphasis. WRITE IT DOWN. You don’t want to chance forgetting it and having to play Hide and Seek all over again, do you? Exactly. So write it down, put it in your phone, comment on this article, just record it in some way so that you can access it later if you forget.

My code is 43512. See, look at me recording it for future reference. I didn’t do that the first time I played Majora’s Mask, and I had to play Hide and Seek again. Which was fun, let me tell you.

In the next installment of this guide, I'll go over everything from your first trip to the conservatory to your first trip back in time. Look for it soon!

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Majora's Mask: The Great Fairy and Hide and Seek with the Bombers https://www.gameskinny.com/sci9d/majoras-mask-the-great-fairy-and-hide-and-seek-with-the-bombers https://www.gameskinny.com/sci9d/majoras-mask-the-great-fairy-and-hide-and-seek-with-the-bombers Fri, 18 Oct 2013 23:42:37 -0400 J Nicole Miller

And so begins part two of this Majora’s Mask game guide. We’ll continue from where we left off: The Dawn of the First Day.

Okay, so you’ve made it to Clock Town! As you exit the Clock Tower into South Clock Town, note the yellow Deku Flower diagonally to your right. You won’t be using it now, but it’ll be very important in a chain of trading quests. It is also absolutely essential to our end goal of the first three days.

If you walk forward, you’ll see a staircase in front of you and to the right. It’s in the corner of the area, and there is a bright red mailbox right next to it. Ascend the stairs and pass through the opening to the Laundry Pool.

Floating above the water is a little glowing fairy-like thing. This is a fragment of the Great Fairy of Clock Town. If you had gone to the Fairy Fountain in North Clock Town like Tatl wanted you to, the fairy fragments there would have requested you go find this fairy. So it’s like skipping a step.

Deku Link has the handy ability to hop across water. He only has three hops before he drowns, so it’s kind of annoying sometimes. However, in this case, it’s perfect. Hop across the water near the fairy, and you will, for lack of a better word, collect it. The fairy will beg you to return it to the Fairy Fountain, so off we shall go! Return to South Clock Town.

Once back in South Clock Town, head toward the yellow Deku Flower. Don’t get too close, though, or you’ll trigger a cutscene that you don’t need to see until later. Walk straight past the Deku Flower and head up the ramp behind it. Turn right, and notice the Owl Statue to your right; go up another ramp, and pass through the opening to your left into North Clock Town.

Turn left as you enter North Clock Town to see the entrance to a cave at the top of a set of ramps. Head over to it. Through this opening, you will find the Fairy Fountain. By bringing the fairy fragment to the others, the Great Fairy of Magic can pull herself back together.

She’s so pleased with you that she gives you the bubble blast ability. Basically, you blow a bubble and use it to hit things. This power is controlled by your fancy new magic meter (another gift from the Great Fairy). Your Magic Power can be replenished by potions or green jars that sometimes spawn from grass.

The Great Fairy also points you in the direction of the man in the observatory which can be reached through West Clock Town. He has knowledge of the Skull Kid, but you can’t get to the observatory to see him without joining a secret society.

The Bombers are a group of five little boys who do good deeds and help people. When you exit the Fairy Fountain and return to North Clock Town, you’ll see their leader (Jim) trying to pop a balloon by shooting at it.

Before you go about joining the Bombers, shoot down the other balloon (the red one) that has a man in green dangling from it. This is Tingle. He is a thirty-five year old man who believes he is a fairy. Yeah, I know. But he makes awesome maps.

You should probably have the five rupees you need to buy his map of Clock Town, but there is a circle of grass behind him which you can destroy with your spin attack to get some more.

You’re done with Tingle for the moment, so return your attention to Jim. To impress him, use your fancy new bubble blast power to pop the bubble and speak to him.

In order to join the Bombers, you have to win a timed game of Hide and Seek. Don’t worry, though. You only have to do this once. Ever. Well, unless you’re crazy like me and decide to play through this game again multiple times. You also have to play it again as Human Link if you want the Bomber’s Notebook. It records the secret code as well as other side quests that arise, so it’s pretty handy.

See, the Bombers have this secret code that you have to know. One of the members guards the entrance to the passage that leads to the conservatory, and you have to tell him the code before he’ll let you pass. The code is made up of the digits 12345, but they are in a random order that is different for every save file.

You could spend a few hours guessing random combinations, but I, personally, believe that playing Hide and Seek is easier.

Anyway, talk to Jim after popping the balloon, and he’ll ask you if you’d like to try to pass his test. Say yes, and he’ll explain the rules. Basically, just find them all as soon as possible.

And the game begins!

The Bombers can be found in North, East, and West Clock Town. My strategy is simple: catch the ones in North, then work your way clockwise (get it?) through  East and West Clock Town to get the others.

One of the Bombers is over by the tree near the ramp leading to the Fairy Fountain. Jim is in the opposite corner. All you have to do to catch them is come in contact with them. Of course, they’ll run from you to make it harder. Woo.

Anyway, after you’ve caught the first two, head through the doorway directly across North Clock Town from the Fairy Fountain. This will take you to East Clock Town. There’s a bomber standing in front of what looks like an alley. He’s directly across from you as you enter East Clock Town. He is, however, not a participant in this game, so just ignore him for now. Later, you’ll tell him the secret code to gain access to the passage behind him which leads to the conservatory.

There are two other Bombers in East Clock Town. Head up the stairs to the right of the Bomber guarding the passage. One of the Bombers is at the top. When he sees you approaching, he’ll use the Cucco he’s holding to safely drop down to the ground beneath him. Jump off after him and try to catch him as he lands. If you, like me, have trouble with this, just chase him around. You’ll get him eventually.

In East Clock Town, there is a building shaped like a giant treasure chest. Next to it is a small, raised area with a Deku Flower. Use it to launch yourself up to the awning nearby and catch your forth Bomber.

Head down the stairs behind the treasure chest building and enter South Clock Town. You’re just passing through, though. Go toward the Clock Tower, up the ramp to the left, and through the passage across from the Owl Statue you saw earlier. This will take you West Clock Town. The final Bomber will be right in front of you. Catch him, and you’ve won the game.

Unfortunately, even though you’ve won, the Bombers are horribly racist and won’t let a Deku Scrub join their ranks. They once let a non-human join, and it didn’t work out too well for them. This non-human was, of course, the Skull Kid.

But they'll still tell you the code. Write it down. I’ll repeat that for emphasis. WRITE IT DOWN. You don’t want to chance forgetting it and having to play Hide and Seek all over again, do you? Exactly. So write it down, put it in your phone, comment on this article, just record it in some way so that you can access it later if you forget.

My code is 43512. See, look at me recording it for future reference. I didn’t do that the first time I played Majora’s Mask, and I had to play Hide and Seek again. Which was fun, let me tell you.

In the next installment of this guide, I'll go over everything from your first trip to the conservatory to your first trip back in time. Look for it soon!

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A Possible Majora's Mask Remake? https://www.gameskinny.com/api1i/a-possible-majoras-mask-remake https://www.gameskinny.com/api1i/a-possible-majoras-mask-remake Thu, 12 Sep 2013 21:38:47 -0400 Courtney Gamache

In a recent interview with Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma and IGN, they discussed a possible remake of the famous Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was remade onto the Nintendo 3DS, fans have been asking for more, specifically Majora's Mask. Just imagine, playing this highly time-intensive game on the 3DS, in 3D.

What happened at the interview

Eiji Aonuma kept his response very vague within the IGN interview. The IGN representative told Aonuma that fans had been asking for the remake, and his response was with laughter. He even told IGN to include the fact he laughed into the article.

“Please write that I laughed, don’t make it sound like I laughed because I was troubled or inconvenienced or put out. I don’t want them to read anything into it. But if you want to say that I laughed, I think that would be a good answer."

Personally, I love his response about the possible remake. He keeps an air of mystery by not giving a full answer if the remake is an idea at Nintendo, or if we should expect it maybe in Holiday Season 2015. When the IGN representative asked Aonuma how fans should respond to his laughter, he stated:

“It’s really up to them. If they want to interpret my laughter as, ‘yeah, we’re making it’ or ‘no, we’re not,’ I guess that’s really up to them.”

A trip down memory lane

For those who remember, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was made for the Nintendo 64, back in 2000. Of course it also became available on the GameCube a few years later through the Zelda collector's edition disk. But now, it's available on the Wii Virtual Console since 2009. If they do remake Majora's Mask, just imagine carrying that around in your pocket, going out on vacation or on long car rides. Not to mention, having it remade with better graphics and in 3D would make it much more intense, in a good way.

What happening at Nintendo?

Recently at Nintendo, Miyamoto discussed a possible sequel to either Majora's Mask, or A Link to the Past. If we are to ever expect these sequels, we won't be getting them for a while since Nintendo is very busy with their current Zelda games. Coming out in November is A Link Between Worlds, so we'll have to wait awhile for these possible sequels, if we get them at all.

So what do you guys think? I'm a huge Zelda fan (or obsessed gamer), and would probably giggle with glee if Majora's Mask was remade. Would you buy it? The case below is a fake image, since it hasn't been remade, but wouldn't you just got nuts for it?

The image above is fake, but put in for a hopeful future.

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Gaming Throwback-The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask https://www.gameskinny.com/heh9i/gaming-throwback-the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask https://www.gameskinny.com/heh9i/gaming-throwback-the-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:17:12 -0400 J Nicole Miller

The Legend of Zelda series has been a staple in the gaming community for over 25 years now, and it’s come a long way. I, myself, have been a huge fan ever since I got my Nintendo 64 and Majora’s Mask for Christmas when I was little. My love of the series has only grown, and thanks to an awesome friend of mine, I am a proud owner of a Collector’s Edition copy of the Hyrule Historia. I bought my 3DS the day after Ocarina of Time 3D came out, just so I could play it. Zelda has (and always will be) my favorite series of games, so it’s no surprise that my favorite video game of all time is a Zelda game.

Majora’s Mask was not only the first game in the series that I had the chance to play; it’s my favorite. The three-day time limit, set by the quickly-falling moon that will crash into Clocktown at the end of the third day, made the game trickier than its predecessors. However, after you’ve played it once and you’ve learned the songs to slow down or skip through time, it becomes a lot easier.

Majora's Mask Moon & the Skull Kid

The mask concept is also incredibly intriguing. As the game begins, the Skull Kid (wearing Majora’s Mask) has stolen your ocarina and turned you into a Deku Scrub. The Happy Mask Salesman strikes you a deal: get his mask back from the Skull Kid, and he’ll turn you back into a Hylian. You battle him at the end of the third day, get back your ocarina, and play the song of time to skip back to the beginning of the game. You play through those same three days again and again until you’ve beaten the various dungeons and are ready to take on the Skull Kid in a final showdown.

Over the course of the game you find more masks. After regaining Link’s normal appearance, you get the Deku Mask, allowing you to shift back and forth between the two forms at will. This allows you to use a wider range of abilities specific to each form. You also end up with a Goron Mask and a Zora Mask. Other masks in the game are simply worn and grant you different abilities. For example, the Blast Mask lets you blow things up, like you would with a bomb, and the Bunny Hood allows you to move much faster than normal.

There are also trading quests, side quests, and a whole range of adventures to be had. There’s so much to do and experience in the game, that you’re never bored. All in all, Majora’s Mask is the best game I’ve ever played.

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