A short while back Japan's Virtual Console forecast list for April revealed that The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for Nintendo 64 would soon be hitting the service. In a surprise turn of events however, Nintendo is releasing the game first in Europe! Be sure to check your Wii Shop Channel for the next update, and experience one of the stranger Zelda adventures.
In Majora's Mask, Link is tasked with saving the world from a suicidal moon set to wreck into our planet in three days. No pressure! At least, not with a magical instrument at his disposal. Relive the same three days again and again until you're strong enough to face the evil in Termina head on.
After this kickoff release, the game should be heading elsewhere before long. Japan will receive the game sometime later this month, and other regions should be close by. Be sure to keep an eye on the Nintendo Download in the coming weeks, this is one game you won't want to miss!
[source gonintendo.com]
Comments (97)
You lucky #$%#^.
Nice, have fun. One of my personal favorite Zeldas. Dare I say it? Yes, I like it more than the super praised Ocarina.
Now, it's just a matter of time...
I know what I'm doing tomorrow evening then
Great news! I'm happy European gamers are getting something first, especially Majora's Mask. Congrats!
I agree with Brutus!
I have to admit that I never completed the game though, and no longer have an N64 to beat it on, dangit mother!
This may do when it comes to the US VC though.
Thumbs up
That's, uh... quite a headline, there.
I never got to finish this one, but it was awfully hard. I'll probably get it anyway, though. It had a ton of side quests.
Wow - I wasn't expecting that! I need to play and beat Ocarina in preparation for its eventual US release.... Well, I should say 'want to' rather than 'need to.'
I am jealous of you European gamers. This was one of the few Zelda titles I started playing and never finished. So I am very excited for it to come to the US (hopefully in late April, if not EARLY May), so I can finally finish it up.
Eek! I need some points! Why did I download Neutopia?! Must get some tomorrow when I pick up my DSi...
gasp This is huge news and just in time for my birthday this month. I have never played Majora's Mask and I 'm super excited to get my hands on it. I just did not expect the game so soon.
Great News! Will that be the only game??
It's fun going back and forth over 72 hours of time. I played it on the N64 and even WWE did promos of the game with Matt & Jeff Hardy in one of them.
Yes its the only game
Yes, this one is better than Ocarina imo. So colorful! And I love playing as Goron Link! Rolling in that form at top speed is faster than the horse.
Lucky europeans...
I wonder if this has the emulation issues
I didn't get round to buying this game at the time. Maybe I'll pick this up when I get hold of a Classic Controller. I still remember the problems people had finding Expansion Paks to play this and DK64 with.
please NOA bring this over to the states!
I also know what I will be doing with my Friday night. Very pleased
I... I don't like any of the 3D Zeldas... dodges tomatoes
But seriously, it's about time. I didn't play this one much because I felt there was too much time spent in the town performing boring tasks instead of looking for dungeons and exploring them. The mask system is really cool though. I might get this just so I can attempt to complete all the Nintendo-made Zeldas (ignoring Capcom's Oracle games but not Minish Cap, which was very good -- oh, and of course the CD-i ones, which I'd actually love to try).
I don't believe this I bought a copy of this on an auction site for about £14.00 thinking I'd give it a go, I wish I had waited!! but we don't ever get these lists like they get in Japan. If we got Super Smash bros then Europe would be in a lot more trouble, I wondered when this was going to head for North America and Europe when that list came from Japan. Wow! I'm shocked I was hoping for Bomberman 94' but I will get this game and sell the "Hard" copy.........
So, 11/10 then? Its significantly better than Ocarina of Time which was 10/10.
Now Bass X0 - be fair: It's worth 12/10
How many blocks is it by the way? Oh wait .. we have to wait until midnight to find that out I guess.
Unexpected. Perhaps Nintendo don't hate Europe as much as we thought!
I should give this another chance. I just didn't care for it when I tried it on my friend's GCN disc. (You know the one.)
YOU LUCKY B******S!!!
I can't wait till this comes to the states! It's one of the few Zelda games I haven't played. All Nintendo would need to do then is release Excitebike 64, and I can stop pestering my friend into selling me his N64!
pfft. damn one game weeks. give us a real update nintendo, not this sorry excuse 0.5 games per week of an update.
I wonder how many comments this particular section will get tonight and in the next few days or so. Hopefully North America will either get this Monday or another huge title, Europe will not get any other big titles until knowing us....The Summer.........
My fingers are still crossed for Mario Kart Snes and they're beginning to hurt now but I am happy for this latest update.
ok, 2 things here:
1) Long time no post
2) You gotta be freakin' kidding me...!
Seriously, Majora's Mask is a game that I have ALWAYS wanted to play through N64 VC, and I'm really glad that it will be coming for this update. I bloody well hope I'm not dreaming of this, and if I'm not, then I hope the Wii can handle Expansion Pak emulation.
So yeah, release away
"Relive the same three days again and again until you're strong enough to face the evil in Termina head on."
Does that mean that, even when time starts over, Link is unaffected?
Hey Rexy. Where you been, girl?
This came as a HUGE SURPRISE to me... and now its got me thinking Zelda MM can come out; (not just Japan or for those lucky in EU to get it now), but in NORTH AMERICA anytime in April, so its a MYSTERY of when will Nintendo SURPRISE US?!!!!!
Holds onto my last 1100 Points SO TIGHTLY NOW!!!
Awesome! Sadly never got to this one the first time around, and i loves Ocarina. Finally I can give it a go. The only Zelda I ever missed, it'll be like being we a wii kid again.
Oh...
/pinch, i'm not dreaming! Thanks Nintendo! Wah, I never got to play this back in the day. Gonna download ASAP!
I would make this a Must download on my list if i never had it in Gold Cart form or even at all.But since i still have a working copy of the game i will hold out for SSB or Clayfighter or even ClayFighter 63 and 1/3.That or i will wait for Super Mario Kart.
But if you missed out on MM when it came out on the N64 this will be your chance to get it or relive it through finally owning it if you rented it or played it at a friend's house.
Hold on a minute...Nintendo have actually re-released another Nintendo 64 game?! Neat!
I guess now's my chance to actually get through the first part of the game (I never retrieved the Ocarina of Time from Skull Kid...considering I only got to play for less than an hour...)
And the Termina Field theme is so much more reminiscent of the Zelda franchise than the one for Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time!
Welcome back Rexy!!!! Glad to read your Post. By the way, You're NOT dreaming............
I believe we are NOT going to get Majoras Mask on Monday, instead we'll get something completely different.
Majora's Mask was the best Zelda game in my opinion.
I'm still worried about the emulation, though, and if it is good, I want Donkey Kong 64.
The only other game that requires the Expansion Pak is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, hailed as the best in the franchise. What are the chances of us getting that game?
Yawn. I'm going to avoid this one, as I always found it underwhelming. But, hey, its great news for the 95% of people whom no doubt disagree with me. The more big name titles the better.
I hope the US gets this April 13th, a day before my birthday!
@post 42.
"....and if it is good, I want Donkey Kong 64."
Let's hope that one stays unreleased on the VC.
@41: Yeah, like Toobin' for arcade.
One of my favorite games...ever. I still have my gold cartridge N64 original, but I'll be downloading this one for sure. Let's hope it hits NA soon.
Kid_A, if you still have the original, why are you downloading it again? Doesn't your N64 work?
@The Fox
Let's hope it does - many of us want it. It's among my favourite games of all time.
It better come to US this monday.
Okay, I guess we have to start the Final Countdown here, eh ?
Not interested.
There's another big VC game that Europe has for a year and half now that the North American VC still has not gotten, Super Mario Picross!
i just went on the the wii shop and when i saw majoras mask i was blown away A N64 RELEASE
All right! Finally another N64 title. Come on Nintendo, keep reeling in those big ones...
Anyway, I had this once upon a time, glad it's on the VC now. But darn it, I have to buy more points now, seeing as though I have 900...
@Nathan: Absolutely. Here in the States it's been almost 6 months since the last N64 title (Mario Golf). We're well overdue.
Awesome update! Have just downloaded, and can't wait to play it, as i only played the start of it when i was younger (only rented it!)
Well,well,this is a surprise. I better go ahead and finish Ocarina of Time before Majora's Mask comes out on the NA VC. But first I must play more of my recently bought VC games especially Super Mario RPG. Especially,since I haven't had an internet connection for my Wii for half a year!
It's good to be back.
If USA gets this game great but don't get me wrong i have MM already so i want SSB more since that is the 1 game that i never owned in the SSB Franchise.
I don't like Zelda in 3D. :/
Could have taken a few more games instead of this one
if i didnt like twilight princess would i like ocarina of time and this
My favourite 3D Zelda game!!!! This game is awesome!! People who don't have it on the N64 buy it now!!!!
relaxes. Oh, wait...I don't like this, at all. I'll be playing AC: Wii instead.
What? Today?! Holy shi... runs to store to buy WiiPoints.
@MickEiA, the 3D Zelda games are all quite similar in terms of gameplay, so if you really didn't like Twilight Princess, you may not like this one. That said, Majora's Mask is probably the most unusual and distinctive of the 3D games.
If only we could try before we buy!
jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Always loved Majora's Mask, especially the tone. In some ways, it is better than Ocarina...
I've heared its 256 blocks but as far as emulation glitches go its too early to tell. I've heared the music isn't quite perfect but isn't prone to stuttering like the GC disc was.
Also, I wonder if the save is copyable like it was on the gamecube (to abuse the Owl statue suspend points*)
*-They delete upon loading the save.
From reading the Spanish and Enlgish news stories over at NOE I thnik there was meant to be another game. The English one says "are now available" when gramatically you would use is if it is only one item. The Spanish one might say the same (can we trust google?) but also has a double space after Majora's Mask suggesting it was originally writted:
Majora's Mask "and some other game" are now
But became:
Majora's Mask are now
Edit: And what do you know doulbe spaces are fixed on this blog
@VGP, I have never played it on the gamecube, but the VC version seems to have no difference to the original. If only I had them side by side.. But oh yeah, I forgot how great an N64 game can be. It's still hard to tell which game is better... MM or OoT? OoT holds the special place still, because it is set in Hyrule, with the tradtional storyline, and was of course the franchise's first foray into the 3D realm. What can I say? They both hold a very high place in gaming excellence. There, that'll do.
I envy you folks in Europe. Hopefully North America is soon to follow. =)
@Bass & PJ, 33/40; Yeah, I haven't been around much; nothing much kept me interested since Secret of Mana's release. I still kept the feeds on the hope I'd see something worthwhile.
At any rate, I've had the file downloaded. I'm not expecting the Expansion Pak emulation to be perfect, but as long as it's beatable (i.e. 99% crash-free), then I'm game
Ah, Majora's Mask! I've been wanting to play this again since September of '06. I have it on the collector's disk, but I sold my gamecube in anticipation of getting a Wii. And I wasn't able to find a Wii to purchase until February of '07. By then I had Twilight Princess and I just never got around to playing this one! Perhaps now's the time to play along with everyone else.
Awesome! I hope we get it this week! Or maybe Smash Bros, just because =P
This is epic!
Nice title for the article.
Can't wait for this to come to North America.
I can't wait for this.
I can't wait to beat this game again =D I'm really excited lol. This is one of my favorite Zeldas. Please give it to US on monday!!!
Surprisingly, I have NEVER played Majora's Mask. I've seen my friend play it when we were middle school kids but I don't remember it. Is it good like Ocarina of Time?
@ BJ: Hellz yah and more!
Best article's title ever _
btw, MM is an experience nobody should be missing
By the title, I couldn't tell what this article was about. Sure, it's nice to have creative titles, but not ones that leave you clueless.
Um...I can't seem to get out of Clock Town. My trouble is the hide-and-seek game.
I don't know, a title like that would easily imply the forthcoming arrival of an event which odds of occurring are lower than the chance of a meteor breaking through the stratosphere and hitting southern Germany overnight. It made me think "damn, this HAS to be a shocker of an event", and it was (in a good way)
what about freaking america huh
@StarFox:
Check gamefaqs.com. They've got guides for pretty much everything there and you should be able to find what you need.
Thanx
I hope this comes to the U...the NA soon. I doubt it is the sign of the following, but it'd be great if this is the start of more N64 more often.
@Starfox, all you have to do is basically roll into each kid. There are two in the north of town, there are two in the east, one holding a cuckoo to float down from a building, and the other one in that area is on the top of the stock pot inn. The last one is just outside the post office. Hope that helps.
I've actually got stuck rather soon too, as I forgot how to get my first bottle... oh well, it may come to me. (Thinks to self: Do I win it in a side game...?)
It is so good to be playing this again -- and so soon after its announcement as well! The emulation is similar to that of the GameCube version, the music glitches as you go between the various parts of Clock Town and so on, but it's still fantastic. Having said that, I downloaded it onto the Wii-- is it better quality on the SD Card?
I've missed this game so much though, I forgot just how strange and eerie the whole thing was.
A good game with an interesting final part.
It isn't that old at all for a VC download. I still have it, but I haven't played it in years.
Man, now here is one game that HAS to come out on the NA VC on Monday. After that, it's just Sonic and Knuckles left...
im not trying to be sarcastic but there are two meening for the short torm noa nintendo of america for short and national ocieanic atmisphearic admenistration witch is meterology and the wether channle lol
huh?
@Nathan: Thanks. I found the info on GameFAQs and have written it down. I've actually gotten as far as the first temporary save before, but I can't seem to anymore.
w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t w00t etc...
I'm slightly disappointed guys, I thought this would get more comments than 95, including mine 96? I'd be really surprised if North America don't get this title today (Monday) but if you guys get C64 stuff that will be a nasty slap round the face. I'm still hoping we get Bomberman 94 soon, Could we swap? No honestly guys if you don't get your Zelda fix I hope it'll be Super Smash, then we really could swap. I do understand this isn't actually possible, but it's a nice thought guys!!!!!
OH by the way Love the NEW Site it's pretty good, keep up the good / hard work...
It depends how good the C64 games in question are; if they end up with some of the 5-star games there, we can't pin the blame.
But the least we can do is just wait and see what happens. It's gotta be more than US who would have the chance to play it >.>
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