The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask today turns 21 years old in Japan. Although it's not quite as significant as last year's 20th anniversary, in some countries Link and Skull Kid would now be old enough to have a drink.
The game first arrived in Japan in the year 2000 and despite being one of the creepiest entries in the entire Legend of Zelda series, is still a fan favourite. It's got a three-day cycle, many different mask transformations for Link and a Moon that's ready to destroy Termina.
To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the game, Japanese fans have got together on social media to share their love of this game. Even Masahiro Sakurai - the director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, uploaded a commemorative photo:
Zelda fans in the west are also using this date to share their own love of the N64 classic:
This year is obviously Zelda's 35th anniversary, while there's been no mention of Majora's Mask making a comeback, a lot of fans are getting similar vibes from the trailer for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Would you like to see Majora's Mask make a return? What are your own memories of this Nintendo 64 and 3DS title? Leave a comment down below.
[source famitsu.com]
Comments (29)
Play it, and if you say the story has no soul, then I don't even know what to say to you.
Feeling old is a terrible fate indeed
I'd die for a HD remake of the game. I know the 3Ds got a remake not too long ago, but it'd be nice to have the game in HD on switch, with character models that are even more improved and nice lighting.
Dang! I remember when my local toys R, us had an N64 set up where you could try it out. I stood in line to buy it on release day in the rain for an hour. Still got my gold cart of OOT and MM!
@VoidofLight Plus they could fix the weird issues the 3DS version had, like the dodgy Deku water bouncing controls, Zora swimming being 1000% worse etc. Add a couple of difficulty options that restore the old boss patterns and such, along with optional original saving methods and I’d happily jump on a new remake.
The best Zelda game
Couple decades.. yeah, feels about right.
My favourite Zelda game. The music, story, atmosphere is A+ on every level. A fond memory is getting this game nearly 21 years ago as an early birthday present. I was over the moon (pardon the pun).
I still remember getting this in October of 2000 (North America) and playing for a week straight until I beat it. This is still my favorite game of all time, and I regularly replay it.
@nessisonett Honestly, I never got the "Remake's saving methods are worse", when they allow you to save more easily. I remember the N64 version forced you to restart the cycle if you need to save. Can't beat a dungeon, since you had to go somewhere? Well, too bad! Restart the cycle and restart your progress to save!
What a game. The Zelda series has been fine, but phew, the general state of affairs of everything else in the world has really been a downhill sprint ever since. An escape to a cursed country doomed to perpetual apocalypse sounds simultaneously refreshing and eerily familiar.
@VoidofLight The point is that it added a sense of urgency which was a significant part of the game.
@Strumpan There's still a sense of urgency even with the remake's savepoint system. If anything I'd take convenience over the original system, mainly for the sake of not losing my progress because I have to go out somewhere..
@VoidofLight I understand, and it's a trade-off. But even in the original game, once you get past the beginning of the game, you can use the owl statues to save anytime.
“ in some countries Link and Skull Kid would now be old enough to have a drink.”
Well they should have been for years already, unless Link and Skull Kid was just born in the game.
@Strumpan Then what's the complaint about the save system, if they function the same after the initial loop?
@VoidofLight The main difference (after you get the sword) is that the saves were "quick-saves", i.e. deleted after you load them again, so if things didn't go as planned, you still had to play the song and go back to the first day again.
@Snatcher storywise this is by far the one I disliked the most even compared to BotW (as a game that prize goes to SS that is just a bad game overall)
Playing this game late into the night with my brother, me on the top bunk and him on the bottom. Trying to be quiet so our parents didn't come in and shut off the N64 before we could even save the game. Travelling through time again and again until we got that notebook just right and brought Anju and Kafei back together...
I have nothing but the best memories of this game and hope I can play through again on the Switch before too long.
This is easily my favorite Zelda game(after I take off my nostalgia glasses ofcourse). I loved that Gold N64 cartridge. Good times.
It's also the 29th anniversary of the Kirby franchise
@nessisonett Make all those a option please, I liked the changes in Majora 3D.
I remember asking for this for Christmas but knowing I was not going to get it but somehow I did get it. I would have cherished it just for that but the stories it told were amazing. It is still close to my favorite Zelda if not still my probably my favorite. I do hope they really remake this. This and ocarina of time need modernized versions that change a few things and add mostly so gameplay features that would make them fit in with the things we are used to.
Held off on playing this game because both versions have issues that I simply can't get over.
I like Majora's mask but not love it. I only played the 3DS version which has a few...hickups but the vibe and setting are great and I like the way the 3DS version play and look overall compared to the N64.
I love the N64 but it is hard to go back there sometimes.
Thanks for making me feel old granted I’m only a couple years off from being twice this game’s age. 😩
@VoidofLight Well, it would be better to make it optional of course. But yeah, being able to save like a normal Zelda game takes some of the uniqueness out of it. Runs are no longer distinct.
I loved this game when I (finally) played it on the 3DS. The music, visuals, dark story/themes, memorable characters, meaningful side quests, and (mostly) fun bosses all work together to form a wonderful, cohesive whole. Majora's Mask is now one of my favorite Zelda games.
MM taught me not to judge a game so quickly and harshly. My younger self used to brutally bash MM for not being more like OoT. Truthfully, however, I never allowed myself to give it a fair chance/never made it very far.
I did not complete this game until it was released on the Wii VC. I devoted the time and fell in love. MM is literally packed with content, urgency, and charm.
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