TL;DR
The perfect balance of everything you want in a game: reasonable challenge, excellent game play, attractive graphics, exciting side quests, and tons of replay ability.
Intro
Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask was released in late November of 2000, a year of big hopes for many things, including gaming. After a decade of huge progress in the video game world, Nintendo continued pushing the limits and brought this spectacle to life, the perfect sequel to a perfect game. I’d like to mention now that if you’ve never had the honor of playing Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, get out there right now and play it. While Majora’s Mask is no doubt an incredible game that shouldn’t be missed, its predecessor’s shadow is undoubtedly in the way. To really appreciate the beautiful story and characters living in Termina you must first be well acquainted with the residents of Hyrule. Since N64 games can be a little hard to come by these days, I suggest picking up the Zelda collection for Gamecube, which includes the games that gave birth to this wonderful series, The Legend Of Zelda and The Adventure of Link, as well as Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and even a fun little demo of the next game in the series, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Of course nothing tops the originals, and you can bet I’ll be holding onto my limited collector’s edition gold cartridge of Majora’s Mask for N64, complete with awesome 3D hologram image on the front.
Look and Feel
Majora’s Mask uses the same game engine that made OoT so famous, with lovable character design, great textures, and an expansive world to explore. While this is no Crysis or Assassin’s Creed 2, consider the time of its release and what its competitors looked like (if I can even call them competitors). While you can’t watch Link move his fingers individually or wiggle his nose, the characters are in no way blocky, instead coming off with a stylized appearance that is consistent throughout the game with all its monsters, characters, and unique worlds. The textures throughout Termina are what really bring the world to life, never seeming poorly placed or unfitting for the object they cover. The common monsters throughout Termina field have a sort of cute-yet-deadly design, from little barking dogs with bombs on their tails, to dopey-eyed blobs with items visible in their jello-y bodies, and the pesky crows brought back from Lake Hylia in OoT. Clock Town, the main hub where the story comes together, is beautifully stylized with four interesting districts to explore, each with their own secrets you’ll have to discover to continue the story. Nighttime in Termina opens up a whole new experience to be had, with Clock town booming to a vibrant center for all new characters, and the world itself adding a dark level of intrigue and mystery. No matter if it’s night or day, the enormous, horrifying moon is constantly staring down at you, compelling you to get moving and discover the secrets of Termina before it’s too late.