Gorgeous music, a cursed mask and an annoying ball of light make up the magic of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, whish is headed to the Nintendo Switch Online+ service on Feb. 25. One of the darkest episodes in the Legend of Zelda saga ironically shares its release date with another mystical game, Elden Ring.
Majora’s Mask, originally released on the Nintendo 64, is a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It’s widely considered one of the best video games ever and has been ported multiple times across most subsequent consoles, including the GameCube, Wii U’s Virtual Console service and the Nintendo 3DS. The Switch release will be the N64 version.
A doomed plain and a wicked mask
The story is a departure from the usual staples of the Legend of Zelda series. It abandons Hyrule and the Triforce for the parallel world of Termina. Willed into existence by a being called the Skull Kid possessing Majora’s Mask, Termina is similar to a hell dimension. This plain of existence and its inhabitants continuously loop a 72-hour cycle of sunrise, sundown and apocalyptic destruction.
Taking place just two months after the events of Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask finds Link on his own quest. Trapped in Termina, he must stop the moon from crashing down and killing its entire population. Majora’s Mask builds upon the story and gameplay from its predecessor, employing the masks as a more central part of the plot, and Link’s powers.
It is the first game to feature transformations, something players would see again in Twilight Princess. It also set the precedence for darker chapters in the game’s franchise. Additionally, one of the most notable features is the music which changes tempo as time speeds up, creating a sense of urgency. It also has one of the biggest soundtracks, topping out at 112 tracks.
The continued fascination with Majora’s Mask
Majora’s physical mask has become something of a legend in its own right. It has shown up in digital and physical mediums of various types. From actual clay masks to artwork depictions, it draws gamers and collectors alike to its unforgettable appearance. It is also the inspiration behind Ember Lab‘s Majora’s Mask-Terrible Fate, a short CGI film with over 11.4 million views on YouTube. Not surprisingly, the studio went on to make Kena: Bridge of the Spirits, released in 2021.
Needless to say, there is a large number of fans, new and old, eagerly waiting to play when Majora’s Mask hits the Nintendo Switch Online+ Expansion Pack for subscribers. Subscriptions cost $49.99 USD a year and grant access to an entire library of games from the original NES, Super NES, N64 and SEGA Genesis.
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Via, Polygon
