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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was the second game in the Zelda series released for the Nintendo 64. Though not as popular as its predecessor Ocarina of Time, it still sold briskly after its release in 2000. However, one must take into consideration that the game requires use of the Expansion Pak in order to function whereas its predecessor did not.

The gameplay involved the same dynamic 3D environment as Ocarina of Time, but it was structured differently. The storyline placed the player in an alternate reality called Termina (not in Hyrule as in previous games; with the exception of Link's Awakening) where a mysterious mask-wearing imp called Skull Kid had caused multiple problems, not the least of which was the moon due to crash onto the planet in three days. The player lives these three days over and over again using time travel, collecting items and knowledge and attempting to prevent this catastrophe.

As in Ocarina of Time, a faerie accompanies Link on his quest. This time it is not Navi, the original faerie, but a new faerie named Tatl. Tatl and her brother Tael (a paraphrase on the word tattletale) are hench-faeries of the Skull Kid. Having unwillingly become separated from her brother Tatl decides to temporarily join up with Link until they find the Skull Kid and thereby her brother. Tatl functions like Navi did in Ocarina albeit being a tattletale she's more similar to the character Goombario from the contemporary Nintendo 64 RPG Paper Mario than the encyclopaedic Navi.

Masks, which had first appeared as a side quest in Ocarina play an important part in Majora's Mask. Many of the 24 masks are necessary in order to progress through the game, though it is not required to collect them all.

Masks weren't the only element of Ocarina to reappear; many character models were reused in Majora's Mask. This was justified by the story because Termina is an alternate reality reflecting Hyrule in many surprising ways. For example, both the younger and older versions of Malon from Ocarina appear as sisters living on a farm on Milk Road.

The music was composed by Koji Kondo, with the exception of the boss battle, middle boss battle, and battle music, which was composed by Toru Minegishi.

In 2003, Nintendo ported Majora's Mask to the GameCube as part of a special promotional disc which also contained Ocarina of Time as well as the original two 8-bit NES Zelda games. This disc could only be purchased with a new GameCube console, or as part of a subscription offer to Nintendo Power magazine. The game is a straight port of the N64 original; however, due to some timing discrepancies between the two consoles, some of the music sounds inaccurate on the GameCube.

Majora's Mask

According to the manga, the mask itself was an ancient and dangerous artifact made from the armor of a legendary and evil beast that was danced to exhaustion by a being disguised as a human traveler. According to a legend devised "by the humans themselves," any who obtain the beast's armour gains hold of a giant and terrible power. All who approached it, warriors, men and women alike, even with good intentions, were devoured without remorse. The early Terminian tribes used the mask in their cursed hexing rituals, but when the evils caused by the mask became too much to bear, they sealed it away in darkness forever... so they hoped.

As the mask of the devil, Majora's Mask gained its power from the evil desires that people had in their minds as they were devoured by the beast, or when they cast the hexes when the armor was made into the mask. As it passed from member to member in the tribe it accumulated its power until it was too much to control. The tribe died out, but the mask still rested in darkness. The Happy Mask Salesman went to great lengths to get it, but while travelling in the Lost Woods it was stolen by Skull Kid and his hench-faeries, Tatl and Tael. When he placed it on his face, the evil essence trapped within possessed him, beckoning him to Termina, and making him cause harm amongst the townspeople, most notably interfering with the engagement of Anju to Kafei. The most serious problem caused by the mask was that the moon was torn out of its orbit, and was on a collision course with Termina's capital city. The moon would have exterminated all life in a catalcysm of fire had it not been for Link's intervention. With the power of the Fierce Deity's Mask, he destroyed Majora's Mask and saved Termina. The moon was destroyed after these events.

As stated above, while Skull Kid was possessed, he wronged many of the people in Termina. In addition, he sealed his former friends, the Four Giants in the masks of evil deities and sealed them in the temples located in the four compass directions. Link had to free all of them in order to save Termina.

Places

• Clocktown
• Snowhead
• Woodfall
• Southern Swamp
• Ikana Graveyard
• Termina Field
• Milk Road

See also

• Legend of Zelda series

• Legend of Zelda games
• Nintendo 64 games