Reviews

Without Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask probably couldn't be as great as it is. In fact, it took me years to come to terms with the idea that Majora's Mask is an even better game. Ocarina of Time presented a wonderful and exciting world - the likes of which no one had really seen up to that point. Majora's Mask took that and turned it all on its head. As a kid, this game freaked me out - and to this day, it's probably one of the strangest yet most wholesome Zelda experiences. In my opinion, it's probably the ONLY Zelda game where I found myself caring about the people I was doing side quests for. As a kid I felt for the characters living their lives, either oblivious to or fearful of their dooms - and to this day it's still a deep experience. 

The gameplay here is also an improvement over OoT. From the more aggressive enemy AI to the ability to transform into different creatures of the Zelda universe. It's awesome. But, while awkward to the uninitiated, the three day cycle is probably the most brilliant aspect of this game. Following and rearranging the schedules of the characters gets you attached to them, even with the technical limitations and repetition of dialogue.

I would even recommend the N64 version over the 3DS remaster, even with the inverted aim-controls and boss differences. Certain helpful items, like the Stone Mask, are hidden away in unlikely places in the N64 version making their discovery all the more rewarding, while in the 3DS version they're introduced along the way. Here, the Happy Mask Salesman doesn't give you the Bombers' Notebook - and while it's certainly convenient in the 3DS version that he does, it would make more sense for the Bombers Gang to do it, even if it means playing their game of hide-and-seek again. Maybe I'm a purist or have nostalgia goggles on too tight or whatever, but that's just how I feel. 

Majora's Mask is currently my favorite video game. 

I've been on a bit of a nostalgia kick lately and have been playing through some of my old games. Revisiting Disney's Dinosaur after 17 years I can say with absolute certainty that the game is about as mediocre as the film it's based on. Though, I don't find this to be a bad thing. With the intended audience for this game being ages 8 and up (I was 5 when it came out), this is a great little strategy game. You control 3 completely different characters, each with specific abilities and specific uses within each unique level. Now, as an adult (and with an old yet fresh memory of the game from my younger years), these puzzles are a breeze and aren't challenging in the slightest. Even then, the game has an annoying amount of hand-holding where it flat out tells you exactly what you have to do, but I believe these hints can be turned off completely. But for a little kid of age 5, these puzzles are a great introduction of how to work with limitations and the basic cores of an RPG. Health is counted in points, experience points can be collected to level up each character, there are some well-hidden areas that reward exploration, and even with some of the tougher enemies in the earlier levels, the game rewards you more for finding another way to harm or trap the enemy rather than using brute force like trapping it behind a destroyed bridge.

Maybe it's the nostalgia goggles, but I still really enjoyed playing through this game again. If anything, revisiting it made me appreciate it a little more for introducing me to (albeit, very basic) RPG gameplay.