(Yep, nothing new - started watching Unity videos, but life is getting in the way. Instead, here's some thoughts on Majora's Mask.)
I consider myself lucky to be attending an open event next week to discuss game design with the general topic of bringing a game to rant and rave about (some aspect loved, another hated). To that end, I'm reaching into the intersection on the Venn diagram of one of my favorites and what I'm currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for the N64 (henceforth refered to as MM, since I write these things on the bus using my phone).
All around, I consider MM a thoroughly excellent title and my favorite of the 3D LoZ games. To this day, the visuals hold up, despite the lack of polygons and low resolution of textures. What Nintendo lacks in quantity, they make up for with overflowing quality. The art is stylized, unmistakable, and remains beautiful. The graphics are superb overall, and I'd suspect even the most hardcore Call of Duty fans could appreciate the visuals.
The sound quality is up to Nintendo's usual phenomenal standards, such that any expressive animation is matched by the accompanying soundtrack and effects. Every action is tied to satisfying audio feedback, and the music is both haunting and beautiful. When the world nears its final moments, the bell's toll over a deeply chilling track that really sells the weight of the moon falling.
The story breaks from the general LoZ formula in that Link is not ultimately trying to rescue the princess, but rather is searching for a friend (presumably Navi) when the mysterious Skull Kid, now empowered by the dark relic of the game's title, leads the Hyrulian hero into the world of Termina, aptly named as this world will be destroyed in three days by the falling moon. Link, originally just trying to get the Ocarina of Time back from the Skull Kid, gets wrapped up in the quest to save this world.
Termina as a setting is wonderful - a complete world that feels alive and active. Oblivion's Aurora engine did for NPCs what MM had long ago accomplished by giving each character a schedule, but since voice acting never has penetrated the LoZ series (thank goodness), the world feels much more alive and believable since no one comments on Link's skills as he walks by. As the moon comes closer and closer to Clock Town, citizens flee the city, some seeking refuge at a ranch some distance away, others vanishing altogether (and in one case, cowering in the hidden backroom of their business). All these characters have their own problems and agendas, which really helps to sell the world, but what really pushes this over the edge is the interconnectivity between the cast.
Aside from the usual standards of the LoZ series (exploration, dungeons, items, swordplay, and macguffins), MM introduces a myriad of side quests of varying relevance based on solving problems of the townsfolk. Even better is how one problem fixed ripples throughout the three day cycle. For example, if you save an old woman from being robbed (who happens to be the owner of the local bomb shop), you are rewarded immediately with an item and the store will then carry larger bomb bags. However, without the score, the thief never visits the local pawn shop, which affects another character's stake out of the shady establishment. Because he never learns the thief's identity or the location of his lair, this charcter cannot retrieve his wedding mask, leaving his fiance to wait in town as the moon falls (assuming you convinced her not to flee). This key mechanic of talking with the townspeople is used to great effect. Quite frankly, it's just refreshing to solve problems in a game with nonviolent means.
Also introduced was the concept of time truly passing. As I mentioned, there are just three days until the moon falls, destroying Termina entirely. Of course, time passes at a videogame rate, which means these three days are just 72 minutes of real time. This would be completely terrifying, but the Ocarina of Time and the Song of Time allow the player to reset the clock, returning to the start of the first day with key items, but not consumables (rupees, arrows, bombs, etc.). This rewind undoes any progress in dungeons, but once a boss is beaten, a teleporter apppears at the dungeon's entrance to shortcut directly to the boss easily. Finally, the rewind also resets the problems the NPCs face. However, player knowledge is retained, which is incredibly important and powerful (knowing how to fix someone's problem, where to find someone, and what the lotto numbers of the day are, for example). The knowledge and key items are enough to keep the player progressing through each cycle, but still the constant pressure of time looms over them, best seen as one particularly demanding side quest brings the player right down to the final moments before the moons hits, basically daring the player into a nerve-wracking game of chicken against time.
There is a critical flaw with the game, however. Though it may be a minor segment, the stealth portion of the game is purely frustrating as is the water area around it (swimming as a Zora is excellent, but an invisible maze keeps the player from truly enjoying the experience). The player must infiltrate a pirate base, but is thrown outside the compound if caught. Given that the camera can only be controlled using Z-Targeting (forcing the camera to look in the direction Link is facing), this stealth is pretty difficult to maintain as the player loses sight of the patrolling guards. Despite a camera even showing me the door to go through, it blends in behind a pillar. Going through the wrong door leads the player directly into a guard - and ejection from the inner complex. It's frustrating and time consuming (which is a precious resource, as stated above).
Majora's Mask is sheer excellence, dented by the pre-water temple segment. Stealth is particularly difficult with such limited camera control. However, one additional featires redeems this awful portion - an item that makes Link invisible. If the player goes off the intended path, it's possible to get this item before the infiltration mission, allowing a player to completely bypass this frustration. It's likely meant for players on a second play through, but is worth mentioning all the same.
Majora's Mask is one of the finest in adventure RPGs, and one of the strongest (and most different) LoZ games out there. It's available on the Wii (U) eShop, and I can't recommend it enough. If you're like me and still have the N64 kicking around with the memory expansion pack, you should try to track down an original copy. There's just no substitute for controlling the Ocarina with the C Buttons. Of course, we can all hope that the rumors of a 3DS remake are true. Whatever method or system you have available, you should absolutely play this game.
See you next... - oh wait, no. Have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend! See you the week after that.
