Summary
Highlights
Majora's Mask was released a year and a half after Ocarina of Time. The designers crafted a unique story that's elevated by limitations. Majora's Mask surpasses its predecessor with an experimental approach.
Link is in search of Navi. Link runs into Tatl, Tael, and Skull Kid who steals Link's ocarina This sets the stage for the character's inventory reset. Link follows Skull Kid into Termina, where he is cursed and transformed into a Deku Scrub.
Link enters Clock Town, which is at the heart of the game. The Happy Mask Salesman asks Link to retrieve Majora's Mask from Skull Kid in three days, otherwise the moon will fall. This section is the tutorial where you have to find a stray fairy and deal with a gang of children called Bombers.
Termina is threatened by Skull Kid, who is bringing the moon down. Due to Zelda's influence Link recalls the Song of Time. Link uses the song of time to travel back three days. The actions you take during this cycle only last for a time, then they reset.
Link heads to the Southern Swamp in search of the Deku Princess. Kafei and Kou are from Ocarina of Time as well, and appear as cameos in this section. Link is given a cruise ride to the Deku kingdom. The Deku are accusing a monkey of kidnapping their princess, and Link must hurry to Woodfall Temple to save her.
The next stop is the snowy Snowhead region. To get there, the ice is broken with an arrow. There are invisible platforms and other Goron puzzles in this zone. Darmani haunts the area, and Link must free him by playing a melody. He receives the Goron Mask.
The next stop is the Great Bay, but first Link must get Epona back from Romani Ranch. In return, Link must defend the ranch from aliens. After, Link must escourt Romani's older sister on the milk delivery route. Link arrives at Great Bay where he finds a Zora dying on the beach.
The Zora have a richer culture compared to the Goron or Deku. A key element of the zone is that the band has been broken up. The Zora transformation is awesome because Link can launch himself in the water like a jet. The player must infiltrate the pirate fortress to recover the eggs that were stolen.
Ikana Canyon doesn't have a centralized civilization, but rather a lot of spirits that are waiting to be at peace. There is a father and daughter who live in a land to study the gibdo mummies. In this area there is a well with gibdos that the player must travel through.
Stone Tower Temple is the best dungeon in the game. By shooting the red switches with light arrows, the entire dungeon is flipped upside down. There are also cool enemies here, such as the vampirish guoms.
The game's side content is more rewarding than the main content because the characters are endearing. It encourages getting to know each NPC with the Zelda staple heart pieces. For example, whether listening to Andrew's grandmother's bedtime story.
To experience Majora's storytelling, you have to experience the most elaborate side quest of Anju and Kafei. Anju is worried because her fiance Kafei has gone missing, and Link must work through the entire 3-day cycle to bring the two closer together.
The oppressive hopelessness of the moon crash defines the experience to this point. No matter the good that Link does, it is only temporary because the cycle begins again. The impermanence is something unique to Majora's Mask, and affects the player's psyche. Failure is unavoidable.
Link can bring the fight back to Skull Kid at the clock tower. Majora disappears to the moon. The fifth child will play good guy against bad guy, but with Link playing the part of the bad guy. The fight against Majora is three phases. If you collect all masks you receive the Fierce Diety Mask.
The best word to describe Majora's Mask is atmosphere because the development had harsh deadlines and insurmountable obstacles. That's why it remains so special, that it cannot be replicated on a whim. It is everything working together that makes this game unique.