The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second game in The Legend of Zelda series to use 3D graphics, following Ocarina of Time (1998). Designed by a creative team led by Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and Shigeru Miyamoto, Majora's Mask was completed in less than two years. It features enhanced graphics and several gameplay changes, but reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time, a creative decision made necessary by time constraints.

A few months after Ocarina of Time, the character Link arrives in a parallel world, Termina, and becomes embroiled in a quest to prevent the moon from crashing in three days' time. The game introduces gameplay concepts revolving around a perpetually repeating three-day cycle and the use of various masks that transform Link into different forms. As the player progresses, Link learns to play numerous melodies on his ocarina, which allow him to control the flow of time, open hidden passages, or manipulate the environment. As with other Zelda games, players must navigate through several dungeons that contain complex puzzles and enemies. Majora's Mask requires the Expansion Pak add-on for the Nintendo 64, primarily to support the game’s complex mechanics, such as the repeating three-day cycle and extensive mask system. It also allows for graphical enhancements and more on-screen characters.

A critical and commercial success, Majora's Mask is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time. Some critics deemed it to be on par or superior to Ocarina of Time in certain aspects, praising its innovative gameplay, intricate design, robust control scheme, and atmospheric soundtrack, though it received minor criticisms for graphical limitations, and was considered less groundbreaking than its predecessor. It generated a cult following, with retrospective analyses highlighting its dark narrative tone and emotional depth. It was re-released as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the GameCube in 2003, the Virtual Console service for the Wii and Wii U, and the Nintendo Classics service for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. An enhanced remake developed by Grezzo for the Nintendo 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, was released in 2015.

Official trailer

Game Intro. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Full Game Walkthrough / Longplay (N64), Game Master TV. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Puzzle, Adventure

Developer

Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.3

Publisher

Nintendo

Series

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Engine

Super Mario 64 Engine

Platforms

Wii, Nintendo 64, Wii U

Age rating

ESRB E

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

PEGI

12

ACB

PG

CERO

A

ESRB

E

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Space and patches

Update patchNo patch

DLC

No DLC. Nintendo 64 games had no downloadable content.

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single player only, with no online features. The cartridge needs the Expansion Pak on a Nintendo 64, and the game is on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale
Metacritic	Nintendo 64	95	100

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
Famitsu	37	40
Electronic Gaming Monthly	10	10
IGN	9.9	10
Game Informer	9.75	10
Nintendo Power	9.4	10
Edge	9	10
GameSpot	8.3	10
GameFan	98	100
GamePro	4.5	5
Next Generation	4	5

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
Directors	Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi
Producer	Shigeru Miyamoto
Programmers	Toshio Iwawaki, Toshihiko Nakago
Artists	Yusuke Nakano, Takaya Imamura
Writers	Mitsuhiro Takano, Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi
Composer	Koji Kondo

Notes for collectors

• Link has three days to stop the moon crashing into Termina, and the three days repeat until he does.
• Needs the Expansion Pak, which runs the three-day cycle and the masks that turn Link into other forms.
• Came on a gold cartridge in North America.
• Sold 3.36 million copies on Nintendo 64, 1.2 million of them in the US in 2000.
• Also on The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for GameCube in 2003. Remade as Majora's Mask 3D for 3DS.

Credits

Publisher

Nintendo

Developer

Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.3

Director

Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi

Released

2000-10-26

Age rating

ESRB E

Region

US

Time to beat

about 21.7 hours