Are You Ready?

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Buy Now 

Did you ever play a game 

that was so good that you 

didn't want it to come to a close? 

A few games come to mind for answering that question:

Super Mario 64, Goldeneye, Ocarina of Time and now

Majora's Mask. Simply put you can do no better on 

the N64 than Link's latest outing. When I love a game

it is because it has some emotional attachment to me

or it is very original. Think of Zelda: MM as very original

and emotional. It's story doesn't continue the legendary

saga it expands it to a realm that Ocarina of Time did

not. The tragic story of Skull Kid and his day of reckoning 

will bring a tear to the eye of many gamers. It's a tale of 

a young boy who loses what is most important to him,

his friends. Torn and saddened by the departure of

his loved ones he cries alone in the woods weeping at

the sky and hoping for the return of his companions. Two 

stray fairies by the name of Tatl and Tael come across the

lost Skull Kid and shine their warming light on him hoping

to bring him happiness. The young boy is ecstatic about

his new found friends and they quickly become 

inseparable.  One day on one of their mischievous 

adventures they come across the traveling mask

salesmen and steel the mysterious Majora's Mask. 

Unknowing of the dark powers hidden deep within 

the mask Skull Kid dons the ornament only to be consumed

by it's evil powers. Helpless, he becomes the puppet of destruction

which is where the game begins. 

Graphics

Inspiring worlds that make you want to leave Earth behind. 

Virtual worlds have never been so desirable. The framerate is 

silky smooth with lot's of enemies onscreen at once. No pop-ups

plague this title but the occasional slowdown occurs when Link

is curled up as Goron Link blasting through Termina fields. Particle 

effects are all similar to Ocarina of Time but still look good after 

two years. My only gripe is that some shots got a little to close to

anti-aliased structures in some scenes but it is a very minor complaint.

Sound

The original theme is back and better than ever with many more heroic

suites to accompany it. Sounds are slightly changed from OoT but the music

sounds much sadder in that there is this beautiful requiem that is in

a minor key and will bring a tear to your eye by the end of the journey.

Gameplay

The games most original feature. You have 72 hours until the moon 

crashes into the world of Termina. It's up to Link to travel back in time

several times to complete certain tasks. On top of that each town person

has his or her own 72 hour schedule which mean Link must find them at the

appropriate location at the appropriate time. And you thought Shenmue 

was the only game.

Longevity

The length is arguably equal with OoT with more side-quest than

any other Zelda game. The games main draw will be the interactivity with

the towns folk and their ever changing daily lives. I could spend hours trying

on different masks and talking to different people all damn day as well as

explore the mysterious country side which holds hidden treasures of

Majora's Mask. A game this good will be played all the way through more

more than once. 

Overall: 95%

-Evil Romero