Saturday, March 7, 2015

Majora's Memories

It sure has been a long time...  There are a lot of different things I could come back to blogging with (that month I played an MMO for example) but I want to start by going back even further.  Long before I got my PS4, or even PS3 for that matter.  Back to when I was a wee lad of only 12, reading my EGM's and always looking forward to the future of games (what the heck happened??)  Few series had me more excited than the Legend of Zelda, and after Ocarina of Time proved to me that the series successfully managed that terrifying leap from 2D into 3D, it should come as no surprise that I was overjoyed to hear there was going to be another Zelda game on the N64.  Looking at the early screenshots, it didn't look all that different from Ocarina of Time graphically, but I didn't care.  I was gearing up to enter another massive world, explore a plethora of new dungeons and become enveloped in adventure once again.  Needless to say, I was in for a surprise.

Now before I continue to write anything else about Majora's Mask, I want to point out that this is entirely from memory.  I wanted to jot down my memories of Majora's Mask before I dove back into it with the new 3DS remake.  err... um... not NEW 3DS remake, but the new remake that's for the 3DS... and the new 3DS.  Whatever.  In any case, I wanted to do a "before and after" for this one because it's been so long since I've played the original.  I replayed Ocarina of Time several times before the 3DS remake, partly due to that amazing bonus disc I got for pre-ordering Wind Waker, but I had replayed it even prior to that.  Majora's Mask on the other hand, I only played once when it was fairly new.  I remember enjoying it quite a bit, but I just never revisited it.  When I was hungering that "Zelda style" in a game, Ocarina was what I'd turn to.  It stays truer to the classic formula of beating dungeons and getting items to progress.  Majora's Mask as I recall really only has 4 true dungeons.  It was much more about the people you meet in Clock Town and throughout Termina.  It was a very different experience from any previous Zelda game, making it revered by some and condemned by others.  I'm thankful I kept an open mind, as it allowed me to take in what I would consider the darkest and most unique entry in the entire series (including all of the games that came after it). 

One thing I definitely remember about Majora's Mask is its initial time loop and being stuck as a deku scrub.  If I remember correctly, it's a pretty long time before you can remove that mask and reclaim your human form.  I have to admit, this is one of the things that's been keeping me from starting the game on the 3DS.  I know I'll want to get far enough to become human again, and that takes some time.  (Again, I apologize for the random nature of this post, I just really wanted to see what I remembered from MM and what all I've forgotten)

I think what I remember most though is how important it was to learn the trick to slowing down the passage of time.  I always felt a little like I was cheating though since I think it was my brother that figured it out and taught me how to do it.  Not only that, but the difference in time passage was tremendous.  In fact, I remember finding it humorous how slowly the villagers would move after that trick was performed, since they all are on set schedules, having to arrive in certain places at certain times.  It certainly was bizarre, but that's kind of the name of the game when it comes to Majora.

"Bizarre" is a good word for some of the music in Majora too.  I remember feeling legitimately uncomfortable hearing some of the game's soundtrack.  At least one song sounded like it was being played in reverse, and several of the others had very dissonant, clashing chords in them.  Even the song you played to travel to owl statues had an unpleasant sound to it.  Considering the game is about the apocalypse and how people deal with their impending doom, it's only appropriate to have a creepier soundtrack to match the tone, but it did so effectively and left an impression on me. 

This has already gone on longer than I thought it would, but I'd like to end it remembering my biggest pros and cons.  I think what really grabbed me was just how dark the tone was and seeing how the different characters lived their final days.  This is something I think I'll appreciate even more at an older age.  Some of the townsfolk wanted to die where they lived, others wanted to do everything they could to leave in search of safety.  Still others were in denial until their final moments, feeling sure that they would be safe "somehow."  Pretty heavy themes for any game in general, much less a Zelda game. 

I do remember some nuisances as well though, which might be part of why I never revisited this one until now.  Granted, I was 12, so I'd like to think my critical thinking and puzzle solving skills have improved since then, but I remember having little to no idea as to how to get some of the masks.  I know I printed out at least a few sheets on how to get all of the masks, but so help you if you missed any of the necessary steps along the way.  You'd just have to restart the loop.  I vaguely remember some annoyance with searching for hidden fairies in dungeons using the great fairy's mask, but I don't think it was necessary and I don't recall doing it much. 

Overall though, what I remember most is the overwhelming sense of "weird" I got from playing Majora's Mask.  At a quick glance, it didn't look much different from Ocarina of Time, but as soon as I dug into it, it didn't seem like it at all or like anything I'd ever played.  Plus it had Tingle... how much weirder can you get?  I guess I'll find out as I revisit the weird, doomed world of Termina once more.