N64 Retrospective – Day 2 (Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask)

We continue our look back on the lifetime of the Nintendo 64 today by taking a good look at two of the greatest games of that era – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.

When these two games came out, they were met with critical acclaim and vast sales. How did they change the gaming medium? How did they change our lives? Do they still stand out today?

Continue past the cut to see N.Rumas and I take a look at two of the best games in the N64 library.

By: N. Rumas

You’d be hard pressed to find a game that had as much to live up to as did The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64. You’d be even harder pressed to find a game that met and exceeded any and all expectations surrounding it with such utter perfection and class. Ocarina of Time is hands-down the greatest video game I’ve ever played.

Miyamoto must have had a massive amount of weight on his shoulders during Ocarina’s development. A Link to the Past was an incredibly tough act to follow, and further, by the time of Ocarina’s release, Nintendo 64 had lost nearly all its momentum to Playstation. We all know how the story goes, though — Ocarina of Time took the world by storm, and did as much to revolutionize gaming as Super Mario 64, if not more. Beyond its graphical prowess and coutless gameplay innovations, what stands out in my mind as the game’s greatest strength is the emotional attachment the player feels to it while immersed in its world. This, of course, is the hallmark of all Zelda games, but I’ve never felt so deep a connection to a game as with Ocarina of Time. As far as I’m concerned, that can only be described as the ‘Miyamoto Magic’ in full effect. I swear, the man must have a jar of ‘Powder of Life’ stashed away somewhere that he sprinkles his creations with, like that freaky witch Mombi in Return to Oz.

So how does Ocarina hold up after nearly ten years? Really, really well. It takes a little while to get past the blurry textures and somewhat choppy frame rate, but once you do, you’re sucked into the game’s world so completely that technical issues never even come to mind. Significantly, the version available on the Zelda Collector’s Edition disc for Gamecube is the way to go — it features a superior frame rate, displays in progressive scan and supports rumble enhancement, all of which add to the experience. Hopefully, the Virtual Console version will get a similar treatment. Any way you enjoy it, Ocarina of Time will likely prove to be the most richly rewarding video game you’ve ever experienced.

Then – 5/5
Flawless.
Now – 5/5
Still flawless, save the blurry textures and frame rate.

By: Greg

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was one of the best games ever created. How do you top that? How do you even continue the Zelda series without creating a pale imitation of Ocarina? The answer came when Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. The answer was to make the next entry in the Zelda series as different as possible from the formula that the series had followed up until that point.

Like the GB iteration, Link’s Awakening, Majora’s Mask was a spin-off rather than continuing the traditional tale of the struggle between Link and Ganon. Link, while traveling through a dense forest, ends up trapped in an alternate dimension. As if this weren’t bad enough, a curse traps him in the body of a Deku Scrub. In addition, it looks like the moon will collide with the ground in three days unless he can do something. Luckily, Link has the Ocarina of Time still, and can turn back time.

Time is a very important aspect of Majora’s Mask, far more so that it was in Ocarina of Time. You have to time everything correctly in order to accomplish your goals. Certain things can only be done during the day or the night, and certain things will happen on each of the three days. You will also have to relive those three days over and over again to complete the game.

The concept of masks also plays a unique role in Majora’s Mask and dramatically affects the gameplay. Three (and a hidden fourth) masks will actually transform Link into the other distinct races ““ Deku, Goron, and Zora. Each of these forms gives Link completely different abilities ““ Zora link can breathe underwater, the Goron form can do a ground stomp, Deku Link can shoot projectiles. Completing the game requires a strategic use of each form. There are also twenty other masks that can be collected by completing side quests. All of them will cause special events to happen or will give Link bonuses. If you collect all of them, you will get a fourth transformation to use at the very end of the game. During the final battle, you will be able to transform into Fierce Deity Link, an all-powerful god-like form.

Music also retains an important role in the game. Like in Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker, you will learn songs and need to play music to move forward in the game. Each transformation also has its own special instrument. The songs have the same effect no matter what form you take, but they do take on a slightly different sound depending on the instrument.

Launching in October of 2000 in America, Majora’s Mask was one of the last great Nintendo 64 games. Taking full advantage of the expansion pack, it boasted some of the best graphics on the system. Everything in the game has a unique visual flare to it. In fact, because of the excellent art direction, the game still looks fairly good today.

Because Majora’s Mask stands out so much from the rest of the Zelda series, it is somewhat controversial. For many, the “Groundhog Day-esque” gameplay hook is either a strong point or a complete turn-off. The increased difficulty over Ocarina of Time was also well-received by some and alienated others. The plot and feel of the game were also noticeably darker than other games in the series. IGN put it best in this quote:

“The Empire Strikes Back of Nintendo 64. It’s the same franchise, but it’s more intelligent, darker, and tells a much better storyline”

Majora’s Mask dramatically changed the Zelda series forever. The attempt to tell a more complete plot can be seen in every Zelda title to come out sense then. The darker tone can easily be seen in Twilight Princess. The willingness to try new game mechanics shines through in Phantom Hourglass. More importantly, Majora’s Mask introduced Tingle to the series. No matter how you feel about Majora’s Mask, you do have to admire it for pushing the boundaries and trying some new ideas.

Then ““ 5/5
One of the best games on the system, even better than Ocarina of Time in some respects.
Now ““ 5/5
This game has stood the test of time. Just as good today as it was then.

You know the drill. Tell us your thoughts on Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask below. Let us know how you feel about Link’s various N64 adventures. Which one is your favorite? Are they still amazing games today?