Zelda Universe – 25 Years in 25 Days: 2000

With Ocarina of Time being such a revolutionary game for its time, it set the bar for what many, if not all, other Zelda games would be compared to. Fans waited with anticipation for the next game in the series to arrive and hoped that they wouldn’t have to wait through another long drought. Luckily, they only had to wait two years. Today, Zelda Universe’s 25 Years in 25 Days takes us back to the year 2000 where Majora’s Mask, the sequel to Ocarina of Time, was released for the Nintendo 64. As expected, most of the article focuses on the game but we also get a brief glimpse at the Majora’s Mask manga and a Legend of Zelda trailer that came out when the GameCube was still referred to as Project Dolphin.

Majora’s Mask was created as a sequel to its massively popular predecessor Ocarina of Time. Yet, despite the fact that the two games were built using the same engine and employed many of the same character models, textures and physics, Majora’s Mask was no Ocarina of Time; in fact, the two games were as different as night and day – or should I say, as different as the way they treated night and day. Majora’s Mask used a 72-hour in-game clock that took the player through a three-day trek through the world of Termina, with a constant stream of schedules and events throughout the three days, and time-reversal mechanics that let you go back and experience each day over and over, none of which had been used in Zelda games (or games for that matter) before.

While the dungeons were few, they were also some of the most amazing and creative dungeons to be had in the series. Woodfall Temple was dark and creepy, a rather strange take for the first dungeon of the game. Snowhead Temple required players to backtrack through large sections of the dungeon to follow new routes that were opened midway through. Great Bay Temple had players cursing at yet another water temple. And Stone Tower Temple? I’ll never forget just how far down my jaw dropped the first time I saw a treasure chest appear on the ceiling! They also have a lot of replay value, as the different masks mean that you can defeat rooms and bosses in several completely different ways.

Since Zelda Universe started their 25 Years in 25 Days, I have been looking forward to the one about Majora’s Mask. There are so many great things about this game and I think the article does a good job of outlining many of them. Majora’s Mask has made its way up the list of fan favorites, and for me it is my favorite game in the series so far.

What do you guys think? Were you excited for Majora’s Mask or were you still playing Ocarina of Time? Do you think Majora’s Mask was a good sequel or could it have been better? Is Majora’s Mask one of your favorite games? Tell us in the comments and be sure to check back tomorrow for 2001!

Source: Zelda Universe

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