Ocarina of Time OoT: Darker Than MM?

[Master Kokiri 9]

Okay so I was thinking about OoT and MM lately and thought 'Wait a second... OoT seems darker than MM!'. So basically I'll explain it.

OoT's Dark Elements​

Okay so in OoT a freaking antichrist comes along and threatens three major races' ways of life.​

Eventually he actually succeeds in getting the power he tries to get through by cleverly decieving the hero that tried to stop him.​

Now he has obtained immense power through a sacred relic and a lot of people were killed and those that survived, even the good hearted ones, are becoming evl.​

The entire country has been reduced to a Shadow Land of monsters and they are taking it over.​

MM's Dark Elements​

A demon possesses a good hearted skull kid and tries to create an armageddon scene which would destroy the entire world.​

Everybody is aware of this, some living life to the fullest, some in despair and hopelessness, some being optimistic that the moon won't crash, and finally some which are pessimistic and in despair.​

Okay so while OoT has more dark elements than MM, MM's dark elements are more powerful than OoT's dark elements.

Honestly I think it's close but OoT is darker than MM.​

 

[(◕‿◕✿)]

I think in some ways they are close, but I think Ocarina of Time wasn't quite as dark and depressing as Majora's Mask, but I find 'dark' to be too broad and general a term for comparing them.

Everybody is aware of this, some living life to the fullest, some in despair and hopelessness, some being optimistic that the moon won't crash, and finally some which are pessimistic and in despair.

Not exactly, the scenario the game paints is a lot more depressing than that. Some people are oblivious to what will really happen (how bad the impact of the moon will actually be, e.g. Anju and her family heading to the ranch to escape it). Others completely deny it and think nothing will happen, others are distressed, this is evidenced by the arguing in the Mayor's Office.

Also, I think Majora's Mask held more of a sense of loneliness, from Link's perspective at least. Seeing as he had to reset the cycle at the end of each three day period, everything he had achieved in that cycle (except for getting a important item or something) was undone and no one else remembered it.

But I suppose Ocarina of Time sort of had this as well, with Link being sent seven years into the future.

 

[ironknuckle1]

i think that MM is darker because of the world coming to a end and mostly how you can see peoples lives even the smallest minor character through the time of three days turn into disaster and sadness, some of the most memorable i think is everyone at romani ranch, and the postman.

But i think that how you described Ganondorf in the OOt's dark elements made him seem like HItler, and Napoleon because they seiged war on other countries ( in zelda's case races) just to take then over and destroy them.

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

But i think that how you described Ganondorf in the OOt's dark elements made him seem like HItler, and Napoleon because they seiged war on other countries ( in zelda's case races) just to take then over and destroy them.

Yeah I guess I did! But it was unintentional.

I think in some ways they are close, but I think Ocarina of Time wasn't quite as dark and depressing as Majora's Mask, but I find 'dark' to be too broad and general a term for comparing them.

Not exactly, the scenario the game paints is a lot more depressing than that. Some people are oblivious to what will really happen (how bad the impact of the moon will actually be, e.g. Anju and her family heading to the ranch to escape it). Others completely deny it and think nothing will happen, others are distressed, this is evidenced by the arguing in the Mayor's Office.

Also, I think Majora's Mask held more of a sense of loneliness, from Link's perspective at least. Seeing as he had to reset the cycle at the end of each three day period, everything he had achieved in that cycle (except for getting a important item or something) was undone and no one else remembered it.

But I suppose Ocarina of Time sort of had this as well, with Link being sent seven years into the future.

Yeah I guess I forgot those ones. I just haven't played MM in months and don't remember many of the details too well. But yeah I understand. I, however, still feel that OoT is darker than MM. It just seems so in my mind.

 

[Flagpole]

OK, without thinking about it that much, I voted for MM in the poll, but now that i think about it, maybe OOT is darker than MM.

The fact that the world of Termina is going to end in three days is very depresing itself, and many people have loads of trouble.
Sure, Nintendo made it darker: there's poison at the place where the Dekus live, the place where the Goron live is full of snow, etc.

Now, let's see, at OOT, the world is full of monsters and evil things...
Lon Lon Ranch is ruled by Ingo, a guy who turned evil and, apparently, will mistreat the animals if Malon leaves... Well, that's no good.

The Kokiri Forest is filled with monsters, so the Kokiri have to live it.
The Goron city is almost empty due to the fact they are imprisoned in the Fire Temple and a dragon is going to eat them...

Zora Domain is almost empty because it is frozen, Lake Hylia has almost no water and the Zoras are trapped under the ice of the Ice Cavern...

The Market is filled with ReDeads.

The graveyard is filled with Poes.

Anything more?

 

[Petman1325]

In some events, you might as well say that OoT may be darker than MM. For starters, if the moon crashed, everyone would die instantly from being incinerated from the flames the Moon emitted when it hit the earth. Ganondorf, on the other hand, wanted to slowly torture everybody, one by one, until everyone feared him. Die instantly or be frozen? Die instantly or be eaten by a dragon? Die instantly or be tortured by things six times your height?

However, a lot of things in MM's story are actually rather dark, such as Ikana, but the Shadow Temple pretty much compensates for this. However, Ganondorf killing off an entire town and trying to burn one down to the ground while the Moon just crushes everything almost instantly. But, both use the fear tatic. But, Ganondorf, people couldn't see coming; the Moon was something they could see coming. Slow, but coming...

But, in addition to that, the Moon was just one ominous thing, while Ganondorf just took one group, harassed them for a little bit, and moved on to the next, until he would make his final plans with a complete Triforce. Then again, however, Majora did some downgrading to Termina as well, but not as significant as Ganondorf. So, like I said, there are some events in which you could say that OoT was darker than MM, but not completely. One significant thing is that OoT lacked the character development that MM had. If it had, then it would be way darker; seeing nice people, meeting them, talking to them, etc, then suddenly having them frozen or eaten by a dragon, etc.

 

[lonely_moon]

Now, I've not played too much of MM, but I have read a lot about it (sadly spoiling large amounts of the game for myself in the progress ), so I don't know as much of the game as I do of OoT.

Now, I definitely think OoT had its shades of darkness. The Shadow Temple is essentially a torture chamber (copious blood, chains everywhere, guillotines). Nabooru mentions Ganondorf stealing from and killing women and children to get what he wanted. Ingo mistreating the animals at Lon Lon Ranch. The subtext is there if you look for it. But all in all, there's really not much of it. Aside from Hyrule Castle Town (which everyone escaped from safely), there isn't really any indication that the world is seriously in danger, and even if there is at some point, usually it goes away once you beat the dungeon (e.g. Forest Temple). Everything is generally pretty cheerful, and if it isn't at first, it all clears up once you do what you have to do.

MM, on the other hand, had far more blatant undertones of bleakness. Since the world was going to end in three days, you had so many people who dealt with it in different ways. Some were scared, others in denial, but it played on all of their minds. They all had unfinished business as well, as you would if everyone was going to die in a few days. Kafei was turned into a child by the Skull Kid, so he couldn't face his fiance, who all the while was worrying about him. Lulu, of the band the Indigo-Gos, has lost her voice because her eggs (essentially children) were taken from her by pirates, and her possible boyfriend died trying to get them back. This is to say nothing of the Skull Kid himself, onto whom the mask latched on because of his pent-up sadness and anger over having no friends. The fact that so many people have problems, and the impending doom about to sweep across all of Termina, weighs heavily on you whenever you play it. It gets even worse when, in the normal three-day cycle, you can't possibly do everything for everyone.

So you had a point, OoT did have some darkness, but MM still takes the cake here IMO.

 

[Junehs]

Majora's Mask because of the mask and the plot of the whole game. The mask takes over a good skull kid, right, but I would totally freak out if the world was going to end especially with a moon with a face crashing on my poor little town. Other things were like what happened with Anju, and how these "things" abduct cows from Lon Lon Ranch. I wouldn't want what I own abducted. Ocarina of Time was dark because of some of the waves. Ganondorf being a crazy maniac and stealing the Triforce of Power to rule Hyrule, the Shadow Temple was one creepy temple, if you listen to the music alone.The Gerudos at first were err... rude to men at first but likes Link after you free their prisoners. They both have their own types of darknesses.

 

[Mikenike]

Majora's Mask is definately darker than Ocarina of Time. Majora's Mask is basically Link coming in the nick of time to save a bunch of people who basically say "Well, were f'd lets just liev the rest of our days". Some knowing they will die and show their depression, other clueless. If you don't save the town it even shows Link trying to run from th destruction and is burned/ crushed alive ( not detail but you know what will happen). If you die in OOT you fall down, or drown. It is basically the setting In majora's mask that sets the tone. A twon that only has hope in a littleboy to save them, compared to a 17-18 year old man who shows the power to save hyrule.

 

[TheSerpent]

I haven't played MM yet, but OoT is pretty dark. I mean, he is a little kid, and he just faces many monsters to gather the stones, gets sealed up for 7 years, and comes out only to find that Hyrule Castle is in ruins, the castle itself is turned into Ganon's castle, the market is filled with Redeads (Could be the former citizens turned into zombies by Ganon), and his home is filled with monsters.

3 big races were in ruins because of Ganon: the Kokiri's town was filled with mad scrubs and deku babas, many were forced into the lost woods, the friendly skull kids now shot poinson needles at you.
Every single Zora was trapped under ice.
There were only two gorons left in the city, because the rest were about to be feeded alive to a lava dragon!

 

[GerudoDesert]

I haven't played MM yet, but OoT is pretty dark. I mean, he is a little kid, and he just faces many monsters to gather the stones, gets sealed up for 7 years, and comes out only to find that Hyrule Castle is in ruins, the castle itself is turned into Ganon's castle, the market is filled with Redeads (Could be the former citizens turned into zombies by Ganon), and his home is filled with monsters.

3 big races were in ruins because of Ganon: the Kokiri's town was filled with mad scrubs and deku babas, many were forced into the lost woods, the friendly skull kids now shot poinson needles at you.
Every single Zora was trapped under ice.
There were only two gorons left in the city, because the rest were about to be feeded alive to a lava dragon!

Serpent, if you haven't played Majora's Mask yet, you cant really state your opinion.

Anyway, No. Majora's Mask was much darker then Ocarina of Time. The transformation, the moon, Majora. Its one dark thing after another.

 

[Skull_Kid]

I don't think so, OoT always maintained that feeling of "there's always hope", and MM was almost always gloomy, depressive and had an impending doom feeling.
IMO, the darkest OoT moment is when Link gets out of the ToT after being there for 7 years and discovers everything ravaged

 

[shadowsoldier]

although OoT had its moments (shadow temple anyone?) I still feel that MM was more dark and gloomy because it was the end of the world while in OoT it was more of Ganon gaining domination which in a way isnt as bad.....barely though

 

[Skull_Kid]

To compensate the whole Shadow temple, MM had the Ikana area.

 

[shadowsoldier]

oh man I cant beleive I forgot the Ikana area that place was eerie alright but for some reason I always had a thing for shadow temple since I had nightmares about it with the redeads pendulums and good old bongo.